Chapter: 116-120:Lord of the Mysteries

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Chapter 116. Lanevus's Child | Lord of the Mysteries

Christina didn't notice the seer's blank look. She took a peek at Angelica over at the reception desk, lowered her voice, and said, "I mean Lanevus's child."She extended her hand to point at the young lady with the sunhat and said, "This is my niece, Megose. Her mother is my elder sister. I'm very sorry and regretful that I thought Lanevus was an outstanding young man back then, and I introduced Megose to Lanevus, who was single. Then they became lovers."Megose's parents were happy with Lanevus at first too. They planned to pour all their savings into the steel company after they got engaged. Luckily, before that happened, Lanevus ran away. Their family didn't encounter any life-threatening losses. Unfortunately, my sister and brother-in-law have to explain to their relatives and friends why the engagement ceremony will be canceled, and they have to worry about the child that Megose is bearing."We believe in the God of Steam and Machinery; we are not believers of Lord of Storms. We don't believe in chastity before marriage. We don't blame Megose, and even pity her. However, the existence of the child does make things difficult, especially since he has such a father."He took advantage of people both financially and sexually… Klein looked towards Megose who was standing quietly next to her. He then realized that the lady was quite a beauty.She had a bright forehead, long blond hair, and a pair of big eyes just like Christina's. She looked depressed yet calm, and her lips were tightly pursed together.What an infuriating swindler, and he even got away successfully… Klein cursed at Lanevus and said after some thought, "If it was a child that is already born, I do have a way to divine Lanevus's whereabouts using the child as an aid. But unfortunately, this would require us to wait a few months. Yes, this might be a reflection of the divination result earlier. Be patient and wait persistent without being greedy, then there will be an opportunity of seeing the sunlight.""A few months…" Christina mumbled to herself as she shook her head. "No, after such a long period of time, even if we find Lanevus, we wouldn't be able to get back our money…"She looked sideways at Megose. Her voice lowered unconsciously as she asked, "Do you have anything that Lanevus carried around before?""No," Megose answered clearly yet gently. "Would the ring he gave me count?""It must be something that he carried for a very long time." Klein shook his head.Christina remained silent for a while and looked at Megose when she said, "You have to make a decision. I think keeping this child would make your future tough and thorny. Are you going to tell him that his father was a swindler and took away many people's money, including his mother's?"Time to head to the clinic, to the hospital. Plus, this could help us to find Lanevus, to get what we lost."Hey, isn't such divination a little hardcore? It was not Klein's place to involve himself in the family matters of others. So, he could only wait patiently by the side as he lampooned inwardly from time to time.Megose lowered her head and looked down. She didn't speak for quite a while.Then, she touched her stomach and revealed a gentle smile."He is different from his father. He will be a considerate and likable child."He will kick me lightly every day, telling me his mood. He will even hum a song, whistle and use music to help me sleep…"Klein heard and suddenly felt something amiss.The former part of what Megose said seemed to be normal, but the latter part was like the ravings of a madwoman.Did she have a mental problem due to the incident? Klein raised his right hand to his glabella. He pretended to massage it to ease his weariness.Just then, Megose suddenly turned around and walked towards the door, leaving only one sentence."Maybe his father will come back in secret after he is born, keeping a part of the money for his child…"Klein never expected she would respond like that, and he was momentarily taken aback that he forgot to activate his Spirit Vision. Then, he watched helplessly as Megose left the club and walked down the stairs.Christina let out a sigh and said, "Sorry, Mr. Moretti. Sorry to bother you, we will look for one of Lanevus's personal items that he carried with him all the time."Klein nodded indiscernibly. He watched her walk downstairs and sighed as he shook his head.…The next morning, Klein entered Blackthorn Security Company, greeted Rozanne, and asked, "Where's today's newspaper?"The sweet brown-haired girl Rozanne sized him up and said, puzzled, "Klein, you're so weird.""Why?" Klein asked in reply, smiling.Rozanne rolled her eyes and said, "You always read the newspapers during noon break because you have mysticism lessons in the morning. Old Neil is already waiting for you in the armory!""I found out earlier that there would be a case offering a reward, so I want to read the newspaper to memorize the criminal's appearance. Perhaps I might one day come across the person?" Klein explained with a smile."Is that so?" Rozanne picked up the day's newspapers and started flipping through them out of curiosity. "Wanted… Lanevus, right?"Klein immediately answered, "Yes.""Yes.""… Wicked swindler! He stole about ten thousand pounds!" Rozanne read carefully for nearly twenty seconds before cursing suddenly in rage.Klein shared the same feeling."It's really ridiculous! Even I want to apply to take over the case!"Rozanne continued to read and shook her head regretfully."The case doesn't seem to involve supernatural factors. Even if it did, it would be passed to Mandated Punishers under the Lord of Storms."Klein didn't quite understand what Rozanne meant, but after he took the newspaper and read it, he sighed."Yeah, there were so many people cheated. There must be believers from all three major churches, and Lanevus's steelwork company was said to be located in the South."If a case was related to supernatural factors and involved only the believer of one God, it would be passed to the corresponding team. However, if it involved believers of the Evernight Goddess, Lord of Storms, and the God of Steam and Machinery, it would be assigned based on jurisdiction area. The Nighthawks controlled the Golden Indus Borough, the North Borough, and the West Borough. The Mandated Punishers controlled the East Borough, South Borough, and the port, while the Machinery Hivemind troop was responsible for the university and suburb areas.As he flipped through the newspapers, Klein memorized Lanevus's appearance,He had a plump forehead, black hair, brown eyes, and a pair of spectacles with almost round lenses. He smirked faintly, looking as though he was mocking everyone.Besides that pair of spectacles, Lanevus didn't seem to have any obvious