West Zone, Edward Street, No. 6. Eikonser Bernard tapped his black hat, pointing to the house gate behind the fountains, and said to Cline, Esgen, and Kaslanara: "We've traced back every possible channel for the leaks in messages and documents, combined with the facial sketches we've obtained, and, and with the additional assistance from the mirror—initially, we've narrowed down a suspect." You paused noticeably when mentioning the mirror—uncertain of the cost you'd had to bear to secure that answer... Cline sensed the subtle inflection in Eikonser's tone and felt an unexpected sympathy for him. "Is it the owner of this house?" Kaslanara asked almost with certainty. Esgen Stanton glanced around, as if pondering, and said: "Did you choose to notify us directly because you found additional corroborating evidence?" "Yes—the portrait of the house's owner can reveal certain details. Indeed, he never takes photographs." "Ikonsath answered straightforwardly, 'Also, the residents around have seen a large black dog in the area on many occasions.' 'This basically confirms that the target is the "Desire Apostle,"' said Esgaroth, suddenly chuckling. 'Sorry—we've been so eager, we haven't given you a chance to introduce the suspect.' As Ikonsath walked past the fountain and toward the main entrance of the house, he spoke rapidly: 'The owner of this house is Patrick Jason, a major shareholder of a small bank. According to his neighbors, he is an upbeat, warm, and optimistic middle-aged man who has never married but is likely to have several mistresses. 'At his level, he employs far fewer servants than expected. For every dinner party or ball, he has to hire a temporary staff from the 'Greater Urban Household Servants Association.' His explanation is that he suffers from sleep disturbances, and too many servants disrupt the quiet he needs.' "It's clear he has many secrets to hide, so he's not willing to hire too many servants," said Esgaroth half-jokingly. Klein, who had hired not a single servant, spoke a little nervously: "Perhaps it's simply because his financial situation isn't as strong as people assume." "Indeed, that can't be ruled out," said Esgaroth as he stepped up the stairs and reached the main door. Icanser glanced at Klein, as if suddenly realizing something, and remarked: "You don't hire servants at all, only relying on the landlady's maid to do two temporary cleanings each week—just to conceal the fact that you're no ordinary person?" "This is the smallest of all my secrets," said Klein deliberately with a wry smile. "Yes," he added. As Icanser reached out and pushed open the main door, an indescribable stench poured out from within. "The smell of decay," Esgaroth immediately judged. Ikonser called over a member of the "Heart of Mechanism" team: "Carlson, what have you found?" The extraordinary named Carlson wore thick-lensed glasses, his face showing a complex expression. "We've discovered numerous bodies here. Beneath the concrete floors, within the thick walls, and in the well-tended grassy areas, bodies lie hidden—some dating back as far as a decade and more, others as recent as just a few days ago, among the servants who were still alive when we arrived. Some have reduced to mere skeletons; others have only begun to decay. Sir, this place looks like a human slaughterhouse!" As he spoke, members of the "Heart of Mechanism" team and carefully selected police officers began lifting out one body after another. Some were completely dismembered—tongues, fingers, stomachs, eyes scattered haphazardly—while others were simply piles of white bones. "Many of Beckland's missing cases will now be solved," Esing said, pinching her nose and sighing. Klein saw a piece of intestine nearly dragging to the floor, exhaled, and turned to survey the condition of the house. Carlson of the "Heart of Mechanism" murmured a few more words: "Jason pays his servants very generously and offers them ample leave—his staff is deeply envious of this. His chef has also promised his child that he'll visit home this week and take him to the circus to see a performance..." "Such a demon," Caslanara was moved to say. Surveying the room, Klein composed himself and asked seriously, "Why is the house so modest in furnishings? As a banker, even if his bank is not large, Jason should have fine porcelain, outstanding paintings, elegant wall clocks, and various luxury items made of fine silk—yet none of these are visible here. Indeed, the wood used for his furniture is quite good." Carlson glanced at the steward, Ikonse, who gave a nod of agreement, and then said, "It's clear that Jason has been meticulously planning this retaliation for a long time. He has gradually sold off valuable yet inconspicuous items within the house, even agreeing to the acquisition of his business assets by the Bavarian Bank. After eliminating the servants, he accelerated the extraction of cash, selling off paintings and other assets—clearly anticipating that he would be discovered, with no lingering hope of luck. "Before the operation, he was left only with the house, furnishings, and his identity. The substantial cash, precious metals, and jewelry had all been transferred to undisclosed locations." Hearing Carlsson's account, Caine's mind suddenly flashed with several adjectives: calm, rational, mad! "A true demon." "Eisenberg commented, then deduced, 'He is clear-headed and acts with calmness, yet exhibits a strong tendency toward madness and boldness—this aligns with the characteristics observed in his previous two actions.' 