Part 2 The Faceless Man Chapter 62 The Pond Family
”Dear Mr. ‘Fool’, please tell Mr. ‘World’ that I will gather the actual roots and sap of the ‘Misty Tree Man’ for him as soon as possible. ”
Upon receiving the response from the “Sun”, Klein nodded his head imperceptibly and muttered silently to himself:
”It seems he’s quite satisfied with the weapon.”
”Even without the environmental bonus, the ‘Hurricane Axe’ is still quite good.”
He had already conveyed the characteristics and limitations of that extraordinary weapon to the “Sun” in the form of a present instrument, not directly describing it so as not to appear long-winded and to maintain a good image of himself.
After all this, Klein did not stay, immediately returned to the real world, change clothes, leave Black Palm Street.
……
East End, Dharavi Street, a cramped but lively tavern.
Covering her nose and mouth, Hugh Dilcha squeezed inside, a place that, for her, was not only filled with the stench of alcohol and sweat, but also made it easy to run into people much taller than her, causing her to have to look right into each other’s armpits, where the strong smell could literally smother a normal person.
With a lot of effort, even using the “Arbiter” ability, Hugh finally squeezed into the bar and saw the person he was looking for.
It was a young man in his twenties, with a face as thin and long as a horse, with messy and vicious eyebrows, but relatively soft features.
He was taking a large sip of his drink, occasionally talking and laughing loudly with the guests around him.
”Williams, I have something for you.” Hugh knocked heavily on the wooden table top of the bar.
The rude gesture drew an angry glance, but they soon flinched in silence under the stern stare of the Arbiter.
”Oh, Hugh, I haven’t seen you for days; let’s see, it’s been a week, no, at least three weeks; want a drink? ‘Half and half’?” The young man called Williams said, half drunk and half surprised.
”Half and Half” was one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in the East End, made from malt beer and alcohol-fortified wine, nicknamed “Half and Half” because of the exact two ingredients and the similar proportions.
”Are you really going to make me drink?” Hugh raised his eyebrows.
”No, he doesn’t want to!” The owner of the bar, who was wiping down glasses, replied for Williams in a panic.
He remembered well how lethal the teenage girl across the room could be when she was drunk; she would use her fists to persuade the patrons of the place to stop drinking and throw them out one by one.
Williams skimmed his lips and spread his hands and said:
”Say, what do you want with me?”
He was one of the East End’s sources with ties to multiple gangs.
Hugh frowned and said:
”Williams, can’t you quit drinking? Save up your money, marry a nice girl, come home every day to hot water, dishes and warm greetings, and you get to share with her all sorts of things you’ve seen, while she tells you about all the petty little things that happen around the house, and there are cute little kids kissing you on the cheek and playing around you, isn’t that nice and warm?”
She’d been able to get a quick foothold in the East End when she’d first arrived in Birkeland, thanks in no small part to Williams’ help, so she’d always wished the other woman the best.
”Warm?” Williams snorted, “That’s based on the money I bring home, I saw through that a long time ago, if I can bring home twenty soules a week, then I’m sure my family is warm, the way you describe it, but if I can’t, Lord, the screams and insults of the women, the cries and hisses of the children, it’s going to drive me crazy!”
”My mother is an example, every time my old man comes home it’s accompanied by scolding and noise, in that case I might as well trade the soule and pennies I have on me for a drink, here no one cares how much I earn, we all drink and talk, the atmosphere is very, very good, and if you miss the women there are those lovely stand-up girls out there who won’t make a fuss with you. ”
Hugh drawled:
”You’re such a hopeless devotee of the Storm Lord, you’re going to die one day from alcohol and some strange disease.”
”At least I’ve enjoyed it.” Williams replied unconcerned, “I haven’t started in almost three days and I’m not going to give you a discount.”
Without further persuasion, Hugh stroked his short, straggly blonde hair and handed over those portraits of Langlois that Audrey had given him:
”Keep an eye on this man for me and find him as soon as possible.”
”There are different images of him in here.”
Williams drunkenly unfolded the paper, glanced at it a few times, and tsked, “He’s so ordinary looking, and the East End is so, so full of people, and at any given time, people die, people leave, people come, people become vagabonds, it’s hard to find.”
”Anyway, keep an eye out for me and let me know immediately if you find anyone similar.” Hugh pulls out a 5-sur bill and hands it to the other man, “Here’s the money for the wine, and if I can find the man in the portrait, I’ll, er, give you another 10 pounds.”
”Ten pounds?” Williams whistled, “Hugh, when did you get so generous? Or is this man worth more?”
”That’s what his reward is, ten pounds for information.” Leave replied as she pretended to watch the surroundings of the tavern, “Don’t you forget about this, I’ll catch up with you every few days.”
She’d already run around the little half of the East End, enacting this mission to the gang leaders and well-informed people she knew, paying out several pounds in advance.
All it takes is one success and I’ll make it back, a lot of it! Hugh gave himself a silent pep talk, covered his mouth and nose, and turned to head out of the tavern.
And by this time, certain drunken squabbles turned into clashes, and the scene grew chaotic.
