章 363: Chapter 363: Klein, Your Disguise Has Fallen
Chapter 363: Klein, Your Disguise Has Fallen
"What keen insight you have, paying such close attention to me after just our first meeting," Klein thought to himself.
Klein's facial expression remained unchanged, as if he hadn't noticed Hastur's deliberate scrutiny.
After sitting for a while longer, Klein got up to say goodbye and leave. This time, neither Leonard nor Hastur tried to make him stay.
The Brave Bar was still some distance from Klein's rented place. He had planned to wait for a carriage, but couldn't find one until Leonard and Hastur also appeared at the entrance of the Brave Bar. At that moment, a carriage came around the corner and stopped in front of Hastur.
It seemed to be his private carriage.
"Sir, let me give you a ride. The nights in Backlund have been a bit unsafe lately," Hastur offered.
Klein politely declined. He didn't want to share a carriage with Mr. Hastur, as it would greatly increase the chances of exposing his identity.
Leonard also came over and asked where Klein lived.
"I live in the South Bridge area," Klein answered naturally.
"That's not really on the way," Leonard muttered. He then asked Klein to wait a moment while he went into the Brave Bar. Soon, a new carriage appeared.
"Thank you for your generosity, gentlemen," Klein said gratefully before getting into the carriage and leaving.
After Klein had gone, Leonard turned to Hastur with a questioning look: "Hastur, you seemed particularly interested in that man tonight?"
"Did I?"
"Do you really take me for a blind man?"
"Tsk, you noticed that? I'll have to improve my acting skills next time."
"Keep joking around," Leonard said, ignoring Hastur's quip. With furrowed brows, he continued, "I also felt that man was somewhat familiar, even though I'm sure I've never seen him before."
"It's getting late, I should head home to rest," Hastur said, ending the conversation. He got into his family's carriage and left.
Left alone, Leonard realized an important problem as he looked at the empty street - now he had no carriage to get home. He had to go back into the Brave Bar to arrange for one, waiting twenty minutes before finally getting a ride.
Back at his residence, Leonard couldn't help but ask while lying in bed after a shower: "Old man, did you notice anything tonight?"
"Don't you have eyes of your own?" came the curt reply.
"...Old man, why are you in such a bad mood tonight?"
"I just don't want to waste too much breath on you."
"Old man, you definitely noticed something, didn't you?"
But no matter how much Leonard pressed, the old man gave him no further response.
The next day around 9 AM, Leonard went to the Red Glove team's meeting point as usual. However, today there was not only their captain but also a new bishop, Bishop Max, who was said to have been sent specially from the Church of Serenity.
"Has something big happened?" Leonard wondered, standing very straight and alert.
"This morning someone delivered an anonymous tip, claiming that the mastermind behind the Carpin case was someone from the Loen royal family. They also provided several locations," their captain explained briefly before asking for their opinions.
Leonard remembered that Klein had been in charge of the Carpin case. The human trafficker Carpin had ultimately died, and the matter was considered closed. Who would bring this up again now, and even implicate the royal family?
As for his opinion, he had none. He would simply follow whatever orders came from above.
After a brief discussion, the newly arrived Bishop Max said they would collaborate with the Steam and Machinery Church and the Church of Storms to investigate this matter jointly.
Members of Leonard's Red Glove team were also selected to be part of the law enforcement for this joint investigation.
Leonard found the idea of a joint investigation into the royal family quite interesting, but the old man still refused to reveal to him the deeper implications behind these events.
As the Churches of everNight Goddess, Steam and Machinery, and Storms began their joint operation, new developments unfolded in Backlund.
Non-believers who had previously participated in searching for and persecuting stars follower members recently fell victim to retaliation from Tarot believers. Star cards were left on their corpses, inscribed with the honorific name "return of the stars."
Besides the Tarot Club's actions, the long-dormant Aurora Order also reappeared in the public eye, orchestrating several terrorist attacks in succession.
Additionally, the Witch Cult was exposed to have connections with the Loen royal family, with various scandals involving royal members coming to light one after another.
Spies and secret agents from the Feynapotter Empire, Intis Republic, Fenaport, Southern Continent Balam Empire and other countries also began to fish in troubled waters at this time.
