241 - 248

Chapter 241: Language of Foulness

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

There was only a single candle that illuminated the room. The atmosphere in the living room was so silent that it was as if everything had frozen.

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

He looks like he's cursing me, but he's actually persuading me otherwise… Klein pretended not to understand and said to Black Snake, "I don't have any chance of survival if I don't gamble. There'll be that sliver of hope if I gamble on it.

"I won't sit back and wait for death."

Hearing this, Eye of Wisdom, who was about to say something, shut his mouth because he couldn't offer any other hope.

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

"I also admire you. In the past, I had quite a few friends who had such characters. Now, I visit their tombstones every year and place a bunch of flowers there," the suspected Apothecary mused in a mocking but actually persuasive manner.

He didn't care that Black Snake was a better fighter than he was. He said whatever he wanted to.

Mr. Apothecary must have suffered because of his temper… Klein was secretly grateful.

He handed the iron cigarette case containing the Hunter Beyonder characteristic to the attendant who brought it to Eye of Wisdom.

The old gentleman counted out 400 pounds in cash from the suitcase beside him and got the attendant to pass it on to Black Snake.

Black Snake casually took a glance and said, "I believe in Mr. Eye of Wisdom."

He took out a small wooden box, bent down, and placed it on the ground. He pushed the box so that the object slid to Klein without going through the attendant.

The moment Klein's fingers touched the surface of the box, he heard faint illusory sounds and immediately felt a strong sense of dizziness.

For him, this wasn't something he couldn't handle. It wasn't even comparable to the illusory voices of Justice and company when they pray to him.

After sitting up straight again, Klein carefully opened the wooden box and saw a "ear" inside!

The ears looked real, except that the skin was dark and there were a few green areas where it had rotted.

"How do I use it?" Klein asked.

Black Snake casually replied, "Grasping it without gloves is the same as using it. Heh, you'd better go home and try it when you're alone."

Klein didn't ask any further questions. He closed the box and put it into his pocket. He deliberately smiled bitterly and said, "This makes me dizzy."

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

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

The Apothecary smacked his lips and mumbled, "Seriously, there's no answer every time this is asked."

"Maybe you could book a cruise to Sonia Island," Eye of Wisdom quipped.

The Spring of the Elves was also known as the Sonia Golden Springs, and one could tell from its name where it came from. The Spring of the Elves was a commonly seen liquid and was an object with rich spirituality. However, the marrow crystals were considered Beyonder ingredients and not easily purchasable.

After that, there were a few failed transactions at the gathering. Eye of Wisdom clapped his hands and said, "Let's end it here today. According to the convention, we leave one by one, each separated by three minutes."

Leaving one by one… Each separated by three minutes… This is to prevent the Gathering members from being tailed and robbed? When Klein received the signal from Eye of Wisdom, he stood up and, guided by the attendant, left the activity room, and went to the door.

He took off his hooded robe and handed it back to the attendant before following the path in his memories back to the back door of the Bravehearts Bar. He then removed his iron mask and walked through the kitchen to see Kaspars standing outside the card room, over the barking of dogs and clamoring of people.

"I'm delighted that you could come back." The red-nosed elder heaved a sigh of relief, the nasty wounds on his face seemingly trembling.

Klein leaned over and said in a low voice, "Are there such gatherings in the future?"

"It seems like you didn't get what you wanted. Holy Lord of Storms, I don't think you should continue wasting your time." Kaspars scanned this customer he felt worried for. "Maybe it'll take a few days. I don't know the details. Let's see if you can make it in time."

Klein nodded and asked, "Is Maric here?"

"You're still trying to convince him? No, it will only anger him!" Kaspars warned him in a deep voice. "He's in the card room behind you."

No, I'm not going to convince him. I'm trying to stay as far away from him as possible so that his zombies won't go into mutiny… Klein touched Azik's copper whistle in his pocket.

"I understand."

He left the Bravehearts Bar at once, went to the one-bedroom apartment in East Borough to relieve himself before returning to Minsk Street.

Inside the card room, Maric had gone all-in and confidently flipped open his cards.

He had three Kings and a pair of Nines, and the zombie opposite him had a pair of Sixes and an Eight.

Suddenly, the zombie took the initiative to reveal its hidden cards, a pair of Sixes!

This round, it won with four Sixes!

The pale Maric sat there blankly and immediately felt all the surrounding zombies coldly staring at him.

A few minutes later, he staggered out the card room on shaky feet and almost collapsed at the door while his usual entourage of subordinates inside the room fell to the ground.

"Don't let anyone in before dawn," Maric ordered in a hoarse voice as he looked at the stunned Kaspars.

He took out a white handkerchief and wiped the corner of his mouth. The handkerchief was quickly dyed with a dark blue tint with some redness.

After receiving Kaspars's acknowledgment, Maric found a chair to sit and asked for a barrel of Southville beer. He stared blankly as he drank.

…

At 15 Minsk Street, Klein followed his usual routine of washing up and returning to his room before he drew the curtains.

After waiting for over ten minutes and confirming that there were no specks of spirituality around, he started to summon himself. He responded to himself and brought the wooden box containing the black ear into the mysterious space above the gray fog.

The illusory crimson stars didn't twinkle at all as Klein sat at the seat of honor of the long ancient table and opened the wooden box.

This time, he didn't hear any murmurs or feel dizzy. The boundless gray fog seemed to isolate all external sounds.

Klein let out a sigh of relief. He was now much more confident with his impending attempt and much more confident about his own safety.

With a thought, he blocked his own hearing and performed a few experiments to confirm the effects.

That's right… Klein nodded in satisfaction, reached out, and grabbed the black ear with signs of rot.

He felt its coldness and slipperiness, but he didn't hear the voice of the great being that was described by Black Snake.

Completely isolated? This won't do… It's impossible to use it alone… Klein muttered to himself, puzzled as he thought of the methods he could use to stimulate an effect.

After a dozen or so seconds, he conjured a pen and paper, intending to emulate the process he used to spy on the Eternal Blazing Sun previously.

That time, I looked directly at the Eternal Blazing Sun through the use of divine blood. This time, I'm only using the remains left behind by a Listener, so it definitely isn't that dangerous… Klein wrote down a divination statement without any hesitation:

"The origin of this item."

He took a breath, held the black ear, and leaned back as he recited the divination statement.

After reciting it seven times, his eyes darkened as he entered a deep slumber.

In this blurry, shattered, and gray world, Klein saw a man struggling on the ground. He rolled, screamed, and his eyes bulged out. His body swelled like a balloon, and countless hairs on his body turned black and long.

Soon after, an extremely evil and foul voice rang in Klein's ears, waking him up instantly.

It was different from the ravings and howling that came from the mysterious space above the gray fog. This sound was more penetrating, more purposeful, and more active!

Klein covered his ears and isolated any fallout, but the same voice echoed in his head.

He saw his vessels and veins bulge out as if they had become thick squirming venomous snakes.

Bang!

His blood vessels burst, and his veins broke off from his body, spreading out into slippery tentacles filled with sinister patterns. The gray fog slightly swayed, making the giant's palace look like it was about to corrode.

Unlike the incident with the Eternal Blazing Sun, Klein still retained his sanity and didn't roll over on the ground. He gripped the handrail tightly and endured the pain.

After a few seconds, the slightly swaying gray fog regained its calm, and the evil voice that echoed in Klein's mind completely died down.

One "tentacle" after another fell to the ground, and his wounds began to rapidly heal.

Interacting with deities is truly a dangerous matter, regardless of the method… Thankfully, I didn't face the True Creator directly this time. If not, I'll have remnants of madness and signs of losing control and would affect my body in the real world…Klein weakly leaned back into his chair and silently mocked himself.

This process was within his expectations, and it didn't go out of his control.

The only thing that surprised him was that the True Creator appeared to be slightly stronger than the Eternal Blazing Sun…

Just as Klein's thoughts were about to wander off, he saw the black ear in his palm suddenly crumbled, turning into tiny specks of black light.

It has become a pure Beyonder characteristic? Amidst his confusion, he saw through the corner of his eyes that the sinister-patterned tentacles were still twitching on the ground. They were the aspects of madness and loss of control that had been stripped from his body.

These tentacles gradually turned transparent and were about to disappear.

A flash of brilliance came to Klein's mind. He scattered the tiny black light specks in his palm at those slippery tentacles.

An illusionary black gas rose up and turned into a sky that constantly streaked with lightning. The background was extremely dense and gloomy.

All of this quickly disappeared from Klein's eyes. On the surface of the iron-black charm on the ground were many symbols, magic labels, sinister patterns, and twisted path numbers.

Klein bent down and picked it up, with the feeling that what was sealed inside were howling maniacs.

With the help of his divination techniques, he was able to barely decipher the use of this charm from its revelation. It was to let the opponent hear a terrifying roar, infecting them with madness. As for the final result, it depended on the target's ability to resist such attacks. If the target was strong, then they might benefit from it, but the price was becoming a devout believer of the True Creator, and if he was weak, he would collapse on the spot, dying amidst tragic cries.

I'll call it Language of Foulness… Klein muttered and set an incantation to activate it.

Chapter 242: Bakerland

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Early Tuesday morning, Klein woke up naturally and prepared two slices of toast, a piece of butter, a serving of bacon, and a cup of coffee before leisurely reading a newspaper while having breakfast.

With the terrifying Language of Foulness charm, he was much more at ease. He was no longer as tense as he was before.

Klein finished flipping through the Backlund Bulletin, picked up the Tussock Times, and saw a news article on the second page.

