Chapter 856: Translation (Beginning of Month, Requesting Base Monthly Votes)

Hearing Franca's answer, Jianna bit her lip and said:

"Did that factor influence your choice just now?"

"Maybe," Franca replied with a bitter smile. "I felt if I didn't do this, that lingering resentment would always stay between us, and we'd drift apart—once the mission ended, once no external force kept us together, we might just fall apart. But I didn't want that…"

"I went out just now with the dagger, truly intending to cut Lumian once to vent my anger. But walking through the shadows of the street, chilled by the wind, I became clearer-headed—and then I thought, love is such a nuisance. If love didn't exist, the three of us could still be happy together like before."

"With that thought, I suddenly wondered—if we removed love, removed the possessiveness and jealousy born from it—perhaps, maybe, we could…"

"The Lady of Judgment has always told us the End is near, arriving in a few years or decades. We must prepare—mentally and in strength. Though we see no signs of it yet, we naturally forget it sometimes, keeping our spirits light so we don't go mad from constant tension. But even in Triel alone, we've lived through two major disasters: the Shadow Tree affair and the Lodge Plan. No matter how much we avoid or refuse to face them, we can't ignore them."

"Under these circumstances, any one of us could leave, say goodbye, or die at any moment—why care so much? That choice may seem strange, and I myself struggle to accept it—but why not try?"

"After trying, our future might grow better, closer, more devoted to each other—or it might grow worse, drifting further apart until we become strangers who know each other too well, or even enemies. But without trying, how will we ever know which outcome awaits? It can't get much worse than it already is."

"Of course, human emotions can't be controlled. Even if our future improves, the hidden love and the possessiveness and jealousy it brings can't be fully erased—pain will long coexist with joy. Perhaps that's the true hue of the Witch."

"But no matter what, I still love this saying:"

"Life is short—why not give it a try?"

Jianna listened to Franca's words with full attention, then said softly:

"That's why I feel such urgency, why I made selfish choices."

She let out a brief laugh:

"Lumian once teased you with 'Life is short—why not give it a try?' Was it because you did something strange because of that phrase?"

Franca smiled awkwardly:

"I was really torn about whether to drink the Witch's Elixir, and someone said that to me."

Jianna suddenly understood, didn't mock Franca, only asked curiously:

"Did you also rely on that phrase to encourage yourself with Gardener Martin?"

"Yeah… back then I hadn't met you yet, hadn't cared deeply for anyone," Franca said, even more embarrassed.

Seeing this, Jianna whispered with a smile:

"So, back then, did you ever think about trying something with Lumian?"

"This…?" Franca felt like running away. "Oh come on, you innocent girl, don't talk about such inappropriate topics!"

Jianna deliberately swore:

"Fuck! When I sang in bars and dance halls, the crude jokes I heard and the vulgar scenes I saw were way more shocking than this—there were men and women, even men and men."

Seeing the heavy, sorrowful atmosphere ease, Jianna stood up:

"You look exhausted—emotions this turbulent always leave you drained. I'm going back. Rest well."

"Mm." Franca rose too.

She opened her mouth as if to ask something, but ultimately stayed silent.

Jianna was highly attuned to such details and smiled:

"Ask whatever you want. You've already made that decision—what's left to hold back?"

Franca hesitated, then looked into Jianna's eyes:

"If… if I'd told you from the start that I used to be a man, and after spending time together, truly pursued you—could you have ever fallen for me?"

Jianna thought carefully:

"I can't answer hypotheticals. I can only say maybe."

She met Franca's gaze:

"I told you before—during that time, you were a light in my life. To me, you were not just my best friend, but also a protective older sister, unrelated by blood. After my mother died, I even projected some of my feelings for her onto you. Maybe that's why I sometimes thought: I shouldn't give you false hope—it's better to end things early."

Here, Jianna smiled:

"If I ranked the three people I value most now, Julian is first, you are second, and Lumian is third. Love may fade someday—but this bond between us won't."

Franca felt relieved and smiled:

"You've got great acting skills."

"Of course—I took it seriously back then!" Jianna walked step by step toward the door.

After a few steps, she turned back, looked at Franca, hesitated, then said:

"Your proposal—I can't accept it yet. At least, not for me."

