The feeling was familiar, and the experienced Klein immediately used the " Clown's" abilities to control his facial expressions and the slight trembling in his body.
He gently but slowly withdrew his gaze, ensuring that his casual glance didn't reveal anything unusual.
"Oh, Talym is so young, he's not even married yet, no children," Klein remarked casually.
He said this because it gave him a reasonable explanation for the subtle reaction of the woman offering flowers: she connected the woman with Talym to his marital and family situation, and then to the fact that her friend had died young, thus becoming overwhelmed with grief.
"Yes, actually, at his age, he should have gotten married four or five years ago. Unfortunately, his grandfather's incident left him with a very strong psychological shadow, and he has always been averse to marriage until recently," reporter Mike echoed with a sigh.
At this moment, it was as if a thicket of Klein was slowly and deeply piercing his skin and flesh, making him extremely tense.
The woman in the black dress, with a sapphire ring on her left pinky finger, straightened up, glanced around calmly, and then, accompanied by two maids, quietly left Talym's tomb, walking further and further away into the distance.
Whew... Klein breathed a silent sigh of relief.
The feeling of being stabbed in the back quickly turned into a cold sweat.
Who exactly is she, and why is she laying flowers at her grave? Talym's lover? But how could Talym, who has no wealth, power, status, or position, possibly have a relationship with a terrifying figure involved with a "0" level Sealed Artifact or Demigod of the same level? This isn't a novel! Besides, she must have used a curse to kill Talym... The waters behind this are very deep... Klein listened calmly as reporter Mike and Doctor Allen recounted Talym's past.
He quickly expanded his thinking and realized that the most perplexing aspect of this matter was:
The death of an ordinary person with no money, power, status, or strength could actually involve a level 0 Sealed Artifact or a powerful being of the same level—this is simply unbelievable!
But this wasn't an isolated case; similar incidents had occurred around me... Klein suddenly made a connection and looked at the Doctor, Allen:
There is a high possibility that a Sequence 1 " Mercury Snake " is hidden in the home of this ordinary person!
Following this line of thought, Klein recalled the nearly five months he had spent in the world and was astonished to find that he had unknowingly become entangled with several Demigod and numerous terrifying Sealed Artifact.
The woman who just killed Talym, " Mercury Snake " Will Auceptin, " Blasphemer " Amon, the mysterious woman in the Kingdom Museum, High-Sequence powerhouse of the Rose School of Thought, "0-08", "1-42", Ince Zangwill, the Mutated Holy Emblem of the Sun, the Antigonus Family Notebook, Mr. Azik Eggers, who is suspected to be a descendant of the Death, Mr. "The Door", the Hermits of Fate... one name after another Blink through Klein's mind, and every time he named one, he wanted to gasp.
He calmed his mind and pondered carefully:
"This doesn't even include the ' True Creator ' and the ' Eternal Blazing Sun,' who rank above these... Strictly speaking, I myself can be included in this category, after all, I came from the Black Divination and possess a soul from another world that wields the eerie Gray Fog... Is this the tipping point of another era after Roselle, which is why Demigod and terrifying Sealed Artifact are entering real life one after another...?"
As Klein's thoughts raced, the grieving reporter Mike and Doctor Allen took their leave one after the other, and he left the cemetery at a leisurely pace.
Just as he was looking around, searching for a carriage to rent, a familiar carriage emerged from its hiding place and stopped in front of him.
Although the coat of arms on the black carriage was skillfully concealed, Klein still recognized it at a glance as Prince Edessak's carriage.
Without a sound, the car door opened, and the meticulously combed old butler stepped out, gesturing politely for them to enter.
"His Highness is waiting for you."
"Okay." Klein entered the spacious and warm carriage without the slightest bit of guilt.
Prince Edessak wore a dark blue overcoat with a collar and a sash-like design on the chest, which made him look exceptionally noble.
He stroked the diamond lapel pin, a hint of sigh in his narrow eyes:
"Even attending a friend's funeral is restricted; I can't be there in person, I can only watch from afar, and I can only send someone to offer flowers on my behalf. This is the lack of freedom in the royal family."
"If Talym's grandfather hadn't lost his title, you shouldn't have needed to be so cautious," Klein said, following Prince Edessak's gesture as he sat down opposite him.
Edessak raised his glass of blood-red Ormir wine and said:
"Alas, I originally planned to find an opportunity to help Talym's father regain some of his title, but unfortunately..."
He delved deeper into the topic and then asked:
" Sherlock, did you receive that package?"
"Yes." Klein answered only the questions asked, never offering any further details.
Edessak nodded slightly and said:
Any progress?
