Lord of Mysteries

Chapter 409 Bold Hypothesis

Dorian drew the curtains, making the office dimly lit, and then sat down.

He held the crystal ball in his left hand, his right palm lightly touching the top, stroking it back and forth, while he kept whispering, as if murmuring.

Gradually, the sparkles inside the crystal ball grew brighter and brighter, becoming more and more distinct, as if the stars in the night sky were casting their reflections.

The stars that are often used to determine the course of fate and the trajectory of life appear one after another, forming a three-dimensional horoscope, mixed with many spiritual revelations that seem to be symbolic.

Dorian Gray finally stopped what he was doing and buried his head in his work.

"There was no lie...that's how things really went...she seems capable of bringing some change to the Abraham family, an optimistic change..." The light from the crystal ball gradually dimmed, and Dorian stood up, having already made his decision.

Lunchtime, inside the Four-Winged Bird Restaurant.

Before Fors lay a deep-fried fish, cut into pieces and sprinkled with rosemary. Its skin was crispy and fragrant, its flesh tender and delicious, and it had no small bones. The only problem was that the chef's aesthetic sense was very strange. He had left two bulging fish eyes on and, through his plating skills, made them look upwards at the same time, as if they were expressing their unwillingness to die.

...Fors pushed the fish head over, cut off the tail, and covered the upward-facing eye.

At this moment, Dorian Gray, while moving his knife and fork, said seemingly casually:

"Anlisa was very fond of the occult and had some knowledge of it. When you were sorting through her belongings, did you see any related books, notes, or items?"

"I have some notes and books," Fors answered frankly. "That's how I became an enthusiast of the occult, but unfortunately, there's some content that I can't understand at all."

For example, the book "Spiritual Encounters" is not only absurd and nonsensical, but also illogical and incoherent. Even if you force yourself to read it and regularly calm your anxiety, it is difficult to remember the contents. You will forget it as soon as you read it, let alone understand it... Fors added in his mind.

Dorian nodded slightly and chuckled.

"Then you can ask me. I'm also a fan of the occult, and I'm quite knowledgeable about it."

"Really? That's wonderful!" Fors said in agreement.

Seeing that she was indeed interested, Dorian immediately steered the conversation toward the mysticism, sometimes mentioning the spirit world and sometimes recounting his own meditation experiences—he had been prepared beforehand and had deliberately chosen a secluded and quiet spot when he entered the restaurant, not worried that the other customers would hear what they were saying.

At the end of lunch, Dorian offered to suggest:

"I've never known how to express my gratitude, but now I don't have to worry about it anymore, haha. Although Lawrence gave you compensation, I don't think it's enough to match your kindness, goodwill, and trustworthiness."

"Ms. Wall, please feel free to write to me with any questions you may have about the occult. This is my humble gratitude."

"That's exactly what I wanted," Fors said without refusing.

From their conversation, she could clearly see that Dorian Gray possessed solid, extensive, and systematic knowledge of occultism, befitting a member of the ancient Abrahamic family.

This is also one of Fors's weaknesses. Although she has mastered a lot of common knowledge about the extraordinary world, it all comes from a few books and notes that are not very in-depth, as well as scattered words she has heard and experienced in various gatherings and encounters. It is not comprehensive, not systematic, and has many flaws.

Upon hearing the other person's reply, Dorian raised his glass, smiled, and said:

"I hope that one day, we too can possess mysterious and extraordinary abilities."

…………

St. Samuel Church, North of Backlund.

A group of people wearing black trench coats and red gloves entered the underground area. The leader was a man in his forties with soft facial features and long, dark hair at his temples.

Wearing an extravagant top hat and carrying a black cane inlaid with gold, he quietly followed the night watchman leading the way into a rather spacious room.

The room was filled with bookshelves and numerous files. A woman with an eerie beauty, dressed in a black robe and wearing blue eyeshadow and blush, sat leisurely in a high-backed chair. She did not get up to greet him. She was none other than the former "psychic" Daly.

"Sost, all the information you need is over there." Daly gestured with her chin to the table near the door.

The middle-aged man, referred to as Soster, chuckled and said:

"Dali, why were you assigned to guard this place? You should be in charge of more important things."

"No, this is just my own thought. I need to calm down and review more materials." Daly chuckled softly. "This is for better progress. Humans are fragile creatures and need a certain period of calm. No one can always be at the peak, enjoying excitement and pleasure non-stop."

"...Your style has never changed, it's just a pity that you never give me a chance." Soster chuckled.

