Chapter 370: The Audience's Applause

*Bounty reward, transportation fees, and medicine with Beyonder

effects...* Emlyn White was left momentarily dazed when he first

heard that.

This was not the answer that he had expected.

What about your gentlemanliness? the vampire thought in shock.

*As a detective, abiding by clear accounting principles is necessary.

Besides, you've even delayed my visit to the Quelaag Club. I don't know

what food they've offered in limited supply for the past two

days...* Klein looked at Emlyn White as he joked and lampooned

silently.

After a few seconds, Emlyn forced a smile and said, "I have to see the

patient before I can concoct the appropriate medicine."

From your tone, you sound really confident... Klein nodded

thoughtfully.

He then thought of a problem.

*The White family seems to be a family of outstanding potion scholars.

If I were to really be injured and poisoned, then I can come to them for

treatment... Wouldn't all of my efforts of going out of my way to get

the Apothecary formula from Father Utravsky be for naught? I no longer

need to nurture another aide that's good at healing... Reality sure does

change faster than a plan...*

*However, it's not really a waste either. I've already made back my

investment from Miss Magician. For things like formulas, as long as it

exists, it will always be valuable...*

*Besides, the White family will definitely stay away from Riverbay

Avenue and live their lives with new secret identities. I might not be

able to find them, so it's not that convenient...*

*No, before the Mental Terror Candle's inducing thoughts are resolved,

all I need to do is wait for Emlyn White at the Harvest

Church...*

With this in mind, Klein took off his hat, bowed and said, "No problem,

I will take you there when the time comes.

"I shall not waste your time any further. Cheerio."

Emlyn White's expression changed as he hesitantly said, "If you can

remove the effect of the Mental Terror Candle, then you will receive a

greater bounty, and..." He paused and raised his chin. "...and the

friendship of the Sanguine."

*I'm a Magician, and I possess the Sun Brooch and Biological Poison

Bottle. I'm only limited to mediumship when it comes to the aspect of

one's psyche, so what can I do? Amongst the people I know, only Miss

Justice is a close match, but she's only a Sequence 8 Telepathist...

Unless you change your faith to "The Fool that doesn't belong to this

era," then we will be able to find out how to use the knowledge recorded

in the Book of Secrets to help you solve this problem through a

corresponding ritual... Speaking of which, vampires seemed to be

worshipers of the Primordial Moon, very similar to the Shaman King and

the like... Could the ancient god recorded in the City of Silver---the

Vampire Ancestor, Lilith---be the Primordial Moon?*

Klein said with a smile as his thoughts wandered, "I'll keep a lookout

for ways to help you."

Emlyn White nodded and didn't say anything else. He impatiently turned

around and rushed to the door.

If it wasn't for the fact that the carriage driver was still nearby, he

would've spread his black bat wings and soared directly to the second

floor.

Klein laughed and shook his head emotively.

He rode back in the same rental carriage and arrived at the steam metro

not far away. He then made a transfer and returned to Cherwood Borough's

15 Minsk Street.

Before entering the room, Klein, who had become accustomed to opening

the letterbox, checked for letters.

To his surprise, there really was a letter.

There was no stamp on the letter. It was addressed to Detective Sherlock

Moriarty and was signed off with "Jurgen Cooper."

Lawyer Jurgen? Puzzled, Klein picked up the envelope and tore

it open.

Under the light of the street lamp, he saw a piece of paper and two

bills.

The denominations of these two notes were one soli and five soli.

*A total of six soli... I fed the cat three times during the period...

The agreement was two soli per instance...* Realizing the

reason, Klein opened the door and lit the gas lamp.

As he unfolded the letter, he discovered that it didn't contain much,

and the words that Jurgen had handwritten were as precise and serious as

he was.

"Dear Detective Moriarty,

"Thank you for taking care of Brody over the past few days. This is the

reward you deserve.

"I rang the doorbell twice and found that you weren't at home, so I

could only put the payment in an envelope and put it in your letterbox.

"As I might not be able to come back until tomorrow evening, I might

miss the verbal agreement which my grandmother promised---tonight.

"As a lawyer, I value the validity of verbal agreements and hope that

they will be carried out strictly.

"Finally, thank you once again.

"Jurgen Cooper."

*Mr. Lawyer, your gratitude is so dry and boring that it's even inferior

to Brody's, but the explanation for your behavior is very detailed. It

really fits the Jurgen style... Also, why place it in my mailbox? If

this were Earth, in the time before I transmigrated, I might not even

look at the mailbox downstairs for months...* Klein smiled as he

folded the bills and placed them in his pocket. Then, he took out a

sheet of paper and wrote to Detective Stuart.

After writing the beginning pleasantries, he wrote after some

deliberation:

"...I found Emlyn White at the Harvest Church near Tuteva Street. It's a

very small cathedral belonging to the Church of Earth Mother. It isn't

very common in Loen... Emlyn White claimed that it was because of

certain matters that he chose to run away from home. Afterwards, he was

taken in by the bishop of the Harvest Church and stayed there, becoming

a..."

Klein thought for a moment before writing down the word "volunteer."

