Lord of the Mysteries

A true medium… Klein repeated this description inwardly, and did not speak again. He followed Dunn Smith down the carriage.

Welch’s place in Tingen was a detached house with a garden. The road outside the hollowed metal gates allowed four carriages to pass through at once. Street lamps lined the sides of the road every fifty meters. They looked different from the ones Klein had seen in his previous life. They were gas lamps and the height of every lamp was about that of an adult male so that it was convenient to light the lamps.

The black metal was closely appressed to the glass, forming a checkered pattern, casting out classical paper lantern-like ‘artworks.’ Coldness and warmth were intertwined while darkness and light coexisted.

Walking along the pathway blanketed by rays from the sunset, Klein and Dunn Smith entered Welch’s rented place through the ajar metal gate.

Facing the main entrance was a cemented road that led straight to a two-floored bungalow. Two carriages could go at once.

There was a garden on the left and a lawn to the right. The pleasantly faint fragrance from the flowers mixed with the cool scent of the fresh grass made one feel happy and relaxed.

As soon as he stepped in, Klein shivered and peered around.

He felt that in the garden, somewhere in the lawn, on the roof, behind the swing, somewhere in a dark corner, pairs of eyes were observing him!

There was clearly no one here; yet, Klein felt as if he was on a crowded street.

This strange contrast—this peculiar feeling—tensed him up. A chill ran up his spine.

“Something’s wrong!” he couldn’t help but exclaim to Dunn.

Dunn’s expression remained unchanged as he walked beside him and replied calmly, “Just ignore them.”

Since the “Nighthawk” had said so, Klein tolerated the chilling feeling of not being able to notice the perpetrator despite being followed, spied, and observed. Step by step, he arrived at the main entrance of the bungalow.

If this goes on any longer, I will go crazy… As Dunn reached out his hand to knock on the door, Klein quickly turned around. Flowers swayed in the wind, without a person in sight.

“Come in, gentlemen.” A seemingly ethereal voice came from inside the house.

Dunn turned the doorknob, pushed the door open and said to a woman on the sofa, “Daly, any results?”

The chandelier in the living room was unlit. A set of two leather couches surrounded a marble coffee table.

On the table was a lit candle, but the light emitted a cobalt blue glow. It covered the half-enclosed living room, dining room, and kitchen in a strange, eerie hue.

On the middle of the sofa sat a lady in a hooded black robe who wore blue eyeshadow and blush. An exposed silver bracelet with a hanging white crystal pendant was worn around her wrist.

At the first sight of her, Klein had an inexplicable feeling. She was dressed just like a real medium…

Was she stereotyping herself?

Daly, the “medium” with uncanny beauty, took a quick glance at Klein with her twinkling emerald eyes. She looked at Dunn Smith and said, “The original spirits have all disappeared, including that of Welch’s and Naya’s. Right now, all these little rascals know nothing at all.”

Spirits? Spirit Medium… All the invisible things that were spying on him previously were spirits? There were so many of them? Klein removed his hat and placed it across his chest, bowing slightly as he said, “Good evening, Madam.”

Dunn Smith sighed. “That’s tricky…”

if you can

onto Klein immediately. She pointed at a single armchair and said,

Klein nodded, took a few steps over,

get through this successfully or have my secrets exposed will all depend on whatever

he had

sucks… Klein thought

two-seater sofa opposite of Klein. Daly took out two thumb-sized

enemy, I can’t treat you harshly. That might make you uncomfortable or put you in pain. It might even leave some serious after-effects

gaped as

laughed and said, “Don’t be weirded out. We are different from the fellows from the Church of the Lord of Storms. Here, the ladies can also verbally tease men. In this regard, you should be able to understand. Your mother was a devout believer of the Goddess. You and your

never thought that she would be such a… such a…” Klein gestured, as he could not find the right words. He almost blurted out the direct translation for

the corners of his mouth up and said, “Don’t worry. Actually, Daly seldom does this. She just wants to use these methods to calm

sound perverted,” Daly interjected with a

dripped a few drops onto the bright blue

chamomile, all distilled and extracted to form this aromatic floral essence. I call it ‘Amantha;’ it means

flickered, evaporating the floral essence and filling the

beautifully enchanting aroma found its way into Klein’s nostrils. He no longer felt tensed up. He was instantly calm as if he was gazing into the darkness of the

sun-dried for seven days and decocted thrice. Then, they are immersed in Lanti Wine. Of course, there would be several incantations while we’re at it…”

the candle flame was dancing wildly. The luster of Daly’s blue eyeshadow and blush shone oddly, to the extent of him seeing

great helping hand for mediumship. It is also a floral essence that is sufficiently enchanting…

as if her voice

was shrouded by layers and layers of fog. Even his body was swaying as it phased away before he began floating

like an impressionist painting—the reds were redder, the blues were bluer, and the blacks were blacker—appearing more defined than usual. It was dreamy and hazy. Distinct murmurs

ritual I did before, but without the kind of madness that makes your head feel like exploding…” Klein looked around and

of eyes that were crystal clear like emerald. On a blurry “sofa” sat Daly in a black robe. Eccentrically, her gaze concentrated on the tip of Klein’s head. She smiled and in a gentle voice, said, “Let me properly introduce myself.

like when I was at that luck enhancement ritual and that

is all on the superficial level. But in reality, deep in the ocean, there is a larger unseen portion. Other than islands, there is the entire ocean. There is

spirit of your body. Not only do you know of the islands above, but you also know of the things hidden beneath the sea, as well as

out, but what is

similar forms. It as though

watched patiently, as he ‘churned’ the ocean occasionally. Then, in an airy voice, he replied, “No…

at just the

once again, but the

end here. You may

“Leave.”

“Leave…”

The wind and shadows began calming as the ethereal smell and subtle scent of

the fuzzy feeling was no longer around. Klein’s

of closing, and noticed that the candle with the bright blue flame was still before him. Dunn Smith was still resting comfortably on

that bunch of evil madmen, the Psychology Alchemists?” Dunn furrowed his eyebrows and

two little bottles, she replied calmly, “I think it’s pretty accurate. At least, it

Daly shrugged and said, “This tricky fellow did not leave a single

hearing this, Klein heaved a huge sigh of relief. Pretentiously, he asked, “Oh, it’s over? What happened? It felt like