Baron Larry had arrived in Backlund two weeks prior, concealed by Bianca's disguise as "Mrs. Panis." However, now that he was in the capital, it beca inconvenient for him to remain by Bianca's side—unlike in Port Enmat or Tingen, as "Mrs. Panis," she had to prioritize dealing with the actual Mr. Panis here!
Thus, lacking proper identification and unwilling to reside in the East End or dock districts, Baron Larry searched for accommodations and stumbled upon the "Hero Detective's" old family ho—unoccupied except for occasional cleaning by servants.
The place perfectly suited his needs. Located in the relatively safe St. George district, the villa was fully furnished and comfortable. Most importantly, with his special item distorting divination and prophecy, it was nearly impossible for his pursuers to track him here.
That very night, Baron Larry moved in, effectively "occupying the magpie's nest."
Yet, to his surprise, he was eventually discovered—by a detective.
After divining Larry's identity, Klein, pretending to wait for a carriage by the roadside, resisted the impulse to barge in and apprehend him directly. No matter how confident he was, he didn't believe he could defeat a battle-hardened, well-equipped Sequence 5 head-on.
The "Psychic Breath" charm might catch Larry off guard... but wasting a 3,000-pound item here felt excessive—it was reserved for life-or-death situations.
Shaking his head, Klein decided to relay this information to Miss Xio through "The World," then assist MI9 in the arrest to ensure Larry didn't escape.
As for the "secrets" Larry possessed? Klein didn't care. He only wanted this bastard to face justice.
After taking a public carriage through several blocks, Klein paid his fare, disembarked near a restaurant, and borrowed its washroom.
Locking the door and sealing the area with spirituality, he took four counterclockwise steps, arriving in the mysterious space above the gray fog.
Seated at the head of the ancient table in the majestic palace, Klein manifested pen and paper for final confirmation.
"The person who commissioned to surveil Miss Aisha this morning was Baron Larry."
—Incidentally, Klein had discovered Larry's whereabouts precisely because the latter had hired him, a detective, to monitor a young lady in the West Borough.
Despite Larry's decent disguise, Klein's intuition had tingled, and subsequent divination revealed the bastard who'd nearly hard his sister, lissa.
After reciting the statent seven tis, Klein opened his eyes—only to find the citrine pendant spinning counterclockwise!
What? The person who hired wasn't Baron Larry? But his appearance triggered my intuition...
Frowning, Klein pondered before writing another divination statent:
"The real Baron Larry resides in Detective Bryan's old family ho."
This ti, the pendant rotated clockwise, confirming Larry's presence there.
So soone disguised as him to commission ... Feels like a fra-up. Who is this Miss Aisha? And why does the imposter want to know her social circles and routines?
A dull ache pulsed in Klein's temples. What he'd assud was straightforward now seed tangled in deeper sches. If he reported Larry to Xio, the organization behind this setup might trace it back to him.
After careful deliberation, Klein decided against imdiate reporting. Instead, he'd investigate Miss Aisha further—perhaps even plant a tracker on the fake Larry during the next report submission to identify the impersonator before deciding how to proceed.
After all, this could very well be an MI9 operation in disguise.
If Miss Xio rashly arrested Larry, it might arouse suspicion from other factions within MI9.
After all, she had already been investigated once over the "Emperor" vigilante incident. Though she barely passed scrutiny last ti, it could easily revive old suspicions.
I really do have a knack for stumbling into complicated situations...
Well, at least as a "Magician," I'll never lack material for "performances"...
After this self-deprecating reflection, Klein let his spirituality descend, returning to reality.
Checking his pocket watch, he decided to visit Lina and Shaw's café for lunch—they had developed new nu items, and he wanted to be among the first to try them.
...
South Borough Bridge, Harvest Church
After an overnight flight, a travel-worn Ebner pushed open the doors to the prayer hall.
His gaze imdiately fell upon the giant-like Bishop Utravsky and Miss Hazel in her priestly robes. The forr was delivering a sermon to the sparse congregation, while the latter prepared sacrants for distribution after the service.
Among them stood a handso yet somber man in brown clerical robes polishing candlesticks with dead-eyed detachnt—undoubtedly Emlyn White.
Ebner had actually glimpsed this vampire months ago at the police station when he was still a Sequence 8 "Student of Ratiocination," though their brief encounter hadn't involved any conversation.
Back then, Emlyn had been more struck by Inspector Ezikiel, barely noticing Ebner the detective.
Thus, he failed to recognize Ebner now wearing the countess's "lover" visage.
Hazel's gaze similarly brushed past Ebner without recognition as he took a seat. Scanning the small congregation, Ebner spotted two familiar faces.
Isn't that Inspector Fassin's wife? I saw her at the professor's ball... Her belly's noticeably larger now...
And beside her—that's Freya, the eldest daughter of the laundress involved in the Capim case! Xio showed her image during that Tarot eting...
Her conversion to the Earth Mother after the case isn't surprising—Steward Scudder played a role there. But why did Mrs. Fassin switch faiths from the Evernight Goddess? And why does she seem so close to Freya?
Though puzzled, Ebner didn't dwell on it. As Bishop Utravsky concluded the sermon and Emlyn began distributing sacrants, Ebner approached the pulpit.
Passing Mrs. Fassin's seat, his spirituality suddenly tingled—his "Pure White Eyes" automatically activating to intercept a "greeting" signal.
Without breaking stride, Ebner subtly glanced at Mrs. Fassin's abdon before thoughtfully continuing forward.
Bishop Utravsky initially prepared to greet Ebner warmly, then paused mid-motion. After scrutinizing him for two seconds with pale blue eyes, the bishop smiled:
"So it's you... Co with . She awaits."
She? Does Lilith just camp here 24/7? Doesn't She have duties in the Spirit World?
Lampooning, Ebner politely replied, "Thank you for your trouble," before following the towering figure toward the basent—where he would soon reencounter that srizingly beautiful vampire duke... or rather, Lilith's avatar vessel.
(Chapter End)
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