Chapter 716: The Divided Tamara Family

After Ye Busi said the number "0—05," he looked at Fu Lan Ka and Yu Jianna with eager anticipation, hoping to see shock or fear on their faces.

Given the strength this exceptional squad had displayed, they should clearly understand what the "0"-class sealed object represents and signifies!

That is a terrifying thing capable of destroying all of Triel—and even the entire world!

The earlier the number in a "0"-class sealed object's designation, the greater the danger.

Now, we are discussing "0—05"!

Fu Lan Ka and Yu Jianna did show flickers of surprise and curiosity, but neither was what Ye Busi hoped to see.

They didn't even respond to Ye Busi; instead, they turned their heads and fixed their gazes on Lu Mi.

Though they hadn't seen and dared not look at the specific contents, they had both heard Lu Mi recount how the monstrous child Ludwig had stolen a sealed object dossier from the Church of Knowledge and given it to Lu Mi as payment.

That dossier belonged to "0—01"!

"0—05?" Lu Mi raised an eyebrow.

According to what he knew, in older eras, sealed objects had no numbers; even if they did, they were isolated actions by individual churches. Only at the end of the Fourth Era or the beginning of the Fifth Era did the Seven Churches, who then ruled the world, jointly establish the current classification system for sealed objects and assigned serial numbers to those under their control.

Among them, because "0"- and "1"-class sealed objects posed immense dangers, the True God Churches reached an agreement to mutually notify each other of general details, unify numbering, and never repeat numbers.

That is, there could never be a "0—05" sealed object held by the Church of the Eternal Sun and another "0—05" held by the Church of the Night Goddess.

Only the "Wish Lantern" could be called "0—05"!

When the Seven Churches first numbered their "0"-class sealed objects, they undoubtedly ranked them comprehensively based on danger level, time of appearance, and unique nature; newly acquired ones were named according to the order of their sealing.

Thus, the first dozens of "0"-class sealed objects likely followed the rule: the earlier the number, the greater the danger and the more extraordinary the nature. The fact that "0—05" ranked fifth among so many "0"-class sealed objects proves its terror and status!

Of course, under this system, the latest-numbered "0"-class sealed objects were not necessarily weaker than those with earlier numbers.

Lu Mi looked at Ye Busi and said, in a tone neither exaggerated nor understated:

"'0—05'? The terrifying object ranked fifth among all '0'-class sealed objects?"

"Yes." Ye Busi finally felt a slight satisfaction from his boasting.

Lu Mi asked, with clear curiosity:

"Does its name, 'Wish Lantern,' mean you can make wishes to it?"

At that moment, Lu Mi's inner anticipation surged far beyond what his expression revealed.

Ye Busi nodded solemnly:

"Yes. It can grant its holder any ten wishes."

Before Lu Mi could ask further, Ye Busi added:

"But as far as I know, those wishes are always fulfilled in twisted forms or come with horrific consequences. Moreover, no one who once possessed the lantern met a good end—Luo Saier Gustav may have died because of it."

Hearing this, Lu Mi fell silent.

"Did '0—05' once belong to Emperor Luo Saier?" Fu Lan Ka glanced at Lu Mi and asked directly.

Ye Busi answered without hesitation:

"Yes."

"And now? Do you have any leads on '0—05'?" Fu Lan Ka pressed, clearly intrigued.

Ye Busi was happy to share:

"Yes. It should be with the leader of the secret organization 'Elemental Dawn.'"

"That leader is suspected to be Luo Saier's eldest daughter, Bei Er Na Dai."

"Wow!" Fu Lan Ka let out an admiring, relieved sound, as if hearing that a deceased old friend's child was doing well.

Although after the Prayer Ritual, she and Lu Mi had known that Luo Saier's eldest daughter, Bei Er Na Dai, was still alive, had invented fairy-tale magic, and was closely tied to the Major Arcana "The Hermit" of the Tarot Society, they had no specific details about her.

Now, she was pleasantly surprised to learn Bei Er Na Dai led a secret organization.

She had previously heard of "Elemental Dawn," knew they focused on studying occult knowledge and arcane alchemy, opposed another knowledge-seeking secret organization, "Mosi Ascetic Society," and were primarily active in Intis, Zhongnan, and the seas.

"It's natural for the Emperor's relics to be with his eldest daughter," Lu Mi also felt a touch of relief for Emperor Luo Saier.

Fu Lan Ka eagerly continued questioning Ye Busi:

"Are you planning how to deal with Bei Er Na Dai?"

Ye Busi slowly shook his head:

"We lack the necessary strength—that's one reason we cooperate with 'The Man in the Mirror.'"

"Only by practicing Truth and pleasing Truth can the 'Overseers' gain more blessings to oppose Bei Er Na Dai and her followers."

