Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

While Klein was silently mocking the situation, Reporter Mike, standing nearby, asked with a strange expression, "Talim, you're meeting a lady at night—why do you need to hire Sherlock to accompany you? Do you have… peculiar preferences?"

Talim shot him a look and replied irritably, "We've known each other for years. Have you ever seen me display any such inclinations?"

"Well, you never know… maybe it's a recent discovery," Mike shrugged but didn't continue teasing. A little banter was fine, but pushing too far would only breed annoyance, even between friends.

Switching topics, Mike asked, "Is this about that relationship issue you asked me about on behalf of your 'friend'?"

Several weeks ago, Talim had consulted Klein about a friend's romantic entanglement, and Mike had overheard part of the conversation.

Hearing this, Klein focused again. He had long suspected that Talim's friend referred to Prince Edessak, and the so-called relationship issue was tangled up with two Witches.

But… wasn't I planning to use my connection with Shoko and The Fool to look into this further? Why did I forget about it completely? Yes, I've been busy, but… this feels oddly familiar.

A faint sense of unease crept into Klein's mind. He had experienced something similar back in Tingen.

Shaking his head, Talim answered Mike's question, "That romantic conflict has already been resolved… This is merely an aftershock."

"Honestly, it's not even a particularly serious issue. I was overthinking it back then. Simply put, a noble young gentleman fell in love with a commoner girl. You know how it is—someone of his status must marry a noble lady. Even marrying a wealthy merchant's daughter wouldn't be acceptable."

"For the sake of that young gentleman's future, I once considered asking Sherlock to find someone with certain… 'abilities' to discreetly resolve the issue. But in the end, I'm a law-abiding citizen—I only entertained those thoughts in my head."

So, one Witch charmed the prince and wanted him to marry her, while another Witch tried to stop it at all costs? What a dramatic mess… But it was resolved? How? Was it reported to the authorities?

Before Klein could voice his curiosity, Mike beat him to it. "How was it resolved?"

After a brief moment of contemplation, Talim said, "The solution was simpler than I expected. I went directly to the lady in question and explained the situation to her. She was very reasonable and agreed to leave the young gentleman, even asking for my help."

"I must say, she was a thoughtful, kind, graceful, and beautiful lady. If not for her status, I might have fallen to my knees and kissed the back of her hand."

Ah, the charm of a Witch… But if she was so rational and understanding, why did she ensnare the prince in the first place?

Sipping his tea, Klein asked casually, "And the lady you're meeting tonight—is she connected to this?"

Could it be that Witch Lena? No, now she should be more accurately called Pleasure Witch Lena.

"Yes, Sherlock, you've met this lady before… she's the one who chased me to the club that day…" Talim glanced warily at Mike, who was practically glowing with curiosity, then continued reluctantly, "She's incredibly skilled—far better than me. I'm afraid if I deliver the message on behalf of my friend, she might take her anger out on me…"

"And among the people I know, aside from Detective Blaine, you're the strongest, Sherlock."

It really is Lena… And you overestimate me, Talim. If I face a Pleasure Witch head-on, I wouldn't stand a chance!

Suppressing the urge to sigh, Klein asked bluntly, "Does this lady also have feelings for your noble friend? Are you going there to reject her on his behalf?"

"Exactly… You really live up to your reputation as a great detective!" Talim sighed deeply. "The lady and my friend have known each other since childhood. They were very close, but this incident seems to have caused a major rift. My friend has been avoiding her ever since."

"That's rather dishonorable of your friend," Mike commented with a frown. "If he's going to reject a lady, he should do it in person. Sending someone else is just cowardly."

Talim shrugged awkwardly, not sure what to say. He genuinely feared Lena might lash out at him.

"Why meet at midnight?" Klein asked again.

"I don't know… She insisted on it. I reported this to my friend, and he gave me this task."

Realizing he'd spoken too much, Talim cut himself off and said, "Sherlock, will you accept my commission? I can pay you 5 pounds."

5 pounds… What an ominous number.

Smiling politely, Klein rose from his seat. "Apologies, Talim. My stomach feels a bit uncomfortable. I'll need to visit the washroom… I'll give you my answer when I return."

