78 - 85

Chapter 78: Trauma

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

Aiur Harson added, "Exactly, it is hard to imagine that the subsequent Sequence of Seer would be Clown. According to normal logic, no one would link them together."

"Is that strange? I remember that quite a number of Sequence potions also seem to lack similarities between their different levels." Lorotta covered her mouth as she yawned. It was obvious that her injuries were more severe. Not even Goddess's Gaze could help her to maintain her vibrant energy.

"No, Lorotta. This is completely different. Even if the other Sequence potions are lacking a connection, we can also find common points if viewed from a different angle. However, I cannot comprehend it for Seer and Clown at all," said Aiur Harson as he shook his head and sighed.

Klein listened to their discussion and laughed.

"No, there's still a common point."

"What?" Aiur asked curiously. Even Dunn's arm exercises clearly slowed down.

Klein replied without hesitation, "Be it a Seer or a Clown, both of them can be found at the circus."

"…" Aiur, Dunn, and Lorotta were stunned.

"Pfft… Quite a good answer. I like young man like you!" Lorotta was the first to return to her senses as she burst out laughing.

Aiur also smiled as he shook his head.

"In this era, the number of gentlemen who are equipped with the spirit of self-deprecation is decreasing. Thankfully, we have met one today."

Do you think I like to engage in self-deprecation… It's not like I figured out any commonality between the two… Klein complained internally as he replied with a wry smile, "I only wish that the potions of the Sequence pathway would not have names like Beast Tamer, Acrobat, or Magician. That would really form a circus."

Furthermore, it's a one-man circus…

"Haha." Dunn and company were immediately amused. It filled the carriage with a joyous atmosphere.

The carriage proceeded straight for Zouteland Street. Klein, who was not injured, was the first to enter Blackthorn Security Company.

"Goddess! What happened to you? Why are you like that?" Rozanne exclaimed when she caught sight of him.

Klein looked down at his dirty and tattered suit. He replied with his heart aching, "There are always all kinds of accidents during a mission. Thankfully, the Goddess blessed us and it ended beautifully."

"Praise the Lady!" Rozanne devoutly drew the crimson moon across her chest.

Before waiting for Klein to continue, she asked, "Do you need us to hide in the third floor again? Is the Sealed Artifact really that dangerous?"

"Trust me. It's far more dangerous than you can imagine," replied Klein with a lingering fear.

If not for his even more mysterious luck enhancement ritual, he would have perished under the proverbial hands of 2-049!

"Goddess…" Rozanne's lips quivered as though she had still a million things to say or questions to ask, but in consideration of how the captain was waiting downstairs, she held back her compulsion. She informed Mrs. Orianna and company to head upstairs to the third floor. The neighbors of Blackthorn Security Company were either estates of the Church, or devout clergymen who vaguely knew of the situation.

When all the civilian staff dispersed, Klein did not rush to the entertainment room to inform the other Nighthawks. He immediately returned and helped the captain and the rest escort Sealed Artifact 2-049, Monster Bieber's remnants, and the Antigonus family's notebook to the second floor.

Through the partition, Dunn pushed open the entertainment room's door and said to the two Nighthawks who were playing Gwent cards, "Frye, Royale, both of you are to immediately head to the harbor's Tyrell Warehouse and aid Leonard in dealing with the aftermath."

"Alright." Royale with her raven-black hair and cold expression was the first to stand up.

Corpse Collector Frye, with his black hair, blue eyes, and pale skin stood up next.

They put down their Gwent cards and walked out the entertainment room and when they passed through the partition, they clearly paused.

"Wait," Dunn shouted, not letting down their expectations.

"What else is there?" Sleepless Royale turned her head back and asked without an expression.

"Remember to inform the police. Let them seal off the road. Prevent anyone from coming close until you are done with the scene and move the corpse back," Dunn said, smacking his forehead.

"Alright." Royale turned around and took two steps before pausing once again.

She turned her head, blinked and confirmed coldly, "Captain, is there nothing else?"

"No," Dunn answered categorically.

Royale nodded unnoticeably and walked towards the entrance.

As for Corpse Collector Frye who exuded coldness and darkness, he maintained his adequate pace.

At that moment, Dunn added, "Remember to tell Rozanna, Mrs. Orianna, and company that they can come down."

"No problem." Frye calmly replied as though no emotions stirred in him.

Klein watched as the two Nighthawks walked out the door and went upstairs before heaving a secret sigh of relief. He followed the captain and the rest underground. They proceeded straight to Chanis Gate.

As Dunn gestured for Sleepless Kenley to open Chanis Gate, he instructed Klein, "Go to the armory and get Old Neil here. We need his ritualistic magic to heal ourselves."

As the effects of the medicine began to wear off, his mental state gradually waned.

"Alright." Klein did not wait for the captain to continue, as he added, "I will watch the armory in Old Neil's place. I will also request for at least twenty demon hunting bullets and also wait for the Holy Cathedral's approval, curbing my curiosity about the Antigonus family's notebook."

"…" Dunn was instantly at a loss for words.

"Captain, is there anything else?" asked Klein with a smile after beating Dunn to it.

Dunn shook his head and remained speechless.

He pulled out his cane and turned around. After walking a certain distance, Klein turned into the armory and recounted the happenings generally to Old Neil who was drinking plain water.

"He became a monster that lost control… You even killed a Beyonder?" Old Neil quickly tidied up his desk. "It's like I'm listening to the script of a play."

He mumbled as he circled around the desk and walked straight towards the corridor without waiting for Klein's answer.

Klein asked out of curiosity, "Mr. Neil, doesn't the Church have real restorative medicine? Why would ritualistic magic be needed?"

"No medicine made with ordinary ingredients can provide the permanent restorative effects of a ritual. Extraordinary ingredients are very rare, and most of them are not suitable for restorative medicine," Old Neil explained casually. "You should know about Goddess's Gaze, right? When the medicine is first made via a ritual, it would be a standard, real restorative medicine. But every minute after its completion, its effect evaporates until little of its efficacy is left."

"I see…" Klein nodded disappointedly.

As a former "keyboard warrior" and avid gamer, it was a habit to yearn for a medicine with magical healing properties.

He watched Old Neil leave and sat down, taking in the tranquility that he had not had in a very long time.

In the midst of his peace, he recalled the tragic death of the suited clown. He recalled himself shooting coldly, the gruesome wound and the spewing of fresh blood.

Klein's body shivered as he felt discomfort. He first stood up, then sat down, then slowly repeated the process. He also did some pacing back and forth in between.

Phew… He let out a breath and decided to occupy himself with something so that he could stop thinking of those negative images.

Klein took off his silk hat and formal suit. He then took out a handkerchief and a brush to clean off the dirt and mud.

