Chapter 237: Splitting the Money

Chapter 237: Splitting the Money

Through a bestowment ritual, Klein delivered the 2,500 pounds in cash and the ancient golden mask provided by the Hanged Man to Miss Justice. Using the image of the World’s prayer, he also reminded her to complete the transaction as soon as possible.

In these two weeks, I’ve spent nearly 5,000 pounds. If I had never left Tingen, that money would have been enough to retire on, and I could have maintained my daily life at the standard of my landlady’s family… Dolls ruin lives; potions bankrupt three generations… Klein looked at the boundless mist and ancient palace, now restored to silence, and felt rather melancholy, as if he had lost something important.

After several seconds of calming himself, he returned to the real world, picked up the remaining 830 pounds in banknotes from his desk, and deliberately counted out six five-pound notes.

Then Klein placed that 30 pounds in cash into his completely flattened wallet and solemnly tucked it into the inner pocket of his clothes.

He folded the remaining 800 pounds into two stacks and placed one in each side pocket.

Immediately afterward, Klein pulled open a drawer and took two of the five strands of Deep-sea Naga hair he had already brought back to the real world. He wrapped them carefully, layer after layer, in paper, then cautiously placed them inside a hidden pocket of his clothes.

After doing all this, he picked up his hat and cane. Beneath the glow of the gas street lamps at night, he headed for the street corner, boarded a carriage, and went straight to Bravehearts Bar in the Backlund Bridge area.

In the lively, clamorous environment, Klein forced himself to finish the cup of Southville beer he had ordered. Only then did he leisurely pass through the rising waves of cheers for the boxers, leave the bar, and board a rental carriage.

Feeling the wheels roll, he deliberately closed his eyes. Immediately, he heard the sound of a window being lightly tapped beside his ear.

The muscles of Klein’s face moved faintly. He opened his eyes and looked ahead, seeing the pale-faced, delicate-featured Miss Sharron already sitting quietly opposite him.

Without waiting for the other party to ask, Klein smiled.

“I sold the information you gave me last time for a good price. The one about the Amon family mausoleum.”

Sharron did not speak. She simply looked straight at him in silence.

Klein rested his cane properly, took two stacks of cash and a small ball of paper from his pocket, and said with a soundless breath, “800 pounds plus two strands of Deep-sea Naga hair, for a total value of roughly 1,000 pounds. This is the share you deserve.”

Smiling, he handed over the cash and paper ball.

Sharron glanced at him and reached out to accept the two items.

She lowered her head, looked at what she held, and asked in an ethereal, illusory voice, “How much did you sell it for?”

“2,000 pounds. Half for each of us.” Klein chuckled softly.

If the Machinery Hivemind had followed the original plan and only given 1,500 pounds, I’d have had to owe part of it first… he thought with considerable relief.

Sharron’s bloodless palm flipped over, and both the cash and paper ball disappeared somewhere.

She raised her head and gave a simple “Mm,” then asked concisely, “What was inside the mausoleum?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t go.” Klein did not reveal the help provided by the magic mirror Arrodes.

In that instant, he felt that if he described that experience in detail, Miss Sharron would certainly prop her cheek with one hand like before and listen intently.

This Miss Wraith seems to enjoy watching stage plays and listening to all kinds of rumors… Klein summarized inwardly.

Sharron’s expression did not change. After several seconds of silence, she said, “Someone is digging a passage to the underground ruins.”

“Ah?” For a moment, Klein did not react to which matter she was talking about.

But very quickly, he understood what underground ruins meant in Sharron’s words.

There was only one set of underground ruins the two of them both knew about: the Fourth Epoch Tudor Dynasty ruins, inside which existed a terrifying evil spirit!

Someone is digging a passage, trying to enter that underground structure? Klein pondered for a few seconds, then inspiration suddenly flashed.

“That baronet or whatever?”

He had already forgotten the hidden Tudor descendant’s name. He only remembered that the man still possessed a baronet title and lived on Sivellaus Street, where the Backlund Police Department was located.

“Mm.” Sharron gave an affirmative reply.

“What is he trying to find? Does he not know there’s an evil spirit inside? Does he not know that previous Beyonders of his family all died in there?” Klein posed several questions as if muttering to himself.

Sharron sat there quietly and answered seriously, “I do not know whether he knows.”

“…How long until he digs through?” Klein asked after consideration.

“Two to three months. For now, he is alone,” Sharron gave her judgment.

Huff. Klein exhaled very slightly and said, “There is no need to rush. Once I have prepared properly, we can go ‘visit’ him together.”

At this point, he smiled and explained, “You know me. I like to make ample preparations in advance.”

Before advancing to Faceless, I will not get involved in anything else! he warned himself inwardly.

“All right.” Sharron did not ask what preparations he needed to make. Her figure swiftly faded and vanished from the carriage.

Klein leaned back against the carriage wall and suddenly felt light all over.

