Lord of Mysteries

Chapter 41 Audrey and Her Susie

After pouring coffee, Klein returned to the armory to retrieve the thick stack of historical documents and explanatory drafts compiled by Old Neil. He then followed the gas lamps along the wall and turned onto the stairs leading to Blackthorn Security Company.

Tap, tap, tap—the sound of footsteps echoed in the sealed and empty underground.

Klein climbed the spiral staircase, pushed open the door, made a quick look around, and headed straight for the second office across the street.

After two days of familiarization, he had roughly figured out the layout of Blackthorn Security Company:

Upon entering, there is a spacious reception hall with a set of sofas and tables and chairs. Through the partition, there is an inner area. The three rooms on the left side of the corridor, from near to far, are Mrs. Orianna's accounting office, a lounge with several sofa beds, and the staircase leading to the underground.

The three rooms on the right, from closest to furthest, are Captain Dunn Smith's office, an office for clerical staff equipped with a typewriter, and the recreation room for the official members of the Night Watch squad.

Klein had previously seen Leonard Mitchell playing cards with two other team members in the recreation room. He guessed it was Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game), though Emperor Roselle had renamed it "Fight Against Evil," though the gameplay was exactly the same as Klein's.

Bright gets a day off to catch up on sleep after his night shift. Rosanne stayed at the reception desk, while Caesar Francis, who was in charge of purchasing and requisitioning supplies and also worked as a part-time coachman, was out as usual. When Klein pushed open the door to the clerical office, all three desks were empty, with a purely mechanical typewriter sitting quietly inside.

"The Axon Model 1346 typewriter..." Klein murmured, having seen similar items in his mentor's office and Welch's house, feeling that the vaguely visible complex control system was full of mechanical beauty.

He walked to the desk with the typewriter, sat down, and after a moment of preparation, tried virtual typing.

At first, he always instinctively processed it as pinyin. Only after he became familiar with it did he "digest" the corresponding memory fragments of the original owner and stop making mistakes.

Tap, tap, tap!

The rhythmic tapping of the keyboard sounded like a hard, metallic melody from industry, and to this accompaniment, Klein quickly finished the funding application.

But instead of rushing to find Dunn Smith, he calmed himself down and began to carefully read the historical materials provided by Old Neil, both as a review and as a learning experience.

As noon approached, he stretched his neck, put away his materials, and reviewed and reinforced the content he had learned that morning, based on the draft of the "Mysticism Course".

Only then did he take the "application form" and go to the office next door, gently knocking on the door.

Dunn was waiting for his lunch to arrive when he saw the documents Klein handed him, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Did Old Neil teach you that?"

"Hmm." Klein betrayed old Neil without hesitation.

Dunn picked up the dark red fountain pen, quickly signed his name, and said:

"We just need to apply for funding from the church and the county police department for July, August, and September. I've included yours in the application. Once it's approved, we can ask Mrs. Oriana for the funds. You can pick up the pendulum this afternoon."

"Okay," Klein replied succinctly and firmly.

His tone and gaze were clearly filled with joy.

Before taking his leave, he casually asked:

"Shouldn't the funding applications for July, August, and September have been submitted in June?"

How can you apply for funding for July when it's already July?

Dunn paused for a few seconds, picked up his coffee cup, took a sip, and said:

"I encountered three cases in June, so busy that I forgot about some things."

As expected of a captain with a poor memory... Klein knew he had asked an inappropriate question, chuckled dryly, and hurried out the door.

And so he began a simple and regular life: half an hour of meditation in the morning, two hours of mystical courses in the morning, an hour and a half of studying historical materials, and after lunch, a short nap in the lounge to restore his energy.

Next, collect the bullets and go to the "Shooting Club" to practice. After practicing, take a walk to Welch's residence, which is not far away, change your route, and walk back to Iron Cross Street. This way, you can save the cost of a public carriage ride. If you still have free time, practice skills such as vision and pendulum, and buy some groceries along the way.

…………

Inside a fully equipped private chemical laboratory.

Tall and with flowing blonde hair, Audrey gazed at the glass in her hand, watching countless bubbles rise and create a tranquil atmosphere.

Eventually, the liquid in the glass settled into a viscous, silvery-white liquid.

"Haha, I really do have a talent for the occult! I succeeded on my first try! I was worried about failing, so I prepared two sets of materials!" the girl said to herself happily.

She carefully collected the leftover materials from the family treasury and those she had exchanged with others, took a deep breath, and prepared to close her eyes and drink the "Audience" potion.

Just then, a "woof woof woof" sound came from outside the laboratory, and Audrey frowned immediately.

She placed the glass, from which the silvery liquid gently rippled, into a dark corner, turned around, and walked to the door.

"Susie, who's here?" Audrey turned the handle and asked the golden retriever sitting at the door.

The golden retriever Susie wagged its tail, looking ingratiating, while her personal maid Annie appeared in the nearby corridor.

Audrey stepped out of the laboratory, closed the door behind her, and looked at Anne, saying:

"Didn't I tell you not to disturb me when I'm doing chemistry experiments?"

