Commission

"So the Antigonus Family was destroyed by the Church..." Rubbing his temples, Klein slowly sat up from bed.

His spirituality-drained brain still throbbed faintly. Stretching his body, he reflected on the differences between the Gray Fog and the spirit world while recalling the intelligence he had obtained at the Tarot Club.

"Mystery Pryers can be corrupted by an evil god called the Hidden Sage..." As he pondered his lover's offhand words, Klein changed clothes and headed out, frowning. "And those eyes... Old Neil's reaction back then wasn't very natural either..."

The afternoon sun was somewhat dazzling. Klein put on his top hat and went outside. "I'll test him a little next time I see him... No, perhaps I'm overthinking it." After only a few steps, he suddenly remembered something and slapped his forehead in annoyance. "I forgot to ask them to collect Roselle's diaries!"

"Forget it, I'll tell them next time." Klein crossed the street with his cane, thinking about how to act as a Seer.

"There's no Seer by that name?" Aster, standing at the entrance to the Divination Club, wore an odd expression.

"That's right, sir. Among our club members, there is no Seer named Klein Moretti." Angelica Bairnhardt, the Divination Club receptionist, patiently answered his question.

No matter which page of the register he turned to, Klein's name was clearly nowhere to be found, leaving Aster somewhat confused.

That's strange... I remember that in the main storyline, Klein always did divinations at this Divination Club... So how am I supposed to find him? I don't even know where the guy lives... Or has he not joined the Divination Club yet?

After finishing this week's Tarot Club gathering, Aster was in no hurry to take Ghost Shark blood to Pritz Harbor to trade with the Hanged Man. In the game's storyline, Alger Wilson spent most of his time at sea, so Aster believed he probably would not have time to place the Whispering Sheep's horn at the exchange location anytime soon.

So rather than rushing off to Pritz Harbor, Aster chose to remain in Tingen City and investigate Townsend Neil and Lanevus first. To learn about the former, Klein Moretti, a fellow Nighthawk, was the best channel.

During the "Sequence War" 1.0 era, Klein Moretti appeared at the Divination Club every few days, and players could receive several long-term quests with decent rewards from him. Yet Klein had not joined the Divination Club at all at this point, immediately plunging Aster into thought.

That made sense. Klein was on the Seer Pathway. At this point in time, he probably had not yet become a Seer and had no need to act, so naturally he would not come here... Besides, low-ranking official Beyonders probably did not know about the acting method. He should really join the Divination Club around a month later... Sighing at his own impulsiveness and assumptions, Aster gave Angelica an apologetic smile. "Ah, it seems he hasn't joined yet."

"Mr. Melvin, is this Mr. Klein Moretti your friend?" Angelica asked curiously.

—Melvin was an alias Aster had made up on the spot.

"Ah, yes, he's my classmate." Aster tipped his hat to Angelica, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Actually, that fellow kept telling me he was preparing to join your Divination Club... I thought he had already joined, which was why I came looking for him."

It was a fairly reasonable explanation. Angelica did not press further and merely pointed at the list on the table. "I'm sorry, Mr. Melvin, but your friend has not joined our club yet. Perhaps you could leave your contact information? If Mr. Klein Moretti visits, then with his consent, we will inform you."

"No, no need." Aster theatrically spread one hand. "Madam, this is a prank—uh, I think joke would be more appropriate... Well, I had intended to surprise him—I only recently returned from Backlund."

"So, for the sake of a joke between friends, could you keep it confidential for me? I mean, keep confidential the fact that I came to ask about him after he joins this place."

Angelica fell silent for several seconds, then smiled as she accepted the two banknotes Aster handed over. "It's clear that the two of you must be very close."

Close? He doesn't even know me... Aster smiled but said nothing more, quickly turning and leaving.

There should still be several side quests at the Divination Club, but none were something he, only Sequence 8 at present, could take on.

Angelica was studying the extra money in her hand when she suddenly heard footsteps from the stairway. She swiftly put the money into her pocket and revealed a professional smile. "Sir, would you like a divination, or would you like to join our club?"

"What are the requirements for joining?" the refined young man asked.

