Chapter 377: Capim's Dinner
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Putting down his dark red fountain pen, Klein picked up the piece of paper with the divination statement and leaned back in his chair.
His lips moved as he whispered, "Capim's dinner time today," over and over again.
Klein's voice echoed above the empty gray fog as his eyes rapidly turned dark, and his eyelids drooped.
In a fragmented dreamscape, he saw the spacious, elegant dining room where there was gilded porcelain cutlery, caviar, roasted chicken, lamb stew, fried rib eye steak, deep-fried Dragon-Bone Fish, thick creamy soup, and so on.
The food was placed in a certain order according to specific requests in front of several diners. Among them was the slightly plump Capim; the middle-aged gentleman in a white hood, Harras; the thin-bloused Katy; and Parker, whose face was rather unintimidating due to his old age.
Looking out from the end of the dining table, he could see a window decorated with gorgeous decorations. Outside the window, the clouds were sparse, and the crimson moon was faintly discernible in the air.
Klein opened his eyes and marked the location of the moon in his dream. Using his knowledge in astromancy, he quickly calculated a rough corresponding time.
It looks like it's from 7:30 to 7:45 in the evening… Considering those few scenes, Capim and the others have already finished more than half their meals, so I can push the time back by another 15 minutes. That way, 7:30 is the best choice… Klein muttered silently to himself as he interpreted the revelation from his dream divination.
Eating at half past seven was not a rare occurrence. This was even considered mainstream in the Loen Kingdom and even the Northern Continent because many middle-class people—either due to their personal situations or because of low rent—lived in the suburbs and had to commute to work by taking the short-distance steam locomotive. By the time they got home, it was usually after seven in the evening, so it was normal for people to have dinner between 7:30 and 8:00.
Klein had had the same experience in Tingen City, but that was because he had no servants and no housewife. Once the three siblings returned home, they still needed to busy themselves for quite a while before they could enjoy any hot food. It wasn't because they lived far from work.
This was why civilians and the poor often had dinner between 7:30 and 8:00.
As lunch and dinner were separated by quite some time, afternoon tea, which should've belonged to the upper-class citizens, became popular among the middle-class citizens and civilians.
When he finished the interpretation, Klein recalled the revelation he had just received. Klein became acutely aware of a problem: Where were Capim's wife and children?
They didn't appear in the dining room… Is Capim an extreme believer in the Lord of Storms, so his wife and children have to eat their meals in the activity room? Or is there another reason? Or could he be unmarried and childless? He's already a middle-aged man… Klein tried to divine the situation, but he failed to receive any effective revelations, so he gave up.
7:30. He repeated the time once more before returning to the real world.
…
In the evening, even at home, Capim, who was wearing a formal bow tie, narrowed his eyes and looked at his subordinates before him. He asked in a slow but chilling voice, "Fabian is dead?"
"Yes, Boss." Even though he had been working with Capim for many years, his subordinate still felt fear and horror.
"Odysseus, call me Mister. Mister. In a few years, you'll have to call me Sir Capim." Capim loosened his bow tie and casually handled a thick cigar. "When did Fabian die? How did he die?"
"This afternoon, I sent him to East Borough to do something. He ended up in a conflict with the Zmanger gang and got stabbed in the neck…" Odysseus described in a trembling voice.
Capim, who was toasting the cigar, said in an unperturbed tone, "Fabian is really a fool.
"But are the Zmanger gang fools to not know that he's my subordinate?"
"Mister, as you know, highlanders often join the Zmanger gang when they arrive in East Borough, and they're barbaric and reckless, and they don't give a shit who's who," Odysseus quickly explained.
Capim snorted.
"Have they forgotten that this isn't the highlands? Or have they forgotten who I am?
"Odysseus, I want the body of the Zmanger gang's leader from that block. Can you do it? If you can't, I'll sink your wife, your child, as well as you into the Tussock River."
"Mister, no problem!" Odysseus immediately raised his voice.
He immediately asked in a low voice, "Who can I mobilize?"
Capim was about to reply when the door suddenly opened and the middle-aged gentleman with a white wig, Harras, walked in.
He gave Odysseus a cold glance before casting his gaze onto Capim.
"I heard that one of your subordinates had a conflict with a gang in East Borough and ended up dying?"
"Yes, Mr. Harras." Capim stood up, cigar in hand.
Harras stared into Capim's eyes and said, "You want revenge on them?"
Capim's forehead suddenly dripped with beads of sweat.
"No, not at all. Mr. Harras, you misunderstand."
Harras nodded slightly. "You have to remember that during this critical period, we have to try our best to not cause any trouble unless necessary."
He paused for a second and observed Capim's reaction.
"You are not the only human trafficker in Backlund. We can support you, but we can also do so for others. You have to remember this point.
"The reason why I picked you was because you were vicious and shameless enough. However, you were extremely cautious. It wasn't because you were the biggest human trafficker."
From the side, Odysseus listened to the duo's conversation. He wished that he was just a mass of air. That way, he didn't need to see how humble his boss, Capim, was.
Without a trace of anger on his face, Capim smiled and said, "Mr. Harras, my main concern is that Fabian's death isn't simple. It might disrupt your plans."
"No, there's nothing wrong with his death," Harras said in an affirmative tone. "I didn't get any feedback."
"Is that so…" Capim acted enlightened. "Then I'm relieved."
He looked at Odysseus and signaled him to leave. He then lowered his voice and said, "Mr. Harras, this time, there are the kind of goods you like from this batch."
Seeing Harras's expression soften but not show any signs of emotion, Capim quickly added, "We've already finished gathering the ones that will be sent over."
Harras nodded slowly.
"Send her to my room tonight."
"Yes, Mr. Harras!" Capim said with a big smile.
After Harras left, his face turned gloomy. He took a deep breath and whispered, "I hope that you can keep your promise this time… I don't want to be involved in anything like that anymore!"
He clearly remembered that year during the Harvest Festival—someone had come to him, hoping to get a batch of innocent girls.
From that day on, the trajectory of his life had undergone tremendous changes. He had taken a fifth of the market share of the unlawful slave trade.
He quickly became one of Backlund's rather famous tycoons, acquainting himself with several important figures and dragging them into the abyss of depravity.
At this point, he desperately wanted to cover up the sins of his past. He wanted to let "Capim" undergo a catharsis, allowing him to become a true member of the upper-class. However, for the time being, he was unable to do so.
Glancing at the cigar in his hand, he picked up the framed photograph of himself with a beautiful woman and two children.
Rubbing the surface of the photo frame with his thumb, Capim narrowed his eyes and whispered to himself, After this deal, you should be able to return…
At dinner time, Capim walked out of his study, a warm smile plastered over his face again.
"Ma'am Katy, there's your favorite caviar and a roast chicken specially prepared for you this evening," he said to the woman in the thin blouse.
Katy touched the old scar on her face and nodded without saying a word.
Capim knew that she was silent and fierce, so he didn't continue. He watched her as she took her seat.
Then Harras, wearing a white wig, entered the dining room, nodding slightly to each of the diners.
The elderly Parker took a sip of his pre-meal wine, smiling as he motioned for Capim to sit down.
The white napkins were spread out, and the food was served one by one. Capim raised his glass and chuckled.
"Holy Lord of Storms, let's toast to a beautiful future."
"To a beautiful future," Parker responded.
Harras didn't say a word. He merely held the wine glass in his hand and made a gesture. Katy completely ignored them.
At this moment, the classical clock hanging in the hall read 7:23.
…
In a cheap hotel in the Backlund Bridge area.
The disguised Klein took out his golden pocket watch, looked at the exact time, then he took out Holy Night Powder, and he sealed the room with a wall of spirituality.
After doing that, he quickly set up an altar and conducted a ritual.
"I!"
"I summon in my name:
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era, the mysterious ruler above the gray fog; the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck."
…
When the ritual was over, Klein immediately took four steps counterclockwise and went above the gray fog, ready to respond to himself.
Inside the towering and solemn palace, he saw the Door of Summoning condensed by rippling light. It was a pair of illusory doors that opened outwards, covered with mysterious symbols.
Klein was in no hurry to be summoned. Instead, he took out the Sun Brooch and other mystical items, and he absorbed them into his Spirit Body according to his plan.
Finally, he picked up the Dark Emperor card and let his Spirit Body envelop it.
All of a sudden, Klein felt as if his Spirit Body had turned corporeal with flesh and blood. It was as if he could lift a gun and move a table and chair!
A dark and ethereal mist rose up around him, and as the mist clung onto the surface of his body, it formed an imposing set of armor.
He had a black crown on his head and a long cape of the same color on his back.
At that moment, Klein was like an emperor about to embark on a journey.
Dark Emperor.
He examined the purifying bullets and revolver that he didn't bring with him before taking a step forward and entering the crack on the illusory door.
Leaping out of the candlelight, he immediately flew under the cover of the night towards Capim's villa on Iris Street in Cherwood Borough.
Not long after, he floated in front of the artificial fountain and approached the villa's entrance at a relaxed pace. The patrolling guards passed by him, but they didn't have any reaction. Since it wasn't really late into the night yet, there were no Beyonders on guard outside.
In addition, Klein wasn't afraid that the powerful Beyonders inside would notice and have a premonition.
It was because the Dark Emperor card possessed anti-divination and anti-prophecy characteristics!
Chapter 378: The Show Begins
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
With a black crown and a solid suit of armor, Klein stood in the doorway, attuned himself for a few seconds, and took a step forward.
His seemingly physical body silently passed through the door and entered Capim's villa.
The first thing that met him was a spacious hall with lots of chairs and clothes racks, and behind it was a magnificent hall with gold as the main color theme.
There was no ceiling, only a dome reaching three-stories high. A giant crystal chandelier hung down, and on each "petal" was a pearly-white candle.
Through a thick, heavy door to the left of the hall was an elegant and exquisite dining room. The fragrance of roasted meat was the richest inside, concealing the smell of alcohol and other food.
