After signing the contract with Miller Carter and receiving a £10 advance payment, Klein did not rush to Williams Street, but instead arranged to meet at four o'clock in the afternoon.
Miller understood this perfectly; in his view, the lone Detective Sherlock Moriarty would definitely need to recruit others to carry out her investigation.
Once the old-fashioned gentleman left, Klein immediately returned to the table and cut and ate the now-cold steak.
Honestly, doesn't he need to eat lunch? Why does he have to come at this time... After barely managing to fill his stomach, Klein began to pack up with a heavy heart.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, Mrs. Mary arrived as scheduled, her eyes slightly red and swollen, but her face growing increasingly gloomy, forcing her companion, Starling Summer, to remain silent.
Klein placed the carefully selected photograph in an envelope and handed it over.
"Ma'am, could you please confirm this?"
Mary hesitated for two seconds, took a slow breath, and then took the envelope, pulled out the photo, and examined it carefully.
"... Very good, excellent. You are the most efficient and responsible Detective I have ever met. I am honored to introduce you to the members of the Cragg Club... Here is the remaining £7, which you deserve." Mary took out a wallet from her leather handbag and counted out a £5 note and two £1 notes.
Without waiting for Klein's response, she stuffed the photo into the envelope, put it in her handbag, and abruptly got up and left.
Her buttonless leather boots made a rapid thumping sound, and Starling Summer struggled to keep up.
As Mary Door Opening to go out, she suddenly tripped and almost fell, but luckily, Starling caught her.
After this incident, Mary noticeably slowed her movements and seemed to have calmed down.
"Madam, you forgot your portable camera... I'll give it to Summer. Summer later and have her bring it to you..." Klein watched the scene, shook his head slightly, and said nothing.
He went back upstairs, took a nap, and woke up comfortably to the punctual chimes of the nearby church bells.
Klein had already looked at the map and confirmed that Williams Street was located at the intersection of the West Borough and Queens Borough, in the heart of Backlund and a desirable place to live.
A decent house in the West Borough and Hillston Borough costs around £2,500. Miller Carter's house is near the Queens Borough and is the property of a former Viscount, so it must be quite large. Buying the whole house would cost at least £3,500, possibly even £5,000, which could buy a very good magical item... He came to visit me without a butler or servants. Is it because he's new to Backlund and things aren't quite set in yet? Klein put on his double-breasted long suit, hat, and cane, and went out into Minsk Street.
At this time, the gas streetlights were not yet lit, and the streets were even more gloomy than in the evening, but the air was still acceptable, not as pungent as in the districts to the east.
After taking a horse-drawn carriage, Klein arrived at Williams Street and saw the waiting manservant outside the house at number 8.
The male servant, dressed in a red vest and light-colored trousers, bowed respectfully to the guest.
Good afternoon, are you Detective Moriarty?
"Yes, I have an appointment with Mr. Carter." Klein nodded slightly and followed the valet into the mansion, which had a lawn in front and a garden on the side.
The house has two floors. The first floor is quite messy, with a lot of building materials on it, and workers are coming and going, carrying out renovations.
Miller Carter, without a top hat and covering his nose, came to greet us:
"I'm so sorry, it's too messy and dirty here, but I hope everything will be alright before my family arrives in Backlund. I can only urge them to keep working."
After speaking, he looked at the male servant and gave an order:
"Keep watching them."
No wonder I didn't bring any servants before; they all ended up acting as overseers... Klein chuckled.
"I know many Doctor, and they told me that newly renovated houses are not suitable for immediate occupancy. At least three months of ventilation is necessary; otherwise, elderly people and children who are not physically strong are prone to illness."
"Really?" Miller asked doubtfully as he led Klein toward the basement.
"I haven't verified it, but I choose to believe the Authority; it's said to originate from the words of Emperor Roselle," Klein casually made up.
Miller nodded, then glanced back at the doorway, and couldn't help but frown as he asked:
" Detective, you didn't bring an assistant?"
"There might be considerable danger lurking inside that building."
"I have an assistant, you just can't see him..." Klein thought to himself, then said seriously:
"This is the first exploration, I will proceed very cautiously, and will retreat immediately if any problems arise."
"I have extensive experience in this area and will not put myself in dangerous situations. However, working with an inexperienced assistant may make me less flexible and decisive in my actions."
Miller paused for a moment and said:
"You're very professional."
"Professional con artist... "Klein muttered to himself.
Miller no longer suspected anything and led Detective Moriarty through the messy living room and down the stairs into a rather spacious basement.
There were no gas pipes here, but four metal candlesticks were embedded in the wall, casting a dim, flickering light.
