Ronder Cent was a member of the club inside Bounevelle Rest House. He's a friend of the mayor and had made quite a few appearance in their banquets as a notable guest that owns a westside manor and wine brewery.
Despite this. Selina and her company failed to elicit any sort of lead from the gentleman. Their only description and the words uttered about Fauland were; chemist-monger, a self-processed agent of bed and sometimes, partner's mood dealer.
Those names are the public's image of him. However, this also gathered a substantial connection over time. Leveraging the upperclassmen's affection for deeds.
"Alright, thank you for your time." Selina drew a silent breath and turned to Seeka.
Seeka noted the intel before lifting her head. "Seems this Fauland person has been dabbling with drugs that boosts dopamine or sexual performance. He found gold in the circle of upperclassmen.
"Other than that. His identity is so infamous that any lead would trace back to either his place and the Noir Lounge."
"Has both been cleared by forensics already?" asked Selina, a bit slow on the info.
Royale nodded and politely explained, "Both the Noir Lounge and his residence has been swept by Kenley, Frye and the Machinery Hiveminds just last week. Now as you know, the leads aren't sufficient for an investigation."
Fauland lives in the suburbs around the West Borough, the university region.
"I see..." Selina bottled up her thoughts. Fauland and Galopin nor Art was never an acquaintances in papers but have connections through the privileged system of the Noir Lounge. This is why the case is difficult...
There are many customers who were also privileged but there are also those who weren't acknowledged but are apart of the system...
Art was starting to obtain it meanwhile Galopin was a casual customer but was never listed...
That was Klein's guess and confirmed in his divinations. In the club, there are actually two types of privileged customers. The soothers and delvers. In reality, there is a secret one called indulgents. This concealed third type had no financers or patrons. They're simple workers that blend in with the clients.
Because the Noir Lounge is often "loud" and "cheery" at night. It will be hard for the customers to differentiate indulgents, if there ever any such third type.
Throughout their inquiries. The respondent's tone wasn't that enthusiastic of the hostess mentions. Even wanting as far as using codenames to refer to such.
In the end. Selina, Royale and Seeka went back to the first floor. Ready to head out.
"Pigs..." Royale blurted out of the blue.
Seeka Tron sighed and vented, "Truly. Exploiting the lower class for entertainment. Some even went to try their chance on us!"
While feeling rattled. Selina maintained a calm exterior and said, "So much for being upperclass with education..."
As she said this. Her gaze suddenly caught a young man in a vintage suit walking across and heading to the stairs.
His hair was neatly combed and suddenly he noticed her.
...!?
He feels familiar. The man jolted and his eyes, veins and head bulged. He almost trampled.
"Ah! Hey! Keep an eye on your surrounding!" said a woman in pink and white corset dress.
The guy apologized many times before finally being pardoned.
"Selina? Where are you staring?" Seeka noticed her gaze and traced it to a man who finished bowing on a woman.
He didn't turned to check and instead, kept a trembling but calm exterior as he walks normally.
Why's he familiar? Selina had a bout of emotion.
Royale and Seeka saw the gentleman off, watching him greet guests. After that they turned to Selina.
"Do you know him?"
Selina thought for a sec before shaking her head, "No, I just thought he looks like someone I knew from Constant City."
The two ladies checked the man again. He has a smile plastered to his face while receiving a glass of wine from a valet.
Royale nodded. "We'll see if we can get information about him. For now let's head to officer Louis. He's waiting for the building we'll be visiting."
...
As soon as the three ladies walked out of the entrance. The bearded, slicked hair Louise was waiting to accompany them and allow access the areas they wish to go.
"Had any luck?" Louise said after seeing them stopped a few inches away.
Royale casted her gaze onto the officer before shaking her head. "Unfortunately, we failed to detect any beyonder related anomaly around. Let's check the other buildings."
Selina maintained her Spirit Vision and sized up the building from the front. Perhaps from a measly tic or a futile thought. She did so without thinking.
There's nothing... haven't I already seen the outside before entering? She secretly sighed and briskly closed her distance with them.
Right now, suggesting a building for them to examine would result in suspicions rising once she did it out of the blue.
Selina doesn't want to be seen as problematic, that's least she desires after being almost eaten. So instead, she waited until two establishment later.
After taking a look at the provided note of the place. Selina pointed onto a name and said, "How about this?"
...
Klein returned, wiping his hands with his handkerchief.
He still couldn't settle his mind about the person who was with him after leaving the bathroom.
I have to find out who that person is... while he ruminated. Leonard extended a hand and told him, "I didn't know you had prostrate issues..."
Klein withdrew his handkerchief and gave a half-smile.
"We'll enter the hostess club downstairs." Philomore informed after leading them to a stairway.
The cold air presses down on the boundary between the basement and current floor. It was alit, with multiple to accompany the visitors.