Klein was in no hurry to enter the dining room. He partially circled the exterior first, occasionally reaching out his hand to pull on the grayish-white gas pipes. It appeared as if he was experimenting with his physical strength, after carrying the Dark Emperor card, to see how much of an impact he had on the real world.
While he was a Seer and Clown, Klein's Spirit Body only had an intuition ability that was separate from divination. He possessed only two spell-like powers, which were to directly attack the soul and to freeze the target through contact. Once he advanced to the Magician Sequence, even if Klein didn't rely on the Beyonder powers of his physical body, he could still use Paper Figurine Substitutes and Air Bullets in his Spirit Body state.
In addition, he began to be able to possess others and gain basic control of the target.
Augmented by the Dark Emperor card, the strength of his Spirit Body increased, and the number of items he could carry increased. His spell-like powers, which could directly attack souls, evolved into a Specter's Shriek. It produced sound waves that were inaudible to humans but capable of damaging the souls of all living beings in the area. Similarly, the frozen effects derived from contact was clearly strengthened.
After confirming everything, he found the corner of a wall and penetrated it to enter the dining hall.
Then, suppressing all his emotions, he swept his eyes across the long table.
The scene of Harras in his white wig, Katy in her thin blouse, Parker with his aged face drinking red wine, and the slightly plump Capim slicing his rib eye steak caught his eye.
Klein retracted his gaze quickly, not daring to look too much, lest the few Beyonders would discover him via their spiritual perception.
With the help of the spiritual glows from the male and female servants standing around him, that is—the color of their auras, he carefully circled around the dining room and figured out the exact layout. For example, the size of the dining room was equivalent to the total area of his living room, dining room, and activity room. Another example was that there was a fireplace that burned with charcoal. It warmed the entire room via a pipe. There were sixteen elegant gas lamps, and their lighting mixed together, making the room appear like it was daytime. Across from the fireplace was a wall which had hanging picture frames. There were sketches and oil paintings, all works of famous artists.
That bearded Belize isn't here. He should be changing shifts at the basement… For a Beyonder to be willing to do such menial work, Capim is definitely not involved in a simple matter of human trafficking… Klein thought for a few seconds, then he leaned against an oil painting of the sunset. He reached his hand into his body and unscrewed a translucent brown bottle's cap.
It was the Biological Poison Bottle!
The reason why he paid so much attention to the time and chose to arrive at dinner time was because, at this very moment, the main figures were gathered here in the most orderly manner. It was the most advantageous for him to use the Biological Poison Bottle!
And with the tightly shut doors and windows during early winter, it allowed the effects of Biological Poison Bottle to be more effective and have faster effects!
In addition, Klein didn't soak the Biological Poison Bottle to concoct the "prophylactic" drug before he came. He was currently in his Spirit Body state, so he wasn't afraid of biological poisons!
With his Spirit Body's concealment and containment, he stood there silently and patiently admiring each and every one of the elegant wall lamps which were connected to the grayish-white gas pipes. Quickly, the odorless poison swiftly emanated outwards.
…
Harras, with his white wig, sliced up a deep-fried Dragon-Bone Fish, dipped it in black pepper sauce, and stuffed it into his mouth.
Chewing and swallowing, he picked up the faintly golden champagne that was bubbling like a string of beads and took a sip in a good mood.
He couldn't help but think of the entertainment that he would be experiencing that evening—the joy of a stubborn girl being conquered by him.
This affected his appetite and made him unable to concentrate.
Katy didn't get the servant to help her slice the roasted chicken. She was burying her head, holding a knife and fork, and like doing a precise dissection, she quickly divided the chicken into several pieces. They were all almost the same size.
As Parker sampled the red wine and ate the stewed lamb, he would occasionally chat with Capim, who was sitting at the head of the table, and was considered as a guest that didn't sully the title.
The dinner proceeded in an orderly manner, and finally, Capim put the last piece of beef into his mouth.
He smiled at the three Beyonders and said, "Mr. Harras, Ma'am Katy, and Mr. Parker, tonight's desserts are from La Borrega's head chef. There are three kinds—fruit caramel pudding, cream shortcake, and the carrot cake."
Harras, who had always been cold, nodded slightly.
"We love dessert so much in this country."
As soon as he finished his reflection, he saw Capim raise his hand and scratch his cheek before scratching again.
"It's a little itchy." Capim smiled apologetically.
Before he could finish his sentence, he couldn't help but scratch one more time, leaving a clear bloody mark on his face.
The bloody mark quickly swelled up, and his skin turned translucent. One could even see yellowish pus inside.
"It's really a bit itchy." Capim smiled again.
He scratched the original spot again, but due to using excessive force, the swelling caused the translucent skin to split open, and pus with a nauseating smell sprayed out.
Harras narrowed his eyes and shot to his feet, looking around warily.
"Hahaha."
"Haha. Hahaha."
At that moment, he heard exaggerated laughter, and his body suddenly tensed up.
He saw a male and female servant holding onto their bellies, laughing out loud. They laughed so much that they couldn't even straighten their backs. Tears flowed out from their laughter, their laughter caused the room to turn completely silent.
Like a chain reaction, the rest of the servants fainted or vomited yellow-green liquid continuously without end.
None of them were spared.
Bam! Katy flipped the dining table, letting the gold-plated cutlery and leftover food and wine to spill onto the floor.
She had a revolver and a soft black whip in her hands.
Parker stood up as well, but his mind appeared adrift. He looked at Capim crying miserably for help as he kept scratching and forcefully tore off a few pieces of flesh. For some baffling reason, he felt that the other party's ugly and disgusting appearance was quite the fine sight.
At that moment, Harras realized that he was a little out of breath and realized that the room was probably filled with poison.
He growled, "Hold your breath!
"Parker, open the door.
"Katy, follow me to find the intruder!"
At this moment, Harras was grateful that the dinner had been enjoyed with Capim, and there were quite a few attendants around.
These ordinary people's ability to resist poison was far inferior to Beyonders. The fact that they showed signs ahead of time had allowed them to detect that something was amiss even before the poison had reached the deepest part of their bodies!
Parker, who has the lowest Sequence, should be the one with the most severe symptoms among us… Harras suddenly had this thought.
Creak!
As Parker opened the door to ensure that the dining room was no longer sealed, Harras, relying on his Spirit Vision, discovered an illusory figure quietly fleeting around.
The figure wore a thick and imposing black armor, and a pitch-black crown on his head. A mask of the same color covered his face, making him look like a king from the spirit world.
It was none other than Klein.
Harras raised his right hand and pointed at the black figure that couldn't be seen by ordinary people. He chanted in ancient Hermes, "Imprison!"
All of a sudden, the black figure's surroundings turned viscous, as though it had transformed into a giant amber or produced a sealed, transparent wall.
The figure was rooted to the spot, hardly able to move. Katy had taken aim long ago, and she pulled the trigger. They worked well together.
With two bangs, the light golden bullet, filled with strange patterns, penetrated the viscous air and hit the black figure.
The bullet pierced through and struck the wall opposite. The black shadow self-ignited, reduced to a roughly cut paper figurine.
Within the pale golden flames, the paper figurine was quickly reduced to ashes.
Pa!
With a strange, crisp snap, the light from the sixteen elegant gas lamps and the fire burning quietly in the fireplace suddenly lit up, leaving Harras, Katy, and Parker with only a brief flash of red before their eyes.
Soon after, all the flames were extinguished, leaving the dining room illuminated via the human-height street lamps outside the window and the crimson moonlight shining through the layers of clouds. It made the place abnormally dark and silent.
Harras and the others once again relied on their Spirit Vision and spiritual perception to search for the ghostly intruder.
At the same time, he realized that the poison wasn't showing its effects fast enough. It wouldn't really flare up until he finished the enemy.
Therefore, he paid attention to the movement at the entrance of the basement. He pointed at the door again and said in ancient Hermes, "Confinement!"
The entire dining room suddenly froze, as if there was an additional layer of an invisible wall that even Spirit Bodies couldn't penetrate.
Harras wanted to make it impossible for the intruder to escape!
I've found you! Wielding the revolver in one hand and the whip in the other, Katy noticed a black figure floating in the air.
A strange light flashed in her eyes, and before she could attack, her mind buzzed as if someone had struck her head with a wooden stick.
She felt as if she had encountered an indescribable shriek. A few drops of sticky blood slowly dripped from the tip of her nose.
Harras only felt slight dizziness while the symptoms of shortness of breath seemed to worsen. Parker, the weakest of them, was seeing stars, and his steps became unstable.
Suddenly, someone patted Parker's shoulder.
A cold and gloomy feeling gushed over, causing him to freeze on the spot. It was as if he was completely covered in ice, and the cold moisture seeped into his bones. A familiar, deep voice sounded in his ears.
"Imprison!"
Parker was instantly trapped by the transparent wall that imprisoned the door. However, Klein didn't possess him and went straight through instead, avoiding the effects of Harras's spell in a timely manner.
Harras narrowed his eyes and waved his right hand.
"Release!"
Chapter 379: Magic's Key Segment
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The invisible prison around Parker's body immediately collapsed, leaving not even a single trace of it behind.
However, he didn't regain his mobility. Instead, he slumped to the ground, shivering continuously, as if he was still frozen.
This wasn't only an aftereffect of Soul Touch, but also the effect of Klein's direct attack on his soul.
Parker, who was only a Sequence 8, was unable to recover in a short period of time. He couldn't even control his breathing and, as a result, inhaled large quantities of the biological poison, which was identical to the one in his body, once again.
His weakened state caused the poison in his body to act faster. His eyes stared blankly as he instinctively changed direction.
He saw Capim rolling on the ground and scratching his face and body constantly. He saw the thin strips of flesh hanging by the side of the wounds and the ghostly white color of his bones.
Parker gasped and struggled to climb over.
Capim, whose itch made him rip off the outer layer of his skin, suddenly discovered that Parker was crawling toward him with bloodshot eyes. He had a bad premonition, but he had no strength to dodge as he couldn't stop scratching. He didn't even have the ability to shout "no," except for using a blood-curdling cry as a substitute.