"At two o'clock this morning, there was a fierce gunfight at Red Brick Alley in the East Borough. According to the police, it is suspected to be a clash between two gangs, one of which is the notorious Zmanger gang."

The Zmanger gang… Red Brick Alley in the East Borough… A thought occurred to Klein as he left the dining table and found the map of Backlund.

With just a glance, he noticed that Red Brick Alley wasn't far from Bacardi Street. Furthermore, Ian Wright had previously appeared at the telegraph office on Bacardi Street.

Was Red Brick Alley where Ian Wright was hiding? Was the violent conflict between the military's special department and the intelligence staff of the Intis Republic? I wonder what the result will be… Klein picked up the last of the bacon, put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly.

He had "informed" both sides about the divination the previous morning and they had already locked onto Ian's location that very night, which implied quite a high level of efficiency.

After taking a sip of coffee, Klein put down the newspaper and fell into deep thought.

Suddenly, he heard the tinkling of the doorbell.

"Who is it?" Klein wiped his mouth with a napkin and headed for the door, puzzled.

Could it be a new commission? For the past few days, I've been out and about because of the Intis Ambassador. I wonder how many jobs and potential clients I've lost… It's such a waste of my advertising money… If this goes on, my finances will be stretched to the limit… Klein suddenly thought of something and opened the door.

Standing outside were two ladies, one of them being Mrs. Sammer, who wore a dressing gown. She had intricate makeup on her face, making her look more beautiful than at home and nothing like she was in her thirties. The other lady wore a wide-brimmed hat with a black tartan veil, and a darker, more fluffy dress.

"Detective Moriarty, I have a friend who needs your help." Stelyn Sammer held onto her veiled hat, but there was no hint of a smile in her blue eyes.

"Please come in." Klein pointed to the living room, and while he was turning around, he took the opportunity to fasten the top button of his shirt and adjusted his black vest.

Stelyn nodded slightly and, without another word, led the black-veiled lady into the room.

She knew the place very well, and without Klein's guidance, easily found the sofa and took her seat.

Klein wanted to immediately start asking, but then thought about Stelyn Sammer's style of doing things, so he asked with a smile, "Coffee or tea?"

In his eyes, Mrs. Sammer was a lady who pursued a high quality of life and tried to showed her superiority all the time.

"There's no need." The other lady took off her hat.

She had good features, but the combination was disappointing. In addition, her cheekbones were too high, and she looked older than her actual age.

A little anger, a little sadness, a little hesitation, a little fear… Klein read the lady's emotions.

It wasn't that he suddenly possessed the abilities of a Spectator, but that the lady's actions were just too obvious.

"Yes, neither coffee nor tea can solve the problem." Stelyn imitated a position found in magazines, trying her best to appear classy. "This is Mrs. Mary Gale, a shareholder of Coim Company."

"What would you like to entrust me with, Mrs. Gale?" Klein sat down on a single-seater, leaning forward slightly and resting his arms on his thighs.

"Don't call me Mrs. Gale. Just call me Mary." Mary Gale pursed her lips. "I wish for you to tail my husband and confirm if he has a mistress. It's best if you can obtain material evidence."

As a result of the Church of the Evernight Goddess's active push for years, the Loen Kingdom was more radical in its marriage laws than the other countries, such as Feysac, Intis, and Lenburg. It stipulated that those who committed adultery had to pay a financial price for it, which meant that the adulterer would be at an absolute disadvantage during the division of property.

I've heard that at least four out of ten of the other private detectives are investigating extramarital affairs… I didn't expect that I would receive such a job too… Klein said thoughtfully, "Material evidence is not easy to obtain."

"I'll lend you the latest portable camera," Mary replied without any hesitation. "As long as you have the evidence, I will pay you ten pounds. If you only confirm that he has a mistress, you will only receive three pounds."

You mean the so-called portable camera that's about two-thirds the size of my head? 10 pounds, this isn't a low price… Mr. Klein has been focusing on entrepreneurship and knew about the latest cameras.

He hesitated for two seconds before saying, "Alright."

"But you have to provide me with detailed information about your husband and his regular activities."

"… No problem!" Mary paused for a second before gathering all her strength to say it.

"Thank you for your help. I hope you won't tell anyone else about this," Stelyn reminded him.

Hearing this, Klein immediately sighed, "I'm a person who upholds confidentiality, and I often get into trouble for that."

…

In the lobby of Count Wolf's house, men and women were dancing amid violin tunes.

Audrey was carrying a glass of pale gold champagne when she "accidentally" bumped into the Intis Republic ambassador to Loen, Bakerland Jean Madan.

"You're the most beautiful young lady I've ever met." Bakerland, with his thin face and slight stubble, pecked Audrey's white-gauzed glove with a kiss according to propriety customs. His eyes looked passionate and bold.

Audrey rolled her eyes and said with a chuckle, "Is this the way people from Intis talk?"

"Yes, we are never stingy with praise for beautiful things." Bakerland chuckled. "If it wasn't for the style of the Loen Kingdom, I might have called you my angel."

Old pervert… Audrey maintained her graceful smile and said, "The people of Loen and Intis are indeed different."

"Heh, that makes me think of a joke. Please allow me to be presumptuous." Bakerland squinted his eyes and said, "After a good time with a beautiful girl, most Loen men would say, 'Oh, dear, I'd like a cigarette', but most Intis men would say…"

He deliberately paused, and Audrey tilted her head, trying her best to keep her nausea in check while looking puzzled.

"What would they say?"

"Most of the Intis men would say, 'Oh, baby, I have to return now and can't be discovered by my wife.'" Bakerland raised his glass and laughed.

"… People who can laugh at themselves always have an additional charm to them." Audrey smiled politely.

Her beautiful, clear, dark green eyes suddenly turned to look behind Ambassador Bakerland.

"I'm sorry, a friend is looking for me."

"It's a pleasure talking to you." Bakerland bowed and moved aside.

Audrey moved forward gracefully and didn't look back again.

Just as she was considering who she should find as the object of her excuse, a young gentleman approached her and, lowering his voice, warned her, "Audrey, don't be fooled by that Ambassador Bakerland, he's a dirty old man! I don't know how many women he's tricked into bed.

Bakerland is lustful? This is in line with my observations… This is a weakness…Audrey smiled without hiding her disgust.

"Kance, do you have a misconception about me? Goddess, how could I be bewitched by that Ambassador Bakerland? His cologne makes me want to vomit; his words are so foul, and his taste is like a male peacock."

Kance was Viscount Leerhsen's youngest son, and their family was on fairly good terms with the Hall family.

According to Audrey, Kance had entered MI9 after graduating from Tingen University and had become quite enigmatic.

Her original plan had been to have a chat with Ambassador Backlund, and observe him up close before using the pretext of exasperation to get more information from Kance and his other friends from the intelligence community to learn more about him. To her surprise, she didn't need to seek out Kance Leerhsen since he came over and started the corresponding conversation on his own accord.

"Your feelings are correct." Kance gave a sincere smile. He surveyed his surroundings and whispered, "Besides, Bakerland is a very dangerous fellow."

"How dangerous?" Audrey asked curiously.

"Have you heard of Beyonders? I know that you've always been interested in such matters," Kance said with some deliberation.

Audrey gently nodded.

"I know quite a bit, most of it being told to me by Glaint."

Kance took a glance at Bakerland, who was chatting with an affluent lady, and said with a serious expression, "He's Intis's intelligence head in our Kingdom. He's done numerous atrocities, but we haven't been able to gather any evidence of his crimes. He's a Sequence 6, a Conspiracist."

He didn't go into details with an outsider like Audrey, nor did he mention that Conspiracist was part of the Hunter pathway.

However, Audrey was already aware of this. She feigned naivety and sighed.

"He's really amazing!"

"He has an assistant in the shadows, one that has perhaps reached Sequence 5. In addition to that, all of the Intis intelligence agents in the Kingdom are under his management. Many of them are Beyonders. Unfortunately, we only know a few of them…" Kance added in passing. "Don't be too happy if Bakerland praises you either. It's not what he truly thinks. He just wants to use this opportunity to gather more information."

I don't like what you're saying… Audrey looked up at the ornate chandelier and thought for a few seconds.

"Is Bakerland very smart? You haven't managed to get any incriminating evidence…"

"He truly is good at scheming, but he also has a lot of problems. He likes to chase after women and loves the feeling of romance. He takes risks and is quite radical. If it wasn't for his identity as an ambassador preventing us from taking action easily, he would've been captured long ago." Kance stroked his chin and said, "However, he'll be replaced very soon. Very soon."

"Why?" Audrey asked in surprise.

"My dear beautiful lady, this isn't something you should know." Kance adhered to the principle of confidentiality.

When the ball was almost over, Audrey, who had gathered quite a bit of information, found Viscount Glaint and asked him to help her contact Xio and Fors.

Chapter 243: Catching the Adulterous Act

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wednesday morning, across from the Coim Company, in the Cherwood Borough.

Klein was sitting on a wooden bench outside the Gardeley department store, clutching a paper bag containing the most famous Cyndi Desi pie in the area with one hand, and holding a cup of iced tea in the other.

Beside him, a tramp was curled up on the other side of the bench, sleeping. Ten minutes later, the mall's security guard woke him up and shooed him away.

Klein wore gold-rimmed spectacles which didn't provide for any vision correction and a silk half top hat. He didn't look much different from most of the gentlemen around him.

He idly looked across the street at the Coim Company, lifted his right hand, and took a large bite of the Cyndi Desi pie. He felt the rich aroma gush out and fill his oral cavity.

