Backlund, Crown Cemetery.
Klein, dressed in a black shirt and a black woolen overcoat, held a bouquet of fresh flowers. He stood at the edge of the crowd, his expression solemn, watching Talim Dumont's coffin being carried over, receiving requiem, and gradually being buried in the earth.
Standing beside Klein, the old butler, with a solemn expression and meticulously combed hair, whispered:
"His Royal Highness could not attend the funeral due to certain matters, but His Highness asked me to inform you that Talim's death has been definitively attributed to a sudden heart condition."
Sudden heart condition? Is that the final investigation result? Are the "Punishers" responsible for the investigation so arbitrary?
Klein frowned, glanced at the ongoing funeral, and after confirming that no one was paying attention to their side, he quietly voiced his doubts.
The old butler, with a solemn expression, slowly shook his head. He took out a stack of banknotes from his pocket, which he had prepared beforehand, and handed them to Klein, speaking calmly:
"This case was not handled by the 'Punishers.' The Royal Family took over the case in the name of Talim Dumont being a descendant of nobility."
"This is your advance payment. If you encounter any trouble in your subsequent investigation, you can come directly to me."
Taken over by the Royal Family… Klein's brow twitched involuntarily. He did not take the stack of banknotes offered to him, but responded with an expression of profound sorrow mixed with clear self-reproach:
"In every aspect, I am too weak. I am very sorry, Mr. Butler. Please convey to His Royal Highness that perhaps a stronger and more capable helper should be invited to continue the secret investigation."
The old butler was silent for a moment, then put away the banknotes. He took out a golden pocket watch from his embrace, checked the time, and spoke in a deep voice:
"I will convey your opinion to His Royal Highness. You had best draft an investigation report first, leaving no omissions."
Watching the old butler turn and leave, Klein slowly exhaled. This was an attempt to step away from the center of the stage.
A down-and-out noble equestrian instructor could not possibly be worth Ince Zangwill's deliberate targeting. The only possibility was that Prince Edessak, behind Talim, was involved in a secret collaboration between the Royal Family and the Demoness Sect.
Before having sufficient strength, Klein had no interest in understanding what they wanted to do. His only thought was to marginalize himself as quickly as possible and extricate himself to the greatest extent while the conspiracy had not yet fully surfaced.
Thinking this, Klein looked in the direction from which the eulogy came. Talim's Mother's eyes were red and swollen, and she tried to speak several times but choked up. His father's hair was gray, his expression haggard, and he looked shaky just standing there.
A familiar scene entered his eyes. Klein tilted his head slightly, closed his eyes, and thought, perhaps Melissa and Benson faced his death in the same way back then….
After the funeral attendees had left one by one, Klein walked over, bent down, and placed the plain white flowers he held on top of the others.
I'm sorry… He silently said in his heart.
Standing upright, he stepped aside, preparing to leave, when Klein saw Doctor Aaron walking towards him. Just as he was about to greet him, he saw Doctor Aaron give him a look.
Slightly startled, Klein instinctively turned his head, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a female figure in a heavy black dress with a veiled face walking towards Talim's tomb, also holding a bouquet of white flowers.
Beneath the plain white flowers, on the little finger of her left palm, a blue gem faintly appeared.
Trissy!
This murderer who caused Talim's death actually came to the funeral!
Klein's pupils suddenly constricted, then he used his Clown abilities to control his body's abnormality. After suppressing the intense unease that surged within him, he casually withdrew his gaze and walked towards Doctor Aaron as if nothing had happened.
Trissy, however, seemed not to notice Klein nearby. She straightened her body and gazed at the tombstone for a moment, then, accompanied by two maids, quietly left Talim's grave and walked further and further into the distance.
Noticing this out of the corner of his eye, Klein's expression relaxed, and he greeted Doctor Aaron in a somewhat low voice:
"Talim was a warm and cheerful gentleman; he shouldn't have met such an end..."
Aaron, usually cool and detached, took off his glasses, wiped the corners of his eyes, and responded gloomily:
"Yes, he had hoped to escape the bad reputation left by his grandfather."
Then he hesitated for a moment, and after seeing the old butler who had left earlier and the black-dressed woman surrounded by maids enter a luxurious carriage, he sighed softly:
"Sherlock, there are always many regrets in this world, which is why we must cherish those who are still alive."
"Since Talim's matter has been concluded, you should try to keep some distance from His Royal Highness's people..."
Looking at Doctor Aaron's expression, Klein narrowed his eyes slightly but did not delve deeper. As if remembering something, he said in a somewhat apologetic low voice:
"Because of Talim's matter, I haven't been able to spare any time. I'll visit another day to congratulate you and Madam Wilma on your new bundle of joy."
