On the outskirts of Backlund, where Wilde Street met White Cliff Town.
Following the clues provided in the forged letter, Klein arrived at this rather remote location.
In that letter, "Lorne Dysenk" had mentioned hiding near White Cliff Town for a while.
If he wanted to hide again, somewhere familiar that he had visited before would undoubtedly be the best choice.
Inside a cheap-looking café.
A middle-aged man in shabby work clothes, his temples already graying, was desperately stuffing bread and toast into his mouth.
"Gulp-"
The man choked on the bread and hurriedly gulped down some hot soup. It scalded him badly enough to make him grimace, but he swallowed it anyway.
"Ahh-"
Looks like... he really was hungry. Sitting opposite him, Klein sighed inwardly as he watched the man wolf down his food.
"Ha-haven't eaten my fill like this in ages." The middle-aged man raised his head. "Sir, in return for this meal, ask me anything you like. I'm always around here, so I know pretty much everything that happens nearby."
Klein nodded. As a detective who had already gotten his footing in the profession, he knew very well which people were more likely to provide information.
"Have any unfamiliar faces appeared around here recently?"
"Unfamiliar faces?" The middle-aged man thought for a moment. "A few, yes. But they were mostly travelers-"
"Travelers..." After pondering for a few seconds, Klein took a sketch of Lorne, reproduced through Ritual Magic, out of his coat and handed it to the man.
"Have you seen this person?"
"This person..." The middle-aged man took the sketch and studied it carefully, sinking into prolonged thought.
Just as Klein was beginning to think this inquiry would prove fruitless as well, the middle-aged man suddenly looked up.
"I think... yesterday, I saw someone wearing a