After an uncertain amount of time, he heard Old Neil's familiar footsteps. Old Neil's gait involved him walking on his heels, and it made a distinctive noise as he ambled down the hall.

"How tiring…" Old Neil complained as he walked into the room.

"Tell the rest that no one is to come here within the next hour. I need to rest," he instructed casually, glancing towards Klein.

"Why don't you rest upstairs, and I keep watch here?" Klein suggested out of kindness.

Old Neil shook his head.

"It's too noisy upstairs. Rozanne is a lady who just can't stop talking."

"Alright." Klein did not insist. He put on his coat and hat, picked up his cane, and returned to the corridor. Then, he pulled the armory's door ajar.

Tap. Tap. Tap. He slowly walked on the empty path when he suddenly saw many rooms he had never seen previously by the side.

"There is a secret door here…" Klein stopped at a spot around a bend as he looked at the room.

He discovered that Corpse Collector Frye had already returned. He was carefully examining a completely dissected corpse.

Corpse? Klein's heart stirred as he mustered his courage and approached the room. He knocked lightly on the opened door.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Frye stopped his actions and turned around, looking over with his blue but ice-cold eyes.

"Sorry for disturbing you. I just wish to know if this is a corpse of a Beyonder," asked Klein as he controlled his tone.

"Yes." Frye's lips opened and closed, but only spat out a single word.

Klein's gaze reached beyond him and landed on the corpse. Indeed, he discovered the familiar gruesome wound on the forehead.

It's that suited clown… Klein secretly exhaled and said, "Any discoveries?"

"No," answered Frye in an abnormally simple manner.

The mood instantly turned awkward. Just as Klein was about to bade farewell, Frye took the initiative to say, "If you feel uncomfortable, you can come in to take a look. You will discover that it's only a corpse."

Afraid that I'll be traumatized? Klein nodded in thought.

"Alright."

He entered the room and came in front of the long white-clothed table as he looked at the corpse.

The suited clown's red, yellow, and white paint had been cleaned off, revealing an unfamiliar face that did not look anything special. He was in his thirties and had black hair and a high nose bridge.

At that moment, Frye went to a square table by the corner of the wall and picked up a pencil and piece of paper.

He returned to the corpse and placed the paper down and began drawing with the pencil.

Klein glanced at it in curiosity and found that Frye was sketching the suited clown's head.

It did not take long before Frye stopped moving the pencil. On the piece of paper, there was a lifelike portrait. Compared to the corpse, the only difference was the lack of a wound with the addition of blue eyes.

What a talented genius… Klein marveled in surprise.

"I never expected you to be that good at sketching."

"My dream was to become an artist before becoming a Nighthawk." Frye's tone was completely placid.

"Then why don't you fulfill your dreams?" asked Klein curiously.

Frye put down his pencil and said with the suited clown's portrait in hand, "My father was a priest of the Goddess. He wished that I become a priest. It's a presentable job."

"You became a priest?" Klein asked in surprise.

He found it unimaginable that Frye could become a priest with his personality and the vibes he exuded.

"Yeah, I did quite an okay job." Frye wore a cold expression as the corners of his mouth curled up a little as he replied. "Later, I encountered and experienced some things and ended up a Nighthawk."

Klein did not plan on infringing on his privacy, so he asked, "You were once a priest of the Goddess, so why not choose to be a Sleepless?"

"A personal reason," answered Frye frankly. "Furthermore, Madam Daly is a good role model."

Klein nodded and just as he was about to change the subject, he heard Frye say, "Help me watch this room. I have to immediately hand the sketch to Captain… Closing a secret door is very troublesome."

"Alright." Although Klein was a little afraid facing a corpse alone, he braved his fear in agreement.

With Frye gone, the room turned quiet. The corpse laid there as Klein's heart turned heavy.

He took a few breaths and, in a bid to defeat his fears, approached the long table.

The suited clown lay there silently with his pale face. His eyes were tightly shut, and he had lost all signs of breathing. Apart from the gruesome wound, he emitted the unique coldness of a dead man.

Klein observed for a moment as his emotions gradually settled as he was calming down.

He swept his gaze and discovered a strange brand on the suited clown's wrist. Gathering his courage, he extended his hand to touch it, hoping to turn it around to see it more clearly.

Just as the ice-cold touch reached from Klein's fingertips to his brain, the pale palm that had lost all vibrancy shot up suddenly, grabbing him by the wrist.

It grabbed at his wrist tightly!

Chapter 79: Another Murmuring

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

Klein instantly felt his hair stand on end as the icy hand tightened around his wrist. He instinctively pulled his wrist back in a desperate attempt to escape.

A heavy sensation bore down on him as Klein used every fiber of strength in his entire body to yank his arm back.

Bam!

The pale, naked corpse was yanked so forcefully to the side that it fell from the autopsy table.

However, the white, ice-cold fingers' grip remained firmly latched onto Klein's wrist.

Klein momentarily lost the ability to think; the only thought that went through his mind was to draw his revolver and riddle the corpse in holes.

However, as he could not retract his dominant hand, he threw his black cane and desperately tried to retrieve his revolver from his holster to no avail.

At that moment, the corpse's eyes rose, revealing a pair of calm, blue eyes.

His mouth moved as he muttered, "Hornacis… Hornacis… Hornacis…"

After those three words were said, Klein was completely flustered as he felt that the fingers gripping onto his wrist began to loosen before dropping limp.

The suited clown's eyes were shut once again, as though nothing had happened at all.

If the pale corpse wasn't lying on the stone floor, Klein would have imagined that he had been struck by a hallucination spell.

He staggered backwards a few steps and felt that most of his body was trembling as a result of the shock and fear.

Phew… Phew… Klein gasped for air as he slowly regained control of his mental facilities. He looked at the corpse on the ground in alarm and fear.

He drew his revolver and carefully retreated from the room, one step at a time. After confirming that the corpse was motionless, he took a glance at his wrist of the hand holding onto his revolver.

There were five deep, red finger marks imprinted on his wrist. They silently described his encounter.

Klein calmed down as vulgarities filled his mind.

F*cking hell. I almost died from the shock!

After panting for more than ten seconds, he began assembling items in his mind to quickly compose himself.

He carefully recalled everything that he encountered and pieced them together.

Although he did not understand the reason for the suited clown's "resurrection," he acutely noticed an important point. The corpse had repeated the words "Hornacis!"

"It's Hornacis again…" Klein knitted his brows. "The Antigonus family's notebook has records of a Nation of the Evernight in the Hornacis mountain range. While in Cogitation or Spirit Vision, I would hear sounds that I shouldn't be able to hear, and among those sounds is the word 'Hornacis'… Is the answer to all these questions on the Hornacis mountain range?… There might be massive danger lurking there. For example, an evil god might be sealed within and was using various forms of 'attraction' to achieve freedom."

