21-25

21

The next morning.

Klein calmly ate breakfast at his dining table, thinking about his performance the previous night. I actually acted as Fors pretty well, enough that the feedback from Xio allowed me to completely digest my Faceless potion…all I need to worry about are the supplementary ingredients for the Marionettist potion now.

Drago bark and Sonia Island's Spring Water are both common Beyonder ingredients that can most likely be found in the gathering at Bravehearts Bar. As for the other two supplementary ingredients, I can only rely on The Hanged Man for now.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

A loud thumping on his door brought Klein out of his thoughts.

He paused as he stood up and walked to the door. Ah, right, it was Meursault… He recalled the "executioner" of the Zmanger gang that brusquely asked him for Ian's location and later tried to kill him.

Klein opened the door and deliberately acted confused, "Excuse me, do you have a commission for me?"

Meursault, a sturdy highlander man with dark skin, coldly sized Klein up. "Are you Detective Sherlock Moriarty?" He asked with a thick accent.

"Yes."

Meursault nodded his head stiffly. "I want to hire you to find someone."

"We can talk about the exact situation inside." Klein remained calm and impassive.

"There's no need." Meursault's eyes became sharp. "The person I'm looking for is called Ian, Ian Wright. I believe you know him."

Klein chuckled softly and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Meursault ignored Klein's words and continued, "He's a thief who stole an important item from me. If you can find him, you'll be paid at least 10 pounds."

"You've provided too few clues." Klein followed his conversation from his memories, remaining resolute in his decision.

"30 pounds."

"No, this is against my principle of confidentiality."

"50 pounds." Meursault replied coldly.

Klein looked at the lean man directly in his eyes. "Apologies, I cannot accept this commission."

Meursault studied him slowly for a few seconds, his eyes turning fierce. He didn't offer a new price or say another word, simply turning around and leaving.

After watching the highlander quickly stalk off, Klein relaxedly left his home and found the inventor Leppard, investing in his 'bike' invention. He also provided his own suggestions to improve it as he did before.

Amidst the light drizzle in Backlund, Klein returned to Cherwood Borough's Minsk Street. Just in front of the house, Klein paused with his hand on the door knob, fingering the deck of cards in his pocket.

Steeling his nerves, Klein naturally entered the house and washed his hands in the bathroom on the first floor.

At that moment, an image appeared in his mind. The mirror in front of the sink reflected his lowered head, dim surroundings, and a pair of eyes to his side!

Klein immediately lowered himself to the ground and threw himself out of the narrow bathroom, giving himself more room to work with.

Whoosh!

A small black-feathered arrow instantly stabbed into the wash basin!

Just as Klein had barely left the washroom, a gust of wind engulfed him and a black figure quickly closed in on him, a kick coming towards him at high speeds!

Unlike when Klein was only a Sequence 8, the attack truly wasn't that difficult to deal with. As a Mid-Sequence Beyonder, Klein was able to avoid the kick with relative ease!

The black-clothed man seemed surprised, but closed in even further to deliver crushing blows with his fists!

His hand tore through Klein's body as it turned into a fluttering paper figurine. Meursault froze in shock, just as a hand holding a tarot card reached over his shoulder from behind and cleanly slit his throat!

Meursault clutched his bleeding wound, eyes wide in disbelief as he slowly crumpled to the floor.

Behind him, Klein shook the blood off of the tarot card and took a step back, avoiding the growing pool of blood on the floor.

Hm, the damage to the house and furniture is a lot less than when I first fought Meursault… Klein calmly looked around the house. How should I explain it to the authorities? Clearly there hasn't been a large struggle…

The reason why Klein didn't send Meursault off with a simple bullet or Air Bullet was because the noise would attract attention and bring into question why 'Sherlock Moriarty' possessed a gun, and also because the blood splatter from a bullet wound was significantly larger and harder to clean up.

Thus, Klein very neatly dealt with Meursault after getting behind him.

He pulled a chair from the kitchen and sat in front of the corpse that was slowly growing cold, waiting patiently for the Beyonder characteristic to form.

Gradually, specks of spiritual radiance converged at the wound on Meursault's throat, creating a dark red jelly-like object.

Klein plucked it from the body, careful not to get blood on his hands. Sequence 9 Hunter… I don't have any use for it now. He took out a paper figurine and shook it, the paper burning up and rapidly disappearing into ash.

This should interfere with any possible divination. However, as Klein looked at the pristine murder scene, like it was him who had premeditated an assassination instead of Meursault, he felt a slight headache forming.

I'm not keen on wrecking the furniture myself, it'll cost money… Klein sighed as he realized he'd failed to consider the aftermath. I need the Zmanger gang and the Intis Ambassador to know that Meursault is dead to bait Rosago. Hm, but his disappearance alone will effectively do so…

Having made up his mind, Klein took four steps counterclockwise and entered Sefirah Castle, immediately looking towards the crimson star that corresponded to Leonard.

He touched it and formed a connection with it, sending a message to the Red Glove.

"Leonard, could you help take care of a corpse?"

Around 15 minutes later, Klein heard a knock on the living room window. Klein paused for a second, but since his spiritual intuition didn't give him any warnings, he stood up and walked over.

A handsome young man with long, messy black hair and green eyes was balanced on the windowsill, his gloved hand posed to knock again.

…Seriously…

With an exasperated expression, Klein quickly unlocked the window and opened it, letting the cold Backlund air and the man outside his window enter the house.

His hair blowing in the wind, Leonard agilely leapt into the living room, patting himself off as he smiled at Klein.

"Good evening," he greeted the bearded detective. "I think this is my first time seeing you as Sherlock."

Klein shut the window and locked it before he turned to look at the Red Glove. "Why do you always have to enter through such weird places? The door is right there!"

"Well, it's better not to be seen." Leonard's expression grew serious as he noticed the body on the ground. He walked over, with Klein following closely behind, and bent down to investigate the corpse.

"The Zmanger gang? Meursault?" Leonard was quiet for a few seconds before accurately identifying the deceased.

Klein wasn't surprised at this, since he knew Leonard had carefully read Sherlock Moriarty's file while investigating him. An incident of a 'home invasion' and a murder in self-defense would certainly be recorded.

"Yes," Klein replied casually. "After this, Bakerland will be assassinated and Rosago will also go 'missing.'"

Leonard looked up from the corpse and eyed Klein. "You know you're talking to a Red Glove, right?"

Klein smiled and slightly raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to report me then? Mr. Policeman."

Leonard coughed and averted his gaze, standing up again. "I'll take the corpse outside and tell the Nighthawks that it was a skirmish between unregistered Beyonders. If it's coming from me, there shouldn't be any further investigations and it'll be dealt with cleanly."

"Alright." Klein nodded shortly and helped Leonard stuff Meursault's heavy body into a garbage bag. I feel a bit like a serial killer… Klein resisted laughing at the absurd situation and stood back as Leonard prepared to jump out the window again, this time with a suspicious black bag in tow.

It's a good thing it's dark outside. Klein was about to turn back to clean up the blood on the floor when Leonard suddenly spoke.

"Klein, I'll be heading towards East Chester County in two days with a Red Glove team to complete a mission. I'm unsure of how long I'll have to stay there, but it should be for at least a week or two." 

Surprised, Klein looked back at the green-eyed poet standing in his living room. "...Alright, thanks for letting me know." Yes, Red Gloves are a mobile force that frequently move locations. It's rare for them to remain in one place for long… 

Leonard smiled, nodded, and disappeared into the night.

22

Empress Borough, in an unremarkable house.

Xio and Fors took a seat at random and examined the writing on the blackboard. Like always, Mr. A was sitting quietly, alone on the sofa at the front in his hooded robe, looking down at the crowd from a high vantage point.

Sequence 8 Sheriff potion formula, 450 pounds… Xio silently read the familiar content as she inwardly let out a sigh of relief. Despite her worries yesterday about her strange dream, she acted normal as usual and continued her original intention of purchasing the potion formula for her next Sequence.

