Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Bounty reward, transportation fees, and medicine with Beyonder effects… Emlyn White was left momentarily dazed when he first heard that.
This was not the answer that he had expected.
What about your gentlemanliness? the vampire thought in shock.
As a detective, abiding by clear accounting principles is necessary. Besides, you’ve even delayed my visit to the Quelaag Club. I don’t know what food they’ve offered in limited supply for the past two days… Klein looked at Emlyn White as he joked and lampooned silently.
After a few seconds, Emlyn forced a smile and said, “I have to see the patient before I can concoct the appropriate medicine.”
From your tone, you sound really confident… Klein nodded thoughtfully.
He then thought of a problem.
The White family seems to be a family of outstanding potion scholars. If I were to really be injured and poisoned, then I can come to them for treatment… Wouldn’t all of my efforts of going out of my way to get the Apothecary formula from Father Utravsky be for naught? I no longer need to nurture another aide that’s good at healing… Reality sure does change faster than a plan…
However, it’s not really a waste either. I’ve already made back my investment from Miss Magician. For things like formulas, as long as it exists, it will always be valuable…
Besides, the White family will definitely stay away from Riverbay Avenue and live their lives with new secret identities. I might not be able to find them, so it’s not that convenient…
No, before the Mental Terror Candle’s inducing thoughts are resolved, all I need to do is wait for Emlyn White at the Harvest Church…
With this in mind, Klein took off his hat, bowed and said, “No problem, I will take you there when the time comes.
“I shall not waste your time any further. Cheerio.”
Emlyn White’s expression changed as he hesitantly said, “If you can remove the effect of the Mental Terror Candle, then you will receive a greater bounty, and…” He paused and raised his chin. “… and the friendship of the Sanguine.”
I’m a Magician, and I possess the Sun Brooch and Biological Poison Bottle. I’m only limited to mediumship when it comes to the aspect of one’s psyche, so what can I do? Amongst the people I know, only Miss Justice is a close match, but she’s only a Sequence 8 Telepathist… Unless you change your faith to “The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era,” then we would will be able to find out how to use the knowledge recorded in the Book of Secrets to help you solve this problem through a corresponding ritual… Speaking of which, vampires seemed to be worshipers of the primitive moon, very similar to the Shaman King and the like… Could the ancient god recorded in the City of Silver—the Vampire Ancestor, Lilith—be the primitive moon?
Klein said with a smile as his thoughts wandered, “I’ll keep a lookout for ways to help you.”
Emlyn White nodded and didn’t say anything else. He impatiently turned around and rushed to the door.
If it wasn’t for the fact that the carriage driver was still nearby, he would’ve spread his black bat wings and soared directly to the second floor.
Klein laughed and shook his head emotively.
He rode back in the same rental carriage and arrived at the steam metro not far away. He then made a transfer and returned to Cherwood Borough’s 15 Minsk Street.
Before entering the room, Klein, who had become accustomed to opening the letterbox, checked for letters.
To his surprise, there really was a letter.
There was no stamp on the letter. It was addressed to Detective Sherlock Moriarty and was signed off with “Jurgen Cooper.”
Lawyer Jurgen? Puzzled, Klein picked up the envelope and tore it open.
Under the light of the street lamp, he saw a piece of paper and two bills.
The denominations of these two notes were one soli and five soli.
A total of six soli… I fed the cat three times during the period… The agreement was two soli per instance… Realizing the reason, Klein opened the door and lit the gas lamp.
As he unfolded the letter, he discovered that it didn’t contain much, and the words that Jurgen had handwritten were as precise and serious as he was.
“Dear Detective Moriarty,
“Thank you for taking care of Brody over the past few days. This is the reward you deserve.
“I rang the doorbell twice and found that you weren’t at home, so I could only put the payment in an envelope and put it in your letterbox.
“As I might not be able to come back until tomorrow evening, I might miss the verbal agreement which my grandmother promised—tonight.
“As a lawyer, I value the validity of verbal agreements and hope that they will be carried out strictly.
“Finally, thank you once again.
“Jurgen Cooper.”
Mr. Lawyer, your gratitude is so dry and boring that it’s even inferior to Brody’s, but the explanation for your behavior is very detailed. It really fits the Jurgen style… Also, why place it in my mailbox? If this were Earth, in the time before I transmigrated, I might not even look at the mailbox downstairs for months… Klein smiled as he folded the bills and placed them in his pocket. Then, he took out a sheet of paper and wrote to Detective Stuart.
After writing the beginning pleasantries, he wrote after some deliberation:
“… I found Emlyn White at the Harvest Church near Tuteva Street. It’s a very small cathedral belonging to the Church of Mother Earth. It isn’t very common in Loen… Emlyn White claimed that it was because of certain matters that he chose to run away from home. Afterwards, he was taken in by the bishop of the Harvest Church and stayed there, becoming a…”
Klein thought for a moment before writing down the word “volunteer.”
