After setting aside the dark red, round-bellied fountain pen, Klein picked up the paper with the Divination inscription and leaned back in his chair.
His lips moved as he whispered, " Capim's dinner time today," over and over again.
These words rippled across the silent, empty Gray Fog, and Klein's eyes quickly darkened, his eyelids slowly drooping.
In his fragmented dream, he saw the spacious and elegant restaurant, the ceramic tableware inlaid with gold, and the food such as caviar, roast chicken, stewed lamb, pan-fried ribeye, fried tilapia, and cream soup.
The food was placed in front of several diners in a certain order and according to certain needs. Among them were the slightly overweight Capim, the middle-aged gentleman Hunas wearing a white hood, Kitty wearing only a thin shirt, and Parker with an old-looking face who was not very intimidating.
Looking diagonally out from the end of the dining table, one can see an ornately decorated glass window, through which sparse clouds drift and the red moon is faintly visible in the sky.
Klein opened his eyes, marked the position of the Moon in his dream, and then, based on his knowledge of Astrology, quickly calculated the approximate time.
"Around 7:30 to 7:45... Considering that in several scenes, Capim have already eaten more than half of their meal, we can move it forward another 15 minutes. In that case, 7:30 would be a better choice..." Klein muttered to himself, interpreting the revelation given by the " Dream Divination ".
Having dinner at 7:30 pm is not uncommon; it is even the norm in the Kingdom of Loen and the Northern Continent. This is because many middle-class people live in the suburbs, either due to environmental concerns or because of cheaper rent. They have to take a short-distance Steam train to and from work in the city every day, and by the time they get home, it is often after 7 pm. Therefore, 7:30 pm to 8 pm is the normal dinner time.
Klein had a similar experience back in Tingen City, but that was because there were no servants or a full-time wife. When the three siblings returned home, they had to do some work themselves before they could enjoy a hot meal, not because their commute to work was long.
This is why ordinary people and the poor often have dinner between 7:30 and 8:00 pm.
Because lunch and dinner are too far apart, afternoon tea, which originally belonged to the upper class, gradually became popular among the middle class and ordinary people.
After finishing his analysis, Klein reflected on the insights he had just gained and keenly noticed a problem:
Where are Capim's wife and children?
They didn't appear in the dining room... Could it be that Capim is an extreme follower of the Lord of Storms, requiring women and children to dine in the living room? Or is there another reason? Or perhaps Capim is unmarried and childless? He's middle-aged... Klein tried Divination but failed to obtain any useful insights, so he had to give up.
"7:30." He repeated the time, then returned to the real world.
As evening fell, Capim, who always wore a formal bow tie even at home, narrowed his eyes, looked at his subordinate, and asked in a slow but chilling tone:
" Fabian is dead?"
"Yes, boss." Even though he had been Capim's partner for many years, the subordinate was still somewhat fearful and apprehensive.
" Odes, call him sir, sir, in a few years, he'll be knight." Capim tugged at his bow tie, seemingly casually handling a large cigar. "When did Fabian die? How did he die?"
"This afternoon, I sent him to the East Borough to do something, but he got into a fight with the Zmanger Gang and was stabbed in the neck..." Odes described tremblingly.
Capim, smoking a cigar, said in a flat tone:
" Fabian is a real idiot."
"However, do you think the Zmanger Gang doesn't know he's one of my idiots?"
"Sir, as you know, people from the Highlands often come to the East Borough to Zmanger Gang. They're savage and reckless, and they don't care who's who," Odes quickly explained.
Capim snorted:
"Have they forgotten this isn't a plateau? Or rather, have they forgotten about Capim?"
" Odes, I want the body of the Zmanger Gang leader in that district. Can you do that? If not, I'll throw your wife, children, and you into the Tussock River."
"Sir, no problem!" Odes immediately raised his voice.
Immediately afterward, he asked in a low voice:
Whom can I mobilize?
Just as Capim was about to answer, the door was suddenly pushed open, and Hunas, a middle-aged gentleman wearing a white wig, walked in.
He glanced coldly at Odes, then shifted his gaze to Capim:
"I heard you had one of your men get into a fight with gangs in the East Borough, and he died?"
"Yes, Mr. Hunas." Capim, holding a cigar, stood up.
Hunas stared into Capim's eyes and said:
"You want revenge on them?"
Suddenly, beads of sweat appeared on Capim's forehead.
"No, no, Mr. Hunas, you've misunderstood."
Hunas nodded slightly and said, "You must remember, during this critical period, we should avoid causing trouble unless absolutely necessary."
He paused for a second, observing Capim's reaction, and said:
"You're not the only human trafficker in Backlund. We can support you, and we can support others. Remember that."
