Dorian drew the curtains, making the office dimly lit, and then sat down.
He held the crystal ball in his left hand, his right palm lightly touching the top, stroking it back and forth, while he kept whispering, as if murmuring.
Gradually, the sparkles inside the crystal ball grew brighter and brighter, becoming more and more distinct, as if the Starry Sky in the night sky were casting their reflections.
The Star that are often used to determine the course of Fate and the trajectory of life appear one after another, forming a three-dimensional horoscope, mixed with many Spirit World revelations that seem to be symbolic.
Dorian Gray finally stopped what he was doing and buried his head in his work.
"There was no lie... that's how things really went... she seems capable of bringing some change to the Abraham Family, an optimistic change..." The crystal ball's light gradually dimmed, Dorian stood up, his mind made up.
Lunchtime, inside the Four-Winged Bird Restaurant.
Before Fors lay a deep-fried fish, cut into pieces and sprinkled with rosemary. Its skin was crispy, its flesh tender and delicious, and it had no small bones—quite tasty. The only problem was the chef's peculiar aesthetic sense; he had left the two bulging eyes intact and, through his plating skills, made them both look upwards, as if expressing their resentment at death.
Fors pushed the fish's head down, cut off its tail, and covered the upward-facing eye.
At this moment, Dorian Gray, while moving his knife and fork, said seemingly casually:
" Anlisa was very fond of the occult and had some knowledge of it. When you were sorting through her belongings, did you see any related books, notes, or items?"
"I have some notes and books," Fors answered frankly. "That's how I became an enthusiast of the occult, but unfortunately, there's some content I can't understand at all."
For example, that book " Spirit World Observations " is not only absurd and nonsensical, but also illogical and incoherent. Even if you force yourself to read it and regularly calm your anxiety, it's hard to remember the contents. You'll forget it as soon as you read it, let alone understand it... Fors added in his mind.
Dorian nodded slightly and chuckled.
"Then you can ask me. I'm also a fan of the occult, and quite knowledgeable about it."
"Really? That's wonderful!" Fors exclaimed.
Seeing that she was indeed interested, Dorian immediately steered the conversation toward the mysticism, sometimes mentioning the Spirit World and sometimes recounting his own Cogitation experiences—he had been prepared beforehand, having deliberately chosen a secluded and quiet spot when entering the restaurant, not worried that their conversation would be overheard by the surrounding customers.
At the end of lunch, Dorian offered to suggest:
"I've never known how to express my gratitude, but now I don't have to worry about it anymore, haha. Although Lawrence gave you compensation, I don't think it's enough to match your kindness, goodwill, and trustworthiness."
"Ms. Wall, please feel free to write to me with any questions you may have regarding the field of mysticism. This is my humble gratitude."
"That's exactly what I wanted." Fors did not refuse.
From their conversation, she could clearly see that Dorian Gray possessed solid, extensive, and systematic knowledge of occultism, befitting a member of the ancient Abraham Family.
This is also one of Fors's weaknesses. Although she has mastered a lot of common knowledge about the extraordinary world, it all comes from a few books and notes that are not very in-depth, as well as scattered words she has heard and experienced in various gatherings and encounters. It is not comprehensive, not systematic, and has many flaws.
Upon hearing the other person's reply, Dorian raised his glass and smiled, saying:
"I hope that one day, we too can possess mysterious and extraordinary abilities."
Saint Samuel Cathedral, North Borough Backlund.
A group of people wearing black trench coats and red gloves entered the underground area. The leader was a man in his forties with soft facial features and long, dark hair at his temples.
Wearing an extravagant top hat and carrying a black cane inlaid with gold, he quietly followed the Nighthawks leading the way into a rather spacious room.
The room was filled with bookshelves and numerous files. A woman with an eerie beauty, dressed in a black robe and wearing blue eyeshadow and blush, sat leisurely in a high-backed chair. She did not get up to greet him. This was none other than the former " Spirit Medium," Daly.
" Soest, all the information you need is over there." Daly gestured with her chin towards the table near the door.
The middle-aged man, referred to as Soest, chuckled and said:
" Daly, why were you assigned to guard this place? You should be in charge of more important things."
"No, this is just my own thought. I need to calm down and review more materials." Daly chuckled softly. "This is for better progress. Humans are fragile creatures; we need periods of respite. No one can always be at the peak, constantly enjoying excitement and pleasure."
"... Your style really hasn't changed at all, it's just a pity you never give me a chance." Soest chuckled.
