Lucian had no idea how many factions investigated the battle scene after his departure, nor did he know that he now occupied the thoughts of many people.
Upon returning to the Church of the Evernight Goddess, he first went to the washroom to cleanse himself of the bloody smell, then returned to his room. Tonight's events felt dreamlike, yet they confirmed to him that this world was indeed real.
His first kill had caused surprisingly little disturbance to his mental state, but the burning sensation from the Sun Talisman's explosion reminded him of his own fragility as an ordinary person.
The faintly aching circular mark on his chest had already returned to normal, no longer burning as if the earlier sensation had been mere illusion.
Though Lucian knew this mark was the instrument of his continued survival, he had no method to address it. He could only suppress the unwilling emotion rising in his heart and begin to analyze today's events.
The group of thugs who blocked him had acted with clear coordination—this was premeditated. They wouldn't have intercepted him on the only path from the slum to the Church of the Evernight Goddess unless someone had revealed his whereabouts.
It probably wasn't anyone from the trade fair; otherwise, they would have sent more than these third-rate thugs. After reviewing the information in his mind, Lucian finally settled on a suspect: Raul! The bartender who had helped him make contact to participate in the trade fair was the only one with both the ability and motive.
Whoever sought to manipulate him would eventually pay the price—whether it was Raul or the mark upon his chest!
By morning, many devout believers in the Church of the Evernight Goddess had already begun their daily morning lessons. Lucian awoke from his dreams—perhaps under the Evernight Goddess's protection, he had slept peacefully through the night.
"Hello, Mr. Lucian! Bishop Electra awaits you in the prayer room."
Lucian had barely opened his door when the nun who had been waiting in the corridor hurriedly approached with the bishop's invitation.
"Understood. I'll go right away."
Though uncertain why Bishop Electra sought him, Lucian knew that as a guest of the church, he could only comply.
After tidying his appearance, he followed the nun's directions to the prayer room. Along the way, he encountered many church members who, though strangers to him, seemed to know him and greeted him warmly.
With growing curiosity, Lucian pushed open the prayer room door, where Bishop Electra had been waiting for some time.
"What pathway of Beyonder do you want to become?" Bishop Electra asked without preamble.
Such directness struck Lucian as unusual. The world today seemed somehow abnormal—was he dreaming?
"Help me with something," Lucian replied seriously.
Bishop Electra appeared momentarily confused by this response, which clearly caught him off guard. Before he could react, Lucian reached out and pinched him.
"Does it hurt?" Lucian asked solemnly.
"Of course it does! Would you prefer I pinch you instead?" Bishop Electra replied angrily.
"Then it seems this isn't a dream," Lucian concluded.
Bishop Electra stared at him in bewilderment, clearly not understanding the connection between pinching and dreaming.
"Emperor Roselle once said that if you suspect you're dreaming, you should test for pain, as dreams contain no pain," Lucian explained.
"If Emperor Roselle said it, then it must be true," the bishop replied, still sensing something odd but unable to identify what.
"I need a potion from the Fate Pathway. Can the church provide one?" Lucian quickly returned to the original topic.
"The church only possesses the Sequence 9, Monster potion from the Fate Pathway. We don't know the formulas for higher Sequence potions," the bishop replied without hesitation, as if he had anticipated Lucian's choice.
"Then I don't need it. I need the formula for a high Sequence potion of the Fate Pathway." Lucian declined the church's offer.
Having chosen to temporarily yield to so-called fate, he wouldn't act in betrayal. More accurately, a mere Sequence 9 potion wasn't enough to make him abandon his disguise—it wasn't a Sequence 1 potion, after all.
Though surprised by Lucian's refusal, Bishop Electra didn't press the matter. Instead, he said: "The formulas for higher Sequences of the Fate Pathway reside with the Life Council. They possess the complete set of Fate formulas, passing them down through a master-apprentice system that they value deeply."
His meaning was clear: even if Lucian joined the Life Council, he still wouldn't obtain the formula he sought.
"However, I recently discovered information in the church archives about a high Sequence Beyonder of Fate—a Sequence 6 Calamity Priest. When you reach Sequence 7, I can give you access to that file."
Lucian nodded slightly and turned to leave the prayer room.
"You still haven't chosen your Sequence! The church has already announced that you'll be promoted to bishop in three months!"
Only then did Lucian turn back to look at the bishop, finally understanding why others had greeted him so warmly that morning.
"In three months, I'll be at most Sequence 9—insufficient for the position of bishop," Lucian politely declined.
Though a bishop's position was coveted by many, he disliked having his path arranged for him.
"You needn't worry about that. In one month, the church will transfer you to Tingen City to serve as acting bishop. After three months, your position will be formalized."