Then he added simply:
“Thanks to my persuasion, he has returned to 48 Riverbay Avenue. However, he might visit the Harvest Church often for volunteer work.”
When he was done, Klein read through it, then he put down the pen and neatly folded the letter.
He rummaged around for an envelope, but he didn’t affix the corresponding stamp. He planned to hire someone to deliver it directly to Stuart’s house the next day.
If he were to go through the Kingdom’s postal system, even if he were to put the letter in the mailbox now, he wouldn’t be able to get it taken away by the postman until tomorrow, and then there would be the process of sorting and delivering it. So, although he was also in the royal capital of Backlund, Stuart would have to wait at least until the day after next before seeing the letter. Only then would the Whites be notified. And during this period of time, Emlyn White was a penniless guy with only his figurines.
This is also for the sake of receiving payment early… Klein chuckled, tidied up the coffee table, and returned to the second floor to brush his teeth and take a bath.
…
On Wednesday morning, after spending two soli and entrusting a rental carriage driver to deliver the letter, Klein bought some of the main ingredients for Desi seafood rice, intending to cook fried rice today.
He couldn’t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva when he thought of the pearly white rice.
After spending some time, he finally cooked a pot of fragrant fried rice with bacon and black tea after going through all sorts of hassles in the kitchen. It was so delicious that tears almost filled his eyes.
This is truly a moving and nostalgic taste… After eating two large plates of fried rice, Klein sat down on the chair and rubbed his belly.
As Emlyn White’s situation had too many twists and turns, his performance had already ended before it had even really begun, and he couldn’t achieve the desired goal. Thus, he could only look for another opportunity to take the initiative for a performance.
However, Klein still benefited from this. Failure was also an experience, and it made him understand at least one thing:
Unlike ordinary magicians, my performance not only has aides, but it also has enemies and participants. Their reactions and choices can similarly affect its development. I have to consider all of these elements ahead of time…
This is also a lesson. It’s better to be taught a lesson over such a trivial matter than to be schooled when facing important matters…
Klein looked at the empty plate in front of him and contemplated about what other “performances” he could initiate.
After a moment of serious consideration, he realized that there weren’t any.
Of course, it wasn’t absolute. They were just unsuitable for him to do them now.
For example, Klein had always wanted to take care of that evil spirit in the Fourth Epoch ruins of the Tudor Dynasty. But even if it was Sharron, who had the Scarlet Lunar Corona, and Maric, who had obtained the Rampager Beyonder characteristic of a Wraith, Klein didn’t think that they were able to fight against the High-Sequence monster. It was even possible to end up dead before even knowing why.
Taking the initiative to perform isn’t equivalent to courting death. It’s not about using one’s life to perform… Klein warned himself.
There was something else he wanted to do, but he didn’t think there was much of a chance.
It was to find the strange child, Will Auceptin, who had brought bad luck to the surgeon, Aaron.
Klein had always been interested in the tarot card which the child possessed, and he wanted to confirm if it was a mystical item.
Unfortunately, this case had already been taken over by the Nighthawks, and Klein didn’t want to get involved with his former colleagues.
I’ll wait for Dr. Aaron’s break time before heading to the Quelaag Club and asking about the progress, and then I’ll decide what to do… Klein’s thoughts quickly took shape.
According to what he knew, Dr. Aaron was usually free on Friday afternoons and Sundays in which he would play tennis at the Quelaag Club.
Klein had also confirmed one thing through today’s Backlund Morning Post. There would be a Beyonder gathering tomorrow night organized by Eye of Wisdom.
I can’t sell the Werewolf Beyonder characteristic or the Biological Poison Bottle for the time being. I can’t even find someone to turn the former into a mystical item… The High-Sequence Beyonders of the Rose School of Thought are definitely still active nearby, filled with rage. I bet they can’t wait to find Sharron, Maric, and their helper before tearing them apart… He had to keep a low profile in this area for the time being… Klein picked up his napkin, wiped his mouth, and began to clear the table.
He had wanted to rest for the day and go to the Quelaag Club for a leisurely day without taking the initiative to perform, but then he recalled the Amon avatar which attempted to penetrate the gray fog, and he recalled the role that the Book of Secrets had played in that harrowing moment.
So Klein lit the fireplace in the living room and brought the Book of Secrets back to the real world. He then concentrated on reading, studying, and taking notes.
Of course, he would later burn the corresponding notes above the gray fog.
It was already noon before he realized it when he suddenly heard the doorbell ring.
After hiding the Book of Secrets, Klein entered the living room and went straight to the door.
The visitor was the thin, bearded Detective Stuart.
He looked at Klein with great reverence and excitement, and he couldn’t wait to praise him.
“You really are a great detective with abundant resources and channels. You were actually able to solve this kind of case without any clues!”
… Why do I feel a slight change in my spirituality? It seems like the potion has been digested a little more… In other words, my “performance” still enjoyed some limited success. However, there’s only one person in the audience, and only he was fooled into seeing the wonderful outcome… An audience’s applause really is effective…Klein was startled before he revealed a warm smile.
