Chapter 43

Compared to "time loops" and "people turning into sheep," the scene before him was no less shocking, and it made Lumi feel as if his eyes, mind, and spirit had been severely polluted.

If he had known he would witness such a thing, he would have definitely chosen to abandon the mission.

"What the hell is this?"

"Lewis Lund is still a man!"

"Whose child is he carrying, the administrator's, or Mrs. Pualis'?"

"Is this the world of mysticism?"

"Aurore was right not to let me get involved..."

For a moment, Lumi's thoughts were chaotic, and he wished he could dig out his eyes and forcibly forget what he had seen.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

The baby Lewis Lund had given birth to started crying, adding a touch of sacredness to the filthy "birthing room."

The beauty of a new life arriving was something Lumi, hiding outside the window, could directly feel, a joy that came from the depths of human nature.

Of course, in addition to this, the sense of strangeness, absurdity, filth, and disharmony became even more pronounced.

Lumi finally came to his senses and subconsciously glanced into the room again.

The baby had been placed on a white silk sheet next to Lewis Lund by the woman in a grayish-white dress. He was a boy, with more blood than the milky white fat on his body, but apart from this, there was nothing unusual, like an ordinary newborn.

Lumi observed for another two seconds and noticed that the baby's fingers were curled, with long nails, like a bird's claws.

Just now, he had used these hands to tear open Lewis Lund's belly!

Lewis Lund lay there, already in a semi-comatose state.

The wound on his stomach had not been stitched, and blood continued to seep out, revealing the intestines and a strange, nest-like object covered in a fleshy membrane.

After wrapping the baby in silk, the woman took out the nest-like object, picked up a sewing needle and gut thread, and began to treat Lewis Lund's wound.

Amidst Lewis Lund's painful moans, she muttered:

"You're lucky; when I gave birth to quadruplets last time, it was much more painful..."

Lumi's facial muscles twitched, feeling that his ears had also been polluted after his eyes, brain, mind, and spirit.

He withdrew his gaze and decided to leave quickly.

With a light leap, Lumi jumped back to the window he had come through, climbed into the room.

He closed the window, went out the door, and headed straight for the staircase.

Avoiding an approaching male servant, Lumi quietly and quickly returned to the hall.

"Where did you go?"

Suddenly, a slightly magnetic, soft voice sounded in his ear.

Even with Lumi's "Hunter" senses, he had not noticed someone standing by the staircase entrance.

He abruptly turned and saw Mrs. Pualis, wearing a blue waist-cinched dress, with her hair half-up and half-down.

The lady's face lacked a smile, and her bright brown eyes clearly reflected Lumi's figure.

Lumi's spirit instantly became highly tense, ready for battle amidst his fear.

At this moment, Aurore came out from a side room and looked at him:

"Where did you go? The carriage is already at the door."

In similar situations, Lumi was experienced and replied half-truthfully:

"Didn't Mrs. Pualis say Mr. Lund was sick?

"I've had a few drinks with him before and wanted to visit him, but this castle is so big, and I didn't know where he lived, so I searched for a while but couldn't find him."

Aurore nodded and advised:

"You can directly ask Mrs. Pualis for permission; there's no need to hide it from us. It's not a bad thing."

"It's my fault, I'm sorry," Lumi said sincerely, looking at Mrs. Pualis.

After seeing the scene upstairs, his fear of the lady outweighed his disgust.

Mrs. Pualis finally smiled, no longer so stern:

"I thank you on behalf of Lund, but he is not in a good state during this illness and does not wish to appear in an unseemly condition."

Indeed, not very decent... Lumi silently agreed.

Aurore then said to Mrs. Pualis:

"Then we'll get in the carriage. Thank you very much."

Lumi secretly watched Mrs. Pualis, worried she might find an excuse to make them stay longer.

If that happened, it would mean she had noticed something unusual and needed to confirm if there was a problem with Lewis Lund!

Although after reuniting with his sister, Lumi felt they could still fight Mrs. Pualis, this was her castle, surrounded by her servants, the worst hunting environment for a "Hunter."

Mrs. Pualis lightly nodded and smiled at Aurore:

"I look forward to the gifts you bring back from Trier; the fashion trends there always inspire me."

"I hope to surprise you," Aurore said, though she wasn't sure if she would ever return to Cordu Village, but she still had to make a statement.

