After a painful but persistent negotiation with the witch who insisted on the principle of "equivalent exchange," Klein finally managed to get her to compromise.
They reached a preliminary agreement: the witch's price would be determined by the level of danger.
After that, they said nothing more and silently arrived at the apartment building, passing through the damp entrance that smelled of perpetual lack of sunlight.
Climbing the stairs to the third floor, Klein stopped at the doorway opposite the apartment where the kidnappers from the previous day were located.
He tapped his temples twice, activating his spiritual vision.
His heightened senses clearly brought back that familiar feeling, as if he had entered and exited this room before.
"This is it..."
Klein turned to the side, casting a pleading look at the silent Alice.
He couldn't pick locks, nor could he forcefully break them like Leonard had... He could only leave it to the witch.
What would she do?
Klein nervously awaited what might happen next.
Alice seemed to hesitate for two seconds, then raised her hand.
From Klein's perspective, he could vaguely see her holding something in her palm, pressing it against the door. Then he heard her utter several syllables with a strange rhythm.
After only a second or two, Klein noticed a transparent, watery substance spreading from the point where her palm touched the door, gradually forming an oval "entrance" large enough for one person to pass through.
He discovered that he could directly observe the scene behind the door through this transparent water curtain!
If Klein had read the Night Watchers' internal documents, he would probably be astonished that the witch's abilities bore a striking resemblance to the path called "Apprentice."
However, ignorance is bliss, and since he was now almost completely convinced of her otherworldly identity, Klein's surprise only lasted a moment before he shifted his attention to what was behind the door—
a single glance was enough to make him feel nauseous.
With his spiritual vision activated, he immediately recognized that the old woman sitting in the rocking chair was a corpse, her body crawling with countless disgusting and foul-smelling maggots and parasites, densely packed, sending chills down his spine.
Fortunately, the transparent water curtain only lasted a few breaths before dissipating. Klein barely suppressed the urge to vomit, only to find that Alice, who turned to look at him, didn't look too good either.
"...Is this what you meant by 'there might be danger and I need to protect you'?"
As if she had touched something filthy, she produced a clean white silk handkerchief from somewhere and repeatedly wiped her hand that had touched the door.
"Uh, I didn't know it would turn out like this… Now, what should I say?" Klein forced himself to meet her gaze and said with difficulty, "I could sense something was wrong in that room, but now… what's the situation with this corpse inside?"
"You're asking me? How would I know? The materials needed for that kind of investigation spell are very expensive, I don't want to waste them on something so trivial." Alice said, pouting with disdain. "As for the corpse, I suggest you call the police."
…Right, why did he risk his life to investigate himself?
Klein suddenly realized something after her casual reminder.
He was a member of the Night Watch team! Although he hadn't officially joined yet, he undoubtedly had official connections. Why hadn't he thought to report the situation first?
Especially since this was a clue related to the whereabouts of that notebook!
Reporting it to the captain might even earn him some credit, so why was he in such a hurry to confirm it in the first place?
Luckily, his and the witch's exploration hadn't damaged the scene, otherwise he wouldn't be able to explain himself later…
Klein cursed himself inwardly,
then remembered the reward he'd promised Alice, and suddenly felt a pang of regret, until he heard a heavenly voice beside him. "Never mind, I won't charge you this time… we didn't encounter any danger at all."
The witch tossed the silk handkerchief she'd been wiping her hands with at him, and Klein instinctively caught it.
"Remember to throw it for me later."
…Well, the witch did have some common sense; she knew not to disturb the scene of an accident, lest it arouse suspicion.
Klein nodded in agreement, casually slipping the handkerchief into his trouser pocket, then asked curiously,
"Was that... magic? I saw you use some material and chant an incantation?"
"Yes, just what you think. What, want compensation for my material loss?"
Alice nodded perfunctorily, clearly not intending to explain the magic's principles further.
Seeing this, Klein could only regretfully and hastily skip over the topic of reimbursement, ralliing his spirits to prepare to report his discovery to Blackthorn Security Company.
