739 The Encountered and the Yet-To-Be-Encountered

In the main prayer hall of Saint Samuel Cathedral.

The black-haired bishop retracted his gaze and stopped looking at the middle-aged gentleman in front of the donation box, nor did he have any intention of chatting with him.

Here, before the holy altar, he represented the Church, and he was under the Goddess's sight. He couldn't show more warmth towards anyone because of their generous donations.

However, he remembered the gentleman's good looks and mature, refined disposition. He planned on attempting to get to know him when the opportunity arose in the future.

Seeing the final note slip into the donation box, Klein closed his eyes and turned to leave.

When passing the preaching bishop, he deliberately glanced at the clergyman and smiled with a nod.

The bishop returned with a warm smile as he tapped his chest four times in a clockwise fashion.

Klein wasn't in a hurry to make contact with the relevant personnel. He needed his actions to adhere to logic, and not to have any jarring actions that would incur suspicion. He silently and coolly turned to the side to give way to another devotee, and he made way down the aisle back to his seat. He then picked up his hat and cane before walking out of the cathedral.

At that moment, with the preaching done, the devotees either went forward to the donation box to express their sincerity, or they got up to leave without feeling that there was anything wrong. After all, it wasn't compulsory.

Even a devotee who passionately donated was unable to donate money every time. It usually depended on the family's exact situation, doing it once or twice every one to two weeks.

At the level of a commoner, each donation was in the form of pennies, while middle-class devotees ranged from three to five soli. The wealthy and nobles used pounds, but they didn't exceed 100 pounds.

This was under ordinary circumstances. During the Evernight Goddess's holy memorial day every year, which was the Winter Gifts Day, the amount donated would increase several times. The commoners with a little bit more cash to spare would choose two to three soli, while the middle-class donated around 5 pounds. As for the members of high society, they directly donated to the diocese bishop or Church's charitable organizations, ranging from several hundred pounds to a few thousand pounds.

Winter Gifts Day was the day in a year when the night was longest. It was believed to be the birthday of the Evernight Goddess.

…

After leaving the cathedral, Klein stood at the square outside. He watched idly as pigeons flew up, circled around, and landed.

He even bought some food from a nearby street hawker. He leisurely fed the pigeons, and he had no plans on flipping through the advertisements in the newspapers to find a suitable residence in North Borough since it was the butler's mission.

An excellent butler that had resided in Backlund for many years had ought to know the different nobles and tycoons, as well as the best middle-class individuals who could provide their masters with help. He would know which streets to live in and, from there, purposefully choose a residence.

The interaction between neighbors was the first step for a newcomer to enter the relevant circles!

Be it the Carleton Club where members of the Conservative Party gather, the Club of the Free of the New Party, or the various in-service and veteran clubs for the military, they also require a recommendation before any contact can be made… Sigh, this is also the so-called club politics in the kingdom. Klein reined in his thoughts as he considered what he should do after he was done setting up the pigeon-feeding persona he created.

After careful consideration, he discovered that there was really nothing that needed his immediate attention. This was because his plans were stuck on the surface.

Hence, he planned on enjoying an expensive and sumptuous lunch. This was an action Dwayne Dantès ought to have, and it was also a result of Klein's own curiosity.

In the months when he was in Backlund, he didn't manage to muster the courage to head to the most famous restaurants in the big city to broaden his horizons. He kept choosing one of the four—his own dining hall, the buffet cafeteria of the Quelaag Club, the ordinary restaurants by the streets, and Lawyer Jurgen's dining hall. Otherwise, he would head to East Borough and settle his breakfast and lunch in what seemed like a very oily coffee shop.

Laborie Restaurant? Their head chef is said to be from Earl Hall's family. He has provided tycoons, successful lawyers, high-ranking government officials with usually hard to come by flavors… Earl Hall had apparently invested in this restaurant and holds quite a major stake in it… Hmm, this restaurant mainly serves local Backlund cuisine. It's very famous for its desserts, but its price is horrendous…

Intis Srenzo Restaurant. It serves the most authentic Intis cuisine. Heh heh, many of the specialty dishes use Roselle's name, claiming that it originated from the emperor's palace dishes… Besides, it's not like most of the restaurants of the same class where they only offer a few main dishes every day. It has a wide variety… Klein recalled the information of the top restaurants he had read from the papers and magazines, and he finally decided on trying out the emperor's palace dishes.

He didn't stay any longer as he got on a horse carriage and headed for the Intis Srenzo Restaurant in West Borough.

At the entrance, Klein handed his coat, hat, and cane to a red-vested waiter as he asked, "Are there still any available seats? I didn't make a reservation."

"Yes, sir." The red-vested waiter didn't show any abnormal behavior as he humbly asked, "Sir, is this your first time here? Are you alone?"

Klein nodded frankly and smiled.

"Yes."

"Then, may I have the honor of introducing you to some of our most unique dishes and fine wine that our restaurant has to offer?" As the waiter spoke, he led the guest in.

