As Lumière stepped back into the street, he looked around. There was no one in sight, as if all workers had commuted home, and the stragglers had been moved away. In recent days, fewer and fewer Dwindlers had settled in the streets of the middle borough. This was the particular effort of the Peacekeepers, who were vehemently trying to remove them for the sake of 'order'. However, Lumière didn't exactly mind that thought. After all, the middle borough had begun to grow more and more dangerous with the rampant incline in activity of the Nameless. Stray Dwindlers who had nowhere else to go were not exactly safe in the streets of the middle borough.
He saw the White Roses searching worriedly, so he approached them with a serious expression on his face. When Meraline and the others saw him approach, they rushed up to him with a mixture of emotions on their faces.
"Where were you?" Meraline asked of him, a bit angered.
"I saw a young girl out alone. When I chased after her, worried for her safety, she ran away and I became unable to find her. She shouldn't have been out alone, when the Nameless have become such a danger. It's unfortunate that I was unable to find her after that much time." Lumière let out a heavy sigh. However, this much was just performance; it was the skill of a career liar.
"We were worried. It's just as you say- no one should be alone in the streets at this time. That includes you." Meraline frowned. "Next time, inform one of us first. Even if it slows a pursuit, it's better than ending up dead."
Lumière nodded his head in agreement. "I'm sorry to worry you, Ms. Avelis. In the future, I'll proceed with more caution."
"Good." She nodded. "It only takes one moment of unpreparedness to wind up dead. Work on developing a process of 'checking' before 'acting'. By making sure you have made the necessary preparations for an action, you'll be able to face any unknowns and mysteries. If any hidden danger arises that you did not expect, you'll have the tools to deal with it."
'This woman is quite wise, isn't she? Is this the product of facing many adversities? By fighting the nameless, and dealing with the drawback of her own domain of power, has it led to such an intelligent woman?' Lumière pondered as he took in her advice.
A familiar curly black-haired boy approached Lumière with a serious expression on his face.
"Nicole, is something the matter?"
Nicole stepped in closer towards Lumière, and whispering in his ear, said, "Let's talk in private. There's some things to be said. That much is clear."
"Very well." Lumière whispered in return, a coy smile curling up on his expression.
Lumière then turned towards the other White Roses members.
"We have to relieve ourselves. Wait for us, won't you?" Lumière winked as he exclaimed to the group, before turning clockwise and walking alongside Nicole.
After adjourning to a side alley that was out of the hearing range of the group, Nicole turned towards Lumière with a gaunt, slightly-anxious expression.
"Who are you exactly? Are you with 'them'?"
"Are you asking if I'm a phantom, little mage?" Lumière grinned.
Nicole's terrified expression only deepened.
"Don't worry, I'm not with them." Lumière put a hand on Nicole's shoulder. "I'm worse. If you say anything about me to them, you'll be the last to die as you watch them bleed. Do you understand?"
Lumière had no understanding of why Nicole had begun to fear him. However, he wasted no time in using it to his advantage. It did not really matter to him whether his teammate trusted him or not. Not only had the influence of the 'Lain' person began to corrupt his personality, but he had also determined himself to be the type of person that moved forward despite everything. So, he immediately sprang into action. His reasoning for saying such a thing was that he had determined Nicole to be a quiet, timid individual. Insinuating that not only his life, but his teammates lives would be in danger would be enough to keep him quiet, no matter what he discovered.
"Why are you doing this?" His voice had grown weak and shaky.
"Do you think there's nothing to gain?" Lumière's final line stopped Nicole's heart for a moment. "A demon gains amusement from such things, don't we?"
Even playing around in such a situation furthered his understanding of his own 'demon' persona. If he were to act as 'Ophelia', it was necessary at times to further develop the mindset of the persona, in order to act best. It wasn't completely necessary to scare the young boy so much. However, Lumière's wasn't going to leave it at that. He reached into his pocket and procured the deck of cards that the White Roses had been playing with prior. He shuffled the cards in his hands as Nicole watched on in confusion. Then, spreading the cards apart face down, he looked back up at Nicole.
"Pick a card. Any one will do."
Bewildered, and still a little frightened, Nicole did as he was told and pulled a random card from the deck, scared of the repercussions if he were to disobey. He now perceived Lumière Croft as a demon, perfectly fit to his intentions.
"Shall I look at it?" He asked of Lumière.
"Yes, you may do so. However, don't reveal it to me." Lumière smiled. He thought that by performing a magic trick, he could calm Nicole's anxieties before returning to the group. After all, ever since he had met Lumière, Nicole had not once seemed anything but uneasy.
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Lumière then pulled his cap off of his head, holding it open to Nicole.
"Place the card inside once you've taken a good look at it. Face down, of course."
Nicole complied shortly after. Then, with a gloved right hand, Lumière placed it above the card.
However, when Lumière ran his hand over the flat cap, expecting the card to be in the center as he had left it, there was a small silver mass inside. It wriggled a slight bit, and as Lumière prodded at it, it sprang out of his hat. Landing on the stone surface of the alleyway, Lumière recognised it as the repeating rabbit that he kept seeing within the middle borough. Nicole's eyes immediately lit up bright when he saw the rabbit, his heart feeling a fervor that interrupted his anxieties.
Seeing this, Lumière was both elated and confused.
