The Terror of Option Chapter 865 865: 13 LOTM

Holding onto the yellowish-brown paper bag full of herbs, Bogda staggered out of the Lawson's Folk Herb Store.

While waiting for a tracked carriage, he suddenly ca to a realization.

He had spent ten pounds to buy a bag of stuff?

This was nearly a month's salary for him!

If it wasn't for his trust in Anna and Joyce, he wouldn't have brought that much cash to the Divination Club!

Could it be that the reason why Mr. Moretti only accepted eight pence for his divination, had sothing to do with his collusion with the boss of Lawson's Folk Herb Store, so as to earn more? This was a classic scam written on the papers! When Bogda made this connection, he even began to suspect Klein a little. He even began suspecting Joyce and Anna.

When a tracked carriage stopped in front of him, he looked at the herbs in his hand. Unable to bring himself to return, he entered the carriage with a heavy heart.

...

Inside Lawson's Folk Herb Store.

As the boss watched Bogda leave, he suddenly turned his head and shouted at the door where there was a pile of herbs, "Scharmaine, stop purchasing herbs from today."

"W-why, Master?" A handso-looking youth with disheveled hair walked out.

The boss smiled and said, "This is the sixteenth custor that has co because of my fa. If this carries on, I believe the Nighthawks, the Machinery Hivemind, and the Mandated Punishers will notice . When the ti cos, I'll need to consider heading to other cities."

"Then, do we need to sublease this store?" Scharmaine nodded in understanding as he asked with concern.

The boss chuckled.

"If you wish to stay, you can be the boss of this store. You are already capable at identifying herbs and concocting dicine. Of course, rember to deposit half of your monthly profits into my anonymous Backlund Bank account."

"But, I haven't learned what you are really good at." Scharmaine was already sick of never staying in a city for more than a year, but he was unwilling to give up learning the magical formulas that his master was good at.

The boss leisurely rocked himself in his seat.

"That's not sothing you can learn just because you want to..."

...

A blackish-green bubbling liquid appeared in front of Bogda's eyes. It slled of stinking socks and the color that makes one want to puke made him deeply suspicious about everything he had done today.

When the rooster blood was dropped into the dicine, Bogda's father looked at his son worriedly and said, "I think surgery is the best option."

The few drops of rooster blood bubbled with the boiling liquid before vanishing. Bogda took a deep breath and said, "If this dicine is useless, I'll consider surgery."

"The Lord will watch over you." Bogda's father gestured a triangular Sacred Emblem across his chest.

By the ti the boiling liquid had cooled down, Bogda had no intention of wasting the ten pounds. He raised his right hand and closed his eyes. Flicking his head back, he gulped down the dicine in one go.

The pungent aroma that had the noxious sll of blood, swished around in his mouth as he nearly spat out everything he had just drank.

That night, Bogda had an upset stomach. He went to the bathroom six tis, and by the ti the crimson moon vanished, he fell asleep groggily.

After an unknown period of ti had passed, he jolted awake, having dread that he was being reprimanded by his boss at work.

"Thankfully, I took three days of annual leave. I don't have to rush to work." Bogda heaved a sigh of relief when he discovered that he felt a lot more spirited.

This was in stark contrast to the sluggish state he was in for the past few weeks.

Bogda subconsciously reached out and pressed the right side of his abdon. He noticed that the region which previously hurt when under slight pressure felt normal. He only felt the pain from ordinary pressure.

"Don't tell it was really effective? That apothecary was clearly just fooling ..." Bogda was both surprised and doubtful as he got out of bed. He stretched himself and felt his health returning to him.

He fell silent for a very long while as he muttered, "According to the apothecary, I still need to drink it twice. Once I'm done drinking, I'll go to the hospital to get a check up from a doctor...

"That apothecary didn't tell how many tis I can drink a day...

"...I still think he's a cheat..."

...

Inside the civilian staff office of the Blackthorn Security Company, from his prior request, Klein received a space where no one would disturb him.

He held a carving knife and emitted his spirituality. He seriously carved the incantations and symbols onto two silver accessories.

The incantation was a request to avoid disaster and was written in Hers. The two mysticism symbols symbolized the Evernight Goddess as well as the Empress of Disaster and Horror.

Aside from that, Klein also added the Path Number that corresponded to the Goddess, 7, and the magical characteristic.

In addition to that, charms and amulets had to be engraved on both sides; and each side's symbols, incantations, and characteristics, their exact locations, or special formats was in the realm of mysticism. The ones that were spread amongst the ordinary populace were filled with mistakes.

At that mont, Klein had a lot of damaged materials to his right. Through repeated practise, and only after he confird that he had enough practice, did he dare to begin creating the amulets for Benson and lissa.

As he cald his mind, his spirituality spewed out from the tip of the carving knife. The number 7 appeared on the surface of the silver accessories.

He had already finished carving the incantations and symbols on the other side of the accessory. All that was left was to finish the remaining side.

After putting down his knife, all his spirituality chained together as Klein suddenly felt a strange, majestic, and terrifying energy surge throughout the room.

The commotion quickly vanished as the incantations on both sides of the accessory beca complete with Klein's Spirit Vision. It emitted a serene blackness.

He put down his carving knife and gently polished the silver accessory that was ford from a circle and a vertical piece. He felt a tinge of coolness from the mild-to-the-touch surface.

"It's done!" He happily placed the finished amulet and another one that he had previously finished into his pocket, planning to find an opportunity to give it to Benson and lissa.

Amulets created by Beyonders possessed a certain level of effectiveness. They allowed the wearer to unknowingly avoid disasters to a certain extent, but it was nothing too ridiculous. Furthermore, their spirituality would wane bit by bit. Unless one used a high-level ritualistic magic and created a prayer set, a year was the maximum one could use them for. As for high-level ritualistic magic, there was a terrifyingly high spirituality requirent. It wasn't sothing Klein could endure at the mont.

When the ti cos, I can use my spirituality to make another one... Klein thought, nodding as he began tidying up the ssy table.

He didn't make one for himself for the mont, because an amulet of that level had limited effects on him. Therefore, his goal was to gain a deeper understanding of incantations before trying to pair it with ritualistic magic. That way he could create a few defensive amulets that could be activated specifically with sound.

After everything was finished, Klein walked out the office and prepared to hand over the damaged materials. That was when he saw Captain Dunn walk over in his black windbreaker. @@@@

Dunn's deep and gray eyes swept across him as he smiled.

"Klein, the Holy Cathedral has approved it. You're now an official mber."

"Really? That's great!" Klein expressed his delight.

Dunn nodded and said with a smile, "You can now receive a make-up pay of three pounds for this week. You'll receive 4.50 pounds every subsequent week until the advance paynt is cleared.

"By the way, did I ntion the Nighthawks' ritual?

"Every official Nighthawk has to independently complete a mission. Only by doing so will you gain the recognition of your partners. In consideration of the outstanding performance you showed, I believe I can assign you an ordinary mission instead. When that happens, I'll formally introduce you to all the Nighthawks in Tingen City."

Klein replied without hesitation, "Alright!"

Three pounds plus his compensation of seven pounds. Getting a new suit wasn't a problem anymore!

Furthermore, he would still have plenty left over!

Well, who knows when my mission will arrive...

Klein waited all the way till Sunday, the day of Selena's birthday banquet.

...

Changing into his formal suit and using a brush and handkerchief to tidy his half top hat, Klein looked himself in the mirror before walking over to the first floor in satisfaction.

At that mont, lissa was sizing up Benson's clothes.

"Is there a problem?" Benson raised his cane, feeling a little lacking due to his sister's gaze.

He felt that there was nothing wrong with him when he inspected himself. He was already dressed quite decently.

lissa stopped staring at him and said with a serious expression, "Benson, that is a very old suit you're wearing."

"There will be a lot of excellent ladies and madams participating in today's birthday banquet. I believe that by wearing that, it'll be a form of disrespect to them."

Klein was originally filled with questions. However, when he heard lissa's emphasis, he imdiately realized what was happening. He went over with a chuckle and said, "Benson and I share a similar build. He can wear my other tuxedo."

He had already inford his siblings about buying a new suit. He explained it away by saying that his clothes had been torn while inspecting certain objects. Therefore, the company generously compensated him. Of course, he concealed the matter of him being "promoted with a pay rise." He was afraid of scaring them and only planned to tell them after half a year.

Such an explanation made Blackthorn Security Company and lissa extrely envious. They felt that the Blackthorn Security Company was an impeccable employer.

