When Carlson saw the Southville beer, glistening with fine white foam, placed in front of Sherlock Moriarty, he finally realized what was happening.
Once the bartender was away, he asked in a low voice:
What do you want?
Klein picked up his glass, took a sip, and savored for a few seconds the malty aroma and subtle sweetness that followed the initial bitterness.
"Cheers!" He turned to Carlson, smiled, and raised his glass.
Carlson shook his head without hesitation, declining the invitation and muttering:
"Yours is beer, mine is strong distilled spirit; we're not really suited for a toast."
Klein was just putting on an act, taking another sip of his Southville beer, looking straight ahead, and chuckling:
What I want is very simple.
"I don't know what might be inside the tomb, so I can only give a rather vague description. Hmm... I hope to choose one item from what you find while exploring the tomb. I'm not greedy; this won't involve high-level items, and even if there were, I wouldn't dare to ask for them."
"If you find nothing, or if there are only high-level items there, then I don't want anything. Of course, I believe that if the latter happens, you certainly won't be stingy with giving me a sum of cash, cash commensurate with my contribution."
After learning about the Amon Family tomb from Miss Sharron yesterday, he had a general plan.
The first option is to blow the bronze whistle to contact Mr. Azik and join forces with him to explore the tomb.
However, this plan has many potential problems. First, Klein doesn't know how much strength Azik has regained while searching for his memories. Second, Azik is being pursued by Military Intelligence Section 9, and contacting him rashly could easily cause trouble for both of them. Third, Klein would most likely re-enter the sights of the Sealed Artifact "0-08" as a result. Of course, he had considered the possibility of using the Gray Fog to complete communication and exploration, but the fact that blowing the copper whistle above the Gray Fog could not summon a messenger completely blocked the subsequent ideas.
More importantly, Klein was neither willing nor dared to expose the secrets above the Gray Fog to the unidentified Azik Eggers.
Therefore, he ultimately chose the second option: to use his informant status to hand over intelligence to " Machinery Hivemind " and demand appropriate and reasonable compensation.
In terms of the number of High-Sequence powerhouses, is there any force that surpasses the Seven Churches?
As far as Klein knew, there were nearly ten High-Sequence powerhouses in the Church of the Evernight Goddess. That is to say, nearly half of the thirteen archbishops and nine senior deacons had reached or exceeded Sequence 4. This does not even include the goddess's Blessed, His Holiness the Pope who is in charge of the church.
Even if the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery is not quite as good in this respect, it is not far behind. Their Archbishop Horamick Haydn of the Backlund Diocese is a High-Sequence powerhouse.
Such a well-established orthodox church wouldn't place excessive importance on things in the Mid-Sequence, and Klein believed he had a chance to negotiate a reasonable "price."
In short, the core element of the second plan is:
If you're in trouble, turn to your organization!
Upon hearing the price Klein offered, Carlson paused for a second, then blurted out:
Aren't you a believer in God?
My heart has always belonged to a goddess... Klein drew a triangular holy symbol on his chest:
"It is because of my faith in God that I am telling you this news, rather than revealing it to the Nighthawks through Mr. Stanton."
"God said, 'May the strong be strong.' Only by becoming stronger and possessing more money can I access more channels and control more resources, thereby providing you with better and more effective intelligence."
To convince the " Machinery Hivemind," he deliberately flipped through the " Holy Bible of Steam and Machinery " that he had bought earlier to decorate his shop, found a few divine quotes that met his needs, and memorized them carefully.
Carlson was momentarily speechless, frozen in place, forgetting to drink.
Seeing this, Klein quickly added:
"Moreover, this will help you establish harmonious and efficient informant relationships in the new era. As long as you spread the word about the reward I received for this, and your commitment to keeping your promises without ever going back on your word, I believe other informants will be deeply moved and greatly motivated, and will do everything in their power to gather useful intelligence for you."
"Of course, I hope to use my pseudonym when making publicity."
Carlson listened in a daze, picked up his wine glass, and gulped down a large mouthful, nearly choking.
"Ahem, Sherlock, the real you is completely different from the one I remembered before," he sighed.
The Sherlock Moriarty Detective in his memory was skilled in analysis and reasoning, extremely calm, extremely polite, and offered very effective advice with a strong Justice; he was an outstanding believer in God.
And the other party now...
Klein took a sip of beer and chuckled softly:
"Everyone has different facets, and it's easy to make mistakes by substituting a single facet for the whole; this is a problem that must be considered when reasoning."
Carlson calmed himself for a moment, then stood up and said:
"I have no authority to grant such a request. I will report it immediately. You wait here for a moment."
"Okay." Klein waved to the bartender and ordered an extra serving of fried potato wedges.
After he leisurely finished his food and beer, Ikanser Bernard, the butler of " Machinery Hivemind," led Carlson back to the bar.
"Your request is fine, but there's one condition: items with strong side effects or curse effects are not eligible," Ikanser said in a low voice after glancing around and seeing that no one was around.