Of course, he would conceal some details, such as having learned through divination that there was an anomaly in the room, but not being certain what it was...
Yes, he could also use the opportunity to perform a few more divinations to increase the credibility of his statement!
Klein quickly made up his mind, and just then Alice indicated that she had to leave. The two parted ways at the street corner, one heading to the Night Watch team's office at 36 Zotland Street, the other gradually disappearing into the rushing tide of carriages and pedestrians.
...
The story returned to its original course.
At least on the surface, that's how it appears—
"The Tingen Market Nightwalker Squad obtained information about the Antigonus Family Notes from Klein's report, reported it to Backlund, and obtained permission to use the sealed artifact '2-049'."
For Klein, his life was also gradually improving.
With the 10 pounds reward for solving the kidnapping case, Klein no longer had to wait for the funds to be allocated. He took half of the reward and successfully joined the Divination Club, trying out role-playing for two afternoons on his first weekend as a "diviner."
Feeling that the potion seemed to have been digested somewhat, he became increasingly confident in the role-playing method mentioned in Roselle's diary.
In addition to the improvement of his extraordinary abilities, Klein also learned another important knowledge in the supernatural realm from Old Neil: ritual magic!
However, the more Klein learned about ritual magic, which was called "magic," the more amazed he became at the miracles that had been displayed before him.
The essence of ritual magic is to pray to a high-ranking being, strictly speaking, to borrow the power of that high-ranking being, using His great power to achieve what the ritual master wants to accomplish.
But the witch's magic seems to have truly caused changes in reality solely through her own power... Hmm, looking at it this way, her "magic" seems closer to the abilities that potions grant to extraordinary individuals...
except that, unlike potions, her abilities should be something she can choose to learn independently.
If his understanding of that D&D-like alternate world is correct.
"Hmm, that's a bit like cheating, and it won't lead to madness or loss of control..."
Klein admitted he was quite envious and had considered asking Alice to teach him. But then he thought, what if this request would take up one of those precious wish slots, preventing him from ever mentioning Earth to her again? That would be a huge loss.
So Klein had no choice but to abandon this seemingly tempting shortcut and improve himself step by step. "
It's okay, Klein," he told himself. "
Your predecessor, Emperor Roselle, also walked this path step by step. You've only just begun your journey to the extraordinary. You can't be impatient. You
have to take it one step at a time, and you have to eat one bite at a time. It's unrealistic to expect to become fat overnight...
For now, set a small goal, like striving to become a full member of the Night Watch, increasing your weekly wage a bit, and finding time to buy Melissa a new dress. Benson's formal attire is also almost ready...
Sigh, if he hadn't accompanied Melissa to buy Alice's room supplies on Sunday afternoon, perhaps Melissa would have been able to wear a new dress this week."
Perhaps he should find another reason to take out the extra 5 pounds and tell Melissa she didn't need to be so frugal…
However, aside from these trivial matters of life, he had something important to do that couldn't be ignored.
On Monday afternoon, Klein, who was off duty at home, took out his pocket watch, glanced at the time, and nodded slightly.
2:58… It was almost time for this week's Tarot meeting.
Inspired by ritual magic, this time, he planned to have "Justice" and "The Hanged Man" try to pray to him, the master of the Tarot meeting, "The Fool," so that they could "ask for leave" in advance if they were unavailable on Monday afternoon. After
silently reciting the three-part description he had hastily come up with a few times, he suppressed his slight trepidation and excitement through meditation, then chanted the incantation and took four steps backward. His light spirituality gradually rose and ascended, arriving above the seemingly unchanging gray mist.
The Fool Klein sat down at the head of the bronze table, letting the thick mist envelop him.
As two more blurry figures appeared on either side of the weathered long table, the third gathering of the Tarot Society officially began.
...
Since nothing particularly noteworthy seemed to have happened this week around Justice and the Hanged Man, the routine post-trade exchange of the Tarot Society was merely a formality, quickly ending at the will of Mr. Fool.