"There's no need to, right?" Benson retorted, having not realized the gravity of the situation.

"No, it's extrely important." Klein pushed Benson's shoulders up the stairs. "My tuxedo is hanging on the clothes rack."

After watching Benson go up the stairs in a daze, Klein turned around and smiled at lissa.

"Are you hoping that Benson will use the opportunity provided by Selena's birthday banquet to begin a beautiful new romance?"

He had been reading quite a fair amount of newspapers and magazines recently. He knew that aristocrats and middle-class banquets were typically grounds for blind dates.

lissa nodded solemnly.

"Yes, Benson has missed out too much because of us."

Sis, why are you like a mother... Klein looked at lissa as he suddenly shook his head with an exasperated laugh.

-x-X-x-

Seeing the unconvinced look his sister's face, Klein suddenly felt like it was a good opportunity. He sized her up and said with a solemn expression, "lissa, I think you aren't showing enough respect to today's banquet as well."

"What?" lissa wore a puzzled look.

Klein pointed at her neck.

"As a lady, you are lacking a necklace that accentuates that area."

Without waiting for his sister to say another word, he smiled as he fished out a silver amulet wrapped with angel wings from his pocket.

"Thankfully, I prepared one for you."

"..." lissa was taken aback at first before she asked, "How much was it?"

Sis, your concerns are really quite misplaced... Klein silently scoffed as he explained with a chuckle, "It's actually not very expensive. Since it was in an incomplete state, I imitated an item that I've seen before and engraved blessing incantations and beautiful patterns on them."

"You engraved them?" lissa was indeed distracted.

"How is it? What do you think of my work?" Klein took the opportunity to hand over the amulet to his sister.

lissa studied it before gently biting down on her lip.

"I like the surrounding angel feathers."

If you think the incantations and symbols I engraved are ugly then just say so. There's no need to mince your words... An amulet's value is in its effects! The corner of Klein's mouth twitched. Just as he was about to urge his sister to accept it, he saw lissa put on the necklace with a forced expression on her face. She then carefully adjusted the positioning of the amulet.

"Perfect." Klein sized her up and gave her exaggerated praise.

lissa shot him a glance and looked down at her amulet. She said listlessly, "Klein, you were never like that before. Acting like that..."

"Perhaps it's because of my good job. With a decent inco, I've beco more confident." Klein interrupted his sister and gave a preemptive explanation.

Sigh, even though I received the original Klein's mory fragnts, making myself appear natural in most major aspects, certain fine details are still there. I'm still used to presenting my real personality... Especially when I'm getting closer and more familiar with Benson and lissa... He sighed inwardly.

lissa seed to accept his explanation and pouted her lips.

"It's great that you're like that... really great..."

After the two engaged in a short conversation, Benson ca down having changed his clothes. He wore a white shirt with a black vested tuxedo. His black bowtie and a pair of long, straight trousers made it seem like he had undergone a complete makeover. It was like he was a successful businessman after years of hard work.

Sa for the receding hairline... Klein chuckled inwardly.

"Excellent, Benson. It suits you very well," he said with a brilliant smile while throwing up his hands.

lissa also nodded in agreent on the sideline.

"The facts show that my clothing is more important than ." Benson gave a self-derisive comnt.

Klein took the opportunity to fish out the remaining amulet and repeated his explanation from earlier before saying, "I also made one for you." @@@@

"Not bad. I'll bring it with ." Benson accepted it without a fuss as he quipped, "Klein, I wouldn't find it odd, even if you were to suddenly know how to style your hair, make clothes, fix watches, and feed curly-haired baboons."

"Life is just so full of surprises," Klein replied with a smile.

Following that, the siblings tidied themselves up before walking out the main door. They took a trackless public carriage and arrived at the North Borough's Fania Street where Selena's house was.

The Wood family lived in a terrace house as well, but unlike Klein's place, they had a porch. They had a small lawn in the front which made it look very elegant.

When they rung the doorbell, Klein, Benson, and lissa only had to wait for around ten seconds before they were able to see the star of the day, Selena Wood.

With a head covered in wine-red hair, the girl gave lissa a delighted hug.

"I like this dress of yours. It makes you look exceptionally beautiful."

Standing beside Selena Wood was her father, Mr. Wood, senior employee of Backlund Bank's Tingen branch.

"Welco, our honorable elder brother. Welco, our young historian." He deliberately addressed Benson and Klein in an exaggerated manner.

Young historian... Why doesn't he add the description of having a conscience?...Klein retorted as he took off his hat and replied with a smile, "Mr. Wood, you look much more spirited and younger than I imagined."

His style of flattery had unknowingly inclined himself to the Foodaholic Empire.

Benson held out his hand and shook Wood's hand.

"I know a lot of bank employees, but they're all equally arrogant and stiff, as though they're the latest machines. None of them are as civilized as you."

"If you were to et at the bank, you might not say that about ." Wood laughed cheerfully.

After exchanging pleasantries, Selena, who was wearing a new dress, led the siblings inside with a hop in her step. At tis, she would ntion in her usual tone that, "Elizabeth is already here," and at other tis, she would suppress her voice saying, "lissa, your brothers are more handso than I imagined."

Hey, I have good hearing... Although you are flattering ... Klein helplessly looked at the two sixteen-year-old girls walking ahead of him.

This isn't right. I'm still quite far from being considered handso... Tsk, Miss Selena, how ugly did you imagine Benson and I to be? A balding, gloomy, fat man with a pale expression and lifeless eyes? Klein pinched his glabella in passing as he diligently practiced his Spirit Vision.

Miss Selena Wood is healthy. She's excited and very happy... Mr. Wood's lungs are a little problematic. Right, I see his pipe... Klein swept his gaze across the crowd while in a good mood.

"Elizabeth, lissa is here." At that mont, Selena introduced with a brisk tone.

A girl dressed in a blue frilly dress walked over. She had naturally curled brown hair and adorable baby fat.

Klein was stunned when he saw her because he knew the girl.

He had helped her choose an amulet back at the underground market!

Elizabeth greeted lissa first before looking at Benson and Klein.

She was stunned and her brows knitted slightly, as though she was thinking about sothing.

Soon, Elizabeth smiled and politely greeted them as though nothing had happened.

Klein also pretended not to recognize her. Under Wood's lead, they ca to the sofa in the living room where they were introduced to Chris—Selena Wood's brother—and the other guests.

As Klein watched Benson chat with Chris and the other solicitors happily over the topic of their neighbor, Mr. Shaud, he couldn't help but feel envious.

I don't have such socializing skills... He picked up a cocktail from a table in the corner of the room as he listened quietly. At tis, he would nod and echo with a smile.

It didn't take long before all the guests arrived and the banquet officially began.

As too many guests had been invited, the Wood family's dining table could not accommodate everyone. Therefore, the banquet was done in a buffet manner. The maidservant served the steak dishes, roast chicken, fried fish, mashed potatoes, etc and placed them on different tables. The male servants were responsible for carving the at, allowing for guests to take what they wanted.

Klein couldn't help but click his tongue when he saw the elegant enal plates and silver cutlery. He felt that the Woods were being too extravagant as a middle-class family.

Since they're so rich, why would Chris need so many years to prepare for his wedding?" When he thought of what his sister had previously ntioned, he was puzzled. "Yeah, it was probably to save up money to buy this cutlery that would have taken them so many years to afford. To such families, they have to look respectable!

Amidst his mixed emotions, Klein picked up a plate and walked in front of a dining table. He forked a piece of honey-glazed roasted at.

At that mont, Elizabeth with her adorable baby fat cheeks ca over. As she looked at the food, she whispered, "So you are lissa's brother... Thank you. Selena likes the amulet I gave her a lot. She said that she felt healthier the mont she wore it."

Selena... Amulet... Klein suddenly recalled the reason for selecting an amulet for the girl beside him.

It was to give to a friend who liked mysticism as a birthday gift!

That friend was Selena? Selena liked items related to mysticism? Klein frowned slightly as he smiled politely.

"It might just be akin to a placebo effect."

After saying that, he began waiting for her to praise Emperor Roselle.

However, Elizabeth's reaction was that of confusion.

"What's a placebo effect?"

"It ans it's completely psychological. At tis, we believe that we will turn for the better and end up really becoming better," Klein explained crudely.

"No, she said it's different from the amulets that she bought in the past. It feels different," Elizabeth emphasized.

