The Secret Master

"What's the matter?" Benson casually asked. Melissa looked at her brother seriously because she thought that Klein's performance tonight was equally strange, only slightly better than Elizabeth and then Selina. Klein had already prepared his explanation. He chuckled and said: "There was an error in a certain description of a document. I have instructed my colleague to submit it to the company as soon as they arrive at the office tomorrow morning. So, either I go there now to make the correction, or I get up at least half an hour earlier tomorrow. Without a doubt, I choose the former." "I always thought you weren't concentrating enough when playing cards. Turns out you were thinking about work," Benson suddenly understood and smiled, "No, I apologize. I should have said this: Playing cards helps with thinking." "OK, we'll wait for you," Melissa withdrew her scrutinizing gaze and raised her hand to tidy the ruffled edge of her lamb chop sleeves. Because it was past the operating hours of the tram and bus, the three siblings said their goodbyes and went out, having to hire a taxi nearby. It cost 2 shillings and 45 minutes. "I heard that every taxi driver will randomly raise the fare," Benson said, regretfully paying out most of the money he won, and then grumbled in a low voice. Klein smiled and said: "I think it's acceptable. It's almost 11 o'clock now." "I was just joking. My current thought is that we can actually combine and hire together, along with other guests, and in 45 minutes we can reach many places," Benson looked out at the people who were hiring taxis one after another outside the Black Thorn Security Company and said. I understand, carpooling... Klein stroked the silver-inlaid pattern at the top of his walking stick and said: "We have no problem, but the other guests do. Benson, you didn't notice? They all pay great attention to their own image and are very concerned about 'dignity'. I think this might be the commonality of the middle class." "Um." Benson nodded seriously, "The Woods family is also more luxurious than I imagined. However, Old Woods' salary is only 4 pounds per week... Huh, dignity might be the biggest difference between some middle-class people and the bushy-haired baboons." The bushy-haired baboons have provoked you... Klein almost couldn't hold back a smile. Melissa didn't join their discussion and sat down, occasionally glancing at Klein, making him feel a little uneasy. The light two-wheeled carriage sped through the quiet and dim street in 12 minutes and arrived at Zotlan Street. "Wait for me here, no delay, and I'll come back," Klein emphasized again, put on his hat, took his walking stick, and got off the carriage. Since it was about time calculation, not distance, the driver had no complaints about the waiting. Going up the stairs, Klein arrived outside the Black Thorn Security Company and loudly knocked on the door. In less than ten seconds, the door swung open, Leonard Mitchell, wearing a vest and a shirt, appeared in front of him. "You don't need to stand watch tonight," Leonard emphasized somewhat surprisedly. Klein only needs to be on duty at Chanes Gate one day a week, and the rest of the time he can still maintain a normal routine. As for the unexpected events at night, they are handled by the "night owls" who like the dark. But sleeping only two or three hours a day can cause hair loss and memory decline... Whenever thinking of these, Klein couldn't help teasingly saying to Captain Dunn Smith. "I have something to report." He simply said. "Task?" Leonard gave up his position at the door and casually asked. As soon as Klein entered the reception hall, he saw Dunn wearing a black windbreaker and his gray eyes were as deep as ever. "Captain, I encountered an extraordinary event." "具体情况." Dunn directly asked. Klein recounted the previous events and his own handling in detail "... So, I think it is necessary to conduct an investigation into Hainas Vanzant." At that time, he believed that since the evil thing summoned by the "Magic Mirror Divination" had not yet caused any tragedies and had not received any extremely dangerous warnings, it indicated that the other party might still need time and was unwilling to wake up or control Selina prematurely. Therefore, as long as it did not directly expose its purpose, the evil thing would definitely choose to observe. In this case, Elizabeth tricking Selina to the bedroom door would not be a difficult thing. "You handled it very well. You seized the opportunity when the evil spirit was not yet fully arrived or fully possessed her." Dunn nodded gently and said, "The investigation from now on is up to us. You can go back to rest." Klein let out a sigh of relief and chuckled: "I thought Captain you would make this my entry into the team task, asking me to complete it alone." From the incantation provided by Elizabeth, Hainas Vanzant was somewhat dangerous... "Because your entry task already exists." Leonard, who was casual and laid-back, smiled beside him. "What?" Klein was startled. Dunn's mouth curled up, and his voice was gentle as he explained: "At around seven o'clock in the evening, we received a case transferred from the police station. It was preliminarily confirmed that there was no danger and it was not urgent, so we planned for you to complete it alone tomorrow." "Alright, don't ask what the case is. Have a good sleep tonight. Your rest day is moved to Tuesday or Wednesday." Captain, if you do it this way, I won't be able to sleep well either, right... Moreover, the Monday afternoon is the date