The visitor was a man in a dark green postman's uniform who smiled ingratiatingly at Klein.
"Is this Mr. Sherlock Moriarty?"
"Yes." Klein vaguely guessed the other party's intentions.
The visitor immediately raised his right hand and handed over a palm-sized object wrapped in layers of black gauze:
"Please sign for your package."
Klein deliberately revealed his doubts:
"Shouldn't I normally be given a slip of paper so I can pick it up at the corresponding post office myself?"
The postal system of the Kingdom of Loen was perfectly replicated from Intis, even copying many of its shortcomings. For any mail that could not be directly put into the mailbox, no matter what it was, they would only give a "collection slip" and leave the recipient to handle it themselves.
"... Haha, because it's quite valuable, I have to deliver it to you personally." The postman paused for a moment before saying.
It seems you're not professional enough; you're not a real mailman... Klein didn't ask any more questions, took the package, pen, and form, and quickly signed for it.
He closed the door and returned to the living room. Instead of opening the package, he took out a gold coin and juggled it into the air.
Snap!
Klein caught the gold coin and glanced down to see if it was a portrait or a number.
Numbers facing up indicate negation, meaning there is no hidden danger... Klein nodded slightly, put away the gold coins, touched the paper figure in his pocket, and carefully began to unpack the package.
As the layers of black gauze were removed, the contents were clearly revealed: a pale gold pocket watch with elegant patterns, a handkerchief stained with dark red blood, seven or eight short, curly brown hairs tied together, and a stack of notes.
Talym's personal belongings, hair, flesh and blood, daily Record, all complete... Prince Edessak is quite efficient, it's not even evening yet... Klein looked at the things spread out on the coffee table and suddenly felt that many eyes were watching him at this moment.
An ancient Angel Family with a history of over two thousand years, its foundation is beyond imagination. Getting caught up in the infighting within the royal family means you could be crushed into dust at any moment... Perhaps I'm already under surveillance... I must act mediocre enough, useless enough, to ensure my own safety... Klein had already figured out what to do, and calmly began checking his pocket watch, handkerchief, and hair.
During this process, his Spirituality intuition offered no warnings or prevented him from performing the Divination.
Having gained some confidence, Klein went to the living room, took out a piece of stationery, picked up a pen, and wrote down the Divination statement:
"The real cause of Talym Dumont's death."
He acted generously and openly, seemingly unaware that he was being monitored.
Picking up his curlers and handkerchief, Klein silently recited Divination phrases while leaning back against the sofa, his eyes deepening as he entered Cogitation.
After seven repetitions, he arrived in the dream world and saw the familiar lobby of the Cragg Club.
Then, he witnessed Talym Dumont clutching his heart, his face Distortion as he collapsed.
"This revelation suggests that Talym did indeed die from a sudden heart attack..." Klein opened his eyes and muttered to himself.
He frowned, his expression showing confusion, bewilderment, and contemplation.
He tried different Divination phrases several times and got the same result.
He got up and paced back and forth several times.
He clenched his fist and hit his head, seemingly angry at himself for not being good enough to help his friend find the real culprit.
Finally, he slumped down and remained motionless for a long time, appearing like a silhouette of a stone statue in the dimly lit room.
That's enough, don't overdo it... If no one was watching, I was just outsmarting thin air... Klein shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh, got up and walked towards the kitchen.
After dinner, he seemed to have regained his spirits and began to carefully read the notes on the stack of sticky notes, which included what Talym had done and who he had met on the day of his death and in the days before.
Home, Red Rose Manor, Cragg Club, Viscount Conrad's mansion... nothing seemed out of the ordinary... Klein picked up a sharpened pencil and drew several circles, marking the places he would visit and the targets he would inquire about over the next few days.
After doing all this, he sighed deeply, packed his belongings with little confidence, washed up, and went to bed.
In the middle of the night, when the crimson moon was obscured by layers of clouds, Klein suddenly opened his eyes and woke up.
He rolled out of bed, slowly Door Opening, entered the adjacent bathroom, and hid his true self with Paper Figurine Substitute.
He walked four steps backwards and arrived above the Gray Fog, where he sat down in the seat designated for the " The Fool ".
His eyes had become clear, no longer showing any signs of dejection, frustration, or pessimism.
Immediately afterwards, Klein took out the projection of a bloodstained handkerchief from a hidden pocket in his pajamas, which had been made from old clothes.
While packing his belongings, he used the " Magician's" extraordinary ability to secretly pull out the handkerchief and hide it on his person!
Taking a breath, Klein conjured paper and pen and wrote down the same Divination statement as before:
"The real cause of Talym Dumont's death."
After silently reciting the mantra seven times with a calm and peaceful mind, he took the paper and handkerchief, leaned back in his chair, and fell into a deep sleep in the quiet and empty ancient palace.
In the gray, fragmented, and illusory world, Klein saw a scene completely different from what he had seen before.
What appeared before his eyes was a palm-sized Puppet, seemingly carved casually, complete with eyes, nose, and mouth.
A few drops of dark red blood stained the Puppet, giving it an eerie appearance.
A hand reached out; the skin was fair, delicate, smooth, and well-proportioned, with long, slender fingers and a balanced physique.
Most notably, a uniquely designed ring set with a sapphire was worn on the little finger of the hand.
Snap!
The index finger of that hand, wreathed in illusory black flames, touched the Puppet's heart.
Without a sound, the image shattered, and Klein awoke from his dream.
His the Original assessment was correct; Talym did indeed die from the curse!
But the problem is, since everyone got a glimpse of the moment the curse was cast, why wasn't the full view shown? This mysterious space above the Gray Fog should be able to filter out interference... Klein was puzzled.
Normally, if the revelation is too abstract and too easy to misinterpret, it's a problem with his own limited Divination skills or the difficulty of the matter he wants to Divination, and has nothing to do with the Gray Fog, which is understandable. However, it's quite puzzling that he only limited the scene before and after the curse to a very small part, without providing a more effective revelation, even though he clearly presented the scene before and after the curse.
Has there been a similar situation before? Klein dug for the reasons from his own experience.
Suddenly, he sat up straight, recalling a similar experience.
In Tingen, similar situations arose when he Divination the true reasons behind several coincidences!
He could clearly see the house with the red chimney, but he couldn't reach Ince Zangwill and the Sealed Artifact "0-08" inside!
Is this... is something or someone at the "0" level of Sealed Artifact fighting against the power of the Gray Fog? Klein narrowed his eyes sharply.
No, not necessarily. There are still many possibilities. We need to confirm it again! He tried to calm himself down.
As for how to confirm it, it's no problem for the experienced man; the method is simple: just do the same Divination again.
If the revelation remains unchanged, it indicates that things are not as terrible as they seem. If the Divination is no longer successful, it means that the target or something around the target can, to some extent, counteract the Gray Fog, just like "0-08"!
Taking a deep breath, Klein calmly repeated the Divination he had performed earlier.
"The real cause of Talym Dumont's death."
He leaned back in his chair, reciting softly, his eyes gradually deepening.
In his dream, he saw only a hazy, broken Gray Fog, with no Puppet or fingers remaining.
brush!
Klein straightened his back, his expression unusually solemn.
What exactly is Talym involved in? He frowned and muttered to himself.
He had no further questions about what to do next: slack off, do the bare minimum, fool Prince Edessak for a while, and then tell him that the truth could not be found.
Sigh, this world is terrifying. You can easily come into contact with something extremely frightening without even realizing it... Klein sighed inwardly, not daring to linger any longer, and quickly returned to the bathroom in reality.
Tuesday morning at 9:00 AM, Crown Cemetery.
Klein, dressed in a black shirt, black vest, and black wool coat, stood at the edge of the crowd, holding flowers he had bought for 12 Soli. He watched with a solemn expression as Talym Dumont's coffin was carried over, laid to rest, and slowly buried in the ground.
During this process, Talym's mother's eyes were red and swollen, and she tried to speak several times, but she could only sob uncontrollably. His father's hair was gray, and he looked haggard. He even seemed a little shaky just standing there.
The scene came into view, and Klein tilted his head back slightly and closed his eyes.
After the funeral attendees had all left, he walked over, bent down, and placed the plain white flowers in his hand on top of his fellow mourners.
He silently said to himself, "I'm sorry..."
As he straightened up, stepped aside, and prepared to leave, Klein noticed reporter Mike and Doctor Allen approaching.
"It's such a pity. I never expected Talym to... to actually... sigh..." Mike's expression was somber, and he couldn't finish his sentence.
The usually aloof Allen took off his glasses, wiped his eyes, and sighed softly:
"He was a passionate guy; he shouldn't have ended up like this."
"Yes, he could have gotten rid of the bad reputation left by his grandfather," Klein chimed in.
Just then, he saw a woman in a heavy black dress and a veil covering her face walk toward Talym's grave, also holding a bouquet of white flowers in her hands.
Klein casually looked away, leaving only his eyes glancing in that direction.
The woman bent down to place the flowers, revealing her left hand, which was covered by a black gauze glove.
On the little finger of her left palm, a blue gemstone was faintly visible.
Klein's scalp tingled.
He felt numb all over.
PS: Both updates are finished for today. Please vote with monthly tickets and recommendations!