She cocked her head and shot a glance at Klein and said curiously, "I never expected lissa's brother to be an expert at mysticism."

"As you know, I studied history, so it's common to encounter similar matters." Klein diverted the topic skillfully as he asked, "Are you also studying at the Tingen Technical School?"

"No, Selena and I were lissa's forr schoolmates. Later, she went to a technical school. I study at the nearby Ivos Public School," Elizabeth explained seriously.

A public school wasn't established and maintained by the governnt. Instead, it was a school that accepted students from the public. It was an evolution of good grammar schools whose goal was to groom graduates so as to enter university. The schools were rather expensive and they would consider the students' family background. It could even be out the of range of typical middle-class families.

She didn't talk much. After choosing her food, she returned to Selena's side.

After congratulating the star of the day on a happy birthday, the banquet gradually ca to an end. Klein and Benson were invited to a ga of Texas hold'em. The small blind was half a penny, and the big blind was a penny. As for lissa, Elizabeth, Selena, and their friends, they went upstairs. It was unknown if they were chatting or playing gas.

Klein's luck was pretty bad. He played about twenty rounds, but didn't receive a good hand at all. All he could do was fold and be a spectator.

When he flipped the ends of his cards again, he found a Two of Hearts and a Five of Spades.

"Shall I try a bluff once?" Klein considered for a mont, but did not manage to muster the courage. He also resisted the urge to use divination to cheat.

He covered his cards and rapped the table, indicating that he was not making a call. Then, he got up and left the table to head for the bathroom.

Roselle was also a person with a obsessive-compulsive disorder. He actually found an odd reason to na the play style Texas... Klein shook his head as he proceeded forward.

At that mont, he suddenly ca to a halt as his pupils constricted.

His spiritual perception told him that there was a strange fluctuation upstairs!

-x-X-x-

The strange, twisted, and obscure fluctuation was short-lived. Shortly afterwards, Klein even suspected that he was hallucinating.

If he wasn't considered rather skilled at spiritual perception, it was very likely that he would've written off the abnormality.

Klein frowned as he thought of his sister upstairs. He tightly held onto his cane as he went around the bathroom and hobbled to the Wood household's staircase.

He quickly went upstairs while following the traces with his spiritual perception before arriving at the living room beside the balcony.

This should be it... Klein mumbled as he raised his hand and tapped twice on his glabella.

Auras penetrated the walls and the large wooden door before entering his vision. Most of the colors were ordinary with a blurry outline.

However, one of them in particular was rippling with a sinister dark green color over its surface that slowly corroded inwards.

Just as I thought, sothing wasn't right. Klein wore an usually stern expression as he reached out with his right hand and removed the silver chain which was wrapped around his left wrist.

He held the silver chain in his left hand, allowing the topaz to dangle before him.

When the topaz stopped swinging, he traced the spherical light and chanted inwardly, "The room before has danger caused by the supernatural."

Normally, spirit dowsing was only suitable for divining sothing that was related to him or the specific circumstances in a small region around him. As such, Klein described the chant in very specific manner—the 'danger' could affect him and the room was right in front of him.

...

"The room before has danger caused by the supernatural."

After repeating the chant seven tis, Klein eyes widened as he saw the topaz rotating in a clockwise motion rapidly.

It was an indication that there was indeed danger caused by the supernatural inside the room, and it was of considerable danger!

Selena is a mysticism enthusiast. Did sothing go extrely wrong when she was dabbling with so sort of ritual? What should I do? Klein massaged his brows and wrapped the chain around his wrist before knocking on the door.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

He knocked on the door three tis rhythmically and wore an amiable smile on his face.

The door opened with a creak. lissa, who was wearing her new dress, appeared in front of Klein.

"Klein, is sothing wrong?" The girl didn't expect her brother to be here, so she was montarily surprised.

Klein responded with a smile, without any sign of distress.

"I was just curious since I heard you gals enjoying yourselves."

"Sorry for disturbing all of you." lissa lowered her head in apology, feeling sowhat embarrassed. "We're playing with magic mirror divination. Selena knows a lot and it's very fun."

Magic mirror divination... Sis, why don't you gals play Charlie Charlie challenge 1or Ouija boards 2? Klein shook his head, feeling both peeved and amused.

He looked behind lissa and into the living room. He saw Selena with her beaming smile and deep dimples.

However, in his spirit vision, the wine-red haired girl, who was holding a silver-coated mirror, was being encroached by the sinister dark green colors.

As his mind whirled, Klein deliberated over his words and said, "Heh heh, I won't be interrupting your ga. Ah, right. Where's Elizabeth? I had chatted with her over Feysac grammar. She ntioned that she wanted to ask so questions."

"Elizabeth?" lissa sized her brother up and said in an eccentric tone to emphasize her words. "She's only 16."

Hey, don't let your imagination go wild! Klein imdiately explained, "It's a very normal academic discussion. Elizabeth is very interested in history and ancient languages."

lissa took a deep look at her brother before saying, "She's inside. I'll inform her."

"Alright." Klein took a step back and moved away from the door.

While watching his sister turn around, he heaved a sigh of relief. Although it wasn't the best of reactions, he was thankful that the person in a danger wasn't lissa.

He only waited for about ten seconds before a puzzled Elizabeth walked out. She asked curiously, "Mr. Moretti, what's the matter? I never said I was interested in history and ancient languages..."

At that mont, her sentence was halted by Klein's stern and solemn expression. Her nerves tightened as she seed to sense that sothing wasn't right.

Klein took a few steps diagonally as a gesture for Elizabeth to hide partially behind the door.

The girl with the chubby baby fat was influenced by the sudden serious atmosphere so she unknowingly followed.

"As you know, I'm a mysticism enthusiast." Klein halted and turned around, speaking directly to the point.

Elizabeth nodded and replied, "Yes, I even believe that you're an expert at mysticism."

"No, I'm only an enthusiast, but this doesn't stop from noticing that your magic mirror divination has turned into a problem," Klein said with a heavy tone.

"A problem?" Elizabeth nearly raised her voice as she hurriedly raised her hands to cover her mouth.

Klein thought for a mont before saying, "I know words alone will make it difficult for you to believe . Return to the room and when Selena isn't paying attention, steal a glance at the front of the mirror which Selena has hidden away from all of you."

"How do you know that she hid the front of the mirror from us?" Elizabeth blurted out.

According to the information from the Nighthawks, more than ninety percent of the ti, magic mirror divination cases which involve evil share such similarities... Klein smiled and said, "General knowledge."

When the doubtful and frightened Elizabeth returned to the room, his composed smile vanished instantly. His face looked worried.

Even though we're all in the North Borough, to go from Fania Street to Zouteland Street will take at least 15 minutes of travel by public carriage. By the ti Captain arrives after making a round trip, the situation might have deteriorated to a hopeless state... If only Benson and lissa wasn't here... But I can't deal with those hidden and unknown existences... Do I have any ans to contain it... Right, Selena is a mysticism enthusiast. Her room definitely has no lack of pure dew, essential oils, herbs, and other items...

Just as Klein was racking his brains for a solution, Elizabeth sat next to Selena by using an excuse of discussing sothing with her.

A girl opposite her sipped a mouthful of red wine, and under the teasing looks of everyone, despite her blushing, she mustered her courage to ask, "Can you help divine when I'll et a romantic and handso gentleman?"

Selena lightly coughed twice as she rubbed the mirror's back and said, "Mirror, mirror, tell . When will the gentleman in Yonina's heart appear?"

After repeating it three tis, she picked up the mirror and raised it in front of her.

Seizing this opportunity, Elizabeth suddenly turned her body and stretched out her head to take a glance.

According to her expectations, she felt that she would see Selena's face and half her face.

However, the only thing she saw was Selena.

The tiny mirror only had Selena, and it was Selena's entire body!

The mirror was completely pitch-black, with Selena standing in the middle with a cold expression!

Elizabeth trembled all over as she lunged backward and leaned against the sofa. She montarily forgot to breathe.

She involuntarily trembled and without giving an excuse, got up imdiately, stumbling to the door. She didn't even dare to turn back to look at the beaming Selena. @@@@

"Yonina's gentleman will appear on the Sunday of the second week, half a year later..."

Amidst giggles, Elizabeth opened the door and left the room to see Klein who was standing in the shadows of the wall lamps in his tuxedo and half top hat.

"Mr. Moretti, I-I..." she stamred in a daze.

Klein calmly smiled.

"Don't disturb the girls and ladies inside."

