Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

Backlund.

Over the past two days, Klein and Mike, led by Old Kohler, had "toured" various parts of the East Borough.

They witnessed five or six people crammed into a single room, and that wasn't even the worst of it. In many cases, ten people would share a small bedroom, with daytime and nighttime rights to sleeping space meticulously divided.

They saw vagrants driven out into the streets in the middle of the night, wandering like lifeless corpses.

They saw numb women standing by the streets or inside bars, and drunkards who indulged in violence and refused to consider their futures.

They saw factories filled with toxic lead dust, where unprotected female workers toiled away…

In these two days of interviews, the only glimmer of hope was the laundress named Liv, who insisted on sending her daughters to the church's night school.

But that faint light only served to make the darkness of the East Borough even more oppressive.

As a journalist with a strong sense of justice, Mike was deeply shaken. Despite his age and his occasionally unscrupulous methods for obtaining stories, he still held onto his ideals.

This investigation had begun as a commission from an influential figure, but after these days of witnessing suffering firsthand, he was determined to make a real difference for the people of the East Borough.

As a journalist, his most powerful weapon was his pen. He would not only report his findings back to the influential figure but also publish an editorial to shed light on the grim reality of the East Borough for all to see.

"This feels like a massive blood ritual, except the target is that glittering symbol of money… If the Aurora Order, the Rose School of Thought, or other cult organizations exploit this situation, as Lanevus did in Tingen, things could turn catastrophic…"

Klein was equally disturbed. Though he had been exposed to the plight of the poor during his time as a Nighthawk, seeing it from a comprehensive, panoramic perspective now revealed an abyss darker than he had imagined.

"Let's go back. I've completed enough for my investigation," Mike said after a long, heavy silence.

The three of them began walking back toward the bridge district in silence.

"I hope the Earl of East Chester can find an effective way to improve the living conditions here after reading my report…" Mike said softly as they neared their parting point.

"Earl of East Chester?" Klein paused, trying to recall where he had heard that name before. After a moment, he remembered that Mrs. Starling Summer, his landlady, had mentioned that the chief secretary of the Air Pollution Commission was the Earl of East Chester's eldest son.

And thinking of Mrs. Summer reminded Klein that she had invited him to an evening… matchmaking dinner? No, a freeloading dinner party at her house tonight.

"Yes, he's a true noble," Mike explained briefly. "It was him who commissioned my investigation."

"It's rare enough that someone in his position even wants to understand the reality of the lower class. That alone shows sincerity," Klein said in a consoling tone.

"Let's hope so… Even if those at the top remain apathetic, I'll make sure everything I've seen and heard goes into my article. Hopefully, it will reach those with the power and compassion to make a change," Mike said firmly.

You might as well send your article directly to the church leaders, Klein muttered inwardly.

After bidding farewell to Mike, Klein recruited Old Kohler as his informant in the East Borough, asking him to keep an eye out for any suspicious cult activities.

Returning to his home on Minsk Street, Klein was just about to get some rest when the faint, illusory voice of Miss Judgment's prayer echoed in his ears.

"Miss Judgment managed to gather the 2,200 pounds? And she didn't borrow from Mr. Tower? Looks like I really am the poorest one in the Tarot Club…"

Though surprised, Klein still reversed the four steps and entered the ancient palace above the gray fog to accept Miss Judgment's offering.

"Hmm, after crashing the dinner party at my landlady's house tonight, I'll need to wait here for Miss Sharron to exchange the materials Miss Judgment needs…

"Tomorrow is the Tarot Club meeting, and after that, I'll be accompanying Miss Sharron into the sixth floor of the Dream Labyrinth Tower…

"It feels like my schedule is suddenly packed!"

As Klein lamented his busy itinerary, the crimson star symbolizing Mr. Tower suddenly expanded and contracted. Klein instinctively extended his spirituality toward it and heard the request for the delivery of Mithor King's corpse.

"Keeping a corpse here for a day, and no one's even paying me a storage fee…" Klein grumbled under his breath but still opened the summoning gate and tossed the remaining bag into it.

The lingering guilt over losing the Fallen Morning Star made Klein particularly lenient toward Mr. Tower's requests.

"After all, I am a Fool who abides by equivalent exchange!"

With a wry smile, Klein simulated the sensation of falling and returned to his bedroom, where he promptly fell asleep until the evening light and the sound of the landlady's maid ringing the doorbell woke him.

...

Bayam, Fragrant Manor, Master Bedroom.

In the guise of the Strange Doctor, Ebner received the corpse bag from The Fool, set up the ritual for the teleportation spell, and retrieved a semi-transparent, shadowy talisman from the Dream Labyrinth Tower.

Chanting lengthy incantations and channeling unique powers borrowed from the spirit world, the talisman dissolved into shimmering sparks that formed a circular "door."

Without hesitation, Ebner grabbed the bag containing Wormtongue Mithor King's body and stepped through the door.

Unlike the sensation of being carried through by Azik, this teleportation felt more defined. Thanks to the precise coordinates set by the ritual platform, Ebner only glimpsed countless indescribable, translucent shapes and radiant beams of profound knowledge before he emerged from another sparkling portal.

On the other side stood Edwina, her hair let down, holding a pocket watch.

The room was filled with peculiar artifacts: oversized keys, asymmetrical coins similar to the Solomon Gold Coin he had given Xio, and books bound in aged parchment.

"This must be Vice Admiral Iceberg's collection room. It seems she considers the teleportation altar a part of her collection too…"

Edwina asked with the focus of a researcher, "What time did you depart?"

"Exactly two-thirty," Ebner replied without hesitation.

"You arrived at two-thirty and ten seconds… Ten seconds, comparable to the average time it takes a Traveler to cover this distance. It seems our teleportation ritual is a success."

Her usually calm expression showed a rare glimmer of excitement as she studied the fading portal.

While Ebner was pleased, his joy was less intense than Edwina's. After a moment, he handed over the body bag and said, "We can split the bounty eighty-twenty."

Edwina nodded nonchalantly.

After showing Ebner several of her prized artifacts, she seemed to remember something and said, "Maria sent word yesterday. There's been a sighting of a Finks Lion in the southern continent's Daniel Valley, west of Lake Dar."

Ebner's eyes lit up, and after recalling a mental map of the region, he asked, "Any more specific details?"

"Those who saw the lion are all dead. They communicated what happened through residual spirits," Edwina said. "I'm heading to the southern continent soon. This will also be an opportunity to test the range and timing of the Edwards-Bryan Teleportation Ritual."

Ebner nodded in agreement.

At that moment, a knock came from the door, followed by Danitz's voice:

"Captain, a ghost ship has appeared in the nearby waters."

...

Monday, Silver City. Derrick was standing at the bottom of the round tower when a gray mist suddenly filled his eyes. The Fool's deep voice rang in his ears:

"Get ready for the party."

Just as the boundless crimson light gushed out from the void and submerged Derrick's astral body, the former captain of the exploration team next to him suddenly knocked on the wall of the metal compartment

(End of chapter)