When she awoke that morning after falling asleep again with much difficulty, she was worriedly asked by Fors if anything had happened. Xio could only fake a relieved smile and affirm that everything was normal. No matter what, I can't drag Fors into the muddy waters with me. My mistake is my responsibility…

Xio shook her thoughts away as she saw Mr. A's attendant approaching, writing a note saying that she was purchasing the Sheriff's recipe.

After a while, she was led to the study, where she took a hooded robe from the attendant before entering.

The seller in the study was similarly dressed in a robe. "This is the formula to the Sheriff potion. Where's the money?" The seller spoke in a hoarse voice once the door closed behind them, pressing a piece of paper on the desk.

Xio pulled out the cash and pushed it towards the seller, who checked the authenticity and the total sum.

Xio immediately stepped forward and grabbed the note, looking straight to the main ingredients.

"A pair of Terror Demon Worm's eyes. Silver War Bear's right arm."

Beyonder items I know of, but I've never seen them being sold… Xio sighed and left the study, taking off her robe.

Moments after she returned to the living room, rejoining the waiting Fors, the attendant delivered a note to them.

"Miss Arbiter, who has just bought the Sheriff formula, would you mind having a chat in the study? I might have what you need." 

…

As Xio listened to the masked man's offer, although she was intrigued, she also became baffled. Have I suddenly become a hot commodity in the Beyonder world? Why are all these organizations suddenly seeking me out??

Regardless, she wanted the materials that the masked man was offering, thus she still agreed to complete the missions issued, as long as she had the right to refuse them.

At the very least, she couldn't identify any obvious dangers at the moment.

Klein spent the night scrubbing away all visible blood stains before he went to sleep, using Cogitation to help him relax.

He spent the day replacing the few items broken during his scuffle with Meursault and contacting Lawyer Jurgen to write up a contract for the bike investment.

Once evening arrived, Klein left 15 Minsk Street and made two transfers on a public carriage before arriving at Iron Gate Street.

He walked straight to the Bravehearts Bar and, as he opened the thick wooden door, was sized up by a tall, brawny man next to it.

A wave of heat and the strong aroma of beer engulfed him as soon as Klein entered. He slowly squeezed his way to the bar counter and before the bartender could say anything, said, "One glass of Southville beer."

"Five pence," the bartender replied like clockwork.

Klein received the beverage but didn't drink, directly asking, "Where's Kaspars Kalinin?"

The bartender stopped wiping the glass in his hand as he looked up and eyed Klein. After a few seconds, he pointed to the side. "Billiard room 3."

Klein carried the cup and familiarly moved towards the third billiard room, lightly opening the door.

The two men inside stopped and looked towards him.

"I'm looking for Kaspars Kalinin. Old Geezer introduced me." Klein spoke smoothly.

Upon hearing this, a fifty-year-old man with a large nose and a twisted scar running from his right eye to the side of his mouth said in a deep voice, "Come in."

As Klein walked in, Kaspar's billiard opponent routinely left, closing the door behind him.

"What do you want?" Kaspars Kalinin hobbled over.

"Revolver bullets. Fifty rounds."

Kaspars quoted a price, emphasizing that it was more expensive than a regular weapons store, and Klein agreed.

After waiting for Kaspars to retrieve the goods, Kaspars pushed open the door and entered again, carrying a package that he handed to Klein.

Klein briefly checked over the bullets before he put them away. Adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, he deliberately looked at Kaspars and asked, "If I wish to hire a good bodyguard, who should I look for?"

"A very good one, the kind that exceeds human limitations." 

Kaspars rubbed his nose, his eyes turning cold. He carefully examined Klein for two minutes before speaking.

"I can make the query for you, but there's no guarantee that someone will accept this mission."

Klein smiled and responded, "No matter the result, allow me to express my gratitude in advance."

Kaspars left the billiard room once again, a full ten minutes passing before he returned. Before then, Klein finished his cup of Southville beer out of boredom.

"He wants to meet you before making a decision," Kaspars said in a deep voice.

"No problem." Klein nodded in an understanding manner. He followed behind Kaspars, past the crowded boxing ring and into the bar kitchen.

Kaspars suddenly stopped and lightly knocked on a door. After gaining permission, he pushed it open and entered with Klein.

It was a card room where more than ten people played Texas poker together. A familiar man wearing a black vest and white shirt, despite the cold Backlund weather, slowly stood up after seeing the two enter the room.

Even though we technically haven't met before, it's nice to meet you again, Maric… Klein quietly thought to himself as he ignored the extra ten plus zombies in the room. Before coming, Klein had left Azik's copper whistle above in Sefirah Castle.

Maric walked in front of him as Kaspars left the room and closed the door.

"You're the one looking for a bodyguard?"

"...Yes." Klein intentionally acted cowed as he gulped.

Maric narrowed his eyes. "Why are you looking for a bodyguard? How much are you willing to pay for this?"

Klein waited a few seconds, as if he was thinking it over, before he replied, "I'll tell you the details of the mission first."

"Give me a price after you assess it, and if I can afford it, we have a deal. If not, I'll give up and look for someone else."

Maric nodded as a gesture for Klein to recount his story.

Klein looked the fierce-looking man in the eyes and honestly said, "I offended a big shot who might have a country supporting him."

The room suddenly turned still and silent. Maric froze on the spot as if he had turned into a plaster statue.

After nearly a minute, he slowly said, "This mission is priceless. Get out."

Having expected this answer, Klein widened his eyes slightly as if he were dumbfounded. 

"The big shot doesn't have that much freedom in Backlund. Furthermore, he's targeted by…certain groups of people." Klein added. Well, he's not targeted right now, but he will be when Audrey commissions Mr. A to assassinate him…

Maric didn't react or look up as he sat down and continued playing cards with his zombies. 

I can do that too… Klein once again had the idea to play cards with his marionettes as he backed out of the room and saw Kaspars Kalinin waiting outside.

"We didn't come to an arrangement," he informed the weapons dealer.

"I hope you can keep asking around for me, I'll pay you a fee. I'll come again tomorrow night."

After receiving a positive answer, Klein left the Bravehearts Bar and returned to Minsk Street.

As Klein readied for bed, he looked towards the door. 

Tonight, Rosago will send a Marionette to break in and look for information about Ian. Klein pondered for a second before he sat down at his desk and wrote down the statement, "I don't know Ian Wright's whereabouts. I haven't seen him since we found Zreal's body."

Afterwards, Klein entered Sefirah Castle and, infusing a paper figurine with the powers of the gray fog and sending it to his body in reality.

He quickly divined the danger, found it was minimal, and left the gray fog.

Klein cast another glance towards the paper and settled in bed, forcing himself to relax despite knowing there would be an intruder that night.

At around two in the morning, Klein was suddenly woken up by his spiritual intuition.

Laying in bed, Klein made no movements to show he was awake and stayed completely still with his eyes closed, using his Faceless abilities to mimic the steady rise and fall of his breaths.

From an outside perspective, the detective was still in a state of deep slumber.

Since his eyes remained shut, the loss of one sense enhanced the others. Klein heard the slightest, almost imperceptible sound of a paper sliding across a desk.

It's turning the paper around. Klein came to this conclusion according to his memories and continued faking his sleep until the alarm from his spiritual intuition disappeared.

Afterwards, Klein didn't leap out of bed or show any abnormalities. He slowly drifted off to sleep again and woke naturally in the morning.

Thin beams of light filtered through the curtains. Klein got out of bed and went to his desk to draw the curtains, letting more light in the room.

He glanced at the paper on the desk and found it was facing the window, although before he slept, it was facing the bed.

Klein had no reaction to this strange occurrence, even as the oriel windows remained tightly shut, meaning the paper had rotated 180 degrees by itself.

Klein relaxedly turned the paper back around to face the bed and went to the bathroom to wash up.

That morning, he had a nice breakfast with Lawyer Jurgen and his grandmother, Doris, to receive a contract for the bicycle investment.

