Lord of the Mysteries

What? Getting me to investigate myself again? Klein nearly suspected that this was a deliberate test.

An organization that uses tarot cards to represent itself really is interesting, and I think so, but I don’t want to sell myself out... Right, Capim’s matter is clearly not that simple. He had a total of four Beyonders protecting him, so there must be a powerful faction behind him. What’s the difference between investigating this case and being involved in high society strife? Well, this isn’t something Sherlock Moriarty should know... Klein revealed a thoughtful expression, and while weighing his options, he said, “It’s not easy to find a mysterious organization. Besides, it’s very dangerous.”

Talim seemed to have expected his answer and chuckled.

“Sherlock, there’s no need for you to take risks. The important figure’s intention is for you to pay more attention and to gather the relevant information or rumors. Here’s 5 pounds in cash, money for your activities. Even if you don’t receive any valuable information, the money is yours. And once you gather any useful clues, he’ll pay you per lead and reimburse you for your expenses throughout the process.”

Such good conditions? That important figure has put a lot of his attention on this matter... Does he have connections with the forces behind Capim, or does he wish to find the mysterious organization that uses tarot cards as a code name to help him? Reimburse... It’s been a long time since I’ve heard someone promise me something like this... Since he’s already gone so far by promising me such perks, it would appear very suspicious if a private detective were to refuse the commission... Furthermore, the matter of investigating myself should clearly be left to me... Klein hesitated for a few seconds and said, “Alright. I’ll do my best.”

He didn’t stand on ceremony, and he accepted the five one-pound notes that Talim handed him, intending to provide a vague clue every week or two.

Isn’t the Aurora Order looking for The Fool? The Fool is obviously part of a tarot card! I hope that important figure will pursue this path all the way and get rid of Mr. A... A thought began to form in Klein’s mind.

...

Under Saint Samuel Cathedral.

Soul Assurer Soest assembled his team together to discuss their subsequent actions.

He looked at the black-haired, green-eyed Leonard Mitchell and asked, half-asking and half-evaluating, “If I were to relegate this matter to you, how do you plan on investigating the two cases related to the tarot ritual?”

Leonard lifted his hand to comb his hair, smiled, and said, “First, I would go according to my train of thought from before. I would do a reverse search for the people or organizations seeking The Fool’s believers. They might know something. Second, I would reinvestigate the first two cases and place all the people involved in a name list, regardless of if they were suspects or not! Then, I’ll use the powers of a Nightmare to inquire and eliminate them one by one. The devil might be in the details, hidden in the person who’s most improbable.”

Soest let out a chuckle.

“I’ve read through the dossiers. These two cases involve a lot of people, each living in different places. Wanting to re-examine them is quite difficult, and some of them are already Beyonders who are secretly active beneath the surface. They know how to hide themselves very well, and we have no way of knowing where they are. If we were to perform an investigation according to your idea, then what we need wouldn’t be a small team. The Church would have to inject at least five more Sequence 7 or above Nighthawks and the corresponding support personnel.”

“The case we are in charge of is focused on the devil-summoning case,” another Red Glove reminded Leonard.

Leonard didn’t seem angry as he let out a soft laugh.

“I know. I’m only providing my point of view. As for whether or not it is used, or the extent to which it will be used will be decided by Captain Soest.”

He paused for a moment and revealed a puzzled expression.

“I don’t understand why the two cases related to the tarot rituals didn’t have a high priority. The former involved an evil god’s attempted descent, countless times more serious than a mere devil summoning.”

Soest picked up his coffee and took a sip before leisurely answering, “The Nighthawks have limited manpower. All cases require a certain priority level. Up to now, the secret organization represented by tarot cards hasn’t expressed any obvious malice towards us. Their actions, to a certain extent, have helped us. For example, they foiled the descent of the True Creator, as well as letting us know that the human trafficker, Capim, isn’t a simple person. There must be some big secret underlying the matter.”

After saying that, he smiled and said, “Perhaps they can help us discover even more unsavory matters.

“Of course, the necessary investigations must be carried out. No one can guarantee that a secret organization will not end up being our enemy in the future.”

“I see, Captain Soest. Let’s focus on the devil summoning case,” Leonard said earnestly.

...

In a Backlund winter that was inseparable from fireplaces and fog, time flew by amidst these cold and gray sensations.

In the blink of an eye, there was only half a month left until the new year.

Klein extinguished the charcoal in the fireplace and put on a double-breasted frock coat over his dark red woolen vest.

Nearly three weeks ago, Leppard finally received the bike patent and began looking for suitable second-round investors. Steam power mogul, Framis Cage, ended up showing some interest in this.

After several meetings, the three parties agreed to conclude their final negotiations today.

During the past month or so, Klein led an uneventful life. Through his investigations, he slowly digested the potion by strictly following the principles. Now, he was just short of a relatively bigger performance that he needed to initiate to completely digest it.

