Chapter 908: Suspicious Details (Beginning of Month, Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Xia Tasi? Franca quickly scanned the young woman's face and the ears half-hidden by her glossy black hair.

According to the data provided by the Major Arcana cards, Xia Tasi, who currently shares a house with Mr. The Fool, is an ancient elf in reality; her boyfriend, Mobet, is a viscount of the Fourth Era Solomon Empire and a member of the Solaris family, and both have been dead for many years.

Franca swiftly withdrew her gaze, ensuring Xia Tasi did not notice she was observing her.

That was the professional discipline of an Assassin.

As for her earlier blatant stare, she wasn't worried about suspicion—Xia Tasi's kick that sent the thief flying had drawn every eye in the vicinity toward her.

Franca lowered her voice and spoke to Lu Mi and the others:

"Her ears are slightly pointed, her features match those of local residents—she must be Xia Tasi."

Damn, could the ancestors of the elf race really be time travelers? Aside from a few minor details, Xia Tasi is flawless impersonating a local!

She even wanted to talk to Xia Tasi!

Lu Mi glanced at Ludwig, who was gnawing on the end of his chopstick, then said thoughtfully:

"Could Xia Tasi be that Archdivine? Or perhaps one of the Archdivine's extraordinary subordinates?"

"..." Franca and Jianna were both stunned by the question.

"Doesn't seem likely..." Franca suppressed the urge to glance at Xia Tasi again.

Jianna mused:

"The Xia Tasi in the dream must be a fabricated persona woven by Mr. The Fool's subconscious from memory."

"But a fabricated persona could still be the Archdivine—or manipulated by the Archdivine," Lu Mi smiled.

For some reason, seeing his smile made Franca and Jianna's hearts quicken slightly; they felt his male form had lost a touch of its usual ruggedness and gained more beauty, as if sunlight had touched his face.

Of course—though Lu Mi's subconscious still perceived him as male, the "Elixir"'s physical modifications had long been recognized and remembered by his subconscious; in the absence of gender identity interference, the Witch Path's enhancements to appearance and charm would inevitably manifest in the dream... What was this called? "Magic Man"? Franca suddenly understood, then silently mocked herself.

Lu Mi continued:

"Xia Tasi is one of the few people closest to Mr. The Fool, sharing the same rented house in another room—why couldn't she be the Archdivine? Why couldn't she be controlled by the Archdivine through some method, turned into a puppet, used by Him?"

"The closer someone is to Mr. The Fool, the more suspicious they are."

"Agreed," Anthony unusually offered his opinion: "The records mention that the Messenger stated Xia Tasi and Mobet only had contact with Mr. The Fool's 'Redeeming Angel,' the earthly avatar of the great adventurer Gelmán Spáro—and both are now dead. To Mr. The Fool, they are neither important nor special. So why are they, and not other fabricated personas—say, the Major Arcana cards' dream counterparts—living so close to him?"

"Indeed, worth suspecting," Franca and Jianna both nodded slowly.

Lu Mi added:

My main point is this: for now, observation is primary, analysis of the data and gathered information is secondary—absolutely, absolutely do not approach Mr. The Fool, and try to avoid approaching anyone near him; the closer they are to Mr. The Fool, the less you should contact them.

"But if we don't approach them, how will we conduct further investigations? How will we confirm the Archdivine's identity? How will we gradually awaken Mr. The Fool?" Franca asked.

Lu Mi smiled:

"Only for now—we won't approach. Once our observational work is complete, we'll approach deliberately and systematically; that too will be a test."

"A test..." Jianna and Franca faintly grasped Lu Mi's idea.

Just as they were about to probe further, the cold dishes were ready, placed on their table along with several bottles of beer.

After the server left, Franca picked up her chopsticks, easily popped open the bottle caps, and poured beer for everyone except Ludwig.

Children only drink soda and dairy products!

Franca tapped her glass, filled with golden liquid, against the table, smiling brightly:

"The past cannot be reclaimed, the future unknown—here's to us being together now, still able to enjoy life!"

Lu Mi chuckled and shook his head, but still clinked glasses with Franca, Jianna, and Anthony, then tilted his head back and gulped down the entire beer.

Franca finished first, wiped her mouth, and noticed Lu Mi's Adam's apple moving as he drank, a trace of beer seeping from his lips—she froze suddenly:

"Damn, why do I find his Adam's apple moving so sexy...

"Is this what a 'Magic Man' is?"

Anthony glanced at Franca and Jianna, who drank heartily and made unconscious small gestures, then at the men and women around them who covertly stared at them and Lu Mi—he sighed quietly, striving to make himself even less noticeable.

