Captain, thank you for your previous demonstrations...
Klein flashed an exaggerated smile, grateful he hadn't lowered his guard and had kept the "Blasphemy's Word" carm, which contained the "Great Creator's Large-Scale Declaration" power, clutched in his palm. This had allowed him to activate it and perform an indiscriminate "murmur" attack despite being sluggish in both mind and movement, helping him quickly regain his mobility—a skill honed from "similar mishaps" in the past—and take down his enemy.
Coming back to his senses, Klein noticed that the gothic black-dress bodyguard he'd hired for a thousand pounds had finally ceased her painful cries. Her frantic rolling and thrashing gradually slowed, but her skin had become somewhat translucent.
Glancing down at the writhing flesh still on Rosago's corpse, Klein took out his self-made "Repose Charm" without hesitation and activated it.
With a sense of serene peace, the body finally fell still.
Seeing the scene before him, Klein felt compelled to take out another charm, whispering softly:
"Crimson!"
He channeled a bit of his spirituality and tossed the charm at his bodyguard.
The charm's lulling power rippled outward, instantly soothing the weakened woman who had yet to fully escape the lingering effects. She calmed and fell asleep.
Unwilling to take chances, Klein added a second "Sleep Talisman" to ensure she wouldn't disrupt his next move.
Wasting no time, he then arranged the ritual to summon his own spirit, bringing along Azik's copper whistle and wrapping it around Rosago's residual spirituality before entering the gray fog above.
Seated in the Fool's chair, Klein's gaze immediately fell on the crimson star representing Mr. Tower, which was pulsing steadily—an indication that the phantom prayer he'd heard earlier had indeed come from him.
But as Rosago's spirit could dissipate at any moment, Klein couldn't afford to delay. Temporarily ignoring Tower's "message," he instead chanted his divination request:
"Seer pathway's potion formula."
In moments, Klein entered a "Dream Divination" state and glimpsed one scene after another, successfully acquiring the complete potion recipes for Sequences 7 through 5 of the Seer pathway.
After "Clown" comes "Magician," "Faceless," and then "Marionettist"? If you squint, it does seem like a 'circus' lineup... and a one-man show at that...
So, Mr. Tower's "Clown Mask" is crafted from one of the main ingredients for "Faceless"–the pituitary gland of a mutated "Thousand-Faced Hunter"… I wonder if there's any way to restore ingredients used to make items? If so, then when it comes time to advance to "Faceless," at least one main ingredient would be taken care of...
Then there's Rosago's Extraordinary characteristic. Although it hasn't yet separated out, judging by his condition right before death, it's likely contaminated by the True Creator... looks like I'll need to find a way to cleanse the pollution within the characteristic...
Mr. Tower might know, but he probably won't tell me for free... and I don't have much on hand that I could trade for that kind of information...
White Agate City is located in the "Forsaken Land of the Gods," where pollution-tainted monsters are everywhere. They surely have a method to remove such contamination, or else their characteristics would dwindle over time, making it impossible for them to last thousands of years.
Hmm, maybe I'll ask about it in the next Tarot Club meeting...
With this in mind, Klein rubbed his aching temples and extended his spirituality to the crimson star representing the Tower.
"...Beckron is dead."
Skipping the preceding formalities, Klein felt a wave of relief upon hearing the news he most wanted to hear, and a relaxed smile crept onto his face.
Finally, it was over… He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and, after responding to Tower's star, returned to the real world.
…
Inside the garden villa at 18 Kinster Street, Ebner's vision momentarily blurred, and he glimpsed the hazy, boundless gray fog, with a vague silhouette seated in its depths.
"Understood." The familiar, deep voice echoed in his ear, dignified yet eerie, but all Ebner could think was: Talk about dramatic…
Across from him, Fanny had been recounting her grandfather's role and responsibilities within the embassy. Seeing Ebner suddenly space out, she asked with concern, "What's wrong? Did you discover something?"
Ebner came back to himself, thought for a moment, and nodded slightly before responding carefully, "I did find something..."
Fanny's eyes widened with excitement as she beamed, "Ebner, you really are the 'Hero Detective'! Just from listening to my description, you already have a lead?! Did you uncover the culprit's identity or their method?"
Do I need to find the culprit? That would be me… as for the method, well, that doesn't need any discovery either…
Chuckling to himself, Ebner smiled and shook his head, replying unhurriedly:
"It's not that I've identified the culprit or their method... it's something else...
"From what you've described, this case does indeed cast a rather unfavorable light on Mr. Sarré… After all, he's in charge of the embassy's 'Guardian Ritual,' and now it's failed and been exploited by an outsider to assassinate the ambassador… He's closely associated with the Loen nobility, and the upper echelons clearly intend for him to be the ambassador's successor… He has both the means and the motive…"
Fanny's excitement faded instantly, her face falling as she opened her mouth to argue, but Ebner continued before she could say a word
"But that Sauron family officer seems even more suspicious!"
"What do you mean?" Fanny's emotions were in turmoil, but she couldn't resist asking.
"There are three main issues.
"First, his timing to voice suspicion toward your grandfather is off.
"If he really had doubts, he should've raised them before examining the ambassador's body, as autopsies can also be tampered with... but he waited until Mr. Sarré wanted to check the ritual records to make a scene. Of course, it could be explained by his initial shock and confusion over the assassination and only calming down then... but it still feels too coincidental to me.
"Second, his approach was mishandled... Normally, if he suspected your grandfather, he should've gathered more people to inspect the records together to prevent any tampering. Instead, he directly reported to the Intis authorities and used his family's influence to place Mr. Sarré under house arrest...
"Third, his actions are inconsistent with his usual demeanor.
"According to your description, Mr. Charles Sauron Has been relatively low-key in the embassy. Despite his noble lineage, he's been unassuming, an easily overlooked presence...
