Mystery: Big Alarm Clock Ghroth Path

Chapter 173 Visiting the Editorial Department (+)
In the gray fog, "Wheel of Fortune" Roger nodded slightly, and then spoke again:

“As I said before, human trafficking is closely related to the Witch Cult.

"Then I would like to ask, what is the purpose of their human trafficking? How many people do they really need? How did they carry out the human trade for so long without being discovered by the church? Why did the relevant government officials step in to suppress the opposition in parliament from asking for accountability for this matter? What are they afraid of?"

This series of questions immediately left everyone present a little confused. Even Alger, who was always experienced and thoughtful, was stunned for a moment and then fell into deep thought.

Indeed, the questions raised by Roger are very critical, but the Tarot Club has not yet given a clear explanation in this regard.

Alger only knew that there were nobles involved, but he had no idea who they were.

And judging from the recent discussions of the Tarot Club on the issue of missing persons, not only was he unaware, but even Miss Justice, a high-ranking noble of the Loen Kingdom, was also unaware.
At this moment, Miss Magician suddenly spoke:

“I’m so sorry, ladies and gentlemen.

“Although I only came recently, after these two gatherings, I have a general understanding of what you are discussing.

"Because of my profession, I'm quite sensitive to this kind of thing... Mr. Wheel of Fortune, may I join your discussion so I can share some of my personal opinions?"

Roger's mouth curled up, and he nodded slightly:
"of course can."

He knew that Fors's true identity was a novelist. Because novelists often had to plan stories, they often had more keen insights into the direction of certain events than ordinary people.

"Thanks you."

Fors nodded and said:

“First of all, the four questions you just raised are actually one question.

"So, who is actually buying those trafficked people from the Witch Cult? In other words, who are their clients?"

Roger nodded and praised, "Very good, continue."

Fors was encouraged and spoke much faster:

"To analyze this issue clearly, we must grasp one key point: what kind of things require the support of a large population?

"From what I can think of, apart from cannibalism, which is almost impossible to see in the Northern Continent, there are only two possible scenarios left.

"The first is large-scale human sacrifices orchestrated by an evil organization. The second is the need to build some kind of military fortifications or infrastructure. These fortifications must be secret and extremely large, making them impossible to complete with ordinary construction and building forces. Tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of strong slaves, are required.

"If you average the probabilities of the two events, I think the second one is more likely.

"Plus, you just mentioned that someone in the government is obstructing the opposition in Parliament from questioning this matter... This shows that they have sufficient say in Parliament, and it is very likely that they are old-school aristocrats - this can be inferred from the fact that the current ruling party is the Conservative Party.

"However, the average noble class doesn't have the ability to organize a large-scale construction project of this scale. Furthermore, this matter is highly isolated and receives little public support. Therefore, these nobles must be extremely powerful and cannot be just ordinary nobles.

“I suspect that at the very least, an earl… or even a duke, prince, or even higher-level figure played a leading role in this.

"This is my conclusion. An operation led by top nobles, involving some highly confidential information and requiring large-scale engineering construction, is the reason behind the human trafficking incident we are currently discussing."

Magician Fors's reasoning stunned everyone present. Even Miss Justice, who knew her very well in real life, looked at her with awe.

"When did she become so smart?"

Audrey couldn't help but wonder in her heart, but on the surface she still controlled her expression and posture well.

In fact, apart from the little "Sun" Derrick who had no idea what was going on and Mr. "World" who always looked indifferent but was actually a dead man, the rest of the people present were either confused or shocked.

This even includes Mr. Fool, who still has a leisurely attitude... It should be said that among all the Tarot Club participants, he has the most intense psychological activity.

After listening to Miss Magician's analysis, Klein had already formed a very bizarre guess in his mind.

That is, George III may have to complete the promotion ceremony of "Black Emperor"!
In fact, this is not a groundless guess. Roger had previously analyzed George III's behavior of using labor issues to attack the forces of the two parties and strengthen the influence of royal rule.

And now, top nobles are manipulating a large population to build some large-scale facilities or fortifications. This may seem unrelated to ordinary people, but for Klein, who holds the "Black Emperor" blasphemy card, it is not difficult to deduce that this is the corresponding Sequence 0 deification ritual.

