Lord of Mysteries

Chapter 43 Searching for People

Looking at Klein, Leonard nodded with a smile in his blue eyes:

"So what do you need them to provide?"

He had worked with Neil and others many times, so he naturally understood that divination required a medium, especially when the "protagonist" was not present.

Klein thought for a moment, then looked at the butler, Kerry, and said:

"I need clothes that Elliott wore recently and haven't been starched yet, and it would be even better if I had any jewelry he used to wear."

He tries to choose normal media rather than things that might cause ordinary people to have wild thoughts.

Even so, the old butler, Kerry, still looked puzzled:

Why?

After asking the question, he added:

"I have with me a photograph of young Elliott."

Why? Because we need to use divination to find his whereabouts… Klein was momentarily at a loss for words.

If the truth were told, without mentioning the potential breach of confidentiality, the old butler, Carrie, would most likely turn and walk away, tearing up the contract and cursing inwardly, "These liars! If this works, I might as well go find the most famous psychic in Ahova County!"

Leonard Mitchell, standing nearby, chuckled softly:

"Mr. Cerry, my partner, well, colleague, has a peculiar pet with a sense of smell that's even more acute than a hunting dog's. So we need the clothes Little Elliott wore and the things he used to carry with him to help us find him. You know, clues often only narrow down to a general area."

"As for that photo, we need it too. He and I need to know what little Elliott looks like."

The old butler, Keli, accepted this explanation and slowly nodded, saying:

"Will you wait here, or come with me to Mr. Vikrol's residence in town?"

"Let's go together and save time," Klein replied succinctly.

He wanted to test his extraordinary abilities, but he also had a simple desire to save others.

"Yes, the carriage is downstairs." The old butler, Carrie, said as he took a black and white photograph out of his pocket and handed it to Leonard.

This is a solo photo of Elliott Vickroll. He was about ten years old, with slightly long hair that almost covered his eyes. He had noticeable freckles on his face and wasn't particularly distinctive in appearance.

Leonard glanced at it and then casually handed it to Klein.

Klein examined the photo carefully, put it in his pocket, then picked up his cane, put on his hat, and followed the two men ahead of him out of Blackthorn Security Company and into the carriage parked downstairs.

The interior of the carriage was quite spacious, with thick carpets and a small table for placing items.

Because of the presence of the old butler, Klein and Leonard remained silent, quietly watching the carriage move steadily across the puddled road in the gradually decreasing raindrops.

"Not a bad coachman." After some time, Leonard broke the silence and praised him with a smile.

"Hmm," Klein replied dismissively.

The old butler, Keli, forced a smile and said:

"Your praise is his honor. We're almost there..."

Fearing being discovered by the kidnappers, the carriage did not approach the tobacco merchant Vikrol's residence, but instead stopped on a nearby street.

The old butler, Carrie, returned alone, holding an umbrella. While waiting, Leonard spoke to Klein again, seemingly to himself:

"My last speculation about the reason wasn't for any other purpose than to tell you that the notebook will definitely reappear, perhaps soon."

"This is hardly a pleasant deduction." Klein gestured with his chin towards the driver's position outside, indicating that they should not discuss sensitive topics in the presence of others.

Leonard whistled and turned to look out the window. He saw raindrops sliding down the glass, leaving blurry marks and making the outside world completely indistinct.

After a while, Keli returned carrying a bag. Because he had walked in such a hurry, his trouser legs were covered in mud and water, and there were wet patches on his front.

"These are the clothes that young Master Elliott wore yesterday, and these are the Storm Amulets he wore before."

Klein took it and glanced at it, discovering it was a miniature version of a gentleman's suit, complete with a small shirt, vest, bow tie, and so on.

The storm amulet, with its bronze base and engraved symbols of gales and waves, failed to inspire Klein.

"I will now recount in detail how young Master Elliott was kidnapped, so that you can pinpoint the target..." The old butler, Kerry, sat down, recounting his nightmare from the morning, hoping that the helper he had finally found would be of some use.

Klein and Leonard had no interest in the specifics of the events; they were only concerned with how many kidnappers there were, whether they behaved unusually, and whether they were carrying weapons.

"Three," "normal," "with guns"... After getting the information they wanted, they said goodbye to the old butler, Carrie, and hired a light two-wheeled carriage nearby.

Unlike public carriages, these jobs have four wheels or two wheels and can be charged by the kilometer or by the time. The former costs 4 pence per kilometer in the city and 8 pence per kilometer in the suburbs, while the latter costs 2 soles per hour. Less than an hour is charged as an hour, and more than an hour is charged as 6 pence for every 15 minutes. Less than 15 minutes is charged as 15 minutes. In case of bad weather or emergency requiring faster speed, the price will increase.

Klein had heard from Instructor Azik that in the capital, Backlund, coachmen were notorious for overcharging.