traits, and looked really ordinary.He chatted with Rozanne casually then passed through the partition, in preparation to head underground.Then, he saw the pale and cold Corpse Collector Frye and the white-haired black-eyed author Seeka Tron exiting the entertainment room and turning towards him.After a simple greeting, Klein watched his two teammates leave and discovered Dunn Smith in a black windbreaker standing by the side of the door he opened."There's a case?" Klein asked curiously.At that time of day, there wouldn't be two Nighthawks heading out together for no reason.Dunn looked over with his gray eyes. He nodded and smiled."There seems to be a paranormal incident in West Borough. I've sent Seeka and Frye to check on it, but you don't have to worry about that. Until you master combat techniques, I don't intend to send you on any missions. I have to take responsibility for my team members."Captain, you are such a nice person. Besides the receding hairline and bad memory, you are flawless… Klein complimented inwardly. He asked for confirmation, "In other words, I only need to attend mysticism classes and combat training. I don't have to contribute anything, and I can still get my pay?""This is only temporary," Dunn confirmed.I only need to 'attend classes' and 'work out', and I'll get an ample paycheck. It's great just thinking about it… Klein thought happily.I hope there are no more coincidences! He prayed in silence.…The days passed by peacefully until Friday. Klein completed his combat training and took a carriage back to Besik Street.Outside Henry's Private Detective Company, he looked to the left and to the right. Confirmed that no one was watching him, he put on the gauze mask, lifted up the collar of his windbreaker, and quickly entered the stairway.Knocking on the door, Klein saw the middle-aged brawny man, Detective Henry, again."Good afternoon, sir. One of the cases that you entrusted us with is done." The deep blue-eyed Detective Henry spoke with a hoarse voice from drinking and smoking.Klein intentionally lowered his voice and said, "Is it the information of the man that appeared at the Evil Dragon Bar?"The man that bought the Spectator potion's supplementary ingredients…"Yes." Henry waved his smoking pipe.Then, he didn't say anything but look at Klein with a smile.Klein understood what the man meant, and he took out four one-pound notes and handed it over."This is the second payment."He paused and added, "Write me a receipt."His private stash of money had been reduced to less than one pound…"No problem." Henry coughed. He checked the anti-counterfeiting marks on the notes as he instructed his staff to bring over pen and paper.Then, he beckoned to Klein for him to have a seat while he quickly wrote a receipt and stamped a seal on the bottom.After completing everything, Henry took a puff at his pipe and said, "According to your description, my assistant and I waited at the Evil Dragon Bar for three days before finally meeting that man."He's quite an alert gentleman, and is good at observation. Thankfully, we're experienced…"His name is Daxter Guderian, a doctor of the Greenhill Mental Asylum."

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Chapter 117. Contact | Lord of the Mysteries

Daxter Guderian, a doctor of the Greenhill Mental Asylum…Klein silently repeated what the detective had said and started to think about the ways he could interact with this doctor whom he suspected to be a Spectator from the Psychology Alchemists.He didn't want to take too much of a risk on this matter. He didn't want the Nighthawks to discover that he was problematic. He didn't want to lose the life he had now over a mere exchange of information and resources.Furthermore, this person was most probably a Spectator. Anyone who hadn't undergone special training wouldn't be able to hide their motives and thoughts from a person like that.I'll get a proxy, making me appear a little more mysterious? No, the more people involved, the easier it is for there to be problems… Yes… perhaps I can hide the truth within the truth. I'll let that doctor know of my thoughts and feelings through my expression and body language, but not the whole truth…As Detective Henry described Daxter Guderian, Klein thought about what methods he could use to minimize risk without affecting the results he wanted.Slowly, he found inspiration in a detective film he had once seen.Well, I can try that, but I'll have to practice it repeatedly… Klein nodded inwardly before directing his full concentration on what Detective Henry had to say.Cough… Henry cleared his throat and said, "We are still working on the request involving the red chimney. You should know that there are many buildings in Tingen that have similar characteristics. Of course, it would be much easier if you could provide us with more clues."Klein laughed dryly."I wouldn't have had to make the request if I had more clues."Honestly, this long investigation had depressed him, for the person behind the scenes had obviously noticed Klein's divinations and had more than enough time to find another hideout.Thus, all he could do was hope that he could find relevant clues from the information of the tenants.And that alone cost seven pounds… Just the thought of it made him feel the pinch… Klein grabbed his cane and left after Detective Henry finished his report.…At twenty minutes to nine on a Saturday morning, in an office of the Greenhill Mental Asylum.Daxter Guderian, who was wearing gold-rimmed spectacles, removed his jacket and hat and hung them on the clothes rack.He had just picked up his tin of coffee powder when he heard knocking on the door."Please come in," Daxter said casually.The half-closed door opened, and a young man wearing a black windbreaker entered.Daxter didn't recognize the person that walked in, so he asked, puzzled, "Good morning, you are?"Klein closed the door, took off his hat, and pressed it against his chest before bowing."Good morning, Doctor Daxter, please forgive me for taking the liberty to visit without any warning. I am Probationary Inspector Klein Moretti of the Awwa Police Department. These are my identification documents and badge.""Inspector?" Daxter muttered softly as he received Klein's identification documents and badge."Special Operations Department…" He looked up slowly, his eyes calm, as if he was scrutinizing something.Short black hair, pupils slightly darker than brown, a scholarly aura, no ill intent at the moment…Daxter returned the items and pointed to the chair on the other side of the table."Please have a seat, Officer. How might I assist you?"Klein sat down and placed his cane to the side. He slowly put away his documents and badge, then smiled."Please allow me to reintroduce myself."I am also a member of Tingen City's Nighthawks Squad, specializing in dealing with incidents involving the supernatural."Good