Just as he was thinking, he heard applause coming from the direction of Mr. Wheel of Fortune in the gray fog.

Klein looked up and saw Roger clapping his hands gently. He then praised him:

"It's impressive that such a level of analysis can be achieved with such a small amount of information.

"Well, Miss Magician, there's one thing I don't quite understand.

"Why would the 'Witch Cult' help those top nobles do such extremely risky things? What benefits does it bring to them?"

When Miss Magician heard this question, she shook her head slightly:
"I'm sorry, I don't know much about the 'Witch Cult'. Could it be that they're after money...? They shouldn't be short of money, right?"

At this point, Alger, the "Hanged Man," finally found an opportunity to join the discussion. He denied it:

“It’s not money.”

"As far as I know, the Witch Cult is a large organization with a long history. Their foundation is even deeper than the governments of some countries in the Northern Continent.

"Money isn't the most important thing for them...at least it's not the core conflict, and it wouldn't make them take such a big risk to engage in human trade.

"If you ask me... it's very likely that the upper echelons of Loen provided some kind of convenience to the 'Witch Cult', or gave them some kind of high-level seal, which enabled them to motivate those crazy 'witches'."

At this point, Justice Audrey also spoke up to add some details about her previous investigation after receiving information from Roger about six witches lurking in Backlund's aristocratic circle. She discovered that two of them had once traveled together to a mountainous area near Enmat Port in Ahowa County.

Although it was nominally a field trip, Audrey reasonably suspected that the place was related to human trade.

The place she was talking about was one of the two "Black Emperor" tombs whose exact locations Roger had previously obtained.

Everyone discussed it for a while, gradually piecing together the whole picture of the matter. Apart from the last piece of the puzzle of the Black Emperor's apotheosis ritual held by Mr. Fool and Mr. Wheel of Fortune, the whole matter had already taken shape.

Mr. Fool smiled with some satisfaction as he watched this scene. At this moment, everyone in the Tarot Club seemed to have become a whole, working together to come up with ideas and strategies for the same thing.

"So."

Seeing that the discussion was almost over, Roger from the Wheel of Fortune once again took a fancy to Mr. The Hanged Man:
"Mr. Hanged Man, please find an opportunity to convey the results of our discussion to the Mandated Punishers of the Church of the Lord of Storms. I believe they will be very satisfied with this information.

"But please make sure that the person you are communicating with is reliable and loyal to the Church to prevent unnecessary leaks of intelligence.

"Also, all participants, except Mr. Fool and Mr. Sun, must keep the matter we discussed today strictly confidential after leaving the Tarot Club and returning to their daily lives, to prevent any hindrance to the actions of Mr. Hanged Man and his companions, or even unnecessary casualties."

After hearing what Roger said, all the participants, including Mr. World, nodded solemnly and expressed their attitudes.

Seeing that the important matters had been discussed, Roger confirmed with Magician Fors her free time during the week. This time, the Tarot Club was successfully concluded with Mr. Fool's closing statement.

Watching the rust-colored stars burst out from within him again, Roger once again returned to his workshop at 15 Minsk Street.

He did not leave in a hurry, but instead separated the contamination from the extraordinary characteristics of the "apprentice" paths that Sam had given him earlier. Only then did he leave the workshop and come to the living room on the first floor.

At this moment, Klein seemed to be a little hungry again. He was frying a chicken cutlet in butter in the kitchen.

Bandit was lying on the sofa, reading the newspaper leisurely, while the brothers Alister and Perseus seemed to be still in their room, playing something, and did not come down to the first floor.

"Are you hungry? Do you want a snack?"

Seeing Roger coming down, Klein pointed to the kitchen table, where a chicken fillet was being marinated.

"Thank you for your hard work. I'll make some tea."

Roger nodded. Because Alister and Perseus ate too much at noon, Roger was only six-tenths full.

After attending the Tarot Club, he felt a little hungry, just like Klein.

As he spoke, Roger went to the cupboard beside him to get the teapot for making tea, and took out a bag of Marquis black tea from the iron box in the glass cabinet in the restaurant, and started to brew it with boiling water.

"Come."

Klein placed the chicken steak on the table. The two of them ate it up as quickly as possible, tossing the plates into the sink to soak. Only then did they breathe a sigh of relief and start drinking their black tea.

"That's right, Klein."

Roger swallowed a mouthful of tea and then spoke:

"When are you going to the Tussock Humorous Tales editorial office?"

"Maybe the day after tomorrow, or maybe tomorrow. There are people working in the editorial office all the time. It all depends on how quickly Sam can organize the materials."

Klein put down his teacup and looked at Roger with a strange look:
"Why, are you interested?
"It's not often you get a case that interests you."

Since arriving in Backlund and adopting the alias Sherlock Moriarty, Klein has taken on quite a few cases, sometimes sharing them with Roger.

But his roommate was usually very busy, so he basically just listened to the cases he took on as a form of entertainment.

Unless Klein proactively asks for Roger's help, or encounters some extreme situations, Roger will basically not ask about his case.

So this time, Roger took the initiative to speak, which surprised Klein quite a bit.

"Well, mainly because this case is indeed a bit special."

Roger nodded slightly, his expression normal.

After tea, Roger put on his coat and wide-brimmed hat and took a carriage to the Royal Art Troupe to find Alex Ford who was rehearsing.

Because the rehearsal was supervised by Viscount Birkbeck, and Roger was very polite, the chief artistic advisor rarely let Alex out for ten minutes and allowed the two to talk.

"Thank God, Baleno, you are my lucky star."

Alex spoke in a rather exaggerated tone about Roger's feat of briefly rescuing him.

"Long story short, what night this week are you free to go with me to D'Walk Music in Hillston to record my violin?

"In addition to my name as the composer, the album cover will also include the name of performer Alex Ford." Alex was a little embarrassed when he heard this. He looked in the direction of the rehearsal room and whispered:

"The instructor isn't sure when we'll be allowed to go..."

Roger tutted and said:

"Let me make it clear to you that the art marketing company in which Viscount Birkbeck holds a stake has already signed a guaranteed contract with me. The first ten thousand portable phonographs will come with my autographed record as a limited edition collectible. I hope you won't be ungrateful."

"I should be able to find an opportunity Thursday or Friday night, but it won't be until after eight o'clock."

Hearing Roger say this, Alex Ford nodded quickly and then asked eagerly about the current progress of Roger's phonograph project.

"The progress is confidential at the moment. Once the master disc is burned, it should be officially released within one to two weeks at the earliest."

For Roger, this was a great opportunity to expand his musical influence and make money at the same time, and the same was true for Alex.

After finishing this matter, Roger drove to the nearby Caledonian Road again and knocked on Alice's door.

"coming."

Alice's voice came, and she opened the door.

"Hey, teacher, why are you here?

"Please come in and sit down, but the house is a bit messy..."

Alice was obviously eating. There were still some oil stains at the corners of her mouth, and her hair was not tied up, but casually draped over her shoulders.

She was obviously a little embarrassed when she saw Roger coming.

"It's okay. I won't go in. It's just a small matter and I'll leave after I finish talking."

Roger looked at her with amusement, took out a brown paper bag containing a glass bottle from his arms, and handed it to Alice.

"This is the extraordinary characteristic of the 'Master of Magic'. Are you free one evening this week? I'd like you to give it to the lady from last time."

"Okay teacher, no problem teacher, I'm available after 8pm."

Alice nodded and took the paper bag.

"Alright. Also, I've brought several survivors of the Abraham family to Backlund and am currently helping them settle in and transition.

"If the lady asks for this information, you can just give her a few vague words like I did, and then tell her that I am currently handling this matter and you don't know much about it."

Roger gave Alice some more instructions to prevent any mistakes from happening, then said goodbye and got on a rented carriage back to Minsk Street, arriving at around seven o'clock.

Just like what Klein did at noon today, he didn't even forget to pack some food to take home from the street corner, and he even increased the quantity.

"This isn't a solution... How about hiring a live-in cook like Mrs. Summer suggested?"

While thinking about this, Roger returned to No. 15 Minsk Street.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw Perseus trying a miniature version of "cane divination" with a fork, while Alister was reading a copy of "The Commercial Law of the Kingdom of Loen".

"Hey, fortune teller, lawyer, you don't read comics anymore?"

Roger was quite surprised to see the twins actually doing serious work.

