Circle of Inevitability

Jenna examined the gold coin in the boy's hand and noticed an unfamiliar portrait of a man wearing a crown.

Perplexed, she inquired, "This isn't verl d'or?"

The boy chuckled and explained, "This is a gold pound, more valuable than Louis d'or."

"You're not from Intis?" Jenna was taken aback, but she didn't think there was a problem.

The boy's appearance did differ somewhat from the locals.

"I'm Loenese," the boy with neatly combed, light-yellow hair replied honestly.

Jenna chose not to dig deeper, understanding that whether the coin was a gold pound or Louis d'or didn't affect its practical worth.

Based on their previous encounter, she trusted the boy's ability to bring good luck.

She looked at him, awaiting his next words.

The boy returned the lucky gold coin to his pocket, showing no intention of prepayment.

Instead, he pointed at the ground and said, "At ten tonight, enter Underground Trier from the entrance here. Proceed as far as you can, following any available path, until you reach an underground river.

"Find a hiding spot nearby and wait for the first person to pass by. Take all their belongings."

"Before completing this matter, you can't tell anyone what you want to do or where you plan to go."

Go underground purely based on intuition and rely on luck to find prey? Jenna found the boy's instructions rather reminiscent of Ciel's "charlatan temperament."

As for how to acquire the person's belongings, there seemed to be only one solution: through combat; she was to subdue the other party!

Jenna knew the boy was likely a formidable Beyonder aligned with her cause, and without hesitation, she agreed, "Got it."

The boy smiled.

"When you obtain those items and hand them over to me, I'll pay you the lucky gold coin as a reward."

"How should I address you? And where should I find you when the time comes?" Jenna, aware that he wasn't an ordinary boy, couldn't help but speak in a respectful tone.

The boy mumbled, "You can call me Will. Talking to me like that makes me sound like an adult. I'm just in elementary school!

"When the time comes, you'll naturally encounter me."

Is he one of those born Beyonders mentioned at the mysticism gatherings? He's indeed young, but his abilities are outstanding? Jenna made a connection and followed his instructions. She replied with a smile, "Alright, Will."

Will waved her off and said, "You may leave."

But I'm planning to have lunch at the café diagonally behind you… Jenna muttered and changed direction to head back to Rue des Blouses Blanches for food.

However, after walking for more than ten meters, her curiosity got the best of her, and she turned to glance at the iron-black gas street lamp pole.

The strange boy, Will, had vanished from his spot.

Jenna took a closer look and realized that he had entered the nearby café and was now seated at a booth by the window, where an attendant had just brought him a cup with three scoops of ice cream.

He's truly just a child… Jenna mused, her curiosity satisfied as she continued on her way.

…

In the financial district, within the Trier Arts Center,

Lumian took out the brown Mystery Prying Glasses once again after having surmised something.

With no hesitation or fear, he donned the mystical item.

The exhibition hall had been his main focus, with the washroom separated by a long corridor.

Amidst the familiar dizziness, the oil painting in front of Lumian underwent a peculiar transformation.

The faces adorning the naked woman's body turned to look at him.

Simultaneously, Lumian sensed the presence of a creature on the rooftop, where the overlapping sky was, staring at him from a distance. It appeared to be trying to navigate the obstacles and approach him rapidly.

As the blurry face of the woman in the oil painting gradually clarified, her true identity became apparent: brown eyes darting, brown hair cascading, a plump, smooth-skinned face, and an air of detachment…

Lumian recognized her. She was none other than Miss Séraphine, the former tenant of Auberge du Coq Doré, the human model, and the lover playwright Gabriel had been searching for!

As Séraphine's face became clearer, Lumian's surroundings darkened, as if faces were on the verge of emerging from the painting or the void.

Quickly, he removed the Mystery Prying Glasses from his nose bridge, and all the anomalies vanished in an instant, leaving only the sensation of raised hair on his skin.

As expected, the human model for this oil painting is Séraphine…

Although Gabriel is an ordinary person and doesn't possess the Mystery Prying Glasses, he once slept with Séraphine and knows her physical characteristics. That must have been how he noticed traces of his lover when he entered and exited the washroom…n)))--))).-/)I.-n

Could it be that Séraphine possesses multiple faces on her body, appearing both painted and alive, just like this oil painting?

Wasn't Gabriel afraid back then?

After discovering the oil painting with Séraphine as the model here, he encountered that normally difficult-to-see creature when he returned?

The timing matches up—the water glass on his desk was more than a day old, and he visited the art exhibition two days ago… Something must have transpired late at night.

After being attacked and possibly corrupted, why did he remain in the apartment until my visit?

