In the dim, crimson Moonlight, Klein threw back the covers and got up.
For a Seer, paying attention to dreams is a fundamental skill, and the dream just now could not be explained as a simple nightmare.
He was dressed in fairly comfortable clothes, walked up to the full-length mirror, and said in a low voice:
"I dreamt of the blood-stained door in that room."
The bodyguard's silhouette slowly appeared in the mirror, and she replied expressionlessly:
"The influence of Evil Spirit spirits."
"This will gradually weaken until it disappears."
I see... Klein nodded slightly, returned to the bedside, picked up the gold-cased pocket watch, and glanced at it.
Seeing that it was still early, he lay down to sleep again. This time, his dream was fragmented, and he didn't experience the same thing again.
The next day, Sunday morning, Klein, feeling refreshed, made himself a soft-boiled egg to eat with bread spread with butter.
In the Kingdom of Loen, or rather, in all the countries of the Northern Continent, reading the newspaper at breakfast is a must for gentlemen, and Klein is no exception, unfolding his subscriptions to the " Tussock Times," the " Backlund Post," and the " Backlund Morning Post."
"The Government Employee Unified Examination Bill has been officially passed in the Senate. The first exam will be held in early December, the second round in late January next year, and the final interview will be held two weeks later... Within a week, the government will announce the positions and requirements for this exam and begin the registration process... Reporters speculate that most of this will take place in Backlund..." Klein scanned the contents line by line, picked up his cup, and took a sip of Siberian black tea.
He couldn't help but think of Benson, and muttered to himself:
"The bill was passed at the end of September, the positions were announced in early October, registration was completed in early November, and the exams began in early December... The schedule was very tight and unreasonable, which shows the urgency of the King and the Prime Minister."
"But this is very advantageous for Benson. He started preparing more than two months earlier than others. Even if he can't compare to those college-graduate elites, he can definitely outperform most of the others, and the positions those elites are seeking won't overlap with his."
"He should be fine..."
Klein wanted to tap four times on his chest to draw a Crimson Moon and say, "May the goddess protect me," but then he remembered that his bodyguard was nearby, so he forcibly suppressed the impulse. After all, his professed faith was in the God of Steam and Machinery.
After finishing the last bite of bread, he continued reading the newspaper.
Both houses of parliament have passed a bill to establish the ' Kingdom Atmospheric Pollution Investigation Commission,' allowing the government to form this agency... The next month will be a crucial period for all parties vying for committee positions...
"... A separate position for the alkali industry inspector was approved, targeting plants that produce acids and alkalis to minimize their pollution levels."
"... The fifth edition doesn't have any advertisements for Ernst Firm buying goods, so there's no need to worry about attending the Beyonder Gathering tomorrow night..."
2 Daffodil Street, Tingen City.
Benson kept silently reading the news article in the newspaper, completely forgetting the bread on his plate.
" The Unified Examination Bill has passed?" Melissa, dressed in a long black dress, turned her head to look at her brother, who was behaving strangely.
The newspapers in the preceding days had been highlighting the bills that would be passed at this meeting.
Benson finally put down the newspaper, ran a hand through his black hair, and slowly exhaled:
"Yes."
Suddenly, the two fell silent. The room was quiet; there wasn't even the sound of knives and forks clinking against plates.
The awkward atmosphere was broken by Bella, the maid who came out of the kitchen. Benson smiled and said:
"This was to be expected; actually, what's more important is a previous news story."
"Hmm?" Melissa's expression was unusually calm.
Benson took a bite of bread and smiled:
"News about Backlund Technical College being reorganized into a university."
"It will officially begin enrolling students next year, and will not conduct exams in grammar or classical literature. The focus will be on technical content, making it very suitable for graduates and current students of technical schools across the country."
" Melissa, I think you should give it a try."
"But..." Melissa retorted instinctively.
Benson interrupted her, smiling as he said:
"Its tuition will be half the price of universities like Tingen, Pritz, Hoy, and Backlund, equivalent to the cost of the Constant University of Technology in Awwa County, and there will be more scholarship opportunities. Melissa, don't you love mechanics, Steam, and this kind of thing? This is your best chance to access more advanced and in-depth knowledge."
"Give it a try, how about it? Don't worry about wasting money. That sum of money, although it allows us to maintain our current lifestyle without working, we are still young. We can't define our lives like that. Look, compared to a few months ago, my grammar has improved a lot."
"Um... a change of scenery might be better."
"I know you'll miss Tingen, you'll miss this place. Yes, we'll come back eventually, but not when we're young."
Melissa glanced at the various parts on the coffee table, her lips moving slightly as she said:
"What about Bella...?"
After Klein's death, she initially didn't want to hire a maid for odd jobs, but considering the potential misery Bella might face after losing her job, she abandoned the idea. In any case, the extra expenses of Soli every week were nothing to the Moretti family, whose annual income was at least 300 pounds.
Benson shook his head and laughed at this:
"There are still several months left, which gives Bella time to look for a new job. Until then, we'll continue to pay her and provide her with a bedroom. Besides, her cooking skills have improved a lot; she could easily apply for a home cook position. Unfortunately... well, of course, all of this depends on whether you pass the entrance exam for Backlund University of Technology."
