Quietly, Klein retreated two steps, returning behind the partition where Megose left his line of sight.
He immediately reached into his pocket, gripping the two "Sunblaze Charms" positioned for quickest access. The warmth radiating from the Eternal Blazing Sun's power made his rigid body soften again, returning it to his control.
Only then did Klein's thoughts begin functioning again, contemplating their current situation.
There could be no mistake—the child Megose carried was the 'bomb' Lanevus had left behind. Whether it was an evil god attempting to descend or a 'child' chosen through some ritual, he wasn't expert enough to determine, nor did he dare verify through spirit vision or divination.
But whether it was an evil god or a child no longer mattered. The critical questions were: how long until this 'bomb' exploded? And why had Megose, carrying the 'bomb,' come to Blackthorn Security Company?
At this moment, he recalled all the coincidences since his transmigration, and Mr. Azik's warning echoed in his ears:
"That person manipulating fate from behind the scenes may have noticed my attention. I've decided to leave Tingen for Backlund to search for my lost memories. This way, they might relax their vigilance and continue their actions."
So as soon as Mr. Azik left Tingen, they continued their actions, manipulating Megose to 'coincidentally' come here?
Having worked through this logic and confirmed that Megose's target was him, Klein abandoned all hope of luck.
He returned to the reception hall and was about to speak when his vision darkened—he'd collided head-on with Leonard, who was preparing to leave.
"Ugh..."
Leonard covered his nose while Klein pressed his forehead, both wearing pained expressions, yet both forced themselves not to make a sound.
Only after both had left the reception hall and returned to the corridor behind the partition did Leonard wipe the cold sweat from his face and look back toward the reception hall with lingering fear. "You sensed it too, right? That lady, she..."
"That's right. The 'bomb' Lanevus left is in her belly. We need to report to the Captain immediately and contact the Holy Cathedral..."
"It's too late!" Leonard cut Klein off in a low voice. "It takes four hours by steam train from Backlund—the Holy Cathedral can't get here in time. Have him notify the Machinery Hivemind and the Mandated Punishers. We also need to prepare for battle."
Klein's eyes widened instantly, but he quickly recovered and nodded in agreement. "Alright, you keep her stable—the longer the better. The Captain and I will make preparations."
Without waiting for Leonard's response, he turned and headed back, not caring whether his footsteps on the floor might alert Megose. He quickly reached the Captain's office door, pushed it open, and entered.
Dunn had just finished sending the telegraph and hadn't yet put away the codebook. Seeing Klein rush in, he raised an eyebrow, about to ask a question.
"Captain, we've found the 'bomb' Lanevus mentioned."
"Megose?"
Standing abruptly, Dunn pointed toward the reception hall.
Captain must have heard Leonard's shocked exclamation earlier.
"Yes." Klein quickly explained his reasoning to the Captain, then added, "Leonard is talking with her, trying to delay. But we don't know what kind of ritual he used or how, or when, this evil god will descend."
After listening, Dunn's expression grew grave. His eyes fixed on the desktop for several seconds of thought before he nodded.
"Understood. I'll immediately request help from the Holy Cathedral, then contact the Mandated Punishers and Machinery Hivemind in Tingen to come support us urgently."
He paused, his hands gripping the desk tightening into fists as he continued, "We also need to prepare for the worst-case scenario. You notify the non-combat personnel to evacuate. After I send the telegraph, I'll go to the Chanis Gate to prepare. If the evil god is about to descend, we'll lure it into the underground, into the Chanis Gate, and use the sealed artifacts to fight it."
Klein agreed this was the only feasible method. Inside the Chanis Gate were several powerful sealed artifacts, and Saint Selena's ashes were behind the door—the ashes of a high-sequence powerhouse and the core of the Chanis Gate's seal.
"Alright, Captain. I'll notify Rozanne and the others immediately."
He replied, watching Dunn sit back down, reopen the codebook, and begin sending the telegraph.
"Oh, Captain, we also need to notify the police department to evacuate nearby civilians. Find any excuse—like a gas leak..."
"Don't worry, my memory has improved significantly lately."
Without looking up, Dunn rhythmically tapped out the telegraph message with one hand, the corner of his mouth forming a slight smile.
Memory improved significantly...
Klein didn't know whether to feel relieved or worried. He glanced at his busy captain before turning to leave the office.
After informing Mrs. Orianna in the opposite room about the emergency evacuation and having her notify other clerical staff, Klein returned to the reception hall where Leonard sat on one sofa with Megose on another. Her expression alternated between agitation and confusion as she incoherently recounted stories of her relationship with Lanevus.
Rozanne stood behind the reception desk, coffee cup in hand, listening attentively. Seeing Klein enter the hall, she looked at him questioningly, only to be startled by his pale, serious face.
"Rozanne, it's dangerous here. Leave immediately. Come back tomorrow."
Klein approached the desk, picked up the thermos, and spoke quietly.
