195 sLockpicking Experts Klein (1/2)
A few seconds later, Klein activated his Spirit Vision and surveyed the room, only to find how extravagantly decorated Madam Sharon's room was.
In a spacious area with a cloakroom that was ajar, there was a thick carpet, a blanket made with goose feathers, a makeup table strewn with skin care products and cosmetics, a dazzling array of jewelry, thin clothing and socks thrown over the rocking chair, and multiple decorative items adorned with gold silk. All of these entered Klein's field of vision.
What attracted Klein's attention the most was an unfinished oil painting. On the painting was the naked figure of Madam Sharon herself—her brown hair like a waterfall, her eyes like an innocent deer's, pure and limpid. But her curved eyebrows, sharp nose, and tender lips accentuated her form as a mature female. The two qualities fused together despite the contradiction, releasing an alarming temptation.
Klein only gave a cursory glance at the area under the neck for a moment. He wasn't trying to be gentlemanly. After all, he had already seen the porno, so why would he have scruples over a picture?
His attention had been grabbed by the pastels, palettes, and paintbrushes beside the painting, as well as a full-length silver-coated mirror.
This combination and their placement relative to each other gave Klein a weird thought that the painter was Madam Sharon herself, and not some artist she had seduced.
A beautiful woman with a great figure, flirtatious yet innocent, stripping and drawing herself while looking in the mirror to chronicle her beauty… It feels a little odd. Is Madam Sharon narcissistic? Klein gulped silently and retracted his gaze. He started to search for possible evidence of her crimes.
Following Leonard's and Frye's instructions, he kept his black gloves on as he searched. He had to keep the original position of everything in his memory to facilitate putting everything back after he was done.
This proved easy for an advanced Seer. If he forgot, he could use dream divination to recall the placement easily.
Of course, he had performed a divination before he left the house tonight. There was going to be no danger and he would be met with relative success.
That's something a good charlatan would do… even if I'm already a Clown… Klein lampooned himself. He spent twenty minutes searching Madam Sharon's room, but he didn't find anything noteworthy, nor did he see any light emitted by spirituality.
Finally, he stopped before a safe in the corner of the room.
The steel safe was a meter tall; thick and heavy. It gave the impression that it was unusually sturdy, as if it could only be opened using explosives.
This sure is a characteristic of the Age of Steam. There must be complicated machinery within the safe… Klein tried to open the safe but failed miserably.
He left the safe for last. He took off his left glove and unwound the topaz dangling on his left wrist.
Grabbing the silver chain and allowing the pendulum to fall, Klein dispelled the excitement that the fragrance in the room gave him and entered a state of Cogitation.
His eyes turned dark as he chanted to himself, ”There is a secret room or hidden partition in this room.
”There is a secret room or hidden partition in this room.”
…
After reciting it seven times, Klein's eyes regained their normal color. He looked at the dangling topaz, which was turning counterclockwise.
It was a negative result.
Klein nodded slightly and left Madam Sharon's room. According to the process from before, he went through the study, the living room, the greenhouse, and other parts of the house, but he didn't find any clues of value.
He didn't use Dowsing Rod Seeking since he didn't exactly know what he was looking for.
Klein took out his silver pocket watch and gave it a look. He confirmed the time before returning to Madam Sharon's bedroom.
Carefully closing the wooden door, Klein took out the silver dagger used for rituals and released his spirituality, allowing it to fuse with the powers of nature and seal the room.
He was going to summon himself!
He was going to go through the safe using his spirit and check the things inside!
Grandpa doesn't need to know how to lockpick! Klein proclaimed in Mandarin.
The process was simple since he was praying to himself. He didn't have to be too particular. Klein took out a candle infused with sandalwood and ignited it using his spirituality. That was going to be his altar.
”I!
”I summon in my name:
”The Fool that doesn't belong to this era, the mysterious ruler above the gray fog; the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck.”
The incantation reverberated around Madam Sharon's bedroom. Klein's spirituality poured out from within him, gently fusing with the candle flame to become a gray, palm-sized veil of light.
He then took four steps counterclockwise, made his way through the mad ravings, and into the world above the gray fog.
He saw the Door of Summoning appear behind the seat of honor at the ancient long table. Klein was about to react when he froze.
I should perform a divination to see if I can discover any clues since I'm already here. Here, as well as removing any interference, my powers are also significantly boosted… Also, because of where I am now, performing a divination is akin to using an object Madam Sharon brings around with her everyday… He sat down and conjured a fountain pen and goatskin.
What should I divine? Klein slipped into deep thought.
Is there anything wrong with Madam Sharon?
No, everyone makes mistakes, there would be something wrong with anyone.
Is Madam Sharon involved in a crime?
… No, that's not narrow enough either. As a famous socialite tied to the political sphere, it's natural that she would be associated with something dirty yet cannot be convicted for… Also, what is the definition of a crime anyway? The laws of the Loen Kingdom, or the laws of the Intis Republic, or is it up to me to decide?
…