While considering this, Klein carefully entered the room and touched the corpse a few times to verify that it was completely dead.

He didn't want Corpse Collector Frye to see him mess up the place, so he mustered his courage to move the corpse back onto the autopsy table.

Klein couldn't help but feel as though his heart was in his mouth throughout the process. The slightest movement could snap his tense nerves. Furthermore, the ice-cold feeling given out by the corpse felt particularly disgusting.

After finishing the mission with great difficulty, he recalled the reason he approached the corpse. Therefore, he focused on the suited clown's wrist and looked at the strange brand.

It was unknown when the brand had slipped off, shrinking into a spherical blob of blood which had tint of blue.

The spherical blob of blood was the size of a thumb. It floated in midair silently in defiance of the laws of physics.

"What is this?" Klein muttered, but he didn't dare to touch it rashly.

He had no intention of hiding the strange blood sphere. Firstly, he didn't know if it was a good or bad thing. Secondly, he was certain that Frye, who had examined the corpse, would have long discovered the brand on the wrist. It was even likely that he knew what the strange blood sphere was.

And even if Frye doesn't know, reporting it to Captain and letting the Nighthawks research it is definitely better than me making random attempts… That was Klein's train of thought.

Being in an organization meant he had to know how to make use of the organization's powers to its fullest.

Klein waited nervously for a few minutes before he saw the black-haired, blue-eyed, and thin-lipped Frye return.

He instantly noticed the strange blood sphere, and asked Klein a question he had previously asked himself.

"What is this?"

"No idea." Klein shook his head honestly. He recounted what had happened without hiding anything.

"The brand slipped off into a blood sphere…" Frye nodded, seemingly deep in thought. "The corpse of a Beyonder always tends to have some strange transformations…"

He looked up and said to Klein, "Bring the Captain here. Inform him about the contents that the corpse murmured as well."

"Alright." Klein was already itching to leave.

"You don't have to return with the Captain," Frye added. "I believe you won't like to see what happens next."

As he spoke, he picked up a silver surgical knife beside him.

Klein nodded with some lingering fear.

"I was hoping you'd say that."

He picked up his cane, wore his hat and hobbled over to the Chanis Gate. At the Keeper's room, he saw the no longer frail Captain Dunn.

After Dunn heard his recollection of what happened, he nodded indiscernibly.

"I'll report the matter to the higher ups and let the Holy Cathedral deal with it. Maybe they'll send people to the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range to take a look."

Klein answered briefly in confirmation. Seeing that only Sleepless Kenley and the Captain were in the Keeper's room, he casually asked, "Are Mr. Aiur and the others resting?"

Dunn nodded and said, "Aiur and Borgia are at Saint Selena Cathedral. Lorotta is probably looking for a coffee shop."

"Coffee shop? Madam Lorotta hasn't recovered from her injuries, right?" Klein asked in surprise.

Dunn massaged his nose bridge and said with a laugh, "Lorotta has three hobbies—coffee, dessert, and maidservants. She says she needs these three things to speed up her recovery."

"Maidservants?" Klein asked, perplexed.

Does Madam Lorotta have a particular fetish?

Dunn shook his head helplessly and said, "She likes maidservants. Yeah, that's right. Furthermore, she likes ones with big breasts."

"…She sure is weird." Klein had no idea what kind of expression he should show in response.

Dunn didn't delay any further as he headed out the Keeper's room. As Klein watched his back, he silently waited for him to turn.

Meanwhile, he noticed at the corner of his eye that Sleepless Kenley had fished out his pocket watch and opened it.

Three, two, one… The moment Klein finished counting down silently, Dunn stopped and turned around.

"Another thing I forgot. Klein, you went through a lot today. Once you relax, you'll feel exhausted. There's no need for you to be here in the afternoon. Go back and get some rest. Tomorrow, I'll submit the application listing the detailed losses."

"Alright. Don't worry too much about your killing of a Beyonder. Killing him was equivalent to saving more lives."

"As a matter of fact, I'm actually feeling much better." Klein silently exhaled.

Dunn nodded slightly and just as he turned around, he smacked himself in the forehead.

"I've also handed the Beyonder's sketch to Leonard. He and the police department are in charge of the follow up investigations. I believe that the Beyonder must've rode on carriages, eaten food, and had somewhere to stay.

"Wherever he goes, whatever he touches, whatever he leaves behind, even unconsciously, will serve as a silent witness against him. Emperor Roselle's words are truly sensible."

"…Yes." Klein answered, stupefied.

After the captain walked far away, he left the Keeper's room and slowly walked to the second floor.

Along the way, he suddenly recalled something as he experienced an additional bout of fear.

That suited clown claimed that the Secret Order controlled the corresponding Sequence pathway of Seers… Even if he was exaggerating and they didn't have the higher Sequence potion formulas, they definitely have the lower Sequence ones.

It also means that they have a number of Seers.

Then, wouldn't they divine that I killed the suited clown and secretly exact revenge against me?

If they can't deal with the Nighthawks, can't they deal with me, a Seer without any direct measures against enemies?

Klein stopped in the stairwell and began thinking about the problem seriously. Soon, he discovered that he was worrying over nothing.

Firstly, the Secret Order doesn't know who are members of the Nighthawks.

Secondly, even if they know one or two, they definitely wouldn't include a civilian staff member like me.

Thirdly, under the present circumstances, unless they have a prophet, there's no way they can divine who the murderer is.

He heaved a sigh of relief and left the Blackthorn Security Company. He took a public carriage back to Daffodil Street.

Even though he hadn't eaten lunch yet, he still lacked the appetite.

After entering his bedroom, Klein removed his damaged suit first. Then, he took off his half top hat, got into bed and tried to go to sleep.

His mind remained active as though his entire existence couldn't relax. His mind wasn't repeating the scene of him shooting the suited clown to death, but of the scene of him moving the corpse, and that hair-raising experience.

He no longer felt uncomfortable about killing for the first time, but more of a disgust when he thought about it.

"This was probably Frye's goal. He hoped that I would approach the corpse and face it directly to overcome my trauma… But, even though the trauma from before is gone, I've been traumatized by something new…" Klein gave a self-deprecating laugh as he gradually felt his nerves calm down.

He had no idea when he dozed off, but when he woke up, his stomach was groaning in protest.

"I feel like I can eat an entire horse!" Klein muttered as he looked at the sun setting in the west as though the sky was alit.

Changing into old but comfortable casual clothes, he briskly walked to the first floor. Before he could consider what to make for dinner, he heard the door open.

Melissa… The corners of his mouth curled up at the thought.

Ever since she began taking the public carriage, his sister no longer returned home late.

The key twisted as the door opened. Melissa walked in with her bag that contained her books and stationery.