of the Tarot gathering... Should we send a message to "Justice" and "The Hangman" in advance to postpone the "news"? Klein shook his head and smiled wryly, then left. Outside the stairwell, he suddenly noticed and looked up at the carriage he hired. He saw Melissa standing by the window, quietly observing him. Their eyes met, and Melissa immediately turned her head and sat up properly. Klein's lips twitched slightly, pretending that nothing had happened as he got on the carriage. Under the red moon and the pure night sky, the two-wheeled carriage moved briskly, passing through one street after another. Back at home, Klein asked Benson to go take a bath first, and then came to the door of Melissa's bedroom and tapped twice. Melissa, who was on her way to the other bathroom, opened the door with a creak and looked at her brother in confusion. "Melissa, do you have anything you want to ask? I know, you do." Klein directly said. Don't always observe secretly... Melissa's lips moved a few times, and she frowned slightly: "Klein, what exactly did you do to Elizabeth? I feel she's not right?" "Also, Selina later became very strange as well." Klein had anticipated this and asked back: "Do you know that Elizabeth and Selina are enthusiasts of mysticism?" "... "Sure, but I don't like it. I don't think there's anything in this world that is beyond understanding." Melissa paused for a moment, then replied seriously, "All the things we don't understand are just because we don't have enough knowledge." "Um, I think so too," Klein said, agreeing sheepishly. I used to think so too, until I made a fool of myself... He coughed twice and continued, "The occult includes Hermes script, which is the special writing used in ancient sacrifices and prayers. Elizabeth knew that I was good at this, ha, after all, this is the domain of historians, so she asked me for some corresponding words and specific meanings of the Hermes script." Melissa nodded slightly, accepting her brother's explanation, as it was in line with her understanding of both of them. "As for why Elizabeth and Selina became strange later, I don't know the exact reason," Klein said, clarifying himself before continuing, "But I can guess." "Can you guess?" Melissa exclaimed in surprise. Klein patted his mouth with his hand and said, "I guessed based on what Elizabeth asked me. The few Hermes scripts she mentioned were related to divination and some evil sacrificial objects. Hmm, did Selina recite Hermes script when she did the magic mirror divination?" He brought up this matter himself to make his sister be vigilant about similar things. If she could stay away from Selina and Elizabeth, that would be even better. "Yes..." Melissa hesitated and replied, "I think I understand why Elizabeth and Selina are strange..." At this point, Klein deliberately asked rhetorically: "Because Selina's magic mirror divination involves evil and illegal beliefs. After Elizabeth figured out the specific meanings of the corresponding Hermes script from me, she found an opportunity to criticize and correct the other person's mistake?" "I think so," Melissa was convinced of this conclusion, as it was something she had deduced herself. Seeing that his provocation worked, Klein relaxed and said, "You should also warn Selina more in the future, and make her return to the right path of faith." When he said this, he patted his chest four times in a pastor-like manner. "Um, I will!" Melissa replied firmly. "Also, don't tell Elizabeth and Selina our speculation, don't tell them what I said. I originally promised Elizabeth not to tell you." Klein emphasized lastly. "Um." Melissa nodded lightly. ...... At 8 o'clock on Monday morning, at Blackthorn Security Company. Klein took off his hat, greeted Rosan and Brett, exchanged greetings about the weather, and then entered Captain Dunn Smith's office. He pushed open the door and looked up, suddenly startled because Dunn's face was quite pale, his grey eyes were slightly hazy, and his usual depth was lost. "Has something happened? Hainas Vanson?" Klein asked in surprise and concern. Dunn rubbed his forehead, took a sip of coffee, and said with a bitter smile: "Hainas Vanson is dead." "By whom was he killed in advance?" Klein held his walking stick and sat down opposite Dunn. Dunn didn't answer directly and sighed, saying: "I and Leonard went to visit Hainas Vanson last night. Because he didn't show any abnormal signs usually and there were no strange things in his home, I decided to enter his dreams to look for clues." "In his dreams, in his dreams..." Dunn repeated twice, his gaze unconsciously showing fear and said: "In his dreams, I saw a cross, a huge cross, stretching across the sky, on this cross, a naked *** man was nailed with black iron nails. His arms were spread out, his feet were up, his head hung like a pendant, and his body had streaks of blood." "Right after seeing this scene, I fainted and left Hainas Vanson's dream. When I woke up, Leonard told me that Hainas died in his sleep." "The huge cross, the man hanging upside down, covered in blood stains... This is somewhat similar to the true creator believed by a few secretive organizations, but there are also many differences..." Klein speculated. The secretive organizations that believe in the true creator have only emerged in the last two or three hundred years, such as the Aurora Society, the Iron Cross Group, but for the previous thousand years, similar images have never disappeared. Dunn rubbed his forehead again: "We will follow up later. You should complete your induction mission now."