Chapter 10: Three Matters

Chapter Ten
Three Matters

After carefully listening to the end, Klein asked in return, “So, you suspect that the Zeriel those detectives saw was someone else in disguise?”

Ian held his brown round-topped hat and answered as if he had already thought it through.

“That is one possibility, but I believe it would be too difficult. Difficult enough to require bearing tremendous risk. The gathering was at night, and the lighting was indeed not especially bright, but most of the participants were detectives—detectives with sharp observation. It would be hard to fool their eyes with only wigs, beards, cosmetics, and so on.”

Perhaps some Beyonder ability could manage it… Like what Creeping Hunger possessed…

Klein’s question just now had contained a small trap. He wanted to judge from Ian’s answer, facial expression, and body language whether the older boy had contact with Beyonders, whether he had a certain understanding of the mystical field.

The preliminary answer was no.

Seeing Detective Moriarty nod slightly in agreement with his reasoning, Ian continued, “I believe what those detectives saw was indeed Mr. Zeriel. Only, he was not free. He was under the strict control of someone else and could not send out a call for help. The reason he did not respond to my contact was to make me alert, to make me find someone to help save him.”

“A reasonable explanation.”

Klein loosened his clasped hands and leaned back slightly, making himself appear more relaxed and more confidence-inspiring.

Ian was silent for more than ten seconds before speaking with slight solemnity.

“I would like to commission you to investigate Mr. Zeriel and confirm his current condition. Only confirmation is needed.”

Considering that the other party was a semi-professional who gathered intelligence and news for detectives, Klein wished to build a connection with him. He smiled.

“Then how much compensation do you plan to pay? You should be well aware that this matter may be very dangerous.”

Ian covertly lowered his head to glance at the pocket of his old coat. After deliberating, he said, “There are two methods. First, I directly give you sufficient payment—payment that satisfies you. After that, whether the mission is simple or difficult, the amount remains fixed, unless you suffer a relatively serious injury.

“Second, I pay five pounds in advance. After you complete the commission, I will add expenses depending on the difficulty of the matter. But that can easily lead to disputes, even if there is a contract.”

Klein pretended to consider. After close to thirty seconds, he said in a low voice, “Perhaps we can do this: you pay five pounds in advance. After the mission ends, you help me with three matters. Rest assured, they will not be difficult matters. They will all be within your ability, and will not make you feel too troubled. This can be specified in the contract.”

Ian frowned, then stood, leaned forward, and extended his right hand.

“All right!”

Klein shook it lightly, then pulled a standard contract he had prepared long ago from the coffee table. Picking up a round-bellied fountain pen, he added all the details they had just agreed upon and pressed his fingerprint for confirmation.

After the contract was signed, he gave the older boy Ian a stack of blank paper and watched him write down information related to Detective Zeriel.

After a while, Klein flipped through the materials and casually asked, “If there is an emergency, or if I confirm Zeriel’s condition, how should I contact you?”

Ian pressed his lips together and did not speak for quite a while. Only when Klein raised his head and looked over did he answer rather stiffly, “There is no need to contact me. I will appear at the appropriate time.”

He said no more. From the pocket of his old coat, he took out a thick stack of notes. They appeared to be layered strictly from large denominations to small, arranged very neatly.

Ian first drew three one-pound notes from the bottom. Then he counted six five-soli notes. Finally, he added ten one-soli bills.

Seeing how neatly the other party arranged the notes, so that even the portraits of the several kings had to face upward without the slightest error, Klein suddenly felt somewhat irritated.

Late-stage obsessive-compulsive disorder…

He exhaled soundlessly and accepted the payment Ian pushed over.

According to his rough estimate, Ian’s remaining cash would not exceed three pounds.

He probably carries all his savings with him… If I had demanded more payment just now, would he have skipped the bill in the end? He does not look like that sort of person, but appearances can be deceiving…

Klein casually folded the notes and stuffed them into his pocket, not caring whether they were neat or not. He successfully saw Ian’s expression twist slightly.

“I will try to complete the investigation as soon as possible,” Klein said, standing and extending a hand in a gesture of seeing him out.

“Thank you for your help.”

Ian thanked him sincerely, because what the other party had given was clearly a discounted price.

Watching the older boy, far more mature than his true age, leave, Klein rubbed his chin and silently said thoughtfully, “This matter is very deep.”

“From beginning to end, Ian never mentioned what Detective Zeriel had been investigating recently, nor what type of information he had instructed him to gather…”

“Forget it. I will handle as much as I am paid for. I only need to confirm Zeriel’s current condition.”

He turned and walked back into the living room, casually taking a copper coin worth a quarter penny from his trouser pocket.

Clink!

The copper coin flipped upward. Klein’s eyes deepened as he silently recited whether this matter involved supernatural factors.

Then he spread open his right hand, attempting to catch the falling penny.