She looked at the kitchen and said, "Klein, there's a letter for you. It's from your mentor."

A letter from Mentor? Right. I wrote to him asking about the relevant historical situation of the Hornacis main peak… Klein was taken aback at first before he recalled the matter.

Chapter 80: Banquet Invitation

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

After having dinner, a satiated Klein casually lounged on the living room sofa. He used a small letter opener to open the letter he received from his mentor.

Melissa was sitting by the dining table at the time, working hard on a textbook problem, with the gas lamp for illumination. Benson was cradled in a single seater, reading Accountancy for Beginners.

Klein found three pages in the letter that he read with both fear and anticipation.

"…very happy to receive your letter. It reminds me of the good old days over the past few years. Unfortunately, Welch and Naya have left us forever…"

"I attended their burials separately and could feel their parents' anguish. The two of them were young adults who were supposed to have beautiful, bright futures ahead of them…"

"Fate is always so unpredictable. No one can know what will happen to you next. I've experienced more as I've grown older, and I can increasingly sense the weakness and helplessness of humanity."

"…Regarding the historical information revolving around the Hornacis main peak, I recall that the archaeologist, Mr. John Joseph, once published a monograph detailing it. It includes his accounts of his time at the Hornacis main peak. He discovered a few ancient buildings that are more than a thousand years old."

"What shames every historian and archaeologist is our inability to precisely date the era. We can only make a crude estimate based on the architecture style, the characteristics of the murals, and a few of the texts that we can decipher."

"It's quite unbelievable that such a tall mountain peak would have humans living there. Mr. Joseph has ample evidence to prove that those humans developed a civilization that they can call their own. As for the details, it is hard to fully describe them in this letter. I suggest you try borrowing this monograph from the Deweyville Library. Trust me, Sir Deweyville's donation to this library makes it have more books in its collection than the one built by the city government."

"The monograph's title is Research of the Hornacis Main Peak's Relics. It is published by the Loen Publishing Firm."

"In addition, there are some papers that discuss something of relevance. They are published in the journals—New Archeology, Archeology Summary. The exact issue and journal volume is…"

…

Klein read every word, and repeated the names of the monograph and paper names silently.

Immediately afterwards, he found some paper and an envelope, as well as a fountain pen before penning his gratitude.

"Melissa, help me send this letter out. This is the money for the stamps." Klein placed the sealed envelope and more than enough money for the stamps on his sister's desk.

Melissa took a glance and curled her lips.

"Klein, stamps don't cost that much."

"Yes, stamps don't, but a girl should have some allowance." Klein replied with a smile. "I believe Selena has mentioned this to you before."

Noticing that Melissa was about to protest, he quickly added, "It can be used to buy the materials and tools you need."

"Tools…" Melissa repeated softly again and again before casting her gaze back onto her books. "Alright," she said as she nodded imperceptibly.

The corners of Klein's mouth immediately curved upwards as he briskly walked back to the sofa.

"Excellent persuasion skills. You precisely pinpointed Melissa's weakness." Benson gave a thumbs up as he said with a suppressed laugh. Klein cleared his throat and said in all seriousness.

"Then how shall I persuade you? Your self-study should emphasize language and ancient literature. Of course, basic mathematics and logic are equally important."

According to the curriculum of the public schools and grammar schools, as well as the material tested for in college admissions, Klein was very confident about the general direction in which the upcoming 'civil servant examinations' would focus on.

Benson touched his hairline and said with a self-deprecating smile, "I feel like a curly-haired baboon in front of those books."

"But they're really useful," Klein said with a determined smile.

At that moment, Melissa put down her fountain pen, stood up, and walked to the sofa.

"Benson, Klein. This Sunday is Selena's birthday. She and her parents wish to invite all of us to their place for a banquet. Are both of you free?"

"Should be fine for me," Klein said after some thought.

He could take the opportunity to be acquainted with his sister's friends. It could prevent him from being utterly clueless whenever something happened to her.

"Me too," Benson said as he combed his hairs with his fingers. "It looks like we'll have to think of a birthday present for Miss Selena."

Klein smiled.

"This should be left to Melissa. She knows Miss Selena better than us. Besides, what we need to do is what a gentleman ought to do—pay for it."

"This is the first time I've heard someone describe laziness in such a pleasant manner," Benson said as he shook his head and chuckled.

Klein returned with a smile.

"This is the purpose of language and ancient literature."

"…" Benson never expected Klein to return to the subject at hand; it left him momentary speechless.

…

The next day, Klein wore his cheap formal suit and held his black inlaid silver cane as he climbed up the stairs and arrived at the Blackthorn Security Company's entrance. His tuxedo had already been sent to the tailors.

Klein was just about to greet Rozanne when he saw Captain Dunn walk out of the partition.

"Good morning Klein. Did you have a good night's sleep?" Dunn asked with concern.

Klein answered honestly, "Better than I expected. I didn't even have nightmares. But I still feel heavy and a little disgusted when I recall it."

"Very good. I feel assured hearing that," Dunn said with a nodding smile.

After chatting about the weather, he raised a matter.

"The Holy Cathedral has replied to my telegram. Antigonus, Lorotta, and company are to immediately escort Sealed Artifact 2-049 and the Antigonus family's notebook back to Backlund. They've also sent an additional Nighthawk yesterday afternoon via steam locomotive to help."

"I believe that they've already set off by now."

Already set off by now? Does that mean I'm completely free from the traumatizing Antigonus family's notebook? Klein was taken aback. He found it surreal as though he was dreaming.

This is more relaxing than I imagined…

It's unlikely that there will be any follow up, right?

"May the Goddess bless them and that they will have a smooth journey." After a few seconds of silence, Klein made a gesture on his chest in the sign of the crimson moon.

Dunn wore his hat and pointed out the door.

"I have to patrol the Raphael Cemetery Garden. Heh, I forgot one thing. The investigations of Leonard and the police department has borne fruit. They found the carriage driver that drove them. We have confirmed their temporary residence in Tingen City, but they are rather cautious. They didn't leave behind any valuable clues."

"As expected of an ancient secret organization," Klein echoed wistfully.

Dunn nodded and turned to head to the door.

He stopped three seconds later and turned his head.

"Also, the Holy Cathedral needs another two to three days before they notify us of your application to become an official member. Heh heh, this is dealt with by a different department, separate from the one that deals with the Antigonus family's notebook. They have different levels of efficiency."

"I understand," Klein replied sincerely.

Meanwhile, he helped his captain add inwardly.

Remember to submit the compensation application today!

Watching Dunn leave, Klein heard the brown-haired Rozanne exclaim.

"Goddess! Klein, are you becoming a formal member? You haven't even joined us for a month!"

Klein smiled.

"After I consumed the Seer potion, it was only a matter of time."

