Hearing Klein and Fley's hypotheses, Leonard tugged at the collar of his shirt and paced back and forth: "Then we must investigate everyone at the workhouse whom Solis came into contact with, as well as everyone he met after he went bankrupt and was evicted from his home—this will be quite troublesome... We need to act quickly and begin a thorough investigation here, splitting up to cover the ground, then head straight to the third death case in the West District, leaving the rest to the police." "Agreed," Klein replied without hesitation. Fley also showed no objection, turning to head toward the several poor residents who had slept near Solis the night before. As Klein was about to choose another target, he suddenly noticed Leonard giving him a glance, indicating with a nod toward the side hall. What did that mean? He was momentarily puzzled, feigning as if nothing had happened, and after making a half-circle around the chapel, he followed Leonard into the side hall, passing through the partition to reach a quiet, secluded corner. "I have a hunch." Leonard stopped at the window, its glass shattered, and spoke directly and suddenly. Cain looked to either side, puzzled, asking, "What guess?" Leonard, with his deep green eyes, replied, "If there were no extraordinary factors involved, what do you think would have been the outcome for Mrs. Lawves?" Cain thought for a moment, then said gravely, "The same outcome, just delayed by a week, two weeks, or even a month. For a family like theirs, they wouldn't seek medical help until it became truly unbearable. Once the heart condition worsened, death would come at any moment, with no chance of recovery." "As for Sors—what would have been his outcome if he hadn't been influenced by anyone?" Leonard asked again. Caine weighed his words before speaking: "Based on the information available, Sorel has long been resentful of bankruptcy, deeply furious that he hasn't been saved. I believe he will eventually exact revenge—though not on the beneficiaries of rescue, but on the company executives who caused his downfall, and on the bank clerks who took his home." "What will happen after his revenge?" Leonard asked. "Undoubtedly, he has already made up his mind to end his own life—regardless of whether his revenge is successful, he will die." Caine confirmed with certainty. Leonard nodded slightly, offering his characteristic air of casual ease: "Then may I say that Mrs. Lavoris and Sorel are both destined to die in the near future?" Caine, a seasoned keyboard operator with broad experience, immediately formed a hypothesis upon hearing this: "You mean their deaths have been artificially accelerated by some extraordinary factor? And why?" "More accurately put, their 'lives'—the very essence that should have sustained them—have been artificially shortened and stolen by extraordinary forces. Life has always been the finest material for summoning demons and evil deities and for casting terrible curses," Leonard corrected Klein's speculation with a slight upward curve of his lips. "Summoning demons and evil deities, casting terrible curses..." Klein stared into the other man's vivid green eyes, half-questioning, half-guessing. "You seem very certain about this. Yet our current sample size remains only two..." Leonard chuckled with a carefree, worldly air. "Klein, there's no need for pretense between us. I've witnessed you break free from the control of the seal '2–049,' and I know your unique qualities. You should also be able to sense, even vaguely, that I'm different from the typical extraordinary being." He settled his smile, meeting Caine's gaze and said, "I once told you that there are many special people in this world who can accomplish things others simply cannot—people like you, and people like me." "This world has a long history and is home to countless magical items. Whenever such items appear, someone inevitably acquires them and masters them, becoming the protagonist of different dramas. Such individuals may not be numerous, but they are certainly not limited to just a handful." "I don't think someone extraordinary who hides secrets is necessarily a villain or a rogue—nor do I believe we have to uncover the origin of their uniqueness or the nature of their special qualities. As long as your actions don't harm me, the night watch, or the entire city of Tingen, you remain my teammate. Likewise, I hope you treat me the same way. Of course, it would be best not to tell anyone up above—those people are so rigid and conservative, always assuming that someone special like us will inevitably lose control, succumb to the allure of the evil gods or demons." Yet, my own secrets might be even more numerous than you imagine... Klein murmured silently, speaking with calm assurance: "Indeed, that's exactly the attitude I hold—focused solely on your actions and intentions, indifferent to your uniqueness, and never seeking to pry into your secrets." "Having said that, he silently added in his heart: No, actually, I still care quite a bit and am very curious, though I have to forcibly endure it. Hmm. Leonard thinks of himself as the protagonist of a drama? What kind of adventure has he experienced? What magical item does he possess? Leonard unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt and smiled