morning, Mr. Spectator."Before he finished his sentence, he wasn't surprised to see Daxter's pupils constrict. Daxter retracted his hand, looking like he was about to escape."Officer, I don't understand what you mean." Daxter forced out a few words, almost unable to maintain his form. "I don't like jokes like this. Perhaps I should call security."Klein slowly took out his revolver from his armpit holster, his smile unchanging."Mr. Daxter, I know that you can see my confidence and that I do not have any ill intent. Heh heh, honestly speaking, I wasn't too sure myself, but your reaction gave me the answer I needed."Every sentence I said just now is true… Klein added in his heart.Daxter relaxed slightly, his gaze shooting toward the revolver. He asked, confused, "I find it hard to understand why you came looking for me… I don't think that I revealed anything…"Klein laughed and replied, "It was just a coincidence, or perhaps fate wanted us to meet."We ran into each other once in the underground market at Evil Dragon Bar, but you didn't notice me back then."You were smart to purchase the supplementary ingredients for the potion first, but since I am familiar with that formula, you caught my attention."Daxter suddenly exhaled, as if he just lost the motivation to defend himself."I see…"I thought I was careful enough, to think that, to think that…"After muttering to himself, he looked into Klein's eyes and said, "Officer, I know that you're not here to arrest me. What is your true motive for being here?"With a relaxed expression, Klein said, "I am different from the other Nighthawks. I don't believe that Beyonders not within our ranks are criminals in the making. This is not fair to those who adhere to the law."Daxter changed his posture. He loosened up and said, "The world would be at peace if the other Nighthawks, Mandated Punishers, and Machinery Hivemind acted like you.""You know of other members from the Nighthawks, Mandated Punishers, and Machinery Hivemind?" Klein feigned surprise. "This is not something a person who became a Beyonder by mistake should know. There must be an organization behind you."He leaned back and said with a smile, "Psychology Alchemists?"He casually watched Daxter's expression contort as he said those words."I could see that you were anticipating my answer, yet I still missed the bait and fell into your linguistic trap…" Daxter said in frustration.He started to notice that the Spectator state wasn't omnipotent. He could tell why the other party was here, but it didn't mean he understood the specifics.Klein stroked the cylinder of his revolver and said, "Doctor, we need to have an honest conversation. That can start with me."I don't believe that Beyonders not under management are potential criminals, but I agree that every Beyonder must be registered and monitored. This is a precaution against the risk of Beyonders losing control. It's to avoid the occurrence of something even more dangerous."I won't disrupt your normal life, but I hope that there can be limited cooperation between us.""Limited cooperation?" Daxter asked, as if thinking about something.Klein let out a soft chuckle."Yes, limited."For example, tell me about your condition regularly. You should know that it is possible to save someone who has not completely lost control yet, and the Nighthawks have considerable experience in this regard."Or, if you could give me clues of a Beyonder you know, or a Beyonder in your organization who is about to do something that can endanger the innocent."Or, if you would like to exchange something for items that you could make more use of. This is a perk I am giving you. You should know what perks mean."Also, you need not worry about being suddenly prosecuted by members of the Nighthawks, Mandated Punishers, or Machinery Hivemind one day. You can live your life in joy and stability."We will give you something you can use to prove your identity. You can use it when you have no other options left."Daxter listened on silently. It was a while before he said, "You want me to betray my organization?""No, not betray," Klein said sincerely. "This is the protection of justice, morals, and kindness. You are stopping something evil, merciless, and bloody. Other than that, I wouldn't ask you to betray the secrets of the organization you are in."Daxter thought for a moment, as if feeling better now that there was an excuse.He was silent for a few seconds before he extended his right hand."Here's to a successful cooperation."Klein shook his hand with his free hand and said, "A successful cooperation."He paused for a moment before chuckling."Doctor, can you now tell me if you are a member of the Psychology Alchemists?""Yes." Daxter nodded.Klein, who hadn't deactivated his Spirit Vision since he entered, didn't see any changes in the colors of his emotions. Thus he asked discreetly, "How did you join the Psychology Alchemists?"Daxter looked into his eyes and said, "I discovered that there was a patient of this asylum who could see right through me when I was tending to him. His clear mind was nothing like a lunatic…"His name is Hood Eugen."Klein committed the name to memory and chatted with Daxter a little longer, deciding on a secret way to communicate and meet up.He didn't exchange matters regarding potions, formulas, and rumors for the time being. At an appropriate moment, he bade farewell and put away his revolver before leaving Daxter's office.Daxter exhaled after he saw Klein's back disappear from his field of vision. He slumped into his chair, feeling a little agonized and little relaxed.…36 Zouteland Street. Inside Blackthorn Security Company.Seated behind his desk, Dunn swept the area with his gray eyes and asked, "What happened?"Klein, who was late by about half an hour, organized his thoughts and said, "Captain, I found a Beyonder and confirmed that he is a member of the Psychology Alchemists."He's an orthodox doctor and is willing to cooperate with us. I think it's best to maintain the status quo. He could help us learn more about the current condition of the Association of Psychological Alchemy."After pausing for a few seconds, Klein added, "I want to develop him into an informant for the Nighthawks, or a hidden external member."The word 'informant' came from the Intis language. It was created by the Emperor Roselle.Dunn nodded slowly and said, "You handled the situation well, but it would be best to inform me when you face such a situation in the future."Give me that doctor's information and a written account of the way you handled the situation. I will give him something he can use to prove his identity."Also, don't speak of this to Leonard and the rest. Even though they are trustworthy teammates, the protocol clearly requires us to keep this close."You will be in charge of contacting that doctor in the future."Klein exhaled silently and replied with a smile, "Alright."