"Well, filling out some information, paying the membership fee..." She gave the introduction with practiced ease. Seemingly noticing the young man's hesitation, Angelica struck while the iron was hot and promoted the club further:

"If you wish to learn divination, we also regularly invite a renowned Seer to answer questions and resolve difficulties."

"That sounds good. Then what if I want a divination?" He was silent for several seconds.

"Here is the register. You may choose a Seer from it... They set their own prices, and we only take a small fee from them... Oh, yes, you may fill out this visitor form. The number of clients is also an indicator of a Seer's skill."

Taking the visitor form, the man thought for a few seconds before filling in his own name in the name field.

"Klein Moretti."

"Sir, I must reiterate that we are law-abiding private detectives." Taking the documents handed over by the long-haired man opposite him, the private detective named Jack flipped through them while giving him a wary glance.

"As far as I know, most private detectives could easily be charged with both illegal firearm possession and illegally entering someone else's residence." Aster aimlessly surveyed Jack's rented apartment as he mocked him.

Jack fell silent and said nothing more. After quickly skimming the documents, he noticed several words that had been marked. "According to my usual rates, finding someone or investigating a matter costs three pounds... But I need to confirm something. The two targets you wish to investigate both possess unusually accurate intuition? They can even sense when others are watching them?"

"That's right." Aster lightly shook his leg. "But my requirements can be relaxed somewhat. I only need Townsend Neil's address... As for Lanevus, you must maintain greater secrecy. Hmm... The moment you find any trace of Lanevus, contact me immediately. He is extremely cunning and perceptive."

"Ten pounds." Stroking his chin, Jack named a rather steep price. "You can pay three pounds upfront as a deposit. After confirming Townsend Neil's address, pay another four pounds. Once we notify you that we've found Lanevus, you can pay the remaining balance."

"Fifteen pounds. I require you to find him as quickly as possible, without letting him discover you." Aster raised the price without hesitation. He did not really want these ordinary detectives searching for Lanevus, but he had no other option.

The Gravedigger's divination accuracy was not high. Without prerequisite conditions, success was simply impossible. Moreover, he had not watched the storyline, which meant Aster's knowledge of Lanevus was limited to two points: "Sequence 8 Swindler of the Marauder Pathway" and "illegally raising funds under the guise of an iron company."

With only himself and that little information, Aster simply could not effectively pinpoint Lanevus!

If Aster searched alone, Lanevus might have already succeeded and fled Tingen City while he was still running around like a headless fly, asking questions everywhere.

Therefore, he could only place his hopes on the largest detective agency in Tingen City.

The agency run by Detective Jack was the largest and relatively reliable one in Tingen City. In the game, players could take on many trivial quests from them. The rewards were meager, but there were plenty of them, and one could find a bit of every type of mission there. It was, in a sense, a mercenary guild.

Of course, without players working for free, it was a little difficult for Jack and the others to expand their business across all of Awwa County...

"No, sir, our agency will not accept prices beyond our capabilities." To Aster's surprise, Jack refused his higher offer. "The services our agency can provide are worth only ten pounds. It is a fair price."

"Your integrity is admirable." Turning the ring on his hand, Aster watched Jack retrieve two standard contracts. "But I must emphasize one point: you must remain sufficiently discreet. If Lanevus discovers you and leaves Tingen because of it, I will not pay anything."

"Please rest assured, my assistants and I are professionals." Jack took out a fountain pen and wrote something on the contracts, then pushed both copies toward Aster. "Once you sign the contract and pay the deposit, we will begin the investigation. If we obtain results, how should we notify you?"

"Hmm, let me think. Finding Townsend Neil's address should not be difficult. I'll come by once a week, and if you've found anything, you can tell me directly. As for Lanevus..." Aster thought for several seconds. "Go to the Evil Dragon Bar and find its owner. Tell him Lanevus's location directly, and I'll hurry over as soon as I receive the message."

He had become relatively familiar with Swain over the past few days. By relying on his knowledge of some of Swain's preferences from the game, Aster had quickly gained quite a bit of Swain's favor. Swain would still help with such a small favor.