Informing

The lady was eating a croissant. Only after a while did she say to Lumian, "Yes."

She really does know... Joy stirred in Lumian's heart. He considered his words before asking, "Could I pay a certain price to ask for your help in resolving Cordu's problem?"

He had switched back to a respectful form of address.

In his view, this mysterious lady was definitely stronger than Lya and her two companions-far stronger. If she was willing to help, Cordou Village's problem would cease to be a problem, and he and his sister would no longer have to risk fleeing. The only issue was that he might not be able to afford the corresponding price.

As for whether she would agree, Lumian had no confidence at all. In fact, he was deeply pessimistic. He simply felt that, under the circumstances, he needed to try once. Even if she refused, all he would lose was a little dignity, and he didn't care about that.

The lady turned her head toward Lumian and said calmly, "I can indeed resolve the problem here, but the price would be the destruction of everything, including you.

"If you want a better outcome, you can only rely on yourselves."

Has the problem gotten that serious? Lumian's pupils dilated instantly. He tried to make out the subtle details of her expression, to see whether she was joking.

He wasn't surprised or disappointed that the lady refused to help. What shocked him was that, according to her, Cordou Village's problem was many times more serious than he had imagined. It might even lead to the destruction of the entire village!

If she can resolve it, why would the whole village end up dead, while ordinary people like us and Beyonders who aren't powerful enough can strive for a better outcome? Lumian was both bewildered and terrified.

He decided that if there was still no telegram from Novel Weekly by the day after tomorrow, he would urge his sister to leave Cordou Village immediately. Even if it meant taking a huge risk, they couldn't delay any longer!

"What exactly is the problem?" Lumian had never cared about keeping up appearances, and continued pressing her.

The lady smiled.

"The outcome would be completely different depending on whether I told you or you discovered it through your investigation."

Lumian instinctively ground his teeth. He intensely disliked this habit of saying only a little and always refusing to explain things clearly.

For some reason, he felt that the strange emotion in her eyes had become a little more pronounced.

"All right." Lumian thought for a moment, then changed his question. "Do you know Madame Pualis? Is she also a Warlock-uh, a Beyonder?"

"You could say that." The lady lifted her coffee cup and took a sip.

So she really is... Lumian pressed further. "Which pathway and Sequence?"

A moment later, he saw the lady's expression grow a little more serious.

"Not a normal pathway."

"What do you mean, not a normal pathway?" Lumian asked.

The lady smiled.

"You'll find out in the future."

I want to know now... Lumian struggled to keep his expression under control.

He was already standing and was about to leave when he suddenly thought of a question-a crucial one.

"Ma'am, how am I supposed to bring those supplementary ingredients into the dream?"

Given the state of the dream ruins, he could at most find red wine at home, along with basil, a spice any well-off household would keep. He would have to gather red chestnut flowers and white poplar leaves in reality.

Neither was difficult to find, and Lumian had even decided where he would "borrow" them, but obtaining them would be useless if he couldn't transfer them into the dream.

The lady smiled and said, "I'll offer another small bit of help free of charge.

"Find those ingredients in reality and put them on the table in your bedroom before you go to sleep. I'll send them into your dream for you."

She can send those things into my dream? Lumian was startled at first, then breathed a sigh of relief at having the problem resolved.

He hadn't expected a second person to be able to "enter" the dream he considered so unusual.

Thinking that his ability to enter the dream ruins very likely stemmed from the strange symbols on his chest, he began to suspect that the lady before him also had some connection to those symbols, or to that eerie, terrifying voice.

After leaving the old tavern, Lumian planned to gather the red chestnut flowers and white poplar leaves immediately.

Just then, he saw Ryan, Lya, and Valentine emerge from the path leading to the tavern's back door. They were still wearing their previous clothes and were dressed much the same way.

An idea struck Lumian, and he went over with a smile.

"Good morning, my cabbages."

Lya tilted her head and smiled amid a tinkling of bells. "You're up early too."

Lumian immediately put on a furtive air. He glanced several times to either side before lowering his voice. "I noticed something unusual yesterday."

Ryan's expression grew serious. After exchanging looks with Valentine and Lya, he asked, "What was it?"

Looking a little frightened, Lumian said, "I suspect Naroka's death wasn't normal. She's the one whose funeral you watched yesterday."

Ryan gave him an encouraging look, urging him to continue.

Lumian exhaled. "Didn't I tell you about the funeral customs in the Dalege Region? Later, after everyone went to the cemetery, Pons Béné entered Naroka's house, and the owner didn't object.

"Wasn't that damaging their household's zodiac influence and taking away the good luck that came with it?

"There has to be something wrong!"

"Pons Béné is the Parish Priest's brother?" Ryan thought for a few seconds before asking.

Lumian nodded emphatically.

Thinking of the strange behavior of the Parish Priest and his associates, and of how he and his sister would soon leave Cordou Village and no longer have to worry about being silenced or facing retaliation afterward, he said outright, "The Parish Priest is no good!"

"Why do you say that?" Lya asked with a smile.

She wasn't surprised in the slightest to hear Lumian accuse the Parish Priest like this.

Lumian held nothing back. He recounted how a villager had gone to Dalege to inform on the priest and subsequently disappeared, focusing on the accusations against the Parish Priest.

He concluded, "I really doubt whether he's even a clergyman of the Church.