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Chapter 118. August | Lord of the Mysteries

Time flew by and Tingen bade farewell to the end of summer. The temperature hovered between twenty-six and twenty-seven degrees Celsius.Whoosh!Klein stood up from the bathtub and took a stride forward, sending water droplets to the floor.He stood there naked, looking down at his abs. He flexed and saw prominent muscle lines appear.That was the result of his daily training. Besides, he appeared a lot more energetic.And just today, his combat teacher, Gawain had started teaching him the basic footwork for punching and the techniques for delivering force.Tap. Tap. Tap. Klein stepped on the floor barefooted in the bathroom, either sliding forward or retreating before dodging to the right and swinging his fist while he made a defensive gesture.Phew. He stopped and let out a breath happily. He took the towel next to him and wiped himself down.After getting in touch with Daxter Guderian, the doctor in the mental asylum, Klein seemed to escape from coincidences for two whole weeks. Without the constant barrage of supernatural incidents, his life became stable. He received his paycheck on time, researched mysticism in-depth, trained his marksmanship and fighting skills, developed new cooking recipes, slowly gathered decent utensils and decorations with Benson and Melissa, asked his teammates about supernatural cases in the past, divined for people who came to the club, and strictly followed the principles he figured out.That made him more stable. If it wasn't for the late nights in which he still missed Earth, the red chimney that had yet to be uncovered, or the Misfortune Cloth Puppet's picture that still appeared in his dreams occasionally, he would've started getting used to his current life and think of it affectionately.During that time, three Tarot Club Gatherings were convened, but Klein didn't receive any new pages of Roselle's diary. However, according to Justice's explanation, she had gotten to know two Beyonders and she was getting in touch with them consistently. When she got into their circle of acquaintances, it was likely that she could trade for more pages of Roselle's diary.The Hanged Man also expressed that he had returned to land and was dealing with some matters. He would begin looking for more as soon as he had more free time.Besides, Justice felt that the two Beyonders whom she knew were potential targets to join the Gathering. They both had decent identities as cover, with certain but different channels of information, as well as principles and unique characteristics. They were not the kind of people that would sell out a secret. The only problem was that they were only Sequence 9 Beyonders, which wasn't too suitable for a high-end secret organization like the Tarot Club.High-end secret organization? Sounds more like a pyramid scheme… Klein only let out a heavy sigh to cover up the fact that he was at a loss for words to reply to Miss Justice's complacency. He could only agree to observe the two Beyonders further.Of course, Justice wasn't the innocent and romantic maiden from before. She kept her guard up and never mentioned the names and traits of the two Beyonders. She was afraid that The Hanged Man would be able to identify her through that.Miss Justice said that she clearly feels the signs of the potion digesting. She might need another three to four weeks until she completes her acting as a Spectator. My scheduled acquisition of the Telepathist formula has to be brought forward… Klein threw aside the towel that he used to dry himself and put on his clothes as he thought about the Tarot Club from the day before.In the last twenty days, he had only met Daxter Guderian once. He had the idea of haste makes waste, so he merely chatted about the doctor's state and asked unimportant matters about the Psychology Alchemists.Given the speed with which Justice was digesting the potion, he had no choice but to begin thinking about how to get the formula of Sequence 8 Telepathist from Daxter earlier.Klein buttoned his shirt and took another dry towel to wrap around his head to absorb the water in his hair.Compared to Justice, he was digesting the Seer potion even faster than expected. By this week, the sounds that he shouldn't hear and things that he shouldn't see had already vanished while engaging in Cogitation or Spirit Vision.Flipping over the towel, Klein dried his hair again. He lifted his head to look at the door and muttered to himself, "The Seer principles that I've figured out are really efficient. Next week… I should be able to digest the potion entirely by next week. I have no idea where to get the single horn of a matured Hornacis gray mountain goat and a complete stalk of a human-faced rose required by the Clown formula… Maybe I could do as Lady Daly did and send in a special application? But that would definitely attract the attention of the higher-ups, and I want to develop at my own pace. The believer from the Aurora Order in the police department was found too, but I have yet to find out who this Mr. Z is…"Henry said that he would complete the red chimney task before the end of this week. My private stash of money has returned to slightly more than seven pounds, so at least I don't have to worry about making the final payment…"Some of the information on houses and tenants that he provided before didn't seem to have any abnormalities, but I have no time to investigate them one by one…"Perhaps I could see which red chimney houses have gotten new tenants recently?"Hmm, that's one way to look at it."…Sitting silently for another half a minute, he put on his black trousers, bow tie, and armpit holster. He then picked up his sweaty knight training suit from the floor and tossed it into the laundry basket. He opened the door and exited the bathroom. He had just finished his Wednesday afternoon combat training, and he was still at his teacher Gawain's place."Hello, Mr. Moretti." Gawain's maidservant happened to pass by, and she quickly bowed.Klein nodded slightly and pointed at the messy bathroom."Could you clean this up, please?""Of course, sir. The clothes will be taken care of by the laundry maid. She'll come over at six." The maidservant held her head low when she answered.Laundry maids had no accommodation or food included, so they weren't hired by only one household. They were normally contracted to handle the laundry from several households. Either they rushed around daily, washing one household's clothes before going to the next, or they would gather all the clothes from different households and take care of it all at the same time, before sending it all back. Only then could they barely make a living.Klein didn't say much but returned to the living room to bid farewell to the owner who was sitting on the rocking chair.He saw Gawain nodding lethargically, a light brown blanket covering his legs and the Awwa Evening News in his