Chapter 46: The Underground Structure

Chapter Forty-Six
The Underground Structure

After signing the contract with Miller Carter and receiving an advance payment of ten pounds, Klein did not hurry to Williams Street. Instead, he arranged the time for four in the afternoon.

Miller was very understanding of this. In his eyes, Detective Sherlock Moriarty, acting alone, surely needed to recruit some manpower before beginning the exploration.

Once the old-fashioned gentleman left, Klein immediately returned to the dining table and cut the already cold steak, stuffing it into his stomach.

Honestly, does he not need lunch? Did he have to choose this exact time to come over…

Having barely filled his stomach, Klein rather miserably began tidying up.

At two in the afternoon, Madam Mary visited at the agreed time. Her eyes were slightly swollen, but her face had grown even more gloomy. Even Stelyn Sammer, accompanying her, had no choice but to keep silent.

Klein placed the carefully selected photograph into an envelope and handed it over.

“Madam, please confirm it.”

Mary froze for two seconds. Then she slowly inhaled, accepted the envelope, took out the photograph, and examined it carefully.

“…Very good. Extremely good. You are the most efficient and responsible detective I have ever seen. I am honored to have introduced you to the members of Cragg Club… This is the remaining seven pounds. You deserve it.”

Mary took a wallet from her leather handbag and counted out one five-pound note and two one-pound notes.

Then, without waiting for Klein’s response, she stuffed the photograph back into the envelope, placed it in her handbag, and abruptly rose to leave.

Thud, thud, thud. Her buttonless leather boots made hurried sounds, and Stelyn Sammer had to work hard to keep up with her.

When she opened the door and went out, Mary suddenly tripped and almost fell. Fortunately, Stelyn happened to support her.

Because of that little interruption, Mary clearly slowed her movements, seeming to have become calmer.

Madam, you forgot to take the portable camera… I will give it to Madam Sammer later and let her bring it to you…

Klein silently watched the scene and slightly shook his head, saying nothing.

He returned to the second floor and took an afternoon nap. He woke comfortably amid the punctual chimes of a nearby church bell.

Klein had already looked through the map earlier and confirmed that Williams Street lay at the border of the West Borough and Queen’s Borough. It was a suitable residential area in the core of Backlund.

A decent house in the West Borough or Hillston Borough costs around 2,500 pounds. Miller Carter’s house is close to Queen’s Borough, and it was once a former viscount’s property. Its area definitely will not be small. To buy the whole thing must cost at least 3,500 pounds, and may even reach 5,000 pounds. That could already be exchanged for a rather good mystical item… He came to visit me, yet did not bring a butler or attendant. Is it because he has just arrived in Backlund and everything has not yet entered the proper track?

Klein put on a double-breasted frock coat, adjusted his hat, picked up his cane, and went out onto Minsk Street.

At that time, the gas streetlamps had not yet been lit, and the street was actually gloomier than it would be at dusk. Still, the air was acceptable. It was not as choking as in the several boroughs to the east.

Taking a rental carriage all the way to Williams Street, Klein saw a waiting male servant outside house number 8.

The servant wore a red waistcoat and light-colored trousers. He bowed respectfully to the visitor.

“Good afternoon. Are you Detective Moriarty?”

“Yes. I arranged a time with Mr. Carter.”

Klein nodded lightly and followed the male servant into the mansion, which had a lawn in front and a garden to the side.

The house had two floors. The first floor was rather messy, with a great deal of building material piled around. Workers came and went, carrying out renovations.

Miller Carter was not wearing a top hat. Covering his nose, he came forward to meet Klein.

“I am terribly sorry. This place is too messy and dirty, but I hope that before my family arrives in Backlund, everything can become beautiful. I can only urge them to keep working.”

After speaking, he looked toward the servant and gave an instruction: “Continue watching them.”

No wonder he did not bring servants earlier. His servants have all become supervisors…

Klein smiled and said, “I know many doctors. They tell me that a newly renovated house is not suitable for immediate residence. At the very least, it should be aired out for three months. Otherwise, elderly people and children whose bodies are not strong enough can easily become ill.”

“Is that so?”

Miller led Klein toward the basement while asking in confusion.

“I have not verified it, but I choose to believe authority. It is said that this originated from a saying passed down by Emperor Roselle,” Klein casually fabricated.

Miller nodded, then looked back toward the doorway and could not help frowning.

“Detective, you did not bring assistants?”

“That structure may hide no small amount of danger.”

I do have an assistant. You simply cannot see her…

Klein lampooned inwardly, then said with a serious expression, “This is the first exploration. I will proceed very cautiously. If there is any problem, I will retreat immediately.