Anne replied, distressed:

"Is there an invitation from the Duchess, Lady Della?"

"The Duchess of Negan?" Audrey took a few steps forward and approached Anne.

"Yes, she invited the royal baker, Ms. Vivi, to have afternoon tea with you, Madam," Anne said, recounting the contents of the invitation.

Audrey puffed out her cheeks almost imperceptibly and said:

"Tell my mother that I feel dizzy, perhaps because the sun is too strong and I'm a little dehydrated, and ask her to apologize to Mrs. Della on my behalf."

As she spoke, she feigned weakness.

"Miss, this is not just afternoon tea, it's a literary salon," Anne added.

"But that won't cure my dizziness; I need to rest," Audrey firmly refused.

At the same time, she silently thought to herself: If I insist, I'll faint to show you all. The etiquette teacher said I did this move perfectly... I think I heard something?

"Okay," Annie said with a sigh of relief. "Do you need me to help you back to your room?"

"No need, I'll tidy up the lab first." Audrey couldn't wait to go back and take the potion.

But she restrained herself, watched Annie leave, and then turned back to the laboratory door.

Suddenly, she noticed that Susie, the golden retriever who should have been outside, was gone, and the laboratory door was half-open.

"I forgot Susie would open doors with handles... What's that sound? Oh no!" Audrey heard a crisp sound coming from inside, suddenly had a connection, and rushed into the laboratory.

What she could see was a cup shattered on the ground, and the last drop of silvery liquid licked up by her golden retriever, Susie.

Audrey stood frozen at the doorway, like a statue.

The golden retriever Susie immediately sat up straight, looked at her owner with innocent eyes, and wagged her tail.

…………

On an island perpetually shrouded in storms, off the coast of Prids Harbour, an ancient sailing ship is moored in the harbor.

The man with soft blond hair, wearing a long robe with lightning bolt patterns, looked at Alger Wilson opposite him and said with great confusion:

"Alger, you could have easily returned to the kingdom and become the captain of the Punisher Squad or a respectable bishop. Why did you choose to go to sea and become the captain of the 'Azure Avengers'?"

Alger's rugged, deep-set face remained expressionless as he solemnly replied:

"The sea belongs to the storms, but this is the Lord's kingdom. I am willing to follow the Lord's will and patrol this kingdom on His behalf."

"Alright," the blond man said, clenching his fist against his chest. "The storm is with you."

"The storm is with you," Alger replied with a standard courtesy.

He stood on the deck, where there were few crew members, watching his companions leave the ghost ship and go further and further away.

"Sainz, you don't understand because you don't know enough..." Alger whispered silently.

Meanwhile, Audrey nervously completed the second preparation.

Looking at the silvery-white potion, which looked almost the same as before, she was so moved that she almost shed tears.

Whew, she took a small, quick sip of the "Audience" potion.

…………

On Friday, a downpour hit Tingen, with raindrops pounding against all the windows.

Inside the Blackthorn Security Company, Klein, Rosanne, and Bright sat on the sofa in the reception area, enjoying lunch at the table.

Because there was only a stove for boiling water and no way to heat up leftovers, and Klein couldn't possibly eat black bread every day or take a public carriage back—that would mean he would have to consider taking the carriage back after walking from Iron Cross Street to Welch's residence in the afternoon, which would be a huge waste of money—he had no choice but to eat the so-called "office meals" with Rosanne and her colleagues.

—The nearby Old Wells restaurant sends a waiter over at 10:30 every morning to ask how many people need lunch. After confirming the number, they will deliver the food at 12:30, in a container similar to a lunchbox. They will come again at 3:00 in the afternoon to ask if we want to order dinner and collect the utensils.

Such "meals" include meat, vegetables, and bread. Although the portions are not large, they are enough to fill a person up. A meal costs between 7 and 10 pence, with different levels of quality.

Klein, shameless as ever, always chose the 7p bill, which usually included half a pound of oat bread, a small piece of meat prepared in different ways, a spoonful of thick soup with vegetables, and a little cream or butter.

"There's only one night watchman here today..." Rosanne sipped the soup with a spoon.

"I heard there's been a case in the Golden Phoenix District involving cult elements, so the police department sent two night watchmen over..." Bright said, putting down his bread.

Klein dipped the remaining oat bread in the last of the gravy, stuffed it into his mouth, and said nothing.

Inside the cuff of his left sleeve, there was a silver chain with a yellow crystal hanging from it.

Just then, a series of knocks came from the half-open door.

"...Please come in." Rosanne paused for a moment, put down her spoon, quickly wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and stood up to say this.

The door was pushed open, and a man wearing a top hat and a black suit entered, his left shoulder soaked from the rain.

His temples were graying, and he held up his folded umbrella, looking at Klein and the others, he said:

"Is this the old mercenary squad?"

"You could say that," Rosanne replied familiarly.

The tall, thin man coughed and said:

"I have a task I'd like to delegate."

(End of this chapter)