Jenna agreed with Lumian, âWhether itâs true love or not, there must be a specific purpose behind creating that special mirror world, and it seems that purpose hasnât been achieved yet.â
âWhat could that purpose be?â Franca pondered.
Lumian thought for a few seconds, then pulled out the corpse wax candle he had obtained from the Blue Avenger from his Travelerâs Bag, and mused aloud, âThat special mirror world might have been jointly created by a true god of the Hunter pathway and a true god of the Demoness pathway. This corpse wax candle was crafted from the corpse wax of demigods from both pathways, mixed with other substances. According to the Law of Similarity in mysticism, there might be a connection between the two.
âWhen I become a demigod, Iâll visit Bansy, find the specific location mentioned by Madam Magician, light the corpse wax candle, and complete a secret deed ritual to see what I can discover. This might help us uncover the secrets of the special mirror world.â
As for Fourth Epoch Trier, entering the sealed area after the Hostel plan would be a true god-level difficulty.
âAt that time, apply for a Major Arcana card holder to watch over the matter.â
Franca had no objections, just reminding Lumian to be cautious.
After exchanging experiences over the recent period, Franca relaxed, leaned back in her chair, and said with bright eyes, âYou went to Morora and didnât gain much on the Hunter side, only becoming the proxy for 0-01. But you got a lot from the Demoness pathway, like the Beyonder characteristic of a Demoness of Affliction, a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact equivalent to that of a Demoness of Despair.â
âWhat are you implying?â Lumian asked with a smile.
Franca chuckled. âI donât need it. I should be able to get what I need from the Demoness Sect. The only concern is how to complete the ritual. I wish I could go to Morora. Itâs perfect for the Demoness of Despair ritual-no guilt involved. Just hearing your examples, I know that place is full of talent, criminal talent, people exploring the limits of human evil!
âI mean, Jennaâs Beyonder characteristics up to Sequence 4 are in our full possession. You donât plan to sell them, do you?â
Jenna said instinctively, âBut I still havenât saved enough money for the Demoness of Affliction Beyonder characteristic. Iâm still short by tens of thousands of verl dâorâŚâ
Lumian chuckled. âNo need to worry. From now on, you two are officially part of my team. As the team leader, Iâll reward you based on your contributions. It could be money or items.â
He made it clear-these things were meant for Jenna. Itâs not like he could consume them himself. But since they were a team, there had to be clear rewards and punishments, not giving away things for free.
Even giving Ludwig the Depriverâs stomach was under the pretense of a godfather returning from a trip and bringing a gift for his godson.
Jennaâs expression relaxed, and she teased with a smile in her eyes, âShould we call you Captain now?â
âNo need. A good team can address each other by names or nicknames.â Lumian turned his gaze to Franca, revisiting the old topic. âI used up your Mirror Cufflink. What compensation do you want?â
âNo need to be so polite.â With her Ice Amulet, Franca waved it off generously.
âIf I need to use Black Tear or the Sword of Courage in the future, Iâll borrow them from you. Donât worry, Iâm thick-skinned and wonât feel embarrassed.â
As she spoke, she took out the Lie earring and tossed it back to Lumian. âYou should keep this. Iâm afraid Iâll be tempted to permanently alter my face and body, getting addicted to Lie.â
Lumian knew Franca wasnât pretending to be generous. He caught Lie and reminded her, âBe extra careful when dealing with the Demoness of Black. Sheâll soon learn about my involvement in the 0-01 battle in Morora and suspect I was the one who persisted till the end.â
âUnderstood.â Franca nodded solemnly.
Jennaâs eyes flickered, and she thoughtfully said, âShould I move out for a while?â
Seeing Francaâs puzzled look and Lumianâs approving nod, Jenna explained carefully, âThe Demoness of Black might secretly monitor you to gather information about Lumian. If I continue living with you, Iâll inevitably attract her attention. Facing prolonged observation from a high-ranking Demoness, I donât think I can keep my secrets.
âThink about it. I now have the charm of a Demoness of Pleasure, different from the beauty of a Vampire. A few more glances from the Demoness of Black, and sheâll notice somethingâs wrong. If I live elsewhere, I can disguise this charm before visiting you with makeup or using Lie.â
Lie couldnât be worn all the time, and maintaining makeup even while sleeping would also arouse suspicion from the Demoness of Black!
âAlright.â Franca was convinced by Jennaâs reasoning.
She glanced at Lumian with some resentment, thinking, You really do bring trouble. With the Demoness of Black watching me, how can I help Jenna digest the Pleasure potion?