All at once, the entire city of Backlund was plunged into a state of chaos and disorder.
Hastur remained at home without going out. Apart from being surprised by the Tarot Club's actions, he had a hand in instigating most of the other events.
He needed chaos - it was necessary for his role-playing and also served as a means to divert the attention and resources of the Loen royal family and the three major churches.
Achieving this was simple for him. He only needed to stay in the Hall of Stars and, through divine revelations, subtly guide those devout believers to take some radical actions.
As for the Star cards bearing the return of the stars's name being scattered everywhere, that wasn't his doing, nor would it be something Bernadette and the others would do. It was likely someone hiding in the shadows, trying to make the stars follower a target of public ire.
The most likely culprit would be the followers of the Fallen Mother goddess . She was now in an irreconcilable conflict with him. Under her influence, her followers could be even more fanatical than the Aurora Order's madmen.
As Hastur was deep in thought in his study, Lady Lisa came to knock on the door. With his abilities, she could have appeared silently inside the study, but she always maintained the utmost respect for him.
"Come in," he said.
Lisa opened the door and respectfully reported, "My Lord, the blood samples from non-believers of all 22 pathways that you requested have been fully collected."
"So quickly?" Hastur raised an eyebrow in surprise. He had only issued this task less than three days ago.
"Many non-believers have flooded into Backlund recently, which made the task easier," Lisa explained.
"You've done well," Hastur said, pleased with their efficiency. He then gave Lady Lisa another task.
He needed her to keep an eye on the movements of the former Southern Sonia Duke, Delin K. Augustus.
By his calculations, the Southern Sonia Duke should have already died according to Kayest's arrangements. If this news reached Backlund, Duke Delin K. Augustus would certainly target him.
Especially in the current chaotic situation, it would be suitable for him to secretly move against Hastur, so some precautions were necessary.
"I obey the command of my Lord," Lisa said.
"Mm, you may go now."
After Lady Lisa left, Hastur stretched lazily and walked to the window, gazing towards the South Bridge area.
He was now certain that the man he and Leonard had encountered at the Brave Bar that night was Klein.
At first, he had only suspected. Even after multiple probes, he couldn't be sure. It wasn't until he returned home and ascended to the Hall of Stars to perform a Fate Glimpse that he truly confirmed the man's identity as Klein.
The verification method was simple: if the person was ordinary, everything about them would be laid bare. But if they possessed something special, relevant aspects of their fate would be obscured.
Through this reverse proof, Hastur confirmed there was something unusual about that man. Combining this with the fact that Benson and Melissa now lived in the South Bridge area, he quickly locked onto Klein's identity.
He was considering whether to drag Klein into his plans against George III.
Due to the butterfly effect he had caused, Klein had not truly delved into understanding the countless atrocities George III had committed in his pursuit of becoming the Black Emperor.
Without this premise, Klein would not be so firmly opposed to George III's ascension.
Of course, he could guide Klein to discover George III's true nature.
After much deliberation, Hastur decided to involve Klein. Without Klein's participation, it felt like something was missing.
Moreover, this could be considered the first collaboration between the stars follower and the Fool.
As for the glorious task of guiding Klein, he would assign that to Fors. She would pray to Mr. Fool, painfully recounting the evil deeds George III had committed in his quest for godhood.
...
When Fors received this task from Hastur, she was stunned.
She was just a lowly Sequence 7, really not wanting to get involved in such matters, let alone pray to Mr. Fool.
Fortunately, this time she didn't need to make up lies to deceive Mr. Fool, but only report to him her recent discoveries about George III.
But how could a mere Sequence 7 like herself know such major secrets?
She needed to find a suitable reason before praying to Mr. Fool.
It seemed she could only attribute it to the Sage.
"Fors, what's wrong with you?" Xio came over, seeing Fors lost in thought, and touched her forehead. "You don't have a fever..."
"I'm just pondering some issues."
"How rare, your brain is finally starting to function," Xio teased.
"..."
Fors lightly smacked Xio's head, pretending to be angry: "You're much dumber than me."
"You can't even cook properly, yet you dare call me dumb?"
The two bantered for a while until after 10 PM, when Fors was finally alone in her room to pray to Mr. Fool.
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