"That's exactly what I need." Klein passed through the beautifully decorated door, and he saw walls that nearly reflected golden light.

Instantly, he felt as though he was in a gold vault.

Then, he noticed oil paintings hung on the walls, marble statues that were placed at suitable locations, as well as golden objects that were embedded or adorned in different spots.

"Please watch your step," the attendant warned him as he led Klein to a spot by the window. Violin music played in the background of the restaurant.

The waiter brought him a food menu and a wine menu as he flipped it open and introduced, "These are our most famous dishes—red-braised Tagia beef short ribs, black truffle porcini mushrooms, Intis-styled foie gras. I would like to point out that our foie gras comes directly from the Bonas farm in Champagne province in the Intis Kingdom…"

As Klein listened to the waiter's introduction, he browsed through the menu written in ancient Feysac, as the prices caught his eyes.

After introducing the main dishes, starters, and desserts, the waiter began explaining how the wines should be matched. Finally, he said, "The champagne, red wine, and white wine we have all come from a famous brewery from Champagne province. We even have Aurmir red wine from 1330. Its price is 126 pounds. If you wish to purchase it, you can take it along with you or store it with us, drinking a cup every time you come."

126 pounds… I can already hire an excellent butler with that… Heh heh… Klein smiled with great grace.

"Your dishes and wine are excellent. It's really difficult to choose."

The red-vested waiter gave a hospitable smile.

"You can choose the chef's recommendations for the day. It will be an authentic and delicious Intis meal arranged by our main chef. There are three choices—15 pounds, 10 pounds, and 8 pounds."

I don't want any of them… Klein leaned back slightly as he smiled.

"I'll have the 15-pound set meal."

"Alright." The red-vested waiter took away the menus, and he walked towards the kitchen.

Klein drew a breath and slowly exhaled as he casually observed the area before him.

Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure. It was a lady wearing an olive-green dress.

She was tall, with an excellent figure. She wore a black, out-of-fashion bonnet, with a fishnet veil hanging down and concealing her face.

As a Faceless, Klein had a strong ability to discern the external characteristics of humans. He immediately identified the lady.

Queen Mystic, Emperor Roselle's eldest daughter, Bernadette Gustav!

He wasn't in a rush to look away as he naturally moved his gaze to the side. Bernadette didn't seem to notice anything abnormal as she disappeared around the stairwell.

Why would she appear here? Right, this restaurant's specialty is Emperor Roselle's palace dishes. Heh, it's nothing like the Chinese cuisine I thought it would be. He probably doesn't know how to cook and at best, is able to describe the concept. There are stir-fried dishes here… Hmm, could the owner behind the scenes actually be her? Why is she here in Backlund instead of floating out at sea? Hasn't she found Hero Bandit Black Emperor? Klein sat down with a calm expression as questions arose in his mind.

…

Meanwhile, on the streets, a carriage was driving towards the Intis Srenzo Restaurant.

Sitting in the carriage was Aaron Ceres's family. This famous surgeon was a member of the Quelaag Club, a good friend of Sherlock Moriarty. He had once sought out the detective to handle Will Auceptin's matter.

Ever since his wife became pregnant, he found his luck had become rather good. His business was improving by the day, and his income was rising by the month. He recently successfully completed Baron Syndras's surgery, and he received the commendation of this newly promoted noble. He was invited to the Srenzo Restaurant to have lunch with him.

"It's said that the ice-cream is pretty good," Aaron smiled as he said to his wife.

His wife was a black-haired beauty, and she was already obviously pregnant. She smiled demurely and said, "I'm more looking forward to Emperor Roselle's palace dishes."

Aaron tersely acknowledged as he looked out the window.

"We're almost there."

Just as he said that, his wife held her tummy and frowned.

"It hurts a little."

Aaron, who wasn't a first-time father, immediately checked on her and didn't discover any problems, but his wife was feeling greater discomfort. The child in her womb seemed to be pulling a tantrum.

"I-I think I won't go over there. I wish to return home to rest," Aaron's wife suggested.

Aaron thought for a while and said, "I'll accompany you home."

He immediately ordered his valet, "Get down here and head to the restaurant to apologize to Baron Syndras on my behalf."

After the carriage began its return, the discomfort that Aaron's wife suffered was relieved. By the time she walked through the doorstep, everything was normal.

She pointed at her tummy, exasperated.

"It appears like he doesn't want to eat ice-cream."

Achoo! In the Intis Srenzo Restaurant, Klein, who hadn't spared any dish, felt the pinch but began enjoying his ice-cream in satisfaction. Midway, he found his nose itchy as he sneezed into a piece of tissue paper he pulled out.

…

West Borough. In a dark house.

Fors, who had already advanced to Astrologer, participated in all kinds of Beyonder gatherings, in search of the possibility to earn money.

She owed Xio 220 pounds, and she was even suspected by her good friend of being involved in illegal gambling.

I can't even afford to buy my essential crystal ball… As her thoughts wandered, Fors suddenly heard a member at the gathering say, "I wish to sell a Moon Puppet."