Chapter 445 Spoils of War
Lumian was flabbergasted.
You can do that?
After careful consideration, he realized that it was indeed possible. The mystical knowledge that came with the boon only stated that if bad luck hadn't been transferred and returned to the original individual, it couldn't be affected by the Luck Transference Spell. It didn't mention anything about whether people whose fates had been altered by cursed gold coins and other items could be transferred again.
I can't underestimate others. Although they are mostly foolish and not very clever, they occasionally come up with strange ideas and unusual methods. Aurore had once said that no matter how foolish a person is, they will always succeed once after thinking a thousand times… As a Conspirer, Lumian couldn't ignore such a possibility. Otherwise, he might stumble over a proverbial obstacle sooner or later and fall hard. This experience provided Lumian with valuable insight.
Since he didn't show any signs of losing control or the potion's power dissipating after advancing to Conspirer, and he had already digested a bit of the potion, Lumian could pray for the Ascetic boon in a few days and gain the ability to establish a new balance.
Lumian gazed at the calf "sitting" there with difficulty and pondered.
"Can one keep repeating this process?"
Bouvard's hooves tapped on the brass mechanical keyboard, while Jenna read the contents of the paper.
"With each transfer of luck, the river of fate will undergo a certain change and advance to a higher level. This will result in misfortune occurring sooner. The difficulty of stirring it will also keep increasing.
"Two or three more people's fates on the gold coin of misfortune aren't something Ascetics can stir. The same goes for the unlucky banknote.
"An Alms Monk can only maintain one item of fate at a time, while an Ascetic can manage two."
The unlucky banknote referred to a single 20 verl d'or banknote that had originally been stored in the grayish-blue cloth bag. On the front was a bust of Intis's first president, Levanx, and a large dock on the Srenzo River.
So it wasn't that you didn't want more gold coins of misfortune, but you couldn't make them… Lumian nodded slowly.
"How much longer can the gold coins of misfortune and unlucky banknotes last?"
"Ten days." The calf quickly typed out two words.
Franca had heard Lumian mention the Luck Transference Spell, instructing her and Jenna to carefully distinguish spoils of war when facing those on the Inevitability pathway and not to touch anything they shouldn't.
Listening to their conversation, she muttered silently, What unlucky banknotes? I think they're life-threatening banknotes!
Before I transmigrated, I knew a little about such sorcery, but I thought it was fake and rooted in feudal superstition. But now, it seems that humans' thoughts and beliefs are similar in similar environments. Even the sorcery they create is relatively similar. Or could there be traces of an Inevitability evil god or a deity in a similar domain in our world?
Lumian pointed at the two metal canisters beside the gold coin of misfortune and the unlucky banknote and inquired, "What are they?"
"They're all Prophetic Concoctions," Jenna recited the sentence typed by the calf.
Prophetic Concoctions? I've always found them troublesome, so I didn't make them. Besides, if I were to find a corpse and administer the Prophetic Concoction, I might be secretly influenced by Termiboros, resulting in inaccuracies or misleading outcomes. Lumian shifted his attention to the item he found in Bouvard Pont-Péro's other pocket.
It was a monocle—something Lumian didn't dare to recognize—with a peculiar design.
Its main body was a thick, circular cover made of pale-white flesh and dark blood vessels, as if it could be worn directly over one's ear.
One end of the circle extended, connecting to a lens intertwined with a transparent purple tube, still flowing with blood.
Just now, when Franca put on her gloves and took out the item, a strange and illusory voice echoed in her ears, but she couldn't hear it clearly.
"What's this?" Lumian asked.
Bouvard tapped on the mechanical typewriter's keyboard.
"A dangerous mystical item. I call it the Eye of Truth.
"It seems to have been severely corrupted. All that's left is the ability to see through illusions and perceive the truth, the light of spirituality. If you wear it, you can hear the voice of some hidden entity at any moment and experience an irresistible negative influence.
"If you only carry it and don't touch it with your body, you'll only experience faint tinnitus and auditory hallucinations."
An incomplete Eyes of Mystery Prying… Lumian fell silent for a few seconds before asking, "Don't you have any ritual sheepskin or dog skin?"
"There are three ritualistic dog skins back home," the calf eagerly shared. He took the initiative to provide details even without Lumian asking. "The incantation for usage is 'Circle,' and the dispelling incantation is 'Arrangement of Fate.' Any language that can stir supernatural powers is fine."
Quite devout… Lumian exhaled and smiled.
"What other valuable items do you have at home?"
"There are banknotes worth over 13,000; gold coins, gold bars, and accessories currently valued at 30,000 verl d'or; 20,000 verl d'or worth of stocks and bonds, and real estate deeds for three houses." The calf listed his assets.
Stocks? I need to secure those stocks and sell them on the black market. Who knows if they will crash tomorrow! Franca keenly caught the keywords relevant to her.
Real estate that can't be easily discovered by official Beyonders and is difficult to liquidate with more than 60,000 verl d'or… As expected of the liaison responsible for a portion of the Sinners organization's believers and corresponding businesses… Lumian immediately inquired about the whereabouts of Bouvard's residence.
