530 Beginning
Donning the silver Lie earring and retrieving a white bandage, Lumian wrapped it around the burned wound on his right chest and his bloody left hand.
Crimson flames surged around him, engulfing his dripping blood and splattering flesh.
Throughout this process, Lumian gathered the nearby corpse fragments that Burman had scattered and piled them beside the head.
He had been calculating the time. If Burman’s Beyonder characteristic still hadn’t materialized, he would have to move the corpse pile to the forest beside the Andatna volcano.
This was because the Flog boxing gloves attracted the attention of certain hidden entities, enabling them to command dangerous creatures to attack.
In the past, Lumian would have had to leave the scene as soon as he finished using the Flog boxing gloves, but the battle lasted only a short time. The Flog boxing gloves had already been stowed into his Traveler’s Bag, allowing him to wait a little longer.
Lumian observed various colored light spots—light purple, pale-white, and pitch-black—emerge from Burman’s head and the scattered corpse pile. Among the items on the ground and torn clothes, Lumian found a diverse array of objects.
There was a miniature brain, blood-dyed and resembling brass, a retractable pitch-black telescope, ointment and powder in metal canisters, a short bone scepter, a peculiar badge encircling the sun with bones, a soft-cover notebook in an iron box, an ordinary-looking golden ring, and scattered gold and silver coins…
The deposit certificates and paper cash had likely been destroyed by the explosion and the inferno.
Lumian carefully stowed each item away, sensing that three possessed superpowers. Merely coming into contact with them triggered various adverse reactions.
Thankfully, I had no intention of prolonging the battle with Burman from the start… Him using these mystical items later would have been troublesome… To deal with such a half-mad and resourceful enemy, I must end the battle swiftly and deny him a chance to recover… Some items were likely gathered by him, while others might have been taken from Fidel… Lumian concluded, finally picking up the dented and cracked iron box.
Inside the soft-cover notebook lay a blood-stained treasure map. With a brief glance, Lumian suspected it to be a sea map leading to an island in a specific sea area. It contained records of weather patterns and markings of safe sea routes.
Could this be the fake treasure map sold to Burman by Mark Benito? Lumian mused. Flipping to the first page of the dark soft-cover notebook, he encountered scrawled words:
“My mind isn’t reliable all the time. I tend to forget many things. I must record all relevant knowledge and prevent them from being forgotten.”
Lumian refrained from delving deeper. He carefully stowed away the fake treasure map and the soft-cover notebook.
Lumian noticed an ordinary-looking golden ring adorning Burman’s left ring finger in the corpse pile.
It bore a striking resemblance to the gold rings found in the pile of spoils. They varied in size, texture, and quality.
Lumian instantly grasped the situation.
He removed the golden ring from Burman’s finger and tied it to another golden ring with a piece of wire he had on hand.
At that moment, Burman’s Beyonder characteristics fully materialized, merging with parts of his corpse, resulting in two distinct items.
Lumian carefully stowed away the two Beyonder characteristics, taking hold of Burman’s head before vanishing from the spot.
Silently, the remaining parts of Burman’s body ignited, enveloping the grayish-black volcano in crimson flames.
More than 200 meters away, Lumian retrieved the golden straw hat that had been blown by the strong wind.
As he secured it on his head, he swiftly disappeared.
This time, he appeared on the road outside the Andatna volcano’s steam locomotive.
Lumian glanced up at the grayish-black volcano’s crater, witnessing the golden-red sunset, resembling flowing lava, receding faster than expected.
The mountaintop swiftly darkened.
…
In the cathedral of The Fool in Port Farim, not far from Quartier des Black Pearls, Lumian, adjusting his golden straw hat, approached the towering half-giant bishop donned in a half top hat and black trench coat. In a deep voice, he said,
“I want to repent.”
The half-giant bishop, with light-blue eyes and a towering stature exceeding 2.5 meters, regarded Lumian for a moment before nodding. “Follow me.”
He led Lumian into a specialized confessional—a windowless, pitch-black chamber.
“I don’t wish to repent in the dark,” Lumian calmly said, removing his golden straw hat.
The half-giant bishop ignited the candles, sealing the door shut.
Pa! Lumian tossed a head with pale-white fur and vacant eye sockets to the half-giant bishop’s feet.
“Did you commit murder?” the half-giant bishop inquired in a mellow tone, giving the head a brief once-over.
