Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

The bearded gentleman was none other than the renowned detective Sherlock Moriarty—in other words, Klein.

He discreetly observed the man sitting next to him, who was dressed in a white shirt covered by a black vest, his hair meticulously groomed. Klein found him oddly familiar.

After carefully recalling for a moment, realization dawned in Klein's eyes. On the night I cleansed Miss "Judgement" of her black mark, this gentleman and his wife had entered "Tower's" bedroom to deliver fresh clothes, food, and drinks to the ladies…

He must be Mr. "Tower's" butler? Why is he here at Harvest Church? Could "Tower" have some connection to the Church of the Earth Mother?

Hmm… it might not be directly related to the church. Perhaps he knows someone within the church, which is why he visits frequently.

With this thought, Klein turned his gaze toward the priestess at the front of the prayer hall, Miss Hazel Macht. He nodded thoughtfully and stopped paying attention to the gentleman beside him.

He patiently waited, calm and composed, until the sermon concluded. Then, he gripped his cane, preparing to rise and continue his tasks.

At that moment, a man wearing the robe of the Church of the Earth Mother entered through the door leading to the back rooms of the church.

He appeared to be around twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, with black hair, red eyes, a high nose bridge, and thin lips. He was handsome but not particularly masculine in appearance. It was none other than Emlyn White, whom Klein had seen in his prophetic dream.

Klein's mouth slowly fell open, and he nearly failed to close it again.

Isn't this guy supposed to be locked in the basement?

Didn't he shout repeatedly about holding onto his faith and refusing to submit to Bishop Utravsky's ideals?

How did he surrender so quickly?

This is beyond shameless! How am I supposed to "perform" in this situation?

While Klein was mentally ranting, Emlyn White was distributing the elements of the Holy Communion to the gathered believers, eventually stopping right in front of Klein.

Klein's mind raced, and he lowered his voice:

"You're Emlyn White, aren't you? Your parents hired a friend of mine to look for you…"

Emlyn White's usual haughty demeanor had disappeared, replaced by a weak smile that looked only slightly better than crying.

"Alright, Detective, stop acting… I know you're the Clown who visited that night… or rather, the new owner of the Master Key…

"Your disguise couldn't fool that little girl over there who can lift the church doors with one hand, let alone me.

"But still, even though I'm now a priest of the Earth Mother, I need to thank you…"

This response completely exceeded Klein's expectations. For a moment, he didn't know how to react and could only scream internally:

So… you really surrendered?

Last time at Harvest Church, you confidently said you worship the Moon and would never switch faiths. And now, just a short while later, you've given in?

That was fast!

Also, why is it that both you and Miss Hazel can so easily see through my disguise? I thought my disguise was pretty good…

Seeing Klein's slightly open mouth, Emlyn misunderstood his expression and smiled smugly:

"Heh, for noble vampires, every person has a unique scent, a distinctive blood characteristic. Even while I was locked in the basement, I could smell and remember your scent.

"As for Miss Hazel, the arm under her glove might have some… issues. There's something strange residing within it."

I see… The extraordinary abilities of different pathways are truly unpredictable. Fortunately, up to now, I haven't encountered someone who knows both Klein and Sherlock. Otherwise, my simple disguise wouldn't last long…

As for being identified as an extraordinary by Emlyn and Hazel, Klein wasn't too concerned.

If they recognize me, so be it. The current situation is vastly different from two months ago when I first arrived in Backlund.

Back then, I was frantic and desperate after the ambassador's incident, barely clinging to every opportunity to survive. During that time, exposure to the extraordinary world and even becoming a Beyonder wasn't entirely impossible. Even if someone discovers my Beyonder identity now, they wouldn't overthink it.

Moreover, "Tower's" teacher, Detective Isengard, maintains good relations with the police and the official organizations. He vaguely suspected I was one of them and gently tried to bring me into the fold. In that sense, I could barely count as an unofficial member of the authorities. If something happens, I won't necessarily be arrested.

And if push comes to shove, I can always reveal my identity as "The World" and ask Miss "Judgement" for help.

As Klein relaxed and began discussing with Emlyn about why he had become a priest of the Earth Mother, Mr. Scudder had already reported Liv and Freyja's tragic situation to Bishop Utravsky.

After listening to the report, Bishop Utravsky remained silent, but Hazel frowned and asked, "Such incidents… aren't they under police jurisdiction?"

"In the East Borough, such events aren't uncommon… Unless there's a major incident, the police rarely pay attention to them," Mr. Scudder explained. He had spent time wandering in the East Borough after arriving in Backlund and was familiar with its rules. The police there were far more interested in enforcing the Poor Law and driving away vagrants sleeping in public spaces than in preventing crime.

"How can this happen?!" Hazel, though not born wealthy like Miss Justice, had grown up in relative comfort and had never witnessed the true suffering of the lower classes. The most despicable things she had seen were disputes over inheritances.

However, even in the original novel, this young lady had always been warm-hearted and willing to help others. After joining the Church of the Earth Mother and listening to Bishop Utravsky's sermons daily, this quality had only grown stronger.

She hesitated briefly, then turned to Bishop Utravsky and asked if it was appropriate for her to get involved.

Bishop Utravsky lowered his head slightly, gazed at the priestly robes on Hazel, and said with a warm smile:

"Go, child. Follow the choice in your heart. The Mother will bless you."

Hazel hesitated and said, "If this group is so brazen, they might have powerful backing… If I act recklessly, could it bring trouble to the church?"

Bishop Utravsky maintained his gentle smile and replied:

"Every person has their mission. All will return to the earth, buried deep in the soil, sprouting anew, growing tall, and blossoming—one life after another.

"This is the fate of all things. If the Harvest Church suffers oppression because of this, then that oppression is simply a part of our destiny, a plan laid out by fate and the Mother."

Hazel's expression turned resolute. "If things do go wrong, I'll ask my father for help!

"There's always a way to resolve things."

...

Later, when Hazel arrived at Ebner's garden villa with Mr. Scudder, they coincidentally encountered Xio, who had just received the message and rushed over.

(End of Chapter)