Lord of Mysteries

Chapter 87 Admonition

"Is it really resolved?" Elizabeth asked, still somewhat incredulous.

Klein smiled and nodded calmly:

"Yes."

"It's not difficult."

"That was a lie," he silently added to himself.

Perhaps it was because Klein had remained remarkably calm, or perhaps it was because this was the only "floating plank," but Elizabeth no longer doubted it. She patted her chest and let out a long sigh of relief:

"Thank you, you are a truly trustworthy gentleman. I was terrified just now."

"How's Selena? Is she alright?"

"She might be unconscious for a few minutes, but there's nothing else wrong. Well, being weak for two or three days is normal." Klein paused, then suddenly became serious, "Who is her occult teacher? Didn't they tell her any basic taboos?"

Elizabeth immediately stood up straight, like a student who had been criticized by a teacher.

She pondered and said:

"Selena mentioned that her occult teacher was Hynes Vancent, whom she met a year ago when she went to a fortune-telling club in the Halles neighborhood."

Hainas Vancent… On the surface, he's instructing the magic mirror divination practitioners without any problems, but in private, he's teaching “dark divination”… I should have informed the captain sooner and checked his gas meter earlier… Klein felt slightly annoyed and asked in a deep voice:

"Did he also teach Selena her magic mirror divination?"

What Klein feared most about this incident was that it almost affected his sister Melissa!

Elizabeth nodded cautiously and said:

"Yes, but Selena tried to use the magic mirror for divination several times before without success. Well, she told me today that she secretly looked at the spell she had hidden with her teacher, so it should be fine."

A master of courting death... Klein rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

"Do you remember the incantation she recited?"

Hmm... Although Hynas Vancent didn't actively teach Selena about danger, it's clear he was experimenting himself. Provoking unknown, hidden entities is bound to cause trouble sooner or later, so it must be dealt with quickly to prevent the situation from escalating and affecting others...

"I remember some of it," Elizabeth recalled. "She used Hermes, which is from the occult. You know, I've only been studying it for a short time, and I only remember words like 'wandering,' 'heroic spirit,' 'creator,' and 'familiar.'"

The Creator? The True Creator? Many enthusiasts of underground mysticism do indeed believe in this ancient being revered by numerous secret organizations… Yes, an ancient being that appeared more than a thousand years ago in the early Fifth Era! Klein nodded thoughtfully:

"Once Selena wakes up, remember to ask her for the complete incantation, and then find an opportunity to tell me."

"Okay," Elizabeth replied readily.

But then she asked, puzzled:

"Mr. Moretti, why don't you just ask her directly?"

"I don't want Melissa to know that I'm interested in the occult. Can you keep it a secret for me?" Klein asked instead of answering.

Elizabeth bit her lip lightly, her eyes shining as she said:

"No problem, Melissa does indeed prefer mechanics to mystery, and reason to intuition."

Klein placed the hand holding the hat on his left chest and bowed politely:

"Thank you for your understanding, but Selena, you know, she's not good at keeping secrets."

"A more accurate description would be that she likes to share secrets with others," Elizabeth agreed.

Klein put on his hat, thought for a moment, and said:

"When Selena wakes up, remember to tell her that she suddenly fainted and broke the mirror. I think her memory is probably still stuck shortly after the magic mirror divination began."

Seeing Elizabeth nod, he once again put on a stern face and said:

"Remember, whether you're performing divination or trying other occult practices, never pray to anything other than the seven gods! If you see any incantations that don't belong to this type, burn them immediately and stay away from the provider!"

"If I hadn't discovered it in time today, in another ten minutes, Selena would have become a monster, an evil spirit, and no one present would have survived, including me!"

Thinking of the chilling "Selena" in the mirror, Elizabeth had no doubt about Klein's words, and sighed with lingering fear:

"I know, I've got it, and I'll keep an eye on Selena too."

"Alright, go inside and take care of Selena." Klein waved his black cane inlaid with silver and strode towards the stairwell.

As he walked, his eyes deepened, his gaze narrowed, and he took out a one-penny copper coin with his right hand, flicking it into the air with a clang.

"Selena is fine now."

"Selena is fine now."

……

Klein quickly repeated the statement, reached out and caught the tumbling bronze coin, and saw that George III's portrait was facing up.

This is not a simplification of the "pendulum method," but a simplification of "dream divination." Just now, Klein used meditation to force himself to fall asleep, and his "spirit" traveled to the spirit world. The heads and tails of the coin are the external symbolic representations.

The profile picture is correct, but the numbers are incorrect!

Very good, no problem... Klein let the brass-colored coin spin merrily between his fingertips.

