Chapter 438: Invitation

The royal family... Klein held the letter he received from

Isengard Stanton and silently murmured to himself.

He looked up and outside the window, and he saw the rain pattering down.

The gas lamps on the streets were giving off quiet halos.

Inside the living room, the coffee table was neat and tidy, with a few

stacks of newspapers placed in the corner. There was silence all around

him.

Klein sat on the sofa as he leaned forward a little. He sat there

silently for a long time.

After nearly ten minutes, he exhaled and shook his head. Slowly and

heavily, he tossed the letter into the trash can.

He slowly stood up and expressionlessly walked to the second floor.

And in the trash can, Isengard Stanton's letter caught fire silently and

quickly crumpled into black ashes.

On Monday morning, Klein stood in front of the mirror, pressed his right

thumb and middle finger to his temples, and rubbed them with a little

more strength.

When he was done, he turned on the faucet, lowered his body, splashed

the cold tap water onto his face, and washed his face while having a fit

at the cold.

After freshening himself up, he hung up the towel, walked to the first

floor, and simply made a single-sided, well-done fried eggs with

buttered toast.

Of course, a cup of black tea with a few slices of lemon quenched his

thirst and reduced the cloy sensation he was feeling.

After breakfast, as he was idly flipping through the rest of the

newspapers, Klein suddenly heard the tinkling of the doorbell.

*Who is it? A new commission? Could it be that the Machinery Hivemind

has already finished exploring the Amon family's tomb? No, it can't be

that fast...* Klein muttered as he put away his napkin and

newspapers and walked slowly to the door.

When he held the handle, the image of the visitor outside the door

appeared in his mind.

It was an elderly gentleman dressed to a tee. His snow-white shirt was

starched, and a thick grayish-blue vest completely hid his belly. The

long tailcoat had sharp lines without any blemishes on it.

The gentleman was wearing a pair of shiny leather shoes, so shiny that

it was impossible to tell if he had walked through the rain or mud.

He wore a pair of white knitted gloves, with silver hair at his temples.

His face was deeply wrinkled, and his light brown eyes were so serious

that they didn't contain a hint of a smile.

I don't know him... Klein mumbled and opened the door.

"May I know who you're looking for?" he asked politely.

The elderly gentleman took off his hat, pressed it to his chest, and

saluted in the most standard manner.

"Mr. Sherlock Moriarty, I'm a butler who has come to invite you in place

of my master."

"Do I know your esteemed master? Why is he looking for me?" Klein's head

was completely filled with questions.

But at this moment, he had already noticed a carriage parked across the

cement road. It had a deep black outer shell, and there was a curtain on

the inside of the window. It was obvious that it was nothing ordinary.

There's luxury amidst being low-key... Klein looked closely

and suddenly saw that there was a coat of arms in a conspicuous part of

the carriage.

The main body of the coat of arms was a vertical sword facing down, and

the hilt of the sword had a red crown.

*That's the... Sword of Judgment... It's the Sword of Judgment

representing the royal Augustus family!* Klein's heart

palpitated as he roughly understood the butler's background.

Perhaps he's a rather powerful Beyonder... Klein made a guess.

The professional and stern butler didn't pay attention to his scrutiny.

He revealed a polite smile and said, "You have never met my master, but

in a sense, you do know him. You have been providing him clues about the

organization that is symbolized by the tarot cards, and he has paid for

the money you need."

*As expected, it's the important figure that Talim mentioned. I've been

using false information to fleece for funds and even submitted all the

reimbursements that Old Kohler required to him... I can't refuse his

invitation now, especially when Talim is dead...* Klein pondered

for two seconds and said, "Did your master come to me due to Talim's

death?"

"Yes, Talim was his friend. He was sad and confused by his death, and he

heard that you were there when it happened," the old butler articulated

clearly.

No, I wasn't... Klein subconsciously wanted to deny it, but he

ultimately could only nod.

"Yes, I saw Talim die in front of me."

"It's really a sad and regretful thing," the butler said in a sincere

tone. "Are you willing to accept my master's invitation?"

*Do I have any reason to refuse? That would just make me look very

suspicious! I might even be killed on the spot by you...* Klein

looked at him and said, "I happen to have nothing planned this morning."

"Alright then. Mr. Moriarty, please." The old butler bent down slightly,

extended his right white-gloved hand, and pointed at the carriage on the

opposite side of the cement road.

*Sigh, I've been trying to avoid getting involved with important

figures. In the end, I have no choice but to face the person behind

Talim after his death... I wonder if this would attract attention or

lead to more in-depth background checks... I have to plan ahead and be

ready to give up my identity and this foothold at any time... Also, I

need to get the Human-skinned Shadow characteristic and the Deep-sea

Naga's hair and advance to Faceless as soon as possible! In that case,

my ability to resist risks would more than double!* When Klein

put on his coat and hat and walked to the carriage with the royal coat

of arms, he had already thought of the subsequent developments.