Governing the government and practicing "Truth" to varying degrees was the ritual to petition for blessings? Hmm, Ye Busi himself had called it a ritual to please "Truth"… Their method of obtaining blessings differed from other dark cults—not centered on blood sacrifice, but emphasizing influence, exploitation, and transformation of order… Lu Mi deduced from Ye Busi's fragmented words a key trait of the "Truth School."

He thought for two seconds and said:

"'Overseer' is both a position and a title?"

"What sequence does it correspond to in the Potion Path?"

"Sequence 4, just gained divinity." Ye Busi answered succinctly, either unwilling to discuss this or knowing little himself.

Lu Mi shifted topic:

"We've learned your school's beliefs and goals—what are 'The Man in the Mirror's' objectives?"

Ye Busi recalled and said:

"They also want to break the seal on the ancient city beneath the ground. Only by lifting the seal can they enter the deeper parts of their original mirror world and find something of special significance—but that has nothing to do with us."

"They've also been continuously smuggling more 'Men in the Mirror' out, replacing the original hosts."

"I don't know if they have other goals."

"Besides Mo Lan A Wei Ni, who else among 'The Man in the Mirror' do you know?" Fu Lan Ka didn't hide her eagerness to know.

Ye Busi shook his head:

"Since we reached an agreement with Mo Lan A Wei Ni, he moved the other 'Men in the Mirror' to new locations and changed their identities—only he can contact them."

"How did you discover Mo Lan A Wei Ni was a 'Man in the Mirror'?" Lu Mi sought other clues.

Ye Busi laughed:

"Our 'Truth School' was founded on parts of the Tamara family. Several members had long suspected Mo Lan A Wei Ni and other clan members were problematic; after receiving Truth's revelation, they fully confirmed this suspicion."

"Which path was Mo Lan A Wei Ni's original host?" Lu Mi frowned.

Ye Busi didn't conceal Mo Lan A Wei Ni's identity:

"The 'Judgment' Path. Now he not only possesses the power of the 'Judgment' Path but can also use abilities related to mirrors."

"Among the 'Judgment' branch of the Tamara family, are there any members who neither follow 'Truth' nor have been replaced by 'The Man in the Mirror'?" Lu Mi pressed further.

"Yes. They broke with our 'Truth School' and have been trying to oppose us." Ye Busi answered honestly.

This… The Tamara family first split into the 'Judgment' and 'Apprentice' branches; then the 'Judgment' branch split again into those who followed 'Truth,' those replaced by 'The Man in the Mirror,' and those who upheld the old traditions… But the Tamara family's 'Apprentice' branch mixed with the Witch Cult—wasn't that more likely to be replaced by 'The Man in the Mirror'? Did that branch also split? How come the Tamara family keeps splitting… Even without branching, the Tamara family faces the risk of being replaced by 'The Man in the Mirror'? Is this rooted in some unsolved secret from the Fourth Era? Lu Mi analyzed and speculated based on his own knowledge.

"What sequence is Mo Lan A Wei Ni roughly equivalent to?" Seeing Lu Mi silent, Yu Jianna asked for him.

"Sequence 5." Ye Busi smiled in reply.

Sequence 5, "Knight of Punishment"… Fu Lan Ka, guided by the Major Arcana "The Judge," was very familiar with the "Arbiter" Path.

Sequence 9 is "Arbiter," Sequence 8 is "Constable," Sequence 7 is "Interrogator," Sequence 6 is "Judge."

A "Knight of Punishment" with mirror magic and mirror-world abilities… Lu Mi looked at Ye Busi and smiled:

"You're neither a 'Man in the Mirror' nor a 'Witch'—how can you freely enter and exit the mirror world and remain unaffected by its dangers?"

Ye Busi pointed to the glass cufflink on his sleeve:

"This is an item Mo Lan A Wei Ni gave us. It allows us to enter and exit the mirror world, travel between mirrors, and avoid being drawn into other mirrors."

"It can still be used five times."

Excellent—soon it will be ours… Hmm, let's call it "Mirror Button"… At that moment, Fu Lan Ka had already named the cufflink.

Lu Mi nodded and said:

"If your abilities correspond to the Potion Path, what is Sequence 9 called?"

Since conflict with the "Truth School" was likely imminent, Lu Mi seized this chance to learn about their extraordinary abilities.

Ye Busi wore a proud smile:

"It's 'Broker.'"

"We are the gray between white and black, the mist between light and darkness, the bridge between order and shadow!"

"Speak plainly…" Fu Lan Ka muttered under her breath.

Lu Mi smiled, undeterred, and asked:

"What specific abilities does a 'Broker' have?"

(End of Chapter)