The reason why this pie from Desi Bay stood out amongst the southern pies was that it used a lot of oil and fat, but the meat was chopped into very tiny bits. With the fat and lean meat mixed together, it didn't feel too heavy.

The rich, meaty juice seeped into the outer crust, neutralizing the dryness and made up for its shortcomings. The wheat fragrance was clearly brought out, and the small pieces of crushed apples were used to stimulate appetite with a slightly sour and sweet taste while neutralizing the oily taste.

It's okay… Although the weather isn't good and the pollution is terrible, Backlund is far superior to Tingen in many other aspects. Foods of all styles can be found everywhere. There are all kinds of operas and plays available. They can be enjoyed as long as one isn't afraid to spend money… Although I might not necessarily eat or partake in such entertainment, I have these options at the very least. This is the advantage of a big city… Klein raised his sweet iced tea and took a sip.

He never took his eyes off the Coim Company's entrance. For that ten pounds, he had been sitting there since eight in the morning. Even his breakfast was bought on the way there.

Of course, for most private detectives, a commission of ten pounds was an absolutely enviable business, equivalent to about three weeks' salary for a member of the middle class!

According to the information provided by Mary Gale, her husband was currently the first manager of Coim Company and was Luke Sammer's superior; however, their shares in the Coim Company came from Mary's father, and Mary had inherited it.

One of the immediate reasons she suspected her husband of having a mistress was that an employee in the company had divulged to her that Doragu Gale would leave the office on Wednesday and Friday mornings alone and only return in the afternoon. In addition, he would leave work early for two days a week, and Mary had never seen her husband return home before seven.

After breakfast, Klein waited another hour plus before seeing his target walk out of Coim.

He was wearing a black top hat, a double-breasted tweed coat, and a standard bow tie. He was slightly fat, with yellowish temples, slightly brownish eyes, and a slightly long face.

Doragu Gale… He silently recited his target's name, stood up, picked up his cane and his heavy portable camera, and crossed the road.

Instead of getting his carriage driver to pick him up, he stood by the side of the road and looked around for a rental carriage.

Klein took the opportunity to cross the road and arrive beside him. Pretending to be careless, he bumped into his target.

"Sorry, I'm quite lost." Klein bowed his head in apology.

Doragu frowned, but remained silent, waving his hand to indicate that it didn't matter.

Klein bent down, bowed, and walked to the end of the street.

He didn't run into Doragu in order to steal his belongings and use the dowsing method to easily track him. That would've been easily noticeable.

Instead, Klein had only done one thing when he collided with Doragu. With the help of his agility as a Clown, he had secretly slipped a spare button of his into one of the pockets of Doragu's double-breasted coat.

Going around a corner, he stopped and looked back just in time to see Doragu board a rental carriage.

Klein was in no hurry to tail him. He waited patiently for a few minutes before slowly getting into another horse carriage and said to the carriage driver, "Just go according to my instructions. Head to the end of the street first."

"Alright." The driver didn't ask why.

Inside the carriage, Klein leaned his cane and began performing a divination.

However, his divination statement wasn't directed at Doragu Gale; instead, it became "the whereabouts of the spare button of my clothes!"

The Dowsing Rod Seeking was originally the most practical technique to find objects. Only Seers were able to use it to seek people. Now, Klein was using it in its original form.

The easiest and most convenient items to find were those that belonged to himself!

Along the way, Klein kept getting the carriage driver to change directions until they finally arrived at a street house in the Hillston Borough. When they first circled it, Klein noticed that there were gardens and lawns behind the house, which was different from the other houses.

His dowsing method told him that Doragu Gale was inside that house.

After paying the two-soli fare, Klein walked to the door with marble statues outside. He saw two men in black and white plaid uniforms that resembled the police uniform.

"I don't know you. Where's your proof of membership?" One of them, a brown-skinned man of Southern Continent blood, stopped Klein.

"Proof of membership?" Klein hid his heavy camera behind him and asked with a slight frown.

The brown-skinned man immediately turned stern.

"This is the Quelaag Club. Only our members and up to one of their guests can enter."

Klein tersely acknowledged.

"Then how can I join your club?"

"You can only join after receiving a recommendation from two members," The brown-skinned man didn't brutally chase him away, but patiently answered the question.

He couldn't guarantee that Klein would end up joining the club eventually.

"Alright." Klein pursed his lips and decided to put Plan B into motion.

He found a hotel near the Quelaag Club and got a short-stay room for four hours.

Then, he locked the door behind him, drew the curtains, and entered the space above the gray fog. He conjured a yellowish-brown goatskin and a fountain pen in front of him.

Taking a deep breath, Klein wrote the exact same divination sentence as before: "The whereabouts of the spare button of my clothes."

This time, he didn't use the dowsing method, but a dream divination!

The reason why he didn't do it in the real world was because Klein felt that the Quelaag Club seemed to be quite a high-end club, and he suspected that there might be some powerful Beyonders inside. In order to not waste time, he decided to get it done once and for all.

In the gray dreamy world, Klein was the first to see Doragu's black coat, which was hung on a coat rack. On the carpet in front of it was a round table.

The scene zoomed out, and the sight of a romping man and woman entered Klein's eye. The man was Doragu Gale, the woman had shimmering blond hair who looked rather young. She was in her early twenties at most.

The pained expression with her knitted brows does look rather coquettish… Why am I always seeing scenes such as this… Klein covered his eyes and woke up.

The fact that Doragu has a mistress is confirmed… How do I get material evidence… By responding to my prayers? But this is limited to what I can obtain with my own body. I can only do it through sketching and not through the camera… I can't possibly draw a picture with my bare hands, can I? It looks like today won't do. I'll tail that girl and find out her address and name later. I refuse to believe that they'll be inside the Quelaag Club every time they meet… Detective Klein quickly came up with his next course of action.

Just as he was about to leave the mysterious space above the gray fog, he suddenly thought of something.

He decided to take the opportunity to divine if the iron-black threadworm which had infiltrated his room was under the control of a Beyonder of the Seer pathway.

He didn't do so before because he felt that the relevant information was too scarce, and it was difficult to create something out of nothing which would result in a failed divination. It would've been the same if he was above the gray fog. Furthermore, he had various matters to divine the few times he came above the gray fog previously, and he didn't have the capacity to bother with such a question. Now that he was free, he decided that it wouldn't hurt to do the divination.

As for the question of whether it was risky to contact Azik, he had already long divined it. The answer was that it was risky, and not something trivial, so he could only use it as his last resort.

After writing the corresponding divination statement, Klein removed the silver chain from his sleeve and allowed the topaz pendant to hang over the paper.

"The iron-black threadworm that sneaked into my room was controlled by a Beyonder from the Seer pathway."

…

After repeating it seven times, Klein opened his eyes and saw that the spirit pendulum was spinning clockwise, with great amplitude and frequency.

Positive… The answer is positive!

Shouldn't it have failed? Klein didn't expect to obtain such an answer. According to his Seer instincts, such a divination was likely to fail.

Why? He frowned and thought for a while before deciding to switch to a different method of divination and target.

He wanted to directly divine the controller using dream divination!

This time, Klein saw nothing in his dream, and couldn't get the corresponding revelation about the Seer pathway Beyonder.

"That's more like it…" he muttered and thought back to the prior divination and fell into deep thought.

They should've been a lack of conditions and result in a failed divination just like the one that followed… Could it be that this mysterious space had filled in the necessary conditions? Does it contain something of the Seer pathway? Klein suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He had a bold idea!

Perhaps, the mysterious space above the gray fog had something to do with the path of the Seer pathway!

Hmm… Klein lightly rapped the edge of the ancient table. Despite thinking about it, he couldn't find any other evidence. He could only temporarily put this matter on hold and prepare for his return to the real world.

Regardless, I've confirmed at least one thing. The Mid-Sequence Beyonder beside the Ambassador is from the Seer pathway and whether he's a member of the Seer doesn't matter… This might be my chance of obtaining the Sequence 7 and even the Sequence 6 potion formula! Klein extended his spirituality and wrapped it around him before plunging into the gray fog.

…

Meanwhile, in Viscount Glaint's study.

Audrey let the master of the study guard the door while she looked at Xio and Fors. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "I need your help with a mission."

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

Audrey gave her a polite smile.

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

Chapter 244: Appointee

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

"What?" Fors touched her earlobes, wondering if she had heard wrongly.

The beautiful, naive, curious, and scatter-brained Miss Audrey actually assigned an assassination mission!?

Furthermore, the target is the ambassador of Intis, a powerful country in the Northern Continent!

Xio was slow on the uptake as she hesitantly said, "Our strength i-isn't enough to complete this mission."

The first thing she considered was the difficulty of the mission!

Audrey ignored her question and allowed her to imagine the reason. She said, with faint dimples showing, "I'm not asking you to take the job. I just wish for you to find a Beyonder with the strength to complete it. For example, Mr. A, I'll pay you 4000 gold pounds for this. Of course, this is only my initial offer. The details are negotiable.

"If it eventually succeeds, I'll pay you 500 pounds. Even if the mission ends up failing, you will receive 200 pounds due to the risk you have taken."

Her uninvested annuity and the rest of the bounty was around 13,000 pounds. However, any large utilization of it would certainly attract the attention of Count Hall, and even the Varvat Bank would investigate. She had calculated that 5000 pounds was the tipping point, and it was best not to exceed it.

4000 gold pounds… Xio heard her own heavy breathing, but she quickly became depressed, knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to complete the mission herself.