Hugh scanned helplessly and drew up his voice:
”Stop!”
That majestic feeling echoed within the tavern, and the drunkards, as if they had met their nemesis, busied themselves to sit down again, and some even crouched down with their heads in their hands.
Whew, I don’t know when I can be promoted to “magistrate”…… Hugh sighed with half satisfaction and half anticipation.
……
On Thursday morning, Klein went to the distant St. George district, which seems to be in another city, to take care of his first investment.
With his last mention and the revelation of Russell’s manuscript, Repard was making great progress on the bicycle project and had already produced a rough prototype.
It was very much in line with the bike Klein remembered.
After a test ride, Klein offered a few more improvements, said he was coming in next week to pay for the second part of the investment, and hoped to bring in a new investor soon so that the project could move to the factory stage as soon as possible.
The only problem was that Lepard believed he was the inventor and had the right to name the product.
He was not happy with the name “bicycle” and wanted to use the more colloquial “bicycle”.
Klein didn’t care.
At noon, after returning to 15 Minsk Street, before he could take off his hat, he heard an illusory cascade of supplications.
”Ms. Justice? Gathering information on the ragtag aristocracy so quickly? Klein thoughtfully prepared to enter the parlor and head to the second floor.
Just then, he heard the sound of the doorbell again, and busied himself by turning back to open the door to see Julian, the maid of the next-door Sommer house.
”Mr. Moriarty, Mrs. Sommer would like to invite you to a luncheon on Sunday, there will be quite a few neighbors there.” The maid said recitatively.
Klein had already given Mrs. Sommer his portable camera and exchanged a few words with the other party when he returned last night, but he hadn’t gotten a hint about the luncheon.
Also, the magazine said that the middle class invites people to the banquet will not be mentioned in person, are very formal to send a valet or maid to the door to invite …… This is very consistent with Mrs. Sommer’s way of doing things …… Klein was puzzled at first, and then realized, and promised that he would go on time on Sunday.
Who wouldn’t be happy with a free lunch? And Mr. and Mrs. Sommer are not too difficult people to get along with, as long as they can not care about their showing off …… Klein quietly added in his heart.
After watching Julian, the maid, leave, he closed the door and walked towards the stairway, his eyes sweeping over the slightly messy living room, dining room and kitchen on the way.
It’s been a few days since I’ve done any major cleaning …… I’m a bachelor, it’s nice to maintain this level of tidiness …… I have too many secrets, and I might even be attacked, so it’s not too good to have a dedicated odd-job maid living in the house, er… . why don’t we discuss it with Mrs. Sommer on Sunday and have her send her own maid over twice a week to clean the house, and I’ll pay accordingly …… Many tenants and landlords have a similar agreement …… Klein walked at a steady pace. Not quickly or slowly, he entered the second floor bedroom and drew the curtains together.
When he entered the gray mist, he found that the prayer came from Ms. Justice.
This aristocratic girl sat on the piano bench and pressed the keys with both hands, but instead of playing, she whispered the honorable name of “The Fool Who Does Not Belong to This Age”:
”…… I have gathered all the information of the fallen nobles and request a sacrifice ceremony, please pass it on to Mr. ‘World’.”
Good fast …… not worthy of the “professional” …… Klein immediately gave a response.
Audrey, who had just returned from the royal heraldic officials and the experts who had studied this area, completed the consecration ceremony slightly rusty and dropped the thick manuscript into the illusory door.
”I’ll pass it on to the ‘world’.” Klein cut the connection with an indifferent tone.
This time, he didn’t rush back to the real world, but flipped through the manuscript on the spot and found the part corresponding to the Pound family.
It was true that the Pound family’s viscount title came from the “Battle of the Oath of Reckoning”, and they were loyal supporters of the royal family afterward, with considerable power in the army and their own fiefdom.
Thirty-two years ago, however, two successive heirs of the family contracted serious illnesses and died, leaving the old Viscount with no choice but to take one of the side children into his family.
Not long after, the old viscount passed away, and that child, because he was not very old, under the temptation and abetment of his squire, changed his steward and turned into a fop.
In just seven or eight years’ work, he lost most of his fortune and was demoted to the rank of baron, selling even the family’s house in Birkeland.
Within a few years after this, his title was lowered again, leaving him only as a slave baron.
”Infected with a serious disease and died? I’m afraid that even the bodies can’t be found, they are all in the innermost room of that underground building, outside the bloody gate …… The old viscount must have intentionally concealed this matter, not letting the royal family, the military, and the church to investigate …… In that case, it seems that the Pound family also only stumbled upon that Quaternary underground building more than thirty years ago, and maybe, maybe the secret door to the basement was built by them …… But, there are more than two corpses in that innermost room ah …… In the ancient times, there were people who had gone in and explored? ”
Hmm, have to talk to Pound from Baron, in a way that doesn’t reveal his identity ……
Klein stopped his thoughts and looked at the last paragraph and saw what he wanted:
”Baron Pond from, currently renting at 29 West Vilas Street, Queens.”