hands.Klein knew for a fact that the gentleman bathing in the setting sun's glow was in his early fifties, but his listlessness made him seem like he was already in his eighties.During combat training, Gawain maintained silence and only give pointers when he needed to. He wasn't one for casual chatting. Klein was so exhausted from the daily training that he had no intention of trying to engage in conversation. Thus, their relationship remained distant.From his demonstrations, Teacher Gawain's strength is still quite terrifying, and his steps are swift too. I reckon it wouldn't be a problem for him to fight three of me… He has the pay from the police station, and he also bought a plot of land in a village out in the Tingen suburbs that provides a fixed rental… He hires a chef, a maidservant, and a laundry maiden… In the Foodaholic Empire on Earth, a man in his fifties with such wealth would have been traveling the world…Klein looked away from Gawain and shook his head. Then, he went to the clothes rack to take down his top hat and black windbreaker.After he tidied himself up, he took his cane and exited the house. He walked along the weed-covered stone path towards the gates.Just then, he saw that there was a two-wheeled carriage stopped outside the metal fence, and there was a man with a familiar face standing next to it."Leonard?" Klein muttered, looking suspiciously towards his messy-haired Nighthawks teammate.Leonard was dressed in a white shirt, black trousers, and buttonless leather boots as he twirled his hat in his hands. When he saw Klein come out from the house, he smiled and asked, "Are you pleasantly surprised?"Only surprise, without any joy… Klein ignored Leonard's inappropriate behavior and looked into the fake poet's green eyes."What happened?"Leonard put on his hat and said, "Captain wants you to work with me and Frye. Let's talk about it on the way.""Alright." Klein followed him into the carriage.As the scene outside of the carriage flew past, Leonard took up the document bag by his side and threw it at Klein.Klein caught it steadily and took out a document. He then started reading carefully."August 11th, 11pm, at a workhouse in West Borough, the bankrupt Salus attempted arson to cause a tragedy. But in the end, he only managed to burn himself to death…""August 11th, 10pm, harbor worker, Zid jumped into the Tussock River and ended his poverty-stricken life…""August 11th, 8pm, in Iron Cross Street's Lower Street, Mrs. Lauwis who earned a living by selling matchboxes died of a sudden disease…"…Klein was puzzled when he read the first two incidents. He found the deaths very ordinary and common. Not only should it have been beneath the attention of the Nighthawks, even the police force would avoid wasting resources looking into such obvious causes of death.However, when he read down the list, he slowly creased his eyebrows.After two pages, he suddenly lifted his head and looked at Leonard."Isn't this too many?"When the number of ordinary deaths reached a staggering amount, it was difficult to call it normal.For once, Leonard nodded seriously and said, "The number of death incidents within the past two weeks are five times the normal rate."When the Tingen Police headquarters tabulated the data, they realized the problem and quickly passed it over to us, as well as the Mandated Punishers and the Machinery Hivemind."Although these death incidents appeared normal during initial investigations, Captain believes we should investigate them once more. It might require the help of divination or ritualistic magic."Klein said with a look of enlightenment, "I understand."Leonard snapped his fingers and said, "You, me, and Frye are in a team. He's waiting for us at Iron Cross Street's Lower Street. Seeka, Royale, and Old Neil are in another team, investigating corresponding incidents in the North Borough. Captain is staying in the security company to respond to any emergencies.""Okay." Klein nodded solemnly and suddenly thought of something. He quickly asked, "Can I drop by my place and leave a note?"He had to tell his brother and sister that he couldn't dine at home that night because something has cropped up.Leonard laughed."No problem, it's on the way."With that, Klein calmed down and read over the death incidents again, intending to find a link among the various names, times, and causes of death.Then, he suddenly realized something.Is this my first group mission after becoming a Nighthawk?

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Chapter 119. The True Lower Street | Lord of the Mysteries

Tingen City, 2 Daffodil Street.Klein, who had left a note, locked the door and walked briskly towards Leonard Mitchell who was waiting by the side of the road.Leonard's short black hair had grown a little over the month, and the lack of any grooming made it look messy.Despite that, his messy hair still complimented his decent looks, emerald-colored eyes, and poetic vibes. It exuded a different sense of beauty.Indeed, any hairstyle depends on the face… Klein lampooned inwardly. He pointed in the direction of Iron Cross Street and asked, "Is Frye waiting for us there?""Yes." Leonard smoothed his untucked shirt and said casually, "Did you notice any clues when you were looking at the documents?"Klein held his cane in his left hand as he walked along the side of the road and said, "No, I cannot find anything common in their times, locations, or causes of death. You should know that any rituals involving evil gods or devils must be conducted within a certain time frame or using a special method."Leonard touched the custom-made revolver hidden underneath his shirt, by his waist and chuckled."That isn't an absolute rule. In my experience, some evil gods or devils are easily satisfied, as long as they have a particular interest in what is being asked of them."Also, a good number of the deaths seem normal. We have to omit them before we can arrive at the real answer."Klein glanced at him and said, "That's why the Captain asked us to investigate once more. To eliminate the normal incidents.""Leonard, your tone and description tell me that you have considerable experience in this area, but you have only been a member of the Nighthawks for four years, with an average of two supernatural incidents a month. Furthermore, a large number of those were simple and easy to solve."He always felt that Leonard Mitchell was a little weird and mysterious. Not only was he always suspicious of him, believing that there was something about him. In addition, his demeanor also changed from time to time, sometimes quiet, sometimes arrogant, sometimes flippant, sometimes staid."Could it be that you've also had a fortuitous encounter? An encounter that makes you view yourself as a star in a play?" Klein made a rough deduction based on all the movies, novels, and dramas he had watched in the past.Upon hearing this question, Leonard laughed and said, "That's because you're not a