That feeling was far from unfamiliar. With years of experience, Klein immediately drew upon the "clown's" abilities to steady his facial expressions and subtle tremors. He gently, yet without haste, returned his gaze, ensuring that the brief, casual glance didn't reveal too much anomaly. "Oh, Talim is so young—he hasn't even married, hasn't had children yet," Klein remarked spontaneously. This observation allowed him a reasonable explanation for the subtle reactions he observed during the presentation: drawing a connection between Talim and certain women he knew, and then naturally extending that to his marital and family status, especially considering his friend's early death, which evoked deep sorrow. "Indeed, given his age, he should have married several years ago—by now, around four or five years ago. Unfortunately, the impact of his grandfather's passing has left a profound psychological imprint, making him resistant to marriage for a long time. Only recently has that resistance begun to ease," the journalist Mike added, sighing in agreement. At this moment, it seemed as though thorns were deeply and slowly piercing into克莱恩's skin and flesh, tightening his spirit to the highest degree. The black-dressed woman, who wore a sapphire ring on her left little finger, straightened up, calmly surveyed the room, and then, accompanied by two attendants, quietly departed from Talim's tomb, moving steadily into the distance. Huff...克莱恩 exhaled silently. The sensation of being pierced behind him quickly turned into cold sweat. Who was she? Why had she come to pay her respects at the tomb? Talim's lover? But how could a Talim—neither wealthy nor influential, lacking status or standing—have a romantic relationship with someone so formidable, someone involved in "Level Zero" seals or even a half-god of comparable rank? This wasn't just a novel! It must have been she who used the curse to kill Talim... The waters beneath were deep indeed.克莱恩 listened attentively to the journalist Mike and the surgeon Alan as they recounted Talim's life story, his expression calm and composed. He quickly expanded his thoughts, realizing the most puzzling aspect of the matter: how the death of an ordinary person—someone with no wealth, no status, no identity, no standing, no strength—could involve either a "Level 0" seal object or a power equal to that level. It was simply unimaginable! Yet this wasn't an isolated case—there was another similar incident right around me. Suddenly, Klein made a connection and turned to the外科 doctor, Alan: There might very well be a Sequence-1 "Mercury Serpent" hidden in this ordinary person's household! Following this line of reasoning, Klein recalled the past five months since his arrival, only to be stunned to find that he had, without realizing it, become tangibly entangled with several half-gods and multiple formidable seal objects. The woman who just killed Talem, "Mercury Serpent" Wil. Oncetin, "The Disbeliever" Amon, the enigmatic woman from the Royal Museum, a high-tier strength of the Rose School, "0–08," "1–42," Inz. Zangwei, the sun holy emblem with mutation, the family records of the Antigonos lineage, Mr. Azk. Egis, suspected descendant of the Death God, "The Door" gentleman, the twilight recluse—each name flashed through Caine's mind, making him want to draw in a cool breath every time he mentioned one. He settled his mind, pondering carefully: "This still doesn't include the 'True Creator' and the 'Eternal Blaze'—entities above this level. Strictly speaking, I myself could also belong to this category, since I am a soul from another world, awakened through the Black Divination, and wielding the strange gray mist. Is this precisely the turning point of yet another era following Rosel? That is why half-gods and terrifying sealed entities are now stepping into everyday reality?" As his thoughts flowed, the solemn journalist Mike and the surgeon Allen, both deeply affected, respectively bid him farewell, and he himself left the cemetery at a steady, unhurried pace. As he looked around, searching for a rented carriage, a familiar one emerged from a hidden corner and stopped right before him. Though the royal crest on the black carriage had been skillfully concealed,克莱恩 immediately recognized it as the Prince of Edzask's carriage. Without a word, the carriage door opened, and the elderly butler, his hair neatly combed, stepped down and made a courteous gesture: "Your Highness is waiting for you." "Very well," said Caine, without the slightest hesitation, stepping into the spacious and warm carriage. Prince Edsak wore a deep blue coat and waistcoat, adorned with golden sashes that gave him an exceptionally noble appearance. He ran his fingers over his diamond lapel pin, his long, slender eyes expressing a touch of resignation: "Even for a friend's funeral, I am restricted from attending in person—I can only observe from afar, and must send someone else to offer my condolences. This is the lack of freedom within the royal household." "If Prince Talim's grandfather had not lost his title, you would not have needed to make such accommodations," said Caine, sitting down across from the prince. Edesack lifted the deep-red, blood-like Ormil wine and said, "Well, I had originally intended to find an opportunity to restore a certain noble title to Talim's father—unfortunately..." He didn't delve deeper into the matter, but instead asked, "Sherlock, have you received the package?" "Yes," said Kline, answering point by point without adding unnecessary details. Edesack nodded gently. "Any progress?" "I've performed several divinations using Talim's