This wasn't the first time Klein had watched an acquaintance die before his eyes, but it was the most abrupt and without warning. His mind still seemed to retain the expression on Taliim Dument's face when he had just asked what it really felt like to truly love someone. It was a vivid expression that concealed excitement and boasting, yet couldn't be directly shared due to certain factors; it had to be cautious.
Too fast... A normal illness wouldn't cause death this quickly! Klein's expression was heavy as water. He gently clicked his teeth together, activating his Spirit Vision.
He dropped to one knee, crouching down, and saw Taliim Dument's aura and emotional colors rapidly fading.
Around his heart, which he had tightly clutched, wisps of black qi coiled like snakes, gradually dimming.
A Beyonder technique similar to a curse? Klein instantly made a preliminary judgment.
At this moment, a waiter in a red vest and a maid in a black and white dress came running over, staring in horror at the deceased, whose eyes were wide open and whose mouth had traces of foam.
Klein closed his eyes and said in a deep voice:
"Go to the nearest police station and tell them someone has died here."
"Yes, Mr. Moriarty." The waiter in the red vest turned around and ran out the door, forgetting his coat in his panic.
Under the gaze of countless eyes, Klein didn't check Taliim's belongings, nor did he try to pull out a few strands of hair to attempt a divination when alone.
His identity was semi-official, semi-underground. He could fully rely on the strength of "The Machinery of the Heart" to handle the follow-up investigation. There was no need to be a lone hero.
Thinking back to the many times he had played cards with Taliim Dument, thinking of the clients and investors he had introduced, thinking of the romance story that had troubled him until he finally found the answer, Klein couldn't help but let out a long, slow sigh.
"Who is the murderer of Taliim? "Which Beyonder skilled in curses did Taliim offend? "Judging by how he acted today, he should have been in a very happy and stable state, completely unaware that he had provoked such a terrifying person..."
One question after another flashed through Klein's mind, but because he didn't know Taliim Dument well enough, there was no fertile ground for inspiration.
When the police arrived, he was questioned as a witness, which delayed him for quite a while.
Only after all this was done did Klein have the chance to leave Hillston Borough and once again head to "The Lucky One" bar in the Backlund Bridge region.
Carlson was still there drinking, but he had replaced his strong distilled pure malt liquor with a golden, foamy beer.
Klein raised his right hand, half-covering his mouth, and leaned in, tapping lightly on the table:
"Is your job just to drink here every day?"
Carlson was startled, but relaxed when he turned his head and saw it was Sherlock Moriarty:
"You... What is it now?"
Such a familiar reaction... Klein sighed silently, and spoke gravely:
"There's a case involving Beyonders."
Carlson immediately looked around, noticing that "The Lucky One" bar was now quite full of customers. Some were shouting loudly with glasses in hand, others were eagerly eyeing the boxing ring.
"Come on, let's play a game of billiards." Carlson pushed up his thick glasses, took his beer, and walked towards an empty billiards room.
Klein followed closely behind and skillfully closed the door.
"You seem to have a pretty good tolerance for alcohol," he remarked casually.
"No, I just drink slowly." Carlson put down his glass and picked up a cue.
Then, he inexplicably added:
"And lately, I've been wanting to be alone."
I don't care about that... Klein pursed his lips and said:
"I encountered a death at the Cragg Club in Hillston Borough. It was my friend, a descendant of nobility, an equestrian instructor. He was usually very healthy, and his mental state recently was excellent, but he just dropped dead in front of me. It looked like a sudden heart attack, but my Spirit Vision tells me that he was probably cursed."
"You're proficient in Spirit Vision?" Carlson asked instinctively.
What exactly did Mr. Stanton fabricate about my background? After becoming an informant for "The Machinery of the Heart," they never asked me which Pathway or Sequence I was a Beyonder of, nor did they inquire about my origins or background... Of course, allowing informants to keep some of their secrets is a common strategy for official organizations... Klein responded calmly:
"Yes. On the chest of the deceased, there was some illusory black qi that rapidly darkened."
"It could indeed involve a curse, involving Beyonders." Carlson didn't ask any more questions and slowly nodded. "Hillston Borough... This is within the jurisdiction of our 'The Machinery of the Heart'."
In the northwestern part of Backlund, the core of this metropolis, the Queen's Borough and Joewood District belonged to "The Punisher," the West and North Districts belonged to "The Nighthawks," while Hillston Borough and the Backlund Bridge region were managed by "The Machinery of the Heart."
Having said that, Carlson looked at Klein and asked for confirmation:
"Which deity does your friend worship?"
After thinking for a few seconds, Klein replied somewhat hesitantly:
"The Lord of Storms."
"A follower of the Lord of Storms... Was he the only one who died?" Carlson frowned.
"Yes." Klein gave an affirmative answer.