Magician concurred tersely. âNo problem. I understand the urgency. Iâll bring you there once Mr. Hanged Man and I confirm the time.â
Lumian fell silent for a moment before saying, âThank you.â
Madam Magician pondered for a moment and reminded him, âBut donât be too hasty. Emperor Roselle once said, âMore haste, less speed.â
âItâs not just because impatience blinds you and affects your judgment, causing you to make wrong choices in many matters. Itâs also because consuming the potion to advance has a requirement on your mental state. You should be well aware of this.â
âI understand,â Lumian said with a sigh.
Madam Magician glanced around and joked, âYou were really tense just now. Weâve been talking this whole time, but you didnât even remember to invite me to sit down.
âYes, the School of Truthâs vortex clearly involves higher-level forces. Weâll take over the subsequent investigations. Your primary mission is to locate the relatively important Mirror People according to what Moran Avigny had shared. I suspect that something in the special mirror world is an important part of the vortex.
âThis time, youâve obtained crucial information. We Major Arcana card holders wonât be stingy with the rewards. Of course, itâs for your team, not just you. The exact distribution is up to you.â
Upon hearing the last sentence, Lumian suddenly fell into a daze. He muttered to himself, âAgainâŠ
âIs this also what fate has bestowed?â
âI canât say for sure thatâs not the case,â Madam Magician replied with a self-deprecating smile. âYour psychological and mental state are better than I expected. You havenât reached the point where you need treatment again, but you seem to have suffered from the aftereffects of the trauma known as Fateâs Bestowment. Everything you see seems arranged as if by fateâs hand.â
Without waiting for Lumianâs response, she added, âActually, thereâs no problem with that. Itâs good to be vigilant, but donât put too much pressure on yourself. Your mind is like an eraser. If youâre too tense, itâll snap. You can be vigilant about details, but you have to relax. Think about it. You canât resist a real arrangement anyway. Why make yourself unable to sleep well, eat well, and become more and more neurotic?â
âYes.â Lumian had to admit that Madam Magician had a point.
Magician expressed satisfaction at Lumianâs ability to self-regulate.
âOf course, once you discover any arrangements that are clearly problematic, remember to inform me immediately by reciting the honorific name.
âFor the reward this time, Iâll include the Sequence 4 potion formula of the Hunter pathway, facilitating your quest for items on the Blue Avenger. As for the rewards for the Two of Cups, Seven of Cups, and Four of Swords, I donât know either. It mainly depends on what Judgment, The Hermit, and the others will offer.â
Lumian had no objections to this arrangement. Even if Madam Magician didnât mention it or believed that the information about the vortex and the Mirror People wasnât worth the demigod-level potion formula, he would take the initiative to request that the other party provide it first before making up for the missing contributions.
As Lumian regained his composure, a question crossed his mind.
âMadam, Mr. K of the Aurora Order has already divulged my contributions in front of the True Creatorâs idol, requesting Him to put me up as a candidate Oracle. When an official Oracle falls into danger, I will become the prime candidate to replace them. When the time comes, will I truly become a certain Mr. of the Aurora Order?
âIn addition, Mr. K also promised material rewards in the next few days.â
Magician nodded slightly and said, âThe Aurora Orderâs organizational structure is quite peculiar. Although Oracles have a Saint directly above them, most Oracles can directly hear the ravings of that entity and His instructions, giving them strong autonomy. Yes, they still follow the orders of their Saint superiors and report to them on most matters, but there are a few matters that completely bypass their superiors. Recommending a candidate Oracle is one of them.
âAn oracle of God can only come from Godâs revelation.â
After a brief sigh, Magician chuckled and said, âAs long as thereâs no major problem with the screening, feel free to accept the material rewards. Youâve already received enough of fateâs bestowments. Any more and there wonât be any substantial changes.
âI donât think being an Oracle will happen. The Aurora Orderâs Oracles have a fixed preaching area. It canât beat letting you run around and trigger various hidden dangers of evil gods. It will help you digest the potion. UhâŠâ
At this point, Magicianâs expression gradually turned odd.
Lumian wasnât in a hurry to inquire. He waited for the Major Arcana card holder to take the initiative to explain.
After a few seconds, Magician maintained her expression and hesitantly said, âPerhaps, that personâs original arrangement was for you to be a certain Mr. for a while.
âThe Hunter pathwayâs Sequence 4 is known as Iron-blooded Knight. It makes all consumers transform into men. Its ritual requires the formation of a team of at least 30 people. They should be able to comprehend your intentions based on your gaze and actions after long periods of nurturingâas though all of you are nearly one. The higher the teamâs strength and tacit understanding, the better the effect of the ritual.â Think about it. Whatâs the most striking characteristic of the Aurora Order? Itâs fanaticism.
âAfter becoming a certain Mr., you will undoubtedly have your own jurisdiction and a large number of subordinates. They are fanatical and will completely follow the orders of a deityâs oracle like you. With some training, they can fulfill the requirements of the ritual. What you need to worry about is how to increase their strength and tacit understanding to make the ritual more effective.â
Whâ The original plan was for me to become an Oracle after digesting the Reaper potion, allowing me to establish a team to complete the ritual as quickly as possible. How can I carry out this ritual now? Franca and the others are without a problem, but there are too few of them⊠Lumian couldnât help but frown.
Upon seeing this, Madam Magician chuckled and said, âThe Church of Knowledge, well-versed in the Hunter path, offered an alternative.â
âOf course, the prerequisite is that you can tame Ludwig. Angels can offset most quantity requirements.â
âAngel level?â Lumian finally obtained information about Ludwigâs power from Madam Magician.
Taming Ludwig? All I can do now is âbribeâ him and give simple commands⊠Lumian fell deep into thought.
Madam Magician glanced at him and said, âYou can wait until you digest the Reaper potion and visit the City of Exiles, Morora, before deciding which method to use to meet the ritualâs requirements.â
âRight, letâs discuss the vortex details through letters.â
Lumian nodded and watched as Madam Magician vanished into thin air.
Gazing at the gradually expanding dark border, he closed his eyes and recalled everything he had seen and heard that day.
Unbeknownst to him, he clenched his fists tightly, and blazing white flames surged from his fists, burning fiercely.
Jenna sat in an armchair in the living room, quietly waiting for Lumian to open the door and leave. The sound of gnawing and chewing echoed from the dining room.
Lumian carried the unfinished bottle of absinthe to the balcony, settled into a chair, and took a sip.
Jenna approached him with light footsteps and observed him for a few seconds. âYouâre in better shape.â
âYou can tell that too?â Lumian asked nonchalantly without turning his head.
Jenna pulled up a chair and sat down, sneering.
âYour silent and reserved demeanor makes me feel more at ease than your previously excited and talkative demeanor.â
Lumian gazed at the night outside the balcony and remained silent for a long time. Jenna didnât ask any questions either.
Suddenly, Lumian spoke in a deep voice, âI saw that lizard-like elf.â
Jenna had heard him talk about Cordu and understood what it meant. She said in surprise, âDidnât you go to the Aurora Order to meet Mr. K? Why⊠Is that lizard-like elf related to the Aurora Order?â
âIt stems from the one they believe in,â Lumianâs voice seemed to emerge from the depths of darkness.
âNo wonderâŠâ Jenna suddenly understood Lumianâs previous state. âMadam Judgment mentioned that the one the Aurora Order believes in is close to Mr. Fool in powerâŠâ
It wasnât something mortals could face directly, let alone exact revenge on!
After a brief silence, Jenna understood and said, âDid you just meet Madam Magician?â
âYouâve grown quite smart after drinking the Witch potion,â Lumian turned to Jenna.
Jenna couldnât help but ask, âCanât Hunters speak nicely?â
She paused for a moment before adding, âWhat did Madam Magician say?â
âShe said to endure it for now and wait for Mr. Fool to wake up before considering what to do next,â Lumian replied simply.
Jenna tersely acknowledged, momentarily at a loss for words.
After a moment, she stood up and went to Ludwigâs side in the dining room to retrieve a glass from the balcony. She snatched the bottle of absinthe from Lumianâs hand and poured a third of it for herself.
Jenna had just taken a sip of the dreamy green liquid when her face instinctively furrowed.
âHeck, why do you people like to drink absinthe? It tastes awful!â As a former Showy Diva, Jenna had drunk plenty of alcohol, but she still couldnât accept the taste of absinthe.
Lumian scoffed but didnât offer an explanation.
Jenna casually chatted, âI once read a book about a writer whose name I canât remember. He said that those who enjoy absinthe either use it to pretend they are experienced or use it to reminisce about their experiencesâŠâ
Lumian listened quietly, picked up the bottle, and took another mouthful.
The slightly burning alcohol slid down his throat, leaving behind a familiar bitterness.