As the guide officer had said earlier. The Noir Lounge conduct their hostess clubs underground. There are two types which corresponds to the services the clients take; the soother and delvers. The other two rooms are reserved for the special guests. While the last is a cellar.
Philomore took the lead as a few suited gentlemen trailing a swarm of lady escorts walked pass them.
It seems they're headed upstairs, reserved for continuations.
Although Klein and his company would tip their hats at these clients. The fact that what orbits around them are paid and will be subjected to an act, whirred his stomach.
One of each rooms did they checked for any suspects over the pass few minutes. Each of them had a pole and a stage. Audiences consisting of males flocked the tables.
Most of these were middle-classes, the upperclassmen had the delvers reserved for them.
The clear distinction between soothers and delvers is that the former's ladies are meant for display. They could haggle for a kinship but limited. For delvers, this allows them to obtain privilege into which fancies them.
Galopin is apart of a hidden type called indulgents. Their acts are extreme and without a proper evidence or leads are hard to unravel. Especially since they mingle so seamlessly into the crowd of middle-classes.
In Klein's divination, he saw a child. That was enough to make him want to end him right then. But because it would be an issue if the officials, especially Dunn were caught whiff of the events, he refrained.
He'll become problematic and question rises like "why did you shoot him?", "how do you know?", etc. Most of which he couldn't answer.
After examining the four rooms. Klein and the rest chose to return to the surface and head to the lounge for some beverages to quench their thirst.
"So what do you think?" Leonard stirred his drink of lemon juice and Pomelle wine.
Klein collected his thoughts and said after taking a sip of red noir. "Just like what Old Neil had said. The presence of the public renders the case into a vague standing.
"And to add, it seems the hidden class mixes with the soothers class. Even the staffs are unaware of it. We can't just be blatant with our actions and file a warrant of inspection in the area. That would alert any more of Fauland's associates.
Then he suddenly realized. "Also, isn't the point of identifying them was to drive them off of the city?"
Leonard explained while smiling, "It will be pointless to do so as they would only relocate somewhere. If we had their names and identities, then driving them off isn't an issue. Otherwise, we risk having more casualties.
"As I said before, rituals are as powerful as the griefs of the people affected in an area."
Klein committed those words in mind.
A few seconds later, he finally suggested, "Since I have divined that there's a reliable evidence here. How about shifting the target to everyone present in the Noir Lounge?"
Leonard touched his chin and casted his gaze down. After pondering, he said, "Can you do that?"
"I can, we can only see as we get there." Klein said with a empty glass. "I'll need an empty, quiet place where I wouldn't be disturbed."
Leonard glanced at Philomore.
Philomore thought and said, "There's a reserved room at the third floor. Is that enough?"
Klein nodded.
...
When they reached the third floor. They saw a significant decrease in numbers of people. Some are walking out while majority stayed for a short while.
Klein held the key from his hand and opened one of the mahogany doors.
He saw a large balcony, with curtained windows around that illuminated the place. He marveled at the design before sitting at the edge of the bed.
He doesn't need to divine anything. His recognition of Galopin's connections from the last divination he took is still coherent in his mind.
So instead he intends to draw the man's image.
Klein setup an altar using the table from a corner. He drew the curtains close, lit up the candles and prayed for the Evernight's aid.
A heavy and pressuring power descended into wall of spirituality and enveloped him. His hands trembled intensely.
He quickly reached out for the fountain pen on the desk and started drawing the man's visage from the bathroom earlier.
With this done. He tidied up the room of any residue then slumped on the bed to regain a few more rest.
However, there was something bothering him when he sighed.
Suddenly, Klein sprang up and lifted his topaz pendulum. After thinking, he recited in a hushed tone.
"Selina is safe..."
...
Seven lines later. He saw a positive result from the turn of the pendulum. Relieved, he now just needs to wait.
After several more minutes. He opened the door, found Leonard and Philomore waiting next to the entrance.
"Here's a picture." Klein presented his drawing forged through ritual.
Leonard halted from pacing.
He carefully inspected the photo and confirmed with a smile of disbelief, "I saw him downstairs heading to the cafeteria. What a coincidence!"
Yeah, coincidence... Klein felt a bit unease by that remark.
...
On the first floor. Leonard took a step forward from the stair and advised, "Let's go. If you see him, quickly inform me. I'll soothe him to sleep with my poems."
Klein's mouth twitched seeing him smoothen his hair.
"Alright, let's head to the cafeteria. See if he's still there." Leonard suggested.
Philomore chose to stay behind on the lounge. Reasoning that he'd rather not get involve in beyonder matters.
It was past lunch and the sun was at an angle far from setting. Enough to instill an appetite for the people.
The cafeteria was mildly populated, serving seared muttons, peas, cutlery etc. Upon entering, Klein had only scanned the room halfway when he saw him.
The man he encountered from the restroom!