full-fledged Nighthawk yet. You're still in the training phase."The Holy Cathedral compiles a record of all supernatural encounters experienced by cathedrals of the different dioceses and hands it down to its members once every six months."Aside from your mysticism lessons, you can submit an application to the Captain and request to enter Chanis Gate to read these records."Klein nodded in enlightenment."The Captain has never mentioned this to me."Klein hadn't had the opportunity to enter Chanis Gate up to this point.Leonard chuckled and said, "I thought that you were already used to the Captain's style. To think that you are still naively waiting for him to remind you…"Upon saying that, he added meaningfully, "We must be cautious of the Captain if there ever comes a day when he remembers everything."Would that mean a loss of control? Klein nodded, his expression serious. He then asked, "Is the forgetfulness unique to the Captain? I had thought that it was a problem brought about by the Sleepless Sequence."Burning the midnight oil usually leads to memory loss…"More accurately, it's a symptom unique to a Nightmare. With dreams and reality intertwined, it's often hard for a person to differentiate between what is real and what isn't. They need to remember what isn't part of reality…" Leonard wanted to elaborate further, but they had already arrived at Iron Cross Street and found Corpse Collector Frye waiting for them at the public carriage station.Frye was wearing a round black hat and a windbreaker of a similar color with a leather briefcase in his hand. He was so pale that it made Klein suspect if he would soon collapse at anytime. His icy aura made everyone else waiting for the carriage keep their distance from him.After nodding to each other, the three grouped up silently and walked past the Smyrin Bakery before turning onto the Lower Street of Iron Cross Street.They were immediately faced with a din. Merchants selling clam soup, seared fish, ginger beer, and fruits were shouting hysterically for attention, causing the pedestrians to involuntarily slow down.It was already a little past five. People were returning to Iron Cross Street, and the sides of the streets were becoming crowded. Some children were mixed in the crowd, coldly watching everything, placing their attention on the pockets of the pedestrians.Klein frequently came here for cheap cooked food and was familiar with the streets, especially since he had lived in a nearby apartment in the past. He reminded the group, "Be careful of thieves."Leonard smiled. "You need not mind them."He pulled on his shirt and adjusted the holster of his gun, revealing his revolver.Suddenly, all the gazes fixed on them shifted away. The pedestrians around them instinctively made way.Klein froze for a moment, then caught up to Leonard and Frye with large steps. He lowered his head, trying hard to avoid being noticed by anyone he knew.Benson and Melissa still had dealings with the neighbors here. After all, they hadn't moved too far away.The three made their way past the area that was had many peddlers and turned into the true Lower Street of Iron Cross Street.The pedestrians here were all dressed in old, ragged clothes. They were cautious of strangers wearing bright and beautiful clothes; yet, there was also greed in their eyes, like vultures eyeing a meal, waiting to strike at any time. But Leonard's revolver prevented any accidents from happening."Let's first investigate the death from yesterday. We'll begin with Mrs. Lauwis, a lady who glued matchboxes together for a living." Leonard flipped his notes and pointed to a place not far away, "First floor, No. 134…"As the three of them walked forward, children who were playing in the streets and dressed in shabby clothes quickly hid by the corner of the road. They observed them with eyes full of curiosity and fear."Look at their arms and legs, thin as matchsticks." Leonard sighed. He entered building No. 134 first.Air that was a mixture of numerous scents entered Klein's nostrils. He could faintly detect the stench of urine, sweat, and mold, as well as the smell of burning coal.Klein couldn't help but pinch his nose. He then saw Bitsch Mountbatten who had been waiting there for them.Officer Mountbatten had a brownish-yellow mustache and was envious of Leonard's rank of inspector."Sir, I have already asked Lauwis to wait in her room," Bitsch Mountbatten said with his unique, shrill voice.He clearly didn't recognize Klein, who now looked more energized and proper. All he cared about was sucking up to the three officers in front of him as he led them to the Lauwis family on the first floor.It was a simple apartment. There was a bunk bed laid upright inside the room and a desk filled with glue and hard paper on the right side. The corner of the room was piled full of frames for matchboxes, while an old cabinet sat on the left, acting as a storage space for both clothes and cutlery.A stove, toilet, and a small amount of coal and timber occupied the two sides of the door, while the center of the room was occupied by two dirty mattresses. A man was sleeping under a torn blanket, leaving no space for anyone to walk.A lady lay on the lower level of the bunk bed, her skin ice cold. It was clear that she had lost all signs of life.Beside the corpse sat a man in his thirties. He had oily hair, looked dispirited, and his eyes had lost their luster."Lauwis, these three officers are here to examine the body and ask you questions," Bitsch Mountbatten shouted, without any regard for the sleeping man.The dispirited man looked up weakly and asked in surprise, "Didn't someone already examine the corpse and question me?"He was dressed in a grayish-blue worker's uniform which had visible signs of being mended multiple times."Answer when I tell you to! Why do you have so many questions?" Bitsch Mountbatten berated the man, then turned to Leonard, Klein, and Frye. "Officers, this is Lauwis. The person on the bed is his wife, who is also the deceased. According to our preliminary analysis, she died from a sudden illness."Klein and the rest tiptoed to the edge of the bed.The high-nosed, thin-lipped Frye did not say anything with his cold demeanor. Instead, he patted Lauwis gently, signaling for the man to make way so that he could examine the body.Klein looked at the sleeping man and asked, "This is?""M-my tenant." Lauwis rubbed his forehead as he said, "The rent for this room is three soli ten pence a week. I'm only a worker at the harbor, and my wife made two and a quarter pence per crate of glued matchboxes. Each crate h-has, up to 130 boxes. We, we also have a child. We can only rent the rest of the space to someone else. We only charge a soli a week for the mattress…""I have a tenant who's helping out at the theater, and he's not back before 10 at night. He sold his rights to the mattress in the daytime to t-this man. He's the person who watches over the gate of the theater at