Franca sighed and asked Lumian, âWhen will you take Amandina to the Samaritan Womenâs Spring?â
âYou came back too quickly. I havenât had time to get to know her better yet,â Franca complained.
Lumian pondered for a few seconds. âWhen my condition stabilizes.â
The rest of the time, Jenna packed her personal belongings and went out to find an apartment in the surrounding area that she could move into that day, while Lumian returned to his place to continue âtamingâ Ludwig.
Franca continued to track the whereabouts of the Mirror Person, Jasmine, until nightfall.
Looking at the empty and cold apartment, she sighed inwardly and threw herself onto the long sofa.
After a while, the surface of the full-length mirror in the living room suddenly shimmered with a dark light. The face of the Demoness of Black faintly appeared.
Franca stood up abruptly and respectfully bowed. âGood evening, Madame Clarice.â
At the same time, she mumbled in her heart, The Demoness of Black really knows where I liveâŚ
The Demoness of Black, Clarice, looked at Franca outside the mirror, her expression somewhat detached, and asked, âHas your lover, Ciel, returned to Trier?â
âHe has.â Franca had prepared for this and answered honestly.
The Demoness of Black scrutinized Franca for a moment, then chuckled softly.
âYouâve been apart for several weeks. You must be thoroughly enjoying each otherâs company upon reuniting. Has he become more vigorous?â
Youâre asking me? Whom should I ask? How would I know⌠Whatâs the point of this question? Franca silently grumbled.
Such a question was entirely outside her and Lumianâs expectations!
At that moment, cold sweat appeared on Francaâs back as her mind raced, pushing her thinking ability to its limits.
VigorousâŚ
The Demoness of Black once said that the taste of a Hunter isnât bad either-the higher their Sequence, the more vigorous they becomeâŚ
Is the Demoness of Black trying to confirm Lumianâs current state from this detail, to see if he has become the proxy for 0-01?
If Lumian and I were truly lovers, such a detail would be easily overlooked, and itâs normal for Demonesses to discuss such things. In that case, I would naturally reveal the answer the Demoness of Black is looking for.
Should I hide it for Lumian? No, heâs already highly suspicious. Hiding it would mean dragging myself into suspicion. Though I might already be suspectedâŚ
Lumian said this morning not to lie about it, but not to be too clearâŚ
Within two or three seconds, Franca raised her right hand, covered her mouth, and let out a small yawn.
Then, she said with a mix of shyness and pride, âAlthough he hasnât advanced yet and is quite far from it, he has indeed become much more vigorous. I almost feel conqueredâŚâ
As she spoke, Francaâs words carried a bit of longing, as if dreaming of becoming equally vigorous.
This was part of her âacting trainingâ from Jenna and Anthony-performance needing layers.
The Demoness of Black in the mirror nodded and said with a smile, âTruly enviable.â
Francaâs eyes moved slightly, and she said, reminiscing, âWhether itâs due to the long separation or his many hidden secrets, I feel heâs become a lot more unfamiliar. Sometimes, when he looks at me, I think, âWho is he?â and feel like I donât recognize himâŚâ
The Demoness of Black nodded slightly.
âHe might have undergone some kind of corruption. Keep your current relationship. If he shows any unusual behavior, let me know immediately. I might be able to help.
âHeh heh, this might also be one of your opportunities to digest the Affliction potion.â
âYes, Madame Clarice.â Franca displayed the sense of security that came from having a powerful backer.
The Demoness of Black glanced around the mirror and asked with a smile, âWhereâs your Vampire lover?â
âHer brother is returning to Trier soon, so sheâs embarrassed to continue living with me.â Franca recited her lines.
The Demoness of Black asked no more questions, gave some instructions regarding the Mirror People, and disappeared into the dark light.
Once the full-length mirror returned to normal, Franca quietly breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to âdateâ Lumian.
She hadnât even had time to open the door when a soft light appeared before her -a transparent, crystalline ice-blue jellyfish with many tentacles quickly materialized.
One of the jellyfishâs tentacles was wrapped around a letter.
Franca recognized the jellyfish as Ongla, the messenger of Madam Judgment.
Every time she saw Ongla, Franca instinctively felt a sense of fear, believing it to be very powerful. However, Ongla the jellyfish, unlike the intelligent puppet messenger of Madam Magician, often acted purely on instinct.
Receiving the letter, Franca silently grumbled, Iâm feeling swarmed⌠I was already busy helping Lumian with his affairs, and even now that heâs back, Iâm still so busy.
Thanking Ongla the jellyfish, Franca opened the letter: âMr. Star has confirmed the first task that requires your help.â