Saving Private Klein

Dunn and Klein remained at an impasse for a while. Only after a long silence did Dunn nod.

"I believe you."

"But don't write the letter just yet. Two Nighthawks will arrive in Tingen City tonight to support us and review your condition."

"One of them is the Church's 'Goddess's Sword,' His Excellency Crestet Cesimir, who wields a sacred relic of the Goddess."

At this point, a smile unconsciously appeared on Dunn's face.

"The other Nighthawk is the 'Spirit Medium' Daly Simone, whom you've met before. Daly will remain in Tingen City afterward to help us investigate the 'True Creator's Descent of God incident' mentioned in Mr. L's letter, while His Excellency Cecimir will primarily be responsible for your review."

Having brought up the subject, Dunn spoke again in a somber tone.

"Klein, if you really are hiding anything, I hope you'll tell me now. If the review uncovers a problem with you, you'll face judgment at the Cathedral..."

I am hiding things, but they're all things related to being a transmigrator that I can't talk about... Klein's heart grew heavy for a moment, but he still shook his head.

"I'm not hiding anything, Captain."

Dunn nodded, bringing the conversation to a close.

"Go about your usual work, Klein. Sealed Artifact 2-049 will arrive soon, and you'll need to take part in the mission."

"I understand." Klein nodded and left Dunn's office with a somewhat heavy heart.

Some time later, Klein boarded the carriage transporting 2-049 and headed with the Nighthawks to the hideout of Ray Bieber, a descendant of the Antigonus Family.

Near Riel's hideout, after a fierce battle, the Tuxedo Clown—a Secret Order Magician disguised as a Clown—fled in panic, while an extraordinarily piercing shriek rang out from the innermost warehouse.

Under their combined assault, the Antigonus Family Notebook was extracted from the body of Ray Bieber, who had lost control and become a monster. The box containing 2-049 also landed beside Klein, its surface covered in cracks.

As Klein looked at the brown arm reaching out of the box, the thought Oh no! had barely formed before his mind grew sluggish, as though glue had been poured into it.

Countless ideas for saving himself immediately surfaced in Klein's mind as his movements grew slower and slower. But soon, he remembered a way out.

That mysterious gray fog!

I can send my spirit above that gray fog and escape the puppet's control!

With great difficulty, Klein began taking four steps counterclockwise, reciting the four lines of the incantation that would take him Above the Gray Fog.

"The Immortal... Worthy of Heaven and Earth... for Blessings..."

"The Heavenly... Lord of Heaven and Earth... for Blessings..."

"...The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings..."

Nimrod's ears twitched slightly as a somewhat familiar voice sounded beside them. He had been sitting in his office, recalling Ince Zangwill's subsequent arrangements, but now he rose in puzzlement. A rather gleeful voice sounded beside him.

[Well, well, the "Fool who doesn't belong to this era" has been controlled by a "Marionettist"?]

...It was the Celestial Worthy's voice. No matter how Nimrod listened to it, those words sounded full of schadenfreude and snide mockery. He seemed to harbor considerable resentment toward Klein.

Nimrod rubbed his temples, sounding puzzled. "A Marionettist?"

-There's a Beyonder at the level of a Marionettist in Tingen?

No, there really is. That puppet from the Antigonus Family... Nimrod suddenly remembered where this "Marionettist" had come from. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he decided to lend a little support.

-After all, if I don't get there soon, Klein will figure out a solution himself.

By this point, Klein had already divined whether it would be safe for him to return to the real world. After receiving a definite answer, he let his spirit descend and returned to his body.

But the moment he returned, he saw a hand holding a jet-black cane sweep in from the very edge of his vision and shove his shoulder!

Klein's eyes widened at once. He had just tried to look at the person who had saved him when the world spun around him, and he fell to the ground.

Hey, wait... The moment Klein landed on the ground, he used the momentum to scramble back up and pressed a hand to his pistol.

The most important thing now was to assess his surroundings, find out who had helped him, and determine the current state of that Antigonus Family puppet!

Klein's vision was still a little blurry, but he quickly recovered and scanned his surroundings inch by inch.

He saw Dunn Smith, Al Hassen, and the other Nighthawks lying on the ground. He saw Leonard in the distance, his face filled with fear, and the Tuxedo Clown standing not far away, facing off against a familiar figure.

He's... Klein's pupils immediately contracted. He had recognized the newcomer.

"Nimrod?"

"Whoa, don't go exposing my identity." Nimrod teased Klein while silently sliding a jet-black cane toward the Tuxedo Clown's head.

"I came to save you, and this is how you thank me?"

"...There's no need for us to fight!" Facing Nimrod, the Tuxedo Clown swiftly dodged backward, contorting himself into poses that could only be called inhuman. As he dodged, he shouted to everyone around them.

"I know you! You're Mr. L of the Aurora Order! I won't interfere with your plans. I only need to retrieve this notebook!"

The Tuxedo Clown was a member of the Secret Order. He wanted the Nighthawks around him to realize that the person who had come to "rescue" them was not actually a friend, hoping they would risk everything and come to his aid.

From what he knew, the Aurora Order's reputation among the orthodox Churches was utterly vicious!

He had just divined certain things, but he couldn't be sure whether the Nighthawks around him were truly unconscious or whether it was safe.

But now that the Aurora Order Oracle described in his information had appeared before his eyes, he seemed to understand where the danger revealed by his divination had come from.

Unless this Aurora Order Oracle had been hiding here from the very beginning, the Tuxedo Clown could scarcely imagine how he had arrived so quickly!

After all, the Antigonus Family Notebook had passed through the Aurora Order's hands.

However, Nimrod paid no attention to the Tuxedo Clown's words. He merely gave Klein a faint smile. Under the Tuxedo Clown's wary gaze, his figure suddenly warped, then vanished into the air entirely.