Chapter 461 Strange World
In Room 309, Gabriel casually surveyed the street diagonally across the way and suddenly spotted Jenna, who had disguised herself as a female mercenary.
He was taken aback for a moment before swiftly retreating from the window with Séraphine cradled in his arms.
Only then did Jenna, who appeared to be lost in a daydream, snap back to reality. Instinctively, she took two steps back and melted into the shadows cast by the building.
As her thoughts raced, chaos reigned in her mind.
Is that Gabriel?
I"m seeing him again… Didn"t he morph into a monster and head to the Hostel?
Is this the Hostel? Auberge du Coq Doré is the Hostel?
No, the real Auberge du Coq Doré definitely isn"t a Hostel. Otherwise, Ciel and the secret organization with tarot cards as their code names would have discovered it long ago…
Is this a mirror image of Auberge du Coq Doré, or is it the sketch of someone somewhere?
Jenna quickly deduced, relying on the information at hand.
Yet, upon further reflection, she sensed that something was off.
Auberge du Coq Doré used a naming system like Room 207 and 305. According to Bouvard"s prophecy, Voisin Sanson was in Room 7, and Pualis de Roquefort was in Room 12. They didn"t match up.
There must be something awry!
Jenna averted her gaze from the counterfeit Auberge du Coq Doré and surveyed her surroundings.
She noticed that this place was identical to Rue Anarchie. The buildings lined up perfectly, some tall, some short, some askew, and some precariously balanced, but all standing firm.
On the street, vendors peddled meatloaf, Whiskey Sours, and other wares. Pedestrians streamed in and out, creating a bustling scene.
If she hadn"t spotted Gabriel and had been plummeting this entire time, Jenna would have believed she"d returned to the surface and Rue Anarchie.
As Jenna carefully observed the pedestrians and vendors, it became clear that something was off.
Their vacant expressions and infrequent changes gave them an eerie, mechanical quality. Many familiar faces seemed to vanish at the end of the street, only to reappear, circling around from somewhere and returning to the entrance of Rue Anarchie in a repet.i.tive cycle.
It"s indeed fake… like a ma.s.sive stage production. Most people, like the surrounding buildings, serve as a backdrop, but it"s just a backdrop… Jenna a.n.a.lyzed the scene, drawing parallels with theatrical performances she knew well, trying to make sense of what she was witnessing.
Her attention then shifted to the counterfeit Auberge du Coq Doré and Room 207.
With the curtains drawn, it was impossible to determine if a mirror image of Lumian was inside.
After a few moments of contemplation, Jenna decided not to risk infiltrating the fake Auberge du Coq Doré. She opted to explore the area carefully, gaining a rough understanding of the overall situation to see if there was a way out.
Following the shadows along the street, she cautiously made her way toward Rue des Blouses Blanches.
The layout and situation here mirrored Le Marché du Quartier du Gentleman. Jenna barely needed to distinguish the path before returning to Rue des Blouses Blanches.
With every step, her sense of unease grew. She even began to question if her usual neighborhood was real.
Jenna couldn"t help but look up at the sky from the shadows.
Blue sky, white clouds, the westering sun, and billowing smoke.
It all felt real, yet helped Jenna confirm that this wasn"t the genuine market district.
She had descended into the underground in the middle of the night to search for Will. Could she have been missing for twelve hours?
From across 3 Rue des Blouses Blanches, Jenna surveyed Apartment 601.
Beside the gla.s.s window in the living room, she saw Franca, dressed in a blouse and holding a bottle of dark red wine in her hand. Her flaxen hair was tied in a ponytail.
Behind Franca, Jenna, dressed in a light-blue dress, busied herself with tidying up, occasionally disappearing from the window"s view.
Jenna wasn"t shocked, but her heart sank.
She and Franca were undeniably present!
Is this really the reflection of the market district?
Jenna closely observed Franca and confirmed that Franca still used her right hand, ruling out the possibility of her being a mirror person.
Likewise, in Apartment 601, both Franca and Jenna"s vacant expressions persisted as they continued their lives following predetermined paths without any deviations.
While remaining hidden in the shadows, Jenna pondered the location of the exit.
Lacking much experience, she sought inspiration from Lumian"s accounts and the plays she had witnessed.
Should I head to the border and investigate the edge of this fake world?
Since this place faithfully replicates the market district, well, at least Rue Anarchie and Rue des Blouses Blanches, it resembles a reflection. Could I find the exit by locating distinct places?
The Church has always told us that we can seek refuge in the cathedral in times of danger or accidents… I wonder what église Saint-Robert looks like here. Does it seek G.o.d"s protection or adhere to the Black Sun? If it"s truly the Black Sun, it"s an entirely different realm…
Jenna decided to stealthily make her way to Avenue du Marché and observe the state of the Eternal Blazing Sun Church"s église Saint-Robert in this strange world.
She made sure not to expose herself to pa.s.sersby, residents on both sides, or newsboys peddling their wares. Through the various shadows, she carefully and quietly turned onto Avenue du Marché.
After advancing a distance, Jenna"s eyes suddenly froze.
She noticed something different.
There was no sign of Salle de Bal Brise on Avenue du Marché!
