Chapter 225: Invitation

Chapter 225: Invitation

“The royal family…” Klein held the letter Isengard Stanton had sent someone to deliver and muttered soundlessly to himself.

He raised his head and saw the drizzle outside the window falling with a soft patter, while the gas street lamps gave off ring after ring of quiet halos.

Inside the living room, the coffee table was neat and tidy. Several stacks of newspapers lay in one corner, and not the slightest sound could be heard around him.

Klein sat on the sofa, body leaning slightly forward, and remained silent for a long time.

Nearly ten minutes later, he exhaled a turbid breath, shook his head, and slowly, heavily tossed the letter in his hand into the trash bin.

He rose at a measured pace and, expressionless, walked toward the second floor.

Inside the trash bin, however, the letter from Isengard Stanton silently caught fire. It quickly curled up, turning into blackened ash.

…

Monday morning.

Klein stood before the washstand mirror and pressed his thumbs and middle fingers to his temples, rubbing them with slight force.

After doing this, he turned on the tap, bent down, cupped cold running water, and splashed it onto his face. Amid a shiver, he finished washing.

Now refreshed again, he hung up the towel and headed downstairs, where he simply prepared a sunny-side-up egg with buttered toast.

Of course, a cup of black tea with a few slices of lemon both quenched thirst and cut through grease.

After breakfast, as he was leisurely flipping through the remaining newspapers, Klein suddenly heard the doorbell ring with a ding-ding-dang-dang.

“Who is it? A new commission? Has the Machinery Hivemind finished exploring the Amon family mausoleum already? No, it can’t be that fast…” Klein muttered in confusion. He put down his napkin and newspaper and slowly walked toward the front door.

The moment he gripped the handle, the appearance of the visitor outside naturally surfaced in his mind.

It was a middle-aged-to-elderly gentleman dressed with meticulous precision. His shirt was snow-white and crisp, while his thick gray-blue waistcoat perfectly held in his stomach. The lines of his long-tailed formal coat were clean and distinct, without the slightest flaw.

The gentleman wore a pair of polished leather shoes, on which no trace of rain or mud could be seen.

He wore white knitted gloves. A few silver strands were mixed into the hair at his temples. Deep nasolabial folds marked his face, and his pale-brown eyes were so serious that they contained not a trace of a smile.

I don’t know him… Klein muttered inwardly, then opened the door.

“May I ask whom you are looking for?” he asked politely.

The middle-aged-to-elderly gentleman removed his hat, pressed it against his chest, and bowed with the most standard posture possible.

“I am a butler. I have come on behalf of my master to invite you, Mr. Sherlock Moriarty.”

“Do I know your master? What matter does he wish to see me about?” Klein was almost completely bewildered.

At that moment, however, he noticed a carriage parked across the cement road. Its exterior was deep black and heavy, and curtains were fitted inside the windows. At one glance, it was clearly no ordinary carriage.

Luxury hidden within restraint… Klein narrowed his eyes and suddenly noticed a crest in a prominent position on the carriage.

The main body of the crest was a sword pointing straight downward. At the sword’s hilt was a red crown.

This… the “Sword of Judgment”… the “Sword of Judgment” that represents the royal Augustus family! Klein’s heart tightened, and he roughly understood the butler’s origin.

Perhaps he is also a relatively powerful Beyonder… Klein made a guess inwardly.

The professional, rigorous butler paid no attention to his scrutiny. Showing a courteous smile, he said, “You have not met my master, but you may be said to know him. You have continuously provided him with clues regarding the organization symbolized by tarot cards, and he has paid the money you required.”

As expected, it is the important person Talim once mentioned. I’ve been using plausible false intelligence to trick him into funding expenses, even transferring the costs that Old Kohler needed reimbursed onto him… Now it won’t be easy to refuse this invitation, especially since Talim is dead… Klein pondered for two seconds, then said, “Is your master inviting me because of Talim’s death?”

“Yes. Talim was his friend. He is saddened and puzzled by his death. And he has heard that you were present at the scene,” the old butler said with clear enunciation.

No, I wasn’t… Klein instinctively wanted to deny it, but in the end he could only nod.

“Yes. I watched Talim die before me.”

“Truly a sorrowful and regrettable thing,” the old butler said sincerely. “Are you willing to accept my master’s invitation?”

Do I even have a reason to refuse? That would look extremely suspicious! And perhaps you would kill me on the spot… Klein looked at the other man and said, “I happen to have nothing to do this morning.”

“Very well, Mr. Moriarty. Please.” The old butler bent slightly at the waist and extended his right palm, clad in a white glove, toward the carriage across the cement road.