"But in this matter, he's been unusually active, which seems contradictory."
With a certain tone, Ebner concluded, "So, it's clear that this Sauron family officer must have ulterior motives, which is why he's targeting your grandfather, Mr. Sarré."
Fanny had only felt resentful towards Charles for doubting her grandfather, assuming it was just business…
But hearing Ebner's analysis, she suddenly realized there might be hidden motives at play, and with a clenched jaw, she demanded angrily, "What could his motive be?!"
With the analysis pointing to a likely conclusion, Ebner probed, "You mentioned earlier that your father is an Intis parliamentarian?"
"Yes… but why?" Fanny was perplexed at the sudden shift to her father.
Holding up two fingers, Ebner continued calmly:
"I see two likely motives.
"First, Mr. Charles might have previously tampered with the 'Guardian Ritual' in some way and is now worried about exposure. So, by casting suspicion on your grandfather, he temporarily prevents him from accessing the relevant records, giving himself time to erase evidence.
"Second, the Sauron family supports a rival parliamentarian, likely an opponent of your father. They want to use your grandfather to create a 'stain,' weakening your father's political standing... That's why, barely after Mr. Charles reported the incident, Intis authorities responded immediately... The Sauron family probably sees this as an opportunity."
Though Charles 's true motive was likely the first, he almost certainly leveraged the second to gain the Sauron family's support and achieve his goal.
Of course, Ebner didn't share this final deduction with Fanny, as her information alone wasn't enough to confirm that conclusion.
So, politics is also involved... but... that's way over my head!
Fanny suddenly felt the weight on her shoulders grow heavier. After considering her options, she looked to Ebner, the only person she felt could help, and instinctively asked, "Do you think Charles tampered with the ritual? Could he be an accomplice to the real culprit? And… what should I do now?"
Ebner shook his head, saying meaningfully, "The identity of the culprit depends solely on Loen and Intis' position; whoever they want to blame will be the culprit... but it has little to do with your grandfather's situation."
"Why do you say that?" Fanny found herself at a loss. If only Emma were here; she'd surely understand... But as the daughter of a Loen noble, it wasn't appropriate for Fanny to involve her now, lest it bring even greater trouble to her grandfather.
"Neither Loen nor Intis is prepared for war, so the culprit must be someone from a notoriously reviled third-party organization… such as the 'Aurora Order' that you initially suspected." Smiling, Ebner stopped beating around the bush, giving Fanny a serious suggestion. "What you should focus on now isn't asking me to find the true culprit but rather finding someone reliable with enough authority to keep an eye on the ritual's core altar!
"Whether Mr. Charles intends to destroy evidence or frame your grandfather, he'll inevitably act on that spot! If he's caught red-handed, any suspicion of your grandfather will naturally vanish."
"I see now." Fanny's expression lit up with understanding, though she soon looked troubled. "But who could I find who's both trustworthy and has the right authority? I don't know which of the officers I can trust…"
"Well, the embassy's officers can't all be Sauronsupporters… As for who you can trust or use, why not just ask your grandfather? I'm sure he's still allowed to see you despite being under house arrest," Ebner replied with a guiding smile.
Fanny's eyes brightened the cloud that had been hanging over her lifting considerably. She glanced at Ebner with admiration, saying, "As expected of the best detective in Backlund. You unraveled such a complicated matter with just a few words… You're incredible!"
She stood and gave Ebner a grateful hug, solemnly saying, "Once my grandfather gets out of this mess, I'll make sure to give you a satisfactory reward."
With matters urgent and Mr. Charles likely to act soon, Fanny hurriedly departed into the night.
As she left, Ebner sipped his tea, thinking, Who would've guessed Fanny is the granddaughter of that "Constellations Master"? No wonder she always seems to have mystical items to sell…
With all the political infighting within Intis, they probably won't have much time to hunt for the real culprit either. Seems like the Aurora Order will be taking the fall again.
…
On the third floor of the Intis embassy, as Ebner had guessed, though Mr. Sarré was under house arrest, he wasn't being mistreated. Thus, Fanny was able to see him and relay the analysis she had heard from Ebner.
"I'm getting old… couldn't even think of that," Mr. Sarré sighed after hearing her out. "That 'Hero Detective' seems to be right… Ah, the Sauron family will stop at nothing to regain power..."
…
Meanwhile, in a spacious underground room resembling a temple, Mr. A, cloaked in black with a hood, knelt in the shadows, murmuring devoutly.
Before him was a statue nearly three meters tall, a figure with both legs bound by chains and hung upside-down.
The inverted figure had the unique single vertical eye of a giant, arms spread out in a cross.
At that moment, a robed man led Erin and Binglay into the room, humbly reporting:
"Mr. A, I've already spread the word."
"Very good," replied Mr. A without turning his head.
The robed man, slightly puzzled, asked, "Why claim responsibility when it wasn't our doing?"
Keeping his head lowered, Mr. A spoke dispassionately:
"Though we didn't do it, we can use this to proclaim our presence!
"Remember, this is a critical time.
"We must plunge the continent into chaos and draw attention away from us, so that we may herald the return of the Lord!
"Hahahaha… cough, cough, cough…"
Suddenly, Mr. A broke into laughter, only to erupt into a violent cough that drove him to the ground.
Cough, cough!
He coughed out several blood-red fragments, which wriggled on the floor as if alive.
The robed man and Erin both lowered their heads, pretending to see nothing.
After a long moment, Mr. A finally calmed down.
He crawled forward, pressing his mouth to the floor, and licked up every piece of his own bloody fragments.
Then he turned to Erin and commanded, "Though we've taken credit, we won't be used so easily… Erin, it's time for you to bear some of the Lord's burden…"
(End of Chapter)