Infected by his smile, Elizabeth cald down significantly. She extended her hand and closed the door as she quickly walked over to the wall lamp.

"I saw it. I saw only Selena inside the mirror. A devil-like Selena..." she whispered hoarsely.

Indeed... Klein's expression turned serious as he asked in a deep voice.

"Do you know which is Selena's bedroom? Do you know where her mysticism items are?"

"There. The mysticism items are in there as well." Elizabeth didn't hesitate to point at a room diagonally across.

Klein held his cane and walked over, opening the unlocked wooden door. Under the streetlights and the crimson moon's illumination, he turned a valve and lit a gas lamp.

A pale yellow light glowed as he swept the area and found bottles of pure dew, flower essence, boxes of herbal powder, candles and amulets.

These items were placed on tables or neatly arranged inside a rack. Their nas were given on sticker labels.

After confirming the items, Klein said to Elizabeth who had followed behind him, "Do you want to save Selena?"

"Yes!" Elizabeth subconsciously nodded before asking in a daze, "Will it be dangerous?"

"A certain amount. After all, I'm only a mysticism enthusiast," Klein replied frankly.

"A certain amount of danger..." Elizabeth pursed her lips tightly for a few seconds before saying, "Is there anything you need from ?"

Klein smiled warmly as he comforted her, "Don't be nervous. Now, all you have to do is pretend to return as though nothing had happened. Return to Selena's side. Five minutes later—rember—five minutes later, tell Selena that you have a pleasant surprise and bring her to . Knock on the door softly, one long knock and two short ones. Following that, well—leave it to ."

Elizabeth thought over it silently before nodding seriously.

"Alright."

Seeing her return to the living room, Klein glanced at his pocket watch. He closed Selena's bedroom and quickly cleared the desk. Then, he picked the items needed and placed them on a chair.

Imdiately following that, he picked up two faint candles with a light aroma. He placed them on the upper left and right corners of the desk.

They were symbols representing the Lady of Crimson and the Empress of Disaster and Horror.

Klein planned on holding a ritual here to borrow the Evernight Goddess's powers to ward off the mysterious and unknown existence that was affecting Selena!

As he was only a Sequence 9, the ritualistic magic he knew wasn't strong enough. In order to succeed, he needed Elizabeth to lure Selena into a sealing circle, right in the vicinity of the altar!

Therefore, he needed to consider situations in which Selena might notice and resist!

Due to these reasons, Klein planned on using suspension-style ritualistic magic.

-x-X-x-

Suspension-style ritualistic magic referred to the termination of a ritual according to the Beyonder's judgnt. They could finish other matters first before returning to continue the ritual. Even by doing so, it was still possible to gain the desired effects.

This was a technique produced over 1000 years of ritualistic magic developnt. After all, many high-level ritualistic magic required multiple steps. The duration ranged from an hour to half a day before finishing. It was difficult to ensure that no one disturbed them during the entire process or that there wouldn't be any accidents.

After gaining lessons from various predecessors through blood and tears, gaining feedback through each failure, being able to suspend ritualistic magic beca mainstream at the higher levels while it also indirectly affected the lower level rituals.

However, being able to suspend a ritual didn't an that the ritual could be suspended at any ti. One had to abide by mysticism theory and grasp the corresponding technique. If not, the failure of the ritual was unavoidable. it could even result in a terrifying backlash effect.

Based on Klein's understanding, once one gained the attention of a particular divinity, and the divinity was waiting on the contents of the request, to suddenly say, "Wait, I need to use the bathroom," one can only be congratulated since they might never need to go to the bathroom ever again.

Phew... Klein heaved a sigh of relief as he composed himself.

Even though he had held many luck-enhancent rituals and had even designed a corresponding ritual that made an attempt at Justice and The Hanged Man, this was his first actual ritualistic magic that abided by the rules.

After looking at the silver-inlaid cane by the side of the bed, Klein picked up the third candle and placed it in the middle of the desk to represent himself.

He placed the silver bowl that Selena used for rituals in front of the third candle and replaced the ax with a Sacred Emblem. On the left were the pure dew and essential oils of the Moon flower, Slumber flower, and other plants. While on the right, he placed a plate of salt, a small silver dagger, a piece of fake goatskin, and a quill that was dipped in ink.

Luckily, Selena had a complete inventory; otherwise, he wouldn't have had any way to complete the preparations. As for the moderately fast rituals that Old Neil could perform, they were not sothing a Seer could do...

From the looks of it, Selena was quite an experienced mysticism enthusiast. Yes, if she wasn't experienced then she wouldn't have gotten into such trouble... She was only 16 and had been exposed to all of this for at least a year... Who had guided her? Ideas flashed through his mind as he picked up Selena's cup from the bed. He poured plain water into it and placed it beside the coarse salt.

He took out his pocket watch and popped it open. He didn't delay any further after taking a glance at it. He traced layers of the spherical light in his mind and quickly entered ditation.

The room that was filled with floral fragrance, was suddenly subject to a formless whirlwind. Klein put away his pocket watch and his eyes suddenly turned darker, from brown to black, as though he could see through one's soul.

He extended his palm and laid it against the candle on the top right corner. He chanted inwardly, "Evernight Goddess, you are the Lady of Crimson!"

As Klein chanted, he extended his spirituality and rubbed the candle wick. After a couple of monts, the candle suddenly lit up, and there was a tranquil blue inside the dim yellow light.

"Evernight Goddess, you are the Empress of Disaster and Horror!"

Just like he did before, Klein successfully lit up the second candle on the top left corner.

"I am your loyal guard; the shield that fends against danger in the dark night, and the long spear that stabs at evil in the silence!"

Whoosh!

The third candle that symbolized Klein began to burn.

The fla was still. He picked up the small silver knife and mimicked Old Neil's motions. He used incantations, coarse salt, and plain water to fulfill the purification.

Then, he let his spirituality that he had gathered spewed out from the tip of the silver dagger, and naturally rged them as one.

With the silver knife in hand, Klein walked around the bedroom—kneeling when he ca to the bed—and sealed the area with a formless barrier.

The light from the street lamp outside the window suddenly disappeared, but the red light was still shining through quietly.

Klein returned to the study desk and picked up the quill. With spirituality and ink, he drew incantations and symbols to ward off disaster.

When all of that was finished, he put down the things he was holding. Then, he trickled a drop of pure dew, flower essence, and essential oils on each of the three candles.

Sizzle!

A faint fog filled the room which suddenly possessed an additional hint of mystery.

Next, he burned a few types of herbs before taking a step back from the mixture of fragrances and began reciting the corresponding incantation in the suspension ritualistic magic.

"Nobler than the stars and more eternal than eternity, the Evernight Goddess.

"I pray for your loving grace.

"I pray for you to show your loving grace to a devout believer of yours.

"I pray for the power of the Crimson.

"I pray for the powers of Disaster and Horror.

"I pray that you will cleanse your devout believer, Selena Wood, from evil's corruption and be safe from danger.

"I pray that you would wait for a mont, a mont for that unfortunate girl."

...

"Moon flower, a herb that belongs to the red moon, please bestow your powers to my incantation!

"Slumber flower, a herb that belongs to the red moon, please bestow your powers to my incantation!"

...

After reciting the incantation, Klein closed his eyes and repeated it seven tis in his heart.

He saw that there was nothing out of the ordinary at the altar. He then lifted the silver dagger again and took a few steps back to the door of Selena's bedroom.

He tapped his chest in four spots, forming the shape of the crimson moon. He then turned around and raised his silver dagger.

His spirituality spewed out from the tip once again and sliced open the shape of a door in the formless wall.

Klein knew that even if he opened the door at that very mont, it wouldn't affect the tranquility and holiness of the altar.

He took out his silver vine-leaf pocket watch that had a intricate pattern. He checked the ti and went through the process that was to happen in a few monts.

...

In the living room on the second floor.

Elizabeth's body was quivering as she lifted her head from ti to ti to check the wall clock. She was counting down in silence under the illumination of the two gas lamps.

"It's almost ti..." As she spoke softly, she looked sideways at the lively girl with long wine-red hair. Her dimples were deep, her smile was bright, and she gossiped well with all the friends around her.

But the more everything looked normal, the more terrified Elizabeth felt. The cold and horrifying Selena in the mirror seed to be in her head, and she couldn't wipe the image away.

I can't wait anymore! I have to take action now! Elizabeth suddenly stood up. Before everyone's shocked gazes, she smiled and stuttered, "Selena, I-I have a surprise for y-you. Follow out for a bit."

