"Wow, they really dare to ask for that much..." Klein was both annoyed and amused by the Vampire's request.
He glanced at Bishop Utravsky ahead, and asked thoughtfully:
"Father, may I borrow your candle? The one from last time, I've forgotten its name."
Before Bishop Utravsky could answer, the Vampire in the basement exclaimed in astonishment:
What do you want to do? What do you want to do?
At this moment, Bishop Utravsky spoke gently:
"It's called the Nightmare Candle. What do you need it for?"
"Father, you're quite cooperative, you even know to ask for the purpose..." Klein said with a smirk.
"I plan to use it to directly inquire into the deepest part of that friend's heart."
"You know, I have a special talent for this kind of thing, and I'm very good at it..."
Before he could finish speaking, the Vampire in the basement shouted:
"Damn it, give up your idea!"
"To treat noble Sanguine like this is a curse!"
"Hey, hey, hey! I'll talk, I'll talk, I'll tell you the origin of the ' Master Key '!"
Klein chuckled softly.
Thank you very much for your cooperation.
"Hmph! That filthy Old Man's friend is no good either! As a Sanguine, I only went to the hospital to steal blood from the vials to drink, and I was already being very restrained. Why am I locked up here, listening to that tedious, fly-like ' Bible of Life ' every day!" The Vampire in the basement complained angrily.
Frankly, if you were truly as you described, and you happened to encounter me, I would at most offer you a few words of advice. Unfortunately, when you wandered into this church, you were facing a priest who was once a ruthless killer and a lover of battle, but is now a devout repentant and fanatical believer. You can only say that you were unlucky... However, Bishop Utravsky's illness has been cured, and he shouldn't really harm you; at most, he'll keep you under his wing... Klein responded silently for a few moments.
The Vampire in the basement paused for a few seconds and then said:
"More than a month ago, I went to the South Borough Hospital to steal blood from a vial and drink it, but I ran into a thief."
"He originally intended to enter the hospital's finance office, but he got lost and opened the blood bank door, where I caught him red-handed."
"He used that ' Master Key,' he told me. He found it during a previous burglary, along with a diamond-encrusted pocket watch, um, in the basement."
"He the Original thought the key corresponded to a specific room or safe, and tried them one by one, only to find that they all opened. This was an unimaginable surprise for a thief. After that, he succeeded repeatedly until I caught him and confiscated the key."
"Damn it, I never imagined that key would make someone get lost!"
This matches the scene I saw in my Divination perfectly... However, is this " Master Key " cursed? Its previous owner was imprisoned for getting lost, and its owner before that was caught red-handed for getting lost... Perhaps I really should throw it into the Gray Fog and retrieve it when needed, but that would be much more troublesome and might delay things... Klein controlled his expression and asked slowly:
Did the thief say where he stole it?
The Vampire in the basement muttered:
"You're questioning my Wisdom; how could I not ask about this?"
He said it was at No. 48 River Bend Avenue, Bridge South Borough. I originally planned to check it out when I had time, but... damn it!
"Okay, I've answered. Don't bother me anymore."
Klein didn't leave. Instead, he slowly took out a half-penny copper coin and muttered to himself:
He's lying.
After seven repetitions, Klein, his eyes deepening, flicked the coin, watching it tumble and spin before landing in his palm.
This time, the heads are facing upwards, indicating affirmation.
In other words, the Vampire is lying!
The thief's account matches the scenes I saw in my Divination in several places, corroborating each other, so it shouldn't be fake... The Vampire must have lied about the specific address! Klein looked at Bishop Utravsky and chuckled:
He lied.
"Let me think, why would he lie?"
"To take out one's anger on someone like me, with whom one has no connection, is a very unwise move and also detrimental to his situation."
"So I think he's actually trying to get help this way. That address probably belongs to his companion. Father, aren't you going to go check it out?"
The basement fell completely silent for several seconds before the Vampire laughed out loud:
"I simply didn't want to tell you so easily that you threatened me earlier, so isn't it normal for me to lie in retaliation?"
I could sense the forced composure in his voice... Klein smiled and said:
"So, what's the real answer? If you lie again, I won't hesitate to send this address to the three major churches, saying it's related to the recent serial murders."
"... Humans are truly wicked..." the Vampire sighed through gritted teeth. "32 Williams Street, Bridge South Borough."
Klein tossed the coin again and got the answer that the other party had not lied.
It seems Vampire don't have the ability to interfere with Divination... Hmm, I'll go back to the Gray Fog to confirm again... Klein placed his hand on his chest, bowed deeply towards the heavy stone door of the basement:
Thank you for your cooperation.
