Lord of Mysteries 2: Circle of Inevitability
chapter-762

762 The Flirting Showcase

Although limited by the variety of local ingredients, St. Millom Restaurant's menu appeared thick, yet it didn't offer an extensive variety of dishes. However, relatively speaking, a whole book's worth of menu items couldn't possibly be too few-it was enough to make a dozen adults feel stuffed.

The restaurant's waiter was a local, but he spoke fluent Feysacian, Loenese, and Intisian,

completely understanding Lumian's order without any confusion.

He was about to double-check when he saw the customer from Intis bring out a thick stack of gold hoorn.

This was the currency of the Feysac Empire, commonly used in the Raklev area-before teleporting to the Southern Continent that morning, Lumian had specifically gone to a nearby bank to exchange some cash at a higher rate of 4.4 verl d'or for one gold hoorn, but the cash he now produced wasn't his own; it was activity funds provided by the Knight of Swords, Maric.

"All of it?" The waiter, diligent and thorough, made one last inquiry.

"All of it," Lumian confirmed, earning Ludwig's approval.

After a while, dishes like beet soup, red wine beef stew, cream-fried cod, caviar, grilled meat skewers, appetizer salad, thick-cut steaks, and Feysac pies were served one by one.

Ludwig was utterly immersed in a sea of flavors, and Lumian, too, let himself indulge.

As a Sequence 5 Reaper, his appetite was already not small, and similarly, Harvest Priest Lugano, starting as a Planter, was eating more and more.

After nearly filling their stomachs, as Lumian savored the salty, fishy burst of the caviar in his mouth and awaited the arrival of dessert, he pondered over the recent events.

Why did Ludwig just vaguely sense the presence of the bird-clawed baby, and then in the blink of an eye, it vanished?

Could it be that we were exactly thirty meters apart, and just one step further would break the range of perception?

This is too coincidental... If it were arranged, they would have let Ludwig keep sensing it...

If Ludwig could sense the bird-clawed baby, could the baby also sense its 'mother' approaching? Did it detect the deceased 'mother' appearing in an unnatural way and immediately leave the area or hide, severing the connection between them?

This explanation is more reasonable, not reliant on coincidence...

Now the question arises, if it wasn't a coincidence, why did the bird-clawed baby appear on this street?

It couldn't possibly just be passing by and happened to bump into us, right? If it truly is the law of convergence, it's still unclear whether it's due to a bloodline connection or a law of repulsion...

Lumian picked up the napkin that was on his lap, folded it neatly, and stood up, pushing the stack of gold hoorn to Lugano.

"I'll take a walk nearby to see if there's anything worth buying; you take care of Ludwig and remember to pay for the meal."

"Sure," Lugano was happy to remain seated without moving.

Lumian left St. Millom Restaurant with a leisurely gait, taking in all the shops and pedestrians along the street.

There were banks, candy stores, cafés, and shops selling Feysacian imported goods, with no suspicious individuals in sight.

The passersby were mostly Feysacians and Raklev locals, the latter often carrying talismans made from their relatives' skulls-some wore them as hats, others strung them into necklaces, and some sewed them onto their clothing at the shoulder.

It is not apparent who might attract the bird-clawed baby and its associates here, nor which building might harbor something unusual... Lumian pondered as he walked along the street, hoping for a "chance encounter."

Unfortunately, this did not happen.

Finally, he finished his stroll along the street and returned to St. Millom Restaurant.

The two Demonesses leisurely enjoyed a lavish Feysacian meal, their prominent position and striking looks drawing the gaze of everyone who came and went. Some even made a point of passing by their table repeatedly.

Lumian took the opportunity to admire the Demonesses' beauty.

Suddenly, a thought struck him:

Ludwig only sensed the bird-clawed baby near St. Millom Restaurant...

Franca and Jenna were right here in the restaurant...

Could it be that they truly attracted the attention of Oxyto, the Shaman King, who personally brought or sent the bird-clawed baby to track them, looking for an opportunity to strike?

Upon discovering the scent of a deceased 'mother' on Ludwig and sensing my Child of God bloodline, did Oxyto abandon his original plan, temporarily leaving this area or completely hiding?

This logic flows smoothly; there's no issue, but how could the guardian demigod of the temperance faction completely miss Oxyto's presence?

A Shaman King is adept at concocting various magical agents and conducting rituals, perhaps using one to evade normal premonitions and intuitions?

Or could it be some other method?

Lumian quickly reviewed the intelligence provided by the temperance faction about the Shaman King.

