Chapter 793: Arrest

After dinner, Francia and Jianna returned to Apartment 702 at 9 Aoluosaijie.

"Finally succeeded," Francia stretched her arms upward, yawning. "Should I first find this 'Mirror Person' Palia, then report to the 'Black Witch,' or tell the 'Black Witch' today that I've become the 'Pain Witch'? She said once I ascended to 'Pain,' she'd reveal some secrets of the Witch Cult."

For the latter, Francia wanted to know—but also feared knowing—while feeling her progress in digesting the 'Pleasure' potion had far outpaced expectations, possibly arousing the 'Black Witch's' suspicion, and she had no intention of reporting anything tied to the 'Deep Sea Admiral.'

It involved the secret of how the 'Curly Baboon Research Society' crossed over!

So far, Francia and Lumian had only mentioned to their respective Major Arcana cards the suspicion that the 'Deep Sea Admiral' might be an elf—no reply yet.

Jianna thought for a moment and said:

"I think even if you don't go to the 'Black Witch' tomorrow, you must do it soon. The sooner you learn the Witch Cult's secrets, the better you can plan and arrange your next moves, avoiding potential hazards."

She understood Francia's concerns and smiled sweetly:

"Just tell the 'Black Witch' that Lumian has become the 'Harvester' and helped you digest the 'Pleasure' potion."

"Uh…" Francia paused, startled. "That's all true, but the implication feels… off."

"That's exactly the misunderstanding we need," Jianna replied with a faint smile.

She glanced out the window at the night:

"Finding Palia should be enough for you and Anthony. I plan to visit Julian in Leseer Port these few days—we haven't seen each other in nearly two months, and I want to gauge his attitude, see if he must return to Trill."

"Fine," Francia understood Jianna's worries.

Jianna nodded:

"Then I'll go home tonight, pack some things for him, and aim to leave tomorrow morning—earlier departure, earlier return."

There were many steam trains and riverboats to Leseer Port; she had no worry about buying tickets on the spot.

After a few more words, Jianna packed her luggage, picked up her suitcase, and left the apartment.

—She had not, as Julian instructed, canceled the rental on Bastide Street during his exchange in Leseer Port to save money; she still occasionally returned to stay for a few days, as if she had never left.

Watching Jianna leave, Francia suddenly felt disappointed, muttering:

"I was hoping to celebrate tonight…"

She walked slowly back to her bedroom and saw that some of Jianna's dresses and belongings, once placed here, had been removed.

Looking at the cleaner, tidier room, Francia suddenly understood something.

She fell silent.

She felt her 'Pain' potion had digested a little.

…………

Whoosh, clatter, clatter, clatter.

A cream-colored steam train, painted with brass patterns, raced along the tracks toward Isaara, the capital of Lunbao nestled among mountains.

Lumian sat in second-class, casually glancing around.

He had no coordinates for Isaara and was too lazy to summon a messenger again; he decided to teleport back to Lessen Province, take a steam train to the border, then cross the mountains and sneak in.

Thanks to pre-exchanged Lunbao currency—Sassen gold—and his familiarity with black-market traders and middlemen, Lumian easily obtained new identification and bought a ticket to Isaara.

Lunbao was a medium-sized country, not large; he'd reach his destination before evening.

As his gaze swept the carriage, Lumian noticed Lunbao people favored light-colored clothing and brass ornaments, each holding a book, quietly flipping pages during the journey, and those who spoke kept their voices low.

At stops, if an elderly person or scholar boarded, passengers eagerly offered help, showing genuine respect.

"No wonder this is the land of the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom," Lumian silently mused.

Lunbao was a monotheistic nation without royalty; the Church of Knowledge held immense control and influence over the populace.

Perhaps sensing his scrutiny, the young man beside him, reading a book, glanced at Lumian's copy of the 'Lunbao Travel Guide' and whispered with a smile:

"You're a foreigner?"

He spoke in Lunbao, then switched to Highland, Ruin, Intis, and Fursak.

Lumian was startled:

A plain, ordinary second-class Lunbao passenger knew so many languages?

And he felt the man was showing off.