At this moment, the servant the old butler brought with him opened the

door for him.

Stepping on the thick brown carpet, Klein looked at the wooden cabinets

containing red wine, white wine, champagne, Lanti, and Black Rand, along

with the crystal glasses. Klein felt rather restricted as he sat by the

window.

Lanti referred to strong distilled spirits made from pure malt. There

were many types, such as the sailors' favorite Lanti Proof. The bottles

displayed in the cabinets were obviously of high quality. As for Black

Rand, they referred to strong distilled wines mixed with other fermented

grains, which, like Lanti, was something unique to Loen.

As the carriage drove through the wet streets, Klein asked in passing,

"Are we going to Empress Borough?"

"No, my master is waiting for you at the Red Rose Manor on the outskirts

of Empress Borough." The old butler didn't hide anything.

Looks like this is the royal family's manor... Klein thought

for a moment, then he asked with a smile, "Can you tell me your master's

identity now?"

The old housekeeper's back, which was already straight, became even

straighter as he raised his chin.

"He is the descendant of the Founder and Protector. He's the grandson of

the Might-wielder, the fifth son of His Majesty, Earl of Lastings, His

Highness Prince Edessak Augustus."

*So it's the third prince, the second youngest prince, but he should be

around 21 to 22 years old...* Klein recalled what he had seen in

the occasional descriptions in the newspapers and magazines at the

Quelaag Club.

The horse carriage passed through one street after another, going from

an artificial lake to the northwest. After more than an hour, they

finally arrived at an extremely large manor.

At the entrance to the manor, Klein was inspected by two soldiers in red

military uniforms and white trousers. He didn't hide the existence of

his gun holster and revolver.

He believed that there were definitely people around Prince Edessak who

could tell that he was carrying a gun, and that it easily made things

worse if he fooled them with illusions.

*In any case, the prince knows that I'm a private detective, so his

subordinates definitely wouldn't send guests to the police station just

because I was illegally in possession of a gun...* Klein watched

as the soldier took the gun holster and revolver before he was informed

to take it when he came out.

After two more inspections, Klein followed the old butler, went around

the main house, and came to a wide area with hills and flowing waters.

The only drawback of this place was that the vegetation had long since

withered away in the dead of winter, leaving nothing but desolation.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Several horses came running from the distance

and stopped in front of them.

A young man in white trousers, high-heeled black boots, a fitted shirt,

and a dark rider's tunic nimbly dismounted and walked over. Everyone

else followed closely by his side.

He removed his helmet from his head and smiled at Klein.

"I'm finally meeting you, Detective Moriarty."

Upon seeing this, Klein's eyes lit up. It wasn't because of how handsome

he was, but because he looked like the Henry Augustus I imprinted on

five-pound notes.

Edessak Augustus also had a rotund face and a pair of slender eyes, but

he didn't look serious at all. Instead, he always had a smile on his

face, looking young and spirited.

"I didn't know that you, Your Highness, were the one who entrusted me

with the task." Klein bowed.

Holding a horsewhip in his hand, Edessak weighed it in his palm and

chuckled.

"I heard that you played an important role in the serial killer and

Desire Apostle cases. Talim's recommendation was indeed good. Sigh, who

knew that he would be gone days after I was horse racing with him. He

has gone to the kingdom of storm and lightning."

Since the founding of the kingdom, the Augustus family had always

believed in the Lord of the Storms.

Without waiting for Klein to answer, he said with a heavy expression,

"The investigation into Talim's death didn't go through me, Mr.

Moriarty. I want you to help me discover the truth."

*The conclusion given by the rest of the royal family? Your two elder

brothers? This sudden level of in-fighting isn't something I can

handle... Also, Your Highness, your style is really direct...*

Klein sighed.

"I'm sorry, but I'd still say that Talim died of a sudden heart

disease."

"Is that so? News came from the Mandated Punishers that a detective by

the name of Sherlock Moriarty had testified that Talim had signs of

suffering from a curse." Prince Edessak chuckled.

Klein could only respond with a wry smile, "Your Highness, you should

know the principles I adhere to, I still wish to live another fifty

years."

"Wasn't Talim your friend?" Prince Edessak asked.

Klein was at a loss for an answer when a maid suddenly came from the

main room, quickly approached the prince, and whispered a few words.

Edessak's face stiffened.

"Tell her that she's not to go out!"

After he finished speaking, he took two steps forward. His serious

expression softened, and a hint of softness and helplessness appeared in

his blue eyes.

"But I will permit her to leave the room and walk around freely in the

manor."