He had intended to say it was a pity Bella didn't get to learn cooking for longer, but after glancing at Melissa's gloomy expression, he abruptly changed the subject.
Before Melissa could say anything more, Benson smiled and touched his hair:
"I plan to resign tomorrow to focus on preparing for the exam. I heard that most of the positions are in Backlund, which is exactly what I'm aiming for. I hope we can go there together."
Melissa was silent for a moment, then finally nodded slowly.
At the same time, she put down her knife and fork, picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth, and said:
I'm going to the restroom.
"Okay." Benson watched his sister get up and leave the table, the smile that had been plastered on his face vanishing in an instant.
He took out the silver pocket watch with the vine pattern, stared at it carefully, and sighed very quietly.
Throughout Sunday, Klein spent his days rushing between several public libraries in the Cherwood Borough, trying to find information about Viscount Pound, but the Viscount family had no separate biography and had not attracted the interest of any historians who had conducted specialized research on it.
Everything about them was scattered in different corners of various historical materials. Without a "search" function, Klein felt his head throbbing as he faced the vast sea of books and papers.
He spent six hours reviewing numerous documents, but still couldn't find any useful information.
"We need to find someone with extensive knowledge of aristocratic history to help us, or Bribe someone in the police department to get Baronet Pound. He's a nobleman, the police department must have the corresponding Record, and there aren't many nobles." Klein returned home, stood in front of the bathroom mirror, and spoke to the air.
The mirror surface quickly outlined the bodyguard's gothic court dress and the black soft hat on her head.
She nodded almost imperceptibly, seemingly agreeing with Klein's idea.
Immediately afterwards, her ethereal and fleeting voice rang out:
"The employment has ended."
I know, it's been three days... Klein thought for a moment and said:
"If I were to uncover any clues regarding the Pound Family, would you be willing to know?"
The bodyguard didn't answer, but nodded slightly.
"Hmm... should we relay the message through Maric?" Klein asked.
After nodding again, the bodyguard bent down, lifted her skirt, and gave a curtsy.
Her figure vanished quickly, and nothing in the mirror's reflection remained unusual.
Klein looked around, but didn't relax. He methodically prepared dinner and filled his stomach.
When the night was deep and quiet, he returned to his bedroom, drew the curtains, and took out the metal cigarette case, reaching out to touch the " Eye of All-Black " left behind by Rosago.
A series of illusory roars immediately swept through his mind, seemingly trying to tear his spirit apart and destroy his thoughts.
Klein struggled against the excruciating pain that felt like his head was about to explode, and once again saw the thin black lines spreading out from different parts of his body.
They were densely packed, illusory and terrifying, stretching all the way to infinity.
Klein looked around but couldn't find any other thin black threads, finally confirming that the bodyguard had left.
He quickly let go, escaping the negative influence, and it took him several tens of seconds to fully recover.
"Phew, finally I can go above the Gray Fog and verify that Spirit Intuition that came to me earlier..." Klein muttered to himself, quickly setting up the ritual, summoning himself and responding to himself.
Then, in his spirit form, carrying the Azik Copper Whistle, he picked up the iron cigarette case and returned to the Gray Fog.
Klein sat at the head of the ancient long table, conjuring Spirituality flames with his fingers to burn away the bloodstained documents and other unwanted items in the corner.
After doing all this, he opened the iron cigarette case and, unsurprisingly, found that the " Eye of All-Black " had become calm, no longer constantly revealing its madness. However, the influence and pollution still remained within it, merely no longer active, as if in hibernation.
"As expected, we can't separate them directly..." Klein murmured, and then materialized a man wearing a hooded robe on the chair opposite the ancient long table.
Just like their previous attempts to create clones, this man was stiff and lifeless, clearly not a real person, and couldn't fool the members of the Tarot Club.
However, Klein already had Spirit Intuition for this.
He reached out and grasped the " Eye of All-Black," and a moment of silence fell over his ears; the terrifying roars ceased.
Using this Beyonder Characteristic of gathering, he saw that the dummy opposite him also had thin black lines floating outwards.
Immediately afterwards, Klein carefully allowed his Spirituality to spread out through the " Eye of All-Black," touching several of the illusory lines.
Suddenly, he felt a grasping sensation.
At that moment, a thought crossed his mind, and the dummy immediately raised its hand.
It worked! I can use the " Marionettist " ability to create a fake Tarot Club member! However, it consumes a lot of energy, and I can't maintain a second one... Hmm, the symbolic symbols on the chair back won't change accordingly, but Miss " Justice " and the others can't see them... Klein happily began to practice repeatedly, and even mastered the technique of Manipulation the other person's throat and mouth to make them speak.
When his Spirituality was nearly exhausted, he smiled and looked at the dummy opposite him, saying:
Welcome, new member! Which tarot card would you like to draw?
Having said that, he shut his mouth, while the dummy opposite him raised its hand to touch its chin and chuckled hoarsely:
"World!"
I choose the 'World' card.
P. S.: I'm begging for monthly votes with 10,000 alternate accounts!