Sitting on the public carriage, Odis thought again and figured that Lady Mandy had probably already taken appropriate measures...
Still, to be safe, he decided he should visit Rosewood Pavilion tomorrow...
....
~Unit 15 Minsk Street, Cherwood Borough~
*Ding-a-ling, Ding-a-ling*
Just as Klein was about to enjoy his dinner, the doorbell rang...
He smiled wryly... nowadays, the sound of the doorbell was as unwelcome as the ringtone of a phone in his past life.
Walking briskly to the door, he already had an image in his mind... the somewhat anxious 'Daily Observer' reporter, Mike Joseph.
Klein was slightly taken aback. Why would the reporter visit him so late?
As soon as the door opened, Mike smiled apologetically, "Sorry, I hope I'm not disturbing you." he said.
"Well, you already have," Klein replied helplessly, "What brings you here so late?"
"I received a threatening letter," Mike said calmly, "It seems I wrote something I shouldn't have..."
As a seasoned reporter, this wasn't his first encounter with such a situation, so he remained composed.
Klein paused briefly, "Come in."
Once inside, Mike sniffed the aroma of food in the living room, "Mr. Moriarty, if you ever tire of being a detective, you could consider becoming a chef."
"Given such praise, I should invite you to dinner," Klein said with a smile as he brewed tea, "But unfortunately, I only made enough for myself."
He then handed Mike a teacup, saying, "Let's get to the matter at hand."
Mike took out an opened letter from his pocket, "I received this in the afternoon."
Klein unfolded it and quickly skimmed the contents...
The letter pointed out 'inappropriate' content in today's 'Daily Observer' and invited Mike to Rosewood Pavilion the next day for a chat.
Unlike the threatening letters he had imagined, the wording was polite... if he hadn't known it was from Lady Mandy, it would have seemed like nothing more than an invitation to dance and spend some money.
Klein asked, "What do you plan to do?"
"I have to go," Mike said with experience, "Not going would only make things worse. But going alone might be risky, so I've already requested a 10 pound commission from my editor to hire you as my bodyguard..."
"...Same as last time... even if no conflict arises, you'll still get the full amount. And if things escalate, I'll pay extra based on your contribution."
Last time, when they went to the East Borough, the entire day had only earned him 10 pounds.
Finally, Mike added, "I'm familiar with these kinds of talks. As long as I promise not to write about Lady Mandy again, I doubt there'll be any trouble."
As he listened, Klein absentmindedly flipped a coin...
When Mike finished speaking, he suddenly tossed it into the air and caught it.
After glancing at the result, Klein smiled, then replied, "I'll take the job."
Mike exhaled in relief, "Good. We'll leave at eight tomorrow morning."
Klein nodded, "I won't keep you for dinner."
After seeing Mike out, Klein hurried back to the dining room, silently praying to the Goddess that his food hadn't gone cold...
...
~The next morning, at eight o'clock~
After an early breakfast, Klein and Mike took a carriage to Rosewood Pavilion on Ernst Avenue in the North Borough...
Stepping out of the carriage, Klein was momentarily surprised.
He had expected Rosewood Pavilion to resemble other dance halls... That being dimly lit, tacky, with streetwalkers on display like merchandise. But to his surprise, it was nothing like that...
First, the building was four stories tall, with an entrance that was two to three times wider than usual. On the left side of the door was a massive hand-painted signboard.
The signboard, dyed in some unusually vibrant pigment, remained strikingly colorful even outdoors.
Besides the name «Rosewood Pavilion», it depicted a young woman in a black evening gown, poised in an elegant dance invitation.
Her image wasn't seductive, but rather refined... her gaze and posture dignified, a stark contrast to the typical streetwalker.
Yet the subtle glimpse of black stockings was enough to stir the imagination.
Klein felt an odd sensation, and only upon entering did he realize its source... even in Backlund, this was an exceptionally rare and clever marketing approach...
...
~Unit 51 Henry Street, West Borough~
Odis arrived early at the herbal shop to restock the shelves...
After Kain arrived, Odis gave a few instructions before heading to the basement in the backyard.
The small courtyard had a basement, but Odis had sealed it off... only he could enter.
The basement door was inside his room. Opening it revealed a descending staircase.
Odis extended his hand, channeling Spirituality into the correct position, deactivating the Mystical traps along the corridor...
At the bottom of the stairs was a room the size of a small living area. The space was mostly empty, containing only a coat rack and a set of table and chairs.
On the rack hung a black overcoat and a black top hat. On the table lay black trousers and a silver mask, while a pair of black leather shoes rested on the floor beside it.
On two walls of the basement were two teleportation arrays, which Odis had spent nearly 9 000 pounds to construct.
Like the one at 77 Hilton Avenue, these were also based on an Octagram formation, with a valuable Ahornak Crystal at the center and gemstones at key nodes.
The cost was so exorbitant, that to this day, he had only managed to reimburse half of it in scattered payments from the Church of the 'God of Steam and Machinery'. Full reimbursement was still a distant goal...
One array led to a room in Rosewood Pavilion, while the other connected to his laboratory in the outskirts... his primary workspace.
Odis changed into his outfit, donned the mask, and infused the Rosewood Pavilion array with Spirituality.
A shimmering passage appeared before him...
Stepping inside, he emerged two or three seconds later in a room on the third floor of the dance hall.
He then opened the door, which faced the third-floor reception desk.
The female receptionist blinked in surprise before offering a polite smile, "Mr. Gale, you're here."
As she spoke, she rang the bell connected to Lady Mandy's office.
Odis, with his face mostly hidden behind the mask, gave a slight nod.
Moments later, the poised Lady Mandy hurried over, "Mr. Gale."
Odis said, "I read yesterday's report."
Lady Mandy looked somewhat flustered, "I wasn't thorough enough in my work. I've already arranged a meeting with that reporter, Mike Joseph. He and his hired bodyguard have arrived."
Odis nodded, "You handle the discussion. I'll just sit and listen."