109 Deduction (1/2)
The sound of running footsteps entered Klein's ears, calming him down as he stood at the entrance of the guard room.
Leonard arrived first, holding a revolver. He asked in a solemn voice, ”What happened?”
Watching Leonard struggle to stop, Klein suddenly thought of something that Rozanne had mentioned in the past. Three years ago, Leonard, who had just become a Sleepless, tried to run down the flight of stairs despite not having adapted to the potion's power, causing him to fall and roll down.
With a cough, Klein pointed at Chanis Gate and said, ”There was a knocking noise from the inside, which then became a loud slamming noise. Then the door was pushed open a little.”
”Chanis Gate was pushed open?” the short Kenley asked in shock.
”Yes, a slit was opened.” Klein continued his description. He saw that Leonard, Kenley, and Royale had stopped approaching the guard room, instead forming an arc formation a few steps away, loosely surrounding Klein.
He paused for a moment before asking, ”Are you suspicious of me?”
”No, it isn't suspicion. This is protocol.” Kenley shook his head.
In this tense atmosphere, Leonard maintained his flippant attitude, laughing as he added, ”There have been incidents like this in other churches. The Beyonder guarding Chanis Gate lost control and pulled the bell before killing two teammates who came to help.”
”Alright.” Klein no longer felt angry and aggrieved at being ostracized. Instead, he asked, ”Then how should I prove that I haven't lost control?”
Leonard wiped away his flippant smile and tapped his chest four times. With a hoarse voice, he recited softly, ”Lacking clothes and food, they have no shelter in the cold.
”They are drenched by rains, and huddle around the rocks for lack of shelter.
”They are orphans snatched from the breast, hope lost on them; they are the poor that have been forced off the proper path.
”The Evernight did not forsake them, but bestowed them with love.”
…
The holy, yet pitiful prayer reverberated around the basement, making the bodies, hearts, and souls of everyone present feel purified and tranquil.
Seeing Klein not display any abnormal reactions, Leonard stopped his recital and smiled.
”There's no problem. You are still our trusted partner.”
Madam Royale, who had been quiet all this time, looked at Chanis Gate and asked, ”What did you see when the gate was pushed open?”
”I saw a Misfortune Cloth Puppet, the one wearing the black classic regal gown, 3-0625,” Klein replied, still a little fearful. ”But three seconds later, a formless power pulled it back and Chanis Gate was closed once again. What's going on?”
Leonard, Kenley, and Royale exchanged looks.
”Heh heh, we are in the same boat as you. We don't know the true cause. But since Chanis Gate is closed once again and there's nothing unusual, we shouldn't enter it at this time. We have to wait till dawn for the Captain.”
Royale calmly added, ”I will wait here and guard the gate with you.”
”Alright.” Leonard moved his hand and gave a bantering laugh. ”As the most powerful person here, I shall stay too. Kenley, return to the second floor just in case the police department has an emergency case and cannot open the door.”
Kenley didn't say much, he just nodded immediately and left.
Leonard glanced at Klein and Royale.
”Perhaps we can continue our card game? It's best to have some sort of entertainment in circumstances like this, to relax.”
”No problem.” Klein adjusted his revolver and put it back into his armpit holster. Royale didn't voice an opinion, but instead stroked her smooth, black hair as she entered the guard room.
While playing Fighting the Landlord, no—Fighting Evil, Klein said casually, ”Misfortune Cloth Puppet, I mean 3-0625, according to its description, isn't equipped with the capability to live…”
”Haha, three aces.” Leonard showed his hand and replied with the same casual tone, ”In the past forty years, 3-0625 hasn't displayed any life-like characteristics. We can first assume that the information is correct and make our assumptions based on that.”
”Pass. You already have an idea?” Royale asked simply.
As Klein hesitated to think about whether he should throw his three deuces, Leonard took a sip of his freshly brewed coffee and said, ”Yes, since 3-0625 shouldn't have any life-like characteristics, then its actions today must have been influenced by some other factor. This factor must also be rather recent; otherwise, we would've observed this phenomenon a long time ago.”
”Has there been anything different about Chanis Gate over the last month?”
Royale saw Klein toss his three deuces and pondered for a few seconds.
”There is only one thing different; the Antigonus family's notebook and the Sealed Artifact 2-049 was stored behind Chanis Gate for a night.”
Leonard looked at the cards in his hand and as he tapped the table, he said with a smile, ”If 2-049 can make the Misfortune Cloth Puppet act abnormally, then something similar should have happened behind Backlund's Chanis Gate a long time ago. So I suspect that the problem lies with the Antigonus family's notebook.”
Klein thought for a moment and nodded.
”That is the most likely explanation… Leonard, I never expected you to be this good at deduction.”
Typically speaking, being a romantic poet and a person with excellent deductive skills was mutually exclusive…
”That's because he's recently into detective novels,” Royale explained indifferently. ”Two Kings, a straight from 8 to King. Does no one want it? Three 6's and no more.”