Chapter 847: Busy Franca

Jianna agreed with Lumian's statement:

"Whether it's true love or not, that special mirror world was created for a specific purpose, and that purpose has not yet been fulfilled."

"What could that purpose be?" Franca fell into thought.

After thinking for a few seconds, Lumian reached into "The Traveler's Satchel" and pulled out the corpse-oil candle taken from the "Azure Avenger," murmuring to himself:

"The special mirror world may have been created jointly by the True God of the Hunter Path and the True God of the Witch Path, and this corpse-oil candle was forged from the corpse oil of a Half-God of the Hunter Path mixed with that of a Half-God of the Witch Path, along with other substances; from the perspective of esoteric similarity, there may be some connection between the two."

"Once I become a Half-God, I'll go to Bansi, find the specific location the 'Magician' lady mentioned, light the corpse-oil candle, perform a pact, and see what I can discover—it might help us uncover the secrets of the special mirror world."

As for Trier of the Fourth Era, after the Lodge Project, the difficulty of breaking the seal and entering is on a True God level.

"Apply for a Major Arcana card to watch over you," Franca offered no objection, only warned Lumian to be cautious.

After exchanging accounts of their recent experiences, Franca relaxed, leaned back in her chair, and said with bright eyes:

"You went to Mogang, gained little from the Hunter Path, only became the Deputy of '0—01,' but you acquired quite a bit from the Witch Path—the Unusual Characteristic of the 'Pain Witch,' equivalent to a Class '1' Relic of the 'Despair Witch'…"

"What are you hinting at?" Lumian asked with a smile.

Franca chuckled:

"I don't need it—I can probably get it from the Witch Cult anyway. The only concern is how to complete the ritual. Ah, if only I could go to Mogang—it's perfect for performing the 'Despair Witch' ritual, no guilt at all. Just from hearing your few cases, I know it's full of talent: criminal talent, talent for exploring the depths of human evil!"

"I mean, Jianna has all the Unusual Characteristics needed for Sequence 4—you don't plan to sell them, do you?"

Jianna said instinctively:

"But I haven't even saved enough money for the 'Pain Witch' Unusual Characteristic yet—I'm still tens of thousands of Ferkins short…"

Lumian laughed and said:

"No need to rush. From now on, you're officially part of my team. As the team leader, I'll reward you differently based on your contributions—money, items, whatever."

He made it clear—he was referring to these items as meant for Jianna; he certainly wasn't going to consume them himself. But since this was a team, rewards and punishments had to be clear; nothing could be given without reason.

Even giving Ludwig the "Depriver's" stomach, he'd framed it as a gift from his godfather returning from a trip.

Jianna's expression eased, her eyes smiling as she teased:

"Should we start calling you Captain then?"

"No. A good team calls each other by name or nickname." Lumian turned his gaze to Franca and brought up an old matter: "I used up your 'Mirror Clasp.' What compensation do you want?"

"Do you have to be so polite?" Franca, already possessing the "Ice Talisman," waved her hand dismissively. "If I ever need 'Black Tears' or 'Sword of Courage,' I'll just borrow them from you. Don't worry—I've got thick skin, I won't feel awkward."

As she spoke, she pulled out the "Lies" ear clip and tossed it back to Lumian:

"Keep this with you—I'm afraid I'll be tempted to fix and solidify my face and body, and then I'd be lost in lies."

Lumian knew Franca wasn't pretending to be generous; he caught the "Lies" and reminded her:

"You must be even more careful when facing the 'Black Witch.' She'll soon learn I was involved in the '0—01' struggle in Mogang and was likely the last one standing."

"Mm." Franca nodded solemnly.

Jianna's eyes flickered, and she mused:

"Should I move out for a while?"

Seeing Franca's puzzled look and Lumian's approving nod, Jianna carefully explained:

"The 'Black Witch' is likely secretly monitoring you to track Lumian's situation and movements. If I continue living with you, I'll inevitably draw her attention—and I don't believe I can hide my secrets from a high-ranking Witch's prolonged observation."

"Think about it: I already have the 'Pleasure Witch's' charm, which differs somewhat from a vampire's beauty. The 'Black Witch' will notice something's off after a few glances. But if I live elsewhere, I can disguise this charm with makeup and 'Lies' before coming to see you."

"Lies" can't be worn constantly, and if I kept makeup on even while sleeping, the 'Black Witch' would suspect!

"Alright," Franca was convinced by Jianna.

She shot Lumian a resentful glance, thinking bitterly:

You really are a troublemaker.

With the 'Black Witch' watching me, how am I supposed to help Jianna digest the 'Pleasure' Elixir?