"Once, I told a story so convincingly that it upset certain people, so I had to hide in the cathedral for a while.

"Just as I was about to fall asleep behind the altar, the Parish Priest came in with Madame Pualis. The two of them started doing filthy things right there under the deity's gaze.

"While they were chatting afterward, the Parish Priest even sighed to Madame Pualis and said, 'Why can't men marry their own sisters?'

"Even Madame Pualis couldn't accept that. She thought it was extremely sinful and told the Parish Priest to repent at once.

"But the Parish Priest said, 'Many decent families lose a great deal of property because their daughters marry and their other sons leave to establish households of their own, and they eventually fall into ruin. If a son could marry his sisters, these problems would no longer be problems. Unfortunately, neither the law nor morality permits it'..."

At this, the aloof Valentine's face turned livid. "Is he a servant of God or a servant of the devil?"

Ryan nodded as though thinking something over.

"No wonder Pons Béné hasn't been allowed to establish a separate household despite being married for so many years..."

Lya looked Lumian over and chuckled softly. "So you did already know that Madame Pualis was having an affair with the Parish Priest. You were trying to use us that day."

Lumian first gave an awkward smile, then said with a righteous expression, "As a believer in the Eternal Blazing Sun, I can't tolerate someone like that standing inside the cathedral."

The aloof Valentine's expression softened, and he nodded approvingly. "If only Cordou Village had a few more people like you."

A few more of me? Lumian didn't dare imagine what Cordou Village would become under those circumstances.

He added, "That time, I also heard the Parish Priest tell Madame Pualis that he was planning something and might attract the Tribunal's attention. He warned her to be careful and not let anything slip."

Ryan's expression grew grave.

"Did he mention anything specific?"

"No." Lumian didn't make anything up.

He had said enough. If he revealed any more, the whole problem might erupt tonight, before he even had time to become a Beyonder.

After bidding farewell to the three outsiders, Lumian spent quite a while gathering red chestnut flowers and white poplar leaves.

Close to noon, he reached the square and approached the two-story building where the Administrator handled official business.

By now, most of the villagers had gathered there, waiting to select the "Spring Spirit."

Some of the Lent Festival celebrations would begin tomorrow.

Lumian spotted Raymond, Ava, and the others and squeezed his way over.

"Is Ava on the list?" he asked.

Ava said nothing, clearly feeling anything but calm. Raymond shook his head.

"We don't know."

"Ava's bound to be on it. Among the unmarried women in the village, she's the prettiest apart from your sister, and your sister doesn't meet the age requirement," Guillaume Berri interjected from beside them.

He was the Little Guillaume whom Lumian and the others often mentioned, one of their regular companions. He had slightly curly brown hair, prominent freckles, and blue eyes that always seemed to be narrowed because they weren't very large.

Ava's younger cousin Azéma was there too. She looked like a smaller, less striking version of Ava.

At the moment, she said nothing.

Lumian understood how she felt, because she also wanted to be the "Spring Spirit."

In the Dalege Region, being chosen as the "Spring Spirit" was not only recognition of one's looks and character, but also brought certain less obvious benefits.

Hearing Little Guillaume's words, Lumian smiled. "If she isn't, once the Administrator finishes reading the list, I'll shout, 'I choose Ava!'"

Ava immediately looked a little embarrassed.

"There's no need."

This was actually part of the normal procedure. After the Administrator read out the list of candidates for the "Spring Spirit," villagers could call out their own choices on the spot and add them to the vote. It was just that few people were thick-skinned enough to do so, and Lumian was one of them.

He was perfectly at ease about it.

After all, Ava would be the one embarrassed, not me.

Before long, a second-floor window opened, and Administrator Beaost appeared there.

In terms of appearance, he far surpassed the Parish Priest. His neatly combed, powdered brown hair, pale blue eyes outlined in black, straight nose, slightly thin lips, and well-groomed mustache made him quite handsome, while his double-breasted flannel coat further emphasized his status.

Beaost looked down at the crowd for a few seconds.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come. Latecomers will no longer have the right to vote.

"I will now read out the list of candidates for the 'Spring Spirit':

"Ava Lizier..."

Hearing this, Ava visibly relaxed.

As expected, she won the approval of over eighty percent of the villagers in the show-of-hands vote.

After the voting ended, Lumian didn't go to celebrate with his four companions. Using something at home as an excuse, he left the square directly.

As soon as he arrived home, he asked his sister, "Has there been a reply?"

If there was a reply, the telegraph operator would deliver it to their house and collect a small additional fee.

"Not yet." Aurora shook her head.

Then she said, "There's been a lot brewing beneath the surface lately. You can't afford to slack off on your combat training at all. Hmm, I'll spar with you this afternoon."

Lumian was aching all over, and inwardly hissed at her words.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. He deliberately pulled a miserable face and said, "I don't know if it's because I've been training too hard lately, but my whole body hurts today. Aurora-uh, Sis-could you give me a massage? You're the best at it!"

"All right." Aurora nodded lightly.

By evening, his sister's stretching and massage, together with plenty of rest, had allowed Lumian's body to recover for the most part.

Before going to sleep, he placed three red chestnut flowers and a bottle of white poplar leaf powder on the table by the window.

After taking a long look at them, Lumian slipped beneath the covers, both expectant and a little nervous.