Seems to have Balam bloodline... A university lecturer... It really is Mr. Azik, and not just a namesake... Klein, based on the information provided by Old Kohler, largely confirmed that the wanted person was Azik, the suspected descendant of the God of Death.
"Then the question is, who exactly, or which organization, is looking for Mr. Azik?
"The Church of the God of Death, whose ultimate goal is to revive the God of Death? Ince Zangwill, who enjoys being the mastermind behind the scenes?
"It doesn't seem like the latter. Ince Zangwill has Sealed Artifact 0-08, which allows him to make his targets act according to his descriptions and achieve his goals through a chain of coincidences. There's absolutely no need for him to use gangsters and bounty hunters to find Mr. Azik...
"Wait, what if this itself is the arrangement of Sealed Artifact 0-08? Ince Zangwill found out that Mr. Azik was onto him but wasn't confident he could win in a fight, so he used 0-08 to create a conflict between Mr. Azik and some other force, hoping to eliminate his enemy through indirect means. And this bounty was issued by that very force... Highly likely!
"However, the Church of the God of Death cannot be ruled out either. Mr. Azik might have made some contact with them for the sake of revenge, but they had major disagreements on matters like reviving the God of Death, which ultimately led to a falling out..."
Klein immediately thought of these two possibilities and their corresponding reasons.
He picked up his coffee and took a sip, then said to Old Kohler:
"Help me find out who issued this bounty, and what the specific price is. If it's suitable, maybe I'll look into it."
"No problem." Old Kohler didn't find anything wrong with Klein's request.
In a sense, private detectives and bounty hunters weren't fundamentally different, the only distinction lay in their methods. The former would even take on trivial matters like catching adulterers, finding lost cats, and dog-walking, and preferred reasoning over violence.
After Old Kohler finished sharing other bits of news, Klein, following the Nighthawks' manual, taught him some simple techniques for extracting information, as well as emergency response plans for specific situations.
"I should be heading to the docks. Thank you, Detective Moriarty. You've given me a good life again!" Old Kohler picked up his worn-out soft cap from the table and expressed his sincere gratitude.
In his view, Detective Moriarty had not only provided him with a well-paying job but also taught him many useful things. Even if the detective stopped needing informants in the future, these skills would be enough for him to barely survive in the East End, especially as he got older and less able to do heavy work.
A good life? To me, what you have now is just the bare minimum for a human being... Klein watched Old Kohler leave the cheap café and sat there in a daze.
This was the first time since coming to Backlund that he had heard a friend's name from another person, and it was also the first time he had a possible lead on Ince Zangwill's whereabouts!
For the past three months or so, especially after killing Lanarvus (Rander Laus), Klein's main goal had been digesting the potion and advancing himself.
He knew very well that there was an insurmountable gap between him and Ince Zangwill, who was most likely a powerful high-sequence Beyonder. Revenge couldn't be rushed, and the mere thought of the bone-chilling Sealed Artifact 0-08 prevented him from even considering getting close or investigating.
Scenes from the Blackthorn Security Company in Tingen city replayed in Klein's mind. The shiny black shoes were as clear as if they were right in front of his eyes.
Tilting his head back, he slowly exhaled, took his scarf and hat, and walked out of the cheap café.
...
Outside a somewhat old building in Hillston District.
Klein got off the carriage, adjusted his hat, and headed straight for the main door.
This was the home of Isengard Stanton.
The renowned detective had written to Klein a few days earlier, inviting him to visit and discuss a murder case. Klein had politely replied that he was busy with the financing for the bicycle project, implying a refusal. Isengard Stanton, however, didn't mind, responding that the case had hit a dead end and wouldn't see any breakthroughs soon. He was very willing to wait for Detective Sherlock Moriarty's visit, looking forward to a conversation that would spark wisdom.
Klein had no choice but to first divine a suitable date for the visit, picking the one closest to the present after the negotiation, which was this afternoon, and confirmed it with the other party in a letter.
Ding-dong, ding-dong.
Klein pulled the bell twice and stepped back to wait.
A dozen seconds later, the door creaked open, and the great detective's assistant smiled:
"Good afternoon, Detective Moriarty. Mr. Stanton is waiting for you in the living room. Would you like coffee or black tea?"
The assistant was thin, with gold-rimmed spectacles, looking both refined and professional.
Klein looked up at him and said:
"Black tea, please. Just a few lemon slices."
"Certainly." The assistant led Klein into the hall, pointed to the living room door, and said, "I'm sorry, but our servants are all temporary, and they happen to be off today, so you'll have to make your way there yourself."
Klein nodded slightly and walked to the door of the living room on the first floor.
Just as he raised his hand to knock, he suddenly felt something was off:
*I scheduled this visit days ago. How could it be that all the temporary servants happen to be off today?*
Klein narrowed his eyes, reached into his pocket, and took out a copper penny.
At that moment, the living room door swung inward slightly from his knock, revealing a gap.
In an instant, it was as if some seal had been undone, and a strong smell of blood assailed Klein's nostrils.
Within his field of vision, the easy chair in the living room was toppled over, stained with dark red blood. A book lay beside it, with its cover facing up.
With just a single glance, Klein felt as if he had witnessed the scene of a murder.
The title of the book entered his pupils...