What I need are the materials... Klein immediately laughed:
"Good!
"May I ask one more question? Was this your personal decision, or a response from higher-ups?"
"I have the right to make this decision," Ikanser said, pressing his hat down his tousled hair. "However, because the matter involves the tombs of nobles from the Quaternary period, I telegraphed the Archbishop, and he did not object in his reply."
"Alright." Klein drew the triangular holy symbol again. "I'll give you the information now."
Ikanser instinctively shook his head.
He looked around and pointed to a billiards room, saying:
"Let's go inside and talk."
This butler, who's always called Arrodes and publicly executed by the mirror, is quite experienced... Klein muttered, following Ikanser and Carlson into the billiards room, making sure the rooms on either side were empty.
Klein paused for a few seconds, then carefully said:
"Here's what happened: some Beyonder discovered a hidden tomb in a bend of the River Stryford in Whitecliff Town, explored the surrounding area, and found some items."
"Afterwards, they recruited people to conduct further exploration, but no one ever returned. If you search carefully there, you're sure to find some clues."
After listening attentively, Ikanser listened carefully and then asked:
"Is it confirmed to be a Quaternary noble tomb?"
"The items on the outer perimeter prove they belong to members of the Amon Family of the Tudor Dynasty," Klein answered truthfully, adding a reminder, " The Beyonder who died inside were not weak, and there were quite a few of them. I don't think this tomb is something that those below the High-Sequence can explore."
" Amon..." Ikanser instinctively frowned slightly.
It's clear that, as a butler, he has the authority to know some ancient secrets.
Before Klein could emphasize it again, he raised his eyes and said:
We will gather the relevant information before taking any action.
"The tombs of nobles from the Quaternary period are extremely dangerous. Do not share this information with anyone else, or attempt to explore them yourself, or you and your friends will lose your lives."
"If I dared, I wouldn't be sitting here..." Klein chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"My reputation has always been excellent."
Having struck a deal, he watched Ikanser and Carlson leave, put on his hat, and strolled slowly towards the entrance of the " Bravehearts " bar.
For the great nobles of the Fourth Age, for the Amon Family, the " Machinery Hivemind " is still quite cautious. They'll probably need to prepare for at least a few days before taking action... cautious... Klein's wandering thoughts suddenly stopped on a single word.
He recalled another matter that could be considered cautious:
After Roselle joined what appears to be an ancient organization called the " Hermits of Fate," he never mentioned their names in his secret diary, which was written in Chinese. Instead, he always referred to them by their distinctive features.
This is a phenomenon so cautious it raises suspicion!
Why didn't Emperor Roselle dare mention the organization's name, not even in Chinese? This was completely different from his usual style of recording anything in his diary... What was he afraid of, what was he worried about? Did he think that simply saying or writing the name " Hermits of Fate " would make them aware of it, regardless of the language used? Did one of their members or some Sealed Artifact possess a similar ability? Klein had a guess, but he couldn't confirm it unless he was willing to risk trying.
Let's assume it's true for now. The reason I wasn't perceived by them is because the " Spirit Channeling " Apostle of Desire was above the Gray Fog, and when he told Miss " Justice " he was responding to the prayer through the Gray Fog... Hmm, it's almost Monday again. I need to remind Miss " Justice " at the Tarot Club not to say or Record down the name " Hermits of Fate." As for the reason, I'll just give her a look and let her figure it out herself... Klein quickly made further arrangements and strode away from the " Bravehearts " bar.
Seeing that it was still early, he took a carriage directly to the Cragg Club, intending to while away the afternoon there.
As soon as he entered the hall, he saw the riding instructor Talym Dumont.
This descendant of nobility sat in the corner, holding a glass of scarlet wine, his face flushed, sipping it with great enthusiasm.
" Talym, you seem to be in a good mood," Klein greeted with a smile.
Talym chuckled:
"Because the New Year is approaching."
After saying that, he asked excitedly, " Sherlock, do you know what it feels like to truly like someone?"
... Klein gave a fake smile:
"I'm sorry, I'm still single."
"That's a real shame. Well, I have to get back to work." Talym finished the rest of his drink, stood up, and waved.
"Oh, by the way, thank you for introducing me to Mr. Franky Cagg." Klein, recalling the investment in the bicycle project, sincerely expressed his gratitude. "When are you free recently? I'd like to invite you to sample the cuisine of Backlund."
"After the New Year," Talym said, putting on his hat and smiling as he walked toward the reception hall.
"Is this guy entering the season of romance?" Klein couldn't help but mutter to himself.
He had just turned around and taken a few steps when he suddenly heard a heavy thud as someone fell to the ground.
Klein turned around abruptly and saw Talym Dumont lying on the ground, his left hand pressed tightly against his heart, his body convulsing.
This... Klein rushed over in a few steps.
But by this time, Talym had already foamed at the mouth and lost his last breath.
In just a few seconds, he, who had been all smiles just moments before, became a corpse.