Just 500 pounds to seek out other Beyonders in our names while maintaining it a secret… Miss Audrey is the most generous and beautiful lady I've ever seen! Xio quickly returned to reality.

While feeling enticed, Fors's mind was filled with questions.

Why would Miss Audrey delegate such a mission?

Is there some internal strife among nobles?

Is this the precursor to inciting a war?

Is Count Hall representing some important figure in a bid to make the situation turn chaotic?

…

The duo quickly contacted Mr. A using a previously agreed-upon channel. At three o'clock in the afternoon, when the rare sunlight shined through the fog and lit up the whole of Backlund, they arrived at the house where they had previously participated in gatherings. There, they saw Mr. A sitting with his legs up and his hood over his head, but he gave off a condescending air.

"You said that you have something important to talk to me about?" Mr. A's eyes move back and forth between the two ladies.

I heard that some female Beyonders would use their bodies to trade for potion ingredients with Mr. A… He's really a disgusting pervert… Fors curled her lips and said, "There's a large transaction; I wonder if you're interested in it?"

Mr. A scanned Xio's face and chuckled.

"Tell me. Let's see what this large transaction is."

Holding back the urge to draw her triangular blade, Xio answered with the tone of a tribunal, "Assassinate the Intis ambassador to the Loen Kingdom, Bakerland Jean Madan."

Mr. A fell silent, but since his expression was obscured by the shadow of his hood, Xio and Fors couldn't guess what he was thinking.

After a while, he slowly leaned back and said with a deep voice, "So, what's the reward?"

"4000 pounds. In addition, we will provide the relevant information such as Ambassador Bakerland is a Sequence 6 Conspiracist of the Hunter pathway, or that his weakness is lust." Xio tried her best to make Mr. A believe that there was hope in completing the mission.

Mr. A chuckled and said, "I can accept this mission, but the reward must be raised."

"The first choice—the potion formulas to Unshadowed, Cataclysmic Interrer, Prophet, or Manipulator. Of course, their price is higher than this mission. There's no need for the complete formula. A partial formula will suffice.

"The second choice—10,000 gold pounds. Heh, this is the bounty of Rear Admiral Hurricane Qilangos. Bakerland's strength definitely isn't as strong as he is, but he has powerful aides. Besides, believe me, he definitely has mystical objects on him."

A reasonable price, but that's also an exaggerated price… Xio and Fors looked at each other and said, "We shall return and discuss it. At this time tomorrow, we'll give you our answer."

"Sure." Mr. A made a gesture of farewell.

After being led out by an attendant, Fors murmured in puzzlement, "Those are High-Sequence Beyonder formulas?"

"Frankly speaking, I find it strange. I thought Mr. A would only want formulas or potion ingredients. Money shouldn't be a necessity for him."

Xio turned to look at her friend.

"Fors, you really are a naive clinical doctor and author. You must know that Mr. A has many subordinates. They need a house to sleep in, stomachs to fill, clothes to buy, and the need to vent their desires. All of this has to be bought using money. Besides, to some nobles who have declined, what wouldn't they sell if there are gold pounds to be made?

"Without his men, Mr. A would be just as scary, but he will be rather lacking in intelligence.

"That's what all the small gangs in the East Borough know."

Fors frowned and said, "Xio, you're not that stupid after all…"

In the evening, the two of them met the familiar large golden retriever at a predetermined location and passed Mr. A's reply to Audrey.

When Audrey finished reading the note, not only did she not feel stumped, she even let out a long sigh of relief.

It was simply wonderful for her that she could finish the ambassador with just 10,000 gold pounds!

For the time being, I can only use 5000 pounds. I'll still have to pay Xio and Fors 500 pounds… Well, first of all, I'll borrow 6000 pounds, no—8000 pounds. I can't expose any problems with my daily expenses. Then, I'll pay him back over four to five months, with interest of 1000 pounds… Before the new year, I will be quite poor, having only 1000 pounds to use a month… Audrey quickly made her decision. Then she burned the original slip of paper and wrote on a new piece of paper.

"The second option. An advance of 2000 pounds and the remaining 8000 pounds will be paid after the mission is completed."

…

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

He had initiated the meeting through Mrs. Stelyn Sammer.

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

"She's unemployed; yet, she can live in Hillston Borough…" Stelyn sneered.

Mary wore a gloomy expression as she remained silent for a few seconds.

"You have to obtain material evidence of them being intimate. Oh… The Quelaag Club, right? I'll get two members to nominate you as a member, but you must fill in your particulars as 'famous detective.' I can't get people to bring you in because it might not mesh well with the schedules of others."

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

"I will be responsible for the initial fees. This is in return for your efficiency. If you wish to remain in the club, you will have to pay the annual fee of about 15 pounds yourself." There seemed to be a fire burning in Mary's eyes.

The fee is fifteen pounds a year, and the initiation fee is at least fifty pounds… A high-end club… Madam Mary, you sure are generous! Klein immediately nodded.

"I will provide you with the evidence as soon as possible."

…

After dinner, Klein went out again and continued to the Bravehearts Bar in the Backlund Bridge area.

There were two reasons for this. First, he wanted to show his helplessness in front of the military's special department and the police who were observing him in secret. He wanted to appear as though he was trying every method to save himself. Second, he also wanted to deceive the Mid-Sequence Beyonder from the Seer pathway under the Ambassador's command.

In matters involving the gray fog, Klein believed that the gentleman or lady would never be able to succeed in a divination, including his own resurrection and past events, as well as how he had successfully created the Language of Foulness charm through the help of the True Creator.

This is definitely a powerful item that can affect my opponent. Klein had to maintain his act of feeling unsafe and his act of madly grasping at all kinds of straw to mislead his opponent in order to increase his chances of victory.

Under the dark night, Klein entered the bar.

Before he could get a beer, he saw Kaspars, the old man with the brandy nose, standing in front of the rat-baiting ring with his arms crossed.

"Perfect timing. Maric is looking for you." Kaspars spotted Klein and limped over.

"Maric is looking for me?" Klein asked in shock.

Instinctively, he touched the Azik's copper whistle in his pocket and considered what excuse he could use to politely decline the meeting.

Or could it be that wrapping the copper whistle with one's spirituality wouldn't cause any zombie-like phenomenon? It wasn't like Mr. Azik hadn't been to the cemetery before, nor had any corpses attacked him… Klein tensed up.

Before he could come up with an excuse, he saw Maric, his face pale and his eyes filled with malice, walking over. He wasn't surrounded by any zombies.

Where are his zombies? Klein thought with a mixture of puzzlement and relief.

Maric pointed to the card room and walked over there first. Klein looked into the distance and followed him since there were no zombies.

"What's the matter?" Klein took the initiative to ask.

Maric, in a black vest and white shirt, sat on the card table and stared into Klein's eyes.

"Does that job of yours still stand?"

"Huh?" Klein wasn't able to react in time.

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

Why is a Beyonder willing to accept the commission only after I acquired the Language of Foulness… However, this is good as well. This will be able to confuse the ambassador's Beyonder. After he painstakingly defeats Maric's friend, my chances of success will become extremely high… The only problem is determining if Maric's friend is trustworthy… Hmm, I'll go above the gray fog to divine it… Klein pondered for a moment and said, "Give me time to consider it and save up the necessary funds. It's not a small sum.

"Also, it's best if the person protecting me is hidden. It must be confidential. As for the three days of protection, that is up to me. It's definitely within these two weeks."

Of course, the Seer would definitely be aware of it… Klein silently added.

As for money, he had already considered it from the beginning. If selling Meursault's Beyonder characteristic wasn't enough, he would ask Miss Justice for money. After all, he had made the preparations. Roselle's diary still had a lot of knowledge that could be sold. Of course, if the price was simply unacceptable, he could forgo it.

Now, although Meursault's Beyonder characteristic had become the Language of Foulness charm, I still have Miss Justice! She still owes me the money needed for Sequence 8 Light Suppliant as well as the intelligence regarding the Secret Order. Combining those together, 1000 pounds would be enough!

Chapter 245: Confirmation

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Back home at 15 Minsk Street, Klein was in no hurry to head above the gray fog to perform a divination. Instead, he acted as though nothing had happened.

In the process, he heard an illusory prayer and vaguely recognized it as a woman's voice.

After experiencing the ravaging murmurs of the True Creator, my ability in this aspect has apparently improved a little… Klein turned the newspaper while engrossed in thought and settled himself on the reclining chair in a motionless half-slumped state.

He waited until the clock nearly struck ten, before putting down what he was doing and went to the bathroom on the second floor to clean himself up.

Entering the bedroom and pulling the curtains shut, Klein went above the gray fog. He saw that the crimson star symbolizing Justice was constantly expanding and contracting, and it was also echoing with prayers.

Klein spread out his spirituality and made contact. Dressed in a white silk nightgown, Miss Justice appeared in front of him.

Her figure was still blurry, as if she was in bed.

After reciting his honorable name, Audrey cut to the chase.

"Ambassador Bakerland is a Sequence 6 Conspiracist of the Hunter pathway. He's suspected to have a Sequence 5 assistant…

"After I obtained detailed information, I got someone to inquire Mr. A. He has agreed to accept the assassination mission, but the conditions are 10,000 gold pounds or any of the potion formulas of Unshadowed, Cataclysmic Interrer, Prophet, and Manipulator. They do not need to be complete. A portion of the formula would suffice.

"I chose the former and paid an advance of 2000 pounds. Honorable Mr. Fool, was my decision correct?"

10,000 gold pounds… The corner of Klein's lips twitched as he forced himself to focus on the matter.

