The source of this cđžntent is frđe(w)đbnovel
414 Reason
Joseph and Rayan came to a sudden halt, swiftly turning to face Lumian.
Lumian observed them in silence, offering no immediate explanation.
Joseph, maintaining his smug and condescending grin, inquired, âMonsieur Ciel, Iâm not sure I comprehend your meaning.â
Lumian spoke with composure, âI granted you permission to visit me, not the freedom to depart.â
âThis is my Salle de Bal Brise, not your home. You canât come and go as you please.â
Though Lumian didnât intentionally use Provocation, his demeanor, tone, and message radiated unmistakable disdain, as if he held no fear of their wrath.
Rayan, his expression unchanged, narrowed his eyes, turned away, and continued his stride toward the staircase, completely disregarding Lumianâs words.
Joseph, with brown hair and eyes to match, glanced at Lumian, then at Rayan. His gaze flickered, but he made no move to stop him.
Unfazed, Lumian calmly drew his revolver and discharged a round toward the staircase without hesitation.
With a bang, Rayan came to an abrupt standstill once again.
Slowly, he pivoted to face Lumian, exuding a palpable pressure from his eyes.
A subtle movement in Christoâs pocket betrayed his discomfort and vigilance, sensing imminent danger.
Unperturbed, Lumian, holding the revolver, issued a sincere apology, âIâm sorry, I am carrying a concealed firearm.â
As he spoke, he glanced back at Rayan and Joseph, a faint, fearless smile playing on his lips.
Josephâs feigned polite smile crumbled, replaced by a piercing gaze fixed on Lumian, as if assessing the mob leaderâs resolve, confidence, and strength.
Lumian contemplated uttering, âWhat are you staring at? If you want to fight, letâs fight. If not, back down.â to further infuriate the Trier Cave Association representatives, but considering the presence of âRatâ Christo, he abandoned the notion.
It would expose his true intention of provocation rather than investigating their true purpose, making it challenging to explain to Gardner Martin, the current or former Conspirer.
His unwavering gaze remained locked with Joseph and Rayan. With the revolver in his right hand, he deftly spun the cylinder.
After more than ten seconds that left âRatâ Christo visibly sweating, Joseph once again wore a polite smile and asked, âMay we depart now, Monsieur Ciel?â
Oh, so you see through my true intentions of deliberately finding fault, hoping to get some action? Whereâs your arrogance and self-esteem? Lumian chuckled inwardly and said in an infuriating tone,
âNot just yet.â
Rayan took an abrupt step forward, but Joseph restrained him.
The freckled, brown-haired, brown-eyed young man raised his chin slightly and locked eyes with Lumian.
âWhat must we do to gain your permission?â
Lumianâs smile held a tinge of disappointment as he replied, âAnswer my question, why did you invite Christo and me to join the Cave Association? I donât recall having a hobby of exploring and studying caves.â
Joseph fell into a brief silence before explaining, âOur associationâs cave adventurers have encountered Christo several times underground and noticed his in-depth knowledge of Underground Trier. He appears to be well-acquainted with many hidden routes, which aligns with our cave associationâs criteria for invitations.â
âRatâ Christo didnât voice any objections to this explanation. Although his primary activities involved smuggling underground, there were no completely hidden smuggling routes. They inevitably crossed paths with tunnels and mines known to cave adventurers and quarry police. During these encounters, it was inevitable that he would come across a few âpassersbyâ or be covertly observed from a distance.
Lumian, all the while, idly stroked the revolverâs muzzle without interrupting Josephâs narrative.
Joseph paused for a brief moment before elaborating, âThere are two reasons for your invitation.â
âThe first reason is an Earth Blood ore specimen.â
The Earth Blood ore specimen⊠Lumian hadnât anticipated this reason at all.
Without taking much time to consider, guided by his prankster instincts and recent advice from Anthony Reid, Lumian swiftly responded, âAn Earth Blood ore specimen⊠Ah, I recall now. I acquired it from a lunatic named Flameng. Isnât it just a stone? It holds no value to me. I donât even know its whereabouts.â
Lumian then added with a touch of nostalgia, âIt appears to have been stolen. I left it in a rented apartment. Heh heh, individuals like us rarely have a place solely for rest and sleep. My apartment was laden with numerous traps. Who would have imagined a thief successfully infiltrating and accessing the cabinet? Whatâs more, they only took the Earth Blood ore and left everything else untouched. It puzzled me at the time, making me wonder if my recollection was flawedâthe stone has long been lost, and no thief had broken inâŠâ
Ciel Duboisâs words were delivered with a sincere and detailed tone, and his demeanor conveyed an apparent lack of concern regarding the ore specimen. Now, it merely seemed like the loss of some insignificant item. Joseph and Rayan exchanged glances, their attitudes subtly shifting.