"Really? Didn't you give a birthday present already?" Selena flipped the mirror the other way around and stood up in surprise.

"A surprise will n-not have any signs." Elizabeth felt that she had no talent in acting at all.

Without saying another word, she walked toward the bedroom door first. Selena followed behind with a confused smile.

lissa looked at her two best friends leaving, and unconsciously knitted her eyebrows.

Elizabeth is acting so strange today...

She started acting even stranger after she t Klein...

She suddenly ran out earlier and said that she needed to use the bathroom, but why did she look so anxious?

...

Selena's bedroom entrance.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and said to the girl in front of her, "Let's go to your room."

"Elizabeth, you seem very nervous and afraid. Why?" Selena looked puzzled at her good friend as she noticed her body trembling constantly.

"Excitent! Yes, excitent!" Elizabeth shot a glance at the mirror in Selena's hand as she turned half her body around to knock on the door with a long knock followed by two short successive ones.

"Why are you knocking on the door..." Selena was baffled even more.

Creak. Her bedroom door opened. Dressed in his black tuxedo and half top hat, Klein appeared in front of the two girls.

"Pleasant surprise? This is a pleasant surprise?" Selena's mouth turned agape as she felt perplexed.

At that mont, Klein suddenly reached out his hand and grabbed her by the wrist. He pulled her into the room as Elizabeth stood rooted to the ground.

Simultaneously, Klein's silver dagger struck forward as it spewed out his spirituality which quickly nded the door-shaped passage.

The invisible spirituality wall sealed off the room, insulating Selena's screams within.

Bang!

Klein suddenly closed the door and without even looking at Selena, he rushed to the desk. @@@@

The wine-red haired girl stopped screaming as she looked up and surveyed the room.

Her gaze rapidly turned cold as her skin was mottled with paleness. Her fingers rapidly grew sharp fingernails.

And at this mont, Klein had already returned to his Cogitation state. He trickled a drop of Moon flower and essential oil onto each candle as he chanted loudly, "Supre Lady of Crimson, Great Empress of Disaster and Horror.

"I pray for you to bestow your loving grace.

"Show your loving grace to the lost lamb, Selena Wood!"

While chanting, he picked up the fake goatskin and pushed it onto the candle representing the requester.

Whoosh!

He felt a cold wind blow behind him as an imnse energy assaulted his body.

The goat skin was ignited and Klein threw it into a silver bowl. Then, he crouched downwards in accordance to his preparations to dodge the lethal strike.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The wind howled ferociously, and Klein felt the uncontrolled outpour of his spirituality surging like the currents.

He saw the goatskin burning in the tiny silver bowl, burning in silent darkness, and he heard heavy items landing on the ground behind him.

Bam! Bang!

The two sounds followed one after another with almost no breaks in between. Wisps of dark green gases plunged into the silver bowl and vanished into the illusory darkness.

Klein rolled to the side and got up. He drew his revolver from his armpit holster. However, he saw that the adorable red-haired girl Selena had fallen to the ground and the silver-coated mirror had shattered into countless broken pieces on the carpet.

Those shattered pieces didn't reflect Selena, but showed the ceiling and Klein's silhouette.

Then, through the Spirit Vision he had left active, Klein saw the wicked dark green in Selena's aura had vanished completely. Everything returned to normal, but she seed more frail.

Phew... He had just relaxed when he felt a sharp, throbbing pain in his glabella and head.

The sharp pain spread all over his body and made him want to roll around on the floor.

Klein held his fists tight, and the veins on the back of his hands popped and beca black. They looked like moving worms.

Simultaneously, he heard silent screams and the whispers that ripped at his mind.

It took him nearly twenty seconds to survive the ordeal. His forehead and vest was soaked in cold sweat.

The ritualistic magic I used sucked up all my spirituality and almost made my Beyonder powers lose control? Klein made a rough guess of the situation.

That also made him notice that he had digested quite a bit of the remaining energy in the potion. Based on his calculations, if he had the strength at the ti he consud the potion, he believed that there was no way he could have survived the ordeal. He could have beco a monster straightaway.

"Acting" is quite effective after all... Klein tapped his glabella and wiped away his sweat.

He turned towards the altar, tapped his chest four tis, and said out loudly, "Praise the Lady!"

Following that, he extinguished the candles and quickly tidied up the altar.

Finally, he placed the items back into the desk and used his silver dagger to dispel the spirituality wall seal.

Whoosh!

The sound of the wind echoed before subsiding. Klein let out a long sigh of relief and felt a sense of lingering fear.

"If I hadn't walked through the process beforehand and successfully completed the ritual then things would have beco troubleso... Besides, I still don't know who my opponent or enemy is... Thankfully—yes—thankfully, the room was carpeted, so I didn't damage my clothes while rolling..."

He shook his head and reached out to open the wooden door to Selena's bedroom.

"How was it?" Elizabeth took two steps back and asked nervously.

Klein looked at her terrified expression and took off his half top hat before saying with a warm smile, "I've already corrected the mistake of her magic mirror divination. It's been resolved now."

-x-X-x-

"Has it really been resolved?" Elizabeth asked in disbelief.

Klein smiled and nodded casually.

"Yes."

"It wasn't too hard."

That last part was a lie... He added inwardly.

Perhaps it was the fact that Klein had been calm and collected all this ti, or perhaps he was her only ray of hope. Either way, Elizabeth didn't doubt him any more. She patted her chest and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thank you. You truly are a trustworthy gentleman. I was scared senseless just now.

"How is Selena? Is she fine now?"

"She might remain unconscious for the next few minutes, but she's completely fine now. Oh, two to three days of weakness is to be expected." Klein suddenly had a stern expression on his face as he asked, "Who taught her mysticism? Didn't he tell her about the basic taboos?"

Elizabeth straightened up a little more like a student who had just been scolded by her teacher.

She thought for a mont before saying, "Selena once ntioned that her teacher is Hanass Vincent. She t him a year ago at the Divination Club on Howes Street."

Hanass Vincent... On the surface, he didn't seem to teach anything questionable about magic mirror divination, but he secretly been teaching dark divination... If I knew about this earlier, then I would have reported it to Captain and have raided him earlier... Klein felt so regret as he asked in a deep voice, "Was he also the one who taught Selena magic mirror divination?"

Klein was left with a lingering sense of fear because this matter had nearly affected his sister — lissa!

Elizabeth nodded cautiously.

"Yes, but Selena had tried magic mirror divination a few tis without any success. Oh, today she told that she had a peek at her teacher's hidden incantations and that there would be no problems."

She was basically an expert at courting death... Klein massaged his temples to alleviate his headache.

"Do you still rember the incantations she recited?"

Well... Although Hanass Vincent had not voluntarily imparted the dangerous knowledge to Selena, it's obvious that he had been experinting with it to extend an invitation to a mysterious, unknown entity. This would beco a problem sooner or later. It has to be dealt with quickly before it gets worse and becos a problem for soone else...

"I rember a part of it..." Elizabeth recalled. "She recited it in Hers. As you know, I was only exposed to Hers just recently. All I rember is her using the terms 'revolve,' 'spirit,' 'Creator,' and 'grace.'"

Creator? The True Creator? Many underground mysticism enthusiasts believe in this ancient entity revered by many secret organizations... Yes, an entity that appeared 1000 years ago during the early stages of the Fifth Epoch! Klein nodded amidst his thought and said, "Rember to ask Selena about the entire incantation after she wakes up, then find an opportunity to tell ."

"Alright," Elizabeth replied without any reservations.

But she imdiately asked, feeling a little confused, "Mr. Moretti, why don't you ask her yourself?"

"I don't want to let lissa know I enjoy mysticism. Can you help keep that a secret?" Klein asked in return.

Elizabeth bit her lips, her eyes sparkling.

"No problem. lissa prefers machines to mystery. She likes logic over instinct."

Klein placed his hat in front of his chest and bowed gentlemanly.

"Thank you for your understanding. As for Selena, you do know that she's not soone who can keep a secret."

"A more accurate description is that she likes to share secrets with others," Elizabeth agreed.

Klein put on his hat and thought for a mont before saying, "Rember to tell Selena after she wakes up that she suddenly fainted and shattered her mirror. I think her mory probably stopped at the point when she began the magic mirror divination."