night, so he only pays six pence every week…"Hearing the other party stammer as he explained, Klein couldn't help but look at the crate in the corner of the room.One crate had 130 matchboxes and only earned them 2.25 pence, about the cost of two pounds of black bread… How many crates could she manage a day 1 ?Leonard surveyed the surroundings and asked, "Was your wife acting abnormally prior to her death?"Lauwis, who had been asked similar questions, pointed to the left side of his left chest and said, "From last week, well—perhaps the week before, she said that she felt stuffy in this area and couldn't catch her breath."The precursor to a heart condition? A normal death? Klein interrupted, "Did you see how she died?"Lauwis recalled, "She stopped working after sunset. Candles and gas are more expensive than matchboxes… She said that she was very tired and asked me to talk to the kids and let her rest. When I saw her again, she had a-already stopped breathing."Lauwis could no longer hide his grief and pain when he said that.Klein and Leonard asked several questions, but could not find anything unnatural about the death.After they looked at each other, Leonard said, "Mr. Lauwis, please wait outside for a few minutes. We are going to conduct a thorough examination of the corpse. I don't think that you'll want to see that.""Alright." Lauwis stood up anxiously.Bitsch Mountbatten walked toward the mattress and kicked the tenant, violently chasing him out of the apartment. He then closed the door and guarded the room from the outside."So?" Leonard looked at Frye."She died of a heart attack," Frye said with certainty, retracting his hands.Klein thought for a moment before taking out a half-penny, intending to do a quick judgment."Mrs. Lauwis's heart attack was due to supernatural causes?" No, that is too narrow, the answer might be misleading… Hmm, "There are supernatural factors influencing Mrs Lauwis's death." I'll use that! He quickly decided on a statement.As he recited the statement, Klein made his way to the side of Mrs Lauwis's corpse. His eyes turned darker as he tossed the coin.The sound of the coin reverberated around the room as it fell, straight into Klein's palm.This time, the portrait of the king was facing up.This meant that there were supernatural factors influencing Mrs. Lauwis's death!

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next chapter of Lord of the Mysteries

Chapter 120. Workhouse | Lord of the Mysteries

"There is the presence of supernatural factors…" Klein's eyes returned to normal, and he looked at Leonard and Frye.Leonard suddenly chuckled."Very professional, and deserving of the title of Seer."Are you trying to hint at something… Klein muttered in his head.Frye opened his suitcase and took out a silver knife and other tools. He paused and asked, "The corpse tells me that she really died of a sudden heart attack. Do you have any way to divine a more detailed answer?"Klein nodded seriously and said, "I can attempt to combine a mediumship ritual and a dream divination. Hopefully, I'll be able to obtain something from Mrs. Lauwis's remaining spirituality."Frye maintained his cold and reserved state. He took two steps back and said, "Give it a try."He turned his head sideways and looked at Klein. He suddenly sighed without much fluctuation in his tone. "You're getting more and more used to this kind of situation."It's not like I wanted it… Klein had an urge to cry. He then took out the bottles of pure dew, essential oils, and herbal powder. Then, he quickly set up the mediumship ritual.He chanted the honored titles of the Evernight Goddess in the middle of the spirituality wall and recited his prayers in Hermes.Soon, wind spun around him and the light grew dimmer.Klein's eyes turned entirely black, and he repeated the divination statement, "The cause of Mrs. Lauwis's death."The cause of Mrs. Lauwis's death."…He entered the dreamland whilst standing and 'saw' a translucent spirit lingering around the corpse.Then, he extended his illusory right hand to touch Mrs. Lauwis's remaining spirituality.In an instance, light burst out in front of him as scenes flashed past, one after another.There was a skinny and sallow lady dressed in ragged clothes, busily making matchboxes.She suddenly paused and held her chest.She was speaking to her two children.Her body wavered as she gasped for air.She was buying black bread when someone suddenly patted her.She was having the symptoms of a heart attack again and again.She was feeling weary and got into bed, but she never woke up ever again.Klein observed every single detail, intending to look for a trace of the supernatural factor. But when everything ended, he still hadn't gained any clues. As the blurriness shattered, Klein left the dreamland and returned to reality.He dispelled the wall of spirituality and said to the waiting Frye and amused Leonard,"There were no direct symptoms. Most of the scenes revealed that Mrs. Lauwis had a heart ailment a long time ago. The only scene that was different was when Mrs. Lauwis was patted on the back by someone. The hand was fair and slender, apparently a woman's.""For such a family, they wouldn't go to a doctor unless they're very, very sick. Even if they were to queue at a free charity hospital, time is not something they can afford to lose. A day without work might mean no food on the table the next day." Leonard sighed emotionally like a poet.Frye looked at the corpse on the bed and sighed lightly.Before Klein spoke, Leonard quickly got out of his pensive state and said thoughtfully, "Are you implying that the supernatural factor came into play when Mrs. Lauwis was patted? It came from the slender hand of a lady or madam?"Klein nodded and replied, "Yes, but this is merely my interpretation. Divination is always unclear."The conversation ended. He and Leonard stepped back to the other side of the bed and allowed Frye to take out his tools from his suitcase without any disturbance, so he could do a further examination.After Frye was done, they waited as he packed up his tools. After cleaning up and covering the corpse, he turned around and said, "Her death was caused by a natural heart disease. There's no doubt about it."Upon hearing the conclusion, Leonard paced back and forth. He even walked to the side of the door, paused for quite a while before saying, "That's it for now. Let's head over to the workhouse in West Borough. We'll see if we can find other clues. Maybe we can link the two incidents together.""Okay, we can only hope," Klein agreed, still filled with puzzlement.Frye picked up his suitcase and while skipping and walking, he carefully went across the two floor mattresses without stepping on anyone's blanket.Leonard opened the door and walked out of the room first. He told Lauwis and the tenant, "You can return home now."Klein thought for a moment before adding, "Don't be in a hurry to bury the body. Wait for another day, as there might