“In this regard, I have abundant experience and will not let myself fall into a dangerous situation. Assistants with whom I am not well-practiced might instead make my movements less flexible and less decisive.”

Miller froze for a moment.

“You are very professional.”

Professional at fooling people…

Klein silently added.

Miller no longer doubted anything. He led Detective Moriarty through the chaotic living room and down the descending staircase into a rather spacious basement.

There were no gas pipes here, but four metal candleholders were embedded in the wall. The dim-yellow light wavered unsteadily.

Stepping across the stone slabs on the ground, Klein could not help sighing inwardly.

As expected of noble property. Even the basement has been “finely decorated,” and it is about as large as the living room of my current home…

At that moment, Miller pointed ahead.

“There is a hidden door there. The workers discovered it during renovation.”

Klein focused his gaze there. With the help of the not very bright candlelight, he saw a gray-white stone door in the corner. Originally, it should have formed a whole with the wall, but now it had been exposed.

“I will leave the rest to you. Be careful.”

The old-fashioned gentleman Miller gave Klein a lit hurricane lamp and offered one reminder.

“Has it been ventilated in advance?” Klein asked cautiously.

Miller shook his head almost imperceptibly.

“It is not especially stuffy inside, but I did not let the workers go too far.”

“All right.”

Klein checked the items he carried, put on a single black glove, and under Miller’s gaze, unhurriedly held the hurricane lamp, approached the stone door, tucked his cane under his arm, and pushed it open.

Amid a slightly heavy grinding sound, with the help of the light from this side, he saw a corridor paved with dark stone slabs.

On both sides and at the end of the corridor were several wooden doors. They already showed signs of decay, but could barely still be used.

Not especially ancient… But the doors’ extravagant style does not quite fit with the deep, weighty stone slabs… Was it replaced by the former viscount’s family?

Klein quietly activated spirit vision, gripped his cane tightly, held the hurricane lamp, and advanced step by step.

Light drove back darkness. When passing the rooms on both sides, since the workers Miller had hired had not explored deeply, he could see through the open doors the slightly empty scenes inside, as well as long benches and tables in a style fairly consistent with the doors.

No spiritual light flickering…

After a brief inspection, Klein continued forward without pause until he arrived before the black double stone door at the end.

He stretched out his gloved right hand, half tucking the cane under his arm, and slowly exerted strength, pushing the door.

An ear-aching scraping sound began echoing. The stone door gradually opened a crack. Suddenly, specks of spiritual light surfaced in Klein’s eyes, reflecting countless intertwined aura colors.

His heart tightened. He abruptly pushed with force, then retreated several steps.

The crack of the stone door widened swiftly, and a black, slippery creature abruptly fell from above.

It was a long snake with a triangular head and red patterns!

It straightened its upper body, flicked its tongue, and looked at Klein with cold brownish-yellow eyes.

Pa, pa, pa. One snake after another dropped from the door, piling up at the entrance.

Beyond them, Klein saw a hall. In the center of the hall were countless snakes of every color, writhing, tangled, and huddling together. They formed an exaggerated snake nest more than ten meters wide and long. The slippery, disgusting sensation rushed straight at him.

Klein’s scalp instantly tingled. He could not help taking another two steps back. He even wanted to avert his eyes and avoid looking directly.

Although he was a man, he was still afraid of snakes. The animal he feared most was snakes.

This came from a psychological shadow. When he was still a child, he had liked secretly pushing open his bedroom door instead of sleeping, peeking through the crack to watch movies with his parents.

Unfortunately, one time his parents had been watching a disaster film about snakes. In one scene, a building was demolished, only for the workers to dig out a huge nest of snakes. The densely packed writhing had remained deeply imprinted in his mind to this day.

Can Slumber Charms affect this many snakes?

Klein swallowed with difficulty and said to the air, “Do you have any method?”

Miss Bodyguard, wearing her black Gothic court dress, swiftly appeared at his side. Her lips were pressed tightly together, and she said nothing.

Klein looked at her. She looked at Klein. Neither spoke.

After a snake slowly began to crawl outward, Klein finally coughed and repeated, “Do you have any method?”

Miss Bodyguard did not answer. She floated upward, and a frigid wind abruptly blew through the corridor.

Woo!

The wind howled, sweeping into the hall, and the temperature inside rapidly dropped toward that of the outside world.

Woo!

The densely packed snakes at the center of the hall suddenly scattered in all directions, searching for warmer, more suitable places to live.

Two or three minutes later, the surface of the hall and corridor had formed a thin layer of frost. The countless snakes had vanished, having crawled off somewhere unknown.

Woo!

The wind still had not stopped. Shivering, Klein said, “That—that is enough.”

The surging cold wind slowed, but the chill did not fade. Miss Bodyguard’s figure disappeared from midair.