At this moment, Klein, who had dodged the "Imprison" spell, shouted "Holy" in ancient Hermes. Then, he rubbed his fingers together and shot an Air Bullet through the dark golden Sunbird brooch's coruscating glow.
As soon as the Air Bullet was formed, it took on a holy luster and shot straight towards Harras's face.
This was the Holy Oath provided by the Sun Brooch, and Klein had augmented the Air Bullet with Holy damage!
Harras had long since changed his position. He was abnormally agile, and unlike a mage, he was more like a pugilist expert.
As he avoided Klein's Air Bullet, he motioned for Katy to lash her whip to hold Klein back.
When Klein's attack was interrupted, Harras took an iron-black metal glove from a hidden pocket of his and tried to put it on his left hand.
In his Spirit Body state, Klein didn't need to look out from the corner of his eye to see what had just happened despite not facing Harras. He immediately flew up, avoiding Katy's lash. He flew over the chandelier and pounced towards Harras.
When Harras saw this scene, he held the black metal glove and pointed diagonally upwards.
"Exile!"
Klein was suddenly hit by an overwhelming and invisible force. His entire Spirit Body was blown away by the wind and hit the wall, the wall conjured by "Confinement," but didn't penetrate through it and escape.
Seizing this opportunity, Harras put on the iron-black metal glove.
In the blink of an eye, he seemed to grow a bit taller. His authority was uplifted like he was a figure that could determine the life and death of others.
The moment Klein was released from the "Exile" state, he felt an inexplicable sense of horror. He couldn't help but want to lower his head, to prostrate, to listen to Harras's every word and obey every order given by him!
His movements had become sluggish, and his pupils reflected a rapidly approaching Katy.
Pa!
Katy lashed out with her long black whip and hit Klein accurately.
The long whip passed through his Spirit Body, but it brought a great deal of pain to Klein's psyche, as if someone had pressed a red-hot iron to the weakest part of his body.
He jerked his head up and let out a scream.
As for Katy, she pulled the trigger of the revolver in her other hand.
Bang! Bang!
Two bullets, with a light golden glow, shot out one after another, striking Klein's body.
Bright rays of light bloomed, and the figure wearing black armor rapidly thinned, turning into a paper figurine and quickly burning into ashes.
Klein appeared in a dark corner, the Sun Brooch inside his Spirit Body was glowing with a dark golden light.
Warm powers instantly filled his body, and the extreme horror that Harras had subjected him to quickly disappeared.
One of the spell-like effects of the Sun Brooch was Horror Immunity!
In the short span of less than a minute, Klein had already been forced to use Paper Figurine Substitutes twice.
Although it was partly because he did it on purpose, it was still enough to prove the strength of Harras and Katy's joint attacks. It was enough to confirm the divination outcome which Klein had received.
This operation would be quite dangerous!
If Parker hadn't been temporarily crippled by the effects of the Biological Poison Bottle and his initial surprise attack, the situation would've been even more dangerous.
His plan was to rationally give up if all four paper figurines were used up and his opportunity had yet to appear. It wasn't because Klein didn't wish to prepare more substitutes, but because his spirituality could only afford four times while in combat.
As for the "Confinement" effect that Harras had created, Klein wasn't worried at all. He was now a Spirit Body that had been "summoned." As long as he ended the "summoning," he would immediately return above the gray fog. Unless it was intercepted by powers at the level of deities or the special effects of Sealed Artifacts at Grade 0 or Grade 1, nothing could interrupt this process.
Previously, when Klein went to the Royal Museum to steal the Dark Emperor card, the woman who was suspected of being a High-Sequence Beyonder was unable to stop him from leaving.
This was the main reason why Klein dared to challenge the impossible even though he knew that the danger was great!
Seeing that the enemy was no longer horrified, Harras put on his black metal gloves and signaled Katy to hold Klein back. He then pointed forward and solemnly said, "Specters and wraiths are prohibited here!"
Klein's body that was covered in black armor immediately trembled as he was strongly repelled by a powerful, invisible force.
However, the level of the Dark Emperor card was extremely high, causing the level of the Spirit Body to be relatively high as well. This kind of influence that was directly aimed at a particular existence was quickly suppressed.
Harras narrowed his eyes, feeling that the intruding specter was very strange.
He saw that Klein easily escaped Katy's intervention via flight, so he pushed his palm forward again and announced in ancient Hermes, "Flying and floating are prohibited here."
All of a sudden, Klein felt his body become heavy, and he plummeted from midair to the ground. Katy quickly rushed over, and with a flick of her wrist, she lashed out with the whip that directed torture on the mind and soul.
She still had many Beyonder bullets on her, but there were fewer than three that were targeted for specters and wraiths. Therefore, she temporarily gave up on using the revolver and only relied on her auxiliary weapon.
Klein rolled on the ground, skilfully dodging Katy's whip. He heard the crack of the whip as it hit the ground.
Katy was about to sweep the whip when she felt an itch at her throat. She coughed twice and missed the opportunity to continue her relentless attack.
This was a sign of the poison acting up!
Harras took a deep breath, held his breath once more. He folded his wrist, pointed to himself, and said, "Disciplinary target: wraiths and specters!"
The surface of his body immediately emitted a light as bright as the morning sun. Even his fist began to shine with lustrous brilliances.
Bam!
The marble under Harras's feet cracked soundlessly, and his tall, thin body pounced swiftly and fiercely, allowing him to immediately close in on Klein.
At this moment, he looked even more like a knight than Katy!
Bam! He threw a punch forward, and the air seemed to explode. However, Klein had pulled back ahead of time, dodging the punch with the wind.
Pow! Katy helped from the side and lashed out with her whip in the direction in which her enemy was dodging.
This forced Klein to have no choice but to roll again and again. He took on a fighting stance while keeping an eye out for Harras's spell-like "Imprison."
As lashing sounds echoed, Harras kept attacking while Katy aided him from the side. In less than two minutes, Klein was forced into an unavoidable situation. Even rolling was of no use.
Pa!
Katy's black whip lashed out at Klein's face, and he was only able to take one step sideways before being hit in the arm.
That piercing pain attacked his psyche once again, causing him to freeze on the spot. Even his Spirit Body became somewhat thinner.
Seizing this opportunity, Harras clenched his left fist and solemnly declared, "Death!"
His body then merged with some sort of strange force, creating an obvious afterimage as he slammed into Klein.
Schwing!
The figure covered in black armor instantly broke into pieces, turning into pieces of paper that fluttered in the air like a butterfly.
Klein had expended his third paper figurine!
Harras's gaze swept across the room and quickly locked onto the enemy that had appeared in the corner. He sneered and said, "Let me see how many substitutes you have left!"
In the process of searching for the enemy, he discovered that Parker was squirming on top of Capim. The scene was bloody and disgusting. It was a repulsive sight, both terrible and horrifying.
However, Harras didn't have the luxury of time to save his subordinate. He was well aware that the effects of the poison would only worsen over time, so he had to get rid of the enemy as quickly as possible, so he couldn't be distracted.
If he didn't, he would have to leave the dining hall first to recover from the poison; thus, allowing the enemy to escape without getting any useful information.
He signaled Katy to go forward again, so as to hold back Klein, who couldn't fly or float. He took a breath and tried to catch a breather.
There's a strange smell in the air… This is probably a result of the increasing toxicity of the poison… This thought flashed through Harras's mind, but he didn't think too much about it.
He raised his left hand and solemnly declared, "The illegal intrusion of another's house is a crime!
"An illegal intrusion…"
While repeating the statement for a second time, Harras found it hard to breathe again. For a moment, he was unable to catch his breath, so he could only stop midway.
He took another deep breath, adjusted himself, and spoke again.
"The illegal intrusion of another's house is a crime!
He repeated it three times, and Klein, who was still unable to extricate himself from Katy's entanglement, felt a baffling chill.
Cough! Cough! Cough!
Katy showed coughing symptoms again, and the flailing of her whip became sluggish.
Klein took the opportunity to stop the embroilment with her, but he didn't attack her. Instead, he raised his head, opened his mouth, and let out a sharp cry that no human could hear!
Hum! Katy's head jerked up, and her body swayed. She felt like the ground was bobbing up and down.
Harras only felt a slight dizziness before returning to normal. He looked at Klein coldly and said in a majestic voice, "The guilty should be restricted!"
Klein, who was lunging at him, found to his surprise that his feet had seemed to be immobilized by invisible shackles. It made his movements suddenly turn rigid.
Katy, who had recovered a little, swung open the revolver's cylinder and quickly removed the spent and unused rounds.
Then, she took out a quick reloading device and stuffed six rounds of ammunition, including her remaining purifying bullets, into the cylinder.
Harras clenched his left fist and prepared for an attack.
He wanted to chain his attack with Katy's shooting, in a bid to completely finish the enemy or to expend his substitutes.
At this moment, the black-armored Klein smiled.
It was because the opportunity he had been waiting for had come!
He knew that it would take time for the Biological Poison Bottle to show any significant effects. And once Beyonders sensed that something was wrong, they would act accordingly, either to find the hidden enemy or to escape the toxic environment. It would be difficult to seriously damage them or even finish them. Therefore, he had two other reasons for using the Biological Poison Bottle.
The first reason was to weaken the enemy.
The second reason was to mask some smells so that Harras and the others would attribute all the abnormal smells they detected to the poison in the air. It made them focus all their attention on this aspect.
This was the most important segment of a "magic show" and also the key to success or failure.
That abnormal smell was the smell of gas!
The reason why Klein let the gas lamp and the fire in the fireplace suddenly brighten and extinguish wasn't solely to affect Harras and company's vision. It was mainly to attract their attention, so that he could destroy a few hidden gas pipes!
In the beginning, he had intentionally put himself in danger in order to trick Katy into firing a bullet meant for wraiths and specters, so that she would no longer blindly fire at him and not trigger a corresponding explosion!