be one more thorough examination.""A-alright, Officer." Lauwis bowed lightly and replied in a hurry. Then, feeling numbed and lost, he said, "A-actually, I… I don't have the money to bury her just yet. I have to save for another few days, just a few more days. Luckily, the weather is turning cold."Klein was shocked and asked, "You plan on letting the corpse remain in the room for a few days?"Lauwis forced a smile and replied, "Yea, thankfully, the weather became colder recently. I can move the body onto the table at night. When we eat, I can carry her to the bed…"Before he finished what he had to say, Frye suddenly interrupted, "I've left you money for the burial next to your wife."After saying those words in absolute calmness, he exited the apartment directly, unbothered by Lauwis's shocked expression and gratitude that followed.Klein followed closely and thought of a question.If the weather was still as hot as June or July, how would Lauwis deal with his wife's corpse?Pick a very dark night with strong winds, throw the corpse into the Tussock River or the Khoy River? Or just dig a hole and bury her?Klein knew that the law requiring a cemetery burial had been established more than a thousand years ago, at the end of the previous Epoch. The seven major churches and imperial households from each country had approved the law in order to cut down on the number of water ghosts, zombies, and restless wraiths.Each country provided free land, while each church was in charge of keeping watch and patrolling. They only charged minimum fees for cremation and burial in order to pay for the necessary labor force.But even so, the truly poor still couldn't afford it.After leaving 134 Iron Cross Street at Lower Street, the three Nighthawks and Bitsch Mountbatten parted ways. Silently, they took a turn to the nearby workhouse in West Borough.As they got closer, Klein saw a long queue. It was just like when the people from the Foodaholic Empire on earth queued for a shop that gone viral on the Internet. The place was packed."There's about a hundred, no, closer to two hundred," he muttered in surprised. He saw the people queuing were in tattered clothes with numb expressions. They only occasionally looked towards the door of the workhouse impatiently.Frye slowed down and said coldly, "There is a limit to the number of homeless poor each workhouse will accept daily. They can only take them in based on the queue order. Of course, the workhouse will examine and refuse entry to those who fail to meet the criteria.""The economic recession in the recent months has played a part too…" Leonard sighed."Those who don't manage to queue will have to figure out a way of their own?" Klein asked subconsciously."They can also try their luck in the other workhouses. Different workhouses have different operating hours. However, each one has the same long line. Some of them would wait from two in the afternoon." Frye paused. "The rest of the people mostly starve for a day. Then, they lose their ability to find a job and fall into a vicious cycle that leads directly to death. Those who can't withstand the hardship end up losing their struggle to stay on the good side of the law…"Klein fell silent for a few seconds before letting out a sigh."The newspapers never publish any of this… Mr. Frye, I hardly ever hear you speak so much.""I was once a pastor in a workhouse of the Goddess." Frye maintained his cold attitude.When the three of them arrived at the door of the workhouse in West Borough, they showed their identity documents to the doorkeeper, who was eyeing the queuers arrogantly, before they were taken into the workhouse.The workhouse was transformed from an old church. There were mattresses and hammocks all over the Mass hall. The pungent scent of sweat mixed with the smell of Athlete's foot permeated every corner.In and out of the hall, there were many poor families. Some swung hammers to break rocks, some picked oakum; no one was free."In order to not let poor people rely too much on workhouses and turn into scoundrels, the Poor Law established in 1336 enforced a rule whereby every poor person can only stay in the workhouse for five days at most. Any longer than that, one would be cast out. During the five days, they have to do manual labor, such as breaking rocks or picking oakum. These are the same tasks that criminals in prison do," Frye explained to Klein and Leonard briefly without much emotion.Leonard opened his mouth, and no one was sure if he was teasing or explaining, "When they leave this workhouse, they could go to another one. Of course, they might not be able to move in. Heh, perhaps, to some people, poor people are like criminals.""… Picking oakum?" Klein was quiet. He didn't know what else to ask."The fibers of old ropes are actually a great material to seal the gaps in boats." Frye stopped and found a burnt mark on the ground.A few minutes later, the director and pastor of the workhouse rushed over. They were both men in their forties."Salus started the fire here and only burnt himself to death?" Leonard asked, pointing at the ashen mark on the ground.The director of the workhouse was a man with a broad, bumpy forehead. He scanned the area where Inspector Mitchell was pointing with blue eyes and nodded in affirmation."Yes.""Before that, did Salus act strangely in any way?" Klein asked.The director of the workhouse thought and said, "According to the person that slept next to him, Salus had been chanting 'The Lord has given up on me', 'The world is too filthy', 'I have nothing left', stuff along those lines. He was filled with resentment and hopelessness. But no one expected him to break all the kerosene lamps and start a fire to burn the place down while everyone was sleeping. Thank the Lord, someone found out in time and stopped his wicked act."Klein and Leonard then found a few people who had slept next to Salus the night before, and they also found the guard that stopped the tragedy. However, those people didn't have anything new to tell them.Of course, they used Spirit Vision, divination, and other methods to check if any of the people were lying or misleading them."It seems that Salus long had the idea to take revenge and self-destruct. It seems to be a very normal case." Leonard waited till the director and the pastor left to express his opinion.Klein pondered and said, "My divination tells me that a supernatural factor had influenced this case.""Let's eliminate Salus's fire case temporarily," Leonard concluded.Just then, Frye suddenly said, "No, maybe there is another possibility. For example, Salus acted at the instigation of someone else, a Beyonder who didn't take any supernatural measures."Klein's eyes lit up as he echoed, "It's very possible, such as the Instigator from before!"Instigator Tris!But that wouldn't have any connection with Mrs. Lauwis's death… He thought, creasing his eyebrows lightly.

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