"That's reasonable…" Rozanne fell into a daze for a few seconds before suddenly sighing. "I was praying that you finished your mysticism lessons so that you could be added to the roster for watching the armory, but… Goddess, I have to be on duty every two days. I'm not a Sleepless! My skin, my state of mind. Goddess, save me!"

"Shouldn't you be very familiar to such a lifestyle? Before I joined, it has always been you, Bredt, and Old Neil who took turns, right?" Klein asked, puzzled.

Rozanne shook her head with a depressed look.

"No, there were four previously, five even earlier. Unfortunately, Kenley chose to become a Sleepless. Viola did not choose to extend her contract last month and joined the Khoy Noel Machinery Company. She's a gifted girl when it comes to creation. She only lacked the opportunity and money. Five years as a civilian staff allowed her to have enough savings."

Having said this, Rozanne suddenly glanced at Klein and laughed with her mouth covered.

"I've thought of a good solution. Klein, get married as soon as possible. Then, accidentally expose the secret of Beyonders to her. This is considered a very minor leak so there won't be any particularly heavy penalties. After all, who can lie to a person who shares the same bed with you over prolonged periods of time. You can introduce her to us when that happens make her a civilian staff member! What a perfect plan!"

The corners of Klein's mouth twitched.

"Miss Rozanne, you can also quickly find a husband. It should be even easier. I believe you have the adequate means to divulge the secret to him."

Rozanne's eyes widened and her mouth turned agape when she heard him.

"How can I? Marriage is a very serious matter. I have to carefully pick and observe him over a period of time to ensure that he's alright."

That's not what you said a second ago… Klein didn't bother engaging in sophistry with Rozanne. He smiled as he engaged in a little small talk before bidding farewell and heading underground.

At the armory, he saw Old Neil wrestling with the handground coffee. So, he sat down and waited patiently.

"Soon you'll be an official member, right?" Old Neil asked casually as he filtered the coffee.

"Captain said that another two to three days are needed. It's still a question of whether the Holy Cathedral will approve of it," Klein said frankly.

"Hehe." Old Neil chortled. "The Holy Cathedral won't deny cases like these, especially when you're already a Beyonder."

With that said, he turned his head and faced Klein. He said with a chuckle, "You must be mentally prepared. There's a ritual every official Nighthawk member has to undergo. They have to complete a mission independently. Of course, Dunn would definitely choose the easiest and simplest ones for a rookie. Besides, you're a support-type Seer."

Chapter 81: Finally Meeting

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

"I have to complete a mission independently in order to become an official member?" Klein was taken aback. "But we might not even have a mission this week, and it might not be so simple."

Wouldn't this mean that it'll take me one to two months to become a official Nighthawk? Only then will I get a pay rise…

Old Neil sniffed at the coffee and shot a glance at him.

"It's only a ritual among Nighthawks. After all, we stand at the peak of Beyonder danger and don't want our teammates to act like children who require constant care. This won't affect the salary that you'll receive as an official member, or your privileges needed to fulfill your duty."

So it's just a ritual to gain the recognition of the other Nighthawks… But, Mr. Neil, why did you emphasize that it would not affect my pay grade as an official member… Did I make it that obvious? Klein touched his face and gave an embarrassed smile before asking, "Does it have to be a mission of the Beyonder variety?"

"That should be the case, but your performance yesterday was truly outstanding. You ingeniously killed a Beyonder that's at least at Sequence 8. I believe Frye, Royale, and the rest have already acknowledged you. Therefore, Dunn might just assign you to an ordinary mission," Old Neil said before suddenly sighing. "You'll have your salary increase several-fold. I'll never encounter something like that again in my lifetime."

Klein chuckled as he raised the matter about his Sequence pathway.

"Mr. Neil, do you think that the corresponding Sequence 8 of Seer is Clown?"

In fact, thinking back to the description from the confidential documents, it did seem to add up.

A job good at fighting with artifice…

"I can't give you any guarantees, but I think it's highly likely. Firstly, it matches up with what's said on the documents. Their agile movement and deception based battle style are key points. Next, other Sequence pathways have similar situations. Do you know the corresponding Sequence 8 for Mystery Pryer?" Old Neil asked with a chuckle.

"No, it's not written in the information provided by the Church." Klein shook his head honestly.

Old Neil chuckled briefly before saying, "I'm close friends with two old guys from the Machinery Hivemind. They mentioned it in passing, as a joke. The corresponding Sequence 8 potion of Mystery Pryer is Melee Scholar. Did you hear that? Melee Scholar. Goddess, I don't like melee combat at all. This doesn't suit the image of a Mystery Pryer at all!"

"I can understand… Mystery Pryer's pursue the mysteries behind things. Melee combat is one of those mysteries," Klein said after some thought.

Old Neil finished his handground coffee. "Alright, let's not waste time. Let's continue our mysticism studies. You still have a lot of ritualist magic that you need to grasp. You also need to learn how to create amulets and charms."

"Alright." Klein sat down and planned out his schedule for the day.

In the morning I'll study mysticism and read through all sorts of historical records. I'll submit the compensation request. After lunch, I'll practice at the Shooting Club. Then, I'll head to the Deweyville Library at Golden Indus Borough and see if I can borrow the corresponding monograph and journal regarding the Hornacis main peak. After doing all that, if I have time, I'll spend some time at the Divination Club. I can't slack off on my "acting."

Once the compensation request is approved and I receive the money, I'll be able to buy a new suit on the way home.

Yes… I'll apply for the materials tomorrow morning and try to make a protective amulet to ward off danger for Melissa and Benson.

…

In a dining hall adorned with a chandelier and elegant decorations.

A few friends were congratulating Joyce Meyer on his escape from danger and his return to Tingen.

"We all read the news. Just the written description alone was enough to scare me," a man with a short stubble on his chin said wistfully. "Joyce, I can't believe you went through such an ordeal. Cheers. The tragedy is over now, and the sunlight shines down upon us. Exalted is the Steam."

Joyce and his fiancée, Anna, raised their cups and clinked them together with their friends. Then, they gulped down what little champagne they had left.

"Anna was extremely worried at the time. I suspect that she cried every night. Whenever I invited her for some afternoon tea, she was always absent minded. Thankfully, you're finally back now. Otherwise, I reckon she would've passed away just like that," a young lady, with a cute small nose and coiled brown hair, said to Joyce as she glanced at Anna.

"If Anna were to experience something like that, I'd be the same. I might be in an even worse state." The aquiline-nosed Joyce gave his fiancée, who was sitting beside him, a gentle look.

Anna wasn't used to expressing her emotions in front of others. She looked at the opposite end of the table and said, "Bogda, why have you been keeping your head down this entire time? I can sense how terrible your mood is."