Dai Li shook her head seriously and said:

"Obviously, you don't know me. My hobbies have become more bizarre now. If you could turn yourself into a rotting corpse or expose your bare white bones, I would definitely be very interested in you."

She turned to look at one of the "Red Gloves" standing behind Soster: "Leonard, why did you choose to join his team? This guy is arrogant, conceited, and cowardly. He keeps fantasizing that the ladies he likes will willingly lie in bed waiting for him. Frankly, maybe that's what 'Nightmare' is all about?"

When she mentioned nightmares, Daly paused noticeably.

Leonard responded helplessly:

"Ms. Daly, this is His Excellency Cecima's arrangement."

"I see... It's clear you agree with my assessment of Soster," Daly concluded, her voice slightly hoarse.

Leonard was momentarily at a loss for words to explain.

Fortunately, "Requiem Master" Soster did not pay attention to Daly's words. He walked to the table piled with documents, picked up a file and started looking at it. Leonard and the others immediately surrounded him and imitated their butler.

Amidst the clatter of pages turning, Soster casually asked:

"What's new in Backlund lately? What do you think is worth paying attention to?"

Dai Li's eyes flickered slightly, and after thinking for a moment, she said:

"Several extraordinary individuals who have been working with us have sent messages saying that recently many people have been searching for an organization that worships 'The Fool,' and have even given it a corresponding name..."

After describing the title "The Fool" in the Rune language, she chuckled and said:

"I seem to see the birth of a brand new cult, or perhaps it is the incarnation of an old friend."

"Sost, what's your opinion?"

Soster thought about it carefully and said:

"No, I've never heard of any such organization."

Just then, Leonard looked up from the file and said thoughtfully:

"Could this be related to the two tarot rituals we've been investigating?"

"The Fool is the original and most important Major Arcana card in the Tarot!"

Daly paused for a second, then nodded thoughtfully:

"That's an interesting idea..."

"But there's no evidence for this; it's pure speculation, not even a deduction," Soster said dismissively.

Leonard smiled slightly and said:

As Emperor Roselle once said, "Hypothesize boldly, verify carefully."

…………

Hillston District, Cragg Club.

Klein, who had come straight here after leaving the Harvest Church, had just entered the hall when he saw riding instructor Talim Dumont sitting in a secluded spot, seemingly deep in thought.

Seeing that lunch would take a while, Klein approached and greeted him with a smile:

"Good afternoon, Talim. You seem to be having trouble again?"

Talim suddenly woke up with a start and quickly shook his head, saying:

No, no.

"You seem to have done something wrong?" Klein muttered, sat down, and then smiled.

"It's a pity that Alan and Mike aren't here, otherwise we could have had another pleasant afternoon."

Talim then smiled:

"They are all very busy and have very little free time."

Before Klein could speak, he looked around and said:

"Sherlock, a great man has heard about your deeds and is very interested in you. He would like to meet you. Would you be willing?"

"To be honest, I really envy this; it's a very rare opportunity."

Wait, what kind of achievements could I possibly have? Helping Mrs. Mary catch her husband cheating? Accompanying reporter Mike to a brothel? Even though I went to the East End a few times, I didn't do anything particularly remarkable... At most, you only know that I made some contributions to the serial murder case and helped Dr. Allen solve his nightmare problem by providing consultation... Klein was completely confused.

Two seconds later, he suddenly understood why.

It must be that when that important person asked Talim if he knew any outstanding detectives, he could only think of me, so he took the initiative to add some impressive descriptions for me, such as the real detective behind the scenes in the serial murder case, the one who was highly efficient, had a keen sense of smell, and was precise in his actions in the case of Mrs. Mary's ex-husband and his mistress transferring the assets of the Coim Corporation... This is just mutual flattery... Klein thought to himself.

He considered it for a moment and said:

"Talim, I'm sorry, but as a detective, I have my own principles, which is to avoid getting involved in matters concerning important people as much as possible. What might be a small sneeze to the upper echelons could bring me unbearable disaster."

"I won't label myself, so I won't go to see that important person."

These were actually precautions that Klein had considered before becoming a detective.

Once he gets involved with high society, he's easily scrutinized, and he doesn't want to take that risk before becoming a "faceless man."

"...You're very rational," Talim said thoughtfully. "That important person anticipated this reaction and believes that a detective like you is more trustworthy, so he wants you to take on a commission that won't involve high society."

"What commission?" Klein asked.

Talim chuckled:

"It's the Capin case that you and Mike discussed last time. That big shot is very interested in the organization that uses tarot cards as symbols. He said there are more similar cases than this one, and he hopes you can find relevant clues."

(End of this chapter)