"Alright, I'll wait in the dining room." Talim nodded.

In the washroom, Klein ascended above the gray fog, conjured a pendulum, and began his divination:

"There will be danger if I accompany Talim tonight."

After repeating it seven times, he opened his eyes and saw the yellow crystal pendulum spinning clockwise rapidly.

Danger—serious danger!

Klein's brows furrowed tightly. Even if Lena has advanced to Sequence 6, she shouldn't pose such a threat to me… Could it be that the danger isn't from her but from someone else?

To verify, he performed another divination:

"The danger comes from Lena."

This time, the pendulum spun counterclockwise.

As expected, the danger isn't from Lena—it's from someone else. But who?

A prince bewitched by one Witch, while another familiar Witch tries to intervene… and I've repeatedly forgotten to investigate this further. Could it be the influence of 0-08?

Lena is under the gaze of "0-08"… and she knows Klein! If I accompany Talim tonight, there's a chance she'll recognize me, and "0-08" along with Ince Zangwill will discover that the supposed deceased Night Watcher from Tingen is still alive…

That's the real source of danger!

If I agree to accompany Talim, I might end up putting him in even more danger…

With that realization, Klein performed another divination and received the result that if he didn't accompany Talim, there wouldn't be significant danger for him tonight.

Sighing deeply, Klein muttered to himself, "Although this is just my conjecture if this really is '0-08' at work, then its scheme must revolve around Prince Edessak. Everyone connected to the prince is likely under '0-08''s gaze… Talim won't be an exception!"

"And through my connection with Talim, I've likely been 'seen' by '0-08' as well…"

"Of course, as Sherlock Moriarty, I'm just a minor figure. I'm not deeply entangled in this matter, and Ince Zangwill might not even notice me. He has too many pieces on his chessboard to track them all… But if I make any move—like attempting to report this to the authorities or investigate further—it will almost certainly draw their attention. At best, I'll fail; at worst, I'll be 'arranged' into an untimely death."

"And reporting through the Tarot Club isn't feasible either. Miss Magician doesn't have the right connections, and Miss Justice lacks a valid excuse to explain the source of her information. More importantly, I have no concrete evidence and no knowledge of Ince Zangwill's whereabouts. Acting rashly will only put them in danger."

"The only one capable and well-positioned to investigate this is Miss Judgment… but she just happened to leave Backlund at this critical moment!"

"This really is…"

Klein shook his head and sighed. "Enough. There's no point in overthinking it. Whether this truly is '0-08' at work still needs to be verified."

With that, he let the conjured pendulum fade away and simulated the feeling of falling back into his body.

Returning to the Quelaag Club's dining room, Klein approached Talim and apologized, "I'm sorry, Talim. After careful consideration, I don't think it's appropriate for me to accompany you. This involves your friend's privacy, and it wouldn't look good for two men to meet a lady at midnight. I suggest you reschedule."

Talim didn't seem surprised. He let out a resigned sigh and said, "No need to apologize… This was thoughtless of me. Honestly, I just didn't want to face such an awkward situation alone…"

"I'm sure the lady won't make things difficult for you," Klein said, his words meant both as comfort and his genuine belief.

After all, Lena likely already had her suspicions.

Still, Klein resolved to monitor the meeting remotely later that night through his connection with Shoko, just in case Talim truly encountered danger.

Bayam

Under the soft glow of streetlights, Ebner walked alongside Helene, who was in disguise. They strolled through the bustling night market, tasting street food, buying unique trinkets, and browsing small shops.

Before long, they found themselves near the "Red Theater."

The "Red Theater" was the most famous brothel in this coastal region. Countless pirates flocked here despite the occasional "unlucky soul" being caught in sting operations. This did little to deter others from following in their footsteps.

Seeing the signboard, Helene paused and gave Ebner a peculiar look. Stepping back slightly, she asked, "Why are we here?"

She didn't actually believe Ebner had brought her to a brothel for entertainment. But after spending so much time with him, she was well aware of his playful and sometimes mischievous nature. She feared he might have come up with some new scheme to mess with her.

But Ebner didn't answer. Instead, he walked across the street and stopped in front of a small, unmarked herbal shop tucked into a shadowy alleyway.

(End of Chapter)