The young lady with a petite nose answered in Bogda's place.

"Bogda is sick. The physician told him that there's something seriously wrong with his liver. He can only use medicine to reduce the pain but it doesn't treat his illness. He needs to undergo surgery."

"Lord, when did this happen?" Anna and Joyce asked in surprise and concern.

Bogda was a young man with short hair, but his face was sallow. His usually brilliant red eyes were replaced with a dim glow.

"It happened last week. Since Joyce wasn't back yet, I told Irene not to tell you," Bogda explained with a rueful smile.

Joyce asked staidly, "Have you decided when you'll undergo surgery?"

Bogda's expression changed a few times as he said, "No, I haven't decided yet. As you know, those surgeons are practically butchers. The patient is like a piece of meat on a chopping block, allowing them to butcher people as they please! I've read a lot of reports. They'll even use an ax for amputation! Lord, I suspect I might very well die on the operating table."

"But if you delay it further then surgery might not be able to save you," the man with a stubble said as he tried to persuade him.

At that moment, Anna interjected, "Bogda, perhaps you can consider doing a divination. If the divination indicates that everything will go smoothly, then proceed with the surgery as soon as possible. If the outcome of the divination is bad, seek other means. Seek it with the help of the fortune-teller. I know of a real, mysterious fortune-teller. No, I should address him as a Seer. I believe he can definitely help you."

"For real?" Bogda returned with a question, clearly looking doubtful. Their other friends shared the same attitude.

"Yes." Anna nodded without hesitation. "I hired his divination services, and after divining Joyce's situation, he told me to return home. 'Your fiancé is at home waiting for you.' Back then, I was like all of you, filled with doubt. But when I returned home, I really saw Joyce. He was really back!"

"I can testify on this point," Joyce echoed.

He didn't mention that he had sought Klein's help in interpreting his dreams. This was because the police had informed him that Tris hadn't been caught yet. Therefore, he had to keep it a secret in order to prevent revenge from being exacted upon him.

"Lord, this is absolutely unbelievable!"

"Is divination really that magical?"

…

Amidst the shouting, Bogda thought deeply for a moment before saying, "Perhaps I should get a divination. Anna, Joyce, could you tell me the Seer's name and address?"

Anna heaved a sigh of relief and said, "You made a very wise choice."

"That Seer is at the Divination Club at Howes Street.

"His name is Klein Moretti."

…

Golden Indus Borough. Deweyville Library.

Klein used the introduction note from his mentor's letter to successfully apply for a borrowing pass.

As he flipped the tiny card in his hand, he asked a few librarians, "Do you have the Research of the Hornacis Main Peak's Relics here? It was published by the Loen Publishing Firm."

A librarian immediately answered, "Please wait a moment. Let me check the records."

He turned around and looked at the drawers. He pulled open the letter that matched Hornacis and flipped through a card that was filled with single words that followed a particular order.

On careful inspection, he shook his head and said, "Sorry, Sir. We do not have this book in our collection."

"How regretful," Klein answered in clear disappointment.

From the looks of it, I need to write to the Loen Publishing Firm or pay a visit to the Khoy University…

Meanwhile, he sighed inwardly at how dated the management of the libraries of this world was.

You people need a computer. Unfortunately, I can't produce one… Klein made a silent, self-deprecating comment and turned to ask, "Then, do you have the journal issues of New Archeology and Archeology Summary?"

"We do," the librarian confirmed. "A gentleman just returned them."

He flipped out the corresponding card and pointed Klein in the direction of the bookshelf.

Klein went over to the bookshelf, scanned the journal issues, and pulled out the ones his mentor mentioned.

Then, he randomly found a spot by the window to sit down. Under the bright afternoon sun, he began reading the information in the library quietly.

"…Ancient relics don't solely exist on the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range. They're also spread out across the surrounding forests, valleys, and gentle slopes around the main peak…"

"…These relics are formed from lofty domes and gigantic stone columns. Honestly, they can be be described as magnificent…"

"…I'm curious as to how the original residents mine and process these rocks? Hypothetically, let's assume that they performed their mining operation on the spot without needing to send them up the mountain…"

"…There's a strange pattern where the relics become larger in size the closer you are to the mountain peak. But surprisingly, there are no ruins on the peak. According to our hypothesis, there should be palaces that don't resemble man-made buildings, divine halls used for sacrifices…"

Palaces that don't look like they were man-made… divine halls used for sacrifices… Could it be the one that I saw in my dream? While Klein ruminated, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching him from a distance.

He looked up and saw a familiar face, a face that often appeared on the papers.

He had a squarish face, thick eyebrows, a firm nose, short dark-blond hair, azure-blue eyes, and tightly-closed lips. All of these features belonged to a certain famous person from Tingen City, a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and the owner of this library—Sir Deweyville.

Beside Deweyville was the middle-aged butler who Klein had met before.

Klein watched them walk by from more than ten meters away. Out of curiosity, he raised his right hand and lightly tapped his glabella twice.

Chapter 82: Herb Store

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

Various colors surfaced as auras and entered Klein's eyes. He casually studied Sir Deweyville's condition.

He's very healthy; there are almost no hidden problems… His emotional state is horrendous. Amid the dullness, there's frailty… His mental state is frail? He has trouble sleeping well? But the purple aura at his head is completely fine… Klein muttered silently to himself as Sir Deweyville walked off and left the library.

Retracting his gaze, Klein pinched his forehead and sighed inwardly.

Being a tycoon sure isn't easy…

He didn't pay much attention to the matter and returned his gaze onto the journal issues in front of him.

Klein didn't find a lot of clues after reading each of them. He could only confirm a few things.

Firstly, there existed an ancient kingdom on the Hornacis mountain range, as well as its surroundings. The ancient kingdom's history dated back to at least 1500 years. Secondly, their architectural style was primarily about being grand. They left behind all sorts of murals and from those murals, it could be deduced that they believed that the Evernight would protect the loved ones of the departed. Finally, in the ruins, there were symbols that represented the Evernight everywhere, but they were clearly different from the Evernight Sacred Emblem.

"If I had a chance, no— even if I have a chance, I'll never go there!" Klein muttered with clenched teeth. He vowed not to court death.

After tidying the journal articles and returning them back to their original spots, he put on his hat, lifted his cane, and left the Deweyville library.

…

Divination Club.

Bogda looked at the beautiful lady in charge of receiving guests and said, "I'd like to have a divination."

Angelica smiled politely and said, "Do you have a preferred fortune-teller? Or would you like to flip through our introduction guide and choose the one that's most suitable for you?"

Bogda pressed the right side of his abdomen and gasped silently for breath while saying, "I wish to have Mr. Klein Moretti divine for me."

"But Mr. Moretti is not here today," Angelica answered with uncertainty.

