Lord of the Mysteries

The scenery started to distort, turning illusory and began to fade away.

After Klein left his dreamlike state, his vision adapted to the darkness in the room.

He knew that with one pound and ten soli, which was thirty soli a week, Benson didn’t have an easy time supporting the family according to the standards of an average family.

He had thought that the majority of workers earned twenty soli a week.

He had once heard Melissa remark that Lower Street of Iron Cross Street had five, seven, or even ten families squeezing into the same room.

He also learned from Benson that as a result of the situation in the Southern Continent, the kingdom’s economy was in a recession for the past few months.

He knew that a maid, with board and lodging provided, could earn between three soli and sixpence to six soli a week.

Klein extended his hand and pinched his glabella. He was silent for a long time, until Sir Deweyville asked, “Officer, aren’t you going to say anything? The psychiatrists I went to would always speak to me and ask questions in such a situation.

“However, I must say that I feel at peace. I almost fell asleep. I haven’t heard any moans or cries yet.

“How did you do it?”

Klein leaned back in the rocking chair. Instead of providing an answer, he asked with a gentle tone, “Sir, do you know about lead poisoning? Do you know about the dangers of lead?”

Deweyville fell silent for a few seconds. “I did not know about it in the past, but I do now. Are you telling me that my psychological illness stems from my guilt—my guilt toward the female lead and porcelain factory workers?”

Without waiting for Klein to answer, he continued just like he always had—in his position of power during a negotiation.

“Yes, I did feel guilty about this in the past, but I did compensate them. At my lead and porcelain factories, the workers do not earn less than other workers in the same industry. In Backlund, lead and porcelain workers are paid no more than eight soli a week, but I pay them ten, sometimes even more.

“Heh, many people criticize me for breaking ranks since it makes it hard for them to recruit workers. If not for the Grain Act that made many farmers bankrupt, sending them to the cities, they would have had to raise their wages just like I did.

“Furthermore, I’ve also informed the supervisor of the factories to make sure that those with repeated headaches and blurry vision are to leave the areas where they are exposed to lead. If their illness is really severe, then they can even ask for help at my charity foundation.

“I think I have done enough.”

Klein spoke without a ripple of emotion in his voice, “Sir, at times, you cannot imagine how important a salary is to a poor person. Simply losing work for a week or two can result in an irreversible loss to their family, a loss that would cause tremendous grief.”

He paused before saying, “I am curious, why wouldn’t a kind person like you install equipment that can protect against dust and lead poisoning in your factories?”

Deweyville looked at the ceiling and laughed ruefully.

I am even willing to fork out some money. But what’s the point of keeping the business if I have to keep doing that? That can only help a number of workers and not become a standard in the industry or

workers. I heard that some factories even secretly hire slaves to

from the buildup of guilt, despite you believing that the guilt has faded and disappeared over time. It

triggered me? I’m not aware of such a thing,” Deweyville said puzzled,

chair to rock gently as he explained with a gentle tone, “You

guess as

instead said, “You once saw a girl dying on her way to work while you were on your carriage. She had died because of lead poisoning. She was one of your workers who glazed porcelain

“I think that happened once… but I

poor mental state. He could only faintly recall seeing such

moment, but gave up taxing his brain. Instead, he asked, “What was that

should I do to cure

replied immediately, “Two

was called Hayley Walker. That was what you told me. She was the most direct trigger, so you have to

help more workers who suffered from the damage. If

slowly and laughed

of the rest, but to enact a law, heh— I think it’s impossible since there is still competition from nations beyond our country. Setting up such a law would just slip the entire industry in the country into a crisis. Factories would become bankrupt

slowly got off the bed and adjusted his collar. He then looked at Klein and said, “Hayley Walker, right? I’ll immediately get Cullen to retrieve information about her from the porcelain company and

up slowly and smoothed his black-and-white checkered

…

morning in the living

as he looked at the man and woman being guided into

blemished skin, wrinkles already woven into their faces. The man had a slight hunch while the woman had a mole

almost all bone. Their

Sob…

an icy wind start to spiral through his spiritual

toward Sir Deweyville. It was unknown when a faint white, translucent, contorted figure had appeared behind

morning, Honorable Sir.” Hayley’s parents were unusually

his forehead and asked, “Are the both of you Hayley Walker’s parents? Doesn’t she

broke his leg at the harbor sometime back. We

a few seconds

for what happened to

Hayley’s parents immediately turned red. They opened their

the term, right? Oh, my poor child, she was only seventeen. She was

sent someone to visit her before and sponsored her burial.

glanced at Klein and changed his sitting posture. He leaned forward and said with a serious tone, “That was actually an oversight of ours.

you, to compensate Hayley. Her weekly salary was ten soli, was it not? One year would be five hundred and twenty soli, or

Hayley’s parents