Mr. Fool Klein sat at the head of the bronze table, relying on his still-vigorous spirituality, silently reviewing his gains and experiences from this Tarot Society meeting.
First, the three pages of Roselle's diary and the information recorded within were truly valuable, of considerable worth.
While some of the "One Piece" Easter eggs and classic "it smells so good!" moments, created by Emperor Roselle's mischievous antics, secretly amused him, reading these crooked, handwritten simplified Chinese characters made him feel as if he had met a fellow transmigrator from the same homeland as himself across a century. His soul seemed to leap off the page, recounting his past and his initial emotional journey in a light and carefree tone.
If he had the chance to meet this emperor, they would probably get along very well… provided he didn't reveal that he had read these socially fatal diaries.
Who writes a diary?!
Klein covered his mouth and laughed, but as he laughed, he inevitably felt a touch of loneliness and sorrow.
The emperor left behind a diary written in simplified Chinese, perhaps not only to express his feelings but also to try and find other fellow transmigrators…
Unfortunately, even more than a century after his assassination, the people of this world still called those characters "Roselle's Secret Script," and no one knew how to decipher them.
The Emperor never found a second transmigrator in his entire life.
Putting aside his feelings for his predecessors, Klein recalled the remaining information exchanged at the Tarot meeting.
The second "Blasphemy Tablet"...
well, on this topic, he deliberately mentioned to Justice and the Hanged Man in a casual tone that the "Blasphemy Tablet" was related to the essence of the gods, a practice he had learned from the Witch earlier.
And the result was quite good; Klein clearly felt that Justice and the Hanged Man had even greater respect for him.
Furthermore, because his choice of wording was very clever, both profound and leaving room for the listeners' imaginations,
even if they later discovered discrepancies between the truth and Mr. Fool's words, Justice and the Hanged Man would think it was their own misunderstanding, not that the mysterious and powerful Mr. Fool had misspoke.
Hmm, very good, perfect!
Klein nodded again, satisfied with the current situation.
He then rose and briefly explored the palace above the gray mist, discovering that his current strength was insufficient to see beyond the fog. He suppressed his curiosity and slowly returned to the long table in the center of the temple.
For some reason, Klein had a feeling he'd overlooked something.
This vague intuition had haunted him ever since he arrived above the gray mist and entered this mysterious palace, like a persistent, stabbing pain in his soul, as if he'd ignored some crucial and fatal problem.
No, but that couldn't be.
Reason told Klein that his life was on track, everything was progressing steadily in a positive direction, even the variable of the witch…
wait a minute.
Klein's thoughts suddenly froze.
He suddenly realized the problem. It
was too smooth. Everything was going too smoothly.
This didn't refer to his recent life… but to the witch who claimed to be a "visitor from another world," Alice!
Logically speaking, if a complete stranger suddenly intrudes into the lives of three siblings in an ordinary family, even the kindest and gentlest among them would feel somewhat uncomfortable.
But no.
From the very first day Alice arrived at their house, Benson and Melissa accepted her without the slightest hint of unease.
They didn't doubt Alice's story and showed her considerable approval and affection.
Well, perhaps this alone seems like a coincidence, but if you focus on his colleague… the poet-like night watchman, Leonard Mitchell, Klein recalls the latter's recent behavior and feels a chill run down his spine.
Leonard is completely infatuated with the girl he once met, the one who had asked him for directions.
During his midday chats with Klein, he repeatedly regretted not asking the girl's name; otherwise, he could have found her address and created an opportunity for a "chance encounter" when she was out.
He doesn't even remember what she looks like, only that she has beautiful eyes.
Knowing neither her name nor her appearance, Leonard treasured this pale and absurd affection, mentioning it frequently and even considering writing poems about her, completely oblivious to how strange his behavior was.
Even though he couldn't write poetry at all.
However…
what was strangest, and what terrified Klein most at this moment, was that something was wrong with him too!
He dismissed his suspicions about the witch one by one with various excuses… He thought that verifying the authenticity of the "contract" the witch had made him sign proved she hadn't deceived him.