"I used Talym's hair, flesh, and personal belongings to perform several Divination, but the conclusion was always that he died of a sudden heart attack." Klein's smooth, emotionless narration was a blatant Psychological Suggestion that "my Sequence is not high," "my skill is limited," "although I am good at Divination, the other party is much more powerful," and "I certainly cannot uncover the truth."
Edessak's expression revealed barely concealed disappointment, and he sighed:
"What are your plans for the investigation afterward?"
"Start with the people Talym contacted and the places he visited in the days before his death," Klein replied, following the pre-arranged plan.
Edessak glanced at the old butler:
"This will definitely involve coercion, interrogation, and bribery. Hmm... give Sherlock 100 pounds for investigation expenses."
"Yes, Your Highness." The old butler pulled out a stack of banknotes that he had prepared beforehand from his pocket.
A direct grant of £100 for expenses? Klein was once again struck by Prince Edessak's generosity.
"I will do my best to investigate." He took the £100 in cash, put it directly into his pocket, and didn't bother to count it.
"May we bring peace to Talym." Prince Edessak clenched his right fist and lightly struck his left chest.
As he spoke, he turned his head to look out the window, towards the Crown Cemetery not far away.
He still had some affection for Talym... Klein sighed inwardly, as the old butler led him away from the carriage.
Inside the Earl Hall's luxurious villa in Queens Borough.
Audrey looked at the psychology teacher, Islante, whose hair reached her waist, and then pretended to look around cautiously.
She then lowered her voice and said:
"Teacher Islante, I recently attended a new gathering of Beyonder. There were people there offering high prices for the properties of the Human-skinned Shadow and the ' Wind-blessed ' Potion recipe. Hmm, different people... these should all be Mid-Sequence items, right? Sounds interesting. Oh yes, are you interested?"
Islante paused for a moment, then pondered for a few seconds before saying:
"I'll go back and ask."
"Okay," Audrey replied cheerfully, as if she simply found similar Mid-Sequence transactions interesting.
Islante retracted his attention and said seriously:
"Miss Audrey, although you are already Sequence 8 Beyonder, you have not received formal occult education, and you lack sufficient understanding of many applied techniques of ' Spectator ' and ' Mind Reader,' as well as the corresponding theoretical foundations. From today onwards, I will guide you to gradually become a true Beyonder."
"That's exactly what I wanted," Audrey said sincerely.
Susie, the golden retriever squatting beside her feet, wagged her tail happily, seemingly pleased for her owner.
Having decided to slack off, Klein returned to 15 Minsk Street by carriage.
He Door Opening the door and went inside, but just as he was about to take off his hat, his movements suddenly froze.
His Spirituality intuition told him that a stranger had entered the living room and the bedroom!
This... is almost no attempt to hide it... Is it some kind of warning? A warning is better than no warning at all... Klein stood in the hallway, silent for a long time.
Immediately, he turned and went out, taking a horse-drawn carriage to the Steam Church.
The church features a towering chimney and bell tower; the former represents the power of Steam, while the latter hangs intricate clocks, symbolizing the beauty of mechanics.
It was neither the weekend nor noon or evening, and only a few believers were quietly praying in the church hall.
Klein sat down in a seat near the aisle, leaned on his cane, took off his hat, and pretended to pray for ten minutes in front of the holy emblem.
Then, he picked up his things, walked down the aisle to the altar, and said to the bishop standing beside him:
"I want to repent."
"Good, God is watching over you." The kind-faced bishop with graying temples led the way to the confessional on the side.
Klein followed closely behind and closed the door.
He sat down in a chair and addressed the bishop through the wooden plank:
"I repent that I failed to uphold my principles and chose to back down in the face of danger."
"What were you thinking at the time?" the bishop asked softly.
Klein immediately recounted Talym's death, his own doubts, the reminder about the " Machinery Hivemind," Prince Edessak's request, and his heartfelt retreat in the face of royal infighting after failing to obtain the desired answer through Divination.
The reason he didn't approach Carlson directly was that he was not only being watched by the other side, but also being secretly observed by Prince Edessak's men. If he clearly revealed his intention to be perfunctory and slack off, he might encounter further Calamity.
The Steam Church is the headquarters of the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery in Backlund, and is one of their three great temples. No one is allowed to spy on it.
Klein's plan was to use the Church of Steam to convey his true thoughts and avoid being drawn into a deeper conflict.
Simply put, it means following your heart's desire.
The bishop listened quietly and replied in an unchanged tone:
Your choice is a human instinct, and God will not blame you.
"Go back now, God will protect you."
That's good... Klein understood the Psychological Suggestion and quietly left the Steam Church.
Standing on the street outside, looking at the sky shrouded in a thin mist, he sighed silently:
Improve as soon as possible.
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