Chapter 549: The Source of Familiarity (Final Two Days—Requesting Monthly Votes)

"Related to the 'Master of Heaven'?" Franca instantly perked up.

She immediately fell into confusion:

"In the Fourth Era's Trier, what is there that you heard or saw that we didn't?"

We were all together, unless it was that time before we met—but Jeanne shouldn't be unaware!

Before Lu Mi could answer, Franca paused to think:

"Side effects of using the 'True Eye'?"

She recalled Lu Mi's odd behavior at the time.

"Yes." Lu Mi nodded, pulled over a chair, and sat down, beginning with the image of two stones colliding to spark fire, igniting dry leaves and twigs, then describing how every sound had roared "Master of Heaven."

Franca listened more intently than ever, not interrupting as she usually did.

Throughout, her gaze gradually grew distant, as if recalling or gazing afar.

When Lu Mi finished, she remained motionless for a long while, like a mechanical doll paused mid-motion.

After several seconds, Franca suddenly sat upright, pinched her nose, and forced a faint smile:

"Of course, the 'Master of Heaven' belongs to our world.

"The fragments of civilization you received resemble part of my country's history, yet differ in some ways… perhaps that's the hidden truth beneath the surface?

"Is the 'Master of Heaven' also trying to interfere with and enter this world, exerting strong influence over the 'Seeker of Secrets' and 'Generalist' paths, just as that Celestial Sovereign does over the 'Fortune Teller,' 'Apprentice,' and 'Thief'?"

"The corruption of some monks at the Deep Valley Monastery and the abnormal state of the 'Hidden Sage' are tied to the 'Master of Heaven'?"

The more Franca spoke, the clearer her thoughts became; her lake-blue eyes shimmered brightly.

"That's also my guess." Lu Mi agreed with Franca's reasoning.

Franca sprang to her feet and paced back and forth as if no one else were there, thinking how to follow this thread to uncover the truth behind the members of the Curly Baboon Society crossing over.

A few minutes later, she murmured to herself:

"The connection between the two worlds is tighter than I imagined—not just through that Ming River…"

"We should still find many traces of interaction between the worlds…"

Here, Franca stopped pacing and turned to Lu Mi:

"Once we grow stronger and save enough gold, I want you to summon Chen Tu again—that armored wraith. He likely has some knowledge of the 'Master of Heaven.'"

"Alright." Lu Mi agreed.

Franca fell silent again, lost in some memory.

Moments later, she pulled out four thin metal discs of brass color and handed them to Lu Mi:

"The 'Understand Language' talismans you asked for—the one with the most complex patterns lets you comprehend the languages of the Southern Continent; the others only work on the ancient Fusaic language family. The activation phrase is the ancient Hermes word for 'Knowledge.'"

She and the 'Bear' had received these items via Miss Madame Hela's messenger—their efficiency was remarkable.

After repaying Franca for the advance, Lu Mi 'Teleported' out of Trier and returned to Sangtagang.

Hearing the outside fall silent, Jeanne cautiously opened the bedroom door and poked her head out:

"Has Lu Mi left?"

"Yes." Franca replied, her mood low.

Jeanne glanced at her, didn't ask about what had just happened, and shifted the topic to the pile of documents related to the underground crypt.

Late night.

Franca returned to her room.

After glancing at the small analyzer, its typewriter, and the radio transceiver, she didn't sit down as usual to start a chat—she climbed straight into bed.

She sat in the center of the bed, back against the pillow, hugging her knees, curled up, staring blankly out the window at the red moon and stars.

Lu Mi's account today plunged her back into memories of the past, but the stronger her emotions stirred, the more she refused to show vulnerability to others, forcing herself to pretend she had recovered.

Only when no one else remained, when night grew still, when those seemingly eternal stars appeared high above, did she shed her thick 'armor' and sink helplessly into that emotion.

She stared for an unknown length of time, then lowered her head, burying her face in her knees.

That night, she dreamed endlessly: of her childhood shoulders, broad and strong, bearing her forward; of a fleeting glimpse of a streak of white in the temples; of dishes that weren't especially delicious but always suited her taste; of the purest feelings of her youth; of herself, once called the 'Mood Booster' and 'Big-Hearted'…

Twenty years of her life surged through her mind in fragments, until she opened her eyes without realizing it, quietly feeling the coolness on her cheeks, unwilling to move.

Suddenly, she remembered something:

Back in the fourth level of the underground crypt, she and Jeanne had encountered a man who felt vaguely familiar to her.

At the time, she'd assumed it was because the original body had seen him before; now, she finally recalled why he felt familiar:

That man resembled someone from her country before she crossed over!

Though he'd altered his appearance slightly, preventing her from immediately connecting the dots, Franca was now certain: his features and contours differed from any race she'd seen in this world—softer, less deep-set!

In an instant, Franca sat up, startled and excited:

"Besides us soul-transmigrants, are there physical transmigrants too?

"Or has someone found a way to travel freely between the two worlds?"

