Lord of Mysteries 2: Circle of Inevitability

If word got back to that person, it could put a serious kink in his relationship with the baron!

Maxime wasted no time in setting the record straight.

“The baron is in charge of the Salle de Bal Brise, Avenue du Marché, and the loan shark operations. His peers include “Rat” Christo who oversees smuggling, “Giant” Simon who runs the dance joints on Rue du Rossignol, “Red Boots” Franca who oversees Rue des Blouses Blanches, and “Bloody Palm” Black who controls half of Le Marché du Quartier du Gentleman.

“There’s a top dog above them, but I’ve never laid eyes on him nor do I know who he is.”

In a hushed voice, Maxime added, “Rumor has it he’s a legitimate merchant, a card-carrying member of the Savoie Chamber of Commerce. And he’s no small fry, either.”

A member of the Savoie Chamber of Commerce? So, the Chamber of Commerce is backing a mob to handle their dirty laundry and keep the competition in check… Lumian pieced together the puzzle from his own experiences as a drifter, snippets from Aurore’s offhand comments, and a smattering of books, magazines, and newspapers he’d devoured at home.

News of Ciel’s arrival at the Salle de Bal Brise reached Louis, Baron Brignais’ shadow. He made a beeline for the bar, his heart pounding with worry that the audacious country boy was about to stir the pot yet again!

He was really worried that the bold country boy would cause trouble again!

Finding Lumian engrossed in conversation with Maxime, Louis slid onto a stool on the other side, easing into the chat, “What’s got you coming to the Salle de Bal Brise at this hour?”

Lumian shot him a sly smile. “I’ve got a favor to ask.”

Louis, his forehead still sporting a nasty bruise, shrank back at the sight of Lumian’s grin.

“What is it?”

Sensing they were about to dive into heavier matters, Maxime beat a hasty retreat from the bar, nursing his rye beer closer to the dance floor.

Lumian retracted his gaze and said slowly, “I need you to fetch me a lizard’s eye, a rock from an eagle’s nest, and a snake’s venom gland.”

He kept the full list of the Prophecy Spell’s ingredients under wraps, planning to source them from different places.

“What do you need those for?” Louis found the trio of items vile and bizarre.

Lumian chuckled. “Remember how Margot bit the dust?”

Louis felt a chill run down his spine. It felt like a veiled threat, and it was working!

I’m not trying to rattle you… Lumian snickered to himself.

“I stabbed him. My blade was laced with poison.”

“Right,” Louis remembered Ciel’s chat with Baron Brignais.

Seeing Louis still hadn’t caught on, Lumian mentally berated, Why is this guy denser than Charlie?

He sighed, spelling it out for him. “Those items are to whip up another batch of poison.”

“What are you planning?” Louis nearly jumped out of his skin.

He had a hunch Lumian was about to stir the pot.

“Self-defense,” Lumian replied tersely.

With no grounds to object, Louis let out a sigh of relief, promising,

“I’ll get someone on the job to collect those three items for you.”

He ran through the list of items again, making sure he’d got it straight.

Once he’d confirmed the details, Lumian took a swig of his Ranger, switching gears.

“Ever heard of the Salle de Bal Unique?”

Louis eyed Lumian suspiciously, advising, “Best steer clear of that place. The dance hall’s owner, Timmons, is tight with the police commissioner of Quartier de l’Observatoire. And there’s a shadowy organization pulling his strings. Anyone who’s tried to squeeze them has found themselves in a world of hurt, and some have even vanished off the face of the world.”

Each quartier in Trier had its own police headquarters, each headed by a commissioner.

The police commissioner’s official title was the Commissioner of the Trier Police Affairs Committee, answering to the Minister of the Trier Police Department.

So that’s why the Poison Spur Mob never had the guts to chase up Timmons’ debt… Lumian nodded, deep in thought.

Seeing the worry etched on Louis’s face, afraid he was about to stir up a hornet’s nest, Lumian threw him a curveball.

“Who else in the Poison Spur Mob ranks up there with Margot? And who’s their boss?”

What are you trying to do? Louis almost blurted out.

Could it be that Ciel’s planning to knock off all the heavy hitters in the Poison Spur Mob?

Are you out of your mind?

Keeping his cool, Louis replied, “That’s none of your concern right now.”

Lumian responded with a knowing smile, not pushing the matter. He downed his Ranger.

…