"After reading it, I was bored with nothing else to do, so I learned this new divination method from Detective Moriarty."

Perseus pointed to the fork on the table and shrugged.

And Alister said:

"This is a collection of commercial law books he borrowed for me from across the street... He said he'd buy me some chocolate after I finished reading it."

Roger laughed dumbly: "So what do you think?"

"not bad."

The twins said in unison, and then Alister spoke again:
"More interesting than I thought...it might be the effect of the 'Lawyer' potion, but it really wasn't as painful as I thought."

Seeing the two brothers say this, Roger nodded with some relief.

"Come to dinner, where's Detective Moriarty?"

Roger asked as he placed the food on the table and called the twins to eat.

"I don't know. Someone knocked on the door just now, and Detective Moriarty put on his clothes and went out."

Perseus answered as he sat up from the ground.

"Okay then, he's probably going to go find Sam, let's eat first."

Roger left a plate of seafood rice for Klein in the cupboard, then placed the remaining food on the table and started having dinner with the two brothers.

After dinner, Roger digested his food, told Bandit to tell Klein there was food in the cupboard, and then went to bed early.

……

At about half past ten the next day, Roger got out of bed and went to the living room.

Alister and Perseus hadn't gotten up yet, and only Klein was sitting in the dining room, drinking tea and reading a newspaper.

Before he could greet Klein, he heard knocks on the door.

Roger stuffed a piece of garlic bread into his mouth, went to open the door, and saw Sam standing outside.

"Good morning, Mr. Jones."

Sam, carrying a bulging handbag, called out Roger's alias without hesitation.

The latter nodded and let him in sideways.

"Detective Moriarty, we've almost gathered the clues. Now we just need to go to the editorial office of Tussock Humorous Stories and discuss the next steps with the editor-in-chief. We need to figure out what can and cannot be published."

"Thanks for your hard work."

After hearing Sam's report, Klein nodded:
"Sit down, have you eaten yet?"

"Cecilia made breakfast and I ate at home."

Sam nodded, then watched Roger and Crane finish their breakfast, put on their coats, and pick up their canes.

"Cousin, are you going with us?"

Sam was a little surprised because Klein had told him before that Roger rarely interfered with his investigations.

"Well, there's something that bothers me a little bit, and I want to go over and talk about it."

Roger had been holding the latest copy of "Tussock Humorous Stories" in his hands without knowing when. He had already flipped through the book while digesting his food after dinner yesterday.

"But don't worry about me. Just pretend I don't exist and have a normal conversation."

After saying that, Roger put on his leather shoes, put on the "Wanderer Mask" to change his appearance, then he opened the door first, came to Minsk Street, and waved to stop a taxi.

About half an hour later, the three arrived at the editorial office of Tussock Humorous Stories in the northernmost part of Hillston District.

This is a three-story white stone building with a facade made of dry-hanging stone in a very fashionable style that is out of tune with the surrounding buildings. From this aspect, you can tell at a glance that the owner of this magazine is a person with unique ideas.

"Good morning, Detective Moriarty."

As soon as Klein pushed open the glass door, a man in his thirties wearing black-rimmed glasses and with a somewhat artistic temperament walked over.

"Good morning, Mr. Stark, what a coincidence."

"I just arrived and haven't had time to go upstairs yet."

The man named Stark laughed.

Because Roger had seen the title page of "Tussock Humorous Stories" in advance, he knew that he was the deputy editor of the magazine and the client who came to Sam.

Klein took off his gloves, shook hands with the other party, and then said:
"My assistant Sam has sorted out the clues we have so far, and I have some questions for you today."

"Great."

Stark shook hands with Sam, then looked at the tall Roger, whose appearance had changed.
"Who is this?"

"My other assistant, Jones, stopped by today to take a look."

Klein spoke vaguely and gave a random name.

There are quite a few people with the surname Jones in Roone, and it is a relatively popular name.

But Stark did not become suspicious. Instead, he shook Roger's hand and praised him:
"You are a truly capable detective."

"Excellent."

Klein then followed Stark's instructions and went to a reception room.

"Aren't you coming with us, Mr. Jones?"

Seeing that Roger had no intention of leaving and continued to look through the various printed materials, newspapers and company promotional materials in the hall, Stark spoke with some confusion.

(End of this chapter)