Grand Summoner (Lord of Mysteries OC-I! Jumpchain!)

Few hours before Mr. A's Beyonder Gathering…

It was meant to be just another day.

The silk sheets rustled as Vanessa once again woke up late, stretching languidly like a cat. 

"The De Sade's really outdid themselves…" The redhead woman muttered, humming in appreciation as she rolled over, burying her face into the impossibly soft pillow.

"No wonder the Loenese call this place scandalous. If my bed felt like this every night, I'd never leave it either." Vanessa chuckled, knowing full well that this wasn't the only reason Loenese men—and even women—came to the hotel.

Hôtel Beauté de la Nuit was located in the Empress Borough, where all the nobles and the Augustus Royal Family's Sodela Palace resided. It was the heart of Backlund's aristocracy, a district of stiff courtesies and tightly held reputations.

The De Sade family established the place with one goal in mind: to introduce the liberated, sensual culture of Intis to the tightly buttoned-up society of Loen. Theirs was a vision of freedom, indulgence, and artifice—a vision that ran in stark contrast to the conservative and proper establishments that dominated the Loenese hotel scene.

In Loen, most hotels were plain and practical—modest, no-frills places that served a purpose and little more. Even the upscale ones catered to the conservative elite, who value privacy over indulgence. But the De Sade's had envisioned something different: a place where one could indulge in life's pleasures without judgment or restraint.

And that's precisely what Hôtel Beauté de la Nuit offered—luxury and freedom mingled into every corner, from the decadent rooms to the sophisticated lounges. The hotel was a rare jewel in a city that had long prided itself on restraint. 

"Another day of teasing Backlund youths~" A giggle left Vanessa's lips as she threw the blanket off, revealing a body that was only covered by red lingerie.

Backlund was the City of Cities, the Land of Hope. Or so the propaganda went. In truth, it was a city with a throat clogged by smoke and lungs brimming with corruption. She rather liked it.

"Meow~" From the window sill, Rouge stretched, rolling her eyes.

A playful smile crossed the Intisian's lips. "Oh~ Is that jealousy I feel, Rouge?" 

The unusual red-furred cat paused, lifting its head to glance at Vanessa with what seemed like disdain. 

"Meow~"

"What's with that look? Can't a woman do a little compatibility testing before settling down?"

"Meow~"

"Ah, I see, you're feeling insecure and want some tips from an expert?" Vanessa said with a look of realization. "Don't worry, I'll help you get all the males under your skirt."

"Meow! Meow!" Rouge's tail and fur stood on end as she shot a death glare that clearly said, "When did I say that?!"

"Right, right, sorry," Vanessa apologized, though her smile didn't fade in the slightest. "Anyway, is there a reason you brought us here? Any clues you've come across over the past few days?"

The Beyonder creature paused for a moment, seemingly deep in thought, before raising a paw in a 'no idea' gesture.

"Meow~"

The redheaded Beyonder wasn't disappointed, she'd expected as much.

As a Beyonder creature of the Monster Pathway, and currently a Sequence 7: Lucky One, Rouge possessed passive luck that often led her to stumble into fortunate encounters. She also had the ability to sense recent fluctuations in others' fortunes—good luck, bad luck, potential disasters, even romantic opportunities.

However, at Sequence 7, her perception lacked precision. Naturally, her passive luck wasn't consistent either, fluctuating often and typically settling back down to the level of an average person.

According to Vanessa's teacher, Rouge was not an ordinary Beyonder creature. She was a half-Spirit World being—once an ordinary cat, she had swallowed a Lucky One Beyonder Characteristic while on the verge of death, resulting in her becoming an aberration. Her unusual red fur was a consequence of that transformation.

"I guess we'll do a bit more searching." As she slipped on a loose robe, Vanessa felt a stirring in her spirituality, not from danger, but as though something were guiding her. 

For a Seer, spirituality was the most potent force, an instinct that could decide life or death. It was not something to be ignored.

Her gaze fell on the brass box on the vanity. Her fingers reached for a specific coin, the one Rouge had delivered to her three days ago.

The moment her fingertips touched the coin, her spirituality flared.

Vanessa took out another coin from the box and asked aloud, "Is divining the gold coin dangerous?" She flipped it into the air.