'This repeating rabbit… is this one of the 'inconsistencies' that Ms. Avelis was talking about? Then, doesn't this mean that the Nameless have been conducting rituals to further the blasphemer goddess's descent for quite some time now? Because I've been seeing this inconsistency so often, this can only be the case. However, why did it appear now, of all times?'
Suddenly, Lumière heard commotion coming from the alleyway that they had left the White Roses behind in. So, the two rushed back to them, the expression on Meraline's face filled with alarm. She held a piece of parchment in her hands, a pigeon perched on her shoulder.
"What's the matter?" Lumière inquired.
"Let's go. Ainsworth has sent word of their need for our assistance. There's trouble brewing."
After a short run that lasted no more than fifteen minutes, they came to the mercantile belt, the place where Lumière's friend, Alain Monroe resided. However, he was not there for a courtesy call. The building they arrived at had a door swung ajar, and splashes of blood had been scattered at the entrance. One by one, they stepped inside, their faces grim as they met the familiar man inside. Father Benedict, along with another man in dark robes with a red rose insignia on the back stood discussing in deep, solemn voices. Apart from them, in the center of the room, there was a perfect image of carnage and despair. However, there was no body to speak of. Only blood, and a strange pillar in the center of the room.
Father Benedict, noticing the arrival of the White Roses, turned towards them. He greeted them solemnly. However, the White Roses did not respond in turn, their gazes fixated on the display in the center of the room- towards the mysterious pale pillar.
"Is this… human flesh?" Cornifer exclaimed. His face, like the others beside him, took on a horrified expression.
"These 'pillars' were found at the other locations where the victims were last seen." The man in dark robes responded in a grave tone. "Several people have gone missing tonight, in what seems to be over the span of a single hour. If it's not a crime of mystical properties, it was meticulously planned. If we had any others to help investigate this, we would have called for them. However, we've been spread far too thin in recent days. You'll have to do, fledglings."
"Isn't it possible that these 'pillars' are the missing people?" Lumière inquired seriously.
"Very possible. However, there's not nearly enough mass for it to be the entirety of their body. There's still some of 'them' missing."
"Then, isn't it possible that we're not searching for bodies, but for remains?" Midas spoke, his voice unusually shaky.
"It's entirely possible. Actually, it's the most probable outcome. The only reason we'll move forward is the slim chance that there are survivors. In a world where divination into higher power is exceptionally useless, assumption and preparation are the key factors in survival and success." Meraline interrupted. "However, are you going to let that stop you? In the future, when you face an uncertain evil, will you cower like you are now?"
Midas and Cornifer looked ashamed, while Ramses nodded his head in agreement, and Nicole seemed indifferent.
"However, that's no reason to feel down. This is what we're training you for. This also doesn't mean that you will be a sacrificial pawn in this fight against the blasphemer goddess. I'll make sure you have the means to ensure both success and survival. However, having joined up, you were told of these dangers. There will forever be a chance that you will die a painful, thankless death. You have to decide to move forward with the intent to die." Meraline continued. "The key to becoming a blue rose is not to gain the training necessary to obtain magical power. In truth, your training is to give you the mindset to use those powers to ensure the success and safety of the Empire. You are not sacrificial pawns, for that implies your death has no meaning. However, it is certain that you risk death. You've been asked this question once before, but I will ask you it once more- will you proceed?"
After a bit of thought, the members of the White Roses came to the unanimous conclusion to proceed. They all had their reasons for joining the White Roses. For Ramses, it was a means of escape from the persecution of the citizens of the Empire who despised his people- who despised all that related to the war with the eastern continent. For Midas, he had been roped in as a means to control the spread of the magical domains to common people. As someone without noble status, he was a danger to the 'order' that the Empire loved, and so he had no choice but to move forward. For Cornifer, who had necessity to avoid a succession dispute that would surely have him killed, he had no choice but to flee in such a manner, and so his only choice was to continue forward. As for Nicole, the boy taken from the dangerous Phantom Syndicate, it too was his only option to stay with the White Roses, lest he be in more danger.
And as for Lumière Croft, a bit of danger was no matter. He had understood this much. He only thought the channels of information he gained in exchange to be wholly worth it. After all, he was someone who had faced the dangers of death on several occasions. He was well acquainted with fear, for in many situations, he had become it.
So, they immediately got to work. Searching through the streets, they patrolled for clues or discrepancies that would mark the appearance of the Nameless. Consciously, Lumière activated his blood tracking ability, simultaneously visualising the mana veins in his arm and right hand as he grasped at the aventurine crystal pendant in his pocket.
'I haven't had much time to think of the 'morality' of magic in recent times. I wonder, if my magic is inherently 'evil', but I use it for the purpose of 'good', then would I go mad? Since it's based on my own morality and intentions, then if I just think that the purpose is 'good', then won't I be fine? Searching for missing women is surely a good purpose…'
'No, I can't afford to be confused in this manner... I really should craft another 'persona' just in case I encounter inclination to madness by accident. However, I seem to lose myself in those personas too well... this is really a troublesome matter, isn't it?'
His senses gradually deepened. His scent was broader, his vision grander and more fulfilling, and he could ascertain the temperature of the air to the exact degree. It was as if an entirely new layer to the world had opened up before him, and he was able to gather the context clues of prior events that had transpired in the area. This, of course, included the presence of blood that seemed to lead down the dimly lamplit street in the distance.
'Now I know where we should start searching, but how exactly should I lead them there?'