When the child was mentioned, Doctor Aaron's expression softened. He gently patted Klein's shoulder and whispered:
"You are always welcome, my friend."
Sitting in the carriage on the way home, Klein's expression was silent. He looked at the Wheel of Fortune card he always carried with him, remaining quiet for a long time.
Just now, while talking to Doctor Aaron, this Tarot card, which had been silent for a long time, suddenly became hot. He then suddenly remembered that Doctor Aaron seemed to have been entangled by a Snake of Fate.
But such important information, he had never thought of it before, which was almost impossible for a Seer.
Combining this with his current situation, the most likely explanation was that he was influenced by the story written by 0-08. Therefore, he suddenly had the idea of paying a visit, which could also be considered finding another way out for himself.
By the time Klein returned to 15 Minsk Street, dusk had already fallen. The gas lamps hanging on both sides of the road had long since been lit, one by one, their soft light piercing through the pungent, pale yellow mist, dispelling the gloom and darkness.
"Backlund's weather is getting worse and worse...."
This thought subconsciously surfaced in his mind. After paying the carriage fare, Klein lightly covered his mouth and nose, opened his front door, and, as usual, checked it. After finding no signs of intrusion, he lay down on the bed, feeling somewhat tired.
-----------------
In Arianna's hidden world, Aaron stood on the top of a monastery with numerous ancient buildings, his gaze retracting from the huge and sacred Crimson Moon suspended in mid-air.
He looked behind him at Ricciardo, the Fate Councillor whose expression had returned to normal, and spoke softly:
"The situation is roughly like this now. That Angel of Fate has been unable to personally pursue recently, but your Speaker has also restarted, making it difficult to act in the short term."
"As Will Auceptin's best friend and a strategic partner of the Life School of Thought, I can offer you some assistance within permissible limits."
A smile instantly appeared on Ricciardo's face. He bowed towards Aaron and the Crimson Moon in the sky before slowly speaking:
"Thank you, Duke and Lady Arianna, for your generous assistance. I ask for nothing more than that you protect the last remaining embers of the Life School of Thought from persecution."
Looking at Ricciardo's hopeful eyes, Aaron pondered for a moment before nodding gently. Although this meant potentially getting into a lot of trouble, he understood the difference between providing timely help and merely adding to what is already abundant.
After all, even if Will Auceptin could restart and wash away his madness, he still needed a certain amount of faith positioning. Therefore, those members of the Life School of Thought could not all be left to die.
Ouroboros might have seen this, which is why, leveraging the secret cooperation between the Aurora Order and the Loen Royal Family, he incited the faction of MI9 led by the Royal Family to encircle the greatly weakened Life School of Thought.
He even sent the Dark Saint with a token to personally pursue Ricciardo, as in the current situation, the demise of a demigod believer could directly affect the restarting Will Auceptin.
Looking at Ricciardo, whose expression had relaxed considerably, Aaron thought for a moment before continuing:
"Something abnormal has recently happened within the Rose School of Thought, but I haven't grasped the exact situation yet. The situation in the Southern Continent is a bit complicated, so you'd best gather the remaining members of the Life School of Thought in East Tucker County."
"After leaving the hidden world, do not rush to depart. Stay in Backlund for two more days and temporarily keep this Sealed Artifact for me."
As Aaron spoke, he took out the ring box containing the "Die of Probability" from his embrace and handed it to Ricciardo, who looked at him with some surprise.
Without intending to explain, Aaron watched Ricciardo, whose concealment was lifted, leave the black monastery. He then bowed slightly towards the Crimson Moon in the sky, and his figure also faded and disappeared.
Tomorrow night is the Twilight Hermit Order. Aaron only knew from Hermes that it was a real dream that spanned the continent, but he knew little about the other information, seemingly because certain restrictions prevented direct speech.
To prevent the "Die of Probability" he carried with him from causing any trouble when his consciousness completely detached and entered the real dream constructed by Adam, Aaron planned to hand this item over to a trustworthy person for temporary safekeeping before the Twilight Hermit Order ended.
Therefore, Ricciardo, who was loyal to the Life School of Thought and had rich experience in sealing, was naturally the best candidate.
-----------------
Unknowingly, Klein fell into a deep sleep, vaguely wandering through different dreams. Suddenly, he was startled awake, profoundly realizing that he was dreaming and that someone had invaded his dream.
Nighthawks or Arrodes?
Pretending to be dazed, he looked around and found himself in a slightly dim warehouse. In the flickering pale candlelight, a black-haired, brown-eyed, deeply featured middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back.
He had changed into a black robe but had not pulled up his hood. His face was rather long and thin, and his demeanor was cold. Countless spirits surrounded him, making his surroundings dim and layered, as if a world was hidden within him.