He kept entangling himself with her and hadn't made any other attempts solely because he was waiting for the air to be filled with gas!
Therefore, he kept holding back from using Flaming Jump or Flame Controlling!
As for Harras's actions of using Confinement on the room, he had expected it, but he didn't expect it to be this successful. Therefore, before he entered the dining room, he had kindly inspected the doors and windows to see if they were airtight. He had destroyed the hidden gas pipes in the hall, causing the area—both inside and outside—to become a huge "bomb." Even without Confinement, it would ultimately not affect anything!
As a "specter," Klein was undoubtedly unafraid of explosions!
Lower-level ghosts might be annihilated by fire, but "specters" would at most suffer some damage. This was why Klein had to buy extra purifying bullets and the Sun Brooch despite the fact that he had Flame Controlling.
When he saw that Katy had raised her revolver and was about to shoot, and that Harras was about to pronounce "Death" on him, Klein smiled and snapped his fingers.
Harras suddenly felt a dangerous foreboding.
However, at this moment, he saw that a flame had already lit up in the fireplace to his side, instantly igniting the surrounding air.
BOOM!
With a loud boom, Harras's vision was instantly filled with an inferno that filled the room. It was as if he was watching a grand display of fireworks.
Chapter 380: Curtain Call
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Capim lay flat on the ground, itching and aching, wishing he could tear himself apart on the spot to rid himself of this hellish pain.
Then, he saw a scarlet wave of fire that spread over in a flash, and he heard a deafening explosion.
He imagined that this last moment would seem infinitely long and that it would allow him to recall all of the beautiful scenes when his wife and children were still by his side. He thought that he would feel relieved because he would no longer have to endure this inhuman torture, but at that moment, extreme fear and an intense desire to live surged from the bottom of his heart. And the so-called memories didn't even flash past his mind before he was overwhelmed by an excruciating pain before being plunged into deep darkness.
Boom!
The dining room windows were blasted apart, accompanied by countless brick fragments and rubble, as well as the burning tongues of fire that kept reaching outwards.
The guards patrolling this area were immediately knocked over. Those who were lucky enough to not get hit had their ears left ringing. Their bodies either swayed, staggered, or fell.
They saw that more than half of the dining room's outer wall had collapsed and that the flames seemed to be floating in midair.
The residents of the entire street and the police officers in charge of the surrounding area heard a loud boom at the same time, leaving them confused and frightened.
In the dining room, dressed in black armor and a black crown, Klein stood there, bathing in the red flames and enjoying the strong blasts of the waves without flinching.
A lot of the black gases around him had dispersed, and even his Spirit Body had suffered some damage, but it wasn't serious at all.
Beside a toppled table, Parker and Capim were blasted into a corner, their heads were cracking and their bodies charred.
The surface of their bodies was still quietly burning with flames, and the rest of the servants were in a similar state.
In the area opposite the fireplace, Katy, who had been unable to avoid the attack in time, was slammed into the wall and then fell to the ground. Her body was mangled and covered in blood, and there were a lot of charred marks on her skin. Not a single piece of her skin remained intact.
She wasn't dead yet, but she had fainted from her severe injuries. Even so, she still coughed while convulsing, inhaling large amounts of the lingering flames.
The black whip also suffered similar damage. Many cracks appeared on its surface, and a small portion of the whip was ignited. None of the Beyonder bullets that she possessed were spared from the explosion.
Katy was no longer capable of fighting.
Harras had rolled in time to protect his vitals, but there was still a lot of blood and charred flesh on him.
He staggered to his feet, revealing that his back, his hairband, and his legs were ablaze with red flames.
His breathing became more difficult, and his body suffered relatively severe injuries.
However, this was sufficient to prove the robustness and strength of his body. Or rather, having worn the black iron glove, his body became sufficiently robust, and his physique was sufficiently strong!
However, this was within Klein's expectations.
Since he was unable to assess how much damage his opponent could take, he had overestimated his enemy's constitution while coming up with a plan.
Out of the corner of his eye, Harras saw that Klein was almost perfectly fine. His pupils shrank as he hurriedly stretched out his left hand and pointed in that direction. He said in a low voice, "Exile!"
Again, Klein failed to resist and was pushed away like scrap paper in a hurricane. He flew out of the dining room. In the hall outside, after the momentary ignition, the fire had already weakened. Another wave of disaster was brewing due to the wooden staircase, but the damage here wasn't too severe because the main body of the explosion had been "confined" to the dining room.
Seizing this opportunity, Harras suddenly turned around and ran outside without looking back.
Even though the flames covering his body were still burning, he didn't waste any time to deal with them.
He knew that he was in a terrible condition and on the brink of losing control. Furthermore, the effects of the poison would soon reach its peak. Compounded by these two factors, he didn't think that he had any chance of defeating the intruder. It would be the same even if he had the help of the Sequence 7, Belize, at the entrance to the basement!
Harras believed that if this battle continued, the only thing that awaited him was having the poison act up or him losing control due to his injuries!
Once he decided to run, he didn't care about Katy, who was still alive, anymore.
When Klein, who had just stabilized his body under "Exile," saw this scene. He immediately raised his head, opened his mouth, and let out a shriek that no human could hear!
Hum!
Harras felt a wave of dizziness, and his feet paused for a moment. His skin, which was still in relatively good condition, was now covered in dense, translucent blisters. This was an early sign of him losing control.
However, he quickly recovered and continued his mad dash, escaping from the lawn of the villa.
He's really hard to kill… Klein didn't pursue him, in order to avoid an accident.
He remembered that his goal was to rescue the victims and not to wipe away these degenerate Beyonders.
More importantly, he had expended a lot of his energy and had suffered heavy injuries. If he were to give chase, he might not be able to stop Harras's berserk counterattack.
Pa!
Klein snapped his fingers and fired an Air Bullet.
The bullet struck Katy in the head, ending her pain.
Immediately following that, Klein turned around and flew towards the entrance to the basement.
Belize, who had a full beard, had been keeping an eye on the situation outside, but he didn't dare to leave his post out of fear that the intruder's accomplices would take the opportunity to break into the dungeon.
At this very moment, he held a high-pressure steam rifle and had his Spirit Vision activated. He had been frightened by the loud boom and became abnormally tense.
Immediately afterwards, he saw the dignified specter fly over, and without hesitation, he raised his rifle and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
White mist was ejected from the barrel, and a sharp-tipped pale-gold bullet was shot forward at an astonishing speed.
Klein was prepared and long had a hunch. He had drawn out a small curve before Belize fired.
The bullet tore through the hall, past the front door, and to the outside.
At the same time, Belize rushed out of the duty room, holding his high-pressure steam rifle and took on a threatening pose as he quickly moved towards the door.
He believed that the intruder, who could deal with Harras, Katy, and Parker, would be able to easily kill him as well. Besides, such a big commotion must've attracted a lot of attention. He couldn't be certain that the Mandated Punishers would come over to investigate. Therefore, his only choice was to flee!
Klein once again let out an invisible shriek, making Belize feel as if he had been smashed by a hammer. He saw stars as a few drops of blood dripped from the tip of his nose.
But this didn't stop Belize from running. After shooting at Klein to stop him, he was already running into the hall, tumbling towards the door.
Klein hesitated for a moment, then he gave up on chasing and fighting. He turned off the main valve, went to the entrance of the basement, and snapped his fingers repeatedly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Air Bullets shot at the invisible walls, gradually disintegrating the Confinement.
This was also one of the reasons why Klein dared to cause a gas explosion and use the Biological Poison Bottle. With the effects of Harras's Confinement in the underground dungeon, as long as it wasn't a frontal assault, he didn't have to worry about accidentally harming those pitiful girls.
He destroyed the locks and flew into the dungeon, first finding the cell where Daisy had been held based on the revelation from his prior divination scenes. He then confirmed that she wasn't hurt too badly and was still able to move.
Then, his body turned illusory and melted into the metal door.
Creak! Creak! Creak!
The iron doors on one side opened quickly, one after another, as though an invisible specter was running to unlock them.
Creak! Creak! Creak!
After one side was done, he did it for the other side.
Daisy and the other girls were frightened by the explosion outside. After a while, she was surprised to find that the door to her cell was open for some baffling reason. Yet, no one entered. It felt like she could leave at any time.
Some of the girls, who hadn't been disciplined at all since they were recently kidnapped, mustered their courage, got up, and attempted to run to the exit of the basement.
They passed through the hall which was slightly damaged by the explosion, and they left the burning villa's worsening condition, running faster and faster in the direction of freedom.
When they reached the street, Daisy and the other girls thought to look back.
Looking back, they could just barely make out an imposing figure standing upright on top of the evil building. It was clad in full black armor, and it wore a black crown.
Whoosh!
The cape behind the figure began to flutter silently.
As they remembered the scene, they sought a nearby cathedral with their mistrust towards the police.
When Klein returned to the smoky and burning dining room, he found that Parker's and Katy's Beyonder characteristics had just begun to show signs of appearing.
He checked the items they were carrying and confirmed that most of them had been destroyed. Even their money was charred to a crisp.
Klein jumped up to the second and third floor, quickly checking for any relevant clues.
He didn't attempt to use mediumship, because he was short on time. And bringing them above the gray fog didn't meet the requirements of his "curtain call."
If even a minor leader was made to maintain "secrecy," then these important figures would definitely have their own "restrictions." They aren't good candidates for performing mediumship as I please. Furthermore, the previous series of required actions is too troublesome, complicated, and inappropriate for the current situation that I'm in… Klein ended his investigation with nothing to show for, but he picked up a deck of tarot cards.
Returning to the destroyed, charred dining room, he took out all the Major Arcana cards from the tarot card deck and walked over to Capim's corpse.
Then, he specially took two of them and scattered the rest over Capim's body.
When this was done, he covered Capim's eyes with the two tarot cards he had specially drawn. They were face up with their main side.
By this time, Parker's and Katy's Beyonder characteristics had appeared.
…
Tens of seconds later, an illusory door covered with complicated symbols appeared in midair outside the villa.