He completed a few more errands and returned to 15 Minsk Street after he found a small restaurant to eat lunch at.

At ten minutes to three, Klein pretended to take a nap and drew the curtains shut. Then, he took four steps counterclockwise and arrived at Sefirah Castle.

He first did a few basic divinations on the amount of danger he was in, which had significantly increased, as well as a dream divination to recall the contents of today's Tarot meeting.

Earlier that morning, he had received a prayer from Leonard that said the Red Glove was in a crucial part of his case and wouldn't be able to make it to the meeting.

Since the most important aspect of today's Tarot club will be the commission to assassinate Bakerland, the Intis ambassador, Leonard doesn't need to be present… Klein lightly tapped the table and gave an affirmative response to the Red Glove.

Afterwards, he sent a message to The Sun Derrick and calmly watched the hands of a conjured pocket watch tick.

Once it struck three, Klein pulled in Justice, The Hanged Man, The Sun, and an additional new member at the same time.

As the petite new figure appeared in the seat next to Audrey, Klein suddenly had a thought.

…Perhaps I should've talked to Xio beforehand to prepare her for the Tarot meeting.

23

The familiar gray fog and blurry human silhouettes appeared. Audrey, who had successfully advanced to Sequence 8, half-stood up, lifted her skirt, and happily greeted them.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool! Good afternoon, Mr. Hanged Man! Good afternoon, Mr. Sun!" She looked at the empty seat. Mr. Star is absent?

Suddenly, Audrey paused as she saw an extra figure next to her. Short blonde hair, female, and a distinctive height… "This is…?"

Audrey instantly knew that this new Tarot member was very likely Xio! Hm, I shouldn't expose my identity just yet. I'd like to see how long before she figures out…

As her greeting was abruptly cut short, The Fool calmly leaned back and said, "This is a new member, Miss Judgment."

Alger had also noticed the unfamiliar figure and narrowed his eyes, taking in Judgment's characteristics. Another member, so soon? Is Mr. Fool adding a new member every week? He suddenly felt a sense of alarm at the rapidly expanding Tarot club, and the existence at its head, Mr. Fool's, true intentions!

Meanwhile, Xio looked around in blatant shock at the ancient giant palace, the hazy gray fog, the ancient table and high-backed chairs, as well as the hazy mysterious figures seated all around it.

Most importantly, the figure sitting at the head of the table seemed to be the gatherer of this organization, and was referred to as 'The Fool!'

The blonde-haired girl thought of the honorable name she had chanted. The Fool that doesn't belong to this era…

That's 'Him!'

The Tarot members present introduced themselves to the newest member, to which Xio hesitantly responded back to. So they all use code names from the Tarot deck…

The Fool lightly tapped on the table, bringing back the Tarot Club's attention. "Congratulations on your advancement," he nodded towards Audrey, now a Telepathist, who smiled reservedly and said a few words of humility.

"The Star has some matters to attend to and will not be attending today's gathering." 

The Tarot members voiced their acknowledgment one by one.

Alger waited for a few seconds before he said in a deferential tone, "Mr. Fool, I have this week's six pages."

Six pages…? Xio was confused but didn't dare to speak up and ask. She watched as six sheets of paper magically appeared in front of the Hanged Man's seat and rapidly filled with Roselle's strange symbols!

Xio's eyes widened with shock. Everything she had seen thus far of this secret gathering had been several tiers above ordinary Beyonder gatherings she had participated in before, from the unique location to the strange fog covering each member.

But was this 'Mr. Fool' gathering Roselle's strange manuscripts? For what purpose? Did this mean that the existence at the head of the table was able to read Roselle's symbols? Xio recalled that the paper where she had first read The Fool's honorable name had Roselle's symbols on the front of it…

…And the book that contained the paper had been lent from Viscount Glaint's library!

As the six pages disappeared and reappeared in front of The Fool, Xio carefully scrutinized the two men on the opposite side of the table. No, they don't match the characteristics of Viscount Glaint…but there's another member, The Star, that's missing!

The young bounty hunter looked at the mysterious figure at the head of the table with expectant eyes, waiting to see what The Fool would do with the pages.

However, Klein simply glanced through the diary pages for a few seconds before he set them to the side.

Eh? Mr. Fool isn't reading the diary pages directly? Audrey became intrigued but couldn't think of a good explanation for it.

However, The Fool soon tapped the edge of the ancient table and said with a chuckle, "I have a mission to issue."

Mission? Audrey's ears pricked up. At the same time, she noticed that although The Hanged Man appeared to remain unperturbed, he was actually abnormally tense. The Sun seemed muddle-headed, treating this as a very normal thing, while Judgment, who was suspected to be Xio, paid more attention but seemed afraid.

"You can choose to accept it or not." Klein's tone was relaxed as he spoke. "The task is relatively simple."

"It is the assassination of the Intis Republic ambassador to the Loen Kingdom, Bakerland Jean Madan."

"Assassinate the Intis Republic's ambassador!?" Audrey lost her composure as she asked in surprise, Xio likewise shocked.

This would cause conflict between the two countries and might even be an act of war! 

Alger was only mildly surprised as his focus was on another matter. Mr. Fool is indeed unable to strongly interfere with the real world…My guess is right…I wonder to what extent "He" is able to influence us after establishing a connection…

Derrick blanked out listening to the conversation, confused on what the words 'Intis Republic' and 'ambassador' meant!

Klein swept his gaze around and maintained his casual attitude. "Which one of you is willing to accept this mission?"

"What kind of reward do you want?"

Audrey was about to raise her hand but hesitated, unsure about killing an innocent man for no reason. However, just then, The Hanged Man chuckled and said, "I've heard that Ambassador Bakerland is also the intelligence chief of the Intis Republic in the Kingdom. He secretly supports bloodshed, planned a number of incidents that destroyed the relationship between the nobility and the rich, and spread rumors to incite the public into standing against the government."

The Hanged Man seemed to notice the hesitation in Justice, thus he described the dark side of Bakerland in detail. He paused and added, "I'm not sure if he's a Beyonder, but there are many clues that suggest he may be."

After listening to the information provided by the Hanged Man, Audrey's hesitation disappeared. She gracefully nodded and said, "For the past few years, the Feysac Empire has expanded rapidly. As long as we push the blame to them, it will be something acceptable and believable."

Xio became slack-jawed and widened her eyes, feeling like she didn't belong at all in this conversation beyond her level. Assassination? Blame? 

Audrey looked to the seat of honor and spoke, "Mr. Fool, I can attempt to complete this mission, but I cannot guarantee its success."

Although I, as a Telepathist, won't do it personally, I could get Xio and Fors to ask Mr. A to do it…I cannot be exposed.

She cast a side glance at the new member next to her. Well, if 'Judgment' really is Xio, then I might be exposed anyway…

"What compensation would you like?" 

The Fool's relaxed question brought Audrey out of her thoughts. 

"The formula to the Psychiatrist potion," Audrey responded before hesitantly adding, "as well as the corresponding Beyonder ingredients. Oh, we can wait until the mission is completed before discussing further. If it doesn't succeed, I'll bear the expenses. I-I still owe your adorer the bounty money…"

"Sure," Klein replied in a normal tone.

"I'll also accept this mission. The compensation can be determined after the mission is completed," The Hanged Man added not shortly afterward.

Klein nodded in agreement. 

Xio remained in silence but discovered that the members of this gathering, at least Miss Justice, seemed to be low sequence Beyonders like herself.

Whew… The pressure on her decreased significantly. It seems that The Fool has a Blessed…and Miss Justice mentioned bounty money. Xio subconsciously frowned but didn't dare ask about anything.

The Fool looked at the figures seated around the long mottled table and said, "You are free to trade or communicate now."

So the meeting is split into two sections? Xio noted while intending to stay quiet and observe for now. 

Justice turned her gaze to The Sun and said, "Can I exchange information related to the dragon from you?" She clearly remembered that The Sun called the Spectator pathway 'the Dragon pathway.'

"Sure. I want the Sequence 8 potion formula for Bard," Derrick, who had been silent all this while, replied.

As expected, all the other members are Low Sequence Beyonders! Xio confirmed this bit of information.

Audrey wasn't surprised at this request. "I will try my best to find the Sequence 8 potion formula corresponding to the Bard pathway, but it won't be today." Audrey looked at the head of the table. "We can seek Mr. Fool's help to bear witness to this agreement."

At that moment, Klein smiled and said, "Miss Justice, perhaps I can provide the Light Suppliant formula for you."

Audrey's eyes lit up as she quickly nodded and said, "No problem! Then, what should I use to exchange with you?"

The Fool chuckled and replied, "Don't worry about this yet. There will be matters in the future that may require your help."

"Alright!" Audrey happily promised.

Klein pressed his hands together as a piece of goatskin parchment inscribed with the formula for the Light Suppliant potion, translated into Jotun, appeared before him. With a gentle push, the paper appeared in front of The Sun.

After Derrick diligently memorized the formula, he said, "Miss Justice, we can talk about the dragons."

Audrey quickly raised her hand. "Mr. Fool, I seek your permission to speak with Mr. Sun alone."

This can be done? Xio widened her eyes and paid rapt attention. She watched as suddenly, the gray fog around her blocked her vision of The Fool, Justice, and The Sun, leaving her and The Hanged Man to stare at each other in silence.

It wasn't until several minutes later that the wall of gray fog slowly collapsed and the Tarot Club resumed its normal trajectory.

After a few more exchanges, Xio finally mustered up her courage and raised her hand. "M-Mr. Fool, may I speak with y-you alone?" She asked timidly.

Hm, Miss Judgment most likely wants to learn more about what I said to her in her 'dream,' Klein thought to himself, smiling slightly.

Under suffocating silence and the curious gazes of the mysterious members, Xio started sweating.

Finally, The Fool lightly tapped the edge of the table and said in a deep voice, "Alright."

Xio found herself separated from the rest of the members, with the mysterious existence looking straight at her.

"Don't worry, they cannot hear or see us." He explained in a gentle tone. "What is your question?"

Xio gulped and said, "Uh, Mr. Fool…What great danger were you referring to?"

The Fool chuckled. "It's a very well-known prophecy that is hardly taken seriously by the masses. Only a few are aware of the truth."

Xio blinked a few times in surprise, unsure of what the existence hidden behind the gray fog meant. "What-what can I do? What's the purpose of targeting me?" 

After she realized what she had just asked, her hand flew up to her mouth. But the words were already spoken. Ah! Xio, how can you be so stupid? Why would you outright ask what 'His' purpose is!

However, The Fool only laughed lightly and slowly tapped the edge of the mottled bronze table.

"Miss Judgment, allow me to be frank. At your level, you can do nothing; you're not even qualified to understand how you will die."

"The only way to survive and protect your loved ones is to grow stronger."

The Fool paused for a second and said, "As for my true purpose with you and the Tarot Club…"

He leaned back in the high-backed chair and smiled.

"Guess?"

Audrey watched as Xio and The Fool finished their private conversation, a bit curious at what they talked about. However, as she glanced at Judgment, she immediately noticed that her condition didn't seem quite right.

She narrowed her eyes and closely examined Xio. Right now, Xio is feeling anxious, surprised, dread, and… a bit of embarrassment?

I really wonder what The Fool said to make Xio so shocked!

Likewise, Alger noticed that the new member, Judgment, seemed shaken after her conversation with The Fool. Was it an exchange of information? …I wonder what earth-shaking secrets The Fool has imparted upon her! Even though he was curious, The Hanged Man adeptly hid his emotions.

Soon afterwards, with Judgment not making a single peep, The Fool announced the end of this week's Tarot Club and sent them off.

As Klein returned to his bedroom, he inwardly apologized to Xio. 

Sorry…It's only by saying these kinds of things that I can push the Tarot Club to advance faster. After all, I can't have the Tarot Members all still be Mid-Sequence Beyonders when I inevitably have to sleep to face Tianzun…

Klein felt a headache forming as he thought about the future.

Once Audrey had returned to reality, she sat down and pondered for a moment, suddenly thinking of a crucial problem. I know very little about the Intis ambassador Bakerland. In such cases, it's easy to misjudge the difficulty of the mission.

Audrey turned to her maidservant, Annie, and said, "Tell Countess Jaria that I accept her invitation and will punctually attend her ball tomorrow evening."

She had initially planned on declining the invitation with a well-prepared excuse, but now she was interested. Jaria was the wife of Count Wolfe, and she had invited ambassadors to Loen from every country to her upcoming ball, including Bakerland Jean Madan.

Once Audrey had observed Ambassador Bakerland and gathered enough information, she would meet with Xio and Fors!

Along the way, I can prod Xio to see if she's 'Judgment'...

Having returned to the real world, Alger Wilson changed into attire considered gaudy in Intis and went through the back door of the hotel into the alley, making several detours.

He stopped in front of a certain house and familiarly put on a white mask. Alger then knocked on the door with a special rhythm and timing.

After ten seconds, the door creaked open. A man stuck his head out and looked around quickly.

"Come in," the man said with a deep voice as he made way for Alger.

Without a word, Alger walked into the room.

Creak! 

24

Klein stared out the window, deep in thought. Bakerland should be assassinated according to the events before I went back in time. However, I need to be prepared for the worst-case scenario– that is, Bakerland evades death and receives word of Rosago going missing!

Then, I'll have to quickly abandon the identity of 'Sherlock Moriarty.' Klein felt a sense of relief that he didn't repeat his earlier mistakes and never used his real appearance ever since he arrived at Backlund.

Tonight, I'll visit the Bravehearts Bar again .

After confirming his plan, Klein pretended to leisurely read the newspaper. He waited until the sky turned dark before he slowly got up and made himself tomato oxtail soup.

He brought down several mystic materials from Sefirah Castle, including Azik's copper whistle, and placed the whistle in an iron cigar case, sealing it with spirituality. So Maric's zombies don't riot… Klein commented to himself.

Once he finished, he took his hat and cane, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, and left 15 Minsk Street.

…

Iron Gate Street, inside Bravehearts Bar.

In exchange for a glass of beer, Klein found Kaspars in a card room, playing Fighting Evil and betting on a boxer outside.

Klein stood by the door and nodded at Kaspars to indicate his intentions.

The man covered his cards and swore, getting up and walking to the door. He said in a low voice, "I'll take you to a place where the people, although they aren't as good as Maric, are pretty strong. However, I have to warn you in advance, don't anger them, or you might not be able to see the sun tomorrow. Of course, it's not easy to see the sun in Backlund after September."

"Do I need to pay you?" Klein asked sincerely although he already knew the answer and the price.

"Two pounds," Kaspars responded, pleased.

Another robbery in broad daylight… Although Klein was slightly displeased with the price, he still opened his wallet and gave Kaspars two one-pound notes.

Kaspars quickly led Klein towards the bar's kitchen and from there, entered the back alley and circled around a darkened house. He took out an iron half-face mask and handed it to Klein.

Klein silently put on the mask and deliberately messed up his hair. Under the half-lighting of the red moon, Kaspars didn't notice as Klein made miniscule changes to his appearance–lightening his hair color, darkening his eyes, and making himself a bit taller.

Seeing that he was ready, Kaspars rhythmically knocked on the door.

A few seconds later, a small wooden board on the door was pulled open, revealing a pair of brown eyes behind it.

After a long moment of scrutiny, the door finally opened.

A man wearing an iron mask stood there and handed Klein a hooded robe. He said to Kaspars in a hoarse voice, "Next time, remember to tell me in advance. Otherwise, hmph!"

He closed the door, turned, and led Klein through the darkened living room into the activity room on the first floor.

As Klein put on the long robe, Klein quietly found a chair in a corner and sat down. There were about ten people sitting on the sofas and chairs, all wearing hooded robes and iron masks.

After a transaction regarding a commission to remove a group of wild beasts from the sewers, the gathering became more lively and a hooded woman spoke up.

"I want to sell two weapons. One of them is an inscribed steel sword from the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun. 500 pounds or the Sequence 8 potion, Barbarian, and it will be yours. The second one, Meat Cleaver, has an exquisite mechanical structure that allows it to be transformed. It's rarely seen and will cost 25 pounds."

As Klein wasn't interested in the weapons, he didn't try to buy them. He watched as the steel sword was bought by a sullen man in the corner while the Meat Cleaver became part of the Eye of Wisdom's collection.

Klein discreetly eyed 'Mr. Eye of Wisdom,' knowing his true identity– the renowned detective by the name of Isengard Stanton!

After waiting for a few more exchanges to pass and the atmosphere to turn silent, Klein slightly altered his vocal cords and spoke in a deep voice, "I want to sell something."

He took out an iron cigarette case and pushed out the crimson Beyonder characteristic from Meursault.

"This is something I obtained from a corpse. I'm not sure what use it has, but it is a mystical object. Maybe some of you know what this is?"

As usual, Klein didn't plan on explaining what a Beyonder characteristic was. After ten seconds, no one spoke.

Suddenly, Mr. Eye of Wisdom coughed and said, "I have a rough idea of what it is and what it does, but knowledge needs to be exchanged with something in return.

"I'll pay four hundred pounds; believe me, it's a perfectly fair price. Of course, you have the right to refuse."

Klein pretended to think for a moment and said, "Deal. However, sir, you don't need to rush to pay. I still have another request."

"What request?"

"The thing is, I offended someone. According to your circle, he should be Sequence 6, maybe Sequence 5. I wish to hire a bodyguard."

"Sequence 6, maybe Sequence 5? Why don't you just die quietly? If we reached that level, why would we be attending such a small gathering?" The Apothecary blurted out with a sneer.

The Sequence 6 Klein felt a bit offended.

Eye of Wisdom chuckled, "Maybe you don't know our circle well enough. People at Sequence 6 or 5 are very powerful and terrifying people. I think no one in this room is willing to take such a huge risk to protect you."

Klein shrugged. "Then I guess I'll have to try to save myself. What can I get for 400 pounds?"

"Any mystical item worth 400 pounds certainly won't be able to deal with your enemy, and it will bring you even more danger. I suggest that you apologize to him. Sincerely apologize and perhaps 400 pounds will be enough to buy his understanding, " Eye of Wisdom suggested sincerely.

Perhaps, but I want his Beyonder characteristic…

Suddenly, the man who accepted the task of cleaning the sewer beast laughed. "Maybe you can try your luck. I have a mystical item here that I can sell you for 400 pounds."

"It can let you her the voice of a great being. If you're lucky and can decipher some useful information, you'll become very powerful. If you're unlucky, you'll be hurt or even end up dying.

"Do you want to take the gamble?"

Before he could finish his sentence, Eye of Wisdom growled, "Black Snake, don't mention that ominous item of yours!"

No, wait, Mr. Eye of Wisdom, I want the Language of Foulness Charm…

Klein looked at the hooded 'Black Snake' and nodded solemnly. 

"Deal."

The room was plunged into a frigid silence.

A few seconds later, the Apothecary finally muttered, "Why don't you leave an address? That way, I can get something out of your body."

Klein pretended not to understand and said, "I don't have any chance of survival if I don't gamble. If I do, there'll always be that sliver of hope.

"I won't sit back and wait for death." Truthfully, I won't need the Language of Foulness charm. It's just as a safeguard… Miss Sharon, a Sequence 5, plus me, a Sequence 6 with knowledge of Rosago's attributes and attacks, should be more than enough…

As Eye of Wisdom heard Klein's (fake) sincere words, he closed his mouth as he couldn't offer any better alternative.

"I really admire your character!" Black Snake laughed.

Klein handed the cigarette case containing Meursault's Beyonder characteristic to the attendant, who brought it to the Eye of Wisdom.

The old man counted out 400 pounds and gave it to the attendant, who passed it to Black Snake.

As Black Snake casually took a glance at the money, he also took out a wooden box, bent down, and placed it on the ground. He slid the box towards Klein.

The moment Klein touched the surface of the box, he heard extremely faint illusory sounds, but no dizziness. Hm, my experience with strong influences in a different timeline has substantially increased my resistance…When I first made contact, I felt a strong sense of dizziness and the voices were louder.

Klein held onto the box and sat up again.

After a short moment of silence, the Apothecary suddenly shouted, "I want to buy Spring of the Elves marrow crystals, who has it?"

As his voice echoed in the air, no one answered.

Although Klein also wanted to yell to buy the more common supplementary ingredients for the Marionettist potion, he restrained himself.

The more expensive ones are set to be supplied by the Hanged Man, Alger Wilson, but the next Tarot meeting won't be until a week later. It wouldn't be too late to come back to this meeting under a different identity within this week.

After a few more transactions, Eye of Wisdom clapped his hands and ended the meeting.

As each participant was guided to leave at separate times, Klein was soon allowed to leave. He removed his hooded robe and handed it back to the attendant before he went back to the Bravehearts Bar, taking off his iron mask.

He walked back through the kitchen and saw Kaspars standing outside the card room.

Klein stopped and had a short conversation with Kaspars Kalinin before he left the Bravehearts Bar and returned to Minsk Street.

In his room, he built a spiritual wall and sacrificed the wooden box containing the black ear into Sefirah Castle.

As Klein sat at the seat of honor, he noticed that none of the illusory crimson stars glowed, meaning no one had prayed to him. 

Looking at the wooden box in front of him, Klein slowly opened it and looked at the black ear inside.

Even though I know that divining its origins won't leave permanent damage, I'd rather avoid doing so… Klein thought of the extreme pain and ravings he experienced before and winced.

I can try other methods that weren't available to me at the time before resorting to brute force…

Klein held his chin as he stared at the ear in the wooden box in front of him. Slowly, the gray fog around him boiled furiously, the ancient table and chairs shaking silently, as Klein reached out a hand and hovered it just over the black ear.

An illusory ripple of air seemed to cover the corroded object and glowed brighter before it abruptly condensed and collapsed into the black ear!

The abnormalities in Sefirah Castle came to a halt as Klein lowered his hand. Magically, the black ear in the box began to crumble, turning into tiny specks of black light.

With a flick of his hand, a few charm materials that he randomly stashed in Sefirah Castle appeared in front of him. Klein sent the specks of black light into a gleaming silver triangle, where it turned into an iron-black charm with many symbols, magic labels, sinister patterns, and twisted path numbers.

He picked it up with his hand and slowly inspected it with divination.

As he finished, Klein opened his eyes. It's function is still the same, although the charm is less potent due to not fusing it with the remnants of madness and loss of control I produced after divining the origins of the ear.

However, since I made the charm above Sefirah Castle and at a higher Sequence, it's potency isn't dramatically reduced. My new Language of Foulness charm is still more than enough to deal with Rosago if things go wrong…

Satisfied, Klein set an incantation to activate it and sent it, along with himself, down to reality.

The next morning, Klein ate breakfast while he read the newspaper.

He suddenly heard the sound of the doorbell. Klein got up and headed for the door as he tried to recall who might be visiting him.

Ah yes, it was the commission to catch an adulterer…

Klein opened the door and, as expected, two ladies stood outside. One of them was Mrs. Sammer, while the other was Mrs. Mary Gale, who wore a wide brimmed hat with a black veil and a dark, fluffy dress.

"Detective Moriarty, I have a friend who needs your help," Stelyn Sammer said with a serious expression.

"Please come in." Klein invited the two ladies into the living room.

"This is Mrs. Mary Gale, a shareholder of Coim Company." Stelyn sat on the couch.

"What would you like to entrust me with, Mrs. Gale?" Klein sat down opposite the ladies.

"Just call me Mary." Mary Gale pursed her lips. "I wish for you to tail my husband and confirm if he has a mistress. It's best if you can obtain material evidence."

Klein said thoughtfully, "Material evidence is not easy to obtain."

"I'll lend you the latest portable camera," Mary replied without hesitation. "As long as you have evidence, I will pay you ten pounds."

Klein pretended to think for a few seconds before he said, "Alright."

After he agreed and established some more details of the task, Klein politely sent the two ladies away.

A day later.

Audrey had attended the ball and made contact with Ambassador Bakerland, making up her mind after she gathered more information about the assassination target.

Thus, she penned a letter to Viscount Glaint for him to arrange a meeting with Xio and Fors.

In Viscount Glaint's study, Audrey let Glaint guard the door while she looked at Xio and Fors, letting her gaze linger on Xio for a bit longer. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "I need your help with a mission."

"What mission?" Xio's eyes lit up as if she could smell the ink on the bills.

Audrey gave her a polite smile with a deeper meaning.

"Assassinate the Intis ambassador to the Loen Kingdom, Bakerland Jean Madan."

"...What?" Fors touched her earlobes, wondering if she had heard wrongly. The beautiful, naive, and scatter-brained Miss Audrey actually assigned an assassination mission?! Furthermore, the target is the ambassador of Intis, a powerful country in the Northern Continent!

Fors peeked at Xio next to her and found her friend just as shocked as she was.

Once Xio had heard Audrey's unexpected commission, she felt like she had been plunged into a vat of freezing water.

No…Why…? Her palms sweating, Xio slowly raised her pale face to look at Audrey.

The beautiful noblewoman was looking straight at her!

Xio felt shivers run down her back as she suddenly realized. It isn't Viscount Glaint that's in that strange gathering…it's the seemingly innocent, curious, and normal Miss Audrey!

She doesn't need the formula for the Spectator potion at all!

Audrey continued speaking in her gentle voice, "Of course, I'm not asking you to take the job. I just wish for you to find a Beyonder with the strength to complete it. For example, Mr. A, I'll pay you 4000 gold pounds for this. This is only my initial offer, and the details are negotiable."

Xio desperately tried to hide her abnormalities as she tried to maintain a normal face before she suddenly remembered. According to what I heard at the meeting yesterday, Miss Audrey should be a Sequence 8 Beyonder…she's even stronger than me! If she's in the Spectator pathway, it's extremely likely she's already noticed something wrong with my reaction!

However, as Xio looked suspiciously at Audrey, she continued saying, "If the mission eventually succeeds, I'll pay you 500 pounds. Even if the mission fails, you will receive 200 pounds due to the risk you have taken."

Audrey inwardly smiled as she finished speaking. I've confirmed that the newest member, Miss Judgment, is Xio! The short blonde woman's reaction to her commission was far more extreme than that of normal surprise, which was more than enough proof that Xio had heard of a similar commission before…such as during the Tarot Club meeting!

Xio and Fors accepted the commission, since there was little risk with great reward. With her head still spinning, Xio was about to leave when she suddenly heard a beautiful voice behind her.

"Ah, Xio, could you stay behind for a few minutes? I have something to discuss with you."

Xio slowly took a deep breath. It's okay; Miss Audrey wouldn't do anything to me. Most likely. Waving away For's curious glance, Xio waited for her friend to leave the study before Xio closed the door once again, leaving her and Audrey in the room alone.

Xio took a seat right across from the beautiful noble. 

Audrey saw Xio's confused and nervous expression and hid a smile. "Your help with this commission is indispensable. If you wish, you could forfeit your share of the money and instead ask 'Him' for a reward, as my collaborator."

S-so The Fool is a 'Him!' "A-Alright…Thank you, Miss Audrey!" Xio suddenly felt that although Audrey was different from her initial perception of her, she was still a kind and generous person!

As Xio left and rejoined Fors, she couldn't help her curiosity. If Miss Audrey is 'Justice' in that gathering, then the commissions she gave us before…how many were first delegated by The Fool or other members of the organization?

Yesterday, I heard Justice mention the 'bounty' she owed The Fool's Blessed…The only 'bounty' that should be involved with Miss Audrey is…Qilangos' bounty?! 

Then, the Beyonder that killed Qilangos is The Fool's Blessed! Xio felt like she suddenly understood the truth behind a great mystery!

…

After receiving Audrey's commission, the duo quickly met with Mr. A using a previously agreed upon channel.

Xio and Fors had a short conversation with the hooded man, where they established the commission and the reward.

Mr. A chuckled and said, "I can accept this mission, but the reward must be raised. The first choice– the potion formulas to Unshadowed, Cataclysmic Interrer, Prophet, or Manipulator. There's no need for the complete formula, a partial formula will suffice.

"The second choice– 10,000 gold pounds."

Xio and Fors looked at each other and said, "We shall return and discuss it. At this time tomorrow, we'll give you our answer."

After Mr. A nonchalantly agreed, the two were led out by an attendant. Then, in the evening, the two met the familiar golden retriever at the predetermined location and passed Mr. A's renegotiation to Audrey.

When Audrey finished reading the note, she felt relieved. It was simply wonderful for her that she could finish the ambassador with just 10,000 gold pounds!

Audrey quickly made her decision, although it would make her finances a bit tight before the new year. She burned the original note and wrote on a new piece of paper, "The second option. An advance of 2000 pounds and 8000 pounds after the mission is completed."

At 15 Minsk Street, Klein saw Mary Gale again at tea time a day later.

Although he'd been too lazy to reinvestigate her husband all over again, Klein had done a few divinations prior to reconfirm the information in his memories and made a superficial visit to the Quelaag Club to snap a picture.

"Madam Mary, I found out that your husband went to the Quelaag Club while tailing him. However, I wasn't able to enter because I'm not a member of the club. According to my observations, about half an hour after your husband left, only one young lady came out. Her name is Erica Taylor, who lives at 126 New Year's Street, Hillston Borough. She used to work at Coim for a period of time and is currently unemployed. I took a picture of her leaving the Quelaag Club."

Klein placed the photo on the coffee table and slid it towards Mary.

Mary wore a gloomy expression as she stayed silent for a few seconds before saying, "You have to obtain material evidence of them being intimate. Oh…the Quelaag Club, right? I'll get two members to nominate you as a member, but you must fill in your particulars as 'famous detective.'"

"Alright." Klein hesitated, but ultimately asked, "Who will pay the club fees?"

"I will be responsible for the initial fees in return for your efficiency. If you wish to remain in the club, you will have to pay the annual fee yourself." There seemed to be a fire burning in Mary's eyes.

Klein inwardly cheered but had a serious expression as he nodded. 

"I will provide you with evidence as soon as possible!"

After dinner, Klein once again visited the Bravehearts Bar. He remained in his appearance as Sherlock Moriarty, knowing there would be a certain pale-faced man looking for him that night.

As he entered the bar, he immediately saw Kaspars standing in front of the rat-baiting ring with his arms crossed. The old man spotted Klein and limped over as he said, "Perfect timing. Maric is looking for you."

Klein feigned shock. "Maric is looking for me?"

Out of the corner of his vision, Klein saw Maric, his face pale and his eyes filled with malice, walking over. He pointed to the card room and walked over there first.

Klein looked into the distance and became puzzled. Strange, I remember that there weren't any zombies around him at this time. So why is his… entourage still perfectly fine?

Although Klein was confused by this little incongruency, he double-checked that Azik's copper whistle was tightly sealed and followed Maric into the card room with zombies seated around the table.

"..." Klein did his best to ignore the pallid faces of the dead zombies as he looked at Maric. "What's the matter?" 

"Does that job of yours still stand?"

"Huh?" Klein acted surprised.

"I have a friend who is short on money and is willing to accept this commission. She's stronger than me and should be able to protect you. However, she can only protect you for three days. The price is 1000 pounds," Maric said in a low, slurred voice.

Mhm, yes, I have the exact amount set aside in an anonymous bank account right now… Klein pretended to think for a few seconds and said, "Deal. But it's best if the person protecting me is hidden, and it must be confidential. As for the three days of protection, that is up to me. It's definitely within these two weeks."

As Klein left the Bravehearts Bar, still casting dubious glances at the huddle of zombies, Maric's gaze slowly followed the bearded detective.

Despite being an 'ordinary person' that is struggling to survive the animosity of a bigshot, he didn't seem fazed by the astronomical amount of 1000 pounds at all…

He's not as simple as it looks, it would seem.

25

Klein returned to 15 Minsk Street, where he entered Sefirah Castle. He first responded to Justice's prayer about the deal with Mr. A, affirming to choose to pay 10,000 pounds, before he made a series of divinations.

First, he divined whether he would have his life threatened by Rosago. As he opened his eyes, Klein saw the spirit pendulum was slowly rotating clockwise at an almost imperceptible amplitude and frequency. Good… Klein breathed a sigh of relief.

However, he couldn't let his guard down and had to make the utmost preparations. Hm, I've almost run out of paper figurines… He made up his mind to create more once he returned to reality.

Secondly, Klein double-checked whether Mr. A was likely to succeed the assassination of Bakerland. The citrine pendulum was rotating faster and at a higher amplitude.

Content with these insights, Klein casually spied on Leonard and a few other Tarot members for a few seconds before he exited Sefirah Castle.

…

At noon on Thursday, Klein once again saw Mary Gale after lunch. He'd already replenished his stash of paper figurines that morning and kept a few in the inner pocket of his coat.

Mary led him outside the Quelaag Club, where two members were waiting. One was a well-known surgeon, Aaron Ceres, and the other was the aristocratic equestrian teacher, Talim Dumont.

There's always a strange feeling when you see a deceased man standing in front of you alive and well… Klein smiled as he greeted the two gentlemen and hid his complicated feelings towards Talim.

He looked at Aaron Ceres and immediately a certain Snake of Fate came to mind. Sigh, hurry up and have a child, Dr. Aaron!

As they engaged in idle conversation, the three entered the brightly lit hall of the Quelaag Club. After they completed the nomination form for Sherlock Moriarty, the two left the Quelaag Club since it wasn't a weekend and they had business to attend to.

Klein watched the manservant and the maid come and go a few times before delivering his proof of membership and a badge to him.

He paid the entry fee of 50 pounds and the annual fee of 4 pounds with 54 of the 57 pounds Mary Gale had given him.

Madam Mary is such a generous lady! Klein once again praised his client.

The servant and maid bowed at Klein, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Mr. Moriarty, welcome to the Quelaag Club."

As he casually reacquainted himself with the club, Klein suddenly felt himself tense up with a large sense of danger that disappeared in a flash.

The signal that Rosago is about to come after me! Klein imperceptibly narrowed his eyes and left the Quelaag Club. My premonition of danger this time is much more noticeable. He didn't need to go into Sefirah Castle and confirm that he was in danger, as his instinctive reaction was already enough.

That morning, Klein had the foresight to withdraw the 1000 pounds transferred from Leonard that were given by Justice. Sigh, that guy didn't take a commission fee even though I said he could…Was he saying he already had enough money or simply being nice?

Klein calmly took a horse carriage to the Backlund Bridge area and entered the Bravehearts Bar. Under Kaspar's guidance, he saw Maric sitting in the card room, surrounded by zombies.

…I definitely did something before I went back in time that made Maric get rid of his zombies… Klein definitely recalled that there wasn't a zombie in sight when he was here before! Regardless, Klein directly placed 100 pounds on the table.

"An advance of 100 pounds, with an additional 300 every additional day I'm protected.

"The protection begins now!"

Maric's gaze fell past him and landed somewhere behind him. He nodded and said, "Alright, she has agreed."

Klein pretended to be surprised and looked all around him.

"You can return now," Maric said indifferently as he stuffed the 100 pounds into his pocket. "She has begun protecting you, in a hidden way."

Klein surveyed his surroundings and acted as though he left with clenched teeth.

Back at 15 Minsk Street, Klein closed the door and went into the bathroom to wash his hands. As he wiped his hands with a towel, he prepared himself emotionally.

Klein raised his head to look at himself in the mirror. At that moment, he saw himself phasing away in the mirror before transforming into a woman wearing a black regal dress. She wore a black bonnet, lifted her skirt, and bowed at Klein.

As Klein was prepared for this shock, he kept his heart calm even as he faked surprise and took a few steps back, his back to the wall. 

The image in the mirror quickly dimmed and Klein saw himself again. Everything had been restored back to normal.

Klein walked out of the bathroom and just as he picked up the newspaper in the living room, he heard the doorbell ring.

His mind tensed up but Klein relaxed as he remembered who his visitor was at this time. He stood behind the door and a scene from his spiritual intuition naturally surfaced in Klein's mind. 

Standing outside his door in the moonlit night, there was a boy wearing an old coat with bright red eyes.

Klein confirmed who his guest was and opened the door, taking two steps back.

"Detective Moriarty," Ian took off his brown top hat, bowed, and said in a low voice, "I came to apologize. I'm sorry to have involved you in such a dangerous matter."

Klein creased his eyebrows and copied his words from his memories. "What you should've done is head to the police station."

Ian looked around and bowed his head. "I just came from MI9."

Klein stepped aside and pointed toward the living room as he said, "Maybe we can have a chat."

Ian followed Klein to the living room, sitting in the same spot he did the first time he visited. He was just about to open his mouth when Klein warned, "If what you plan on saying will put me in greater danger, then there's no need to tell me about it."

"No, everything will soon be over." Ian affirmed with a calmness beyond his age.

"So, what exactly happened?"

Just as Klein finished asking, he saw a figure emerge from the panes of the oriel window across the room, Sharon. She seemed to find an illusory high back chair and sat down, pretending to listen attentively while maintaining an expressionless face.

After remaining silent for a few seconds, Ian slowly opened his mouth and explained the whole sequence of events, including his background and what occurred after Klein led him to Zreal's body.

Ian stood up and gave a deep bow. "Please allow me to apologize again. Sorry to have involved you in this. Actually, you don't need to hide anything for me."

Klein smiled. "No, the main problem in this matter was that I made a mistake that made me end up in my current situation."

Of course, I've already remedied my previous mistakes. Well, being a Faceless made donning the disguise of 'Sherlock Moriarty' much easier, so even if the situation got out of control, I would be able to flee easily. 

At that time before, I believed that if I took flight, the ambassador would inform the officials about me and then the Nighthawks would pursue me, a Beyonder that miraculously resurrected, in earnest with High-Sequence Beyonders. However, I was unaware that the Goddess had been keeping tabs on me ever since I made contact with the Goddess' Sword, and that Amanises was a 'transmigrator' like me…

Klein stifled a self-deprecating laugh. I wonder whether the Goddess would leave me to fend for myself or help me like 'She' is now if that truly happened…

Klein stopped musing about the 'what-ifs' as Ian put on his hat and stood up. "It's time for me to leave. I'll need to disappear for a while; otherwise, I might be thrown into jail. 

The teenage boy bade farewell and left, fading away into the distance. Sharon, who was by the oriel window, had disappeared as well.

Sigh…Now all that's left is to fend off Rosago's attempted assassination. Klein had agonized over this issue for the past few days. He wasn't afraid that Rosago would pose any real danger to him because of all of Klein's protective factors, but the true problem was…

How do I kill him? I need his Sequence 5 Beyonder characteristic, so even though the Language of Foulness is guaranteed to succeed, I'd rather not use it unless as a last resort…Of course, as a Marionettist without a Marionette, Rosago is especially vulnerable to direct, physical attacks.

But if I take this angle, Sharon will inevitably discover that I'm a Beyonder. This can't be explained away as 'benefiting from the black ear I bought,' since in an intense battle it'll become clear that I'm not a Beyonder that just advanced.

I can only hope that she won't be too alarmed and directly withdraw…

Another problem is the divination Rosago will perform before making contact. Previously, he didn't detect considerable danger due to the Language of Foulness being his downfall, but this time, I plan on not using it. Additionally, the first time Rosago tried to assassinate me, I was only Sequence 8 and that was reflected in his divination.