Clink! The coin slid past his fingertips, fell onto the floor, and rolled far away.

Such a result meant that the divination had failed.

“It seems Ian is hiding more than I imagined… There is so much missing information that I cannot even obtain a vague divination result…”

Klein tightened his lower lip inward and took several steps forward, bending to pick up the copper coin.

…

That night, near midnight, 138 Rose Street, Backlund Bridge area.

Klein had changed into cheap light-blue worker’s clothes. Black beard had been pasted over his mouth, chin, and cheeks. At a glance, he actually looked somewhat rough and savage.

He wore a dark newsboy cap, its brim pressed very low, almost covering his eyes.

This kind of cap had originally belonged to hunters of the Intis Republic and was somewhat different from the traditional deerstalker hats of the Loen Kingdom. Recently, however, it had begun to become popular among Backlund’s middle and lower classes.

Hidden in the shadow of the Intis plane tree beside the road, Klein used the elegant gas streetlamp to examine the house opposite.

That was Zeriel’s home.

This detective came from Southwell County. His parents, relatives, and friends were all there. He had come alone to seek his fortune in Backlund and gradually gained some reputation.

He was also a bachelor, employing only two temporary maids, the kind who came once every three days to clean without needing meals or lodging provided.

At this moment, the terraced house he rented had not the slightest light. It was completely dark.

Klein unfastened the silver chain within the cuff of his left wrist and let the citrine pendant hang naturally.

“There is danger inside.”

“There is danger inside.”

…

After repeating it seven times, he opened his eyes and saw the pendulum rotating clockwise, but slowly and with only a small range.

“There is danger, but not great.”

Klein murmured and once more confirmed the tarot cards, self-made charms, Holy Night Powder, and other items he carried.

After doing all that, he looked around. Taking advantage of the late night and the silence, he darted nimbly to the opposite side.

Zeriel’s home had no outer corridor, no garden, no lawn. It directly bordered the street curb. Klein circled to the side and climbed smoothly along the water pipe to the small second-floor balcony used for drying clothes.

Immediately afterward, he took out a tarot card, slid it into the gap, and opened the door leading to the corridor.

Following the house layout drawn by Ian, Klein moved almost soundlessly until he arrived outside Zeriel’s bedroom.

He tapped the left side of his teeth, activated spirit vision, and looked through the wooden door into the room.

Spirit vision could see aura colors through obstacles that possessed no spirituality, but this was closely tied to one’s own level. At present, Klein could observe through a wooden door, but could not overcome a stone wall. Furthermore, what he saw would not be too clear.

Within his vision, behind the door, in the bedroom, were three human-shaped auras. Their colors were hazy, and they were respectively positioned in different spots.

Three people have been lying in ambush all along… To catch Ian? Or someone else? The bedroom is not large…

Standing in the darkness, Klein calmly considered what he had observed.

At that moment, he suddenly retreated toward the balcony, his footsteps still very light.

Back on the balcony, Klein took a thin silver sheet from his pocket.

This was a Slumber Charm he had tried making that afternoon.

He had not prayed to the Evernight Goddess. Instead, he had performed the ritual with himself—“The Fool that does not belong to this era”—as the target, then entered above the gray fog to respond.

Because this method could not easily mobilize the power of the mysterious space above the gray fog, Klein could only respond with his own spirituality. The resulting charm was worse than a normal one, but better than the sort made by the “in my own name” method. It was barely usable.

After once more examining the surroundings, Klein covered his mouth and softly recited an ancient Hermes word:

“Crimson.”

Feeling the charm instantly turn cold, he moved quickly but silently back to Zeriel’s bedroom door. Holding the handle in one hand, he poured spirituality into the thin silver sheet.

Creak. Klein cautiously turned the handle and quietly pushed the door open by a crack.

Immediately afterward, he threw the Slumber Charm inside.

Drawing back slightly, Klein closed the door again and began counting silently.

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One.”

He abruptly pushed the door open and rolled in place.

Because he sensed no movement from the three people, Klein stood and, by the crimson moonlight shining through the window, began examining the scene inside the room.

It was a normally arranged bedroom, containing a bed, a row of wardrobes, a desk, a set of small sofas, and a coat rack.

On the other side of the bed lay a man in a black coat. He was sleeping soundly and deeply.

In addition, beside the small sofa and in front of the wardrobe were two other people. Both had entered slumber.

After confirming the state of the three men, Klein made his movements light and walked to the head of the bed. Bending down, he found several short yellowish-brown hairs.

According to the contents Ian had written, Detective Zeriel was precisely a man with short yellowish-brown hair.

Should be right…

Klein murmured. Holding those fallen hairs, he walked to the small sofa and slowly sat down. In the dimness stained with a little crimson, he intended to use dream divination to find Zeriel.

Leaning back against the sofa, the corners of his mouth lifted. He mocked himself soundlessly:

“This is deduction…”