The door opened without a sound, and from it, a handsome man in a crisp suit walked out. He looked to be in his forties—mature and elegant.
He had a pair of golden eyes, and with just one sweep of his face, he locked onto the dining room in the midst of the fire.
At this moment, a strong gust of wind blew past, and a figure flew over at high speeds.
It was an old man wearing a soft hat. His silver eyes had an abnormal seriousness to them. He was wearing a black robe with the symbol of the Lord of Storms embroidered on it. It was none other than the Cardinal of the Church of the Lord of Storms, the Archbishop of Backlund, Spellsinger of God, Ace Snake.
"Why are you here?" Ace asked in a deep voice.
Any Beyonder-related matters in Cherwood Borough came under the jurisdiction of the Holy Wind Cathedral, so he was entitled to ask.
The handsome man's expression turned slightly nasty as he replied, "I live nearby."
They were close to the West Borough.
The two of them didn't speak any further. They landed on the ground at the same time and entered the explosion site. A violent hurricane churned and swept away the flames, sending them to the artificial fountain outside.
The wind seemed to have a life and intelligence of its own.
The two demigod figures then saw Katy, whose head was shot and her flesh charred black, and Parker, who was entangled with someone else while his head had caved in and cracked. They also saw Capim, who was covered in tarot cards, as well as the two Major Arcana cards on the face of the human trafficker.
These were the "Judgment" card which depicted an Angel blowing a great trumpet, and "The Emperor" card which was decked out in armor and was crowned!
Almost at the same time, Cardinal Snake and the handsome man sensed something and turned their heads to look outside.
They discovered a majestic figure in black armor and a black crown located at the top of the house by the side of the villa.
The figure nodded slightly, and his cape was lifted.
Then, without any warning, he disappeared, right under the noses of the two High-Sequence Beyonders.
Chapter 381: Conjectures
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
With a crackle, branched lightning lit up the early-winter night with a silvery-white flash.
It didn't smite the ground, but instead, it tore through the air, illuminating the spot where Klein stood, as if it was daytime, making him stand out.
Spellsinger of God, Ace Snake, retracted his gaze, his face was gloomy as he whispered, "Rose School of Thought?
"It's not a wraith, nor is it an undead creature…"
The mature middle-aged man with a pair of golden eyes turned his head to the side to look at Capim's corpse and said, "Covering the target's corpse with tarot cards…
"This is the second time something like this has happened in the past two months."
"When was the first instance?" Cardinal Snake asked in a deep voice.
The mature middle-aged man in the well-ironed formal suit coughed lightly and said, "The time when the True Creator attempted to descend into this world with the help of a swindler."
"Then it's not the Rose School of Thought." Cardinal Snake made a definite judgment.
Although those organizations that worshiped evil gods weren't fond of anyone, they wouldn't deliberately foil the plans of their counterparts; instead, they wished to see their counterparts succeed, waiting for them to make a mess of the situation.
"I think so too. Perhaps it's the appearance of a new secret organization. Their characteristic feature is to scatter tarot cards all over the target's body." The middle-aged man smiled. "And the different appearance of the tarot cards imply different meanings… This corpse has two cards over his face. One is 'Judgment,' and the other is 'The Emperor."Judgment' is the motive and goal, while 'The Emperor' is the organization's code name? Of course, this might also be a type of ritual."
Cardinal Snake didn't respond as he surveyed the area.
"Let's see what exactly happened here."
It was only at this point in time that the first batch of Mandated Punishers arrived at Capim's villa.
…
Above the gray fog, having only used Paper Figurine Substitutes thrice and not being pushed to his limits, Klein was about to use divination to confirm Daisy's safety afterward.
"Daisy will successfully return home." Holding the spirit pendulum in his left hand, he closed his eyes and silently chanted the sentence.
After repeating it seven times, Klein opened his eyes and saw the topaz pendant turning counterclockwise, but it moved with a very slow frequency and a tiny amplitude.
This means that Daisy's journey home will be quite a bumpy one but almost negligible… After interpreting the revelation, Klein was relieved of his final concerns.
He then looked at the two items in front of him, both of which were radiating with a strong spiritual luster.
One of them was a light blue, translucent hexagonal pillar. There were traces of light flashing through it, as though it was lightning that came from the depths of one's consciousness. This was the Beyonder characteristic left behind by Ma'am Katy.
The other belonged to Parker, who hadn't been able to play a role in the battle. His Beyonder characteristic had condensed into a ball, like a child's fist.
This "fist" was made up of three colors—iron-black and dark red colors intertwined with a large swath of silver.
Klein didn't hesitate to conjure a pen and paper. He was ready to use these two Beyonder characteristics to divine the corresponding potion formulas.
Before he advanced to Sequence 7, because of the additional influences that had been left on the Beyonder characteristics he had, it was almost impossible to use divination to determine the formulas. Even if this mysterious space could help him eliminate the interference and increase his divination ability to a certain extent, it still wasn't enough.
Therefore, the only method Klein could use, in the past, was mediumship.
After he became a Magician, he was preliminarily able to determine it using the Beyonder characteristic for a divination above the gray fog; however, there was a high probability of him failing.
This time, without exception, Klein had shamelessly failed.
However, he also had some gains, and that was to be able to find out the corresponding Sequence names of the two Beyonder characteristics.
Parker is a Sequence 8 Sheriff and Katy is a Sequence 7 Interrogator… Aren't these from the Arbiter pathway? This pathway is controlled by the royal family, the military, and a small number of ancient aristocratic families in Loen. Any leaks of formulas and Beyonder ingredients are dealt with harshly… Could a number of the girls abducted by Capim be sent to the estate of some aristocrat?
But there's no need for them to send four Beyonders to help Capim just to enjoy themselves. It obviously doesn't make sense… Harras is much more powerful than Katy, so perhaps he's a Sequence 6 of this pathway. After wearing that glove, he might even be as strong as a Sequence 5… Could it be that they're involved in some bloody heretic sacrifice, and the target they seek cannot be exposed?
Apart from those on the inside of the Kingdom, Feynapotter's Castiya family also possesses this Beyonder pathway, which is then transmitted to their army and intelligence system… Could this be another espionage case of some unknown nature?
Klein tried to divine a few of his conjectures, but he failed again.
He temporarily put this matter to the back of his mind and lightly tapped the edge of the long bronze table as he muttered to himself, As long as I have the formula, with the corresponding supplementary ingredients, these two Beyonder characteristics will be able to turn a person into a Sequence 8 Sheriff and Sequence 7 Interrogator… Miss Magician's friend who's called Xio seems to be lacking the Beyonder ingredients for Sheriff…
I can sell Parker's Beyonder characteristic to Miss Magician through The World so that I can quickly amass the money needed for the ingredients of the Faceless Sequence potion… However, always doing it through The World doesn't seem rather appropriate. I deliberately left the tarot cards this time. If Miss Justice were to hear of this matter, then she would definitely believe that it was done by my adorer… I'll let Mr. Fool do the selling on his behalf…
Klein quickly finalized a plan and made the Sheriff and Interrogator Beyonder characteristics fly to the corner and hid it among the junk pile.
I wonder what the names are for the Arbiter pathway's Sequence 6 and 5… It seems like something that uses order and laws… Judge? Klein put away those thoughts and closed his eyes midway to carefully observe his current state.
Once again, he felt his spirituality become lively as the potion stirred. He felt that his digestion of the potion had sped up.
This time, he had confidence, based on his intuition, that he had concluded most of the "Magician rules." The remaining minutiae were good to have, but it didn't really matter if he lacked them. It didn't significantly affect his digestion process.
Conjuring a fountain pen and goatskin, Klein enhanced his memory by writing:
"The Magician's Rules:
"1. Never perform unprepared.
"2. Challenge the impossible, even if the final outcome is nothing but an illusion."
Klein believed that these were the two core tenets of the "Magician's Rules." Grasping them would be key, and the rest were supplementary for perfection.
"3. Take the initiative to perform.
"4. Try to get applause from the audience.
"5. Wield control of the target's attention."
…
Putting down the dark red fountain pen, Klein skimmed through it and judged them by himself.
Daily "acting," together with three or four proactive "acting" instances would be enough to allow me to digest the Magician potion before new year's. If I were to challenge an impossible performance during this period, then my progress would be even faster… This is roughly at the speed I wish to achieve.
There were still about two months till 1 January 1350.
After doing all this, Klein rubbed his temples, prepared to return to the real world.
After putting away the Dark Emperor card, the Biological Poison Bottle, and other items, he suddenly laughed and said self-deprecatingly, "Challenge the impossible… Isn't that equivalent to courting death?"
As his voice echoed, Klein's figure disappeared from the space above the gray fog.
In the cheap hotel in the Backlund Bridge area, he suddenly opened his eyes and saw the candlelight of his summoning ritual.
After quickly clearing up everything, Klein put on a thick worker's jacket he'd bought for 4 soli and went to the window.
He picked up the sweet iced tea that he had bought earlier and looked at his blurry figure which was reflected in the window. There was a heartfelt smile on his face as he whispered, "Cheers."
Just as he finished his sentence, he touched the glass with his cup, then lifted his chin and downed it in one gulp.
Then, he sauntered out of the hotel. The nearby gas lamps were already fully lit up, and pedestrians and carts were bustling about, oblivious to the explosion at the border between the Cherwood Borough and West Borough.
Klein strolled around the Bravehearts Bar for a while, and at 7:58, he knocked on the door of the Beyonder gathering organized by Eye of Wisdom.
He wore an iron mask and a hooded robe, acting completely ordinary.
…
Meanwhile, Xio, who went to various places every night to check on her contacts, saw a sign that had never appeared before.
It belonged to the golden-masked man who had sold the Sheriff's formula to her at the gathering organized by Mr. A.
It was the sign of an emergency meeting!
He hasn't come looking for me all this time, and I've been pretending that it had never happened. Why would he suddenly… Xio thought for a moment before deciding to take a look.