But how could he draw such a conclusion? Why couldn't he recall the two lines of warning clearly written on the wanted poster the captain had shown him?!
—The "Mirror Witch" possesses at least two powerful and dangerous sealed artifacts: one shaped like a staff, its function suspected to amplify ritual black magic; the other of unknown appearance, speculated to possess the ability to influence others' perceptions and create illusions.
—Close contact with this target is strictly prohibited! It has been observed that members of the Connaught Night Watchers team have exhibited symptoms such as altered cognition, emotional instability, hallucinations, and auditory hallucinations…
Altered cognition…
If the stories he's heard from the witch so far are merely delusions resulting from his altered cognition?
This isn't impossible!
Before his transmigration, he read numerous online novels, possessing a wealth of story material deep within his memory. It's entirely possible that, under the influence of an unknown and mysterious supernatural power, he fabricated a highly credible story for himself!
And because it's a story he created and believes to be plausible, he dismisses his doubts whenever they arise. Later, he even actively filled in the gaps in his mind for things the witch didn't explain!
That unknown language he'd never heard before…
If it was just a "false language" fabricated from his own memories, a hallucination caused by her, then as the instigator, it's clearly possible that she could make him understand its meaning after the "spell."
Those magical, so-called "otherworldly spells" were also...
He was merely a newbie who had just stepped into the extraordinary world, with almost zero understanding of those higher-level, other avenues. Under such circumstances, how could he be sure that the strange power she deliberately displayed before him was magic?
Perhaps... perhaps, other avenues also possessed abilities to the same degree, he just didn't know it!
That's right! Didn't that wanted poster clearly state that the witch was skilled in mirror magic and mind-controlling techniques...
and the abilities Alice displayed before him were related to mirrors! That's why she never explained her "spell principles"!
The abilities gained from potions were similar to some kind of instinct, what kind of spell theory could she possibly concoct?
As for the others... he hadn't seen the abilities of black flames and frost yet, but if he angered her, he might have a chance to witness them.
Klein felt a chill run through his body, a psychological effect caused by his overwhelming fear.
If everything he had experienced these past few days was just an illusion the witch wanted him to see and hear…
then what was real? What was false?
Klein's mind was thrown into chaos, almost losing its balance between spirit and emotion, nearly plummeting from this magnificent gray mist palace back into his materially bound body.
Fortunately, at a crucial moment, he grasped a fleeting inspiration.
Since he had been deceived by the witch for several days, why now?
Why, at this very moment, did he suddenly awaken to the problem? Discover his own inconsistency?
— Simply because he had come to this mysterious space above the gray mist?
Here, could he be isolated from the witch's influence?
Struggling to stabilize his emotions through meditation, Klein gradually regained his composure, carefully and rapidly rummaging through the memories of the past few days, attempting to analyze the entire process from a bird's-eye view.
After sorting through the information, he obtained the following:
First, he was far too unguarded with the witch he shared a room with, accepting and even becoming accustomed to this outsider who had invaded his private space in less than three days.
Second, after failing to divine questions related to the witch, he "confirmed" her story in another way, but completely forgot to verify the questions he had previously divined.
Third, he was never curious about the witch's motives or whereabouts when she went out during the day, nor did he ever investigate, and she never brought it up with him.
Fourth, he occasionally felt something was amiss, but he always quickly forgot about these doubts.
Fifth, the witch often played the harp at night and woke him with her music in the morning, but he never considered her reasons for doing so, nor did he ever think to ask her.
Sixth, after seeing the Night Watcher's wanted poster, he tried several times to confirm the truth behind the conflict and the situation of the missing sealed artifact with her, but the witch quickly changed the subject each time, yet he never doubted why she avoided answering.
Seventh...
...
too many inconsistencies.
And what's even more inconsistent is that he only noticed these inexplicable contradictions now.
Klein rubbed his temples, feeling a slight throbbing in his head, a sign of excessive spiritual energy depletion. He took a