Finally, Lumian inquired about the other liaisons and important members of the Sinners organization, but Bouvard had limited knowledge. They mainly had one-way contact with the Sansons and handled their own specific tasks. Interaction with other members was minimal, with occasional meetings at the Sansons' residence once or twice.
Lumian listened quietly but didn't immediately decide Bouvard's fate. Instead, he turned to Franca, Jenna, and Anthony Reid, who was waiting outside the door, avoiding Bouvard's sight.
"With Paulina's assets, we'll gain 75,000 verl d'or, the Eye of Truth, three ritual dog skins, two bottles of Prophetic Concoction, a gold coin of misfortune, and an unlucky banknote," Lumian explained.
"None of you can take the last two items. Only I can carry them. In addition to them, I want the Eye of Truth and a ritualistic dog skin. You decide what spoils of war you want."
Jenna cast her gaze at Franca, feeling that her companion's "sacrifice" was somewhat excessive. She had the right to choose first.
Franca dispelled her invisibility and considered her options. She finally said, "I want the two bottles of Prophetic Concoction and a ritual dog skin. Well, forget it, I can't get used to it yet. I'll switch to 15,000 verl d'or, all in gold!"
Jenna then turned her gaze to the door, signaling to Anthony Reid to make his choice.
Anthony's voice quickly reached their ears.
"I want two ritualistic dog skins. They'll be very useful to me. Ciel, I'll need your help when the time comes.
"Oh, and another 20,000 verl d'or."
Jenna realized that she had a total of 40,000 verl d'or left for her own selection.
She looked at Lumian with a touch of uncertainty.
"I'm essentially working for you as interest payment."
Lumian replied with a smile, "There are spoils of war even for work. Take them all. Have you noticed that making money has become easier since advancing to Sequence 7?"
Jenna pondered for a moment before saying, "Alright, I'll return 25,000 to you and 15,000 to Franca."
With this decision, Jenna's debt was significantly reduced, and she no longer owed Lumian anymore. The speed at which she was amassing wealth had surpassed her expectations.
As Lumian and the others discussed the distribution of the spoils of war, Bouvard couldn't help but find the situation intriguing. Most of the items they were talking about had once belonged to him.
He observed them engrossed in their discussion, and even the Demoness, who had been invisibly monitoring him, seemed to relax her vigilance. His heart stirred.
He sensed that Lumian wasn't an Ascetic, as he had questioned about those abilities. This indicated that the ritualistic cowhide covering him likely originated from Guillaume Bénet. The fact that he hadn't been awakened by the power of Inevitability while unconscious suggested that it wasn't a live ritual.
Bouvard was well aware of Guillaume Bénet's Animal Creation Spell item's usage and dispelling incantations.
After a prolonged interrogation, Bouvard's spirituality had somewhat recovered. He began to secretly gather his focus, preparing to recite the incantation of "His Grace."
However, just as the first word echoed within the brown cowhide, Bouvard's eyes narrowed when he realized that Lumian was looking at him with a faint smile.
"Hmph!"
Two beams of white light shot out and rendered Bouvard unconscious once more.
Lumian looked at the collapsed calf and chuckled.
"The test is completed. There are no other secrets. He only possesses the padre's dispelling incantation."
Rather than dealing with Bouvard first, Lumian had discussed the distribution of the spoils of war, hoping to uncover any additional secrets held by the Sinners organization's liaison, who had somewhat recovered spiritually.
Franca glanced at the unconscious calf and subtly hinted, "Should we take him away?"
Her suggestion implied taking Bouvard to the pillared square in the catacombs for sacrificial purposes, potentially preventing some of the boon's power from returning and forming Beyonder items.
Lumian considered for a moment before responding, "We might be discovered. Let's deal with him here."
Lumian couldn't teleport Bouvard to a specific area in the catacombs from the outside world. Various entrances were guarded by tomb administrators, and any suspicious activity might trigger their intervention or a police report.
"Alright," Franca responded after a brief pause. She added with anticipation, "I happen to want to try the Prophetic Concoction."
This experiment required a recently deceased corpse, one that had not been purified or cremated and had been dead for less than seven days.
Lumian stood up and gestured toward the door.
"Call me when Bouvard is dead."
He carried the Flog boxing gloves with him as he left the scene. Staying in the vicinity might disrupt the return of the boon's power.
Franca acknowledged his instructions and then turned to Jenna with a mischievous smile.
"Take care of this. This is your chance to act as a Witch."
"Can this be used to act as a Witch?" Jenna had previously found the Sequence name of Witch to be abstract and comprehensive, and she hadn't yet thought of a specific way to act as one.
Franca smiled and explained, "In mysticism, Witches are often associated with negative forces that bring catastrophe. They are seen as possessing mystical, evil, and powerful traits.
"Imagine this: a woman using black flames to kill someone and then pumping their corpse with a strange concoction to make prophecies about the future. It's sinister and mysterious, just like a Witch."