Although Rosago is a woefully inept Marionettist, he's not so stupid as to forget to divine the danger before doing something. If he sees that there's a large amount of risk due to me being Sequence 6 with a Sequence 5 bodyguard, it's possible he won't show up at all…

This issue had confounded Klein for a while previously. He couldn't simply burn a paper figurine to interfere with divination since Rosago was a sequence higher than him, and going above Sefirah Castle to bless himself was inconvenient with a ghostly bodyguard.

So, he used the oldest trick in the book– using Azik's copper whistle as an anti-divination shield.

Klein put his hand in his pocket and felt the ice-cold metal at his fingertips. He'd removed the spiritual seal once he was a safe distance away from Maric and his zombies.

Well, I should still inform Sharon that I'm a Beyonder… Klein looked around the room for his bodyguard. The lights in the dining room were warm, illuminating the room. There was no one else present except him.

After a while, he suddenly saw a face appear on the glass cover of the gas lamp in the living room. The face was pale with light gold hair and delicate looks.

Klein looked in her general direction and whispered, "I'm also a Beyonder. I made a gamble on an item I bought from Kaspar's gathering and benefited from it."

Well, this little white lie will be seen through shortly, but it's reasonable enough for now.

The face on the glass cover nodded slightly and quickly disappeared without any other reaction.

Klein's expression didn't change and he went back to the sofa, picking up the newspaper, with nothing left to do except to wait for the doorbell to ring.

He didn't have to wait long before the tinkling sound echoed. Someone had rung his doorbell again.

Klein folded away the newspaper neatly and slowly stood up. He took out Azik's copper whistle and threw it up into the air and caught it a few times as he said in a low voice, "The man at the door was sent to kill me."

He didn't receive any response but Klein knew Sharon had received his message. He turned and naturally went to the door, pocketing the copper whistle once again.

Klein grabbed the handle and opened the door.

…

Inside the Intis embassy of Backlund's West Borough, the lights were on. The scent of various perfumes and alcohol intertwined with beautiful melodies and reached towards every corner of the building.

A ball was being held. 

However, as the guests mingled and danced with delight in the dark night, two figures secretly left the ballroom and went to the second floor, entering a room.

With guards keeping watch outside, the second floor was quiet, void of any sound, a large contrast to the lively ballroom downstairs.

No one knew that inside the room, Bakerland was in a completely isolated world, shouting for help as he was embroiled in a fierce battle!

"No! Why?" The isolation vanished with a tragic cry as Bakerland fell to the ground in two halves, blood pouring out in massive amounts. His eyes were wide open as he died and a dark knight covered in cold, black armor stood in front of his body. In the space where the knight's eyes should be, there were two glowing crimson red blobs.

Before the military officials of the embassy arrived, Mr. A didn't wait for the Beyonder characteristics to appear. He reverted to his inconspicuous appearance and sprinted through the layers of walls into the darkness outside, his mission complete.

Intis Ambassador Bakerland Jean Madan was dead.

…

Klein didn't pause to divine or even see his visitor with Spirit Vision. He simply paused for a moment, allowing the image of his guest to appear in his head, and slowly opened the door.

Dressed in a black-and-white checkered uniform, 'Sergeant Faxine' took off his hat and said with a serious expression, "I've been sent by the higher-ups to tell you that you must be careful tonight and tomorrow. Be careful of strangers."

"Alright," Klein nodded solemnly as he silently counted the seconds in his head. 

'Sergeant Faxine' touched his short hair and said, "There are other arrangements. I'll explain them to you in detail, and you can decide on your own." He cast his gaze towards the living room.

Klein made a polite gesture of invitation. As 'Sergeant Faxine' closed the door behind him and walked towards the sofa, Klein spotted a pale face reflected in the window behind the officer.

He nodded slightly towards Sharon as he kept his mind blank and viewed 'Sergeant Faxine' as a dummy for target practice so his killing intent wouldn't trigger Rosago's spiritual intuition. As the man stepped towards the sofa, Klein narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth.

Bang!

An Air Bullet whistled through the air and immediately penetrated the back of 'Faxine's' head!

However, the policeman's figure rapidly shrunk and turned into a paper figurine with a hole in it!

As Rosago's figure reappeared in another corner of the room, with clear surprise on his face, the image of a figure with blonde hair and a Gothic regal dress was reflected in each of his eyes!

Rosago stiffened and the figure in his eyes became clearer as his face swelled up. Not missing this chance, Klein pulled his hand out of his pocket, flicking out a Slumber charm!

"Crimson!" Klein injected a large portion of his spirituality into the charm as it left his hand and disintegrated. A wave of sleepiness suddenly hit Rosago and his eyes dipped close.

Still disguised as Sergeant Faxine, Rosago grit his teeth and sacrificed the initial control over the two's Spirit Body Threads as he decisively used Paper Substitution again!

Sharon completed her possession of Rosago but only found herself in a fluttering paper figurine, while the real Rosago appeared halfway across the room as he sprinted towards the door, clearly choosing to flee.

Klein carefully took aim and mimicked the sound of a gun again. 

Bang! An Air Bullet shot through the air at Rosago, forcing him back!

"You!" Shocked, Rosago seemed to realize that Klein had shot a bullet without a gun. "A Magician–No, Faceless?!"

However, he suddenly felt a cold breeze blow against his neck, causing his hair to stand on end as goosebumps appeared all over his body.

There seemed to be an invisible person at his back, breathing down his neck!

Rosago's attention was diverted and he was forced to snap his fingers, lighting flames on his back and setting a transparent shadow ablaze.

Wait, no– He suddenly realized he'd made a large mistake! And sure enough, just in front of him, a match dropped to the ground and the detective that was his target disappeared and reappeared right behind him!

Bang!

The figure of Rosago fluttered to the ground with another hole in it as he turned into a paper substitute once again!

Sigh, those from the Seer pathway are really annoying… Klein mused to himself as he found the figure of Rosago reappear in front of a window, attempting to leap out.

The translucent figure of Sharon opened her mouth and used Wraith's Shriek, directly affecting Rosago's Spirit Body!

Klein winced at the piercing sound, but since the attack was only directed at Rosago, he was largely unaffected. 

As Rosago was hindered and fell to one knee in pain, Klein readied another potent Slumber charm and directly threw it out after injecting his spirituality and shouting the incantation, without specifying a target and indiscriminately affecting everyone!

As the slumbering powers emanated, Rosago was unable to extricate himself due to the charm affecting the entire room and being under Sharon's attack. All three people in the room irresistibly closed their eyes and entered a deep sleep!

Klein immediately discovered that he was in a dream and forcibly woke himself up. The instant he opened his eyes, he climbed to his feet and resolutely took a step towards Rosago, firing five Air Bullets in quick succession!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Erm… Klein lowered his hand and watched as Rosago's decimated corpse fell towards the wall and slid down, staining the wallpaper a bloody red.

…I think I may have misjudged the amount of force needed. Klein sighed to himself. When he first killed Rosago, he used a custom revolver.

However, as a Faceless who had fully digested his potion, the potency of the Air Bullet was several times stronger and faster than bullets shot by a normal gun.

Thus, there was a rather large mess in his living room.

Klein awkwardly stood in the middle of the room before he picked his way over to Rosago's corpse, careful not to step on any blood or brain matter scattered around.

He didn't use a second Slumber charm on Sharon as he had no need to do a mediumship ritual on Rosago, significantly cutting down the time he needed.

Klein held his breath and put on a pair of gloves as he squatted down. He quickly found more than ten pounds in cash, some essential oils and herbal powder, as well as a strange piece of paper that he identified as a contract created by a Notary.

Just as he straightened up and placed the objects on a clean portion of the coffee table, a gust of cold wind blew at the back of his neck, causing him to shiver.

Klein turned his head and saw that Sharon had woken up and was floating in the air.