Huh… Franca exhaled, then said to Lumian:

"When are you taking Amandina to the 'Woman of Samaria's Spring'?"

"You came back too fast—I haven't even had time to build a relationship with her."

Lumian thought for a few seconds:

"Wait until my condition stabilizes."

In the following time, Jianna packed her belongings and went out to find an apartment she could move into that same day, while Lumian returned to his place to continue "taming" Ludwig.

Franca tracked the trail of "Mirror Person" Garsim until nightfall.

Gazing at the empty, silent apartment, she sighed inwardly and collapsed onto the long sofa.

After a while, the surface of the full-length mirror in the living room suddenly shimmered with a dark, watery glow, and the face of the "Black Witch" appeared faintly.

Franca sprang to her feet and bowed respectfully:

"Good evening, Lady Clarisse."

At the same time, she muttered inwardly:

The "Black Witch" really does know where I live…

The "Black Witch" Clarisse gazed at Franca beyond the mirror, her expression detached, and asked:

"Has your lover Charles returned to Trier?"

"Yes," Franca, prepared for this, answered candidly.

The "Black Witch" studied Franca for a moment, then chuckled softly:

"You've been separated for weeks—reuniting must have led to plenty of pleasure. Has he become more vigorous?"

You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? How would I know… What's the point of this question? Franca muttered inwardly.

This question was completely outside her and Lumian's expectations!

In that instant, sweat prickled along Franca's spine; her mind raced at full speed:

"Vigorous…

"The 'Black Witch' once said the taste of a Hunter is also quite good—the higher the Sequence, the more vigorous…

"The 'Black Witch' wants to confirm Lumian's current state through this detail—whether he's become the Deputy of '0—01'?"

"If you and Lumian were truly lovers, this detail would be easily overlooked. And among Witches, discussing such matters is normal—then I'd naturally give the answer the 'Black Witch' wants."

"Help Lumian hide it? No—he's already under high suspicion. Helping him hide it would make me suspect too, even if I'm already suspected…"

"Lumian said this morning: no need to lie, but don't be too clear either…"

In just two or three seconds, Franca raised her right hand, covered her mouth, and let out a small yawn.

Then, with a hint of shy pride, she said:

"He hasn't advanced yet, and he's still far from it, but he's definitely become much more vigorous—I feel like I'm almost being conquered…"

As she spoke, Franca's tone carried a touch of longing, as if imagining herself becoming equally vigorous.

This came from Jianna and Anthony's "acting training"—performance requires layers.

The "Black Witch" in the mirror nodded and smiled:

"How enviable."

Franca's eyes flickered as she recalled:

"I don't know if it's because we've been apart so long, or because he hides so many secrets, but I feel he's become much stranger. Sometimes, when he looks at me, I get the thought: 'Who is he?' 'I don't know him…'"

The "Black Witch" nodded slightly:

"Perhaps he's been contaminated. Maintain your current relationship for now. If he shows any abnormality, tell me immediately—I might be able to help resolve it."

"Heh, this might even be one of your chances to digest the 'Pain' Elixir."

"Yes, Lady Clarisse," Franca showed the calm assurance of having powerful backing.

The "Black Witch" glanced left and right in the mirror, smiling as she asked:

"What about your vampire sweetheart?"

"Her brother is returning to Trier soon, so she's embarrassed to keep living with me," Franca recited her lines.

The "Black Witch" asked no further questions, gave a few reminders about the "Mirror Person," then vanished into the dark, watery glow.

Once the full-length mirror returned to normal, Franca quietly exhaled and prepared to go "on a date" with Lumian.

Before she could open the door, a faint light flared before her—a transparent, crystalline, blue-white jellyfish with numerous tentacles rapidly materialized.

One of its tentacles curled around a letter.

Franca recognized the jellyfish—it was the messenger of the "Judgment" Lady, named Ongla.

Every time she saw Ongla, Franca instinctively felt fear, sensing the creature might be powerful. But unlike the "Magician" Lady's "Doll" messenger, Ongla lacked sufficient intelligence and often acted purely on instinct.

As she took the letter, Franca muttered silently:

"Feels so busy… When I was helping Lumian with things, I was already busy. Now he's back, why am I still so busy?"

After thanking the jellyfish Ongla, Franca opened the letter:

"The first assistance requested by Mr. 'Star' has been confirmed."

P. .: Recommend a book: "1879 America: Call Me Big Boss."

It's by an old friend and veteran author—quality and updates are guaranteed. It's about a man transported to 1879 America, sold as a coolie, who rises to become a godfather. Some of the Hongmen rituals and passwords are quite interesting—worth checking out if you're curious.

(End of Chapter)