As Lumian's thoughts raced, he turned his attention to the oil painting's signature—Claude Pierre August.

The painter was not widely recognized; otherwise, his artwork would not have been hung along the corridor to the washroom. Furthermore, his work was perhaps added for the "Future Impressions" exhibition.

Likewise, he believed that since something had happened to Gabriel, Pierre might have gone missing. He had even gone to the "Hostel" when Séraphine moved out of Auberge du Coq Doré.

Regardless, I should inform Madam Magician. What if there are any clues left behind? Otherwise, they wouldn't have dealt with an ordinary person like Gabriel. Lumian had no intention of pursuing Claude Pierre August himself. This was because it would take a lot of time to gather information about the other party through various channels. And with the target's name and identity, an astromancy master like Madam Magician should be able to quickly lock onto the painter's residence.

In addition, Gabriel had been attacked late at night after learning about Claude, the painter. Lumian's current information was only a fraction of his own.

Lumian gazed at the oil painting, his lips curling into a smile.

Will I be attacked?

I'm looking forward to it.

…

Around 9 p.m., at 3 Rue des Blouses Blanches, Apartment 601, Franca, recalling the Demoness Sect's mission, suspected the Iron and Blood Cross Order would soon make a significant move, and her plan was to visit Gardner Martin while digesting the Pleasure potion along the way.

Rather than her usual method of knocking on the door and entering, Franca decided to take a more covert approach.

She intended to hide around 11 Rue des Fontaines, in the garden, or on the lawn, observing discreetly before finding Gardner Martin.

Recognizing Gardner's Sequence and abilities, she returned to her bedroom and retrieved a palm-sized Primordial Demoness statue, which she concealed in a pocket.

This would enhance her ability to remain hidden and reduce the chances of Beyonder powers detecting her.

"I'm heading to Gardner's." Franca waved at Jenna, opened the door, and left Apartment 601.

Jenna acknowledged and breathed a sigh of relief.

She was about to leave and was a little nervous.

Franca arrived at Rue des Fontaines via a rental carriage but chose not to have the driver stop at Building 11 as usual. Instead, she disembarked from a distance and swiftly disappeared into the shadows, stealthily making her way to Gardner Martin's residence.

Her familiarity with the surroundings allowed her to find a gap in the guards' patrol, and she nimbly scaled a side wall to silently descend into the garden.

Franca didn't attempt to infiltrate the building directly. Instead, she followed the shadows, circling to the edge of the front lawn. Next to a gas street lamp, she observed the grayish-white three-story villa, still illuminated.

As time passed, Franca remained vigilant, focused on observing the figures appearing at the windows and their activities.

Suddenly, the main door of the villa swung open, and butler Faustino emerged, accompanied by a figure cloaked in black.

The black-cloaked individual was of average height, standing at around 1.75 meters. Their entire form was concealed, making it impossible to discern their appearance or physical attributes.

Who could it be? Gardner Martin's partner, or a key member of the Iron and Blood Cross Order in charge of other regions? Franca wondered.

As the black-cloaked figure exited the iron fence while butler Faustino retreated into the villa, Franca hesitated for only a moment before making a decision.

She realized that unless she ventured inside Gardner Martin's residence thoroughly, she wouldn't obtain valuable information. Her earlier exploration had been open and yielded little. The cloaked individual might provide her with fresh leads leading to unexpected gains.

Franca, who was invisible, touched the Primordial Demoness statue in her hidden pocket and grew confident.

She circled around the lawn's edge and scaled the iron fence, stealthily trailing the mysterious figure in the black cloak.

…

At 10 p.m., Jenna embarked on her journey into Underground Trier, an entrance not far from Thtre de l'Ancienne Cage à Pigeons.

Lacking a carbide lamp, she relied on her Assassin's night vision to navigate in the pitch-black environment. Jenna was determined to commit the path to memory and proceeded deeper into the underground tunnels, trusting her instincts.

As she advanced, the silence around her grew ever more profound.

Jenna exhaled slowly, alleviating the tension and fear in her heart.

Jenna deliberately moved away from the tunnel's center, pressed herself against a rock wall, and continued cautiously.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the sound of running water reached her ears.

She proceeded for another seven to eight meters around a rocky outcrop, where a small river flowed slowly in the dark underground.

Jenna steadied herself, spotting a mottled stone pillar to hide behind, her form merging with the dense shadows.

She refrained from using Invisibility, recognizing her limitations as a Witch—the duration she could maintain her powers was limited, and she had no way of knowing how long it would take for the target to arrive.

In the silent underground, time seemed to stretch, and Jenna's mental stress steadily built up.

At last, the reverberation of footsteps reached her ears.

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