Bogda fell silent for a moment as he paced a few steps and asked, "When will Mr. Moretti be available?"

"No one knows. He has his own matters to deal with. From what I've seen, he usually comes here on Monday afternoons," Angelica said as she pondered over the matter.

"Alright." Bogda's face darkened as he turned around, planning to leave.

"Sir, you can choose other fortune-tellers as well. For example, you can choose Mr. Hanass Vincent who is famous in Tingen City," Angelica tried her best to prevent the loss of business.

Bogda stopped in his tracks and considered it for a moment before saying, "No, I only trust Mr. Moretti. Well, can I wait here for a moment? Perhaps he might come after he's done with his matters."

"No problem," Angelica said with a warm smile.

Bogda went to the sofa and sat down. Sometimes he stroked his cane; at other times he looked out the window, clearly looking rather impatient.

Seconds turned to minutes. Just as Bogda's mind was in a mess, unsure if he should continue waiting or leave, he heard the beautiful lady exclaim in pleasant surprise, "Good afternoon, Mr. Moretti!"

Klein saw the familiar Angelica and was just about to ask why it was always her. Did she not need to rest or take any days off?

However, he immediately took into consideration that he was a Seer, so it was not appropriate for him to ask such questions. Instead, he had to use the tone of a charlatan and say something like: "How marvelous it is for fate to compel us to meet once again, Madam Angelica."

Uh, would this sound like I'm hitting on her? Klein's mind whirled as he finally replied with a smile, "Good afternoon, Madam Angelica."

"A customer wishes to hire you for a divination." Angelica pointed to Bogda who had hurriedly stood up from the sofa.

Someone actually requested for me? Klein took off his half top hat in pleasant surprise, pinching his glabella twice while doing so.

"Good afternoon, Sir…" He looked over when his voice suddenly came to a pause.

In his Spirit Vision, he saw the requester's liver looking dim. It was nearly black in color. It was making the rest of his body unbalanced as his aura was thin in various places.

Klein deliberated over his words and he said in a serious expression, "Sir, you should see a doctor and not seek a divination."

Bogda stood stunned on the spot as he immediately gave a pleasant look of surprise while muttering, "How fascinating…"

"Anna wasn't lying to me…"

…

He hurriedly looked up at Klein in earnest.

"Mr. Moretti, I've already seen a doctor and might have to undergo surgery. However, I'm frightened about the surgery. I would like to divine the outcome."

The surgery of this era is really fraught with danger… Although Emperor Roselle had given the impetus, this era still lacks most of the necessary technology… Klein didn't reject his request and nodded slightly.

"My divination fee is eight pence. Is that fine?"

"Eight pence?" Bogda exclaimed in surprise. "You're only charging eight pence?"

According to Anna's description, and the performance Mr. Moretti had just shown me, I'm willing to pay at least a pound!

Haven't you heard of small margins with large volume? Klein was embarrassed for a moment. After thinking for a few seconds, he calmly smiled and replied, "It is enough just being blessed with the ability to receive revelations from the divine and catch a glimpse of fate. Therefore, we must maintain our humility and suppress our greed. Only by doing so, can we continue being bestowed with our gifts."

"You are a true seer." Bogda held his chest and bowed, his tone filled with sincerity.

Upon receiving Bogda's praise and trust, Klein's spirituality seemed to relax. As for the description of his "principles", it also gave him some new insight.

"Miss. Angelica, is Topaz available?" He turned to the beautiful lady beside him.

Angelica heaved a sigh of relief for Bogda as she smiled sweetly.

"Yes."

After entering the divination room, Klein instructed Bogda to lock the door. Then, he sat behind the table and pinched his forehead.

"Shall we use tarot cards for the divination?" he inquired with a smile.

"Spirit Dowsing" was only suitable to determine matters related to him. As for drawing an astrolabe, it was too time consuming.

"I'll leave it up to you." Bogda had no objections.

Therefore, Klein helped him shuffle and cut the deck before laying them out in an Intis formation.

Thanks to his uniqueness as a Seer, Klein did not flip the other cards. Instead, he directly flipped the card that indicated the final result.

"A reversed Wheel of Fortune. Things will develop badly." he said solemnly as he shot a glance.

The color in Bogda's face drained instantly and his lips trembled.

"Is it hopeless?"

As Klein tried his best to think of a solution, he said, "Let me try a different divination method. Please leave your ring behind. Next, write your date of birth on this piece of paper. Then, please wait outside quietly."

Influenced by his gentle and comforting tone, Bogda calmed down and followed the instructions by writing down the information and leaving his ring behind.

As he watched Bogda leave, Klein wrote a sentence on the piece of paper.

"Outcome of Bogda Jones's surgery."

He picked up the ring and paper slip and leaned back into his seat before using a dream divination technique.

In a blurry and distorted world, he gradually found himself, only to see the gentleman collapse with an ashen expression. He was covered in white cloth as he was pushed out of the quaking operating room.

This time, Klein didn't encounter anything strange. He no longer felt the sense of being watched, so he quickly woke up. He knitted his brows tightly as he considered how he was going to inform Bogda about the outcome.

The surgery may very well lead to death… I can try the restorative ritualistic magic I learned today… but that would expose the matter of Beyonders. Besides, I have to apply for Captain's approval first… Yeah, and I might not be able to treat such a severe disease… Klein was racking his brains when he suddenly thought of something.

"Mr. Glacis's lung disease was treated by an apothecary. He said that the medicine was extremely miraculous… What was it? Right, Lawson Darkwade, 18 Vlad Street in East Borough. Lawson's Folk Herb Store!" As he tried his best to memorize the address back then, Klein quickly remembered the details.

He rapped the corners of the table and quickly made a decision.

After using Spirit Dowsing to quickly determine if it was a good or bad idea, Klein walked out the door. When he saw Bogda stand up in a fluster, he returned his ring to him and said warmly with a smile, "I found hope for you."

"Really?" Bogda asked pleasantly surprised.

Klein did not reply him as he continued talking.

"Your hope lies in the East Borough, on Vlad Street. It's related to the single term Lawson."

"If you can't find it, come back here again on Monday at four in the afternoon."

"Good. Good." Bogda nodded as he repeated himself. He excitedly fished out his wallet and produced five pence and three pennies.

He had done according to what Klein had said, without using tips to corrupt a true seer.

The corners of Klein's lips twitched as he received the money, but he smiled brilliantly.

"I hope you will find hope as soon as possible."

After Bogda left, he handed over the commission like the previous time and also gave Angelica tips, pretending as though he had collected a soli.

…

East Borough. Vlad Street.

Bogda walked from one end of the street to the other, repeating it three times until his liver started to ache.

Finally, he determined that there was only one place that had anything to do with Lawson on the street. It was the Lawson's Folk Herb Store, numbered 18 on the street.

