Fors flipped through the calendar on her desk and marked the upcoming Full Moon date with a pen.
She made up her mind that when she heard those illusory and terrifying ramblings, she would recite the name of " The Fool " and go above the Gray Fog to spend that unbearable time of suffering.
"Life is full of anticipation..." She closed the novel in her hands and prepared to turn off the iron grid gas streetlight embedded in the wall.
Just then, Fors's vision blurred, and he saw an endless Gray Fog, a tall figure residing in a magnificent ancient palace, and a man praying devoutly.
The sound reached her ears, and she nearly jumped up, her heart filled with both surprise and joy:
The " Trickmaster " recipe I've been searching for for years, I've actually found it just like that?
I've attended so many different gatherings of Beyonder, yet I've never found the " Trickmaster " recipe—and it's been found just like that?
And less than a week has passed since I made the request!
"This... this is the Tarot Club... it's truly incomparable to any ordinary gathering of Beyonder!" Fors exclaimed, suppressing his excitement and joy, and cautiously replied:
"Mr. The Fool, is that recipe real?"
"Yes," the man in the high-backed chair, looking down at the " The Fool," said calmly.
Fors clenched his fist abruptly, subtly making two small movements at his waist, and spoke almost without thinking:
"Is that Mr. 'World'?"
Please tell him that I will find the items he needs as soon as possible.
When the Gray Fog dissipated and everything was over, Fors paused for two seconds, then stood up, unable to contain his excitement, and paced back and forth in the room.
The Sun Realm, items specializing in Purification and exorcism... I've only encountered them twice before, but both times they were bought by others, and the other party might not be willing to sell them again... Hmm, at the gathering hosted by Mr. A, Hugh invited a follower of " Eternal Blazing Sun " to perform Purification and exorcism rituals. He's at least Sequence 7, so he should have similar items, or at least have relevant clues... I just don't know how many gold pounds it will cost. Although Mr. "World" promised to make up the difference, I might not be able to afford the initial payment... Fors gradually shifted his thoughts to his own financial situation.
She currently has £370 in cash, mainly from the premium paid by Glaint Viscount for the " Apothecary's " formula, and £510 in her bank account, bringing the total to nearly £900.
A similar item might cost £2,000, or as little as £500 or £600, but it might not be the type Mr. "World" needs... What if I find something suitable, but I don't have enough money? I could take out a loan from the bank, or find a loan with a higher interest rate. As long as things go smoothly, once Mr. "World" pays the difference, my debt can be easily paid off... Perhaps I could borrow from Miss Audrey for a few days. She's never been one for money and certainly wouldn't charge any interest... Fors quickly came up with a comprehensive solution.
Just then, Hugh, who had gone to a secluded spot to practice his fighting skills late at night, returned to his rented two-bedroom apartment. Seeing that Fors's room light was still on, he knocked on the door and asked:
Are you going to stay up all night writing the beginning of your new book?
"Um, Fors, you seem very happy. The publisher increased your royalties?"
"No, no, no." Fors paused for a moment, then forced a smile and said, "I just received a message, a clue that seems to be about the ' Trickmaster ' Potion recipe."
"Really? You've finally got it!" Hugh was completely unaware of Fors's hidden unease.
Seeing her friend's happy expression, Fors couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
I've become a member of a secret organization, and from now on, I'll have to bear the Fate of constantly hiding and deceiving my friends...
Is this one of the costs?
On Saturday morning, Klein visited inventor Leppard again on Saki Street in the St. George Borough.
Because the bicycle patent had not yet been applied for, he only paid the remaining 20 pounds and instructed the other party not to rush into discussing subsequent investment and cooperation before actually obtaining the patent.
Leppard wholeheartedly agreed, noting that he had been tricked twice before due to the same factor—potential investors who had already learned about his product before he could obtain the patent were kicked aside, and he watched as they bribed their staff and secured the patent first.
After leaving the Leppard' house, Klein arrived at Isengard Stanton's somewhat gloomy and dimly lit house in the Hillston Borough at the appointed time.
Today is the day the bounty for the serial killer case is issued!
Crossing the living room and entering the previous sitting room, Klein saw Kaslana and Stuart, two Detective he was more familiar with, and sat down next to the latter.
" Sherlock, how much bounty do you think we'll get this time? It shouldn't be less than protecting Adol. Of course, I didn't do much work, so my share will be limited. As Emperor Roselle said, you reap what you sow." Stuart clenched his fist and touched his beard.
