Lord of the Mysteries

Leonard’s singing sounded like a lullaby as it lightly resounded through the doors and into the winding wooden stairwell.

Klein’s mind immediately turned torpid. He felt like he saw a silent moonlight and serene rippling lake.

His eyelids rapidly turned heavy as if he were about to fall asleep standing.

Amid these indistinct sensations, he also felt a strange, formless, and indifferent focus on his back. It felt like he was wandering the spirit world himself.

A baffling sense of déjà vu suffused as Klein suddenly found his train of thought once again. With his strong spiritual perception and extreme familiarity with Cogitation, he barely escaped the influence of the Midnight Poem.

However, he remained serene and could hardly evoke any emotions.

Soon, Leonard stopped singing as he turned his head with a smile.

“I’m considering asking Captain’s permission to apply for a Feynapotter lute. How can there not be an accompaniment when singing?

“Heh heh, I’m just kidding. I can hear them asleep.”

The black-haired, green-eyed Nighthawk with his poetic vibe took a stride forward and walked to the door that separated them from the kidnappers and hostage.

He suddenly moved his shoulder and threw a punch at the door’s lock.

Crack!

The wooden board around the lock shattered in a muffled manner.

“This requires precise control.” Leonard turned his head and smiled. He then reached his hand into the hole and opened the door.

Klein, who had regained consciousness, was not as confident as him. He reached under his armpit, drew his revolver, and turned the cylinder, making sure that he could shoot at a moment’s notice.

As the door swung back, he saw a man sleeping on a table with a gun by his feet. Another man was rubbing his eyes in a daze while trying to stand up.

Bam!

Leonard slid forward and struck the awakening kidnapper unconscious.

Klein planned to enter as well when he suddenly sensed something. He turned around abruptly and faced the stairwell.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Footsteps were approaching from below. It became clear that “something” was a hatless man in a brown coat circling the stairwell in his progression toward the third floor while hugging a paper bag of bread.

Suddenly, he stopped. He saw a gun’s barrel aiming at him with a metallic luster.

His pupils reflected a young man dressed in a halved top hat, black formal suit with a bow tie of the same color. It also reflected the cane which rested along the rail and the dangerous revolver.

“Do not move. Raise your hands. Three, two, one…” Klein’s tone was deep but relaxed.

He held the revolver with both hands as he tried to imagine the man as a target from his practice.

Amid the tense atmosphere, the man in the brown coat threw the bag of bread and slowly raised his hands.

“Sir, is this a kind of a joke? Has there been a misunderstanding?” He stared intently at the finger that Klein had placed on the trigger as he forced a smile.

an accomplice or a neighbor, but he did not reveal any abnormalities. He said in a deep voice, “Do not attempt to resist. Someone will determine if it’s

had finished handling the kidnappers, walked out and noticed the man in the stairwell. He

the man’s pupils constricted as he suddenly raised his foot and kicked the bag of bread

Klein coldly pulled the trigger like

Bang!

out from the

from the second floor; however, Leonard had

Leonard landed on the man

blood that had splattered on him. He looked

“Nice shooting.”

mouth twitched in an indiscernible manner as he

after consuming the Seer potion, he could still “see” obstructed objects and “hear” faint

as he watched Leonard find a sharp dagger in the accomplice’s possession and “drag” him

the kidnapper’s room. They saw Elliott Vickroy jolt awake from the gunshot as he straightened his body and sat up

securely tied up the three kidnappers with the rope they used against Elliott. Bunched together, they were thrown in a corner. The lack of rope was made up by tearing

Leonard disdained getting his hands dirty, so he did not

Elliott stammered in pleasant delight

you guessed right. Very precise.” The genuflecting

his revolver and said to

saved?” Elliott said joyfully without daring

harshly in the short few hours of being a kidnapping

Get them to inform the tobacco merchant. I do not wish to walk out with a child and four idiots like a

about the aftermath, nodded. He put away

something. In addition, he heard Leonard say to Elliott, “Don’t be nervous. You will soon see

…

held back his laughter and walked out into the streets. With the help of pedestrians, he found two

not use his badge and identification as a member of the Special Operations Department; instead, he used his identity as a professional security

received an all-purpose weapon usage certificate the day

reinforcements and inform the Vickroy family. The other policeman followed Klein to the

waiting for more than forty minutes, Leonard signaled to Klein while the policeman was

station is an extreme waste of time. Let’s leave first,” the Nighthawk with the poetic

take any responsibility for any repercussions, he did not

to the building where the kidnappers were. The old butler, Klee,

found it incredulous that news would come so

heard a crisp snap as

drove past with its windows open. The black-haired and green-eyed Leonard had snapped his fingers

passing by Vickroy’s carriage, Leonard closed the window, turned around, and looked

extended his right hand and

was a pleasure working

we are on that good

so quickly. All he could do was marvel at the capabilities

among aristocrats after a clash of swords,”

know.” Klein had many

with Mr. Klee? If he believes that the police

of 100

doubt about their providing of the kidnappers’ location from their ‘meeting’

it. To us, money isn’t that important,” said Leonard with

very important