Chapter 449 Tracking Clues
<nulli>A child of the Goddess… Franca jumped in fright, almost causing the double-barreled shotgun, which wasn’t aimed at the target, to discharge accidentally.

She glanced at Browns and sought confirmation, “A child of the Primordial One?”

Even though her assessment period wasn’t yet over, she had already passed the audit and was now considered an associate member of the Demoness Sect. She knew that this secret organization worshiped the deity known as the Primordial Demoness, often referring to Her as the “Primordial One.”

Browns nodded slowly and replied, “As far as I know.”

The Primordial Demoness had once given birth? Franca couldn’t hide her curiosity and asked, “Who is Krismona’s father?”

“I don’t know,” Browns cautioned Franca. “That’s not something we should be privy to.”

<nulli>This is a scandal at the deity level… Franca thought to herself and shifted the conversation to her primary reason for coming to Trocadéro today.

“Has Beatrice Incourt returned from the Feysac Empire? Do you know where she is residing?”

“Why do you ask?” Browns inquired warily.

In her eyes, Franca Roland and her lovers were powerful and dangerous Beyonders. Only Jenna, who lived with her, seemed relatively ordinary.

Franca chuckled.

“Yesterday, I helped Ciel exact revenge and apprehended a heretic who believed in Inevitability. From him, I learned that many of Trier’s bestowed individuals have disappeared to some mysterious and strange place.”

“Based on the information he provided, we suspect that the ‘hostel’ mentioned in the note about Beatrice is the destination for these bestowed of evil gods. We want to confirm with Theresa whether the note is intended for her or Beatrice.”

Browns felt uncomfortable hearing Franca mention heretics and the bestowed of evil gods.

In the world of mysticism, the Primordial Demoness had always been considered an evil goddess.

Of course, their sect, followers of the Primordial Ones, believed they were devoted to an ostracized true god, an existence shrouded in secrecy.

After Franca finished speaking, Browns replied, “There’s no need for you to seek out the art dealer. When we discovered that the Bliss Society’s high priest and another key member had vanished, we patiently waited for Theresa’s return based on the contents of the note.

“She told us that she doesn’t know what the ‘hostel’ is, and she hasn’t purchased any artwork from any painter staying at a motel.

“We’ve verified the authenticity.”

Franca felt a growing frustration and said, “It’s really a message meant for Beatrice. Judging from the note, Beatrice knows the location of the ‘hostel.’ Otherwise, she wouldn’t have the ability to retrieve the painting within three days.

“If only we had found the note first and performed the spirit channeling afterward…”

A realization struck Franca, and she sensed that fate was playing a cruel game in this matter.

It seemed like fate was conspiring to keep information about the “hostel” hidden.

<nulli>Is Inevitability’s power at play, or is it the evil god pathway that Ciel previously mentioned, using death to escape its original fate? Is information about the “hostel” destined not to be leaked? Franca’s thoughts raced as she felt an increasingly abnormal aura surrounding the situation.

Seizing a rare opportunity, Browns immediately struck Franca down.

“Aren’t you guys quite experienced? You conducted spirit channeling without thoroughly examining the corpse. The hour after death is prime time. There’s no need to rush.”

Franca considered explaining that fate might be at play, but she decided against it.

Why should she warn Browns and give her a lesson?

It was better to keep her in the dark, potentially for future exploitation!

Franca looked at Browns and clicked her tongue, saying, “You’re quite the talker…”

Before she could finish her sentence, she extended her right hand with a smile and gently grasped the other party’s chin.

“I don’t mind skipping your orgies, but I’d like to undergo your ‘assessment.’

“Are you up for it?”

Browns instinctively pushed Franca’s right hand away, taking a step back and saying, “If you acted like a regular woman, I might consider assessing you, but right now…”

Her implication was that Franca’s current demeanor resembled a libertine, a playboy who embraced Dandyism.

“You’re a tough one,” Franca scoffed, her words, though unusual, comprehensible to Browns.

She picked up her double-barreled shotgun and strolled into the forest without further conversation with Browns.

…

On Avenue du Boulevard, 19 Rue Scheer, at the base of the luxurious beige house,

in the basement, Lumian once again met Mr. K, who was cloaked in a black robe and a wide hood.

He had already reported the unusual silence of the cults to his superior, and Mr. K had verified this information after an investigative period.

Today, Lumian’s focus was on Bouvard’s corpse’s prophecy, his own thoughts, and the Sinners’ situation.

He relayed the information he received from Madam Magician as Bouvard’s confession, including having seen a painting with strange powers from Voisin Sanson.

Finally, Lumian presented the Mystery Prying Glasses.

“Mr. K, has this mystical item also been affected by the Hostel pathway’s influence?”

