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 get anything out of

Daly, shifted her gaze onto Klein immediately. She pointed at a single armchair and

few steps over,

get through this successfully or have

was that he had nothing to rely

really sucks… Klein

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

not an 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 on you. I will give you some fragrances, making you feel tender and smooth, which will allow you to let loose bit by bit so that you can truly indulge in those

as

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

a…” Klein gestured, as he could not find the right words. He almost blurted out the direct translation for “veteran driver

corners of his mouth up and said, “Don’t worry. Actually, Daly seldom does this.

perverted,” Daly interjected with

opened one of the little bottles and dripped

distilled and extracted to form this aromatic floral essence. I call it ‘Amantha;’ it means tranquility in the Hermes language. It smells really

they chatted, the candle flame flickered, evaporating the

tensed up. He was instantly calm as if he was

called the Eye of the Spirit. Barks and leaves of drago and poplar trees are 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…” As Daly described the liquid, the amber substance dripped onto the

dancing wildly. The luster of Daly’s blue eyeshadow and blush shone oddly,

a great helping hand for mediumship. It is also a floral

Klein felt as if her voice was coming

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

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 from the surroundings came through as

ritual I did before, but without the kind of madness that makes your head

were crystal clear like emerald. On a blurry “sofa” sat Daly in a black robe. Eccentrically, her gaze

when I was at that luck enhancement ritual and that gathering… The thought crossed Klein’s mind as he intentionally behaved muddled and

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 the boundless

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

memories of the islands may be wiped out, but what is left under the sea and the

on, bewitching Klein. The vague surrounding winds and shadows took on similar forms. It as though Klein’s spirit was fully exposed in the

he ‘churned’ the ocean occasionally. Then, in an airy voice, he replied, “No… I can’t remember… I have

at

once again, but

end here. You may

“Leave.”

“Leave…”

began calming as the ethereal

colors returned to their normal state and the fuzzy feeling was

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

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

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

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

of relief. Pretentiously, he asked, “Oh, it’s over? What happened? It