Part 2 The Faceless Man Chapter 164 Capin’s Dinner
Putting away the dark red round-bellied fountain pen, Klein picked up the paper on which the divinatory statements were written and leaned back in his chair.
His lips parted, and he whispered, “The time of Karpin’s dinner today,” over and over again.
The words swept through the gray fog of silence and emptiness, and Klein’s eyes rapidly darkened and fell.
In the fragmented dream, he saw the spacious, elegant dining room, the ceramic dishes inlaid with gold, the food of caviar, roasted rooster, stewed lamb, sautéed bull’s-eye, fried keel fish, and creamy bisque.
These foods were placed in a certain order, a certain demand, in order in front of several diners, among them Capin, who was slightly fat, Heras, a middle-aged gentleman wearing a white hood, Kitty, who wore only a single shirt, and Parker, whose old face was not much of an intimidating sight.
And looking out diagonally from the end of the dining table, one could spot an ornately decorated glass window with thinning clouds and a red moon looming in mid-air.
Klein opened his eyes and marked the position of that moon in his dream, then quickly calculated the corresponding approximate time based on common sense in astrology.
”Something like 7:30 to 45 …… Considering the fact that in several images, the people of Kappin and others had already dined halfway through the meal, it could be adjusted forward by another 15 minutes, which would make 7:30 a better choice …… “Klein whispered to himself, interpreting the revelation given by the “dream divination”.
Dinner at 7:30pm is not too uncommon, it is even the mainstream in the Kingdom of Ruen, and even in the North Continent, because many middle class people live in the suburbs, either due to environmental issues, or because of cheaper rents, and they have to take the short distance steam train to and from the city to work every day, and by the time they get back to their homes, it’s often already after 7:00pm, so 7:30pm to 8:00pm is the normal time for dinner.
Klein had experienced this during his time in Tingen City, but that was because there were no servants, no full-time wives, and the three siblings returned home and had to keep themselves busy for a while longer before they could enjoy a hot meal, not because of the distance they had to travel to work.
That’s why commoners and paupers often had dinner at 7:30 to 8:00 pm.
Since lunch and dinner were too far apart, afternoon tea, which belonged to the upper class, gradually became popular among the middle class and commoners.
With the interpretation complete, Klein thought back on the revelation he had just gained, and keenly noticed a question:
Where were Capin’s wife and children?
They were not present in the dining room …… Could it be that Karpin was an extreme Storm Lord devotee, and that women and children had to dine in the sitting room? Or is there another reason? Or, is Capin not married and has no children? He’s middle-aged ah …… Klein tried divination, failed to get a valid revelation, and had to leave it at that.
”7:30.” He repeated this point in time once, and whirled back to the real world.
……
In the evening, Capin, who wore a formal bow tie even at home, narrowed his eyes and looked at the men in front of him, asking in a slow but chilling tone:
”Fabian is dead?”
”Yes, boss.” Even though he himself was Capin’s accomplice for many years, that henchman was somewhat intimidated and terrified.
”Odus, call Sir, Sir, and in a few years, Sir will have to be called.” Capin tugged at his bow tie and handled his stubby cigar with seeming leisure, “When did Fabian die? How did he die?”
”This afternoon, I asked him to go to the East End on an errand, and he ended up in a confrontation with the Zimmerg party, and was stabbed in the neck ……,” Odus described warily.
Capin roasted his cigar and said with little rise or fall in his tone:
”Fabian is such a fool.
”But will the Zimmerg party not know that he is a fool under my command?”
”You know, sir, there are often Highlanders who come to the East End to join the Zemanagh Party, and they’re so wild and reckless that they don’t care who’s who.” Orders hurriedly explained twice.
Karpin grunted:
”Have they forgotten that this isn’t the Highlands? Or rather, forget that I, Capin?
”Odus, I want the body of the head of the Zimanga party in that neighborhood, can you do it? If you can’t do it, I’ll sink your wife, your children, and you along with them, into the Tasok River.”
”Sir, no problem!” Odus immediately pulled up his voice.
Immediately, he asked in a low voice:
”Who can I mobilize?”
Karpin was about to answer when the door to the room was suddenly pushed open, and Heras, a middle-aged gentleman wearing a white hairnet, walked in.
He gave Ordes a cold look, and his eyes shifted to Karpin:
”I heard that some of your men had a clash with a gangster in the Eastern District and died?”
”Yes, Mr. Heras.” Karpin took his cigar and stood up.
Heras stared into Capin’s eyes and said:
”You want to get back at them?”
A drop of sweat suddenly seeped from Karpin’s forehead:
”No, no, Mr. Heras, you’ve misunderstood.”
Heras nodded slightly, “You must remember that we are in a critical period and try to stay out of trouble if we don’t have to.”
He paused for a second to observe Capin’s reaction and said:
”You’re not the only trafficker in Bakerland, we can support you or we can support others, you have to remember that.
”You were picked in the first place because you are ruthless enough to be shameless yet exceptionally cautious, not because you are already the biggest trafficker.”
Odus listened to the two men’s conversation from the side, hating the fact that he was just a cloud of air, then he wouldn’t be able to see Boss Kapin’s humble appearance.
Karpin didn’t have the slightest huff on the surface and said with a smile:
”Mr. Heras, my main concern is that Fabian’s death is not simple, which might disrupt your plans.”
”No, there is nothing wrong with his death.” Heras said in a tone of certainty, “I’m not getting any feedback.”
”So ……,” Capin said in mock relief, “I’m relieved then.”
He glanced at Odus and signaled the other to go out, then lowered his voice:
”Mr. Heras, this time there is a type you like inside the cargo.”
Seeing Herras’ expression loosen but make no indication, Karpin hurriedly added another sentence:
”The ones sent over there have already been put together.”
Heras then nodded slowly:
”Have her come to my room at night.”
”Yes, Mr. Heras!” Karpin said with a smile on his face.
After watching Heras leave, his face turned somber for a moment, and he took a breath and whispered:
”I hope you guys can keep your promise this time …… I don’t want to be involved in something like this again!”
He clearly remembered that year’s Harvest Festival, when someone approached him, hoping to get their hands on a batch of naive young girls.
From that day onwards, the trajectory of his life changed drastically, even eating a fifth of the slave trade that had gone underground due to legal prohibitions.
He quickly turned into one of the more famous and wealthy men in Berkland, befriending a number of great men and pulling them into the depths of depravity.
At this point, he desperately wanted to cover up the sins of the past, wanting to let “Capin” once again baptized, to become a true upper class, but, for the time being, can not do so.
Glancing at the cigar in his hand, Karpin picked up the picture frame on the table, which contained a picture of him with a beautiful woman and two children.
Rubbing his thumb across the surface of the frame, Karpin narrowed his eyes and whispered to himself:
”After this time, you should be able to come back ……”
At dinnertime, Karpin stepped out of the study, a warm smile once again on his face.
”Ms. Katie, we have your favorite caviar tonight, as well as a specially prepared roasted rooster for you.” He said to the lady in the thin shirt.
Katie touched the old bruises on her face and didn’t say a word, just nodded softly.
Knowing that she was of a silent and ferocious disposition, Capin didn’t shiver and watched her take the seat that was hers.
Immediately afterward, Heras, who wore a white hairpiece, entered the dining room, nodding slightly to each diner.
For his part, the older-looking Puck took a sip of his pre-dinner wine and smiled, signaling Capin to sit down quickly.
As the white napkins were spread out and the food was served in turn, Kapin lifted his glass of wine and let out a light laugh:
”Storm on top, let’s drink to a better future.”
”To a bright future.” Puck responded.
Herras didn’t say a word, only cupping the high foot of his glass and lifting it vainly, while Katie completely ignored a few people.
By this time, the classical wall clock hanging in the hall had just reached 7:23.
……
Inside a cheap hotel in the Bakerland Bridge area.
Klein, who had made a disguise, took out his gold-cased pocket watch and looked at the exact time, then took out the Holy Night Powder and blocked off the room with a wall of spirituality.
After doing so, he quickly set up the altar and performed the ritual:
”Me!”
”I invoke in my name:”
”The Fool who does not belong to this age, the mysterious lord above the gray mist, the yellow and black king who reigns over good fortune.”
……
When the ritual was complete, Klein instantly took four steps against the grain and entered the gray mist above, ready to respond to himself.
Inside the towering, solemn palace, he saw the “summoning door” of rippling light patterns, an illusory gateway full of mystical symbols that opened to the other side.
Kraven did not rush to be summoned, but according to a predetermined plan, he incorporated the “sun brooch” and other magical items into his spirit body.
Finally, he picked up the “Black Emperor” card and wrapped his spirit body around it.
All of a sudden, Klein felt that his spiritual body was as solid as flesh and blood, and he seemed to be able to pick up a pistol and move a table and chairs!
A dark, illusory mist then filled the air around him, and this mist clung to the surface, forming a suit of armor full of a sense of majesty.
Above his head was a dark crown, and behind his back was a long cloak of the same color.
At this moment, Klein looked like an emperor who was about to embark on a journey.
The Black Emperor.
He took one last look at the items he hadn’t brought with him, such as the purification bullets and revolver, and with a single stride, he entered the gap where the illusory door had cracked open.
Immediately after leaping out of the candle flame, he took a quick flight under the cover of the night toward the Capin Villa on Iris Street in the Chorwood District.
It didn’t take long before he floated in front of the artificial fountain, not too fast, not too slow, leaning towards the entrance of the villa, the guards patrolling back and forth passed by him without reacting, and since it wasn’t yet true night time, there were no Extraordinary Ones guarding the outside at this time.
In addition, Klein is not afraid of the powerful extraordinary people inside will notice in advance, have a premonition.
Because the “Black Emperor” card anti-prophecy anti-divination!