The Sequence 5 assistant should be that Seer pathway infiltrator?

The first thing that should be done is to overestimate the enemy…

Would Mr. A have the ability to do it? Would he neglect the job after taking the money…

Cataclysmic Interrer, Prophet, Manipulator, and Unshadowed are likely Sequence 4's. That is the threshold of a High-Sequence Beyonder…

It is very likely that Mr. A is one of the 22 Oracles of the Aurora Order. To be stationed in the City of Cities, Backlund, means that he's second only to the five Saints of the Aurora Order's upper echelons. He must be the cream of the crop among the Oracles…

The Aurora Order wields the Secrets Suppliant pathway which is the direct route to the True Creator. As an Oracle, he has a high probability of being a Beyonder of this Sequence chain. Based on Backlund's position, it can be inferred that he's at Sequencers 5, Shepherd. Of course, he could also be a Rose Bishop that's one Sequence lower, but that would mean that he's more outstanding in other aspects, such as his intelligence…

I have to remind Miss Justice that she shouldn't have too many interactions with Mr. A. The Beyonders of the Secrets Suppliant Sequence are either already lunatics exhibiting abnormalities or lunatics who have hidden their insanity well, almost without exception… Sequence 8 Listeners in this Sequence pathway often hear the voice of the True Creator…

Yes, only a lunatic would be bold enough to accept the mission of assassinating an Intis ambassador and have the courage to complete it…

I have here a portion of the Unshadowed potion formula, as well as the corresponding ritual needed for the advancement. This can save Miss Justice 10,000 gold pounds…

Why would Mr. A only need the formulas of Unshadowed, Cataclysmic Interrer, Prophet, and Manipulator? Are these paths that can be swapped at High Sequences of the Secrets Suppliant pathway? That's a bit too much. That makes it five in total…

Unshadowed is from the Eternal Blazing Sun. Cataclysmic Interrer sounds like it's from the Lord of Storms or maybe the Evernight Goddess… I previously determined that the Eternal Blazing Sun, Lord of Storms, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom have pathways that are relatively similar; therefore, They view each other with animosity. From the looks of it, Cataclysmic Interrer belongs to the Lord of Storms and is Sequence 4 of the Sailor Sequence. Prophet is likely from the God of Knowledge and Wisdom…

Then which pathway does Manipulator belong to?

It'll be interesting if they can all be exchanged with the Sequence corresponding to the True Creator…

Yes… I cannot give the Unshadowed formula to Mr. A. Not even a portion. The Aurora Order members are all lunatics who are always looking for opportunities to take revenge on the world to the detriment of public safety. Items of strategic importance must not be traded with them… This isn't just a question of the bottom line, it also involves my own safety. Once the time is ripe, those lunatics from the Aurora Order might very well sacrifice the entire city…

Let Miss Justice spend the 10,000 pounds then. Part of it includes the payment she would like to give to my adorer. The rest can be made up to her with the knowledge I already know… Klein reached out and pinched his cheek.

He didn't reply to Justice immediately. Instead, he conjured a pen and paper, ready to make a divination.

Kline had no idea who Maric's friend was. He could only tell from the pronoun "she" that the person was a woman. Failure was inevitable if he wanted to directly divine the reliability of the person in question.

However, Klein could make an indirect divination regarding his own safety, which would have a much higher success rate.

As for whether he would suffer an interference or how accurate the outcome would be, he wasn't worried at all thanks to the gray fog's shielding.

After more than ten seconds of deliberation, Klein wrote: "It's risky for me to hire Maric's friend to be my bodyguard for three days."

Putting the pen away, he removed his spirit pendulum, focused his mind, and quickly performed the divination.

When he opened his eyes, he saw that the topaz pendant was rotating clockwise. However, the amplitude was very small and its speed was very slow.

There's a certain risk, but it's quite low… Reliable… Klein nodded slightly and changed to divine about Mr. A.

Similarly, he had no direct contact with Mr. A, and all he knew was based on descriptions and inference. It was difficult to find out whether or not he was capable enough, or willing to keep his promise. All he could do was make an indirect divination.

As an excellent "Seer," Klein quickly determined the direction, and that was to divine Ambassador Bakerland!

This ambassador had relatively more connections with him, and the information he had about him was even more detailed. Klein knew very well what the other party was involved in, and as a divination target, there were no problems.

After some thought, Klein wrote: "Bakerland Jean Madan will have his life threatened by Mr. A."

To prevent it from failing, he tried his best to make the words vague in this low-confidence divination and didn't require a definite answer.

This time, Klein saw that the spirit pendulum was still rotating clockwise, but it had become faster and the amplitude had increased.

It means that Mr. A will attempt to complete the mission, and that there's a good chance of success… Klein slowly exhaled and began to respond to Miss Justice's prayer.

"Sure.

"There's no problems with your decision.

"You absolutely must not show yourself when entrusting this mission.

"My adorer wishes for 1000 pounds for his activities. It will be done in the same way as before, and it would be best if it can be completed by tomorrow.

"This will be payment for the Light Suppliant formula. You do not need to seek out news regarding the Secret Order any further. However, if you obtain any relevant information, I will do a trade with you."

After learning that the infiltrator was a Beyonder in the Seer pathway, Klein's need for information about the Secret Order became less urgent.

He had originally wanted to ask for more than 1000 pounds, but in consideration of how Miss Justice had to pay 10,000 pounds to assassinate the ambassador, it was likely that her finances would be stretched to the limit; therefore, he only asked for the minimum.

After doing all of this, Klein didn't linger and immediately returned to the real world.

…

Audrey was holding a music score and humming a melody. The red moon was faintly discernible outside the window.

Suddenly, a thick gray fog appeared in front of her. A figure seated on an ancient chair looked down at her and spoke in a low voice.

Audrey let out a breath of relief after hearing Mr. Fool's response. She was no longer as nervous as she was.

1000 pounds… My debt to Mr. Fool is close to being paid off… I feel so much more relaxed suddenly… Audrey rested the music score against her chest and thought with her dimples showing.

Although she only had 1000 pounds to spend for quite a considerable period of time in the coming days, being put in a tight financial situation, all she needed to do was grit her teeth, and squeezing out a thousand pounds wouldn't be a problem.

I'll borrow more from Glaint and drag it out with more installments… Audrey had quite a good education in finances; after all, her father was a powerful banker behind the scenes.

…

At noon on Thursday, Klein heard another illusory prayer. He then confirmed that Miss Justice had deposited the money into his anonymous account.

The bank reconciliation and liquidation done in Backlund could be completed on the same day, meaning that from Friday, Klein would be able to withdraw the cash from any Backlund Bank branch in the city.

After lunch, Klein once again saw Mary Gale. She led him outside the Quelaag Club, where the two members were waiting.

One was a well-known surgeon, Aaron Ceres, and the other was the aristocratic equestrian teacher, Talim Dumont.

After greeting each other, the lanky and somewhat aloof doctor wearing gold-rimmed glasses entered the club first, leaving the equestrian teacher, Talim, who had short brown curly hair to converse with Klein amidst smiles.

"If it wasn't for Mary mentioning you, I wouldn't have known that Backlund has had an additional outstanding detective join its ranks. If there's anything I need to do in the future, I'll look for you."

"Then, let me thank you in advance." Klein smiled in response.

According to Mary's introduction on the carriage, he learned that Talim was originally of noble blood. His grandfather had a noble title of viscount, but it was a pity that his grandfather had squandered all his wealth. His father had nearly ten brothers and more than six sisters, and as nobles whose titles were determined by the amount of land they possessed, once the amount of land went beneath a particular standard, the hereditary nobility title would be reduced. However, that also depended on the king's mood.

Talim was unlike the other children of nobility who could obtain a considerable sum of money when they reached adulthood. And due to his grandfather's reputation, he had no means of entering the government as an employee, or to be a butler of another noble family. Therefore, he could only play to his advantages and became a equestrian teacher for many nobles. His income was quite sizable, with about four hundred pounds a year.

"Sigh, divorce really leads to poverty." It was unknown if Talim was hinting at Mary Gale's situation or if he was reminded of his grandfather who seemed to be more of Intis ancestry.

Unable to engage in the conversation, Klein followed him into the Quelaag Club, where he saw a large, brightly lit hall.

Chapter 246: Strange Omen

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Aaron and Talim left the Quelaag Club after they separately completed the nomination form. It wasn't a weekend; the former had two more operations in the afternoon, and the latter had to teach Viscount Conrad's youngest son horse-riding. The teenager needed to ensure that he didn't embarrass himself during the Backlund social events in the second half of the year.

Klein watched the manservant dressed in a red vest and a maid in a beautiful dress come and go a few times before finally delivering him his own proof of membership and a badge with the symbol of the Frost constellation engraved on it.

"An entry fee of 50 pounds. There are still three and a half months left this year, with an annual fee of 4 pounds a year." The manservant in the red vest pushed the two objects to Klein.

Klein took out the 57 pounds which Mary Gale had given him and handed him 54 pounds.

The amount beyond the entry fee and annual fee was Mary's first payment. She was very pleased with how quickly Klein obtained information on Doragu Gale's mistress, as well as her photo.

50 pounds membership… Madam Mary is such a generous lady! While Klein watched the manservant and the maid verify the money and confirm the exact amount, he recalled Stelyn Sammer's private introduction.

Mary's father was a co-founder of the Coim Company and had a 20 percent stake. It was originally just a small company that barely made money, but as Backlund's pollution worsened and the demand for anthracite and charcoal increased, the company rapidly expanded to become one of the top ten companies in the capital's industry. As such, Mary's net worth skyrocketed.