Stepping on the stone slabs, Klein couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
As expected of a noble's property, even the basement has been "luxuriously renovated," and it's almost as big as the living room in my current house...
At this moment, Miller pointed to the front and said:
"There's a secret door there; the workers discovered it during renovations."
Klein stared intently, and by the dim candlelight, he saw a gray-white stone door in the corner. It should have blended seamlessly into the wall, but now it was exposed.
"The rest is up to you. Be careful." The old-fashioned gentleman Miller handed Klein a lit lantern and gave him this advice.
"Did you check the wind beforehand?" Klein asked cautiously.
Miller shook his head almost imperceptibly and said:
"It wasn't particularly stuffy inside, but I didn't let the workers go too far."
"Okay." Klein checked his belongings, put on a black glove, and under Miller's gaze, slowly carried the lantern, approached the stone door, and pushed it open with his cane.
Amidst the slightly heavy creaking sound, he followed the light from this side and saw a passageway paved with dark stone slabs.
There are several wooden doors on both sides and at the end of the passageway. They show signs of decay, but are still barely usable.
Not too old... but the flamboyant style of the door and the deep, heavy stone slabs don't quite match... which Viscount family changed hands before? Klein quietly activated his Spirit Vision, gripped his cane, carried the lantern, and walked forward step by step.
The light dispelled the darkness, and as he passed the rooms on either side, he could see through the open doors the somewhat empty interiors, including benches and tables that matched the style of the doors, thanks to the fact that the workers Miller had hired had not explored them thoroughly.
There was no flash of inspiration... Klein briefly inspected the area, then continued forward without pausing, until he reached the black double stone door at the end.
Extending his gloved right hand, he half-clamped his cane and slowly pushed the door open.
A teeth-grinding scraping sound began to echo, and a crack gradually appeared in the stone door. Suddenly, a glimmer of light appeared in Klein's eyes, reflecting countless intertwined and intersecting aura colors.
His heart tightened, and he pushed the door open with all his might, then took a few steps back.
The crack in the stone door widened rapidly, and a piece of black, slippery creature suddenly fell from above.
It was a long snake with a triangular head and red markings!
It straightened its upper body, flicked its tongue, and looked at Klein with its cold, brownish-yellow eyes.
Thud, thud, thud—one snake after another fell from the door and piled up at the entrance.
Beyond them, Klein saw a large hall inside. In the center of the hall, countless snakes of various colors wriggled and huddled together, forming an exaggerated snake den about ten meters long and wide. A slimy and disgusting feeling washed over him.
Klein's scalp tingled instantly, and he couldn't help but take two steps back, even wanting to look away, unable to look directly at her.
Although he was a man, he was still afraid of snakes; snakes were the animal he feared most.
This stems from a psychological trauma he carried when he was a child. Instead of sleeping, he would sneak open his bedroom door and watch movies with his parents through the crack.
Unfortunately, his parents once watched a movie about snakes, and there was a scene where they were demolishing a building and they dug up a huge nest of snakes. The dense, wriggling snakes are still vividly etched in his memory.
"Can the ' Sleeping Charm ' affect so many snakes?" Klein swallowed hard and said to the air.
What's your idea?
The bodyguard in a black gothic dress quickly appeared beside him, her lips tightly pressed together, saying nothing.
Klein glanced at her, and she glanced at Klein; neither of them spoke.
When the snake slowly slithered away, Klein finally coughed and repeated:
What's your idea?
The bodyguard didn't answer; instead, Levitation up, and a sudden, chilly wind swept through the passageway.
Ugh!
The wind howled, blowing into the hall, causing the temperature to drop rapidly as it approached the outside.
Ugh!
The dense swarm of snakes in the center of the hall suddenly scattered, wandering in all directions, searching for a warmer and more suitable place to live.
Two or three minutes later, a thin layer of frost formed on the surface of the hall and passageway, and the countless snakes had disappeared without a trace.
Ugh!
The wind hadn't died down yet, and Klein shivered as he said:
"Almost there, that's about it."
The raging cold wind subsided, but the chilling feeling did not lessen, and the bodyguard's figure disappeared into the air.
Klein raised his right hand holding the cane, covered his mouth and nose, sneezed, then raised the lantern, carefully passed through the stone door, and entered the spacious hall.
The style here is consistent with the outside passageway, mainly consisting of dark black stone slabs, with eight round pillars of the same color standing tall.
Metal rods hung from the high dome, their bases adorned with candlesticks carved into various creatures.
An upside-down candlestick... As a history major, and someone who could barely be considered an elite in the field, Klein made a preliminary judgment based on this unique arrangement:
Quaternary architecture?
P. S.: Both chapters are being posted today.