"Yes, I'm Intis. I speak Lunbao," Lumian replied cooperatively. "What's your name? You've mastered all languages of the Northern Continent."

The young man adjusted his light-framed glasses and smiled:

"I'm Sarent, a junior clerk at a company.

"Actually, once you learn one language of the Northern Continent, others become easy—if you start with Ancient Fursak, it's even simpler. We Lunbao people begin learning Ancient Fursak simultaneously in compulsory education."

Sarent's tone carried quiet pride, as if looking down on other nations' large illiterate populations and their ignorance of foreign tongues.

Theoretically, that's why my Highland tongue came so fast; compared to that, my Dutan is barely usable… Lumian ignored Sarent's hidden arrogance.

That day, every Lunbao person he'd met had similar tendencies.

Lumian lowered his voice and smiled:

"You're truly civilized—respecting elders and scholars, and on trains, most people read instead of chatting or playing."

Sarent smiled modestly:

"In Lunbao, knowledge is the most precious thing. Scholars possess more knowledge; elders accumulate vast experiential knowledge over their lives."

Here, Sarent chuckled self-deprecatingly:

"Reading is a habit formed since childhood, and a practical necessity. You wouldn't believe how full our lives are with exams and evaluations—at school, at work, even at church, we must answer theology questions during grand mass to prove our piety and reverence for the divine and knowledge."

Lumian suddenly felt this might not be such a good thing.

No wonder Ludwig refused to return to the Church of Knowledge…

But Aurora would probably like it here. She wouldn't live here herself, but she'd surely want me sent here to study…

Seeing the foreigner fall silent, Sarent sighed:

"So after graduation, I didn't stay in Isaara—the pressure there is terrifying: professional qualification exams, annual performance reviews, monthly company evaluations, job training tests, and so on, and so on."

Lumian inwardly hissed:

Is this the daily life of Lunbao people, especially Isaara residents?

Ludwig's description was vague—I thought it was just students who suffered…

Thank goodness Aurora took me in, not some Lunbao person…

Talking about this, Sarent was overcome with melancholy, felt urgency, lowered his head, and returned to his book.

Lumian judged from the time that Isaara was near, and turned his thoughts to the 'Exile City' Morola.

He considered carefully, then asked Sarent:

"Have you heard of a city called Morola?"

Sarent thought hard, then said:

"No. Neither in reality nor in any local legends."

Lumian grunted, turned his gaze back to the rapidly retreating, mottled mountains, as if the question had been idle chatter.

"If the 'Magician' lady couldn't find it, I probably can't either—unless I kidnap a demi-god from the Church of Knowledge…"

"Since the Church of Knowledge placed the other two parts of the 'Pus-Soaked Hand' in Morola, could I use the resonance between the parts to locate the city?"

"The Church of Knowledge expects and allows me to go to Morola—perhaps even hopes I come. Will they give me a hint?"

"… "

As he thought, Lumian grew increasingly certain.

The sky darkened; the steam train halted beside a platform paved with gray-white stone slabs.

Lumian picked up his small, nearly empty suitcase, chatted with Sarent, and walked through the station—decorated with book sculptures and brass patterns—toward the exit.

Wind howled through the mountains, bringing chill and freshness.

Near the entrance of Isaara's steam train station, Lumian saw several Church of Knowledge clerics in plain white robes edged with gold thread, blocking the exit, holding documents, checking each departing passenger.

"What's this?" Lumian asked.

Sarent glanced and replied indifferently:

"Routine exit inspection. Church and government staff take turns."

"I thought they randomly stopped people to give them tests, checking their knowledge levels," Lumian joked.

Sarent sharply turned to him, eyes filled with terror, as if saying:

"Are you a demon? Even the Church's bishops never thought of that!"

Lumian shrugged and walked ahead toward the exit, submitting to the clerics' inspection.

The lead elder sized him up, checked his documents, then signaled the others.

Lumian was immediately surrounded by clerics, all poised and ready.

The elder stared at him and said gravely:

"We've found a wanted criminal.

"Take him away!"

Uh… Lumian raised an eyebrow.

In a flash of thoughts, he abandoned resistance, extended his hands, letting the clerics clamp silver-white manacles onto his wrists.

(End of Chapter)