Lord of the Mysteries

“No, we are not…” Klein didn’t have the chance to retort before Benson interrupted with a smile. “Although Elizabeth is indeed a little young and her family is much more outstanding than ours, I find the two of you quite suitable for each other. But you might have to wait a few more years. She is still studying at a public school and wants to enter university. Marriage should be something to consider only six to seven years later. Of course, you can get engaged sooner than that.”

… Can you guys not think that far ahead? Klein took in a deep breath.

“I do not fancy Elizabeth, or, well, more accurately, I do not fancy a girl who is younger than me by too much. I prefer girls who are more mature.”

Truthfully, I can accept anyone within a reasonable age gap, just not now… He added inwardly in exasperation.

“You like girls who are more mature?” Melissa knitted her brows. “Then you should quickly settle the issue regarding your marriage.”

Ah? Klein couldn’t understand his sister’s leap in logic. He asked in confusion, “Why?”

Melissa explained seriously, “You will be about 25 when you finish saving up for your marriage. Girls that are more mature than you will either be married or engaged when they reach that age. Do you want to chase after a widow?”

What the… Klein thought to himself in Mandarin as he wore a blank expression.

Benson smiled and refuted his sister, “Melissa, you don’t understand. In this day and age, it isn’t rare to see women in their thirties who isn’t married or engaged within the middle class. They are mostly followers of the Goddess, and all have the ability to provide for themselves. They would rather be single than stuck in a marriage that they are not satisfied with. Yes, that’s what I read from the ‘Family’ magazine.”

“Is that so?” Melissa was a sixteen-year-old girl after all. She didn’t have a great understanding concerning matters like this.

Upon seeing his siblings getting roused up from the conversation, Klein coughed and said, “What I meant by mature is their mental state. They don’t need to be older than me. Furthermore, the person that should be worried about their marriage is Benson.”

I’m sorry, Brother, I had no choice… he apologized in his heart.

“…” Melissa froze for a moment, then nodded heavily. “That’s right!”

Benson was just about to elaborate on the marital problems of the middle class when he suddenly shivered. He looked at his sister who was staring at him and said, “I am now at the cusp of a turning point in my life. I have to devote all my attention to studying. I will only be confident of chasing after my desired girl when I have found a job that I’m satisfied with and have a reasonable amount of savings. Only then will I be able to provide her with a good life.”

Klein and Melissa froze, then asked in unison, “You have a girl that you fancy?”

Benson, who had merely given a perfunctory reply, was shocked. He shook his head in a hurry.

“No! I was merely giving an example!”

…

In a dark, gloomy house of Backlund, Hillston Borough.

A middle-aged man with graying hair sat silently on a rocking chair in front of an unlit fireplace with a dark colored pipe in his hand. He looked at the guest on the sofa.

of this building, Isengard Stanton, a private detective with notable fame. But he didn’t set up

vest, brought the pipe to his lips and inhaled in an intoxicated manner

fee for a thirty minute consultation is one pound. If I

him were Fors Wall and Xio Derecha. They had found materials relating

they had removed Qilangos’s name and changed the

containing the documents to Isengard’s assistant,

can find habits in the target’s actions using the material we

of authority when she sat straight and spoke with a

stared at her and received the docket from his assistant. He opened the folder and took out the material

and focused on reading page after page without missing

later, this gentleman slowly tapped

He won’t stay for long in a polluted area in Backlund, the Capital of Dust. In other words, he could be staying at the Empress Borough, West Borough, Hillston Borough, Cherwood

could do is to target the vagrants that have nowhere to go. Even the

It would be the act of someone unsophisticated to search for victims that are too close to him. That isn’t consistent with your

experienced sailor and has exceptional mobility in the water… A reasonable deduction would be that he wouldn’t be living somewhere too far away from the water. If anything unexpected

…

can outline the possible radius of activity for the target. He should be living somewhere close to the Backlund Bridge

…

from the materials

sense. Xio and Fors

Isengard took out a bronze item from his vest pocket. It was an open paperback book.

the item while

…

a particular basement

in a chair, looking coldly at a struggling

by a film of pale-blue water and his face was purple

his face with both hands, but all he could

hold his breath and

smiled, then nonchalantly

water dispersed, turning into

breath and coughed violently. He coughed so hard

recover, Alger leaned back. He emulated the peaceful

me the reason why Qilangos went

will to resist. He answered honestly, “All I know is that he might receive something that he wants. Qilangos once boasted in front of us. He said that if this mission was a success, he would be able to obtain something he’s dreamed of getting for a long time. The Four Pirate Kings would then become the

been dreaming of obtaining? Alger knitted

…