"Hmph." The Vampire in the basement responded with an annoyance.
Just as Klein turned to leave, he suddenly shouted again:
"Remember, my name is Emlyn White. Remember, my name is Emlyn White!"
Why should I remember your name? I'm not planning to save you. I'm unprepared, I don't have home-field advantage, and I can't beat Father Utravsky. Besides, he has a magical item that can regenerate blood... Hmm, could it be that this Vampire's companion is offering a bounty for finding someone? Does he want me to betray this information? Klein paused for a moment, then walked out of the Harvest Church without saying a word.
He randomly found a quiet, secluded spot, took off the pendulum from his left sleeve, and performed Divination regarding his current plan to explore 32 Williams Street.
The answer he received was that there was some danger, but not too great.
There's some danger... Where is the danger? What kind of danger is it? Klein analyzed it carefully and suspected that the Apprentice who died out of control had turned into a ghost-like Monster due to his intense resentment, and a relatively strong one at that.
That doesn't make sense either. The thief clearly didn't encounter anything before leaving with the " Master Key." Could the danger be in another Concealment location inside the house? Klein thought about it carefully and decided that he had better be fully prepared before going there, lest he encounter an enemy that his current extraordinary abilities couldn't handle and then have no way to deal with them.
At least, at least I have to wait until I buy bullets that can Purification the Wraith Specter... He nodded slightly.
With this thought process in mind, and combined with his previous experience fighting Bishop Utravsky, the " Dawn Paladin," Klein suddenly felt that he could vaguely summarize the first rule of the " Magician ":
"Don't perform without preparation!"
That would most likely expose the mistake... Klein added.
On Tuesday morning, Klein prepared the butter, toasted two slices of bread, and before eating, Door Opening and took today's newspaper from the mailbox.
Hey, there's a letter... He pulled the letter out from the newspaper and glanced at its cover as he returned to the restaurant.
"Sent by Stuart... It seems he has completed his initial investigation." Klein nodded slightly, tore open the envelope, shook out the papers, and sat down at the dining table while reading.
Stuart claimed that the two suspects showed no unusual behavior; one lived a dull life with his grocery store, wife, and children, while the other worked various temporary jobs to make ends meet. They were not irritable, had no urge to fight, and did not lock themselves in a room alone.
At the end of the letter, Stuart lamented the dire conditions in the East Borough and vowed to save enough money so that he wouldn't end up there in his old age.
"Thank you for your help. I will share any further clues with you." Seeing that the other party had not found any useful traces, Klein simply replied with a letter, not wanting him to get more involved in the case, lest the " Devil " sense the danger and nip the potential threat in the bud.
After setting down his paper and pen, Klein picked up a slice of bread with butter already seeping into it and leisurely spent his breakfast with some black tea and a newspaper.
One thing he regretted during this process was that there was still no sign of the Beyonder gathering of the " Eye of Wisdom " gentleman taking place.
"Sigh, the existence of that ' Devil ' has seriously affected the lives of the Beyonder in Backlund. I hope Mr. Isengard Stanton. Hmm, he should be an officially 'certified' Beyonder..." Klein put down the newspaper, picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, and prepared to leave.
His schedule for today was planned last week:
Visit the " Roselle Memorial Exhibition " at the Kingdom Museum!
Inside the Earl Hall's luxurious villa in Queens Borough.
Audrey wore a light-colored long dress with bold use of lace, and a snow-white fur shawl, waiting for her personal maid Annie to help her put on a soft hat inlaid with pearls and with a thin veil hanging down.
Beside her, Susie squatted down, a ribbon bow tied around her neck.
"My beautiful little princess, where are you going?" Earl Hall asked, stroking his handsome little mustache as he came down the stairs.
Audrey answered with bright eyes:
"Dad, I'm planning to go see the Roselle Memorial Exhibition."
She thought to herself, "Let me take a look at the original of Emperor Roselle's Diary, and find an opportunity to get some for Mr. ' The Fool '..."
Earl Hall pondered for a moment and said:
"Why go today? It'll be crowded and chaotic."
"Yes, I'll have someone coordinate with the Church of Steam to arrange an extra half-day just for you and your friend after the official exhibition ends. That way, you can visit quietly and undisturbed."
"If there's something you'd like to see up close and in detail, you can discuss it directly with them."
Oh, that seems even better. I can directly look through the diaries in this exhibition now... Audrey lifted her skirt and curtsied.
"Thank you, handsome Earl Hall!"
P. S.: Just to clarify, regarding the official spoilers from China Literature, the fact that the younger sister is the female lead tells you it's not realistic. Please don't jump to conclusions. I don't know why they changed my submitted outline and introduction like that...