lightly, nodding. "It's great that we've reached a mutual understanding." "In those adventure novels, that's exactly what it's called—two protagonists meeting, and history beginning to roll forward." Unbelievable! Caine gave a perfunctory smile. He clearly knew that the phrase "the wheels of history begin to turn" originated with Emperor Roscel. At that moment, Leonard paced briskly around the room, his green eyes bright and a smile playing at his lips. "Now, to be honest, I have a strong suspicion that the individuals at the center of these death events should have succumbed one after another within the next three months—yet, they've been deliberately brought down over the past two weeks, precisely to summon the邪 gods and demons, or to enact a dreadful, widespread curse." "By causing those showing signs of impending death to pass away earlier, one can easily conceal the past, avoiding immediate attention from the police and preventing disruption during the preparatory phase by the night watchmen, the penitents, and the Mechanical Heart." Klein murmured to himself, analyzing the strategist's reasoning. Leonard nodded in agreement with a smile. "Indeed, if a healthy, ordinary person dies unexpectedly, and such cases exceed three, they will inevitably attract attention and trigger routine investigations." "So how are we supposed to find the altar where the ritual takes place? Whether we're summoning a demon, a deity of chaos, or casting a dreadful curse, we need an altar, a ritual space—and the 'lives' harvested in advance must also be stored somewhere similar." Kline had to trust the other person, since he hadn't found any other clues to make a different judgment. After all, trying wouldn't hurt! "Kline," Leonard chuckled, "shouldn't this be your area of expertise? Can't you imagine what kind of conditions would surround such an altar?" "Before Klein could respond, he stepped in to describe: "The atmosphere is thick with death. Within a radius of 10 meters centered on the altar, no living beings—except the ritual officiant—will be present. The surrounding temperature is at least 5 degrees Celsius lower than normal, with a constant flow of cold winds passing through. Even the 'life' that was taken from Mrs. Lavoris and others, sealed within the ethereal wall of the altar, is now gone." Pausing, he looked at Klein with a teasing tone: "I'm certain you can divination the approximate location of such an altar." Klein furrowed his brow, speaking calmly: "As long as we remain within the city of Tinggen, and I need a completely quiet, undisturbed environment—such as my own home. Yes, I'll also need the personal belongings of Mrs. Lavoris and the others." At the same time, he found himself wondering whether Leonard's knowledge of black magic and black sorcery was simply too profound. "No problem." Leonard chuckled, then stepped decisively past Caine, moving toward the chapel without further ado. What a distinct style of operation he had—Caine muttered this under his breath, and followed him back the way he had come. "You can trust us," Leonard said, hands in his pockets, walking back and forth in the small living room, while Fry settled quietly onto the sofa. Is he a hyperactive one? Klein gave a slight smirk, returned to his bedroom on the second floor, locked the wooden door, and sealed the room with a spiritual barrier. Next, he arranged the altar, praying to the goddess for assistance to eliminate initial disturbances. Then, Klein wrote down the corresponding "divinatory statement" on paper: "The location of the altar." He kept the instructions broad to avoid missing anything. With the paper and the deceased's personal belongings, Klein half-lay on the bed, first recalling the scene as described by Leonard, then silently reciting the "divinatory statement" seven times. — He didn't attempt to leverage the special qualities above the gray mist, primarily because Leonard, this enigmatic and peculiar figure, was right downstairs, and no one knew whether he might notice something out of the ordinary this time. Additionally, as a Seer whose magical potion was nearing completion, combined with the ritual's support, he felt confident it would suffice. Only if nothing came of it would Klein consider seeking another opportunity above the gray mist, since summoning a demon or a deity could pose a real threat to Bensen, to Melissa, and to himself! Through meditation, he swiftly entered a dream, "seeing" a series of scenes that were hazy, indistinct, and fragmented. Soon, a clear image emerged before him. It was a two-story gray-blue house bathed in the glow of dusk. The windows on the ground floor were closed, with deep-colored drapes sealed tightly, showing no gaps—yet they occasionally expanded and contracted. The soil around the house was dark brown, devoid of any grass or flowers, and the surrounding garden seemed shrouded in shadow, worn down and dimly lit. Near this house, a river flows steadily. ... After a while, without seeing any further scenes, Kline stepped out of the dream. "Leonard's guess is correct—the house must be somewhere. There are so many rivers in Tinggen City: in the southwest of the west district, at the dock area, in the university district, and so on..." He opened his eyes, rubbed his temples, and thought seriously.