For him, this was a rather luxurious indulgence, but he didn't need to worry about it for the time being, because Leonard simply tossed the coachman two 1-sol notes.

"Calculate by time," Leonard instructed, then closed the carriage door.

"Where are you going?" the coachman asked, both delighted and bewildered, as he held two banknotes.

"Wait a minute." Leonard turned his gaze to Klein.

Klein nodded slightly, took out Elliott's clothes, spread them on the carriage floor, and then wrapped the storm amulet around the head of his cane.

He gripped the black cane inlaid with silver and planted it straight against Elliott's clothes.

As the "sphere of light" condensed in his mind, Klein's mood quickly calmed down, and the brown in his eyes deepened as he entered a semi-meditative state.

He felt his "spirit" becoming lighter and floating, and vaguely saw the omnipresent "world of spirits," silently reciting "Elliott's location" in his mind.

After seven repetitions, his hand left the black cane, but the cane did not fall down; it remained standing upright, even as the carriage swayed slightly!

A faint, invisible sound came from all around, and Klein felt as if he were being watched by pairs of indifferent eyes.

During this period, he would occasionally have similar feelings during meditation and in a state of spiritual vision.

With a slight chill running down his spine, he stared at the cane with his deep black eyes, silently repeating in his mind once more:

"Elliott's location."

He had just finished reciting the words when the silver-inlaid, wooden, black cane fell to the ground, tilting directly forward.

"Go straight." Klein gripped his cane and spoke in a low voice.

His voice was slightly ethereal, as if it could penetrate into the unknown world.

This is one of the divination abilities he possesses, called "divination staff finding objects," and the tool must be made of wood, metal, or a combination of both.

Normally, this would require two real divination sticks—shaped like a straight wire bent at a right angle, held by the shorter side and rotated to determine direction. But as a "diviner," Klein, through practice, discovered that he could use this method of finding objects directly to find people, or he could use a cane instead of divination sticks, the direction in which it falls is the direction of the thing being looked for.

As for the Antigonus family's notes, Klein couldn't remember what they looked like at all, had no recollection of them, and therefore couldn't find them.

"Go straight," Leonard called out to the driver. "I'll let you know when to turn."

The coachman didn't understand why he was doing this, but the banknotes in his inner pocket and the other party's unwavering willingness to pay made him remain silent and accept the money.

The carriage moved slowly, passing through one street after another.

Along the way, Klein used the "Calligraphy Staff" several times to correct his direction.

After the carriage had circled the building once, he finally confirmed that Elliott was inside. At this point, only thirty minutes had passed since he had said goodbye to the old butler, Carrie.

After dismissing the coachman, Klein stopped using Elliott's clothes and slammed the staff wrapped with the Storm Amulet onto the ground.

His eyes darkened once again, and the few raindrops around him suddenly began to swirl.

The cane tilted diagonally forward, and Klein pointed to a stairwell, saying:

"There."

"Sometimes I envy Neil, and now I envy you too," Leonard said with a smile, watching the scene unfold.

Klein glanced at him and replied in a flat tone:

"This isn't difficult. You can definitely learn it if you're willing... Your inspiration must be exceptional, right?"

Leonard nodded and chuckled:

"This is not a good thing."

He quickened his pace and entered the stairwell through the fading rain.

Klein, afraid of getting his suit wet, almost jogged to keep up.

The building has only three floors, similar to an apartment building on Earth. At each entrance, there are only two rooms on each floor. Klein used the "divination staff to find objects" method again on the first and second floors, and the staff remained steady, pointing straight up.

The two walked quietly to the third floor, where Klein gently placed the black cane inlaid with silver on the ground.

Ugh!

A gentle breeze swept down the stairs, and his eyes changed color, becoming so dark they seemed to draw out one's soul.

Oh oh oh!

An invisible weeping sound seemed to be heard all around.

Klein loosened his grip, and the staff wrapped with the Storm Amulet stood miraculously upright.

He silently repeated "Elliott's location" to himself, watching his black cane fall to the ground, landing silently and pointing to the room on his right.

"It should be inside." Klein picked up his cane and tapped his forehead twice.

As the various "colors" deepened, he looked towards the door on the right and saw directly the various "auras" inside.

"One, two, three, four... three kidnappers and one hostage, the numbers match... one of them has a short stature, it should be Elliott... Mr. Cerry said they have two shotguns and a revolver..." Klein said in a low voice.

Leonard chuckled and said:

Let me sing them a poem.

"Why become a kidnapper? Can't you just be a civilized person and enjoy life?"

He put down the bag containing Elliott's clothes, took two steps forward, and his expression instantly became serene and sorrowful.

A deep, magnetic voice slowly spread out:

"Ah, the threat of fear, the crimson hope!"

At least one thing is true: this life is fleeting.

One thing is true, the rest are lies.

After blooming once, the flower will pass away...

(End of this chapter)