The only problem was that when she was married to Doragu Gale, the company was still quite an unknown company. Her father hadn't paid much attention to using the shares as her dowry and didn't proceed with any protection of estate gifting and had instead used the more popular "willing of gifts."

The former referred to the dowry as an independent and separate estate of the woman and not subjected to her husband's control. Even the right-of-use depended on the woman, while the latter assigned the dowry's ownership to the entire family. However, the husband had to immediately make a valid will to promise that if he passed away before his partner, the split of the estate would be two to four times the rights and interests of the dowry received. After which, the rest would proceed according to the normal inheritance laws which could effectively guarantee the livelihood of the widow.

If Mary initiated a divorce before she could get evidence of Doragu's adultery, the Coim Company shares would be divided equally between both parties.

Klein remembered Stelyn saying enviously, "The current value of those shares is currently close to 20,000 gold pounds. Adding the other property in their name, Mary is a truly wealthy lady. Once she's divorced, she will definitely become the target of many men in Backlund, including some nobles."

That's only enough money for Miss Justice to assassinate Ambassador Bakerland twice… Klein suddenly thought about that when he saw the red-vested manservant and the good-looking maid bow at him.

"Mr. Moriarty, welcome to the Quelaag Club."

Upon hearing this, Klein picked up the proof of membership and the Frost badge.

The former was made of elastic paper which looked like a card with Klein's name and his membership start date on it.

After applying an imprint of his index finger, the proof of membership was officially ready for use.

The latter was the Quelaag Club's distinctive badge, named for its founding in early November, which corresponded to the month of the Frost constellation. The symbol and the number 192 were printed on the front, followed by "Sherlock Moriarty" imprinted on the back.

"The club now has 192 members?" Klein asked casually.

"Yes, our club doesn't accept people without a recommendation." The red-vested manservant beamed and introduced, "On the first floor, there's a buffet cafeteria, bar, library, squash room, conference room, and card room. You can use them all for free. The food and wine are free for your sampling as well. There are 16 lounge rooms and two small conference rooms on the second floor. They are also free, and can be used as long as they aren't occupied…"

The good-looking maid pointed to the rear and said, "There are two tennis courts on the lawn, totally free of charge. There are two shooting ranges underground, and you only need to pay the corresponding rental fee of the equipment.

"If you aren't satisfied with the simple buffet, you can order ala-carte. We have an exclusive chef, and you just need to pay for the ingredients."

Board, lodging, and entertainment are all provided for… As expected of a high-end club… Klein sincerely thanked Mrs. Mary.

He smiled warmly and said, "Send someone to show me around so that I can familiarize myself with the environment. Afterward, give me a lounge to take an afternoon nap."

"Alright." The red manservant made an inviting gesture.

After familiarizing himself with the Quelaag Club's environment, Klein entered a lounge and carefully studied the layout of the place. He discovered it was similar to a hotel room of the later generation. It was said to be decorated in the Intis-style.

I have to consider how to obtain evidence of Doragu's affair tomorrow. It's simply impossible to hide the flash of the camera… In other words, I only have one shot at taking a picture… And if I do that, I'll definitely be kicked out of the club… I have to think of a safe way… I'll read through the papers later and try to determine the progress regarding Ian's case through the news. From there, I can determine which three days I should be guarded… Klein paced back and forth, lost in thought.

At that moment, his heart suddenly palpitated as he tensed up.

Is this the premonition of a Clown? However, there are no scenes in my mind… Klein felt the air around him turn still like it was the calm before the storm.

Soon, this feeling disappeared, as if nothing had happened.

Could it be that danger is approaching? But nothing like this happened when I was attacked by Meursault… Puzzled, Klein pulled out a coin and divined if he would be attacked in the next few days.

The answer was negative.

After thinking for a few seconds, Klein drew the curtains and pretended to take an afternoon nap. He took four steps counterclockwise and went above the gray fog.

He sat down and pondered for a long time before muttering to himself, "I will be in grave danger in the next few days."

…

After repeating the statement, he flicked the coin again and saw the copper-colored object tumble down and land in his open palm.

This time, the portrait of the king was facing up!

It meant a positive result!

My reaction just now really was an omen that danger is coming… Klein narrowed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

He was rather puzzled by this matter.

Whether it was as a Seer or Clown, they had never displayed such abilities before. Even if they could predict danger, it was because the target was right in front of him or beside him!

There was nobody around me… From the fact that my divination was misled, it must have involved a relatively higher Sequencer, most likely Bakerland's assistant… In the end, it actually gave me a premonition? This isn't scientific, uh—this isn't mystic… There must be something else behind it, but I can't be certain why yet…Klein looked around and saw the boundless fog, crimson and still, the palace standing as it had always stood.

He reined in his doubts and temporarily stopped thinking about the reason. Instead, he focused his attention on the attack that was about to occur…

After several more divinations, Klein found that he could only confirm that there would be great danger in the next few days. It couldn't be shortened to three days, two days, or even five hours.

In other words, he could only obtain a somewhat vague revelation.

And in a dream divination, he saw Ian dressed in his old coat, standing in the street with the elegant gas lamps and the blurry crimson moon behind him.

Other than this image, there was nothing else.

"How should I interpret this?" Klein thought for a moment. He could only assume that this was the prelude to danger.

Without further delay, he returned to the real world, left the Quelaag Club, and went to the nearby Hillston branch of the Backlund Bank to withdraw the remaining hundred pounds from his account—the sum of 1000 pounds from Justice hasn't been cleared yet and reconciled. Without the corresponding information sent to the branches, the account wasn't synchronized, and, theoretically speaking, there was a loophole. Klein could withdraw 100 pounds from another branch and seize the opportunity when all the accounts were out of sync.

However, this was only in theory. In order to avoid similar acts, the banks had many rules on anonymous accounts. First, it was to enhance the transmission of similar information in the same city; second, it was to limit a single withdrawal to no more than 500 pounds, and third, if the last withdrawal wasn't done locally, a telegram was needed to inquire about it, and today, Klein encountered the third situation.

Putting away the money, he took a horse carriage to the Backlund Bridge area and entered the Bravehearts Bar.

Under Kaspars's guidance, he saw Maric sitting in the card room. He wasn't surrounded by zombies.

Klein discarded the idea of using his spirituality to wrap Azik's copper whistle, slapped a 100 pounds on the table, and said to the pale Maric, "I agree to the deal.

"I'll pay an advance of 100 pounds. I'll pay another 300 pounds every additional day I'm protected.

"The protection begins now!"

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

Ah? Klein turned back in surprise only to see the wall and nothing but air.

He secretly activated his Spirit Vision, he but failed to discover anything.

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

If I hadn't divined this beforehand, I would definitely think of all of you as cheats…Klein surveyed his surroundings and deliberately acted as though he left with clenched teeth.

Along the way, he would occasionally activate and deactivate his Spirit Vision, constantly observing the outside through the carriage windows, but he didn't find his so-called bodyguard.

Back at 15 Minsk Street, Klein closed the door, went into the bathroom, turned on the tap, and washed his hands.

The sound of water splashing disappeared as he shook off the water droplets and wiped his palms with a towel. Then, he raised his head to look at himself in the mirror to inspect his appearance.

At this moment, he saw himself phasing away in the mirror before transforming into a woman wearing a black regal dress.

The woman had light golden hair and blue eyes. She looked very delicate but her face was abnormally pale.

She wore a small black bonnet, lifted her skirt, and bowed at Klein.

This… Without hiding his surprise, Klein took a few steps back and leaned against the wall.

Only then did he realize that this might be the bodyguard he had hired for 1000 pounds.

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

Chapter 247: The Whole Story

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The figure in the mirror was clear, but it was as though the woman in the black regal dress had never appeared.

Klein secretly activated his Spirit Vision, but didn't find anything.

Did I just hire a female ghost as my bodyguard? She's even stranger than a female ghost… At the very least, one can see ghosts with Spirit Vision… Klein thoughtfully touched Azik's copper whistle in his pocket, feeling nothing but its cold chill. Like before, it didn't have any additional changes.

She's unaffected by the copper whistle… Seems like she isn't an undead creature… However, I can't be sure. Back then, the copper whistle was buried with me, but the corpses surrounding me didn't act abnormally… Was it because those buried in the cemetery have experienced a send off by the priests and bishops? When does it work and when doesn't it… When this business with the ambassador is over, and if I'm still alive, I'll go to the cemetery and try to figure out the scope of its effect and its limits. I can't always carry a time bomb like this… Klein washed his face and walked out of the bathroom.

Just as he picked up the newspaper in the living room and was going to read it in the living room or bedroom, he heard the doorbell ring.

Klein's mind tensed up when he heard the tinkling sounds. He put on his coat, with all kinds of materials in it, and walked towards the door gingerly.

He clearly knew that danger was approaching in the next few days!

After standing behind the door and waiting for a moment, the scene outside naturally surfaced in Klein's mind.

The crimson moon was faintly discernible in the sky. The elegant gas lamps on both sides of the street lit up the wet road. A boy wearing an old coat stood there. His bright red eyes were deep and adrift.

Ian Wright? Why did he appear? Isn't this what I saw in my dream divination? Is this the prelude to danger? Klein opened the door and took two cautious steps back.

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

Klein creased his eyebrows and probed, "What you should've done is head to the police station."

Ian looked around and bowed his head.

"I just came out from MI9."