Then Jianna laughed:

"But who knows about the future?"

Franca smiled in return:

"It was just a way of saying it."

Jianna turned around, walked to the door, and pulled it open.

She gripped the brass doorknob, paused again, turned her body, and looked at Franca standing in the center of the living room, whispering:

"If… if one day you find a way home, and both I and Lumian want you to stay—would you stay?"

Franca stood with her back to the crimson moon, her face hidden in deep shadow.

She remained silent for a long while before speaking slowly:

"I don't know…"

The voice sounded like it had been squeezed from her heart—light, weightless, without strength.

…………

Two days later, in a disused quarry chamber beneath Triel.

Franca, Jianna, and Amandina—just arrived from the Southern Continent's Matani Province—stood inside the "Wall of Spirit," watching Lumian prepare the altar.

Anthony, unseen by Amandina, guarded the outer perimeter.

Lumian calmly finished his preparations, lit the candles, dripped essential oil, stepped back two paces, and stood beside Franca.

He felt no worry despite the absence of a demi-god's protection—first, because Amandina was present; second, because when he sent the "Spring of the Samaritan Woman" water to the Magician, he'd mentioned this ritual.

Seeing the candle flames flicker, Franca grew tense. Amandina looked bewildered—she had no idea what help she was meant to offer, or how.

When Franca nodded, signaling readiness, Lumian chanted in Ancient Hymnos:

"I!"

Then he switched to Hymnos:

"By my name, I summon:

"The spirit wandering in illusion, the composite of countless shadows—the familiar spirit of Lumian Li…"

Amandina recognized this as a familiar ritual, similar to summoning a messenger, so she didn't focus closely. Instead, she studied the eye contact between Franca, the woman she'd just learned was named Jianna, and Lumian, searching for signs of romance.

She was disappointed—their attention was fully fixed on the ritual.

Soon, the hazy shadow clad in fish-scale armor emerged from the candle flame. Its black scales were now streaked with pure gold, appearing solemn and sacred.

The transparent faces on the scales were far clearer than before, twisted and grotesque, more like demons.

They screamed silently, radiating hatred and malice.

Amandina jolted in shock.

It wasn't the armor's appearance that startled her—she'd endured the Dream Festival, summoned Bayinfei, and visited underground crypts.

Her reaction came because the armor's shadow—and every demon-face on its scales—turned to stare directly at her!

Her breath nearly stopped; her body froze in icy dread.

The armor-shadow spoke, in that strange tongue.

Only Franca could barely understand:

"Under the Gate of Hao Li…"

So it recognizes Amandina's Blessing… Franca muttered, then noticed the armor's malice had lessened—it seemed willing to communicate more calmly.

Lumian noticed too, and quickly had Franca place ten thousand Faeljin in gold on the altar. He then spoke in Hymnos:

"I offer this sacrifice. Fulfill one simple task and answer two questions."

The armor-shadow transmitted the thought of "Agreed." Its transparent faces greedily stared at the gold.

Lumian immediately placed the documents Franca handed him onto the altar.

These were not the documents given to Franca by Mr. Star, nor the original ones. The former had been scrambled beyond interpretation; the latter risked contaminating the armor-shadow and triggering unpredictable, dangerous consequences.

So after Franca expressed her intent, Mr. Star, via the Lady of Judgment, provided a new version.

The new version extracted several complete sentences from the original, and the hundreds of characters within them were also frequently used elsewhere in the documents.

"The task is to translate this document," Franca listened, hopeful yet tense, as Lumian made his request.

She wasn't sure if the armor-shadow would accept such a bargain.

With a whoosh of wind, the two pages of documents rose and floated before the armor-shadow.

After several seconds, the armor-shadow spoke again in a language Lumian and the others couldn't understand.

Franca's ears perked up:

"Solitary yin does not grow; solitary yang does not give life. Yin contains yang; yang contains yin. When yin and yang unite, all things arise—this is the Dao of Heaven…"

That's it? Franca's lips twitched.

Though she hadn't yet acted on it, she suspected the armor-shadow was subtly mocking her, Jianna, and Lumian.

PS: Two chapters delivered today. Beginning of the month—please support with base monthly votes~

(End of Chapter)