Lord of Mysteries 2: Circle of Inevitability Chapter 2 - 2: "Prank"

Chapter 2: “Prank”

Ryan offered a polite apology to Lumian. “Forgive me, I did not expect such a situation,” he remarked.

Lumian let out a chuckle.

“Are you suggesting we need another glass of La Fée Verte?”

Before Ryan could even reply, he shifted the topic.

“What brings foreigners like you to Cordu? Are you here to buy wool or leather?”

A large portion of Cordu’s inhabitants earned their livelihood as shepherds.

Ryan let out a quiet sigh of relief, seizing the chance to clarify their actual intent.

“We came to visit the Eternal Blazing Sun Church’s padre, Guillaume Bénet, but he seems to be absent from both his home and the cathedral.”

Having savored the free absinthe provided by Ryan, Pierre kindly pointed out that Cordu only possessed a single church.

The other villagers gathered at the bar continued their drinking, yet none offered a response to Ryan’s inquiry. The name appeared to carry a certain weight—a taboo or authority that was not to be discussed in the open.

Taking a sip of his beverage, Lumian reflected for a few moments before volunteering his help.

“I can roughly guess where the padre is. Do you need me to take you there?”

Leah accepted without hesitation. “If it’s not too much trouble,” she replied.

Ryan gave a nod of consent.

“Once you’ve finished your drink.”

“Alright.” Lumian tipped his glass, draining the pale-green liquid.

Setting the glass down, he rose to his feet.

“Let’s go.”

“Merci beaucoup,” Ryan said, expressing his thanks while signaling for Valentine and Leah to get up.

A bright smile spread across Lumian’s face. “It’s no problem at all. You heard my story and I enjoyed a complimentary drink. That makes us friends, n’est-ce pas?”

“Oui.” Ryan nodded.

Lumian’s grin grew even wider, stretching from ear to ear. He flung his arms wide, inviting the others into a hug.

“Ah, it is good to meet you, my cabbages,” he cried out with passion.

About to be pulled into a bear hug, Ryan froze in place.

“Cabbages?”

His face was a blend of confusion and social awkwardness.

Valentine and Leah shared his bewildered look.

“It is a term of endearment we use for our friends,” Lumian clarified with a look of innocent honesty. “Everyone in the Dariège region is aware of it. It has been a tradition for centuries, believe me, my cabbages.”

Leah couldn't resist looking around, her movements causing the bells to tinkle.

Pierre and the other locals nodded along, confirming that Lumian’s claim was true. However, the smirks on their faces suggested they were enjoying the sight of foreigners struggling with their local terms of affection.

Lumian rubbed his chin as if deep in thought.

“Don’t you fancy it?”

“Then I shall opt for a different option. It can also be used for friends.

“My dear bunnies, my darling chicks, my lovely ducks, or perhaps my adorable lambs? Which one tickles your fancy?”

Ryan’s face remained as stiff as a board, while Valentine’s brow was knit in total confusion.

Leah gave a sigh that mixed frustration with amusement.

“Let’s just stick with cabbage, shall we? At least it sounds normal.”

Phew. Ryan exhaled softly and took Valentine by the elbow. With a slight nod, he commented, “They all seem like precious treasures in the family.”

Without waiting for Lumian to say anything, he turned to the bartender and asked, “How much will it be?”

“Two verl d’or,” the bartender answered, counting the glasses on the counter.

After Ryan paid the bill, Leah transitioned to a new topic.

“Lumian is an uncommon name.”

“At least better than names like Pierre and Guillaume,” Lumian joked with a grin. “If you were to call out Pierre in this place, a third of the people would turn their heads. Call out Guillaume, and another third will respond. As for this gentleman…”

He pointed toward the thin, middle-aged man who was finishing his free drink.

“His full name is Pierre Guillaume.”

Leah smiled, choosing to avoid the subject of cabbages.

As they stepped out of the tavern, Lumian stopped and scanned the area.

“What’s the matter?” Leah asked, her curiosity piqued.

After a moment of thought, Lumian replied, “It wasn’t just you three foreigners who visited the tavern today. Another person was there earlier, but I didn't notice when they slipped out.”

“What did they look like?” Ryan inquired, his tone becoming serious.

Lumian took a second to remember.

“A lady. Very sophisticated. You can tell she’s from the city with just one glance. I can’t describe her appearance. Why don’t I sketch her for you?”

“Do you know how to draw?” Leah asked, knowing how eccentric Lumian could be.

Lumian let out a hearty laugh.

“I don’t.”

“In that case, let’s locate the padre first,” Ryan concluded, ending the discussion.

The village of Cordu lacked street lamps, but the shimmering stars provided enough light for the four of them to find their way. The dim yellow glow coming from the windows of nearby houses added a ghostly feel to the walk.

When they reached the Eternal Blazing Sun cathedral in the square, the massive building looked blurred in the shadows, as if it were being swallowed by the night.

“We’ve been here before. There’s no one here,” Valentine muttered with a scowl.

Lumian grinned and said, “No one at the front door doesn’t mean there’s no one elsewhere.”