As Lumian finished his act, his mind raced, trying to decipher the rationale behind the Trier Cave Associationâs interest in the Earth Blood ore.
The Earth Bloodâs rock stratum has existed beneath Trier for centuries, if not millennia. The specific minerals concealed within it couldnât have surfaced recently, catching the attention of Flameng and other mineral researchersâŠ
Official factions in Trier and certain secretive organizations probably know that a select few minerals within the Earth Blood rock stratum hold a connection to the death of Blood Emperor Alista Tudor. However, they havenât uncovered their practical significance, merely corrupting the minds of those who encountered themâŠ
That night, I activated the brand on my right hand, causing numerous high-ranking individuals in Trier to sense it. Someone might have identified the aura of Blood Emperor Alista Tudor through various means, prompting an investigation into relevant itemsâŠ
The whereabouts of the specific minerals within the Earth Blood rock stratum are a vital lead in their inquiry. Flamengâs belongings were registered with the market districtâs police headquartersâŠ
Given the Cave Associationâs connection to the authorities, they likely accepted the mission and sought me out, the one who had acquired Flamengâs belongingsâŠ
But why didnât they just send someone from the police headquarters to inquire directly? The Purifier, Machinery Hivemind, and Bureau 8 members all possess corresponding police identitiesâŠ
Of course, the authorities arenât unified. They are officially divided between the government and the two Churches, but in practice, each faction harbors internal divisions.
The Eternal Blazing Sun Churchâs Order Of Preachers clashes with the Brotherhood Minor and other ideological factions. The Church of the God of Steam and Machineryâs cloister system opposes the cathedral system. Bureau 8 is even more of a mixed bag. Some members come from secret organizations recognized by the government, some are former nobles like Sauron, who retains some influence, and others had been groomed by Bureau 8 over the yearsâŠ
The only thing holding them together is the fact that Bureau 8 members canât officially align with any political party, or it would become even more chaoticâŠ
In such a fractured environment, it is possible that a group within a faction had identified the Earth Blood oreâs unique trail of clues but doesnât want others to know. Hence, they bypassed the police stationâs public channels and conducted their investigation through the unofficial Cave AssociationâŠ
Perhaps someone within the Cave Association has recognized this clue and possesses an in-depth knowledge of underground terrain and mineral specimens. They are likely among the most proficient professionalsâŠ
Is this why they hadnât directly requested my cooperation with the investigation and instead attempted to recruit me into the Cave Association?
Lumian swiftly reached this preliminary conclusion, eagerly awaiting Joseph to reveal the second reason.
Joseph said, âWe believed you had an interest in underground minerals and were a kindred spirit.â
âDid it really get stolen, or did you leave it somewhere else but have forgotten about it?â
âIt must have been stolen,â Lumian said truthfully. âI found some traces of a break-in. Because of this, I became concerned about the gold I had saved, so I went to the bank to rent a safe deposit box for it.â
Joseph nodded gently and said, âThe second reason is that Kendall, an administrator of the catacombs, told us that among the individuals who brought Flamengâs ashes there for burial, you seemed to possess a unique sensitivity to something abnormal that others couldnât perceive.â
They connected the dots from the Earth Blood ore to the catacombs⊠Lumian was enlightened.
âIâm not sure what you mean by âspecial.’â
Joseph didnât elaborate or push for further information. He simply looked at Lumian and asked, âMonsieur Ciel, may we leave now?â
Lumian regarded them for a few seconds before nodding slowly.
âSure.â
The situation had taken an unexpected turn, causing him to abandon his plan of provoking the two liaisons and antagonizing the Trier Cave Association further.
While he had undoubtedly irked Joseph and Rayan, they had also obtained the answers they were seeking, or at least a part of them. There might be minor repercussions in the future, but a major confrontation was unlikely.
After Joseph and Rayan disappeared down the stairs, Lumian sat in contemplation for several moments. He holstered his revolver, stood up, and addressed âRatâ Christo, âThis situation is more complex than I anticipated. I need to report it to the Boss.â
He considered a dangerous possibility.
If it turned out that the Sauron family was behind the investigation into the special Earth Blood ore through the Cave Association, and they discovered a connection between Ciel Dubois, a mob leader, and the supposed son of a wealthy businessman who exhibited peculiar behavior in Poufer Sauronâs Kingâs Pie game, it could pose a significant problem.
Therefore, he needed to inform Gardner Martin immediately, be forthright with him, and eliminate any potential hidden threats while seeking useful advice.
With the Iron and Blood Cross Order as a secret organization backing this entire operation and his primary mission assigned by Gardner Martin, Lumian had no intention of handling the matter on his own. fđ«eeweđnoveđč.đ°ođ
âRatâ Christo hesitated for a moment before forcing a smile and responding, âAlright.â