Mustering his courage, he walked in and caught the smell of the various herbs. He saw that the owner of the shop had black but very short hair. His face was round and he looked to be in his thirties or forties.

The boss's formal attire resembled that of a village witchdoctor. It was a deep black robe embroidered with all kinds of strange symbols.

"Hello, do you have medicine that can treat my disease?" Bogda asked politely.

The boss raised his head and swept his deep blue eyes across Bogda and smiled.

"Your liver disease is very serious, but the premise of everything is whether you have the money. Do you have enough to pay for the medicine?"

He can tell? Bogda suddenly felt a lot more confident as he nodded frantically.

"How much is your medicine?"

"Ten pounds. It's a very fair price." The boss fished out a bag of herbs from under the counter and said, "Add sufficient water and boil it into medicine. After boiling it, add ten drops of fresh rooster blood, then drink it down immediately. This bag of herbs can be cooked thrice. You will be fine after three times."

As he spoke, he opened the yellowish-brown paper and threw in all sorts of strange herbs.

It sounds extremely shady… Bogda gulped down his saliva and said, "That's it?"

The boss stared at him and immediately smiled.

"Do you still want something else? What about this bag? Once you recover from your liver disease, I can give you a guarantee that your wife will be very satisfied."

He chuckled as he took out a black-papered bag of herbs and suppressed his voice.

"There's mummy powder inside… Trust me, a lot of aristocrats consume this stuff. They put it in their tea or boil it as soup."

… Bogda's confidence in the boss wavered to the point of feeling disgusted.

I believe in Mr. Moretti… He took a deep breath, fished out his wallet, and pulled out the two biggest notes from what little was left of his gold pounds.

Chapter 83: Carving

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

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 came 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 something 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 handsome-looking youth with disheveled hair walked out.

The boss smiled and said, "This is the sixteenth customer that has come because of my fame. If this carries on, I believe the Nighthawks, the Machinery Hivemind, and the Mandated Punishers will notice me. When the time comes, 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 medicine. Of course, remember 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 something you can learn just because you want to…"

…

A blackish-green bubbling liquid appeared in front of Bogda's eyes. It smelled 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 medicine, 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 medicine 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 time 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 medicine in one go.

The pungent aroma that had the noxious smell 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 times, and by the time the crimson moon vanished, he fell asleep groggily.

After an unknown period of time had passed, he jolted awake, having dreamed 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 abdomen. 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 me it was really effective? That apothecary was clearly just fooling me…" 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 me how many times 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 Hermes. 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 moment, Klein had a lot of damaged materials to his right. Through repeated practise, and only after he confirmed that he had enough practice, did he dare to begin creating the amulets for Benson and Melissa.

As he calmed 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 became 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 formed 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 Melissa.

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 requirement. It wasn't something Klein could endure at the moment.

When the time comes, I can use my spirituality to make another one… Klein thought, nodding as he began tidying up the messy table.

He didn't make one for himself for the moment, 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 member."

"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 payment is cleared.

"By the way, did I mention 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 moment, Melissa 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.

Melissa 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 Melissa's emphasis, he immediately 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 informed 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 Melissa extremely 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 extremely 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 Melissa.

"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.

Melissa nodded solemnly.

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

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

Chapter 84: Elizabeth

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

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, "Melissa, I think you aren't showing enough respect to today's banquet as well."

"What?" Melissa 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."

"…" Melissa 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?" Melissa 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.

Melissa 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 Melissa 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.

Melissa 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 income, I've become more confident." Klein interrupted his sister and gave a preemptive explanation.

Sigh, even though I received the original Klein's memory fragments, 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 Melissa… He sighed inwardly.

Melissa seemed 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 came 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.

Same 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.

Melissa also nodded in agreement on the sideline.

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

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 me." 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 Melissa 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 Melissa 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.

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

Young historian… Why doesn't he add the description of me 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 meet me at the bank, you might not say that about me." Wood laughed cheerfully.

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

Hey, I have good hearing… Although you are flattering me… 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 handsome… 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, Melissa is here." At that moment, 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 Melissa first before looking at Benson and Klein.

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

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

Klein also pretended not to recognize her. Under Wood's lead, they came 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 times, 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 meat, allowing for guests to take what they wanted.

Klein couldn't help but click his tongue when he saw the elegant enamel 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 mentioned, 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 meat.

At that moment, Elizabeth with her adorable baby fat cheeks came over. As she looked at the food, she whispered, "So you are Melissa's brother… Thank you. Selena likes the amulet I gave her a lot. She said that she felt healthier the moment 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 means it's completely psychological. At times, 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 Melissa'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 Melissa's former 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 government. 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 came to an end. Klein and Benson were invited to a game of Texas hold'em. The small blind was half a penny, and the big blind was a penny. As for Melissa, Elizabeth, Selena, and their friends, they went upstairs. It was unknown if they were chatting or playing games.

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 moment, 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 name the play style Texas… Klein shook his head as he proceeded forward.

At that moment, he suddenly came to a halt as his pupils constricted.

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

Chapter 85: Urgency

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

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, something 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 me has danger caused by the supernatural."

Normally, spirit dowsing was only suitable for divining something 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 me has danger caused by the supernatural."

After repeating the chant seven times, 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 something go extremely wrong when she was dabbling with some 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 times rhythmically and wore an amiable smile on his face.

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

"Klein, is something wrong?" The girl didn't expect her brother to be here, so she was momentarily 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." Melissa lowered her head in apology, feeling somewhat 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 Melissa 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 game. Ah, right. Where's Elizabeth? I had chatted with her over Feysac grammar. She mentioned that she wanted to ask me some questions."

"Elizabeth?" Melissa 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 immediately explained, "It's a very normal academic discussion. Elizabeth is very interested in history and ancient languages."

Melissa 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 Melissa.

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 moment, her sentence was halted by Klein's stern and solemn expression. Her nerves tightened as she seemed to sense that something 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 me 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 moment before saying, "I know words alone will make it difficult for you to believe me. 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 time, 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 time Captain arrives after making a round trip, the situation might have deteriorated to a hopeless state… If only Benson and Melissa wasn't here… But I can't deal with those hidden and unknown existences… Do I have any means 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 something 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 me divine when I'll meet a romantic and handsome gentleman?"

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

After repeating it three times, 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 momentarily forgot to breathe.

She involuntarily trembled and without giving an excuse, got up immediately, 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 stammered in a daze.

Klein calmly smiled.

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

Infected by his smile, Elizabeth calmed 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 names 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 me?"

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—remember—five minutes later, tell Selena that you have a pleasant surprise and bring her to me. Knock on the door softly, one long knock and two short ones. Following that, well—leave it to me."

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.

Immediately 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.