In a house in East Borough, Ebner, who was lying in bed, opened his eyes. He first habitually checked if the wall of spirituality had been touched before lowering his head in thought.
"My actions of offering a sacrificial ritual will definitely arouse Klein's suspicion. He will likely think that I'm testing him."
"But it doesn't matter. After all, I have no intention of harming him. Instead, I've been helping him. As long as you sincerely help Klein, he will do his best to repay you. He won't stop just because he suspects you."
"Sigh, speaking of which, I chose to help him within my capabilities. Firstly, it's because he's a character that I like, and I'm willing to help him along the way. Secondly, it's also to build a good relationship with the future pillar and leave me a way out…"
Thinking of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom and the Sanguine Ancestor who seemed to have laid a trap on him, Ebner felt a headache coming on. He wanted to figure out what their plans were, but he didn't dare to really probe. This feeling was terrible for a Knowledge Keeper of the Reader pathway.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Ebner took out the box containing the Clown Mask from his bag.
In his teacher's office, there were servants who came in and out, as well as clients who came from time to time. Ebner simply used the White Eye to analyze the power of the Clown Mask, but he didn't actually wear it for experiments.
It would be hard to explain if someone happened to see the face of the woman on top.
And at this moment, he was in a private house in East Borough. He didn't have any qualms about giving it a try.
To be cautious, Ebner first activated the Eye of Pure White before covering his face with the mask.
Immediately, he felt a cool sensation on his face. Following that, a simple thought was transmitted to his mind, urging him to do something somewhere.
This thought wasn't strong at first, but Ebner could clearly sense that it would become stronger over time. If it were to drag on for an hour or two, ordinary Beyonders might not be able to withstand its control.
Even with the suppression of the Eye of Pure White, it could only prevent Ebner from actually controlling it. However, the enticement that was like maggots in one's bones remained, and it grew stronger.
I can safely wear this mask for a few more hours when I activate the Eye of Pure White and use it with the Machine Mind, but in essence, there's not much difference… Although this mask has the characteristic of being alive, its intelligence is far inferior to the Sword of Dawn. It's not sensitive to suppression from a high-level entity.
Ebner muttered to himself before casting his gaze at the half-body mirror on the wall. Then, he saw a female face that wasn't considered outstanding but was very charming.
She was not outstanding because her facial features were average. She could not be said to be very beautiful, but she was very good-looking. She was the kind of face that could be easily overlooked by a rough glance, but if one looked at her seriously, they would have some impression of her.
It was said that she was very charming because her face had a pair of bright and indifferent eyes, giving people a sense of wisdom and elegance.
Ebner carefully looked at the face he had disguised as a woman and secretly nodded. He felt that as long as he put on some makeup, he would not be able to tell that it was a woman's face… However, he did not know what bad things the previous owner of the mask had done with this face. If the victim recognized him, wouldn't he be the scapegoat?
Then he tried the power, speed, and balance the mask brought. Satisfied, Ebner plucked it off and put it back in the box.
…
At 17 Rotans Street, Cherwood Borough, Sergeant Faxin helped his wife out of the carriage and to a house with a garden attached to it. He knocked on the door.
Soon, a valet opened the door and saw Fassin. He immediately said guiltily,
"I'm sorry, Sergeant Faxin, but Dr. Leonardo isn't here at the moment."
Sergeant Fassin started, then looked offended. "As I recall, I had an appointment at this time of day."
"I'm sorry, Sheriff. But the doctor is out and hasn't returned. Many patients who made appointments yesterday and today haven't been able to see him," said the valet helplessly.
Sheriff Faxin frowned. Out of professional habit, he asked another question. "Mr. Leonardo is a very punctual gentleman… Did he tell you when he was coming back before he went out?"
The valet hesitated for a moment, but he was also worried about his employer's abnormality. In the end, he replied, "The doctor left in a hurry. I only saw him get into a carriage with an unfamiliar badge. However, he sent me a letter today and told me not to worry. He still has to spend some time outside and asked me to cancel all his appointments."
Sergeant Faxin was relieved to hear that, but he still asked warily, "Are you sure that the letter was written by Dr. Leonardo himself?"
"Yes, Mr. Sheriff. I've been with the doctor for more than ten years. I can't mistake his handwriting," the valet promised earnestly.
"Alright… In that case, do you know if there's any surplus of the pregnancy potion that Dr. Leonardo concocted for my wife? My wife's pregnancy reaction is very strong, and she's not young anymore. She needs the help of that potion very much." Feeling helpless, Sergeant Faxin had no choice but to settle for the next best thing.
"Yes, the doctor actually prepared it before he left. He even specially instructed me to bring you the medicine. Hmm, please wait a moment."
…
Tingen City, Howes Street, inside the Divination Club's meeting room.
Due to Angelica's recommendation, Klein, who had a fortune of 8 pence in divination, had good business today. There were several people who came to him for "consultation." One of them was divining for a child who had just turned 1. Klein directly drew the astrolabe, making the other party convinced and satisfied.
The other was to search for items. Klein had used tarot divination and dream divination to lock onto his general range. This surprised him because he had never seen a fortune-teller who gave him such precise information.
Perhaps I can gather enough money to buy all the spiritual materials for the sacrificial ritual with just divination? Alright, I know that's impossible… But what should I say to Mr. Tower at the next Tarot Club? Is Mr. Fool unable to attempt it because he doesn't have the materials? Klein, who had given him a tip, put on his hat, held his cane, and walked to the club's entrance as he thought.
"Or I can seek advice from Old Neil and ask him what reason he needs to reimburse the additional materials?"
"Speaking of which, the last time Tower reminded us that Mystery Pryers are easily corrupted by the Hidden Sage's knowledge, I even went to Old Neil's house as a guest. I didn't discover anything. Yes, I'll find an excuse to visit Old Neil tomorrow when I consult him. If there's no problem, it means that the 'eye' behind Old Neil was just an accident."
At this moment, he saw Ma'am Christina, who had sought his divination, return with a young lady in a lotus leaf hat.
When Christina saw Klein, she immediately came over and asked in a low voice,
"Mr. Moretti, you previously said that if you have anything related to Lanevus, you can attempt to divine his whereabouts?"
"That's right." Klein nodded.
Christina took a deep breath and asked,
"Does his child count as something related?"
…
July 24, Tuesday.
At the Isengard Detective Agency in Hillston Borough, Ebner had just had his breakfast and was about to head to the police station in Bridge Borough to collect the police files when Sergeant Faxin walked in.
When Ebner saw him, he greeted him and said apologetically, "Sheriff, you came at a bad time. The teacher went out early in the morning. There seems to be a big case that requires his help."
"I know. It's likely that a swindler who cheated a large sum of money has entered Backlund. All the police stations have received a wanted order from that person… As the bounty is very high, many police stations are privately hiring detectives to investigate. However, I'm not here to look for your teacher."
At this point, Sergeant Faxin looked at Ebner and smiled. "After the ball the day before yesterday, your fame rose quickly in the police system. Everyone saw you as a future famous detective."
At this point, Ebner had already seen through the sheriff's intentions. He said thoughtfully, "So, Sheriff Faxin, what is the purpose of your visit today? You didn't use your identity as a police officer to formally request assistance… then, is it your personal matter?"
"Impressive deduction. As expected of a future famous detective at such a young age." Sergeant Faxin clapped his hands and said solemnly, "You're right. I want you to help me investigate the whereabouts of a doctor!"