Lucian's mouth twitched slightly as he inwardly complained: "The Evernight Goddess is a novelist waylaid by the Darkness Pathway, clearly orchestrating my life."
"I recall that becoming an acting bishop requires me to become a Beyonder within a month, correct?" Lucian planned to use the bishop's earlier words to refuse this request.
"As Emperor Roselle once said, times have changed. Last night, a large explosion occurred in the East District, suspected to be a battle between high Sequence Beyonders. The church has transferred Beyonders from various locations to handle this matter."
Bishop Electra paused before continuing: "The bishop of Tingen City is on this transfer list. Under such special circumstances, the church inevitably faces a shortage of personnel."
Lucian understood he had no room to refuse and didn't waste effort on pointless resistance.
"Very well. I'll go to Tingen next month."
"May the Goddess bless you," Bishop Electra devoutly tapped his chest several times, thinking to himself: "This Seer Lord has quite a peculiar temperament."
Watching Lucian disappear into the Church of the Evernight Goddess, Bishop Electra finally relaxed. He dared not be even slightly careless with the matter the Goddess had entrusted to him.
The weather was splendid today, suggesting that any undertaking would proceed smoothly. As Lucian walked, he was suddenly struck by this feeling.
This sensation, hovering between clarity and ambiguity—could this be the so-called fate? He couldn't yet tell.
Today he had no plans to confront Raul in the slum. There were many ways to retaliate against the man without exposing himself to danger, especially considering his small frame might not prevail against Raul in a direct confrontation.
So he rationally convinced himself that he must first confirm it was indeed Raul who had set him up; he couldn't rush to conclusions. This wasn't cowardice but caution!
Lanert Street lay on the east side of the slum. Strictly speaking, this area was no longer considered part of the slum. Many families of modest means who came to Backlund chose to settle here.
Lanert Street lacked the sickeningly sweet atmosphere of West Queen District's upper class, but relationships between neighbors remained harmonious. Though gatherings weren't frequent, neither were they rare.
The people here embraced a new lifestyle—one that satisfied basic needs while also providing some spiritual comfort.
"Excuse me, does Mr. Slant live here? I saw on the pub's notice board that he intends to sell a batch of hummingbirds."
Upon arriving at Lanert Street, Lucian saw no sign of Mr. Slant and had to inquire with a nearby resident.
"Mr. Slant has gone to the grain market to buy feed for his little darlings. He left this morning and usually returns at lunchtime."
The elderly lady reclining in her wicker chair readily shared this information. Everyone knew that Mr. Slant raised small animals to sell to the wealthy residents of Queen District.
Lucian's elegant attire and refined demeanor clearly marked him as someone from a different social class—this much she could discern.
[...]
"...I believe with your skill, opening a pastry shop in Queen District West would surely bring you considerable profit," Lucian said sincerely.
"Is that so? If that proves true, you must become the most honored guest in my shop," the old lady replied with a smile.
"Everyone here calls me Madam Julia. If I open a dessert shop, it will certainly be named 'Lia's Desserts.'"
Lucian paid little attention to Madam Julia's words, having noticed a man approaching from a distance. If his guess was correct, this would be Mr. Slant.
"Mr. Slant has returned. I should go now. Thank you for your kind words about my craft."
For Madam Julia, having her skills praised by a young noble from high society was a great honor.
"Might you be Mr. Slant, who is selling hummingbirds? I require several hummingbirds of different breeds."
Slant was a middle-aged man with dark, rough skin and hands calloused from years of work.
"What kind of hummingbirds do you need? Forgive my presumption, but does your family permit you to keep pets?" Slant was concerned that the youthful-looking person before him might not have decision-making authority.
"Rest assured, I am an adult, despite my youthful appearance," Lucian replied with a slight smile.
"My apologies. Please forgive my ignorance. For today's purchase, I'll offer a ten percent discount," Slant quickly apologized.
"No matter. I'd like to know, do you have any hummingbirds of darker coloration? I prefer dark colors." Rather than stating his request directly, Lucian guided the conversation in his desired direction.
"Dark-colored hummingbirds are uncommon, but fortunately, last year I acquired a flock that had migrated from Feysac," Slant replied.
"Among them are affordable short-wing hummingbirds, temperamental bronze hummingbirds, and even the costly black gem hummingbirds."
Slant introduced all the birds matching Lucian's criteria and promised to include one month's worth of free feed.
"Please prepare two of each hummingbird that meets my requirements and deliver them to Bishop Electra at the Church of the Evernight Goddess before tomorrow," Lucian instructed before paying.
The hummingbirds weren't particularly expensive. Ten birds in total cost less than ten pounds, with the black gem hummingbirds accounting for five pounds, while two bronze hummingbirds cost less than one pound.
Once again, he had acquired potion ingredients at a remarkably low price—perhaps this was the advantage of having a path?