If there are no urgent matters, I can avoid taking risks. It would take about another...As his mind wandered, Klein removed the half top hat from the coat rack and smoothed the folds with a brush and handkerchief, removing the dust.

The badge left behind by Lanevus indicated a 4th January gathering. He had no strong intentions on attending it.

During this time, the Tarot Club continued being held on a weekly basis. Klein obtained a few pages of Roselle’s early diary entries, allowing him to witness how he went from a weakling, who only knew how to dream without taking actual action, to becoming a playboy who actively hunted.

Apart from this, he gained almost nothing. Although the Werewolf Beyonder characteristic was handed over to The Hanged Man for sale via The World, a sale involving more than a thousand pounds was obviously not easy to close. The Werewolf’s unique trait of being cursed also caused many interested parties to shrink back from it.

However, a few days ago at a Tarot Gathering, The Hanged Man told The World that he had contacted an Artisan from the Church of the God of Steam, and the other party was clearly interested.

Let’s hope the deal with be closed this week... There are still no clues to the Wind-blessed formula which Mr. Hanged Man wants... Klein packed his personal belongs, picked up his cane, wore his hat, and walked out the door. The Wind-blessed potion formula was a Sequence 6 formula. It wasn’t that easy to encounter one. The Hanged Man, Alger, had waited for more than a month without receiving any good news.

Justice Audrey, after undergoing a long period of observation and testing, was finally accepted by the Psychology Alchemists. She reported to Mr. Fool that she should be officially joining the secret organization this week, hoping to be blessed ahead of time to prevent any accidents from happening. For this, she was prepared to plunder at least ten pages of Roselle’s diary entries from the Psychology Alchemists for Mr. Fool without any compensation.

As for the dragon specimen in Duke Negan’s treasury, she had already confirmed that it was a Thousand-faced Hunter. However, it was purely a sample that was without the corresponding Beyonder characteristic or flowing blood.

The 2,000 pounds she owed Mr. Fool’s adorer wouldn’t be repaid until February or March of next year. This was because, although she would officially come of age at the New Year’s Ball and be able to take charge of a portion of her fortune, she would still be under the supervision of her parents and wouldn’t be able to sell them at will. Furthermore, she was still short of Viscount Glaint’s final payment, so she needed ample time to raise the money in secret.

The Magician Fors, with the help of The Hanged Man, finally obtained the blood of a Deep Sea Marlin. She paid him 320 pounds for it, which reduced her savings to 120 pounds.

In order to make up for her loss and for the stomach pouch of a Spirit Eater, she began to furiously rush to write her new book which quickly took shape. It told a story about adventure, love, traveling, storms, pirates, and many other elements fused into a whole.

Her and Dorian Gray’s correspondence never stopped, and the other party had recently announced that they would be coming to Backlund to pay their respects to Aulisa, Laubero, and Lawrence.

The Sun Derrick, who was acting normally as suggested by The Hanged Man, continued his daily patrols, amassed merit points, and didn’t attempt any rituals.

At every Tarot Gathering, he would skillfully pretend to be asleep, and he didn’t reveal any problems for the time being. Usually, he would occasionally take a nap to prevent any regularities from being detected which would put him under suspicion.

According to him, Shepherd Elder Lovia, didn’t leave the bottom of the spire seven days later and was still locked in there for unknown reasons.

With the Aurora Order’s Mr. A searching for the followers and adorers of The Fool, they failed to receive any valuable clues with Klein’s deliberate attempt to keep a low profile. And the Beyonders, who knew the honorific name of The Fool all understood that they should never chant such words carelessly. Unless they were in dire straits, and they definitely didn’t have the courage to pray to an existence that was suspected of being an evil god.

Emlyn mentioned the last time that he had some clues for the corresponding ingredients and that he might be able to confirm it soon, but the problem is that I’m lacking the money now... With a silent grunt, Klein took his cane and walked to Lawyer Jurgen’s door.

When the doorbell rang, he took the initiative and instinctively took two steps back.

Not long after, the door opened and old Mrs. Doris cheerfully opened her arms to give Klein a warm hug.

“Oh, the doctor you introduced last time was wonderful! My body hasn’t been this healthy for almost ten years!” Doris, seeing that the detective was standing far away, could only fold her arms and express her delight and feelings in words.

Klein said in an amused and exasperated tone, “Mrs. Doris, you’ve already told me this for the ninth time.”

He saw Brody, the black cat, sitting on top of the coat rack. Although it looked precarious, he was able to maintain his balance.

I can do that as well... Klein made a self-evaluation.

“Is that so?” Old Mrs. Doris asked, perplexed.

She immediately tossed the question to the back of her mind and said with a smile, “Are you here for Jurgen?”

Klein immediately revealed a smile.

“Yes.”

Matters involving negotiations needed the help of a professional lawyer.