Where the khaki-colored building and the skull statue should have been, there was only impenetrable darkness. Even the sunlight from the sky couldn"t pierce it.
In this dark black hole-like scene, bright red lines alternated between slowly materializing and being consumed by the surroundings. Their ultimate destination remained a mystery.
What"s most peculiar about this place is Salle de Bal Brise? Ciel mentioned that there"s something ancient and sinister beneath Salle de Bal Brise… Jenna stared into the darkness, sensing that this might be the heart of the problem.
Muttering to herself, Jenna contemplated, Will I be able to leave this strange world by walking into that darkness? But I have a hunch that not only does it not lead to safety, but it also represents danger. I can"t enter rashly…
As these thoughts raced through Jenna"s mind, she was suddenly jolted by a commotion.
Swiftly, she cast her gaze towards the other end of Avenue du Marché, where she spotted several indistinct figures hovering in the air, emitting a faint glow as they meticulously scrutinized every shadow and conceivable hiding spot for humans.
They clutched a stack of papers, which they compared to the pedestrians on the road.
Jenna"s heart tightened as a thought crossed her mind.
Did the masters or guards of this world discover the collapsing tunnel above and suspect that outsiders had entered, prompting them to launch a thorough search?
Uncertain about the abilities of these blurry figures emitting a faint light, Jenna didn"t dare risk a.s.suming they couldn"t spot her lurking in the shadows. Her only option was to swiftly retrace her steps and return to Rue des Blouses Blanches, planning to take a detour through an area that had already been inspected.
Yet, even on the other side of Rue des Blouses Blanches, faintly-lit figures were conducting inspections.
Jenna"s heart raced, and amidst her unease, she had a sudden idea.
She slipped into a nearby building, scattered dust in an inconspicuous corner, and recited an incantation to become invisible.
With this newfound invisibility, she dashed along the street"s shadows and infiltrated Apartment 601 before the floating figures could search 3 Rue des Blouses Blanches.
After patiently waiting for several moments, Jenna discreetly followed the imposter Jenna into the washroom.
Seizing the moment while the impostor was occupied with washing a piece of cloth, Jenna, still in her invisibility state, drew a dagger and executed an a.s.sa.s.sin"s Mighty Blow.
Her form materialized as her dagger found its mark in the impostor Jenna"s back.
The fake Jenna"s eyes bulged in shock, but Jenna swiftly covered her mouth and nose to stifle any outcry.
After a brief struggle, the imposter met her end.
Rather than withdrawing her dagger, Jenna chose to change into the fake Jenna"s clothes. Her extensive experience with worn-out clothes helped her conceal the hole at the back.
She then concealed the impostor"s body in the cupboard beneath the sink to prevent any blood from flowing.
With this done, Jenna wrangled up the cloth and mimicked the actions she had observed, maintaining the vacant expression.
Soon, a faint figure floated outside Apartment 601"s window.
Jenna didn"t look up, continuing to tidy the coffee table, which had already been devoid of miscellaneous items. She could sense two substantial gazes on her, accompanied by the sound of paper being flipped.
After an agonizing seven to eight seconds, the faint figures moved on to search the next apartment.
Jenna let out a relieved breath and proceeded to the washroom with a measured pace.
After what had just transpired, she felt an urgency to seek help. She couldn"t afford to wait any longer. Even the suspected exit seemed too dangerous to approach, and numerous figures emitting a faint light were "patrolling" the area.
While these figures didn"t appear overly formidable, Jenna knew that engaging them would undoubtedly draw the attention of the administrators of this world.
If this place was indeed the Hostel, the previous residents, granted boons by evil G.o.ds, would pose a significant threat. This included Madame Night Pualis, who alternated between a demiG.o.d and a Sequence 5, or the true demiG.o.d, Circle Inhabitant Voisin Sanson.
Jenna hadn"t reached out to the outside world for help from the beginning because she lacked the means to send a message without leaving this place. Now, she was left with no other choice but to attempt something.
I wonder if the telegraph office here can be of any use… It doesn"t seem promising… Uh… perhaps I should offer a prayer to a deity and recite His honorific name in Hermes. I hope He can hear my plea…
Jenna"s heart raced as she seized the opportunity to clean the cloth in the washroom. She outstretched her arms and began reciting the honorific name of the Eternal Blazing Sun.
"The mighty Eternal Blazing Sun, Inextinguishable Light, Embodiment of Order, G.o.d of Deeds…"
As the soft Hermes words reverberated, Jenna"s surroundings remained unchanged.
She couldn"t help but regret not having made up her mind after becoming a Witch and putting her faith in Mr. Fool. That way, she might have obtained The Fool"s honorific name from Lumian. But now, it was too late to consider that option.
Phew… Jenna let out a sigh and retrieved the lucky gold coin from a hidden pocket in her light-blue dress.
She felt that her best option was to rely on luck for now. She wanted to see if luck alone could help her elicit a response without using a complete honorific name.
Holding the lucky gold coin, Jenna continued her prayer in Hermes, "Great Mr. Fool, please help me leave this place. Please protect Trier…"
…
In the market district, Auberge du Coq Doré, Room 207.
Lumian suddenly awoke, sensing a faint warmth in his left chest.