Lord of the Mysteries

Klein repeatedly bent and extended his arm as he watched Dunn push open the Keeper’s room with his body sideways.

The captain’s carefulness and high alertness, as well as the ridiculous and laughable “protective actions,” left him feeling abnormally tensed. The feeling was identical to what he felt when taking tests of courage that required him to walk through spooky cemeteries at night in his youth.

A Grade 2 Sealed Artifact. Dangerous. To be used with care and moderation… It is something even a formal Nighthawk member does not know the details to… It is unknown how dangerous it is… Amid his tense nerves, Klein found it impossible to curb himself from overthinking.

At that moment, his brain suddenly turned numb as though a power switch had been flicked off.

Everything in Klein’s vision turned slow. Even his arm actions shared the same fate.

He saw Captain Dunn stop in his tracks. He came close to him as though in slow motion, extending his palm out slowly before pushing him in the shoulder.

Suddenly, Klein’s thought processes and vision were restored to normal at the same time. It was as though everything from before was just an illusion.

“What happened?” he whispered amid his fright and confusion.

Dunn shook his head and said in a deep voice, “Observe carefully.”

The moment he finished his sentence, he turned around and walked into the Keeper’s room. Klein followed closely behind and saw four other people in the room; they were either seated or standing.

One of them was the Midnight Poet, Leonard. The other three were people Klein had never met before. However, all of them shared a common trait. They were all doing the extending and bending arm “exercise” with utmost seriousness.

“Klein Moretti has a miraculous connection with the Antigonus family’s notebook.” Dunn gave a brief introduction.

Then, he pointed to the other three strangers and said, “These lady and gentlemen are colleagues from the Backlund diocese. They escorted Sealed Artifact 2-049 here. This is Madam Lorotta, Sequence 8 Gravedigger. She is a master sharpshooter.”

At that moment, the black-haired woman who looked about thirty nodded at Klein in a friendly manner.

She looked pretty good. She did not wear a hat and was dressed in what appeared like male attire—a black coat with a white shirt, tight black trousers and black leather boots. The corners of her mouth were slightly curved up.

After Klein exchanged greetings, Dunn pointed to a man seated behind the desk.

“Aiur Harson, someone just like me.”

Before he finished his sentence, Klein saw Mr. Aiur Harson in his gray windbreaker turn sluggish with his arm motion. It was as though a gear had lost its lubricant or a joint covered in rust.

What’s wrong… Amid Klein’s daze, he saw Lorotta push Aiur Harson. Only then did the gentleman’s actions return to normal.

Was I like that previously? Klein was first taken aback before he came to the realization.

that

would happen if one

one become

Klein greeted

Dunn said as he pointed to

was a cold man with a knife scar on the side of his face. His sharp brown eyes

2-049,” the handsome Aiur Harson said as he

2-049? Klein surveyed his surroundings curiously but did not notice any traces of the Sealed Artifact. Of course, he could not see the

“You’ll be in charge of driving. It is best not to involve Cesare with matters

was the clerk in charge of procuring and collecting supplies for the Tingen Nighthawks while standing in as a carriage driver. He was the

Leonard stopped acting frivolous and nodded

saw Aiur Harson bending over. He picked up a black metal chest which had been

carved with resplendent stars and the crimson full moon. It

inside there? I wonder

Thump!

Thump! Thump!

chest. Even the surface of the chest bulged

Thump! Thump! Thump!

as though something horrifying had awakened within the chest and was pounding wildly. The sound of

he saw Captain Dunn’s

pushed Dunn’s shoulder,

the robot dance when one is affected by 2-049… If all of us are under its influence, wouldn’t we be some awkward dance squad… Luckily, 2-049

then followed behind the five Nighthawks through the tunnel and up the stairs to the second floor of the Blackthorn

the third level. These incidents rarely involved them, but they were not completely alien to

a sigh of relief when he reached the carriage. He looked suspiciously out the window and said, “Won’t 2-049 affect the

sluggish incidents, two of which were targeted at him. He had

easier it is for you to be chosen. As long as there are three people surrounding it, people who happen to be around when the carriage steers past will not be affected,” the beautiful, black-haired

Artifact… Klein thought as

not speak on the journey to Ray Bieber’s house. They were paying close attention to each other’s condition. Only Lorotta wore a nonchalant look. At times,

group of six made their

the Tingen Police Department’s symbol,

did his stretching exercises, he took out a key. He opened the newly changed lock, then turned around, allowing Aiur Harson who was carrying the black chest

Thump!

Thump! Thump! Thump!

This made Aiur Harson’s arm waver from side to side uncontrollably. It even made Klein suspect that the chest

Thump! Thump! Thump!

when a buzz sounded in his brain. His brain became numb, the scenes before his eyes played as though they were