“No, I just want to help him repent.” Lumian gestured towards the bloody head, oozing yellow pus. “He’s Demon Warlock Burman.”
“Burman?” Only then did the half-giant bishop closely inspect the head, recognizing distinct features.
He fell silent for a few moments before stating, “You want the Church to assist you in claiming the bounty from the Intis government?”
“As I mentioned, I’m here to repent for him. His bounty is part of his penance.” Lumian’s voice remained unchanged.
The half-giant bishop struggled to comprehend.
Lumian retrieved most of the items acquired from Burman from his Traveler’s Bag, leaving behind the dark soft-cover notebook and the fake treasure map.
Clatter. These items, some endowed with superpowers, some valuable, spilled onto the ground.
The half-giant bishop, sporting a top hat and trench coat, fell silent for a few seconds.
“The Demon Warlock bounty stands at 600,000 verl d’or. These items hold considerable value too. Together, they could fetch nearly 1 million verl d’or. It’s a substantial sum for anyone. Enough to ensure you don’t have to take further risks. Are you certain about donating it to us and establishing a charity fund?”
Lumian didn’t directly answer the half-giant bishop’s question. Instead, he reiterated, “This is Burman’s penance.”
“Alright, since you trust our Church, we’ll comply with your wishes,” the half-giant bishop, named Theis, said. “Remember my name and feel free to monitor the charity fund’s progress closely.”
Lumian gazed at The Fool’s Sacred Emblem in the confessional, pressed his hand to his chest, and gave a slight bow.
“Praise The Fool!”
He then closed his eyes and prayed, Great Lord, I implore you to punish the world for their sins and watch over our compensation. This isn’t atonement; it’s self-punishment…
Lumian repented earnestly for a while before straightening up. He opened his eyes and turned to leave.
“What shall be the name of the charity fund?” the half-giant bishop hurriedly inquired.
Lumian took a deep breath and replied, “Helen, the Helen Charity Fund.”
“Do we need to inform the authorities about who killed Burman?” the half-giant bishop cautiously asked.
“No need, but there’s no requirement to deliberately obscure the clues for me.” Lumian didn’t look back. He put on his golden straw hat and exited The Fool’s cathedral.
…
That night, Lumian once again entered the bar beside Sun Square known as Pelican.
Batna Comté, as usual, sat at the bar counter, sipping on Golden Somme sugar wine. Beside him was a girl dressed as an adventurer with adorable facial features.
Lumian walked over and joined Batna and the other patrons. He smiled and snapped his fingers at the bartender.
“A glass of Golden Somme.”
Batna glanced at him and remarked, “Someone’s in a good mood.”
“Indeed.” Lumian received the golden syrup from the bartender and tapped the table with the bottom of the glass. Then, he stood up and raised the glass. “Everyone, I’ve encountered two things worth celebrating today.”
He spoke with enthusiasm and joy, “The first is that I completed a commission worth more than 100,000 verl d’or!”
“Impossible…” Batna and the female adventurer beside him exclaimed in unison.
This bounty was even higher than Black Baronet’s bounty. How could it be accomplished in a day?
Moreover, Batna knew that Louis Berry’s employer, Fidel, was already deceased. How could he have received a new commission?
Lumian continued in a passionate tone, “To celebrate this, I’ll treat everyone at the bar counter to a glass of Golden Somme!”
Nearly ten adventurers and patrons expressed admiration. One of them teased, “Regardless of the truth, I believe you!”
The others chimed in.
Lumian’s smile widened.
“Second thing to be happy about—I’ve woven a tale to deceive a group of fools!”
Suddenly, the expressions of everyone at the bar counter froze.
Lumian glanced at them and continued,”But it’s true that drinks are on the house!”
The adventurers and patrons booed, expressing that if they could drink for free, they didn’t mind being fools.
Thus, Lumian spent 96 licks, or 4.8 verl d’or, treating the twelve people at the bar counter to a glass of Golden Somme.
Observing Louis Berry, Batna silently muttered, He’s genuinely happy…
…
Late at night, aboard the Flying Bird, Room 5, first-class cabin.
Lumian returned to the barely habitable master bedroom, ignited the kerosene lamp, and retrieved the dark soft-cover notebook and the fake treasure map he had obtained from Demon Warlock Burman from his Traveler’s Bag.
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