…………

After breakfast, Lu Mi entered the master bedroom's washroom, took out a low-tier 'Understand Language' talisman from the 'Traveler's Satchel.'

"Knowledge!" he whispered the word in ancient Hermes.

The brass-like talisman instantly ignited in a bluish-green flame, then vanished.

Simultaneously, Lu Mi felt his mind become extraordinarily clear—as if he'd instantly grasped new knowledge, understanding the origins and connections of countless words.

Today he was going to the oldest fishing village, possibly meeting the 'Sea Viceroy'—he needed to quietly master the Highland tongue to avoid missing vital clues!

This talisman's effect would last seven days.

Leaving the bedroom, Lu Mi, along with Ludwig and Lu Lu Jianuo, took a carriage to No. 21 Sheng Lanna Street and met Marta, the elderly matriarch of the Paco family.

She didn't look sixty-plus—only faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, appearing barely fifty; her eyes, nose, mouth, and eyebrows showed no signs of age, radiating quiet grace.

Now, this gray-haired, blue-eyed old lady wore a widow's black dress and a dark, vintage soft hat, her face pale as death, supported by two young maids as she boarded a four-wheeled, four-seater carriage.

"Mr. Berry, thank you for your trouble," Ruvio Paco nodded to Lu Mi, standing beside the carriage.

He would accompany his mother to Milo Village to meet the 'Sea Viceroy.'

Lu Mi guided Ludwig toward Georgina:

"Please look after him while I'm away in Milo Village."

This time, Ruvio would handle the translation.

Georgina smiled:

"Don't worry—I'll prepare plenty of food for him."

She'd already noticed the boy ate like two or three adults, but as the adventurer's godson, such peculiarities were understandable.

Lu Mi had no concern Ludwig would be mistreated at the Paco household; pretending not to understand Highland speech, he waited for Lu Lu Jianuo to finish translating before saying:

"Meals every two hours."

After speaking, he sat beside the driver, not entering the carriage; Lu Lu Jianuo, seeing this, reluctantly chose the driver's left side as well.

Beforehand, he had carefully translated Lu Mi's final instruction.

Though he didn't know what would happen if Ludwig became desperately hungry, he felt it wouldn't be good—so he emphasized it twice.

As the carriage began to move slowly, Georgina suddenly grasped the key point of the translation:

"Every two hours?"

"Every two hours?"

The Paco family's carriage rolled along streets paved with gray-white stone slabs; Lu Mi leaned back against the carriage wall, pulled up his right leg, and rested his foot on the edge of the driver's seat.

Lu Lu Jianuo glanced at him, feeling uneasy inside.

He was an experienced bounty hunter—he knew a task that seemed ordinary and harmless, yet made Ruvio willing to help their employer hide in Milo Village, must have hidden dangers.

Watching pedestrians armed with cold weapons, Lu Lu Jianuo's heart rose and fell, constantly fearing sudden figures would leap from the crowd and launch indiscriminate attacks.

October's sunlight in Sangtagang remained fierce; the street, drenched by rain the night before, hadn't fully dried. Lu Lu Jianuo anxiously hoped to reach Milo Village soon.

Unconsciously, he glanced again at his employer—and found Lu Mi had already half-closed his eyes, pulled his straw hat low, appearing relaxed, utterly calm.

Phew… with a powerhouse like him around, it should be fine… Lu Lu Jianuo silently reassured himself.

The carriage headed north, leaving Sangtagang, arriving at a village nestled against the foothills of the Dali Ri Mountains, facing the blue ocean.

Fishing boats were gradually setting out to sea; occasionally, loud songs and seabird cries echoed.

Milo Village's buildings radiated deep history: walls of stone bricks in brown, yellow, or off-white, their lower halves blackened, wooden components replaced but still sprouting weeds.

On the mountainside stood a small chapel dedicated to the 'Earth Mother,' while directly opposite the village dock stood the residence of the 'Sea Viceroy.'

Four stories tall, white walls with gray bricks, crowned with spires and towers, its windows of blue-tinted stained glass made it resemble a church or sacred site more than a human dwelling.

Seeing they'd finally arrived without incident, Lu Lu Jianuo exhaled in relief, leapt down from the carriage, and watched two maids escort Old Lady Marta step slowly toward the 'Sea Viceroy's' building, Ruvio Paco beside her.

At that moment, Lu Lu Jianuo heard his employer's voice:

"What illness is afflicting that old lady?"

Uh… Lu Lu Jianuo glanced at Lu Mi, who had somehow appeared beside him, wearing a golden straw hat, then lightly tapped his forehead and activated 'Spirit Sight.'

He stared at Old Lady Marta's back for several seconds; after she fully entered the 'Sea Viceroy's' residence, he frowned and said:

"Most obvious is severe blood loss, extremely weak vitality…"

Lu Lu Jianuo paused, then hesitantly concluded:

"Not an illness—more like an injury."

ps: Last two days of 2023, begging for monthly votes~

(End of Chapter)