Sigh. I have always tried to avoid contact with important people, yet because of Talim’s death, I still have to face the one standing behind him… I don’t know whether this will draw attention to me or trigger a deeper background investigation… I need to make a contingency plan in advance and be ready at any moment to abandon this stronghold and this identity… Also, I must obtain the Human-skinned Shadow’s characteristic and the Deep-sea Naga’s hair as quickly as possible and advance to Faceless! Once that happens, my ability to withstand risk will do far more than double! Klein put on his coat, wore his hat, and walked toward the carriage bearing the royal crest. By then, he had already thought through several follow-up matters.

At that moment, a servant accompanying the old butler opened the carriage door for him.

Stepping onto the thick brownish-yellow carpet, looking at the wooden cabinet that held red wine, white wine, champagne, Lanti, and Highland, as well as one polished crystal cup after another, Klein felt somewhat constrained for a moment and found a window seat.

—Lanti referred to strong distilled liquor brewed from pure malt. There were many varieties, such as the “Strong Lanti” sailors loved most. The bottles in the cabinet were clearly high-end goods. Highland, meanwhile, referred to strong distilled liquor fermented with other grains mixed in. Like Lanti, it was one of Loen’s specialties.

Watching the carriage pass through the wet streets, Klein casually asked, “Are we going to Queen Borough?”

“No. My master is waiting for you at Red Rose Manor in the outskirts of Queen Borough,” the old butler answered without concealment.

It seems to be a royal manor… Klein thought for a moment and asked with a smile, “May I know your master’s identity now?”

The old butler’s already straight back grew even straighter, and his chin lifted slightly.

“He is a descendant of the ‘Founder’ and the ‘Protector.’ He is a child of the ‘Strong One.’ He is the fifth child of His Majesty the King, the Earl of Rustin, His Highness Prince Edessak Augustus.”

So it’s the third prince, the second-youngest prince. But he should already be twenty-one or twenty-two… Klein recalled things he had heard at the Krag Club, as well as the occasional descriptions that appeared in newspapers and magazines.

The carriage traveled through one street after another, detouring around the district with the artificial lake toward the northwest. After more than an hour, it finally arrived at an extremely vast manor.

At the manor entrance, Klein was inspected by two soldiers wearing white trousers and red military uniforms. He did not conceal the existence of the shoulder holster and revolver beneath his arm.

He believed someone around Prince Edessak could certainly tell that he was carrying a firearm. Trying to fool them with illusions might easily backfire.

In any case, the prince knows I am a private detective. His subordinates will surely not have a guest hauled to the police station just because I am illegally carrying a gun… Klein watched the soldiers take away his holster and revolver, and was told he could collect them on his way out.

After two more layers of inspection, Klein followed the old butler around the main house and arrived at a wide area with hills and streams.

The only shortcoming was that, because of deep winter, the grass and trees had already withered, leaving everything desolate.

Clop, clop, clop. Several horses galloped over from the distance and stopped ahead.

A young man in white trousers, tall black riding boots, a fitted shirt, and a dark riding jacket dismounted nimbly and walked over. The others followed closely around him.

He removed the helmet-like hat that protected his head and smiled at Klein.

“At last, I meet you, Detective Moriarty.”

The instant Klein saw him, his eyes brightened. It was not because the man was exceptionally handsome, but because he greatly resembled Henry Augustus I, whose portrait was printed on the five-pound note.

Edessak Augustus similarly had a rounded face and a pair of narrow eyes, but he was not serious in the least. Instead, a smile always lingered upon his face, making him seem young and spirited.

“I did not know before that the person commissioning me was Your Highness,” Klein said, bowing.

Edessak held a riding crop and lightly tapped it against his palm, laughing.

“I heard of the important role you played in the serial killer case and the Apostle of Desire case. Talim’s recommendation was indeed sound. Sigh. Who could have thought that he, who had still been racing horses with me only a few days ago, would leave this world just like that and depart for the kingdom of storm and lightning?”

From the founding of the kingdom, the Augustus family had always believed in the Lord of Storms.

Without waiting for Klein to respond, he lowered his expression and said, “The investigation into Talim’s death did not go through me, Mr. Moriarty. I hope you will help me find the truth.”

A conclusion given by other members of the royal family? Your two older brothers? You are bringing this level of infighting out right from the start. I cannot withstand that… Also, Your Highness, your style is truly direct… Klein sighed.

“Although it pains me, I must still say that Talim died from sudden heart disease.”

“Is that so? The Mandated Punishers sent word that a great detective named Sherlock Moriarty identified traces of a curse on Talim’s body,” Prince Edessak said with a light laugh.

Klein could only respond with a bitter smile.

“Your Highness, you should know my principles. I still wish to live another fifty years.”

“Was Talim not your friend?” Prince Edessak immediately asked back.

Just as Klein did not know how to answer, a maid came over from the main house, quickly approaching the prince and whispering a few words.

Edessak’s expression instantly grew stern.

“Tell her she cannot go out!”

After speaking, he paced two steps. The severity on his face softened, and in his blue eyes appeared traces of gentleness and helplessness.

“But I will allow her to leave her room and walk freely within the manor.”