Hearing the familiar description of the scene, Audrey was almost certain that it was the work of Mr. Fool's Blessed.
She instantly felt a strong sense of immersion, participation, and pride.
That was a human trafficker whose hands were steeped in blood and sin... The "Judgment" card means that a just trial is being conducted against him, the verdict being hanging, beheading, or burning at the stake? The "Emperor" card must be a representation of his identity... Is this the Blessed who infiltrated the royal museum and stole the "Black Emperor" card? For a moment, Audrey's mind wandered.
She originally planned to ask for more details and a more detailed process, but she understood from her father Earl Hall's expression, tone, and emotional colors that he didn't yet know exactly what had happened. She had to suppress her doubts and curiosity, deciding to inquire of her friend Cons Lirson, who worked at MI9.
Although directly asking Cons aligns with my image in this matter, it would still be somewhat abrupt and slightly inconsistent with my status as a noble, hmm... Have Annie prepare several afternoon tea invitations for Glein, Cons, Murray, Kristin, Jane, and the others... Most of them are interested in mysticism and won't be indifferent to the name "Black Emperor" regarding the Gentleman Thief. Under my guidance, they can help me ask many questions I'm not conveniently positioned to ask... It's decided... Audrey withdrew her attention and took small bites of her breakfast.
She believed that Mr. Fool's Blessed wouldn't go after Karpin purely to punish evil; it didn't fit his identity. Of course, a few months ago, when Audrey had just joined the Tarot Club, she would have readily accepted a similar explanation. Otherwise, she wouldn't have chosen the "Justice" card as her symbol.
But after experiencing multiple gatherings and many events, she felt she had matured significantly and was no longer so naive. She believed there had to be a more critical, more essential factor hidden within this matter—for example, Karpin being involved with some evil god or some secret organization.
Hopefully Cons can provide useful information... Audrey thought, full of anticipation.
....
15 Minsk Street, Klein was flipping through the day's newspaper while eating white bread spread with jam.
"What? Safe?" As he read, he almost blurted it out and nearly choked.
"I didn't, I don't have, don't talk nonsense..." Klein immediately denied in his mind in a triple negation form the description of him taking all belongings from the safe.
The situation had been urgent at the time. To get clues, although he found the safe, he just crawled inside to look for important documents and evidence, and didn't take any valuables. He quickly left that place and went into other rooms.
Of course, Klein in his spirit form had sustained some injury in the gas explosion, reducing the total weight of items he could carry. Furthermore, Karpin's safe only contained gold bars, jewelry, land deeds, house deeds, antiques, and such things—things that were either inconvenient to take or hard to liquidate.
Maybe he had a special place for cash, unfortunately I didn't encounter it, nor did I have time to find it... Klein muttered silently to himself, confirming that it was some subsequent investigators who had divided up all the property in the safe.
He glanced at the newspaper, took a sip of Ceylon black tea, slowly exhaled, and chuckled to himself:
"The Gentleman Thief 'Black Emperor'... I like that title..."
After breakfast, Klein put on his thick double-breasted tailcoat, picked up his semi-high silk hat and hard black walking cane, opened the door, and left Minsk Street to head to Broken Axe Alley on the edge of the East Borough.
That was the place where Daisy had gone missing.
After finalizing the plan yesterday, before putting it into action, he deliberately made a trip to Broken Axe Alley. He carefully looked for clues and knocked on the doors of many surrounding houses, asking if they had seen a girl resembling Daisy.
Although Klein believed that the official Beyonders who took over the case wouldn't think a poor, struggling family could afford or hire a "Gentleman Thief" with at least Sequence 6 strength, and would most likely direct their investigation towards the hidden matters Karpin was involved in, supplemented by peripheral inquiries like "who has been asking about Karpin recently," he still cautiously decided to act the part fully. What if some law enforcement officer had a brain lapse and decided to conduct a preliminary investigation in this direction?
Some families might have some savings and could afford another detective. The probability of me, a kind-hearted person who only took on the case yesterday, being suspected was extremely low. As long as I wasn't suspected, no one would compare my performance with the last time during the Lanevus case... Moreover, last time, the Nighthawks were dispatched, assisted by a special military department. This time, in Cherwood Borough, it should be the Punishers taking over. Their communication wouldn't be smooth... Hmm, Katie and Parker are from the "Arbiter" pathway. I wonder if the military will also get involved... As a former Nighthawk, Klein had sufficient understanding of the behavioral patterns, work styles, and investigative habits of several official organizations.
Simply put, I possess excellent counter-surveillance skills... Klein chuckled to himself and boarded the carriage.
He was going to continue investigating Daisy's disappearance.
Because he was an ordinary private detective who hadn't yet confirmed that Daisy's disappearance was related to Karpin.
At nine in the morning, accompanied by the police officer responsible for the neighborhood, Daisy returned to the shabby apartment she was renting.
Last night, she and the other similarly unfortunate girls were settled in various churches in Cherwood Borough. They also underwent corresponding questioning, including the scene when they escaped, what they saw when they looked back, where they lived respectively, their family situations, whether they knew any friends who didn't seem too ordinary, etc., etc.
Daisy, who was still in a state of panic and lingering fear, answered those questions truthfully.
After that, no one else came to see her.
She slept for half the night and was sent to the East Borough in the early morning, handed over to the fierce police officer she often saw.
Along the way, Daisy didn't dare speak and was somewhat nervous. It wasn't until she entered her own apartment building that she felt a little more at ease.
She had just stepped through the door and hadn't had time to find her mother and sister through the hanging wet clothes when she heard a scream:
"Daisy!"
Fleia put down her work, dodged the clothes hanging in the air and the clutter on the floor like an agile fawn, quickly ran to the door, and tightly hugged her sister.
Then, she let go, tears streaming down her face, looking Daisy up and down with a mix of surprise, joy, and worry:
"Are you okay?" "Great, you're finally back!"
Liv also stood up from behind the washbasin, wiped her hands on her own clothes, and rubbed her eyes as she said:
"Daisy, where have you been these past few days?"
At this moment, the police officer interjected: