Lord of Mysteries 2: Circle of Inevitability

Magician concurred tersely. "No problem. I understand the urgency. I'll bring you there once Mr. Hanged Man and I confirm the time."

Lumian fell silent for a moment before saying, "Thank you."

Madam Magician pondered for a moment and reminded him, "But don't be too hasty. Emperor Roselle once said, 'More haste, less speed.'

"It's not just because impatience blinds you and affects your judgment, causing you to make wrong choices in many matters. It's also because consuming the potion to advance has a requirement on your mental state. You should be well aware of this."

"I understand," Lumian said with a sigh.

Madam Magician glanced around and joked, "You were really tense just now. We've been talking this whole time, but you didn't even remember to invite me to sit down.

"Yes, the School of Truth's vortex clearly involves higher-level forces. We'll take over the subsequent investigations. Your primary mission is to locate the relatively important Mirror People according to what Moran Avigny had shared. I suspect that something in the special mirror world is an important part of the vortex.

"This time, you've obtained crucial information. We Major Arcana card holders won't be stingy with the rewards. Of course, it's for your team, not just you. The exact distribution is up to you."

Upon hearing the last sentence, Lumian suddenly fell into a daze. He muttered to himself, "Again…

"Is this also what fate has bestowed?"

"I can't say for sure that's not the case," Madam Magician replied with a self-deprecating smile. "Your psychological and mental state are better than I expected. You haven't reached the point where you need treatment again, but you seem to have suffered from the aftereffects of the trauma known as Fate's Bestowment. Everything you see seems arranged as if by fate's hand."

Without waiting for Lumian's response, she added, "Actually, there's no problem with that. It's good to be vigilant, but don't put too much pressure on yourself. Your mind is like an eraser. If you're too tense, it'll snap. You can be vigilant about details, but you have to relax. Think about it. You can't resist a real arrangement anyway. Why make yourself unable to sleep well, eat well, and become more and more neurotic?"

"Yes." Lumian had to admit that Madam Magician had a point.

Magician expressed satisfaction at Lumian's ability to self-regulate.

"Of course, once you discover any arrangements that are clearly problematic, remember to inform me immediately by reciting the honorific name.

"For the reward this time, I'll include the Sequence 4 potion formula of the Hunter pathway, facilitating your quest for items on the Blue Avenger. As for the rewards for the Two of Cups, Seven of Cups, and Four of Swords, I don't know either. It mainly depends on what Judgment, The Hermit, and the others will offer."

Lumian had no objections to this arrangement. Even if Madam Magician didn't mention it or believed that the information about the vortex and the Mirror People wasn't worth the demigod-level potion formula, he would take the initiative to request that the other party provide it first before making up for the missing contributions.

As Lumian regained his composure, a question crossed his mind.

"Madam, Mr. K of the Aurora Order has already divulged my contributions in front of the True Creator's idol, requesting Him to put me up as a candidate Oracle. When an official Oracle falls into danger, I will become the prime candidate to replace them. When the time comes, will I truly become a certain Mr. of the Aurora Order?

"In addition, Mr. K also promised material rewards in the next few days."

Magician nodded slightly and said, "The Aurora Order's organizational structure is quite peculiar. Although Oracles have a Saint directly above them, most Oracles can directly hear the ravings of that entity and His instructions, giving them strong autonomy. Yes, they still follow the orders of their Saint superiors and report to them on most matters, but there are a few matters that completely bypass their superiors. Recommending a candidate Oracle is one of them.

"An oracle of God can only come from God's revelation."

After a brief sigh, Magician chuckled and said, "As long as there's no major problem with the screening, feel free to accept the material rewards. You've already received enough of fate's bestowments. Any more and there won't be any substantial changes.

"I don't think being an Oracle will happen. The Aurora Order's Oracles have a fixed preaching area. It can't beat letting you run around and trigger various hidden dangers of evil gods. It will help you digest the potion. Uh…"

At this point, Magician's expression gradually turned odd.

Lumian wasn't in a hurry to inquire. He waited for the Major Arcana card holder to take the initiative to explain.

After a few seconds, Magician maintained her expression and hesitantly said, "Perhaps, that person's original arrangement was for you to be a certain Mr. for a while.

"The Hunter pathway's Sequence 4 is known as Iron-blooded Knight. It makes all consumers transform into men. Its ritual requires the formation of a team of at least 30 people. They should be able to comprehend your intentions based on your gaze and actions after long periods of nurturing—as though all of you are nearly one. The higher the team's strength and tacit understanding, the better the effect of the ritual." Think about it. What's the most striking characteristic of the Aurora Order? It's fanaticism.

"After becoming a certain Mr., you will undoubtedly have your own jurisdiction and a large number of subordinates. They are fanatical and will completely follow the orders of a deity's oracle like you. With some training, they can fulfill the requirements of the ritual. What you need to worry about is how to increase their strength and tacit understanding to make the ritual more effective."

Wh— The original plan was for me to become an Oracle after digesting the Reaper potion, allowing me to establish a team to complete the ritual as quickly as possible. How can I carry out this ritual now? Franca and the others are without a problem, but there are too few of them… Lumian couldn't help but frown.

Upon seeing this, Madam Magician chuckled and said, "The Church of Knowledge, well-versed in the Hunter path, offered an alternative."

"Of course, the prerequisite is that you can tame Ludwig. Angels can offset most quantity requirements."

"Angel level?" Lumian finally obtained information about Ludwig's power from Madam Magician.

"Yes." Madam Magician didn't elaborate further.

Taming Ludwig? All I can do now is "bribe" him and give simple commands… Lumian fell deep into thought.

Madam Magician glanced at him and said, "You can wait until you digest the Reaper potion and visit the City of Exiles, Morora, before deciding which method to use to meet the ritual's requirements."

"Right, let's discuss the vortex details through letters."

Lumian nodded and watched as Madam Magician vanished into thin air.

Gazing at the gradually expanding dark border, he closed his eyes and recalled everything he had seen and heard that day.

Unbeknownst to him, he clenched his fists tightly, and blazing white flames surged from his fists, burning fiercely.

Jenna sat in an armchair in the living room, quietly waiting for Lumian to open the door and leave. The sound of gnawing and chewing echoed from the dining room.

Lumian carried the unfinished bottle of absinthe to the balcony, settled into a chair, and took a sip.

Jenna approached him with light footsteps and observed him for a few seconds. "You're in better shape."

"You can tell that too?" Lumian asked nonchalantly without turning his head.

Jenna pulled up a chair and sat down, sneering.

"Your silent and reserved demeanor makes me feel more at ease than your previously excited and talkative demeanor."

Lumian gazed at the night outside the balcony and remained silent for a long time. Jenna didn't ask any questions either.

Suddenly, Lumian spoke in a deep voice, "I saw that lizard-like elf."

Jenna had heard him talk about Cordu and understood what it meant. She said in surprise, "Didn't you go to the Aurora Order to meet Mr. K? Why… Is that lizard-like elf related to the Aurora Order?"

"It stems from the one they believe in," Lumian's voice seemed to emerge from the depths of darkness.

"No wonder…" Jenna suddenly understood Lumian's previous state. "Madam Judgment mentioned that the one the Aurora Order believes in is close to Mr. Fool in power…"

It wasn't something mortals could face directly, let alone exact revenge on!

After a brief silence, Jenna understood and said, "Did you just meet Madam Magician?"

"You've grown quite smart after drinking the Witch potion," Lumian turned to Jenna.

Jenna couldn't help but ask, "Can't Hunters speak nicely?"

She paused for a moment before adding, "What did Madam Magician say?"

"She said to endure it for now and wait for Mr. Fool to wake up before considering what to do next," Lumian replied simply.

Jenna tersely acknowledged, momentarily at a loss for words.

After a moment, she stood up and went to Ludwig's side in the dining room to retrieve a glass from the balcony. She snatched the bottle of absinthe from Lumian's hand and poured a third of it for herself.

Jenna had just taken a sip of the dreamy green liquid when her face instinctively furrowed.

"Heck, why do you people like to drink absinthe? It tastes awful!" As a former Showy Diva, Jenna had drunk plenty of alcohol, but she still couldn't accept the taste of absinthe.

Lumian scoffed but didn't offer an explanation.

Jenna casually chatted, "I once read a book about a writer whose name I can't remember. He said that those who enjoy absinthe either use it to pretend they are experienced or use it to reminisce about their experiences…"

Lumian listened quietly, picked up the bottle, and took another mouthful.

The slightly burning alcohol slid down his throat, leaving behind a familiar bitterness.