Mrs. Pualis, accompanied by her personal maid, Cassie, saw them to the door and watched them get into the four-seater carriage.

The driver, a burly man with a deep brown beard, wore a dark red coat and yellow trousers, a waxed hat, and no tie, almost identical to professional carriage drivers in the city.

This was a mandatory requirement by the administrator, Beostr.

"Thank you," Aurore politely said to the driver before closing the carriage door.

The driver, Sevér, had the most common blue eyes in the Intis Republic.

He was delighted by the respect from the beautiful lady, Aurore, and looked forward to the tip he would surely receive upon reaching Dijon, and said enthusiastically:

"Ladies and gentlemen, please sit down."

He raised the whip, and the horses started moving from slow to fast.

As the carriage passed through Cordu Village, it suddenly stopped.

Although Lumi knew the departure would not be smooth, he couldn't help but feel a jolt.

"What's happening?" he asked the driver through the carriage.

Sevér said:

"Mrs. Pualis promised to send Naroca to Junac Village yesterday. I'm worried that going to Dijon and then returning would be too late, so I thought I'd pick her up on the way. Don't worry, it won't delay you."

Junac Village was closer to Dijon than Cordu Village, so going there first wouldn't significantly affect Aurore and Lumi's travel time.

Since it was someone else's carriage, Aurore did not object.

Lumi, however, was more concerned about Naroca—last time, she died suddenly, suspected of being murdered by a relative and possibly related to the parish priest and his group.

Sevér got off the carriage, entered Naroca's house, and led her out.

Naroca, different from usual, wore a black dress with intricate patterns, a dark soft hat favored by old ladies, and her sparse, pale hair was clearly well-combed.

"Hey, my little cabbage, where are you going?" Naroca got into the carriage and saw Aurore, looking very happy.

Her face, full of spots and wrinkles, radiated unhidden joy, and her usually dull eyes were more lively.

"I'm going to Trier for a writer's salon and taking Lumi to visit the university there," Aurore said, telling the absolute truth.

She then asked:

"Naroca, are you going to visit someone?"

Although Naroca, as a widow, wearing black was normal, she only wore this dress on holidays, at banquets, and on her husband's anniversary.

Naroca looked forward to it:

"Yes, to see some people."

Lumi did not speak but quietly observed Naroca, trying to discern something from her.

The carriage started moving again, heading out of Cordu Village.

Aurore and Naroca chatted intermittently, but their attention was more on the outside.

She was still worried that their hasty departure might arouse suspicion.

As the carriage moved, Lumi suddenly noticed a change in Naroca's state.

Compared to before, her face was much paler and bluish, her eyes less lively, and she was completely silent, only responding briefly when Aurore asked.

This was very similar to the Naroca Lumi had seen in the middle of the night during the last loop!

Lumi quietly pulled Aurore's hand.

Aurore quickly turned her head, looking at him with a questioning gaze.

Lumi discreetly pointed at Naroca and drew an "X" on her palm.

The "X" was a symbol Aurore often used when grading his papers, indicating an error. Lumi used it to mean that Naroca's state was wrong.

Aurore paused for a second and quickly understood Lumi's meaning.

She withdrew her attention and looked at Naroca, clearly sensing something was off.

She then raised her right hand and pinched her temples.

Her light blue eyes instantly became deeper, tinged with a hint of darkness.

Just one glance, and Aurore's beautiful golden eyebrows furrowed, and she leaned back slightly, as if hit by something.

She closed her eyes, rubbed her temples in pain, as if tired.

After reopening her eyes, Aurore turned to Lumi and said:

"When we reach Dijon, you must stay close to me, no matter what happens, follow me closely."

She spoke very seriously.

Lumi understood immediately, knowing that his sister meant that if anything happened, he must stick to her, and she would handle it.

He nodded solemnly, deciding to confess to his sister about becoming a Beyonder.

Aurore withdrew her gaze, looked at Naroca, and deliberately asked:

"Naroca, are you really going to Junac Village, or somewhere else?"

She was worried that if the carriage stopped on its own, the situation would become even more difficult to resolve. Since that was the case, it was better to provoke it early, not fighting in the environment the other party expected.

Naroca's eyes were somewhat vacant, and she answered in a low voice:

"No, I'm not going to Junac Village.

"I'm going to the Otherworld."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lumi felt the carriage window become abnormally dark.