Inside the Intis Embassy located in the West District of Backlund, Ambassador Bakerland Jean Madan, with his gaunt face and a hint of stubble, frowned as he reviewed the compiled intelligence at hand.
He then rang the bell on the corner of the desk, summoning the butler waiting outside his study.
The person who entered was a middle-aged gentleman dressed impeccably. Bakerland looked at him and, in a polite tone, said, "Mr. Cotton, please bring Rosago here."
This butler not only served as the "housekeeper" of the embassy but also acted as the protector of the ambassadors, as well as the chief military officer of the embassy—a Sequence 5 "Constellations Master." He also had certain connections with the Church of Steam and Machinery.
"Please wait a moment, Your Excellency." Cotton bowed respectfully, his movements precise and graceful, without a single flaw.
After Cotton left, Bakerland exhaled unconsciously. For some reason, he always felt immense pressure around this butler... Coupled with Cotton's rigid personality and complex background, Bakerland didn't fully trust him. Many of the underhanded tasks were left to Rosago and the intelligence personnel they secretly recruited.
Fortunately, Cotton was strictly focused on his own duties and showed no interest in anything else.
Not long after, Rosago, with his black hair, blue eyes, handsome face, and a faint beard, entered the office alongside Cotton.
After Cotton left and carefully closed the door, Bakerland handed a document to Rosago and said, "Merceau failed and exposed our connection to a detective... Now MI9 is involved... Those simple-minded Highlanders are indeed unreliable!"
After carefully reading the report, Rosago quickly deduced, "Although Merceau had only recently become a 'Hunter,' he's not someone an ordinary person could easily kill... That detective is likely an extraordinary individual with a certain degree of combat ability... and also skilled in 'spirit communication.' However, he's unlikely to be a mid-sequence; based on the police's investigation, it seems he won by sheer luck."
"I'm not interested in the detective's information. I want to know the whereabouts of that kid, Ian!" Beckron poured himself a glass of Olmier wine, took a delicate sip, and continued, "Don't worry about the Storm Church deacon who's chasing you. I'll have the 'Shadow' distract him for now."
Rosago's previously hesitant expression relaxed upon hearing this, and he nodded, "I'll have concrete information by Monday at the latest."
"Good!" Bakerland nodded in satisfaction, then took a full bottle of Olmier wine from the wine cabinet and handed it to Rosago with a smile. "This is from 1286, from the Vineyard Estate. It's worth over 400 pounds. I know you've been eyeing it for a while—consider it a gift."
"Thank you." A hint of surprise flashed in Rosago's blue eyes.
---
On Sunday evening, following the address Ian Wright had given him, Klein arrived at the "Brave" bar on Iron Gate Street. Inside the billiard room, he found Caspas.
"The 'Old Man' sent you?" Caspas, a man with a big nose dressed in a linen shirt, scrutinized Klein for a while before speaking in a deep voice, "Follow me."
The so-called "Old Man" was Zeriel, a detective whom Caspas knew—a borderline friend who also happened to be an extraordinary individual.
Because of this connection, Caspas trusted Klein, at least to some extent.
Later, Caspas agreed to Klein's request to buy a gun, selling him a custom-made revolver and 50 bullets for 3 pounds and 10 soli.
Klein tested the empty gun, loaded five bullets, and slid the revolver into the holster he had previously purchased. After packing away the remaining bullets, he looked up at Caspas and hesitantly asked, "If I wanted to hire a powerful bodyguard, who should I look for?"
"A very powerful one—someone beyond the limits of ordinary humans."
Caspas rubbed his reddened nose, his gaze growing cold as he stared at Klein. After a few moments, he replied, "If you have no other trouble, I'd suggest hiring a reputable mercenary team or a well-known detective to protect you."
"Well, if you don't have connections, I can introduce you to 'Hero Detective' Bryan. I'm sure you've heard of his reputation... But of course, there's a referral fee."
A regular mercenary team? Seems like you're aware of the "Night Watchers," the "Heart of the Machine," and the "Punishers," right? Too bad I'm avoiding them like the plague—I can't risk entering their line of sight...
As for the "Hero Detective," isn't that Mr. "Tower"? I didn't expect Mr. Tower to have such a wide network—he's even got people helping him gather clients in places like this...
Hmm, with Mr. Tower's strength, he'd definitely be able to protect me... But how could I dare have a famous detective, who's both scholarly and good at observation and deduction, around me? Within a few days, he'd probably figure out all my secrets!
And besides, Mr. Tower is close to Ms. Daly. He might have even seen my photo. If he casually mentions me to her, I'd be thoroughly investigated by the Church.
Klein bitterly smiled to himself and shook his head slightly, offering no further explanation to Caspas.
Understanding Klein's intention, Caspas fell silent for a few seconds before saying, "In that case, I can ask around, but I can't guarantee that anyone will take the job."
A man with connections on both sides of the law... No wonder he's the boss who monopolizes the underground business! Klein smirked slightly and replied, "No matter the result, please allow me to express my gratitude in advance."
A short while later, under Caspas's lead, Klein entered a dimly lit card room and met Maric, who was playing cards with a group of zombies.
When Klein explained that he had offended a powerful figure with state-level backing, Maric, who had a slightly manic and malicious look in his eyes, froze as if he had turned to stone.
It took him nearly a minute to slowly say, "Get out."
Huh? Klein was momentarily stunned, not realizing what Maric meant until the man turned and walked back to the card table. Only then did Klein understand—the deal had fallen through.
You're playing cards with a bunch of zombies, acting all high and mighty, yet you got scared off just like that? You seemed a little crazy earlier...
Muttering inwardly, Klein left the card room, resigned. After gathering some information on extraordinary gatherings from Caspas, he decided to return the next evening.
Back at 15 Minsk Street, Klein didn't waste any charcoal and went straight to his bedroom. He drew the curtains, isolating the room from the outside world.
To buy himself some time and delay any possible attacks from the ambassador, Klein wrote down the intelligence he'd divined about Ian Wright on a piece of paper:
"I don't know Ian Wright's whereabouts. After discovering Zeriel's corpse, I never saw him again. However, through my own channels, I learned that Ian Wright had once appeared at the telegraph office on Brougham Street."
After writing, Klein didn't fold or burn the paper with his spirituality. Instead, he left it spread out on the desk, in full view.
Staring at the paper for a moment, he returned to his bed but didn't immediately sleep. He peeked through the curtains at the bright, round red moon outside, then ascended to the gray fog, ready to assist Miss Fors if needed.
---
Simultaneously, Ebner had been hiding in Xio and Fors's rented house, having long since simulated "psychological invisibility."
Seeing the full moon rise outside the window, he quietly "opened the door" and entered Fors's bedroom.
There, he witnessed Fors suddenly sit up in bed, pressing her hands against her ears and rolling back and forth as if struggling against some illusory whispers...