Mr. K stood before a red armchair and spoke in a low, raspy voice, “Wait a moment.”

With a soft clap of his hands, he summoned an attendant into the room and whispered something to him.

As Mr. K waited for the attendant to return, the entire basement fell into an eerie silence due to Mr. K’s silence.

Lumian felt somewhat awkward in this silence and thought to himself, <nulli>Say something. Even sharing your faith would suffice. You can’t just leave me standing here like a fool…

Of course, Lumian was well aware that Mr. K’s silence was intentional, and he was likely communing with a deity or uncovering hidden information.

Before long, the attendant returned, holding an oil painting about half a meter in height and nearly 70 centimeters in width.

The painting depicted a dark forest, accentuating the turquoise grass illuminated by the sun.

Upon closer inspection, there was a white area on the grass that appeared to have been scratched, resembling a figure.

Mr. K finally spoke.

“It was discovered with the Mystery Prying Glasses. Apart from the mysterious and chaotic oil painting that can affect one’s mind, there was also this artwork hanging on the wall.

“It was originally meant to be a portrait, but when we saw it, the person had disappeared from it. Only the scenery remained.”

<nulli>Walked out of the painting? Lumian felt a sense of alarm as he recalled Madam Magician’s example.

He chose not to share this information with Mr. K, considering Bouvard didn’t seem to be well-informed.

“Did something abnormal occur that caused the portrait to vanish?” Lumian inquired.

Mr. K’s hooded head nodded slowly.

“Perhaps it returned to life and left the painting.

“It could be the source of that Beyonder’s anomaly.”

<nulli>The Aurora Order appears to be quite knowledgeable… Lumian remarked sincerely, “A strange power, a horrifying phenomenon.”

Mr. K added in his raspy voice, “We investigated fairly famous painters in Trier and found that, aside from a few who had completely lost their minds or even died long ago, most seemed relatively normal. However, there were instances of abusing psychotropic substances and alcohol-based drinks.

“Based on other information we acquired, we can confirm that it’s not that painters easily become heretics of that pathway and gain corresponding powers. Instead, the bestowed of that pathway gain the ability to create art and naturally become painters. However, only a small number of them specialize in painting. The rest blend into society and create their own works without publicizing them.”

“Is the Sequence name Painter?” Lumian asked thoughtfully.

This seemed to align with the power.

“God says yes,” Mr. K replied devoutly and zealously.

Lumian immediately lowered his head.

“What else does the Lord instruct us?”

“God has revealed that foreign visitors stay at the Hostel.” Mr. K appeared satisfied with Lumian’s attitude.

<nulli>Foreign visitors? Visitors from outside the barrier? Lumian’s senses heightened as he became increasingly focused.

However, Mr. K didn’t share further revelations. It appeared that this was all the divine guidance he had received.

Mr. K’s raspy voice carried a hint of seriousness.

“Our most crucial task now is to locate the Hostel.”

Without waiting for Lumian’s response, he took two steps forward and continued, “The number of evil god incidents we handle pales in comparison to those holding official positions. Perhaps they have more information.

“It’s inconvenient for me to directly intervene in this matter, but you can attempt to gather information from them through other means.”

<nulli>The Aurora Order seeks collaboration with the authorities, not necessarily to prevent the catastrophe but to thwart the ambitions of these evil gods. For this purpose, they are willing to humble themselves and cooperate with the authorities… Lumian silently mused and solemnly agreed.

…

On the roof of Apartment 17 on Rue Doyle in the market district, Jenna, disguised to conceal her allure, met with Imre and Valentine.

She cast a glance at the verdant trees lining the street below and began, “I’ve got important information.”

Valentine’s expression turned serious.

“What information?”

He had been worried that the Assassin might inquire about the primary ingredient in the Witch potion, but now his attention was fully on work.

Jenna spoke truthfully, “I’ve received news that some individuals suspected of being followers of evil gods have gone to a place known as the Hostel.”

She didn’t mention the eerie silence of the evil god’s followers. With the help of 007, this had become a consensus among Trier’s official Beyonders. Jenna had already been given hints regarding what to focus on.

“Hostel…” Imre, who hailed from the Southern Continent, furrowed his brow slightly.

<nulli>Such a reaction… Jenna keenly sensed their reaction and posed a question, “Do you know what Hostel means?”

Imre and Valentine exchanged troubled glances.

They didn’t want Celia Bello to be fully informed, but if they kept her completely in the dark, she wouldn’t be able to assist in gathering the necessary clues. She needed some information to know what they wanted her to pay attention to.

After a brief pause, Imre carefully composed his words and said, “One of our colleagues once heard the term Hostel from a peculiar creature.”