"You were chosen because you are ruthless and shameless enough, yet exceptionally cautious, not because you were already the biggest human trafficker."
Odes listened to their conversation and wished he were just a wisp of air so he wouldn't see Capim's humble demeanor.
Capim showed no anger on the surface, and smiled ingratiatingly:
"Mr. Hunas, my main concern is that Fabian's death is not simple, and it may disrupt your plans."
"No, there's nothing wrong with his death," Hunas said with certainty. "I haven't received any feedback."
"I see..." Capim said, feigning relief. "Then I'm relieved."
He glanced at Odes, gesturing for him to leave, then lowered his voice and said:
"Mr. Hunas, there's something you like in this shipment."
Seeing that Hunas's expression softened but he didn't make any further statement, Capim quickly added:
"All the items sent over there have been collected."
Hunas then slowly nodded:
"Have her come to my room tonight."
"Yes, Mr. Hunas!" Capim said with a broad smile.
After watching Hunas leave, his face darkened, he took a breath, and muttered:
"I hope you'll keep your promise this time... I don't want to be involved in anything like this again!"
He clearly remembered that year's Harvest festival when someone approached him, hoping to acquire a group of innocent young girls.
From that day on, his life trajectory changed dramatically, and he even took on one-fifth of the slave trade, which had gone underground due to legal prohibition.
He quickly became one of the more well-known wealthy men in Backlund, befriended many important figures, and dragged them into the Abyss of Depravity.
At this point, he desperately wanted to cover up his past sins and to allow " Capim " to be redeemed again and become a true member of high society, but he could not achieve this for the time being.
Looking at the cigar in his hand, Capim picked up the photo frame on the table, which contained a picture of him with a beautiful woman and two children.
His thumb rubbed against the surface of the picture frame. Capim squinted and muttered to himself:
"After this, you should be able to come back..."
At dinner time, Capim came out of the study, his face once again adorned with a warm smile.
"Ms. Kitty, tonight we have your favorite caviar, and a roast chicken specially prepared for you," he said to the woman in the thin shirt.
Kitty touched the old scars on her face, said nothing, and simply nodded.
Capim knew she had a silent and fierce personality, so without saying a word, he watched her take her seat.
Immediately afterwards, Hunas, wearing a white wig, entered the restaurant and nodded slightly to each diner.
The older-looking Parker took a sip of his aperitif and smiled, gesturing for Capim to sit down.
A crisp white napkin was laid out, and the food was served one by one. Capim picked up his wine glass, chuckled softly, and said:
"With the Storm raging, let's toast to a bright future!"
"Cheers to a bright future," Parker responded.
Hunas didn't speak, but merely held the stem of his wine glass and gave it a slight lift, while Kitty completely ignored the others.
At that moment, the antique wall clock hanging in the hall had just struck 7:23.
Inside a budget hotel in the Backlund Bridge Area.
Klein, now in disguise, took out a gold-cased pocket watch, glanced at the time, then took out Holy Night Powder and sealed the room with Wall of Spirituality.
After doing all this, he quickly set up the altar and began the ceremony:
"I!"
"I summon in my own name:"
" The Fool That Doesn't Belong to This Era, Mysterious Ruler Above the Gray Fog, the King of Yellow and Black who wields good fortune."
Once the ritual was complete, Klein immediately took four steps backward and entered the Gray Fog, preparing to respond to himself.
In that towering and solemn palace, he saw the " Door of Summoning " formed by ripples of light, a pair of illusory doors covered with mysterious symbols.
Klein did not rush to be summoned, but instead, according to the pre-arranged plan, incorporated the magical items such as the " The Sun Brooch " into his own spiritual body.
Finally, he picked up the " Black Emperor " card and had the spirit envelop it.
Suddenly, Klein felt his spirit body solidify as if it had flesh and blood, and he seemed to be able to pick up a pistol and move tables and chairs!
A dark, ethereal mist then enveloped him, clinging to his surface and forming a majestic suit of armor.
A jet-black crown now adorned his head, and a long cloak of the same color covered his back.
At this moment, Klein was like an emperor about to embark on a journey.
Black Emperor.
He gave a final look at the items he hadn't brought, such as the Purification Bullets and revolver, then stepped into the crack of the illusory door.
Emerging from the candlelight, he immediately flew swiftly towards the Capim Villa on Iris Street in the Cherwood Borough, under the cover of darkness.
Before long, he Levitation in front of the artificial fountain, moving at a moderate pace toward the villa entrance. The guards patrolling back and forth passed by him without reacting. Since it was not yet true night, no Beyonder were on guard outside.
Furthermore, Klein was not afraid that the powerful Beyonder inside would sense it in advance or have some premonition.
Because the " Black Emperor " card is anti-prophecy and anti- Divination!