Then he added simply:

"Thanks to my persuasion, he has returned to 48 Riverbay Avenue.

However, he might visit the Harvest Church often for volunteer work."

When he was done, Klein read through it, then he put down the pen and

neatly folded the letter.

He rummaged around for an envelope, but he didn't affix the

corresponding stamp. He planned to hire someone to deliver it directly

to Stuart's house the next day.

If he were to go through the Kingdom's postal system, even if he were to

put the letter in the mailbox now, he wouldn't be able to get it taken

away by the postman until tomorrow, and then there would be the process

of sorting and delivering it. So, although he was also in the royal

capital of Backlund, Stuart would have to wait at least until the day

after next before seeing the letter. Only then would the Whites be

notified. And during this period of time, Emlyn White was a penniless

guy with only his dolls.

This is also for the sake of receiving payment early... Klein

chuckled, tidied up the coffee table, and returned to the second floor

to brush his teeth and take a bath.

On Wednesday morning, after spending two soli and entrusting a rental

carriage driver to deliver the letter, Klein bought some of the main

ingredients for Desi seafood rice, intending to cook fried rice today.

He couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva when he thought of the

pearly white rice.

After spending some time, he finally cooked a pot of fragrant fried rice

with bacon and black tea after going through all sorts of hassles in the

kitchen. It was so delicious that tears almost filled his eyes.

This is truly a moving and nostalgic taste... After eating two

large plates of fried rice, Klein sat down on the chair and rubbed his

belly.

As Emlyn White's situation had too many twists and turns, his

performance had already ended before it had even really begun, and he

couldn't achieve the desired goal. Thus, he could only look for another

opportunity to take the initiative for a performance.

However, Klein still benefited from this. Failure was also an

experience, and it made him understand at least one thing:

*Unlike ordinary magicians, my performance not only has aides, but it

also has enemies and participants. Their reactions and choices can

similarly affect its development. I have to consider all of these

elements ahead of time...*

*This is also a lesson. It's better to be taught a lesson over such a

trivial matter than to be schooled when facing important

matters...*

Klein looked at the empty plate in front of him and contemplated about

what other "performances" he could initiate.

After a moment of serious consideration, he realized that there weren't

any.

Of course, it wasn't absolute. They were just unsuitable for him to do

them now.

For example, Klein had always wanted to take care of that evil spirit in

the Fourth Epoch ruins of the Tudor Dynasty. But even if it was Sharron,

who had the Scarlet Lunar Corona, and Maric, who had obtained the

Rampager Beyonder characteristic of a Wraith, Klein didn't think that

they were able to fight against the High-Sequence monster. It was even

possible to end up dead before even knowing why.

*Taking the initiative to perform isn't equivalent to courting death.

It's not about using one's life to perform...* Klein warned

himself.

There was something else he wanted to do, but he didn't think there was

much of a chance.

It was to find the strange child, Will Auceptin, who had brought bad

luck to the surgeon, Aaron.

Klein had always been interested in the tarot card which the child

possessed, and he wanted to confirm if it was a mystical item.

Unfortunately, this case had already been taken over by the Nighthawks,

and Klein didn't want to get involved with his former colleagues.

*I'll wait for Dr. Aaron's break time before heading to the Quelaag Club

and asking about the progress, and then I'll decide what to

do...* Klein's thoughts quickly took shape.

According to what he knew, Dr. Aaron was usually free on Friday

afternoons and Sundays in which he would play tennis at the Quelaag

Club.

Klein had also confirmed one thing through today's Backlund Morning

Post. There would be a Beyonder gathering tomorrow night organized by

Eye of Wisdom.

*I can't sell the Werewolf Beyonder characteristic or the Biological

Poison Bottle for the time being. I can't even find someone to turn the

former into a mystical item... The High-Sequence Beyonders of the Rose

School of Thought are definitely still active nearby, filled with rage.

I bet they can't wait to find Sharron, Maric, and their helper before

tearing them apart... He had to keep a low profile in this area for the

time being...* Klein picked up his napkin, wiped his mouth, and

began to clear the table.

He had wanted to rest for the day and go to the Quelaag Club for a

leisurely day without taking the initiative to perform, but then he

recalled the Amon avatar which attempted to penetrate the gray fog, and

he recalled the role that the Book of Secrets had played in that

harrowing moment.

So Klein lit the fireplace in the living room and brought the Book of

Secrets back to the real world. He then concentrated on reading,

studying, and taking notes.

Of course, he would later burn the corresponding notes above the gray

fog.

It was already noon before he realized it when he suddenly heard the

doorbell ring.

After hiding the Book of Secrets, Klein entered the living room and went

straight to the door.

The visitor was the thin, bearded Detective Stuart.

He looked at Klein with great reverence and excitement, and he couldn't

wait to praise him.

"You really are a great detective with abundant resources and channels.

You were actually able to solve this kind of case without any clues!"

*...Why do I feel a slight change in my spirituality? It seems like the

potion has been digested a little more... In other words, my

"performance" still enjoyed some limited success. However, there's only

one person in the audience, and only he was fooled into seeing the

wonderful outcome... An audience's applause really is

effective...* Klein was startled before he revealed a warm

smile.