The golden-masked man had promised to give her some missions, allowing her to save enough money and exchange it for the corresponding Beyonder ingredients.
Therefore, Xio switched areas and marked the time and place of the meeting.
Half an hour later, Xio walked out of her hiding place after secretly observing a remote alley that also extended in all directions. She walked towards the golden-masked man.
The man was still wearing his black tuxedo. His light brown eyes swept over Xio's head.
"There's a mission for you."
"Difficulty and compensation?" Xio asked like clockwork.
The man nudged his mask which was forged from gold.
"It's not dangerous, but it can be very dangerous. It all depends on what you do.
"The initial compensation is thirty pounds. If you can acquire useful information, I can even directly give you a Beyonder ingredient corresponding to Sheriff."
"What's the mission," Xio said with a frown.
The golden-masked man's gaze turned heavy as he said, "Through the channels available to you, figure out who has been recently been keeping tabs on Capim."
"Capim? That human trafficker?" Xio returned with a question.
The man nodded.
"Yes."
"I reject this mission. I hate him!" Xio immediately refused.
The man opposite her chuckled.
"You aren't working for Capim.
"Because he's dead."
"Dead?" Xio was instantly stunned.
"He died at home, and his body was covered with tarot cards. There were two cards on his face, one 'Judgment,' and the other 'The Emperor.' By the way, pay attention to matters in the past few years which have involved tarot cards but were not reported to the police," the man added.
Chapter 382: Hero Bandit
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Cherwood Borough, in the house Xio and Fors rented.
Fors was just finishing the beginning of her new book and, in her good mood, prepared to reward herself with a cigarette, when Xio pushed open the door and entered the study.
"Smoking is harmful to your health." Xio sniffed.
Fors didn't argue with her when she saw her puzzled look. Instead, she asked, "Looks like something happened to you?"
Xio scratched her rough blonde hair and sat down on a nearby chair.
"That person from before contacted me—the person who sold the Sheriff formula to me through another person at Mr. A's gathering.
"He gave me a relatively simple mission. The initial reward is thirty pounds. I don't even know if there are any hidden dangers…"
Fors thought for a moment and then said, "That person… There should be an organization behind him, but why would they want to rope you in? Aren't they afraid of being implicated by your intelligence; thus, causing the entire organization to be completely destroyed? There's nothing they really need from you either. Your looks are barely passable, but you're too short, so perhaps your life is relatively more valuable… Eh, what mission is it?"
Xio was used to her good friend's snide remarks as she ignored what she said in the beginning. She directly answered the second question, "Investigate if there has been anyone keeping tabs on Capim recently."
"Capim? The human trafficker who deserves to be hanged—no, burned to death?" Although Fors wasn't a bounty hunter, it was her writer's instinct to gather material, so she often asked Xio to tell her stories and news she had learned.
Xio nodded. "It's him, but he's already dead. He seems to have died rather miserably."
"How did he die? Was he sliced to death by a knife, bit by bit?" Fors asked, pleased and curious.
"That person didn't go into a detailed description. Perhaps it'll be mentioned in the papers tomorrow." Xio thought for two seconds before continuing, "He only mentioned a rather special situation at the scene of the death. He said that Capim's corpse was covered in tarot cards. His face was covered with the 'Judgment' and 'The Emperor' cards.
"The 'Judgment' card probably meant that it was a judgment on Capim, and the verdict was death. But what does 'The Emperor card' represent? That murderer, no—that hero's identity?" As a best-selling author, Fors instinctively began interpreting the unique layout of the scene of the crime.
Suddenly, she froze.
Tarot cards? The corpse was strewn with tarot cards? Fors suddenly thought of the secret organization she had just joined—Tarot Club!
It couldn't be one of us, could it? However, none of the members has the code name of The Emperor… If it's really the case, then this is the first time I've found traces of the Tarot Club in the real world… We're not just a secret organization that only exists above the gray fog. As Fors's emotions churned, she felt pleasantly surprised and also worried.
…
Under an attendant's lead, Klein entered the familiar activity room.
There was only one candle in the room. The dim yellow light made the surroundings look like a scene from a ghost story. Coupled with the black robes and the iron masks worn by the mysterious people, the atmosphere turned even more intense.
The moment he stepped in, Klein suddenly had a baffling sensation.
He felt the flickering candle flame staring at him.
He felt that the flame would burst and ignite his hair and robe.
He felt that the curtain behind the oriel window would suddenly flare up, enveloping his body, and covering his nose and mouth, forcefully choking him to death.
What's happening? Klein was stunned as he turned extremely tense.
It wasn't a premonition for danger, but a feeling that was hard to avoid.
Klein carefully found a seat and sat down.
The moment his buttocks touched the surface of the chair, he felt as if the chair would explode and thick wooden thorns would end up piercing through his body.
This reminded him of the videos he had seen back on Earth—due to the explosion of a low-quality gas cylinder under a swivel chair, the steel pole, and the debris had stabbed into the seated owner's buttocks, drilling into his abdomen. The whole scene was filled with badly mutilated blood and flesh, a ghastly sight.
Why am I always making such bad associations? Is it because of the damage done to my Spirit Body from the battle earlier? Klein looked around thoughtfully and saw that the fat Apothecary had still not attended.
What happened? Or has he already left Backlund? Klein murmured something to himself and heard Eye of Wisdom announce the beginning of the gathering.
In the course of the next few hours, Klein felt as if the chandelier on the ceiling was going to fall sideways and smash into his head. He thought that the coffee table in front of Eye of Wisdom would suddenly move sideways and stumble him over, and he suspected that the members of the gathering around him were full of malice and might cause him trouble at any moment.
It made him fidgety, alert, and puzzled, and he was too distracted to pay attention to deals that either ended in success or failure.
If one is to say that a premonition for danger is like an occasional vibration, reminding one that there's news entering the room or an incoming phone call, then the feeling I have at this moment is akin to an electric drill boring constantly, causing me to be unable to relax or pay attention to anything else… Klein tried to rub his forehead, but it only touched the cold iron mask.
At this moment, he felt as if his iron mask would suddenly cave in and stick close to his face, embedding itself into his brain.
Is it really because my Spirit Body was damaged so it's making me hallucinate?Klein frowned.
He originally wanted to make a request to buy the Thousand-faced Hunter's blood and mutated pituitary gland at this meeting, but in such a situation, he could only give up out of caution.
Although the level of Eye of Wisdom's gathering wasn't high, and there was a high probability that it wouldn't involve a high-level monster like the Thousand-faced Hunter, Klein believed that a lot of the members here also attended other gatherings and might be able to come into contact with the relevant information and clues.
Amidst his anxiety, Klein attended the gathering as a bystander.
Just after taking off his robe, removing his mask, and leaving the room, the feeling that everything in the room was going to harm him had instantly disappeared, disappearing in the oddest manner!
This… Klein's pupils shrank, confirming that his previous experiences didn't originate from the damage to his Spirit Body; otherwise, he wouldn't have experienced two completely different states, inside and outside.
He suspected that there was a person or creature in the activity room of the gathering, one that was invisible, imperceptible, and extremely terrifying. That entity had stimulated his spiritual perception as a Seer and his sense of danger as a Clown, but because of the entity's suppression or some other special reason, this stimulus appeared in the form of a rich association that failed to make him realize it.
Who could it be? This is too scary. Just the existence itself made me have a reaction similar to the symptoms of losing control… Without making a sound, Klein left Eye of Wisdom's house and headed toward the nearest street.
All of a sudden, he had a guess.
The Bravehearts Bar is nearby, and it's also the monitoring area of Wraith Steve, who was killed by Miss Sharron, Maric, and I…
Their deaths would definitely make the Rose School of Thought's High-Sequence Beyonder angry, and he would cast his sights over here, towards the Beyonders living near the Bravehearts Bar…
Was that him?
Fortunately, I used the Biological Poison Bottle and the Sun Brooch tonight, and to prevent myself from being divined, I left them above the gray fog… Otherwise, the result would be unimaginable… The Magician who just completed an impossible performance would be killed directly here…
The Beyonder world is truly dangerous…
…
Inside the Holy Wind Cathedral, Cardinal Ace Snake looked at the captain of the Mandated Punisher team and asked emotionlessly, "Who is Capim?
"Why is there an underground dungeon in his villa?"
The captain of the Mandated Punisher team replied immediately, "He's a tycoon, one who was rumored to be related to many cases of missing girls. He's suspected of being a human trafficker, and that he is secretly engaged in the slave trade.
"That underground dungeon proves the rumors."
"Why did a human trafficker receive the protection of so many Beyonders? And their Sequences aren't low either," Cardinal Snake pressed.
"Your Grace, this requires an investigation. We tried using Beyonder means to find clues, but all of them failed," the captain of the Mandated Punisher team replied, somewhat trembling in fear.
"I've tried it too," Cardinal Snake didn't blame him.
This member of the Church of the Lord of Storms's upper echelon paused for a moment before continuing, "Continue to investigate this matter. Also, find that Sequence 6 or 5 specter."
After his subordinate had left, Cardinal Snake picked up his fountain pen and wrote down in his notebook a number of subjects to pay close attention to: "Capim, human trafficking, tarot card ritual, strange specter without a high Sequence, concealed plot."
…
In Empress Borough, the opulent villa of Count Hall.
Audrey was waiting for the maid to cut up the food, when she heard her father, Count Hall, who was used to reading the newspapers at breakfast, laugh.
"Capim is dead."
"Who is he?" Audrey asked with her eyes wide open.
In fact, she wasn't the least bit curious about who Capim was. She was simply going along with her father, who obviously had the desire to share his thoughts.
This was both her specialty as a daughter and the innate nature of a Telepathist.
"He's a tycoon who secretly might be a human trafficker. He has rather good ties with some people. Heh…" Count Hall chuckled. "He was killed last night. There were obvious signs of him being judged at the scene of the crime, so the newspapers are calling the murderer a Hero Bandit. The Hero Bandit Dark Emperor. Oh, they named him after the code name of the rulers of the ancient Solomon Empire."