The materials for the Faceless potion have already been ordered. Now I only need to wait for “delivery”… My debts have all been repaid too, and there is nothing left to worry about… His mood was like settled sparkling wine, with the occasional silent bubble of joy rising upward.

The only bad thing is… Klein touched the left side of his chest, where his shriveled wallet lay.

He sighed and muttered soundlessly to himself, “Only 30 pounds in cash, five gold coins, and a few coins in change left…”

…

Thursday afternoon.

Audrey Hall waited inside her study for her teacher Islant to arrive.

After receiving the Hanged Man’s and the World’s replies, she had immediately sent a servant to deliver a letter to Islant.

The content of the letter was very ordinary. It merely said that she hoped this week’s second psychology lesson could be moved forward to Thursday. In reality, Audrey and Islant had long since agreed that if she expressed something similar, it meant the other party in the transaction had accepted the conditions.

Tick, tock. The wall clock moved cheerfully. Islant, whose long hair reached her waist, entered the room carrying several textbooks.

Audrey immediately gave Susie a look. The golden retriever reluctantly darted out, lying in a nearby shadow to observe the people coming and going.

Islant shut the study door, slowly scanned the room, then sat opposite Audrey at the small round white table and set down the textbooks.

“Are they paying with money, or with a mystical item?” this member of the Psychology Alchemists asked in a lowered voice.

“One is directly paying 2,500 pounds. The other is providing a mystical item.” Audrey’s voice was light as she took a pure white cardboard box from her medium-sized orange handbag. A spirituality wall covered its surface.

After releasing the spirituality wall, she opened the lid, allowing the ancient golden mask to appear.

She then described the mask’s flaws and effects faithfully, without omission.

Frankly speaking, when she had received this mystical item, she had been very curious and had wanted to try its effects. After all, this was the first mystical item she had truly come into contact with. In the end, however, she had restrained herself. She did not want to become cold.

“Its value is basically equivalent.” After trying it out briefly, Islant breathed out.

After a two-second pause, she pulled out the thickest textbook and opened it to page forty-eight.

The middle section of this textbook had been hollowed out, inside which lay a palm-sized iron box and a rolled sheet of parchment.

“The Human-skinned Shadow characteristic… The Wind-blessed potion formula…” Islant introduced while showing them.

Audrey’s gaze fell on the diamond-like characteristic and was made rather dizzy by the faces formed within by light and shadow.

This—this somewhat counters Spectator abilities… So this is Mr. World’s Sequence pathway? No wonder… Audrey looked away and examined the potion formula:

“Sequence 6, Wind-blessed. Main ingredients: six crystalline feathers of a Blue Shadow Falcon, a pair of Dragon-eyed Sea Eagle eyeballs…”

Before Audrey could examine the supplementary ingredients, Islant rolled the parchment back up in time.

Immediately afterward, she restored the spirituality wall around the iron box, closed the textbook, and pushed the heavy book toward Audrey.

Audrey pressed down on the book, but did not immediately hand the ancient golden mask and 2,500 pounds in cash to Islant.

Meeting the other party’s puzzled gaze, Audrey, prepared in advance, smiled lightly and said, “The other side is worried that the characteristic may not match, and fears that the formula might be fake, so they hope to verify first.

“Before the verification is complete, the money and item will remain in my care. They all believe I am very trustworthy, and I have no wish to lose that reputation.”

“I understand their concerns.” Islant paused, then said, “We trust you as well.”

In any case, the money and the item are both in the hands of one of our own members. With a clear conscience, she was not at all worried about being deceived.

Besides, Miss Audrey has both wealth and status. Since she is acting as guarantor, she is worthy of trust… Islant thought in relaxation.

…

Above the gray fog, inside the ancient palace.

Klein held his pendulum and divined the authenticity of the Wind-blessed potion formula.

He did not want to lose the Tarot Club’s most experienced and strongest member at present, Mr. Hanged Man, because of carelessness.

Opening his eyes and seeing the citrine pendant rotate clockwise, Klein let out a breath of relief and transmitted his thoughts to the crimson star symbolizing the Hanged Man.

…

The City of Generosity.

Alger first saw the boundless gray-white fog, then heard Mr. Fool’s low yet lofty voice:

“Miss Justice has completed the transaction.”

A sheet of illusory parchment immediately appeared before Alger’s eyes, upon which the Wind-blessed potion formula was written.

Since it had passed through Mr. Fool’s hands, he had no doubts about the formula’s authenticity. Bowing respectfully, he gave thanks.

After the “illusion” dispersed, he immediately found paper and pen and wrote down the potion formula.

Then, slightly agitated, he paced back and forth, muttering soundlessly to himself:

“Blue Shadow Falcon… That primitive island has them…”

…

After finishing the Hanged Man’s matter, Klein finally had time to inspect the Human-skinned Shadow characteristic that belonged to himself.

After confirming it was genuine, he relaxed back against his chair and happily exhaled.

“At last…”

Three seconds later, Klein abruptly sat up. Deciding that there was no time like the present, he resolved to concoct the Faceless potion tonight!