Mysteries: Arcana Wars

Chapter 441 Stage and Props

Leonard frowned as he watched Klein's frantic figure. He was about to follow him when Audrey grabbed hold of his clothes.

"Mr. Leonard," Audrey asked cautiously, "Who is Mavis that Mr. Merlin just mentioned?"

"do not know."

Leonard replied.

"Just think of her as his sister."

"So... does he have a sister?"

"Just assume he has it. It's enough if he thinks he has it."

"?"

Audrey slowly typed an uneasy question mark.

"Then what do we do now?"

"Follow him."

Leonard raised his foot and chased after him without saying a word.

“I understand what he means.

“This is a [script], and we each play our own role in the story, so we can realize our wishes at the lowest cost.

"Since the key to breaking the deadlock lies in his own belief in his own story, then as teammates, we must take the lead in unconditionally believing in his story and pass on this support and trust to him.

“The actors on stage must trust the director wholeheartedly.”

At the festival market, wandering magicians greet passers-by loudly, performing magic tricks as they move forward, interacting with passers-by from time to time, conjuring up flowers or desserts as gifts for the audience, wishing all passers-by a happy Winter Eve, and constantly singing praises to the miracle that is about to happen to them.

This time, he was like a true celebration actor spreading beauty, leading the piper in the parade, but in this joyful parade, only Leonard and Audrey followed behind.

Compared to Leonard's complete acceptance and unwavering faith, Audrey was filled with confusion and denial about Klein's statements and his alleged story. She didn't know what the case was, but pinning the key to a case on the illusions of a third-rate magician was simply unacceptable.

Can this guy really tell the difference between hallucinations caused by illness, scripts he wrote himself, and the real reality?

No matter how much you think about it, what you ultimately do depends on your leader's wishes. This is an essential quality for a veteran worker.

Compared with a psychopathic magician who has sold cult ideas door-to-door, the famous "cold-faced detective" Leonard is more reliable and can give her a sense of security that any case can be solved.

"Mr. Leonard, I brought what you wanted."

Audrey quickly stepped forward, whispered to Leonard, and then opened the package to show him.

There were several palm-sized makeup mirrors, several touch-up mirrors of varying sizes, and a few printed receipts. Following Leonard's instructions, Audrey bought these inexplicable props on the way to the meeting place, then returned to meet up with Leonard and the others, which delayed her arrival.

"I've already bought the amusement park tickets. I can enter the hospital by simply verifying my citizen information at the entrance.

"I was worried that Mr. Merlin had recently undergone plastic surgery or had his prosthetics replaced and hadn't updated his citizen identification data in a timely manner, so I printed out the receipt. If there's a problem with citizen information recognition, you can still enter the park with the receipt and ID.

"The specific payment document has been sent to your terminal."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work. I've received the receipt. This is for your reimbursement. All subsequent expenses will be reimbursed once the case is concluded."

"Thank you, this is what I should do as an assistant, Mr. Leonard."

The card terminal flashed green, and the message of funds entering the account was reflected in Audrey's visual nerves.

"What do we do next?"

Leonard didn't say anything. He simply ran over to Klein and handed him the mirror and kaleidoscope while Audrey was puzzled.

"I brought the things. Any ideas?"

Klein looked around with a mirror, then looked at the bright, round moon through a kaleidoscope again and again, finally curling his lips in disappointment.

These things seem exquisitely crafted and can be found everywhere, but they lack a certain flavor, like a painting lacking a touch of charm or a delicacy lacking a spice. Besides feeling mediocre and uncomfortable, it's hard to pinpoint what's missing.

They could have been more special.

Weighing the mirror and kaleidoscope in his hands, Klein fell into deep thought, muttering to himself.

"...No...No...No...It's still not right...

"These things look... too normal..."

Ordinary creatures do not have any spirituality and cannot sense other dangers. Even their fate according to divination is the trash can at the edge of the square.

But what can become a [story prop] is definitely not an ordinary item on the roadside, it must be an anchor full of stories.

"There's nothing to believe in, and nothing to be concerned about.

"If I were to deepen my belief in Melissa's story, if I truly believed in the stories that were told about my sister..."

A trace of struggle and pain flashed across Klein's face. His expression visibly twisted, and his hands anxiously stroked the props in his hands.

"Think about it, Klein, think about it!

“If these things do bear Melissa’s mark, what characteristics would they have?

"What kind of connection binds these gadgets and Melissa so strongly together?

"Is it the divination on the box? Is it the shadow in the mirror? Is it the illusion..."

"obsidian!!"

Leonard and Klein shouted this term in unison.

obsidian.

A gadget that reappears throughout Crane's travels.

As a gem, it is really too cheap, so cheap that it is everywhere. As jewelry, it does not have much collection value. It is very suitable as a material for various affordable jewelry or some large ornaments.

The only thing that people care about is that obsidian is sharp enough that some people use it as a weapon, but this gem is not durable enough and can only be used as a ceremonial weapon. In this way, obsidian has become a typical jewelry.

Such ordinary and commonplace items were everywhere in Klein's life. But upon closer reflection, Klein found that they were a little too common, so common that they seemed to be visible in every important event he experienced.

Lin En, a young man who was tipping two gold star coins on the street, was wearing an obsidian pendant on his ear.

Olga, who was tortured by illness and on the verge of death, had an obsidian bookmark in her diary.

The old artifact hanging on the old pipe from the Western Continent that was offered by Fors was an obsidian ring.

And in the dungeon...

The most representative one is Antigonus's dagger staff. The symbol of the power of nothingness is the obsidian dagger on its head.

"Obsidian is everywhere..."

The past few months of his desperate journey flashed before Klein's eyes like a kaleidoscope. He looked at Leonard and sighed absentmindedly.

"…Just like my story, it follows me everywhere…"

"Yes, I think we've found the connection—obsidian! Obsidian is the next key we've found."

Leonard grabbed Klein's swaying shoulders with both hands, and with excitement and worry, forced him to look into his eyes.

“But I still have a question.

"With so many obsidians in Backlund, how do you identify which ones are relevant and which ones are irrelevant?

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