Seeing Elizabeth nod, he put on a stern expression once again and said, "Rember, be it divinations or trying other mysticism rituals, do not pray to any other entities other than the seven orthodox divinities! You should imdiately burn those types of incantations and stay far away from anyone distributing those materials!

"If I hadn't noticed this in ti, Selena would have turned into a monster or an evil spirit in ten minutes, and everyone here would have been killed, myself included!"

Thinking about the ice-cold Selena in the mirror, Elizabeth had no doubts about what Klein had just said. She sighed with lingering fear and said, "I understand and I'll rember. I'll also keep an eye on Selena."

"Alright, go and take care of Selena." Klein raised his black cane and walked toward the stairway.

As he walked, his eyes beca darker. He took out a single penny with his right hand and flicked it into the air.

"Selena is alright now.

"Selena is alright now."

...

Klein quickly repeated the description, then caught the falling coin. He saw George III's face facing upward.

This was not a simplification of spirit dowsing. Instead, it was a simplification of dream divination. At that mont, Klein had forced himself into a state of sleep with the aid of Cogitation in order to take a tour through the spirit world. The heads and tails of the coin were a symbolic manifestation.

Heads represented affirmation, while tails indicated dissent!

Great, everything is fine now... Klein twirled the bronze coin with his fingers happily.

That was a simplification only a Seer could accomplish.

...

Elizabeth was staring at Klein's back and saw the flying coin before he caught it.

Only when Klein vanished down the staircase did she turn to enter the bedroom. She saw Selena asleep on the floor with shattered pieces of the mirror beside her. @@@@

She held her breath and tiptoed into the room as she looked at the fragnts of the mirror. She made sure that the ice-cold Selena was no longer present; instead, the fragnts were reflecting the ceiling.

Phew. Put completely at ease, lissa heaved a long sigh of relief.

But despite her efforts, she couldn't move Selena to the bed. Instead, she nudged her awake.

"Elizabeth... What happened to ? Did I get drunk?" Selena asked weakly, the glow in her eyes having turned considerably dull while her eyes were filled with confusion.

Elizabeth thought for a mont and replied in a serious tone, "No, Selena, sothing happened to you. Your magic mirror divination invited a malicious entity."

"Is that so?" Selena weakly made her way to the bed with Elizabeth's help. She rubbed her temple as she said, "All I rember is when I started the magic mirror divination."

Elizabeth told a half-truth, "You were a completely different person during the ritual. The you in the mirror was completely different from the you in real life... I was very scared. Using the excuse of giving you a surprise, I brought you into the bedroom before I snatched your mirror and shattered it onto the carpet. After that... after that, you fainted."

"Blessed be the Goddess, you're okay now!"

"I-I don't rember anything..." Selena muttered, her face pale.

The more Selena tried to rember, the emptier her mind beca, and the more afraid she felt.

Subconsciously, she glanced at her desk and noticed that the placent of items was clearly different.

Just what happened exactly... Selena tried hard to rember, but she could only faintly rember a man in a black suit and hat. He was not strong or tall, but he had a straight back.

"Selena," Elizabeth said seriously, "I t a mysticism expert when I went to the underground market to purchase the amulet. He said that we shouldn't pray to any entity other than the seven orthodox divinities. Otherwise, we would be sure to invite disaster. Promise , don't try this anymore. I didn't even know if what I did could save you just now!"

Selena was scared senseless. She nodded in a daze.

"No more, I'll never try this again!"

"And, just what did the incantations of your mysticism an? If I have the chance to et the mysticism expert again, I will ask him for you," Elizabeth asked, feigning nonchalance.

Selena rubbed her temple and said, "Spirit that revolves this world, the grace of the True Creator, the eyes that look at fate."

...

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Klein smoothed the creases and patted the dust off his clothes as he walked down the stairs.

After that, he took off his hat and returned slowly to the long dining table.

"Where did you go? It has been nearly 10 minutes," Selena's brother, Chris, asked as he folded his hand.

Klein smiled and replied, "To the bathroom, then upstairs to acquaint myself with the ladies."

"I appreciate your honesty," Chris praised in laughter.

He had the red hair and short build that ran in their family. He wore gold-frad glasses and had quite the personality; he was an exceptional lawyer.

You wouldn't say that if you knew that I had knocked your sister unconscious upstairs... Klein replied humbly, "We were rely engaging in academic discussion."

In the area of mysticism...

He put down his hat and returned to his seat. He received his two cards as the new round started.

Flipping up the corner of his cards, he saw the King of Spades and the Ace of Diamonds.

Looks like I beca luckier... Is this payback for doing a good deed? Klein took out a coin in preparation to place his bet.

Since Hanass didn't intentionally reveal the incantation to Selena, there's no need for to urgently report this to Captain...

He continued his cautious playstyle in the following rounds, only betting when he had a good hand. He didn't take any chances to bluff and didn't win much. When the ga ended at half past ten, he had won six pence.

"I won two soli and eight pence." Benson fiddled with the notes and coins in his hand.

"I didn't expect you to be an expert at poker," Klein praised, laughing.

"No, I don't play often, but I know that this is the sa as negotiation. You have to hide your cards and figure out the hidden cards that people have before using various ans to scare or entice them..." Benson hadn't finished his sentence when he saw lissa and the rest coming down from the second floor.

"It's ti to go ho," said Klein as he glanced at his sister and her friends while rubbing his temples.

The throbbing pain in his head remained.

After that, Klein went to the bathroom once more and took the opportunity to walk past Elizabeth and obtained the complete incantation.

Returning to his siblings, he smiled and said, "Oh right, I suddenly rembered sothing. I need to head back to the company for a while. Shall we go to Zouteland Street first? It'll be quick."

-x-X-x-

"What is it?" Benson asked casually.

lissa looked at her brother with a serious expression because she felt that Klein's behavior tonight was strange as well. In fact, it only looked slightly more normal than Elizabeth's behavior and, later, Selena's.

Klein chuckled as he had long thought of an excuse and said, "There was a mistake in one of the docunt descriptions, and I already inford my colleagues that I would hand it over to them when I arrive early at the company tomorrow morning. So, I can either and it now since it's on the way or wake up at least half an hour earlier tomorrow morning. No doubt, I've chosen to do the forr."

"Ah, no wonder. I had a nagging feeling that your mind wasn't in the ga, so you were actually thinking about work." Benson smiled, suddenly enlightened. "No, I apologize. I should say, the card ga helped you think."

"Alright, we shall wait for you." lissa looked away and smoothed out the ruffles of her engageantes.

As it was past the operation ti for both track and trackless public carriages, the three siblings bid their hosts farewell before hiring a carriage nearby. It cost two soli for forty-five minutes.

"I've heard that every carriage driver that rents out their own carriage adds ridiculous fees," Benson complained in a low voice. He had used most of the money that he won earlier to pay the driver.

Klein smiled and replied, "I think it's very acceptable. After all, it is almost eleven o'clock."

"I was just joking. I thought that we could actually share the carriage with other guests. Forty-five minutes can take us to many places." Benson looked out of the window at the other people who were hiring carriages one after another.

I know, ride-sharing... Klein rubbed the top of his silver-inlaid cane and said, "We don't have a problem with that, but the other custors might. Benson, did you notice that they care a lot about their image and at looking respectable? I think that might be common among the middle-class."

"Hmm." Benson nodded seriously and said, "The Wood family was much more extravagant than I imagined. However, Wood's weekly salary is only four pounds per week... Heh, 'looking respectable' might be the biggest difference between the middle-class people and curly-haired baboons." @@@@

Do you have sothing against curly-haired baboons... Klein almost burst out laughing.

lissa didn't join in on their discussion. She took a seat and sized up Klein from ti to ti. Her gaze was sending chills down his spine.

The two-wheeled horse carriage was traveling quickly in the dark, quiet street. They arrived at Zouteland Street in only twelve minutes.

"Wait for here. Five minutes, it won't be more than five minutes," Klein emphasized. He put on his top hat, grabbed his cane, and got off the carriage.

As the carriage driver was charging based on ti instead of distance, the driver didn't mind waiting.

Going up the stairs, Klein arrived at the Blackthorn Security Company and knocked on the door.

Within ten seconds, the door was opened wide. Leonard Mitchell appeared before him in a vest and shirt.

"You're not on duty tonight," Leonard pointed out, looking surprised to see him.

Klein was only on guard duty once a week for the Chanis Gate. They maintained a regular work schedule for the rest of the ti. As for ergencies that happened at night, they would be dealt with by the Sleepless who enjoyed the night.