Hero Bandit? Hero Bandit Dark Emperor? Dark Emperor… Audrey immediately thought of the Card of Blasphemy belonging to Mr. Fool. This was the item of the highest level she had come into contact with so far.
She suddenly became interested in the Capim murder: "It sounds interesting. Although it's illegal, I still want to say that the Hero Bandit did beautifully. Oh, dad, how did it go?"
"The police and relevant departments of the Church didn't divulge any exact details. I haven't met them either, but this is what's said on the papers. The Hero Bandit was dressed in black armor and a black crown. He had a cape of the same color behind him. After he entered Capim's villa, not only did he steal all the valuables in the safe, but he even stole the lives of Capim and his evil henchmen, rescuing girls who were locked up in the underground dungeon. He scattered tarot cards on Capim's body, and the most prominent of all were the two cards that covered his face. One of them was 'Judgment' and the other was 'The Emperor.'" Count Hall held the newspaper as he described it with a smile.
Tarot cards…"Judgment" card and "The Emperor" card… Audrey's eyes suddenly lit up.
Chapter 383: Returning Home
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Audrey could almost be certain that it had been done by Mr. Fool's adorer when she heard the description of the familiar scene.
She suddenly felt a strong sense of immersion, participation, and pride.
That was a human trafficker whose hands were stained with blood and evil… The "Judgment" card is the retribution enacted against him in the name of justice. Was the verdict hanging, beheading, or burning at the stake? The Emperor should be a symbol of his identity… Was this the adorer who sneaked into the Royal Museum and stole the Dark Emperor card? Audrey let her imagination run wild for a moment.
She had intended to press for more information and finer details, but from the look on her father's face, the tone of his voice, and the color of his emotions, she could tell that he still didn't know what was going on. Therefore, she could only suppress her curiosity and planned on asking her good friend, Kance Leerhsen, from MI9.
Although directly asking Kance about it would suit my image in this aspect, that would still be rather abrupt. It would also conflict with my identity as a noble. Hmm… I'll get Annie to prepare a few invitations for an afternoon tea party, sending them separately to Glaint, Kance, Murray, Christine, Jane, and the others… Most of them are interested in mysticism, so they would feel interested in someone known as the Hero Bandit Dark Emperor. Under my guidance, they can help me ask a lot of questions that wouldn't be convenient for me to ask… It's decided… Audrey retracted her attention and nibbled at her breakfast.
She believed that Mr. Fool's adorers wouldn't have dealt with Capim purely for the sake of punishing evil since it wasn't in line with his identity and status. Of course, if Audrey was still the same Audrey who had just joined the Tarot Club a few months ago, then she definitely would've been willing to accept such an explanation; otherwise, she wouldn't have chosen the Justice card as her symbol.
After experiencing so many gatherings and so many matters, she felt that she had matured a lot and was no longer as innocent. She believed that there had to be more important and essential factors behind this matter, such as an evil god or secret organization which Capim was involved in.
I hope Kance can provide some useful information, Audrey thought with anticipation.
…
15 Minsk Street. Klein was eating white bread with jam and flipping through today's newspapers.
"What? A safe?" As he read, he almost choked on his own saliva.
It wasn't me… I didn't… Don't spout nonsense… In his mind, Klein immediately rejected the description of his theft of everything in the safe thrice.
The situation had been pressing, and in order to gain clues, all he did was burrow into the safe to see if there were any important documents or evidence despite having found the safe. He didn't take anything, and he quickly left the safe and went to another room.
Of course, Klein, in his Spirit Body state, had also suffered some damage from the gas explosion, and the total weight of the items he could carry had been greatly reduced. There were only gold bars, jewelry, land deeds, house deeds, antiques, and other items in the safe, which were either not convenient for him to take, or there was no way he could launder them.
Perhaps he has a place reserved especially for cash, but unfortunately, I didn't find it, nor did I have the time to look for it… Klein muttered silently to himself, confirming that it was the subsequent investigators who had divided up all the contents in the safe.
He looked at the newspaper, took a sip of Sibe black tea, and slowly exhaled. He smiled inwardly.
Hero Bandit Dark Emperor… I like that name…
After breakfast, Klein put on his thick double-breasted frock coat and half top hat, and he held a solid black cane. Opening the door, he left Minsk Street for Broken Axe Lane on the boundary of the East Borough.
That was where Daisy had disappeared.
After finalizing his plans yesterday, and before he committed to his operation, he had deliberately made a trip to Broken Axe Lane to seriously look for clues. He knocked on the doors of the nearby houses and asked if they had seen any girls like Daisy.
Although Klein didn't believe that the official Beyonders would think that a poor family would be able to afford a "Hero Bandit" who had at least the strength of a Sequence 6, and he believed that there was a higher probability that the investigation would be directed towards the secrets Capim was involved in, supplemented by "who had been keeping tabs on Capim recently," and other peripheral investigations, he still cautiously decided to put on a show and try his best to play out the entire act. What if one of the Beyonder enforcers lost their mind and planned to make a preliminary investigation in this aspect?
Some families might have some savings and would be able to hire other detectives. The chances of being suspected as a kindhearted person like me who just took on the case yesterday are extremely low. As long as I'm not suspected, they wouldn't compare my performance from the previous Lanevus case… Besides, the Nighthawks were the ones who took action previously and were assisted by the military's special department. Capim's case happened in Cherwood Borough, so the ones taking on the case would likely be the Mandated Punishers. The communication between the two groups wouldn't be that smooth… Hmm, Katy and Parker belong to the Arbiter pathway. I wonder if the military will intervene… As a former Nighthawk, Klein had a sufficient understanding of the modus operandi of the various official organizations, their work styles, and their investigation habits.
Simply put, I have excellent anti-detective abilities… Klein gave a self-deprecating laugh as he boarded a carriage.
He was going to continue his investigation into Daisy's disappearance.
After all, he was an ordinary private detective who hadn't been able to confirm that Daisy's disappearance had anything to do with Capim.
…
At nine o'clock in the morning, Daisy returned to the shabby rented apartment under the escort of the police officer in charge of the neighborhood.
Along with a few pitiful girls like her, she had been settled into the various cathedrals in Cherwood Borough last night and had been questioned accordingly. It included what they saw when they escaped, what they saw when they looked back, where they lived, what their family situation was, if they knew any friends who were out of the ordinary, and so on and so forth.
Daisy, who was still in a state of panic and lingering fear, answered the questions truthfully.
After that, no one came to her again.
She slept through the night and was sent back to East Borough early in the morning, where she was handed over to the fierce police officer she always saw.
Along the way, Daisy didn't dare to say anything. She trembled in fear, and only when she entered the apartment where she lived did she feel a little more at ease.
As soon as she stepped through the door, and before she could find her mother and sister through the hanging wet clothes, she heard a scream.
"Daisy!"
Freja stopped whatever she was doing and, like a nimble fawn, darted through the clothes hanging in the air and the random things on the ground. She ran to the door and hugged her sister tightly.
Then she let go of her hand, and with tears streaming down her cheeks, she sized Daisy up with pleasant surprise and in concern.
"Are you alright?
"It's so wonderful that you're finally back!"
Liv also stood up from behind the washbasin. She wiped her hands on her clothes and asked, rubbing her eyes, "Daisy, where have you been these past few days?"
At that moment, the police officer interrupted, "She was kidnapped. We rescued her."
"Thank you, thank you! You guys are t-too great!" Liv shed tears and randomly used an adjective.
The policeman coughed lightly and said, "That's our duty… Have you met anyone strange in the past few days?"
Liv was stunned for a second. Hoping to not be involved in too many matters or get into any trouble, she said, "No, I really haven't."
The policeman waved his hand and said, "Be more careful in the future! Don't take deserted shortcuts again!"
He couldn't stand the humidity and the motley of smells so he turned and left.
Liv looked at her daughter again. She took wide strides over to her side and wiped her hands on the side of her clothes before hugging Daisy.
"It's good that you're back. It's good that you're back…" she murmured through her tears, not asking if Daisy had been hurt.
Daisy relaxed and sobbed.
Beside her, Freja was also crying. She stretched out her arms and hugged her mother and sister respectively.
The three of them cried for a while before letting go.
Liv wiped her eyes again and said, "Wash the clothes first; there are still a lot of them."
Daisy, who had just been rescued, nodded and quickly threw herself into her busy work.
It wasn't until noon, while they were nibbling on their black bread and drinking plain water that could hardly even be considered tea, that Liv finally had time to ask, "Daisy, were you hurt?"
Daisy shook her head.
"They just hit me a few times."
"That's great! The police rescued you? A kind detective was willing to help search for you for free yesterday, and you ended up returning today. Ah, he still has your vocabulary book," Freja mentioned in passing.
Already prepared, Liv mentioned, "I'll get Old Kohler to get it back and tell the detective you're home so that he won't have to busy himself over this matter. Regardless, we have to thank him again."
Daisy felt relieved as she replied to her sister's question, "No, it wasn't the police. There was a sudden explosion, and the doors that kept us locked up were strangely opened, and we just ran out. However, I did see a gentleman or a lady on the roof.
"He wore black armor, a crown-like helmet, and a cape. He just stood there watching us quietly. None of those bad guys came to stop us or chase us down."
As a tutor at the free school, Daisy clearly had a richer set of vocabulary than her mother, Liv.
"A person dressed like that saved you?" Liv answered in shock. By the side, Freja curiously waited for the answer.
Daisy nodded seriously and said, "Yes, he's l-like what the bard sing of…
"A hero!"
Hero… Freja ruminated over the word, her eyes as bright as the stars.
…
In a certain secret chamber, a group of people were carefully comparing the Lanevus case with the Capim case using the information they were given as they searched for similarities between the motives and modus operandi.
"The two things cannot be linked together at all. The only thing that they have in common is evil, or rather, evil was defeated. The owner of the tarot card has upheld justice," someone exclaimed.