The girl, still unclear about the situation, opened her mouth in surprise. Her gaze shifted between her two teammates and the somewhat restless visitor before she nodded solemnly.
She set down her coffee, gathered her things briefly, picked up her handbag, and emerged from behind the reception desk.
"May the Goddess protect you all."
She quickly drew a crimson moon symbol on her chest, then brushed past Klein, circled around the sofas in the center of the reception hall, and left the company.
I hope She will protect us too...
The thought flashed through Klein's mind as he carried the thermos with light footsteps to Leonard and Megose's side, refilling their cups with water.
"Thank you, Mr. Diviner. What was your name again?"
Megose smiled faintly, picked up her cup, and despite the water still being too hot to drink, raised it to her lips and drained the entire cup of boiling water in one gulp, licking her scalded red lips.
Damn, I think she's about to lose control...
His heart pounding, Klein forced a smile and answered, "My name is Klein, beautiful lady."
He turned to look at the pale-faced Leonard, silently mouthing, "Keep her stable!"
Leonard pressed his lips together, his gaze tracking Klein until his figure disappeared behind the partition. Only then did he look back at Megose, who was stroking her prominently swollen abdomen beneath her dress, her expression somewhere between crying and laughing.
Taking a deep breath, the "Midnight Poet" racked his brain for another topic: "Miss Megose, could you tell me how you and Lanevus became engaged?"
Passing through the partition, Klein watched several clerical staff approach from down the corridor, walking past him one by one. Among them were the familiar Bright and Mrs. Orianna, as well as newcomers recently transferred from the police station whom he'd just met.
They already knew the gravity of the situation from Mrs. Orianna. Their expressions were serious as they tiptoed past the partition, slipping away from the edge of Megose's field of vision and leaving Blackthorn Security Company.
Seeing the last non-combat personnel evacuate, Klein finally breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at Leonard, still searching for topics of conversation, then looked toward the door leading to the underground.
Good, no one's paying attention here now...
A struggle flickered through his heart, but he quickly made his decision.
"O Fool that doesn't belong to this era, You are the mysterious ruler above the gray fog..."
Leaning against the wall, hands clasped in prayer against his bowed forehead, he recited softly in Hermes.
"...The Aurora Order's Lanevus has performed a ritual to summon an evil god. The evil god's progeny is about to descend on Tingen, with the center point at Blackthorn Security Company on Zoutland Street..."
Switching to Loenese, he rapidly summarized the current situation, then pushed off from the wall. Walking counterclockwise four steps in the corridor, he recited the memorized incantation.
Amid the roars and whispers in his ears, he appeared in the gray mist-shrouded palace, seated in the high-backed chair beside the bronze table.
Four crimson stars floated above the endless gray mist—the four Tarot Club members. But beyond these, one previously dim star in a corner now contracted and expanded rhythmically, emitting light distinct from the other stars.
Extending his right hand toward that flickering star, Klein successfully saw the vision of his recent 'prayer' and heard his own low prayer.
Without bothering to 'mosaic' the image fragment, he pointed his finger, casting the visualized scene into the most familiar star.
This was a method he'd already practiced when Miss Justice reported information about "Hurricane Admiral" Qilangos's movements. Using it again now, Klein was already quite proficient.
Having completed this, he finally felt somewhat reassured and left the gray mist, returning to reality at Blackthorn Security Company.
"...Miss Megose, please calm down. Lanevus must still love you. He's just..."
Leonard's voice reached his ears, desperately maintaining composure.
From the corner of his vision, Dunn Smith was just pushing open the door, returning from the underground to the second floor.
Good, the timing is just right...
Klein pressed his lips together and nodded in greeting to the approaching captain.
He still wasn't entirely clear why he'd risked exposing his identity to warn Angel—whether he hoped she would come to support them, or hoped she would take his family and immediately flee far from here, far from the center point of the evil god's descent.
Or perhaps he was simply leaving the choice to her.
His mind in chaos, he watched Dunn approach and instinctively asked, "Captain, what do we do now?"
Dunn's gray eyes gazed quietly at Klein, that expression of having everything under control successfully calming the latter.
"Don't worry. We'll wait here quietly for reinforcements and avoid excessively provoking Megose. If the worst happens, run underground immediately, straight into the Chanis Gate. I'll lure her inside."
Alright, this is the most prudent approach. Leonard just has to endure...
Klein's breathing gradually slowed, his suspended heart returning to his chest.
Perhaps when reinforcements from other teams arrive, when experts from the Holy Cathedral arrive, we can resolve this incident without any casualties...
"Klein, we have a big problem..." A suppressed but extremely panicked voice came from behind. He turned to see Leonard leaning halfway out from the partition, his expression shocked. "Megose left. She said the baby in her belly was crying to go see the park, and I didn't dare stop her for fear of provoking her..."
The park?
Klein's gaze snapped to Dunn. Their eyes met before both looked in the direction Megose had gone.
A celebration was being held there, with at least several hundred citizens in attendance.
Melissa, Benson...
And Angel was there too!