Daly shook her head seriously and said:
"Clearly, you don't know me. My tastes have become more bizarre now. If you could turn yourself into a rotting corpse, or expose your bare white bones, I would definitely be very interested in you."
She turned to a " Red Gloves " standing behind Soest: " Leonard, how did you choose to join his team? This guy is arrogant, Pride, and cowardly. He always fantasizes that the ladies he likes will willingly lie in bed waiting for him. Frankly, maybe that's what ' Nightmare ' is all about?"
When she mentioned Nightmare, Daly paused noticeably.
Leonard responded helplessly:
"Ms. Daly, this is His Excellency Cesimir's arrangement."
"I see... It's clear you agree with my assessment of Soest," Daly concluded, her voice slightly hoarse.
Leonard was momentarily at a loss for words to explain.
Fortunately, " Spirit Warlock " Soest didn't pay attention to Daly's words. He walked to the table piled with documents, picked up a file and started looking through it. Leonard and the others immediately surrounded him, imitating their own butler.
Amidst the prolonged rustling of pages, Soest casually asked:
"What's new in Backlund lately? What do you think is worth paying attention to?"
Daly's eyes flickered slightly, and after thinking for a moment, she said:
"Several Beyonder who have collaborated with us have sent messages saying that recently many people have been searching for an organization that worships ' The Fool,' and have even given it a corresponding name..."
After describing the title " The Fool " in the Loenese, she chuckled and said:
"I seem to see the birth of a brand new cult, or perhaps it's the incarnation of some old friend."
" Soest, what's your opinion?"
Soest thought about it carefully and said:
"No, I've never heard of any such organization."
Just then, Leonard looked up from the file and said thoughtfully:
"Could this be related to the two tarot rituals we're investigating?"
"' The Fool ' is the Original and most important Major Arcana card in the Tarot!"
Daly paused for a second, then nodded thoughtfully:
"That's an interesting idea..."
"But there's no evidence whatsoever; it's pure speculation, not even reasoning," Soest said dismissively.
Leonard smiled slightly and said:
As Emperor Roselle said, "Hypothesize boldly, verify carefully."
Hillston Borough, Cragg Club.
Klein, who had come straight here after leaving the Harvest Church, had just entered the hall when he saw riding instructor Talym Dumont sitting in a secluded spot, seemingly deep in thought.
Seeing that lunch would take a while, Klein approached and greeted him with a smile:
Good afternoon, Talym. You seem to be having trouble again?
Talym suddenly woke up with a start and quickly shook his head, saying:
No, no.
"You seem to have done something wrong?" Klein muttered, sat down, and then smiled.
"It's a pity Allen and Mike aren't here, otherwise we could have had another pleasant afternoon."
Talym then smiled:
They are all very busy and have very little free time.
Before Klein could speak, he looked around and said:
" Sherlock, a very important person has heard about your deeds and is very interested in you. He would like to meet you. Would you be willing?"
"To be honest, I'm really envious of this; it's a very rare opportunity."
Wait, what kind of achievements could I possibly have? Helping Mary catch her husband cheating? Accompanying reporter Mike to a brothel? Even though I went to the East Borough a few times, I didn't do anything particularly remarkable... At most, you only know that I made some contributions to the serial murder case and helped Doctor. Allen solve his nightmare problem by providing consultation... Klein was completely confused.
Two seconds later, he suddenly understood why.
It must be that when that important person asked Talym if he knew any outstanding Detective, he could only think of me, so he took the initiative to add some impressive descriptions for me, such as the real mastermind behind the serial murder case, the Detective with strong action, keen sense of smell, and precise moves in the case of Mrs. Mary's ex-husband and his mistress transferring the assets of the Coim Company... This is just mutual flattery... Klein thought to himself.
He considered it for a moment and said:
" Talym, I'm sorry, but as a Detective, I have my own principles, which is to avoid getting involved in matters concerning important people. What might be a minor incident on the upper echelons could potentially bring me unbearable disaster."
"I won't label myself, so I won't go to see that important person."
These were actually precautions that Klein had considered before becoming Detective.
Once he gets involved with high society, he's easily scrutinized and investigated, and he doesn't want to take that risk before becoming a " Faceless."
"... You're very rational," Talym said thoughtfully. "That important figure anticipated this reaction and believes that Detective like you is more trustworthy. Therefore, he wants you to take on a case that won't involve high society."
"What request?" Klein asked.
Talym chuckled:
"It's the Capim case you and Mike discussed last time. That big shot is very interested in the organization that uses tarot cards as symbols. He said there are other similar cases, and he hopes you can find relevant clues."