Ah? Is that the name of the military's special department? Klein stepped aside, pointed at the living room and said, "Maybe we can have a chat."

I have to at least know what placed me in this situation… He sighed inwardly.

Ian didn't stand on ceremony as he followed Klein into the living room and sat in the same spot as he did the last time.

He was just about to open his mouth when Klein suddenly added, "If what you plan on saying will put me in greater danger, then there's no need to tell me about it."

"No, everything will soon be over." Ian had a calmness that was beyond his age.

Klein was relieved and asked out of curiosity, "So, what exactly happened?"

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw a figure emerge from the panes of the oriel window across the room: a black regal dress, long hair tied in a bun, blue eyes, delicate features, and a pale face. It was the woman who had previously greeted Klein in the mirror.

This woman seemed to find an illusory high back chair and sat down. Her left palm supported her right elbow while her right hand supported her face, pretending to listen attentively while appearing expressionless.

For a moment, Klein was left at a loss.

Ian, who had been silent for a few seconds, said softly, "In fact, Detective Zreal is a spy for the Feysac Empire. He adopted several vagrant children and taught them how to gather intelligence. I am one of them."

So that's how it is… I was involved in a huge spy conspiracy… Klein suddenly felt enlightened.

Ian looked at the coffee table and continued, "We have the advantage of age, and are often ignored by others, allowing us to gather a lot of useful information. Two weeks ago, I stumbled upon clues regarding Helmosuin's manuscript."

"Helmosuin?" Klein found the name familiar.

Ian looked up at him and explained, "Turani von Helmosuin, the greatest scientist after Emperor Roselle, a mathematician, a mechanist, and the father of the second generation difference machine."

So it's him! Klein suddenly remembered the relevant information.

He wasn't only a great scientist, but also a crazy scientist. He believed that the inherent flaw in the existence of humans could only be fixed through machines. He loved eating sugar as if it was his own energy source. He mysteriously disappeared while researching a third generation difference machine, and was an important figure that every country was trying to find.

"His manuscript? Does the manuscript involve third generation difference machines?" Klein asked probingly.

A difference machine was a mechanical device for computing. It could effectively improve the efficiency of scientific research and various projects. In Klein's opinion, it was an alternative computer in the Age of Steam. Of course, it could only do computation at present.

Ian shook his head.

"I'm not sure. I didn't actually see it. Perhaps, it had some related ideas."

He paused for a moment, then went on to recount what had happened.

"When I reported this to Detective Zreal, he was very happy and told me to follow up on that lead while he immediately reported it to his superior.

"It took me some time to determine where the manuscript was, but I was afraid of the danger, so I didn't steal it directly. I decided to return to Detective Zreal, and after that, it was as I told you. Detective Zreal's house was infiltrated while many of the tiny traps were not restored, and he didn't respond to my contact request. The Zmanger gang tried to capture me…

"With your help, I confirmed the death of Detective Zreal. I took a fake tooth from his corpse. Oh, that happened after we parted.

"Detective Zreal told me that, inscribed on the inside of the fake tooth, there was a method to urgently contact his superior. It was a method that even he didn't know of and was something he would only remove if an accident occurred."

Klein nodded slightly and said, "So you sent a telegram?"

A rare look of surprise flashed across Ian's face as he asked, "Did the people from MI9 tell you that?"

"No, a friend of mine happened to see you on Bacardi Street." Klein casually made up an excuse.

"I see." Ian nodded in depression. "I got in touch with Detective Zreal's superior in Backlund via telegram and arranged the time, place, and manner of meeting, but soon enough, I was found by the Zmanger gang. No, to be exact, it was an intelligence officer of the Intis Republic. That was what the people from MI9 people told me.

"Fortunately, MI9 arrived in time, and both sides engaged in a chaotic battle. I took this opportunity to escape.

"However, when I met with Detective Zreal's superior this afternoon, I was once again ambushed by the Intis intelligence officers. Unfortunately, I was caught by them, and I was very afraid of dying, so I told them everything that I knew. However, they didn't keep their promise and still wanted to kill me. At that moment, MI9 finally found me."

It is only during such times when you look like a fifteen or sixteen year old teenager…Just as Klein was reflecting over this, he suddenly thought of a problem from what Ian had just said.

Back when he discovered that something important was left behind on Zreal's corpse and that Ian had successfully taken it away, he had written the matter off, thinking that the Beyonder was lacking in skill, and that the Beyonder had missed out on something because the mediumship provided little useful information.

However, after confirming that the ambassador had a Mid-Sequence Beyonder of the Seer pathway, the situation became extremely peculiar. With powerful mediumship, it was impossible for the fake tooth to not be discovered.

Leaving the body in such a remote and hard to find place didn't seem like a trap.

Combined with Ian's description, the answer was obvious.

Klein nodded and said, "Have you ever thought of the possibility that Zreal's superior has traitors around him, a traitor who has defected to the Intis intelligence services?

"That's also why Zreal was exposed and killed when he obtained the clue to the manuscript, as well as why you were ambushed."

It was because the Intis ambassador had information about Zreal's superior which was why he didn't pay much attention to the urgent communication method inscribed on the inside of the tooth!

Zreal's report to his superior directly led to his demise!

Ian fell into a daze when he heard that. It took him quite a while before he clenched his fists in anger, trying hard to compose himself as he said, "I didn't think of that. You really are an excellent detective…"

He quietly let out a breath of air and changed the topic.

"I have divulged the whereabouts of the manuscript to MI9 and everything else. They also mentioned your predicament in passing. Heh, they didn't suspect me of lying, nor did they send anyone to watch me. All of them went to vie for the manuscript. However, with that kind of pressure, no one can lie."

Having said that, Ian stood up and gave a deep bow.

"Please allow me to apologize again.

"Sorry to have involved you in this. Actually, you don't need to hide anything for me."

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

As he was listening, he used Ian's description of the entire situation and his reflections of the past few days and confirmed that he had made two mistakes.

When I discovered that Ian's matter ran deeper than it appeared, I still accepted the request. That wasn't a problem since I only felt that it involved gangs, and there would be, at most, one or two Beyonders who wouldn't dare expose themselves. But the divination lacked enough information and ended with a failure… This was within the limits of what I could've resolved by myself, and typically speaking, there wouldn't have been any trouble. I could even take the opportunity to come into contact with Backlund's Beyonders.

After finding Zreal's corpse and confirming that the matter ran deep, I should've considered the sensitivity of my identity and decisively extricated myself from this case. I should've let Ian deal with the subsequent matters himself. This wouldn't be problematic and would be a rather careful choice.

One of the mistakes I made was that I didn't flinch or reveal anything about Ian when Meursault came to me. I only thought that he was from a gang, and that there were some Beyonders behind that gang. Who would've guessed that it would involve a figure like the Intis ambassador; even more so, I never expected Meursault to be so rash. After failing his mission, he didn't threaten, intimidate me or proceed with other options. Instead, he came straight to kill me so that mediumship could be performed. He didn't even give me the chance to regret my decision. As a result, my situation worsened.

So, this isn't too subjective or too serious a mistake.

The one mistake that really caused me to be in such a passive situation was a tiny mistake I made from the very beginning. I had rented the house and accepted the mission as Sherlock Moriarty without donning a disguise!

This resulted in me not being able to flee after my identity as a Beyonder was exposed to the ambassador. Even as I acted horrified and frantic, making MI9 and the police department believe that my taking flight would only be normal, I didn't dare flee. I was afraid that when the ambassador failed to find a target for revenge, he would inform the officials about me. And according to my experience as a Nighthawk, most official enforcers like the Nighthawks, Machinery Hivemind, and Mandated Punishers harbor animosity towards uncontrolled Beyonders. They definitely wouldn't ignore me just because I'm a Low-Sequence Beyonder and would begin an investigation.

In time, my looks will be clear evidence. I will then be pursued by High-Sequence Beyonders from the Church of the Goddess because I resurrected despite having been involved with a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.

There's no chance for such matters to be suddenly forgotten or thought of as nothing by others. I had to plan for the worst case scenario in advance, and if I only reacted when the ambassador took action, it would definitely be too late. Whether it's an assassination, finding a bodyguard, or buying items, all of them will require time.

Only if the ambassador and his assistant dies or attention is diverted to the investigation of his death will I be able to resolve this latent danger. His assistant doesn't have an official status, so he can't interact with the officials. For a mere Sequence 9 or Sequence 8 at best, someone whose whereabouts are unknown, there's no reason to go through the effort to report me.

Of course, his death is the best outcome, then there won't be any latent danger.

Compared to finding Mr. Azik for help or having attention placed on me because of 0-08 again, as well as being pursued by High-Sequence Beyonders, assassinating the ambassador is the relatively simpler choice… Even it fails, I can only bear one of the two outcomes…

Sigh, everything originated from a small oversight at the beginning. I just imagined that in a metropolis with over 5 million people and few people knowing me while I deliberately avoided the Nighthawks, there was no need for me to don a disguise every day, since it would be easier for others to notice something amiss. Yet, for such a small mistake, I would have to pay over 10,000 gold pounds as the price without having any guarantee of resolving it…

I'm really like a Clown, with one mistake triggering a chain reaction, only to result in a desperate attempt to balance myself so as to please the audience…

This is all because of my lack of experience. This is the first time in my two lifetimes combined that I've ever been a fugitive.

Once this matter is completely resolved, exposing my identity as a Beyonder would no longer be that dangerous. They would only think that I obtained a potion while finding a bodyguard and not doubt my origins. Of course, I'll have to get used to wearing glasses and a mustache in the future so that the people around me will gradually get used to my new image. In the future when they ask me about me, they will only think of this new image.