His steps slowed, seemingly captivated by the beauty and charm of the two Demonesses, reluctant to look away.

After analyzing the information on the Apothecary pathway up to Sequence 4 Shaman King, Lumian considered that Oxyto might have also received a boon, transitioning to female, and he recalled the information he knew about the Heretic Spellmaster pathway.

In a flash of thought, a term came to mind: Paramita!

(Reader's Note: Sequence 4 of the Villain Pathway (boon) allows you to establish a new small world called "Paramita". In this world, when humans die, their souls return to the earth and roam the wilderness. On special occasions, they can return home, be reborn and emerge from the Mother's womb as human foetuses. Also, this sequence turns you into a woman.)

Paramita exists in its own right, dependent on the land, and its activities cannot be detected from the outside...

Did Oxyto use some application of Paramita to evade the gaze of the temperance faction's demigod and follow Franca and Jenna undetected?

Hmm, were those bird-clawed babies taken into Paramita after they crawled out of their 'mothers'?

With Paramita clearly involving the domain of death, were these 'mothers' dead before the bird-clawed babies tore out?

In that case, from birth, they bear a strong taint of death, seamlessly blending into Paramita...

Just now, Paramita was unfolding, watching Franca and Jenna, waiting to make a move, and upon sensing the presence of the deceased 'mother' and the bloodline of a Child of God,

Paramita immediately retracted, cutting off this close connection?

No wonder Ludwig's sensing of the bird-clawed baby was so vague... it was because it was inside Paramita!

Moreover, the local Skull Blessing Festival clearly reveres death, which can be linked to Paramita... Could Oxyto's deep-seated purpose for coming to the Raklev region be hidden in this?

With his speculation, Lumian approached Franca and Jenna's table with a genuine smile and politely asked in Intisian-like any real Intisian would do,

"May I have the honor of sitting here for a few minutes, beautiful ladies?"

Franca replied in amusement, "Are you also from Intis?"

She knew Lumian's approach wasn't simply to chat her up; he must have another purpose, so she played along very cooperatively.

"Yes, which is why I felt a connection as soon as I saw you," Lumian fully utilized the pickup lines he'd learned from everyday life in Trier.

At a nearby table, several men who were covertly listening in thought simultaneously:

Damn Intisians!

Curse those Intisian playboys!

Jenna's response was natural, tinged with a hint of wariness and surprise. "Are you here in Raklev for travel or business?"

As she spoke, Jenna signaled the waiter, who brought over a chair for Lumian beside their table.

Lumian sat down and said to the two Demonesses, "Your beauty is like something out of a dream. No, even in my dreams, I haven't seen anyone as beautiful as you. You must have caught many an eye along the way?"

Dammit, these sweet nothings are giving me goosebumps! At this moment, Franca would have preferred if Lumian mocked her.

Of course, she was still secretly pleased; after all, she had heard from Browns Sauron that every Demoness who had transitioned from male would have a bit of narcissism-fond of and proud of her feminine self.

Jenna felt both discomfort and amusement, much like encountering a pretentious drunkard while playing a Witch.

Her acting was good; she showed no oddity and smiled mockingly. "Really? Would you dare to look into my eyes and say that again?"

Seeing the handsome young man genuinely sit beside the beautiful ladies and engage in pleasant conversation, seemingly stirring emotions, the surrounding men lamented, How can they be so superficial, only considering looks? That's how you get deceived!

Lumian laughed, looking into Jenna's eyes and said, "The moment I saw you, I knew what true beauty was."

"..." How can this guy say such things without feeling nauseous? Jenna avoided Lumian's gaze, answering his earlier question, "You know, some gazes make one feel uncomfortable."

"Any gaze more peculiar than others?" Lumian asked with a smile.

Franca, understanding what he was probing for, shook her head. "No."

Lumian nodded pensively.

"The weather here is rather cold; did you feel something similar earlier?"

Franca recalled for a moment, pursed her lips, and said, "It started a bit on Chapin Street and lasted until just before the beet soup was served; the soup was warm and made us no longer feel cold."

Paramita that involves the realm of death made the surroundings feel a bit colder? Lumian said with a smile to Franca, "Perhaps that's the lack of a reliable man's warmth."

Franca's face twitched, and she communicated with Lumian using her eyes and lips.

Please, no more playing the playboy!

As the three conversed, the image of a woman wearing a petite black cap and light golden bun appeared faintly on the surface of a gold-leaf mirror embedded in the wall.

She rested her chin in her hand, her gaze occasionally focused on Lumian and Jenna, then shifting between Lumian and Franca, and assessing Franca and Jenna.