This wasn't the first time Klein had witnessed someone he knew die before his eyes, but it was the most sudden and unexpected. The image of Talym Dumont's expression when he asked about the feeling of truly liking someone still lingered in his mind—a vivid expression that concealed excitement and pride, yet was restrained by certain factors and couldn't be shared directly, requiring careful consideration.
Too fast... Normal illnesses don't cause death this quickly! Klein tapped his teeth with a calm expression, activating his Spirit Vision.
He knelt down on one knee and watched as Talym Dumont's aura and emotional expression rapidly faded.
Meanwhile, wisps of black energy, like snakes, coiled around the tightly covered area of the heart, gradually dimming.
A strange, curse-like method? Klein made a preliminary judgment instantly.
At that moment, the waiter in the red vest and the nearby maid in the black and white dress ran over, looking in horror at the dead man on the ground with his eyes wide open and white foam remaining at the corner of his mouth.
Klein closed his eyes briefly and gave the order in a deep voice:
"Go to the nearest police station and tell them someone has died here."
"Yes, Mr. Moriarty." The waiter in the red vest immediately turned and ran towards the door, so flustered that he forgot to put on his coat.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Klein neither checked Talym's belongings nor tried to pluck a few hairs to perform Divination when no one was around.
His identity is already semi-official and semi-underground, so he can use the power of " Machinery Hivemind " to conduct further investigations. There's no need for him to be a lone hero.
Thinking of the many times he played cards with Talym Dumont, the clients and investors Dumont introduced him to, and the romance story that had been on his mind for so long before he finally found an answer, Klein couldn't help but let out a long, slow sigh.
Who murdered Talym?
"Which Beyonder being skilled in curses did Talym offend?"
"Judging from his behavior today, he seems to be in a very happy and peaceful state, completely unaware that he has provoked any terrible people..."
A series of questions flashed through Klein's mind, but because he didn't know Talym Dumont well enough, he lacked the Spirit Intuition ground for inspiration.
When the police arrived, he was questioned as a witness, which took up a considerable amount of time.
Only after all this was completed did Klein have the opportunity to leave Hillston Borough and head back to the " Bravehearts " bar in the Backlund Bridge Area.
Carlson was still drinking there, but he had switched from strong distilled spirits made from pure malt to golden, foamy beer.
Klein raised his right hand, half-covering and half-pinching his mouth, leaned closer, and lightly tapped the table, saying:
"Is your job to just drink here every day?"
Carlson was startled, but relaxed when he turned his head and saw that it was Sherlock Moriarty.
"What... is it this time?"
This reaction is so familiar... Klein sighed silently and said solemnly:
"There's a case involving Beyonder."
Carlson immediately looked around and found that the " Bravehearts " bar was already quite full of customers, some of whom were shouting loudly while holding their glasses, and others were eager to try their luck in the boxing ring.
"Let's go play a game of pool." Carlson pushed up his thick glasses, grabbed a beer, and headed towards an empty pool hall.
Klein followed closely behind and skillfully closed the door.
"You seem to have a pretty good alcohol tolerance," he remarked casually.
"No, I just drink slowly." Carlson put down his glass and picked up his golf club.
Then, he inexplicably added:
"And lately I've been wanting to be alone."
I don't care about that... Klein pursed his lips and said:
"I witnessed a death at the Cragg Club in Hillston Borough. It was my friend, a descendant of nobility and a riding instructor. He was usually very healthy and in excellent spirits lately, but he suddenly died in front of me. It looked like a sudden heart attack, but my Spirit Vision tell me that he might be cursed."
"You're good at Spirit Vision?" Carlson asked instinctively.
What specific details did Mr. Stanton fabricate about me? After becoming an informant for " Machinery Hivemind," they never asked me which pathway or Sequence of Beyonder I was, nor did they inquire about my origins or background... Of course, allowing informants to retain certain secrets is a common strategy employed by official organizations... Klein responded frankly:
"Yes, there were some ethereal black wisps rapidly fading from the deceased's chest."
"It could indeed involve a curse, and Beyonder." Carlson didn't ask any further questions, and slowly nodded. " Hillston Borough... that's under the jurisdiction of our ' Machinery Hivemind '."
In the West North Borough of Backlund, the heart of this metropolis, Queens Borough and Cherwood Borough belong to the " Mandated Punishers," West Borough and North Borough belong to the " Nighthawks," while Hillston Borough and Backlund Bridge Area are managed by the " Machinery Hivemind."
At this point, Carlson looked at Klein, seeking confirmation:
Which deity does your friend worship?
After thinking for a few seconds, Klein answered hesitantly:
" Lord of Storms."
"The only dead follower of the ' Lord of Storms '?" Carlson asked, frowning.
"Yes," Klein replied affirmatively.
Carlson stroked the tip of the club and exhaled, saying:
"We have no right to take over; this is the domain of the ' Mandated Punishers '."
"However, I will relay the intelligence you submitted to them."
In the Kingdom of Loen, the principle of jurisdiction over extraordinary events is to first divide them according to faith. If it involves believers of multiple churches and multiple gods, then the jurisdiction is determined by the scope of the jurisdiction.
Klein was no stranger to this and, with no intention of making things difficult for Carlson, sincerely said:
"Thank you, I hope they can find the real killer soon."
Carlson picked up the glass of wine beside him, took a sip, and said:
"That's a descendant of nobility; the Mandated Punishers seriously."
He paused for a second, looked Klein up and down, and said in a low voice:
"I find it hard to believe you've only been in Backlund for a little over three months."
"You seem to have built a wide network of contacts and possess numerous resources here."
"Some people are just born to be good at this." Klein shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh, then took his leave.
When he returned to Minsk Street, it was completely dark, and the gas streetlights were being turned on by the staff.
Although his relationship with Talym Dumont wasn't particularly close, he was an acquaintance Klein saw almost every week, a friend he would get together with every few days to play cards, and Talym was quite enthusiastic, constantly praising Detective Moriarty and actively promoting his commissions and investments.
His passing also saddened Klein, filling him with a sense of helplessness in the face of Fate.
In addition, he also harbored considerable anger, particularly anger towards the cursed killer.
"I hope we can find out exactly what happened, and I hope the ' Mandated Punishers ' won't be short-handed because of the assassination of Duke Negan..." Klein sighed, stepped down from the carriage, and walked towards his own gate.
During this process, he noticed that the lights were off in his neighbor Summer's house.
"Looks like they're on their way to Desi Bay... Is this the New Year's atmosphere in Backlund? And I don't feel it at all..." Klein sighed for a moment.
With these feelings in mind, he went to bed early and woke up at seven o'clock.
To change his mood, Klein decided to try making a cake today.
"I'll go buy the ingredients after breakfast," he muttered, sipping his milk and casually flipping through the newspaper.
Soon, he saw an "obituary" in the Tussock Times:
"Our beloved son Talym Dumont, passed away on December 18th due to a sudden heart attack. His funeral will be held at Crown Cemetery at 9:00 AM on December 21st. This is to inform you of his passing."
In the Northern Continent, due to reasons such as corpse transformation, an ancient tradition has formed: to bury the dead as soon as possible after death, provided that money is not lacking.
A sudden heart attack? Is this the final investigation result? Or is the " Mandated Punishers " deliberately trying to deceive the real culprit? Klein frowned, unable to tell.
Perhaps he could go above the Gray Fog to Divination whether it was a trap set by the " Mandated Punishers," but the most likely outcome would be failure, since he had neither personal belongings nor was it aimed at him personally... He took a breath, calmed down, and methodically filled his stomach.
As Klein had anticipated, his subsequent attempts led him to leave Minsk Street and travel by car to Hillston Borough to visit Isengard Stanton.
The great Detective walked into the warm room, pointed ahead, and said:
" Sherlock, would you like some breakfast? My cook's skills are no worse than mine."
"No, I've already had breakfast." Klein shook his head and declined the offer.
Isengard stopped and asked casually:
Where are you planning to spend the New Year? I'm thinking of going back to, no, to Lenburg.
"It's not finalized yet, maybe it'll be from the Sonia Sea," Klein said dismissively.
"The scenery there was originally quite beautiful, but unfortunately it's rich in coal and iron resources, and shipping is also quite developed." Isengard straightened his collar and touched the pipe in his pocket. "You seem a little anxious?"
"Mr. Stanton, I have something I'd like to ask you." Klein then proceeded to give a full account of Talym Dumont's death, the results of his Spirit Vision, the process of providing advice to the " Machinery Hivemind," and the obituary that morning.
Of course, he concealed the fact that he had become an informant for " Machinery Hivemind," only saying that he had found an official Beyonder he had met in the " Apostle of Desire " case for the sake of a friend.
"Do you think this is a trap set by the ' Mandated Punishers '?" he asked finally.
Isengard, holding his pipe, pondered and said:
"I have always tried to avoid Mandated Punishers, and I don't know enough about the relevant situations."
"I'll ask around and if I hear anything, I'll write to you."
"Okay, thank you." Klein bowed sincerely.
That evening, he received a letter delivered by Isengard, which contained only one sentence:
"This case wasn't handled by the Mandated Punishers '; the royal family, citing Talym Dumont's noble lineage, took it over."