The simplification just now could only be accomplished by a "diviner".

…………

Elizabeth gazed at Klein's retreating figure, saw the fluttering pennies, and saw him casually catch them.

Only after Klein disappeared down the stairs did she turn and enter the bedroom, where she saw Selena lying unconscious on the floor, surrounded by shards of glass.

She held her breath, stood on tiptoe, and looked at the shards of glass, confirming that the cold "Selena" was no longer inside and that the image of the ceiling was reflected.

Whew, Elizabeth was completely relieved and let out a long sigh of relief.

However, despite several attempts, she was unable to get Selena to bed and instead woke her up.

"Elizabeth... what's wrong with me? Am I drunk?" Selena asked weakly, her bright eyes dimming and filled with confusion.

Elizabeth pondered for a few seconds, then answered with unusual seriousness:

"No, Selena, you've made a mistake. Your magic mirror divination has attracted something bad."

"Really?" Selena, supported by Elizabeth, sat weakly on the edge of the bed, rubbing her temples. "I only remember starting to use the Magic Mirror for divination."

Elizabeth said, half-jokingly:

"You were like a completely different person just now. The you in the mirror was even a little different from the real you... I was scared, so I pretended to surprise you, took you into the bedroom, snatched your mirror, smashed it on the carpet, and then, and then, you fainted."

"Thank God, you're back to normal now!"

"I...I don't remember..." Selena murmured, her face pale.

The more she thought about it, the blanker her mind became, and the more frightened she felt.

Subconsciously, she looked up at the desk and noticed that its arrangement was significantly different from before.

What exactly happened... Selena racked her brains, only vaguely remembering a figure in a black tailcoat and a half-high silk hat, not strong or tall, but rather upright.

"Selena," Elizabeth said solemnly, "when I went to the underground market to buy an amulet last time, I met a mystical expert. He told me that under no circumstances should I pray to anything other than the seven gods, or it will surely bring disaster. Promise me you won't try again. Just now, I didn't even know if I could save you!"

Selena was also terrified and nodded hastily:

"No, I will never try that again!"

"Hmm, what exactly did the incantation you used when you did the divination with the magic mirror mean? If I ever have the chance to meet that occult expert again, I'll ask him for you," Elizabeth asked casually.

Selena rubbed her temples, thought for a moment, and said:

"The lingering spirits of heroes, the servants of the true Creator, eyes that gaze upon destiny."

…………

Tap, tap, tap.

As Klein descended the stairs, he carefully straightened the wrinkles in his clothes and patted off the dust.

Then, he removed his top silk hat, picked up his black cane inlaid with silver, and slowly walked back to the long dining table.

"Where have you been? It's been almost ten minutes." Selena's brother Chris had just folded and turned to ask.

Klein smiled and said:

"After visiting the restroom, I went up to the second floor and met several young ladies and women."

"I appreciate your directness," Chris chuckled in approval.

He has red hair and a short stature inherited from his family. He wears a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and has a very capable demeanor. He is an outstanding solicitor.

"If you knew I went upstairs and knocked out your sister, you certainly wouldn't say that..." Klein said modestly.

"It's just a discussion of some academic issues."

Mysticism...

He put his hat away, returned to his seat, and waited for the next round to begin, where he received two hole cards.

He lifted a corner of the edge and saw a King of Spades and an Ace of Diamonds.

My luck has turned around... Is this a reward for doing good deeds? Klein took out a copper coin, ready to place a bet.

Since the incantation wasn't revealed to Selena by Hainas, there was no need to rush to inform the captain... he thought to himself.

In the subsequent hands, he maintained a tight playing style, only betting when he had a good hand and not catching bluffs he wasn't sure about. Overall, his wins and losses were small, and by the time the game ended at 10:30, he had won 6 pence.

"I won 2 sous and 8 pence." Benson fiddled with the banknotes and pennies in his hand.

"I didn't expect you to be a poker expert," Klein said with a smile.

"No, I don't play cards much, but I know that it's like negotiation. You have to hide your own cards, see through other people's cards, and then use various methods to scare or entice them..." Before Benson could finish speaking, he saw Melissa and the others coming down from the second floor.

"It's time to go home." Klein glanced at his sister and her friends, then rubbed his temples.

The throbbing pain in his head persisted.

Then, Klein went to the restroom and, taking advantage of the chance to brush past Elizabeth, learned the complete spell.

Returning to his brother and sister, he smiled and said:

"Oh, right, I just remembered something and I need to go back to the company. Shall we head to Zotland Street first? It'll be quick."

(End of this chapter)