He guided Ryan and the others past the front of the cathedral toward the cemetery, where a dark brown wooden door was located.

Instead of waiting for Ryan to knock, Lumian reached out and tinkered with the lock before the side door creaked open.

“That’s not very nice, is it?” Ryan said, frowning.

Leah nodded, her bells ringing softly.

“We’re here to visit the padre, not to fight him.”

“Alright,” Lumian conceded.

He shut the wooden door and gave it a light rap.

“Hey, is anyone there? I’ll come in if you don’t answer,” he whispered in a voice that was nearly lost to the night.

No sound came from inside the cathedral.

Without a second thought, Lumian pushed the door open and waved them inside.

“Go on in.”

Ryan paused. He stared into the darkness beyond the doorway and looked back at his teammates.

“Okay.” He stepped forward, his pace slow but steady.

Leah and Valentine followed right behind him.

The four silver bells on Leah’s boots and veil remained strangely silent.

The atmosphere was dark and unsettling as the group moved deeper into the building.

Suddenly, Ryan stopped and whispered, “What’s that noise?”

“Yes, I heard it too,” Lumian agreed.

Wasting no time, he shoved a door open. It hit the wall with a loud clang, exposing the room.

The dim space looked like a confessional. A sliver of starlight revealed a naked man in his prime, positioned atop a fair-skinned woman.

The sight left everyone frozen, including the pair on the floor.

Suddenly, the man sat upright and screamed at Ryan’s group, “Sacrebleu! You’ve ruined the holy church’s plans!”

Amidst the echoing shout, Lumian, who had been lurking at the back of the group, waved his hand and spoke rapidly, “Ah, it seems we have discovered our padre. Au revoir, my cabbages!”

Before anyone could react, Lumian bolted toward the side door, his parting words fading into the wind.

As the trio stood there in shock, Leah, Ryan, and Valentine couldn’t stop thinking about the words of the middle-aged man, Pierre Guillaume: “…you should steer clear of this one. He’s the most mischievous bloke in the whole village.”

...

Lumian strolled down the rural road, hands shoved in his pockets, whistling a melody under the starlight.

“As expected, the padre is having an affair with Madame Pualis.”

“Mon dieu, these foreigners exude an air of prestige. The padre would never dream of crossing them. He must pay an exorbitant sum to keep his sordid dalliances under wraps and preserve his standing within the cathedral.”

“Hmph, he only has himself to blame for lusting after Aurore. I have been biding my time for this chance…”

Talking to himself, Lumian arrived back at his house on the village outskirts.

His home was a strange, semi-subterranean two-story building. The first floor served as both a kitchen and a living area, dominated by a massive oven and a large stove.

“Aurore! Aurore!” Lumian shouted as he headed up the stairs.

There was no answer.

The second floor consisted of three rooms and a bathroom, and all the doors were wide open.

Lumian checked every room but failed to find his sister.

After a moment of thought, he walked to the end of the hallway and climbed the ladder leading to the roof.

The roof glowed with a fiery orange hue from the twilight sky. In the center, a figure sat with their knees pulled up, staring deeply at the twinkling stars.

This was a stunning woman, exceptionally beautiful. She had thick, long golden hair, pale blue eyes, and delicate, refined features.

Her eyes were locked on the cosmos, her expression as still and calm as a statue.

Lumian didn't say a word. He simply moved to her side and sat down.

He looked up, watching the dense forest in the distance and listening to the rustle of the wind through the branches.

Eventually, the woman raised her arms and stretched, unconcerned with her poise.

“Aurore, I don’t understand why you come up here so often. What’s so interesting about this view?” Lumian asked.

“Call me Grande Soeur!” Aurore chided playfully, giving Lumian’s head a light tap with her finger.

Aurore sighed and mused, “A philosopher once said that there are only two things worth revering in this world. One is the morality in one’s heart, and the other is the cosmos above one’s head.”

Seeing his sister’s slightly sad expression, Lumian grinned.

“I know the answer to this question. Emperor Roselle said so!”

“Pfft…” Aurore burst out laughing.

She caught a scent and raised her elegant golden eyebrows.

“You’ve been drinking again!”

“This is called socializing.” Lumian took the chance to tell her what had happened. “I met three foreigners…”

Aurore couldn't help but giggle.

“I’m really afraid that the padre will have a heart attack.”

Her face then became serious. “Lumian, don’t provoke the padre anymore. It’ll be troublesome if we get a new one.”

“But I can’t stand his face…” Lumian grumbled before Aurore stood up.

She looked down at her brother with a smile.

“Alright, it’s bedtime, my inebriated brother,” Aurore said, tossing out some silver dust.

Like a bird, Aurore flew down from the roof and entered through the second-floor window, leaving Lumian behind.

Lumian watched this in silence before shouting anxiously, “What about me?”

“Climb down yourself!” Aurore called back heartlessly.

Lumian pursed his lips, his grin slowly fading.

He watched the silver glints of light vanish into the night sky, gave a soft sigh, and whispered to himself, “I wonder when I’ll be able to possess such extraordinary powers…”