hair, flesh, and personal belongings, but the results consistently indicate that he died from a sudden cardiac illness." Kline's smooth, emotionless narration conveyed, without explicit mention, the implications of "my rank is not high," "my abilities are limited," "though skilled in divination, he is stronger," and "I am certain I cannot uncover the truth." Edesack's expression revealed unmistakable disappointment. He sighed and asked, "What will you do next?" "Starting with people Tower Lim had interacted with in his final days and places he had visited," King Caine replied according to plan. Edsack glanced at the elderly butler: "There will surely be pressure, interrogations, and financial incentives—yes, let's allocate 100 pounds to Sherlock for investigation expenses." "Yes, Your Highness," the butler produced a stack of bills that had been prepared in advance. A direct allocation of 100 pounds for expenses? Caine once again felt the generosity of Prince Edsack. "I'll make every effort to investigate," he said, taking the cash and slipping it directly into his pocket without counting it. "We hope to ensure a peaceful rest for Tower Lim," Prince Edsack firmly clenched his right fist and lightly struck his left chest. As he spoke, he turned his head toward the window, gazing toward the nearby Crown Cemetery. He still holds a genuine sense of regard for Tower Lim... Caine quietly sighed, following the butler out of the carriage. ... In the Royal Quarter, at the luxurious manor of the Count Holm. Audrey looked at the psychology teacher, Islanth, whose hair reached her waist, and pretended to glance cautiously left and right. She then lowered her voice: "Teacher Islanth, I've recently attended a new gathering of the exceptional ones, where several people are purchasing high-value properties of human skin shadows and the 'Wind-Keen' elixir recipes—well, different individuals, I believe these are all mid-tier items, right? That sounds quite interesting, ah, yes, are you interested in these as well?" Islanth paused, thought for a few seconds, and replied, "I'll check with them." "Good," Audrey responded lightly, as if simply finding the mid-tier transactions intriguing. Elsantr turned his attention, speaking seriously: "Miss Audrey, although you have already attained the status of an extraordinary being at Sequence 8, you have not received formal training in mysticism. You are still unfamiliar with many practical techniques and their corresponding theoretical foundations—particularly those related to 'the Audience' and 'the Mind-Reader.' From today onward, I will guide you step by step to become a true extraordinary being." "This is exactly what I hoped for," Audrey replied sincerely. The golden-haired dog, Suzie, who had been crouched at her feet, happily wagged her tail, as if sharing her mistress's joy. ........... Determined to remain passive and lazy, Caine boarded the carriage and returned to No. 15 on Minsk Street. As he opened the door and stepped inside, he paused mid-motion—his spiritual intuition telling him that strangers had entered both the living room and his room! This...had hardly been concealed. Was this a warning? A warning, at least, was better than none. Caine stood in the foyer, silent for a long while. Immediately, he turned and stepped out, taking a hired carriage to the Steam Church. The church rose with a tall chimney and a bell tower—the former symbolizing the power of steam, the latter housing a complex clockwork mechanism, embodying the grace of machinery. It was neither weekend, nor midday nor evening, so the church hall was filled only with a sparse number of worshippers praying quietly. Caine settled into a seat near the aisle, leaned on his cane, removed his hat, and, facing the central saintly emblem, pretended to pray for ten minutes. Then, he gathered his things, walked down the aisle to the altar, and addressed the bishop standing beside him: "I would like to confess." "Very good," the bishop replied, his face kind and his temples white. "God is watching you." The bishop then proceeded first toward the side confessional chamber. Caine followed closely behind and closed the door. He sat down in the chair, facing the bishop through the wooden partition: "I confess. In the face of adversity, I failed to uphold my principles and chose to retreat." "What were your thoughts at that time?" the bishop asked gently. Klein immediately described in full detail Talim's death, his own doubts, his reminder about the "Heart of Mechanism," Prince Edsack's commission, and his genuine, heartfelt retreat—stemming from the royal court's pressure after the divination failed to yield the answers he sought. He had not gone directly to Carlson because he feared not only being watched by the other side, but also being quietly observed by Prince Edsack's people; should he clearly state his intentions of being evasive and sluggish, he might face yet another misfortune. The Steam Church, as the headquarters of the Church of the Gods of Steam and Mechanism, the Becland diocese, is one of their three great sanctuaries—no one can observe what happens here. Klein's intention was to convey his true thoughts through the Steam Church, thus avoiding becoming entangled in deeper conflict. In short, he was following his heart's desire. The bishop listened quietly and responded with unchanged tone: "Your choice is human instinct—God will not blame you." "Go on now, and God will protect you." That's perfect. Kline understood the implication and quietly left the steam church. Standing outside on the street, gazing at the hazy sky, he sighed silently: Speed up.