Klein guessed with great interest:
"The price could be several hundred pounds, or at least no less than 10 pounds."
And I'm the one who's more... if Isengard Stanton is as trustworthy as he describes himself... Klein added to himself.
At that moment, Isengard, his temples graying and his face gaunt and sharply defined, wearing a white shirt and brown vest, carrying his signature pipe, entered the living room where the fireplace was roaring, sat down in his armchair, and smiled:
"Ladies and gentlemen."
"I just returned from the Backlund Police Department. They recognized our contributions and considered us crucial to solving the case."
"Although we didn't participate in the subsequent manhunt, we can still get half of the bounty."
"That means we'll split £1,000 in cash!"
"In Backlund, this is a considerable bounty; a single Detective would have to work on the streets for four or five years without eating, drinking, or sleeping to earn that much."
The atmosphere in the living room immediately became relaxed, filled with anticipation for the bounty.
Even Klein was no exception; he was wondering how much Isengard would give him.
"At least a hundred pounds, right?" he muttered silently.
Isengard took a puff of his pipe, squinted his eyes slightly, and said with great satisfaction:
"Thank you all for your trust. I will now make the allocation."
"The biggest contributor this time was Detective Sherlock Moriarty. His insights and ideas led us to the right path; he's a true expert in deduction!"
"Ms. Kaslana can confirm this. I also have several letters written by Detective Moriarty here; anyone who has doubts can take a look."
How fair... He didn't even list himself as the biggest contributor... Klein suddenly had a newfound respect for the great Detective Isengard Stanton.
No wonder he's so Authority in the Detective world!
Seeing that no one raised any objections, Isengard nodded slightly and said:
"I hereby announce that the bounty for Detective Sherlock Moriarty is 300 pounds!"
Suddenly, the Detective in the living room began whispering amongst themselves.
They looked up at Klein every now and then, as if they had finally come to know this excellent Detective whom Mr. Stanton had praised as a reasoning expert.
What a generous and fair man... Klein opened his mouth, but ultimately did not feign modesty.
The second-highest bounty went to Isengard himself and Kaslana, who each received 160 pounds. The remaining 380 pounds were divided among the other Detective based on their contributions, with the lowest-paid detective receiving 15 pounds, equivalent to their usual earnings for three or four weeks. This is the benefit of high bounties for major cases.
Stuart was very satisfied with the £40 he received, because he felt that he had only done two days of observation, and the person he was observing was not even the suspect who would later be identified.
Of course, part of his £40 had to be paid out – he had to take care of all the informants and helpers involved in the matter.
After distributing the bounty, Stuart suddenly remembered something. He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and said to Klein:
" Sherlock, I recently took on a very lucrative missing person quest. Use your resources to keep an eye out for me. If you find them, you'll definitely get your share."
"Okay, no problem," Klein replied casually.
Stuart handed over the piece of paper and said:
"This is the person; he's been missing for almost two weeks."
"Because he is involved in immoral conduct or some form of crime, the client doesn't want us to involve the police."
Klein nodded slightly, unfolded the paper, and saw a black-and-white print:
He was a man with his hair combed back at an angle, exuding a serious yet dashing air.
He was probably around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a delicate and handsome appearance, but with an undisguised arrogance in his eyes and brows. He had a high nose bridge and thin lips.
"Oh, right, his name is..." Stuart thought for a moment and said, " Emlyn White."
Emlyn White ... Klein suddenly turned his head and looked at Stuart:
"Ah?"
Isn't that the name of the Vampire Father Utravsky Imprisonment in the basement?
Inside the Duke Negan's mansion, Audrey, who had been invited to an afternoon tea party, listened somewhat boredly as her mother and Duchess Della chatted about various matters among the nobility.
Her gaze swept over the exquisite three-tiered shelf, over the uniquely shaped muffins and cakes, and other delicious items. Feeling that she had been indulging her appetite lately, she simply picked up her teacup and took a sip of black tea.
After a while, she got up apologetically and, accompanied by her maid, went to the restroom.
As soon as she came out, she met a tall, elegantly dressed middle-aged woman with long, thin eyebrows.
This was none other than Duchess Della's sister, Madam Norma, the wife of a hereditary Viscount.
After exchanging greetings, Norma looked at Audrey and chuckled softly:
"I've heard that our beautiful young lady is very interested in the occult?"
"Mentioning mysticism? Are you from the Psychology Alchemists, trying to test me?" Audrey instantly switched into " Mind Reader " mode, lowering her head somewhat embarrassedly as she replied:
"Yes."