Part 2 The Faceless Man Chapter 103 – No Unprepared Performances
This is really daring to make an offer ah …… Hearing the vampire’s request, Klein was simply angry and amused.
He glanced at Bishop Utravski in front of him and asked thoughtfully:
”Father, can I borrow your candle? It’s the same one from last time, I forget what it’s called.”
Before Bishop Utravski could answer, the vampire in the basement had spoken out in consternation:
”What do you want? What do you want to do?”
At this, Bishop Utravski spoke gently:
”It’s called the Nightmare Candle, what are you borrowing it for?”
Father, you’re very cooperative, you still know to ask about the use …… Klein’s mouth turned up at the corners and said:
”I intend to use it to go directly to the deepest part of the mind of that friend inside to inquire.”
”You know, I have some special talent in this area, and am very good at doing similar things ……”
Before his words fell, the vampire inside the basement had shouted:
”Bastard, give up your idea!”
”It’s a curse to do that to a noble blood!”
”Hey, hey, hey, hey! I’ll talk, I’ll talk, I’ll tell you the source of the ‘Universal Key’!”
Klein laughed softly at once:
”I appreciate your cooperation.”
”Hmph! The dirty old man’s friends really aren’t good people either! As a Blood Clan, I’m already very restrained by just going to the hospital to steal and collect blood from the vials to drink, so why should I be locked up here and listen to that nagging fly in the ointment ‘Bible of Life’ every day!” The vampire in the basement complained angrily.
Frankly speaking, if you were really as described in your own words and it was me you encountered, then I would at most caution you, but unfortunately, you got lost into this church when you were across the street from a priest who used to be murderous and cool to fight, but now is devoutly repentant and fanatical about his faith, which can only mean that you’re not very lucky……. However, Utravski The bishop is cured and should not really hurt you, at most detain you …… Klein responded with a few silent words.
The vampire in the basement paused for a few seconds and said:
”A month or so ago, I went to the Southern District Hospital to steal blood collection vials to drink, and I met a thief.”
”He originally wanted to enter the hospital’s finance room, who knew that he got lost and opened the door to the blood bank, and I caught him on the spot.”
”He used that ‘master key’, which he told me he had found during his previous sneak into a house to steal, along with a diamond-studded pocket watch, well, inside the basement.”
”He first thought that the key corresponded to a certain room or a certain safe, and tried them one by one, only to find that all of them opened, which was an unimaginable surprise to a burglar, and after that he was repeatedly successful, until I caught him and confiscated the key.”
”Damn it, I didn’t even think at the time that that key would get people lost!”
It matches the image I saw in my fortune-telling …… But, isn’t there a curse on this “master key”? The previous owner was detained for getting lost, and the former previous owner was caught red-handed for getting lost… …Maybe, I really have to throw it above the gray fog, and take it out when necessary, but this is relatively troublesome, and may delay things …… Klein controlled the change of expression, and asked unhurriedly:
”Did the thief say where he stole it?”
The vampire in the basement muttered:
”You’re questioning my intelligence, how could I not ask about this.”
”He said it was at 48 Riverbend Avenue in the South End of the Bridge, and I was going to explore it sometime, but …… damn it!”
”Alright, I’m done answering, don’t bother me anymore.”
Instead of leaving it at that, Klein slowly pulled out a copper coin of one-half penny denomination and recited in a low voice:
”He’s lying.”
……
Seven times later, his eyes turned dark, Klein clanked the coin and watched it tumble and spin, landing in his palm.
This time, heads up, for sure.
In other words, the vampire was lying!
What the thief told me and the image I saw in my divination match in several places and corroborate each other, so it shouldn’t be a fake …… The vampire must have lied about the specific address! Klein looked to Bishop Utrafsky and laughed lowly:
”He lied.”
”Let me think, why did he lie.”
”It would be a very unwise move and detrimental to his situation to relent and retaliate against someone who has little to do with me.”
”So, I think that he is actually asking for help in this way, and that address probably belongs to his companion, Father, aren’t you going to check it out?”
There was a moment of utter silence in the basement, and several seconds passed before the vampire laughed harshly:
”I’m just simply not willing to tell you so simply, isn’t it normal for me to lie to get back at you for what you just threatened me with?”
I could hear the feeling of forced composure …… Klein laughed and said:
”So, what about the real answer? If you lie again, I don’t mind dropping off this address to the three major churches and say it’s related to the recent serial killings.”
”…… Humans are so vicious ……” the vampire sighed like he was gritting his teeth, “32 Verdi Street, Bridge South. ”
Klein flipped the coin again and got the answer that the other man wasn’t lying.
It seems vampires don’t have the ability to interfere with divination …… Well, go back above the gray mist and confirm …… Klein pressed a hand to his chest and bent his head in a salute to the heavy stone door of the basement:
”Thank you for your cooperation.”
”Hmph.” The vampire inside the basement responded without a word of humor.
Just as Klein turned around and prepared to leave, he suddenly shouted again in a loud voice:
”Remember, my name is Emlyn White, remember, my name is Emlyn White!”
Remember your name for what? It’s not like I’m going to save you, no preparation, no home field advantage, I can’t beat Father Utrafsky, and he has the magic item that transfuses back blood …… Well, could it be that this vampire’s companion will be offering a bounty to find someone, and that he expects me to betray this information? Klein was stunned for a moment and walked out of the Harvest Church without saying anything.
Casually finding a secluded and unoccupied place, he unclasped the spirit pendulum inside the cuff of his left wrist and did a divination on the matter of exploring 32 Verdi Street now.
The answer he got was that there was a certain danger, but not too high.
There is a certain danger …… Where is the danger? What type of danger would it be? Klein carefully analyzed it and suspected that the apprentice who had lost control and died had turned into a ghost type monster because of his strong resentment, and it was still a relatively strong type.
No, the thief obviously did not encounter anything and came out with the “master key”, could it be that the danger is in another hidden place in the house? Klein thought carefully, and thought that he’d better be well prepared before he went there, so that he wouldn’t encounter an enemy that was difficult to deal with with his current extraordinary ability, but he couldn’t find a way to do so.
At least, at least until I buy bullets that can purify the Spiteful Specter …… He nodded his head slightly.
With such a process of consideration, combined with the experience of the last fight with the “Knight of the Dawn” Bishop Utrafsky, Klein suddenly felt that he could vaguely summarize the first rule of the “magician”:
”Don’t perform without preparation!”
That way the probability of wearing out …… Klein silently added a sentence.
……
Tuesday morning, Klein prepared butter, toasted two slices of bread, did not rush to eat, opened the door and took out today’s copy of the newspaper from the mailbox.
Huh, there was a letter …… He drew out the letter, which had been wedged in the paper, and, as he returned to the dining room, glanced at the sheet.
”It’s from Stuart …… Looks like he’s finished his preliminary investigation.” Klein nodded slightly, ripping open the envelope and shaking off the paper, reading it as he sat down at the table.
Stuart claimed that the two suspects hadn’t shown anything out of the ordinary, one keeping the grocery store and his wife and kids and living a dead-end life, the other busy with a variety of temporary jobs and laboring to make ends meet, they weren’t cranky, they didn’t have the urge to brawl, and there was no such thing as locking themselves up in a room by themselves.
At the end of the letter, Stuart lamented a few words about the poor state of the East End, vowing to save enough money not to end up there in his old age.
”Thank you for your help, and I’ll share any other clues with you in the follow-up.” Seeing that the other party did not find any useful traces, Klein simply wrote back, not letting him get more deeply involved in the case, lest the “demon” senses the danger and kills the hidden danger in advance.
Putting away the pen and paper, Klein took a slice of bread with butter already seeped into it, and spent a leisurely breakfast with black tea and newspaper.
The one thing he regretted in this process was that old Mr. “Wisdom’s Eye” had no sign of holding the party of extraordinary people yet.
”Hey, the presence of that ‘demon’ has seriously affected the lives of the Extraordinary Ones of Birkeland, hopefully Mr. Eisinger Stanton will pick up on my hints and make something of it, well, he should be officially ‘certified’ as an Extraordinary People …… “Klein put down the paper, grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth, and gathered himself for the door.
His schedule for the day had been planned last week:
He was going to the Kingdom Museum to see the Roselle Memorial Exhibit!
……
Inside the luxurious villa of the Earl of Hall’s family in Queens.
Audrey wore a light-colored dress with bold use of lace and a strip of snow-white fur, and waited for Anne, her personal maid, to help her put on her floppy hat inlaid with pearls and draped with fine lattice tulle.
Beside her, Susie crouched, her neck tied with a bow of satin.
”Where are you going, my beautiful little princess?” Earl Hall asked as he came down the stairs, rubbing his two beautiful moustaches.
Audrey replied with bright eyes:
”Papa, I am going to see the Rossel Memorial Exhibition.”
See the original Rossel the Great diary, and find a chance to get some for Mr. Fool …… she added in her mind.
Count Hall mused:
”Why go today? There will be a lot of people and the scene will be chaotic.”
”Well, I’ll find someone to coordinate with the Steam Church side, and after the official exhibition is over, dedicate an extra half day for you and your friends, so that you can visit quietly and undisturbed.”
”If you have things you want to admire closely and carefully, you can discuss it with them directly.”
In that case, it seems better eh, I can just go through the journals in this exhibition …… Audrey lifted the hem of her skirt and made a curtsy:
”Thank you, handsome Earl Hall~”