However, only getting two to three hours of sleep a day can cause baldness and mory loss... Whenever he thought about this, Klein couldn't help but ridicule Captain Dunn Smith in his mind.

"I have sothing to report," he answered simply.

"There's a mission?" Leonard asked casually, moving aside.

When Klein entered the reception hall, he saw Dunn coming out in his black windbreaker. His gray eyes were dark as usual.

"Captain, I ca across an incident involving the supernatural."

"Give the details," Dunn asked directly.

Klein recounted the whole story from earlier and reported the steps that he took to deal with it.

"...So, I think there's a need to investigate Hanass Vincent."

Back then he believed that since the evil entity that was invited by the magic mirror divination hadn't caused a disaster, and there was no indication that he was in extre danger. That ant that the entity probably still needed more ti. It didn't want to awaken or possess Selena ahead of ti; therefore, as long as its goals were not exposed, the evil entity chose to observe the situation. Under such circumstances, it wasn't hard for Elizabeth to trick Selena to head to the entrance of the bedroom.

"You've done well. You seized the opportunity before the evil spirit fully materialized to possess her body completely." Dunn lifted his head lightly and said, "Let us take care of the follow-up investigations. You can return ho to rest."

Klein heaved a sigh of relief and chortled.

"I thought you would make this my initiation mission and make complete it alone."

From the incantation that Elizabeth provided him, Hanass Vincent was certainly dangerous...

"That's because there's already an initiation mission for you." The desultory Leonard chuckled by the side.

"What?" Klein was shocked.

Dunn smirked and explained with his soothing voice, "At around seven tonight, the police station referred us to a case. From our initial assessnts, there doesn't seem to be any danger or urgency, so it was decided that you would complete it on your own tomorrow."

"Alright, don't ask about the case. Rest well tonight and move your day off to Tuesday or Wednesday."

Captain, doing that only affects my sleep... Plus, Monday afternoon is when the Tarot Gathering takes place... Do I need to send a postponent notification to Justice and The Hanged Man? Klein shook his head and smiled bitterly. He then bade farewell and left.

Exiting the stairway, he suddenly sensed sothing. He lifted his head to look towards the carriage that they had hired. He only saw lissa looking at him silently through the window.

When they made eye contact, lissa suddenly looked away and sat properly.

The corner of Klein's mouth twitched, and he got into the carriage, pretending nothing had happened.

Under the crimson moon and pure night sky, the carriage moved quickly down one street after the other.

When they returned ho, Klein yielded the bathroom to Benson for his shower while he went to lissa's bedroom and knocked twice.

lissa, who was planning to use the other bathroom, opened the door and looked at her brother suspiciously.

"lissa, do you have any questions that you'd like to ask? I know you do," Klein asked straightforwardly.

Don't just observe in silence...

lissa lips trembled and creased her eyebrows as she spoke.

"Klein, what did you do to Elizabeth? She seed a bit off."

"And, later on, Selena started acting very strange too."

Klein had prepared his reply.

"Do you know that Elizabeth and Selena are mysticism enthusiasts?"

"...Yeah, but I don't like it. I don't think there's anything that can't be explained in this world," lissa answered seriously after being montarily taken aback. "Anything that seems unexplainable is due to the fact that the knowledge we have grasped is insufficient."

"Yeah, I think so too," Klein echoed her sentints guiltily.

I once thought so too, until I successfully courted death...

He coughed lightly and continued, "Mysticism involves Hers, the language used specifically for ancient worship ceremonies and prayers. Elizabeth knew that I am good at it. Heh, it is within a historian's domain after all. So, she asked about the pronunciation of corresponding words and their actual anings."

lissa nodded lightly, signifying her acceptance of her brother's explanation. It went according to her understanding of both parties.

"As for why Elizabeth and Selena beca weird later on, I have no idea about the actual reasons." Klein removed himself from the picture first, then he said, "But, I can make a guess."

"You managed to guess it?" lissa blurted out in shock.

Klein lifted his hand and patted his lips.

"I could guess from the contents of what Elizabeth asked. The few Hers words were related to divination, as well as the worshiping of evil entities. Yes, when Selena did the magic mirror divination, did she recite in Hers?"

He proactively brought that up in order to remind his sister to keep her guard up against similar situations. It would be even better if she could cut off contact with Selena and Elizabeth.

"Yes..." lissa replied after a delay. "I think I understand why Elizabeth and Selena were acting strange..."

Then, Klein asked deliberately, "As Selena's magic mirror divination involved a wicked, illegal belief, perhaps Elizabeth found an opportunity to criticize and correct Selena's mistake after she clarified with the actual aning of the Hers that Selena had used?"

"I think so," lissa didn't doubt this conclusion because she had made the sa deduction herself.

Klein let out a breath of relief upon seeing that he had successfully directed the flow of the conversation.

"In the future, it's best if you advised Selena to put her beliefs in the orthodox."

Then, he tapped four spots on his chest just like a priest.

"Yes, I will!" lissa replied, sounding determined.

"And, don't tell Elizabeth and Selena about our deduction or about the things that I've said. I actually promised Elizabeth not to tell you," Klein emphasized.

"Okay." lissa nodded lightly.

...

On Monday morning at eight, in the Blackthorn Security Company.

Klein took off his hat and greeted Rozanne and Bredt. After exchanging a few words, he entered Captain Dunn Smith's office.

He pushed the door open and looked around. He suddenly had a shock, because Dunn's face was pretty pale and his gray eyes looked clouded, without their usual darkness.

"What happened? Hanass Vincent?" Klein asked in concern and shock.

Dunn rubbed his forehead, took a sip of coffee, and replied with a bitter smile, "Hanass Vincent is dead."

"Who killed him ahead of ti?" Klein sat before Dunn with his cane in hand.

Dunn didn't answer imdiately but sighed and said, "Leonard and I went to look for Hanass Vincent last night. As his usual behavior didn't show any unusual signs and there was nothing odd about his house, I decided to enter his dreams to look for clues."

"In his dream, in his dream..."

His eyes showed fear as Dunn repeated himself twice, that was when he said, "In his dream, I saw a cross, a huge cross, one that blotted out the sky. On the huge cross there was a naked man nailed to it with black nails. His arms and legs were pinned with his arms extended outwards. He was hung upside down, his head hung low like a chandelier. There was strips of blood stains on his body."

"Upon seeing such a scene, I lost consciousness. I left Hanass Vincent's dream, and when I woke up, Leonard told that Hanass had died in his sleep."

"Huge cross, hung upside down, the man covered in blood stains... It's similar to so of the stories of the True Creator that so of the hidden organizations believe in, but there are considerable differences too..." Klein made a deduction in suspicion.

The few hidden organizations that believed in the True Creator had only appeared in the last two or three centuries, such as the Aurora Order and the Iron and Blood Cross Order. However, similar such depictions had never disappeared over the past thousand plus years.

Dunn rubbed his forehead again. "We'll follow-up on this. As for you, go ahead and complete your initiation mission first."

-x-X-x-

Klein nodded and said, "Alright, but I still don't know what my mission is."

"Nothing dangerous. I haven't seen any signs of danger at the very least," Dunn emphasized. "This is a case which was referred to us by Golden Indus's police departnt. The famous philanthropist Sir Deweyville has been experiencing unusual harassnt over the past month. Be it his bodyguards, the security guards he has employed, or the police, none of them have been able to find the culprit. Inspector Tolle, who is in charge of this case, suspects that it involves Beyonder powers and, thus, handed the case over to us."

I saw Sir Deweyville at the library the other day and noticed that he was feeling down and lethargic. So it was a result of being harassed... Klein knitted his brows and asked, "What kind of harassnt is it?"

There hasn't been any physical harm inflicted yet; thus, the harassnt wouldn't be considered dangerous.

"Sir Deweyville hears moans and cries every night, no matter where he is, be it Tingen or not. This has affected his sleep quality negatively." Dunn flipped the notes in his hands. "He has seen a psychiatrist and has asked his butlers and servants to confirm that it was not an illusion. Having confird that it isn't a hallucination, thus, it is suspected that soone is harassing him."

Closing the file, Dunn looked up at Klein.

"Change into your probationary inspector uniform in the break room, then et Inspector Tolle who is in charge of this case at the Shooting Club. He'll provide you with more details."

"Probationary inspector uniform?" Klein asked instinctively.

Dunn rubbed his forehead and smiled.