Ludwig had already devoured the minced garlic pork, cold sliced pig's head, red oil pork ears, smashed cucumber, and shredded mixed vegetables.

Lu Mi pulled an unremarkable mirror from his pocket and placed it in the corner of the table.

Franca snapped back to attention and refilled everyone's glasses with beer—again, excluding the child.

She raised her glass once more:

"To past experiences! To future hope!"

Her passionate tone and elevated mood gave Jianna and Lu Mi a slight buzz; Anthony, too, felt a nostalgic pull toward his military days.

Amid the crisp clinking of glasses, they temporarily cast aside their inner burdens and worries about the mission, savoring only the present, this moment.

…………

Inside the rented house.

"Six hundred yuan?" Jianna asked, slightly pained.

They'd spent one-tenth of their funds on a single meal!

"Actually, it's cheap—he eats like ten people or more, and we drank beer too," Franca waved her hand. "No problem—I'll take out a few small loans, you all do the same. Later we need to buy T-shirts, casual pants, jeans, and sneakers—maybe tomorrow we can check out the wholesale market?"

At a time like this, brand, cut, and design didn't matter—cost-effectiveness was top priority!

Lu Mi took out the dwindling food from "The Traveler's Satchel," placing it on the table as he said:

"We still need to replenish Ludwig's food—he eats every two to three hours."

"Mm." Franca pointed to the rooms. "Anthony, you pick first."

Anthony didn't refuse—he chose the smallest bedroom, the one not on the same side as the other two.

Franca turned to Lu Mi:

"You take Ludwig into the master bedroom?"

"The secondary bedroom—he's just a big eater; otherwise, he's a normal kid. The bed there won't be too cramped," Lu Mi knew one of his tasks was to keep watch over Ludwig, preventing him from fleeing the dream prematurely out of fear.

"Alright, Jianna and I will take the master bedroom," Franca smiled.

In the following time, she took out a total of ten thousand yuan in small loans—Lu Mi, Jianna, and Anthony each received three thousand.

After completing this, Franca mustered great willpower to put down her phone, turned on the light, and carefully read the materials on Mr. The Fool she had only skimmed earlier; Lu Mi and the others each took a spot, equally focused.

Unconsciously, the night grew deeper.

Ludwig's next cry of hunger snapped them back to awareness; they stopped reading and talking.

"Even just reading the Major Arcana cards' materials on Mr. The Fool, I feel my mind growing foggy, slowly losing myself... Is this the stature of a Great Existence?" Lu Mi seriously assessed his earlier state and said solemnly: "After this, when studying this material, never exceed thirty minutes at a time."

He raised his right hand, rubbing his temple, and found his spiritual energy had been heavily drained.

"Mm." Franca stood, glancing out the window: "Let's go eat skewers outside Mr. The Fool's neighborhood—though he doesn't always go out for late snacks, we can at least observe the people who frequently appear around the area."

Jianna was about to respond when she caught sight of the view beyond the balcony.

She walked over instinctively, gazing beyond the neighborhood, across the street.

Lights—bright or warm—shone from building after building, from countless windows, like the Milky Way fallen to earth, yet infused with more human warmth.

It was broader, more dreamlike than the nightscapes of Trill or New Baiyin City, seeming to carry even more dreams.

Lu Mi also gazed intently for a while, until Ludwig tugged his shirt sleeve.

"Let's go," he said, turning toward the door.

Franca said to Jianna:

"We'll find a tall building with a view later and look again."

Leaving the neighborhood, they followed the map, circling around to the outside of Mr. The Fool's housing complex, picked a random skewer stall, and quietly observed the people and events around them.

No sooner had the grilled beef arrived than Franca noticed Lu Mi's gaze fixed on one direction, unmoving.

"What's wrong?" she asked, puzzled.

Lu Mi nodded toward that direction:

"I saw the Messenger."

The Messenger? Franca and Jianna turned to look and spotted a hoodlum with burnt-yellow eyebrows and hair.

The man held a stack of flyers.

"Messenger Daniz?" Jianna confirmed.

Lu Mi slowly nodded:

Not sure if it's a mental projection or a dream fabrication...

As if sensing their gaze, Mr. The Fool's Messenger Daniz suddenly turned and looked over.

Then he strode quickly to Lu Mi and the others, glanced at Ludwig, and smiled:

"Interested in a dream tutoring class?"

Tutoring class... Ludwig's pupils dilated sharply.

Snap!

He bit through the bamboo skewer.

ps: Beginning of the month—requesting monthly tickets~

(End of Chapter)