'So we need to be cautious of his boldness?' Klein敏锐ly grasped the key point in Stanton's detective's words. 'Yes,' Eisenberg nodded firmly. Subsequently, several detectives conducted a thorough search of the house, uncovering numerous pieces of evidence suggesting Patrick Jason's irregularities, as well as the portrait hanging in the living room. The portrait depicted a middle-aged man with high cheekbones, gray-blue eyes, ordinary features, neatly combed hair—plain and unremarkable in every way. At that moment, Ikonser entered and said to Caine and the others: "We found some items in a sealed chamber, confirming that Patrick Jason had attempted to summon a more powerful demon, but for some reason the summoning failed. These items also verified his identity—he was a member of the Beleth demon family, and his true name should be Jason Beleth." The Beleth family? Caine nodded without surprise. "In the ancient Fourth Age, human powers devoted to demons formed a loose alliance known as the 'Blood Cult.' Within this organization, significant divisions emerged, with the three major demon families—Nose, Andrelad, and Beleth—standing as equals. Their ancestors each received gifts from the Deep, and they worshipped a deity known as the 'Cosmic Dark Face,' whom they regarded as the ruler of the Deep, destined to erode and corrupt the entire real world and the vast cosmos. "Eicheng introduced a few words about the wild, exceptional beings Kline and Kaslanna. Ikonser shook his head and added, 'A highly differentiated organization, if it doesn't ultimately split, must inevitably move toward integration and unity. Various accounts and reports indicate that the families of Belia and Andrelad have been gradually weakening since at least a thousand years ago, and in recent decades have become vassals of the Nos family. Indeed, the Belia family's emblem combines an abstract five-pointed star with a horned symbol.' Regardless, Belia remains a deeply rooted, exceptionally ancient family—hence Jason's ability to train an additional demon dog. That's one reason. Another reason is that he runs a bank, even if it's not large. In the Second Age, the ancient deity corresponding to the 'cosmic shadow' is the Demon King Fabti. Could there be any connection between them? Kline sighed, filled with curiosity. After repeated searches, the three detectives and the members of "The Mechanical Heart" could only confirm that Patrick Jason was indeed the "Apostle of Desire," but were unable to locate his current whereabouts. Crayne, citing the need to enlist help, took a handkerchief that Jason had used during the demon-summoning ritual, intending to use it for divination once he reached the Gray Mists—Jason had always handled his frequently used items with exceptional care. Not long after, Ikonse found them, delivering a serious expression: "The Watchers will be bringing the sealed object here; we should leave now." "Agreed," both Esgarrouth and Kaslanara replied at once. As for Crayne, he had already been enthusiastically in favor of the plan all along. After stepping out of Jason's spacious villa, Crayne turned to look back, his expression growing steadily more serious. He voiced a slight sense of puzzlement: "I believe there's an issue that doesn't quite add up." "What issue?" Kaslanara promptly asked. Caine said thoughtfully, "By selling off the bank, the businesses, and many valuable assets, Jason clearly had already prepared himself to abandon his current identity and lifestyle. If his motivation were merely to avenge the demon hound, such a course of action would not be justified." "Perhaps he and that demon hound shared an exceptionally deep bond? Sherlock, I doubt you see it that way, but I've personally witnessed people treating their pets as family members." Kaslana said with some reservation. Seeing her reaction, Cline pointed in another direction, saying, "We'll act separately, starting from our own channels." After receiving affirmative responses from Esgaroth and Caslanara, he hurried away, but did not immediately head to the southern district of the bridge to find Emlin White. He first needed to visit the Hissak Police Station to reclaim the £50 bond. He had already been cleared of any issues, with supporting testimonies from Esgaroth Stanton and the official Aethers.