Tails.

No danger.

But she wasn't satisfied. Vanessa turned to the drawer beside her bed and retrieved a pendulum. Holding it with her non-dominant hand, she closed her eyes and repeated the question seven times.

When she opened them, the pendulum spun clockwise at a moderate speed.

Safe.

"I'll be hoping that luck of yours in finding this coin is worth it, Rouge," Vanessa muttered, picking up the special gold coin and returning to bed.

Lying down, she shut her eyes and entered a state of 

cogitation, focusing her mind on the coin. She repeated the same phrase seven times:

The reason for this coin's strangeness…

Her consciousness spiraled. A titanic silver serpent appeared in her mind.

Then—a door.

29 Empress Borough.

Fragments of broken speech followed:

"…Monster Characteristic…"

"…Hope…"

"…tonight's gathering…"

"…Life School…"

"…friend…"

The dream shattered.

Vanessa's eyes snapped open as she blurted out in shock, "The President?"

How could she not be surprised to suddenly encounter the leader of her organization—an Angel—said to have vanished after the conflict with the Primordial Moon worshippers?

The Seer's shock lasted only a few moments before she snapped back to awareness, realizing that He had passed on a message through the dream.

It didn't take long to piece together His meaning.

"Take a Monster Beyonder Characteristic tonight to 29 Empress Borough, and befriend the hope of Life School of Thought…"

Vanessa shifted her gaze to Rouge, who had been silently observing her the entire time. With a playful smile, she asked, "Little Red, care to help with this mission?"

"Meow!" Rouge glared at her, clearly unimpressed at her implication.

"I'm just kidding~ I need a Monster Characteristic, not a Lucky One." she teased. Then, more seriously, she began composing a letter to her teacher—explaining everything. From the mysterious coin, to the dream encounter with their President, to the urgent need for a Beyonder Characteristic.

Once she finished, Vanessa summoned her teacher's messenger.

"The Spirit that wonders unfounded,

The creature that is friendly and lucky,

A messenger that solely belong to Baccarat Beaumont."

As she finished the chant, a floating creature no larger than a house cat appeared. At first glance it looked just like a butterfly, with only two extra pairs of wings. It's uniqueness started from the dice like dots on its wings, and its face. A small mask-like face—smooth porcelain with no eyes or mouth, only two red teardrops painted under where the eyes should be. From behind the mask spills long ribbons of glossy black hair that braid and unbraid themselves in midair.

"It's good to see you again, Papi." Vanessa smiled softly at the Spirit World creature, who emitted a melodic chime in response. "Sorry to trouble you, but I need this delivered to Teacher," she added, holding up the letter.

Papi bobbed its head, and in the next instant, its hair lashed out, snatching the letter from her hand. With a tiny wave, it vanished back into the Spirit World.

"And off she goes~" the Seer murmured, turning to Rouge. "With how lucky you are, are you sure you didn't burn through your lifetime supply of fortune? How else do you explain running into an Angel, our President, no less?"

Rouge raised her head and gave her the smuggest expression a cat could manage.

Soon, two hours slipped by. Just as Vanessa finished her breakfast, Papi reappeared.

"Thank you." She said warmly, watching the butterfly-like creature disappear again before opening the envelope it left behind.

Unfolding the letter, Vanessa read its contents.

Well done, Vanessa. 

This confirms our suspicions. 

Don't worry about the main ingredient and ritual for sequence 5. 

One question. Do you know who dropped the coin?

Vanessa glanced at Rouge, who lifted a paw and made a vague gesture, as if to say, No idea.

"Oh well, not much we can do in that case." Vanessa shrugged carelessly, playing with the mass of shifting mercury in the transparent case.

The Monster Beyonder Characteristic.

"Let's see who's special enough to earn the favour of an Angel~" With a sultry smirk, the redhead rose from her seat, hips swaying as she walked toward the door.

++++

A/N: Idk why, but I procrastinated a lot for this short chapter. I couldn't decide who from Life School of Thought this interlude should have went to between the Fate Councilors (Leaders/Demigods of Life School) and Vanessa. In the end I chose the easy way out and went with Vanessa (I'm sorry my brain power and willpower weren't strong enough 🥺). 

[Baccarat]