"Half of our salary cos from the police departnt, and the title of probationary inspector doesn't rely belong in the records. When you t Leonard and I for the first ti, we were also wearing uniforms. This is a perk held by fully official mbers. Yes, the 'Perks' as Emperor Roselle would call it."

Unfortunately, I can't wear it as a casual outfit. Otherwise, I'd be able to have another spare outfit when my clothes are being washed... Klein picked up his cane and bade farewell before leaving the captain's office.

He headed toward the break room and saw a black and white checkered uniform, complete with leather boots, placed on the table. The uniform's peak cap was embroidered with the logo of the police departnt—two crossed swords and a crown. Located on the shoulder was a black and white epaulet with a shimring silver star.

"This is a probationary inspector uniform?" Klein glanced at the uniform and noticed a string of numbers under the silver stars: 06-254.

He had so understanding of the police rank structure in the Loen Kingdom. He knew that those at the top were the minister and the chief secretary of the police force. Under them were the respective commissioners, deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners of the various police departnts. Those in the middle were superintendents and inspectors, while those at the very bottom were the sergeants and constables.

After closing the door, Klein took off his suit and hat before changing into the uniform.

He hung his suit up and left the room. He made his way into the clerk's office and looked at himself using the full-body mirror that Rozanne brought to him.

The young man in the mirror had black hair with gentle brown eyes. The uniform on his body accentuated him with a heroic spirit.

"Not bad." Klein praised himself narcissistically. He left his cane in the office and left the Blackthorn Security Company.

Inside his pockets were a full set of equipnt, ranging from weapons to his police badge.

...

At the hall of the Shooting Club.

Klein t Inspector Tolle imdiately since he was the only one in a police uniform.

Of course, there's too... Klein thought.

There were two silver stars on the epaulets of Inspector Tolle's uniform. His clothes were propped up by his stomach and he had a thick blond mustache. His fra was tall but not imposing. Perhaps, it was imposing in the past.

"Moretti? Klein Moretti?" Inspector Tolle noticed Klein and welcod him with a smile.

"Hello, Inspector Tolle, I believe that you have the right person," Klein replied amicably, then following his mories, he raised his right arm, kept his fingers straight and tight before saluting.

Tolle chuckled.

"I can tell that you'll be a young man who's easy to get along with. That's good. Shall we head to Sir Deweyville's place now?"

Even though he was a higher rank than Klein, the tone in his query was obviously friendly.

"No problem." Klein thought for a mont before he said, "You can fill in on the details of the case on the carriage."

"Sure." Tolle stroked his thick blond beard and guided Klein out of the Shooting Club. They boarded a carriage which was stopped on the other side of the road.

There was the "two crossed swords and a crown" police emblem on the carriage, and it ca with a personal carriage driver.

"Sir Deweyville is a believer of the Goddess, so we referred the case to you," Tolle said quickly as he sat down.

"I know. The fine knight is a common figure on the covers of newspapers and magazines." Klein flashed a friendly smile.

Tolle picked up the docunt docket beside him and removed the seal before taking out the materials inside. As he flipped through them, he explained, "Regardless, even if you are aware of it, I need to provide you with the detailed briefing.

"Sir Deweyville is one of the richest tycoons of Tingen City. He built his career beginning with a lead and porcelain factory. It has now expanded to steel, coal, shipping, banking, and bonds. He is also a great philanthropist that has been praised by the king, having set up the Deweyville Charity Foundation, the Deweyville Trust, and the Deweyville Library... He was also knighted five years ago... If he were willing to run for mayor, I don't think anyone in Tingen City could contest with him.

"But Backlund is his goal; he wants to beco a mber of parliant. We once suspected that the harassnt might be related to this, but we have no clues to this date."

Klein nodded slightly and said, "We can't rule out that possibility, but there's nothing to confirm that suspicion as of now."

Tolle didn't dwell on this point. He continued, "From the sixth of last month, Sir Deweyville has heard painful skin-numbing moans every night when he sleeps, akin to a patient's fight for his life. He has checked the surrounding rooms multiple tis, but he hasn't found anything unusual. His butler and servants have also confird that they heard such sounds, but it is simply softer for them.

"In the beginning, Sir Deweyville believed that this matter would pass quickly and didn't pay too much attention to it. But the moans beca more and more frequent, to the point of occasionally happening during the day. There was even the addition of heart-wrenching cries."

"This has made Sir Deweyville lose sleep, ti and ti again he had no choice but to leave Tingen to his villa in the villages. But it was to no avail. The moans and cries persisted. Similarly, the phenonon persisted even in Backlund, just that it wasn't as serious.

"He employed security guards to check his surroundings, but they didn't find any clues. Our preliminary investigations also ca up with nothing.

"Sir Deweyville, who has been tortured for more than a month, is on the brink of collapse. He visited psychiatrists ti and ti again but was unable to have his problems resolved. He told us that if this problem was not solved within a month, he would leave Tingen and head to Backlund. He believes that there would be people who can help him there."

After listening to Tolle's explanation, Klein quickly analyzed and ca up with a few possibilities.

He offended a Beyonder and is suffering from a curse?

No, if he was suffering from a curse, the butlers and servants in his house wouldn't hear the sa things...

There's a Beyonder with unknown motives hidden among his servants and bodyguards?

But the problem stems from the point that there has been no requests made of Sir Deweyville over the past month...

Perhaps Sir Deweyville accidentally ca into contact with so vengeful evil spirit?

That possibility cannot be ruled out...

The carriage entered the Golden Indus borough while Klein was still deep in thought. It stopped at the door of Sir Deweyville's house.

A steel fence surrounded a lush garden. There were two statues by the side of the hollowed tal gates, a magnificent fountain that showered a marble sculpture with water, an expansive two-story building, as well as a path wide enough to fit three carriages.

"Even the knight's house is only two stories high... The newspaper reported that Backlund is experinting with building ten-story apartnts..." Klein got off the carriage and saw a sergeant with three chevron stripes walking over briskly.

He looked at Klein and saluted.

"Good morning, Sir!"

"Good morning." Klein nodded with a smile.

Tolle smiled.

"This is Sergeant Gate, you can tell him if you need anything. @@@@

"This is Probationary inspector Moretti, a history and psychological expert from the police departnt," Tolle introduced Klein to Gate.

...I don't deserve such a title...

Klein felt a little embarrassed.

After the greetings, Gate pointed to the two-story building behind the fountain and said, "Sir Deweyville is waiting for us."

"Alright." Klein caressed the revolver at his waist.

That was his best bet against an enemy.

Since he was in police uniform, he could put his revolver in a holster at his hip, making it easier to draw it.

As they spoke, the trio made their way down the path, around the fountain, and arrived outside the door.

By then, the door was already opened by a servant who was waiting politely at the side.

As Klein pretended to adjust his hat, he tapped twice on his glabella to activate his Spirit Vision before entering the house.

The square-faced Sir Deweyville was massaging his forehead in the hall. He was clearly in low spirits. His blond hair and blue eyes were either dry or dull as though he had aged considerably by at least five years.

"Good morning, Sir Deweyville." Klein, Tolle, and Gate bowed at the sa ti.

Sir Deweyville stood up and forced out a smile.

"Good morning, Officers. I hope that you can resolve what has been causing distress."

At that mont, Klein squinted and slightly knitted his brows.

Other than his low spirits, Klein couldn't find any other problems with Sir Deweyville.

That's odd... He thought for a mont before he said, "Sir, in which room did you first hear the moans?"

"My bedroom." Sir Deweyville shook his head.

"Can we take a look?" inquired Klein.

"Haven't you checked it many tis?" the middle-aged butler interrupted from the side.

It was clear that he didn't notice that Klein was the partner of the kind-hearted soul that had "not pocketed the money that he picked up."

Klein smiled, composed.

"Those were my colleagues, not ."

"Sir, this is an expert sent by the police agency," Tolle said, taking the opportunity to introduce him.

Deweyville looked at the young expert and said, "Alright, Cullen, take him to my room."

"Sir, I hope that you will co with us," Klein said seriously.

Deweyville hesitated for a few seconds before saying, "If that can solve the problem..."

He grabbed his cane as he spoke. He made his way feebly toward the staircase with the butler Cullen and several guards beside him, ready to support him if needed.

Klein surveyed the surroundings as he followed behind them silently.

One step, two steps, three steps... They arrived at the second story and entered the master bedroom.

Klein didn't have the ti to survey the surroundings when the hair on his body stood on their ends.

This was feedback from his spiritual perception!

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