Ever since the failed investigation into Megose, chaos had erupted all throughout Tingen.
Over the past few days, the Night Watcher team had been working together with the police to handle related cases everywhere.
Although none of the incidents were major, there were simply too many of them. The Night Watchers were working nonstop, day and night.
While Leonard handled nearby cases, he also took care of Klein's safety and meals.
Even Susan and the other clerical staff had recently been requisitioned by the police department to help organize documents.
"Today, I came across another evil god worship ritual. A family of four, none of them survived. In the end, I had to burn the whole place down to cleanse it."
"That restaurant that once gave you food poisoning, something terrible happened in their kitchen too. A head chef suddenly went mad, picked up a boning knife, killed two people, and when he was finally subdued, he chopped off a police officer's arm."
"Tingen is in turmoil right now. With the police force stretched thin, thieves are taking advantage of the chaos to commit crimes all over the place. Just today, I caught three pickpockets on my way down the street."
"The police jail is practically full. I had no choice but to give those three thieves a good beating and let them lie in bed at home for a few days to recover."
Leonard rambled on and on. Klein had finished eating and was quietly listening.
When Leonard finally stopped, Klein asked, "What about Lanevus and Megose?"
Leonard sighed. "Still no clue where they're hiding. What about you, has your divination shown anything?"
"It's difficult to divine. There's strong resistance, especially when it comes to anything related to Megose. Lanevus should be close to her. With the evil god's offspring in her belly, they're using its power to block my divination."
Klein had also tried to divine above the gray fog, but the result was vague and blurry, he couldn't see anything clearly.
It must be the combined protection of the evil god's offspring and Sealed Artifact 008 that was sheltering Lanevus and Megose.
"One thing's certain, they're still hiding somewhere in Tingen!" Leonard said firmly.
Klein nodded in agreement, then asked after a moment's thought, "What about the support the Captain mentioned last time?"
"A five-person Red Glove team has already arrived in Tingen. They've taken over the cases involving Lanevus and Ince Zangwill. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had time to bring you these good meals today."
"Are the Red Gloves strong?"
"They should be. Probably each one is at least as strong as the Captain."
Klein finally felt a bit relieved. With such a powerful new force joining in, the chaos in Tingen might finally come to an end.
"I haven't been home these past few days. My family should be all right, shouldn't they?"
"Don't worry, they're fine. They wanted to come visit you, but we persuaded them not to."
"That's good." Klein finally let go of the tension in his heart.
"The most important thing now is figuring out how to catch Lanevus and Ince Zangwill."
"Don't you have any ideas?"
Klein glanced curiously at Leonard. After spending so much time together, he had vaguely realized Leonard was hiding a secret. Likewise, Leonard knew Klein had things he wasn't revealing.
Perhaps that was why their relationship had grown closer, they were no longer enemies, but comrades who could entrust their lives to each other.
Leonard's expression turned complicated. After a long silence, he said quietly, "My Sequence is too low right now. There's not much I can do."
Just then, a disdainful chuckle echoed in the depths of his mind.
He sighed and stood up. "You should rest a bit longer. I have a few things to take care of outside."
Klein watched him leave, feeling that something about Leonard was off, as if he was wrestling with a difficult decision.
Outside, Leonard walked to a deserted street corner and muttered, "Old man, if you want to laugh, go ahead."
"Heh. I just find you even more useless than I thought."
"I'm just taking precautions."
"Suit yourself. It's not my responsibility if Tingen ends up destroyed."
"What did you say, old man?"
Leonard suddenly tensed, scanning the surroundings before lowering his voice. "Tingen will be destroyed?"
"See for yourself. How much chaos and killing has broken out recently? Despair, anger, primal evil, all those emotions are the best nourishment for the birth of an evil god's offspring."
Leonard's heart pounded wildly. "Old man, do you have any ideas on how to stop it?"
"Your Sequence is too low. Even if you wanted to stop it, do you have the power to? Better leave it to the Red Gloves. Personally, I think your friend Klein has more potential. What a pity."
"What pity?"
"Didn't you think you were clever, one of this era's main characters? Then figure it out yourself."
"Old man, explain what you mean!" Leonard called out several times, but the voice in his mind went silent.
He didn't understand what that last line meant, but he knew one thing, it wasn't good news.
Klein was in danger, and that danger was approaching fast!
Leonard didn't dare delay any longer. He rushed back to the Blackthorn Security Company, pushed open the door, and thankfully, Klein was still there.
"What's wrong?" Klein looked at him in surprise.
"Nothing. I just suddenly felt it wasn't safe for you to stay here alone."
Klein simply nodded. "You mentioned earlier that the Red Gloves are now in charge of Lanevus and Ince Zangwill. I was planning to take this chance to go home."
He hadn't been back in days, Benson and Melissa were surely worried.
Leonard smiled. "I'll go with you. Consider it a visit."
"Don't you still have work to do?"
"I can handle that tomorrow. You're not fully recovered yet. If something happens, I'd have a hard time explaining it to the Captain."
Klein thought for a moment and agreed.
He, too, worried that Ince Zangwill might use 008 against him again. Having Leonard along would be safer.
The sun was setting, golden light spreading across the sky, and the evening clouds drifted lazily.
After being confined to bed for so long, Klein felt his mood lift as he looked up at the glowing horizon.
Leonard, however, remained tense, alert to every sound and movement around them.
They walked a while before hailing a carriage to take them to Klein's home.
Inside the carriage, they chatted about recent events.
After about ten minutes, Klein frowned, lifted the curtain, and peered outside. Comparing the houses and scenery, his face suddenly darkened.
He turned to Leonard and whispered, "Something's wrong with the coachman."
He knew these streets well, his new home was on Daffodil Street, while the Blackthorn Security Company was on Zotland Street. This route they were taking now wasn't right!
Leonard actually felt relieved at those words. He'd been on edge the whole trip, expecting trouble, and now it had come.
"What should we do?" he whispered back.
"Subdue the coachman immediately!"
"All right, leave it to me."
Leonard's face grew calm and solemn, and his deep, magnetic voice began to chant softly:
"Ah, the threat of fear, the crimson hope.
At least one thing is true: life flies by.
One thing is true: all else is lies.
Once the flower blooms, it must bid the world goodbye..."
As the poem flowed, the world around them seemed to fall into a strange stillness.
Klein stood up, lifting the carriage curtain and pressing his cane against the coachman's chest.
Before he could act, the coachman's body suddenly slumped over and fell off the carriage.
The startled horses neighed and bolted into a wild gallop.
"Jump!"
Klein realized this was no coincidence, Ince Zangwill must have tampered with something.
Without hesitation, he leapt from the speeding carriage, rolling several times on the ground to lessen the impact.
Leonard followed suit, jumping and tumbling across the grass. Aside from a few scrapes, they were unharmed.
"Get out of here! It's not safe!"
Klein scrambled to his feet, ignoring the dirt and the sting of his arm wounds.
He knew Ince Zangwill's methods, if he made a move, it would never be as simple as this.
The farther they got, the safer they'd be.
Leonard also got up quickly, ready to follow Klein, when suddenly, a familiar figure appeared ahead.
A tall man with a broad forehead, dark hair, and brown eyes behind nearly round glasses, his lips curved in a mocking smile.
Lanevus.
It was him, the man they had been hunting for so long!
And if Lanevus was here, that meant Megose, and the evil god's unborn offspring, were nearby.
That was the truly terrifying part.
Lanevus looked surprised to see them, yet not entirely so.
He chuckled softly. "Well, well… I didn't expect you two to be the ones standing before me. Tell me, was it you, or you, who ruined the gift I so carefully prepared?"