Having thought through the entire matter, Klein's laugh became more pronounced, making Ian feel strange.

"It's time for me to leave. I'll need to disappear for a while; otherwise, I might be thrown into jail." Ian put on his hat, bade farewell, and left.

Klein didn't stop him, watching him disappear into the crimson moonlight, while the woman by the oriel window had disappeared without him realizing it.

Chapter 248: Waiting From Both Sides

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

With both sides being aware of the whereabouts of Helmosuin's manuscript, this matter would come to an end tonight… Therefore, the ambassador would have the freedom to take revenge… Is this the reason for the impending danger? Klein gained a rough understanding of the divination results and the inexplicable omen.

If he didn't have the Language of Foulness charm or the powerful bodyguard that cost him 1000 pounds for three days, he would've shamelessly gone to the police station or the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery's headquarters in Backlund, Saint Hierländ Cathedral for a temporary stay. He could avoid any possible attacks and await the assassination of the ambassador. As for how successful the assassination would be, Klein wasn't confident either. He had already considered the worst outcome and had a plan for it.

But now, with the double the preparations, he no longer wanted to avoid it. He would stay at home and pretend that he knew nothing.

Deep down, he was even looking forward to having his attackers come knocking at his door.

Sequence 9 Hunter Meursault was killed by me. If they send someone else again, They would at least be a Sequence 7, or even a Sequence 6 or 5. They might even come in numbers, but regardless, as long as I finish them, I'll obtain formulas and Beyonder characteristics. I can then make up for some of my losses… Yes, I'll tell Miss Bodyguard that I had good luck and managed to benefit from the black ear that I bought and became a Beyonder. After all, when the battle becomes intense, there's no way to hide it at that point. Besides, what I'm saying is nearly the truth. I did benefit quite significantly from the black ear… As Klein considered what would soon follow, he almost instinctively drew the sign of the crimson moon on his chest.

May the Goddess bless me that the Beyonder who comes is the one from the Seer pathway! He prayed silently.

As he thought of this, he looked around the room for his bodyguard. He was worried that she would run away without a sound after hearing the whole story.

The lights in the dining room were warm, illuminating the coffee table, sofa, and chairs. There was no one else in the room except him.

As Klein gradually grew nervous, he suddenly saw a face appear on the glass cover of the gas lamp in the living room. The face was pale, with pale gold hair and delicate looks.

This lady is quite confident in her own strength… Klein's mind calmed down, and he whispered to himself, "I'm also a Beyonder.

"I made a gamble on an item I bought from Kaspars's gathering and benefited from it, but it was only beneficial for me."

What he said was true. No matter what method he had to face, these sentences would endure a truth test.

But when these two sentences were put together, one would think that the benefits made him a Beyonder.

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

Klein's expression didn't seem to change, but he secretly exhaled in his heart.

Without taking off his coat, he went back to the sofa and picked up a newspaper and started reading.

After a while, the tinkling sound echoed again. Someone had rung his doorbell again.

Who is it? Klein immediately tensed up. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, touching his tarot cards and Language of Foulness charm.

He slowly walked towards the door, and with the help of his abilities as a Clown, he predicted what he would see after opening the door.

The crimson moon was still faintly visible, the elegant gas lamps were unchanged, and a sergeant in a black-and-white checkered uniform with three chevrons on his epaulets was impatiently waiting by the door.

He had a short, brown beard and he was none other than the sergeant who had dealt with Sherlock Moriarty's case of self-defense.

I think Jurgen mentioned his name. Sergeant Faxine? Well, I can receive the ten-pound bail tomorrow or the next day… What is he doing here? Did MI9 send him to find Ian Wright? Or to inform me that I should temporarily hide away from danger?Confused, Klein grabbed the handle.

…

Inside the Intis embassy of Backlund's West Borough, the lights were on. The scent of various perfumes and alcohol, accompanied by melodious melodies stretched out to every corner.

A ball was being held.

During his years as an ambassador, Bakerland had often held balls at the embassy, inviting the kingdom's bankers, big factory owners, philanthropists, and other well-known, rich and powerful people, as well as lawyers. Random opportunities were also given to some of the lower-ranked merchants.

In this atmosphere, he would tell the guests about the prosperity and openness of Trier, and how the Intis Republic was no longer dominated by the likes of the nobles, bankers, factory owners, and lawyers. They, directly and indirectly, took over a large portion of the parliamentary seats, determining the direction of the government policies, enjoying true freedom and high statuses.

Today, Bakerland was doing the same thing. With a wine glass in hand, he flitted around the guests, as if to prove that he was present at the ball without leaving.

They should've gotten the manuscript by now… After learning that Ian Wright appeared at the telegraph office from that trembling detective, I've been putting plans into action. Now is the time to reap the rewards… Bakerland, with his thin but classy face, took a sip of the blood-like Aurmir wine and headed for the balcony, intending to take a breath of the cool night air.

After learning that Ian had sent the telegram, as a veteran conspiracist and professional intelligence officer, Bakerland was acutely aware that Ian was contacting his superior's superior. Therefore, he quickly made the double-spy, that had infiltrated the Feysac Empire's Backlund intelligence team, investigate and obtain the meeting time, location, and manner agreed upon by Ian and the "team leader."

After that, he pretended that nothing had happened and continued to send people to look for Ian near Bacardi Street. He successfully found Ian and also attracted the attention of MI9.

According to his plan, his intelligence officer had deliberately let Ian go, so that MI9 would think that they were on the same starting line.

After paralyzing his main opponent, he called in other unexposed intelligence agents to ambush Ian and the Feysac Empire's "team leader." He wanted to find the manuscript and smuggle it out of the Loen Kingdom without being detected by the MI9.

The situation had progressed as smoothly as he had expected, but the news that came back in the evening left his heart heavy.

People from MI9 had actually appeared!

They had appeared despite being supposedly fooled!

With Rosago around, it's definitely not because of divination. Besides MI9 isn't good at divination at all… That means we have a spy among our ranks… Let's hope that Rosago can be one step ahead of them and grab the manuscript to hand over to Shadow for extraction… Bakerland had deliberately organized the ball in order to avoid suspicion, but as such, he was unable to involve himself with the developments. All he could do was pray that his subordinates would amount to something.

According to his plans, once Rosago succeeded, he would immediately transfer the items to another intelligence officer, one that had never been activated before. Then Rosago would lure MI9 away and, by creating some trouble, keep them out of "sight" and distract them from his partner. During this process, Bakerland requested Rosago to kill the detective while he was at it.

If it wasn't for him, no one from MI9 would've known about it. Everything would've gone smoothly… My involvement with the Zmanger gang wouldn't have been revealed, and I wouldn't be transferred back to the country… He actually didn't run away, thinking that MI9 would keep protecting him, and that staying at home is safer than running away? Bakerland rubbed his face.

He had already received orders that after the operation regarding the manuscript had been completed, and he would hand all intelligence matters to the highest ranking military officer at the embassy and await the arrival of the new ambassador.

Bakerland was rather reluctant to part with Backlund. Despite the bad weather and heavy pollution, Backlund was one of the most prosperous cities in the world.

Besides, the ladies here are more conservative unlike those sluts back home. Slowly seducing them into bed and removing their restraint, bit by bit, is a very satisfying and fascinating achievement. Unfortunately, I have to bid farewell to these beautiful ladies… Bakerland thought gloomily, and he felt more and more resentful of the detective who dared to put up resistance.

As for Rosago's own safety, Bakerland wasn't worried at all. He believed that as long as Rosago wanted to, as long as he wasn't targeted by a High-Sequence Beyonder, he would be able to escape immediately. This was because Rosago had special Beyonder powers.

As he lost himself in thought, Bakerland's eyes suddenly lit up. He saw a young lady in a crimson dress standing at the edge of the balcony with a glass of wine in her hand.

She had a pretty face and a gentle temperament. Her hair was ink black and luxuriant, and her light brown eyes seemed to speak volumes.

Bakerland went over at once and began to chat with her. He learned that the lady was the daughter of a timber merchant named Eileen, and that her father wasn't very rich and was trying to make his way up the ranks.

With his status as Intis ambassador, Bakerland quickly received Eileen's affection.

After sharing two dances, their bodies became more intimate.

"Beautiful lady, I'd like to invite you to my room to sample some Aurmir wine of 1286."

Eileen replied, almost without any hesitation, "Alright."

The two of them left the ballroom and secretly went to the second floor. They entered Bakerland's room, and he ordered the guards to stay away from them and not to disturb him.

Before the so-called Aurmir wine 1286 appeared, Bakerland had passionately brought Eileen to the bed.

While romping around in bed, Eileen's simple skirt came undone as her pure, fair arms hugged him.

While her hands gripped Bakerland's shoulders, her nails and veins suddenly sprouted black, thin, fluffy "spider feet!"

Bang!

Eileen's eyes suddenly bulged as white foam poured out of her mouth.

Bakerland retracted the fist that he had used to hit her abdomen and stood up from the bed. He no longer had the hasty actions from before and instead, wore a cold expression.

"Who sent you?" Bakerland asked in a deep voice.

Eileen attempted to stand up, but the pain was too much to bear. Her eyes were filled with shock and fear.

Seeing the expression on the pretty girl's face, Bakerland smiled and said, "It's true that I'm into beautiful ladies, but I know this problem of mine. So, every time I meet a beautiful lady, I'm especially careful.

"Speak, who sent you?

"Don't bother resisting. I'm very good at using fire."