"It can be confirmed that the two cases didn't involve the same person. The difference in strength is obvious, and what they're good at is even more contrasting. Although it's possible that their Sequence had been elevated, Capim's murderer was a kind of specter, or someone that can switch into the Sequence state. That's not something common." Another person's analysis was endorsed by the majority.
Therefore, the person who called the meeting concluded, "Two cases, two different people, but they both threw out tarot cards. Perhaps the latter was committing a copycat crime, and if that's the case, we can target the people who are aware of the Lanevus case. The other possibility is that there is an organization!
"An organization symbolized by tarot cards!"
Chapter 384: On Your Own You Check Yourself
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
In Empress Borough, the opulent villa of Count Hall.
The aroma of Feynapotter's top-quality Mount Saint Dersee coffee blended with the splendid fragrance of the Queen's black tea to create an intoxicating symphony of smells. They lingered around the elegant three-tiered high tea tray, that served delicious and delicate desserts.
This was the high tea party organized by Audrey.
She had invited her friends of blue-blood parentage, all who were fellow enthusiasts in mysticism. They sat around her, talking and laughing.
Under Audrey's imperceptible guidance, Jane, Murray, and the others became extremely interested in the Dark Emperor, the Hero Bandit who had appeared last night. All of them cast their eyes towards the noble-born Kance Leerhsen who had joined MI9.
"What Beyonder powers does that Dark Emperor have?" the sweet-looking Christine asked curiously.
Among the few of them, the lowest rank among their fathers was that of a viscount. It allowed them to have sufficient status and channels to understand the existence of Beyonder powers and potions in their endearing pursuit of mysticism. But just like Audrey before, they were all unwilling to join the Nighthawks, the Mandated Punishers, the Machinery Hivemind, and MI9.
Other than that, the families that they belonged to didn't have histories that traced back to a thousand years ago, and even the ancient aristocrats that had just been established in the Fourth Epoch of the Loen Kingdom weren't completely loyal to the royal family or to the upper echelons of the military. They weren't bestowed with any formulas, and even if they had Beyonder ingredients, it was unlikely that they could recognize them. They wouldn't even know how to use them even if they did recognize them.
This limited the possibility of Murray, Christine, and the others in becoming Beyonders. They could only look forward to it, but it was difficult for them to take that crucial step.
As for whether or not their elders had collected the potion formulas and nurtured Beyonders for their families, that was beyond their purview. After all, this wasn't allowed; if the King were to find out, they could use this as a reason to strip them of their noble titles.
Of course, there were already two traitors in the living room: Audrey, who had advanced to Sequence 8 Telepathist; and Viscount Glaint, who had gathered one portion of Beyonder ingredients. It wouldn't be long before he became an Apothecary.
The tall, thin, young gentleman, Kance, took a sip of his coffee and said, "I won't give you a direct answer. I'll just tell you some facts.
"Other than traces of a gas explosion in the dining room where the battle happened, various means were used to detect poison, substitutes, Specter's Shriek, bullets condensed with holy powers, and other elements. By the way, that Dark Emperor, no—Hero Bandit was in a specter state."
It doesn't look like the person who had killed Rear Admiral Hurricane Qilangos, nor does it look like the person who had dealt with Lanevus in the sewers… Is the person involved in Capim's case Mr. Fool's third adorer who stole the Dark Emperor's card? There are at least three adorers in Backlund alone… How many adorers does "He" have in total? Audrey's heart skipped a beat as she deliberately asked, "Was there an intense Beyonder battle?"
Murray, under her lead, asked one step further, "There were Beyonders at Capim's place? Relatively powerful Beyonders? And there was more than one?"
"He's just a trafficker…" Viscount Glaint unconsciously expressed his doubt.
Audrey maintained her faint smile and curious gaze, patiently waiting for Kance's reply.
Kance laughed and said, "Murray's guess is correct. I can only say this much.
"Do you want me to be locked up by Captain?"
Capim's place had more than one relatively powerful Beyonder…
Indeed, he's not an ordinary human trafficker. He might be involved in many matters regarding mysticism…
Human trafficker… Could he be involved in some cult's sacrificial rite? Mr. Fool's adorer attacked because of this?
It was roughly the same with Lanevus. It involved a cult and sacrifices, as well as the descent of the True Creator… I wonder which cult and evil god is behind Capim…
Mr. Fool's goal seems to have always been targeting these evil gods… Is it really strife between the gods? Who knows how many grand schemes of those evil gods "He" has foiled… Audrey made many connections as her heart surged with emotions.
Our Tarot Club's enemies are the evil gods!
The rest aren't qualified!
Does Mr. Fool wish to get the title of "The Nemesis of Evil Gods?" Audrey pursed her lips and chuckled softly in her heart.
Then, she suppressed her emotions and secretly made a confession.
Audrey, how can you do this? How can you use Mr. Fool as a joke…
…
At noon, when Klein returned to Minsk Street, he found, as he had expected, a letter from Old Kohler who had paid a carriage driver to deliver to his mailbox.
This was their agreed upon contact method during an emergency.
Of course, according to Klein's prediction, Old Kohler, who didn't know many words, could only use simple symbols to tell him where and when they would meet. To his surprise, it was actually written in neat writing when he opened the letter.
With a quick glance, Klein confirmed that it was identical to the handwriting in Daisy's vocabulary book.
Looks like this girl was the one who helped Old Kohler write it… This piece of paper doesn't seem to be exposed to moisture. Perhaps Old Kohler had bought some in the event he needs to contact me urgently… Klein opened the door to the living room and read the letter.
Only taking off his hat and cane, he leaned his cane against the wall. He didn't take off his coat because the fireplace in the room wasn't lit yet, and the early November cold was silently seeping into his bones.
The letter was simple; after all, Daisy didn't know many words either.
She thanked the detective for his kindness and good intentions before telling him that she safely returned home, and she finally said, in a tactful way, that she hoped he would bring her vocabulary book with him the next time he came to East Borough.
What a polite girl… Klein chuckled. He snapped his fingers and burned the letter, leaving no clues behind.
He decided to return to East Borough the next day and return the book to Daisy, as well as reimburse Old Kohler for the cost of the letter delivery letters, paper, and fountain pens.
With this in mind, he couldn't help but sigh and chortle.
"Captain, now it's my turn to approve the expense claims of others…"
Without wasting any time, he went out again and went straight to the Quelaag Club, where Dr. Aaron was seen more often during Friday afternoons. Klein wanted to ask about Will Auceptin, the child who had played with tarot cards.
After entering the Quelaag Club in Hillston Borough, Klein said to the red-vested attendant, "A cup of marquis black tea and a serving of dessert. Send it to the corner seat of the main hall. Dr. Aaron, Reporter Mike, and the others are sitting there."
Klein had already spotted the relatively cold and famous surgeon, Aaron Ceres, who was wearing gold-rimmed glasses, as well as Reporter Mike Joseph from the Daily Observer, who he had worked with twice and had a pair of charming blue eyes. He also saw the aristocratic equestrian teacher, Talim Dumont, whose frequency of appearing at the club was only second to his.
"Oh, our great detective is here, and we happened to be talking about you." Talim stood up with a smile.
"Speaking bad things behind my back?" Klein joked.
Mike stood up and shook his hand.
"No, I want to hire you again."
"What's the matter this time?" Klein bowed at Dr. Aaron and sat down at their table.
Mike chuckled and said, "I'm sure you've read the papers? Capim has been killed off by the Hero Bandit Dark Emperor, and his crimes have been exposed. What a joyous event!
"And as a reporter, I need to have an acumen for the news. I plan to get a list of names of the girls who were rescued in East Borough from the police department to interview them. Then, I'll paint Capim's most cruel, most evil, and most unforgivable side to the readers of the newspaper. Of course, the victims must remain anonymous."
He paused for a moment and suppressed his voice.
"I also have a hidden objective, or should I say, I wish to use the interview to know if these girls or their family know any relatively special friends. Who knows, that might be Hero Bandit Dark Emperor!"
You've found the right person… The corners of Klein's mouth almost twitched.
He smiled at Mike and said, "We've already worked together on East Borough's matters. We have sufficient familiarity and trust, so I have no reason to decline."
"I hope for a pleasant partnership." Mike stretched out his hand. "We'll start tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, and we'll be paid the same as last time for a total of ten pounds."
At that moment, Dr. Aaron, who had been listening by the side, said, "Sherlock, I want to hire you as well. This evening, or after dinner."
It looks like my business is improving recently… Klein asked, amused, "Will it conflict with Mike's request?"
"No." Aaron shook his head. "My luck recently has been pretty good. This makes me suspect that my bout of bad luck was because of that child's inverted Wheel of Fortune card and the words he said. I'm very troubled and puzzled in this regard. I swear to god that I was very nice to him, and I treated him with the best of intentions. Why would he treat me that way? I wish to visit him at his place and confirm that he didn't do it on purpose. However, I'm ultimately afraid that something similar would happen again or some accident might occur. Therefore, I wish to hire you to protect me. Just for tonight. It won't conflict with Mike's request. How about it?"
That's what I wanted to do! After challenging the impossible and doing good deeds, my moral standing has become pretty good… Am I really going to become the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck? Klein was pleasantly surprised as he said with a reserved smile, "No problem, we can talk about the remuneration."
…
City of Silver.
Derrick Berg once again examined the translucent worm with twelve circles, the remains of Amon's avatar.
He had originally wanted to ask Mr. Fool what this was exactly, but considering how he had already troubled this godlike figure once, he couldn't bring himself to ask as he abandoned this plan. Now, he planned on showing it at the next Tarot Gathering and ask Mr. Hanged Man, Miss Justice, and the rest.
After hiding the worm, Derrick suddenly thought of something. It was about time for the team that had gone with Shepherd Elder Lovia, to explore the half-destroyed temple of the Fallen Creator, to return—it wasn't too far from the City of Silver, and it was in a direction that they hadn't set foot in before.
He decided to take a look. There were quite a few people he knew among the expedition team.