Chapter 185 Behind the Door

"Come in."

Dunn Smith's warm and mellow voice drifted out.

Klein turned the handle, pushed open the door, and saw the Captain enjoying his breakfast. On his right was a cup of coffee wafting a rich aroma, and before him sat white bread, toast, and bacon arranged on a plate.

Dunn placed the last piece of buttered toast into his mouth and silently pointed to the chair across from his desk.

Klein didn't interrupt the Captain's meal. With a smile on his face, he sat down and waited patiently.

Seeing that he wasn't in a rush, Dunn relaxed his upright posture, picked up his coffee, and took a sip, swallowing all the food in his mouth.

He pulled out a soft napkin, dabbed the corner of his lips, and asked: "Is something the matter?"

Klein nodded earnestly: "I've met Dast Goodrian, the asylum doctor, the member of the Psychology Alchemy Club."

As he spoke, he glanced sideways from the corner of his eye and noticed an open magazine lying in front of the Captain.

"Did he provide any intelligence?" Dunn asked, clasping his hands together, as if suddenly recalling something.

Klein gave a brief summary: "He told me that before Hood Eugen went mad, someone had been visiting him frequently. That person's name was Lawrus."

"Lawrus..." Dunn raised a hand and rubbed his temple. "I seem to have heard that name somewhere..."

"He's the fraudster who ran off with at least ten thousand pounds," Klein reminded him.

Dunn's expression turned serious as he thought for a moment, then shook his head — he had no impression.

Captain, you have absolutely no sensitivity when it comes to money! Klein lamented inwardly, then recounted the key points regarding Lawrus: "This fraudster falsely claimed to have prospected and purchased a high-quality, high-yield iron ore deposit. He privately raised funds in Tingen City to develop it, and made off with over ten thousand pounds. A friend I know at the divination club suffered losses, and moreover, a young woman was deceived into getting engaged to him and became pregnant with his child."

"He visited Hood Eugen several times before he went mad..." Dunn murmured thoughtfully. "Sequence 8 Beyonder, a 'Swindler'? From that 'Thief' pathway..."

Captain, your memory really is remarkable when it comes to things like this... Klein found it amusing yet impressive, and nodded gently: "That's also my guess."

"Because the steel company Lawrus established was in the South District, and the victims followed various faiths, the case was never transferred to us in the end. Even when the police department discovered some supernatural traces, they handed it over to the 'Punishers' squad."

Dunn finally understood the full picture. His deep grey eyes fixed on Klein as he asked: "What do you want to do?"

"Cough, Captain, don't be so perceptive..." Klein replied with a completely straight face: "I want to use a séance ritual to communicate with Hood Eugene, to figure out what Lancelot wanted from him, and whether it was the direct cause of his madness."

Dunn nodded slightly and said: "Even if you hadn't applied, I would have attempted something similar once we confirmed that Hood Eugene was truly insane."

"However, Derry told me there's considerable risk involved in this sort of thing. Are you certain you're up to it? Or I could request assistance from the Backlund diocese — a few days' delay shouldn't be a problem."

Klein's primary motivation for becoming a Beyonder was to study the occult and find a way back home. With an opportunity for practical experience and his own strong confidence, he naturally wasn't willing to give it up: "Captain, I've already mastered the relevant knowledge and have a fair degree of certainty."

"Of course, I'll need the assistance of 'Amanda' pure essence, 'Eye of the Spirit' potion, and a 'Tranquility Potion.'"

"Tranquility Potion..." Dunn rolled the name around in his mind, confirming Klein's professionalism.

He remembered Derry had mentioned that this was a relatively obscure but very useful potion in the field of spirit communication.

After deliberating for more than ten seconds, Dunn Smith leaned back in his chair and said: "Then write up an application, go to the door behind Chenis to collect the corresponding potions. Ah... I don't know if there are any finished potions left. If not, collect the corresponding ingredients and brew them yourself."

"Alright," Klein answered happily.

But he didn't get up from his seat, remaining firmly planted in his chair.

Seeing this, Dunn raised his hand and rubbed his temple, then said after careful thought: "Starting this afternoon, it happens to be my turn to monitor the asylum... We can't go directly to Hood Eugene. There's no telling whether doctors, nurses, orderlies, or patients at the asylum might still be hiding members of the Psychology Alchemists. There's no telling whether the Psychology Alchemists are also secretly monitoring Hood Eugene. Our operation must be sufficiently covert — we can't let it become known that Dasty Goodrian has become our informant."

"...We'll go in the early hours of the morning. Sneak in covertly."

"Mm, I'll stand guard nearby, just in case of emergencies."

That's the best outcome! If Hood Eugene is only faking his madness and I perform a séance on him, it would be like climbing into a zoo enclosure and dancing in front of a tiger... Klein felt relieved and said sincerely: "Yes, Captain!"

He stood up and turned toward the door.

Just then, from the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the headline on the magazine spread open in front of the captain: "The juice of the Doningsman tree found in the rainforests of the Southern Continent has a clearly noticeable effect of promoting hair growth."

...Klein withdrew his gaze with a touch of pity, pulled open the door, and walked out of the captain's office.

Suddenly, a rather amusing thought flashed through his mind: Actually, a Beyonder wouldn't need to go through all that trouble. If Old Neil were still around, he would most likely have suggested designing a ritual magic spell for hair growth, using it to pray to the Goddess for assistance. As for whether the end result would be growing fur all over one's body and turning into a curly-haired baboon — well, that was a separate problem entirely... And what would the Goddess's reaction be? If it were Klein, he'd definitely say: mmp...

This thought instantly tinged Klein's happiness with a touch of sorrow, and the sorrow was filled with a sense of absurdity.

He entered the clerks' office, sat down in front of the Akson 1346 mechanical typewriter, and clattered away until the application was done.

Once Dunn Smith had signed and stamped it, Klein took the application and descended deep underground, following the corridor illuminated by gaslight, making his way step by step toward the Chanis Gate.

It was only at this point that a question occurred to Klein: