29 LOTM
Synonym of war... A similar Sequence as the Demoness Sequence pathway... Which one would it be? Klein watched the movie-like scene as he recalled the Sequence pathways that he knew of.
As he was only an official Nighthawk, there was still a lot of information that he couldn't access. He was still in the dark about the names of the Mid to High Sequences and their corresponding traits. He only knew about the few that he had learned of from the Eternal Blazing Sun, such as the Priest of Light and the Unshadowed; the God of Combat Sequence pathway that he found out from the young man, Sun, such as Dawn Paladin, Guardian, and Demon Hunter; as well as Spirit Guide and Gatekeeper which he found out from Daly and Dunn.
Hence, it was difficult for him to judge which Sequence pathway would be a synonym of war. He could only eliminate them one by one, such as the God of Combat Sequence pathway which seemed more like individual battles rather than war.
Klein thought about it and minimized the scope to five options.
First, was the Arbiter Sequence pathway which the Loen Kingdom's ruler, the Augustus family, and the Feynapotter Kingdom's Castiya family were in control of. But Klein felt that this option was the least likely because the Arbiter's corresponding Sequence 8 was Sheriff and Sequence 7 was Interrogator, which both seemed to be leaning towards trial and judgment but not towards war.
Second, was the Fourth Epoch Solomon Empire's pathway of the Dark Emperor. Its Sequence 9's modern name was Lawyer, which was good at discovering and using the flaws and weaknesses of an opponent, while also possessing outstanding eloquence and logical thinking. That was the second lowest possible Sequence pathway. He suspected that the development of the Sequence would make use of rules and walked in the shadow of order. Of course, war was also considered as one of the shadows of order.
Third, was the Hunter Sequence pathway that was in the control of the Feysac Empire's rulers, the Einhorn family; the Intis Republic's former royal family, the Sauron family, and also the hidden organization that only appeared in the last two to three hundred years, the Iron and Blood Cross Order. Klein thought it was quite possible.
The Nighthawk's confidential information described Hunters as excellent trackers, outstanding trap masters, and superb hunters. The corresponding Sequence 8 was Provoker, while Sequence 7 was Pyromaniac. Both were partially associated with massacre and war.
Fourth was the ancient organization Blood Sanctify Sect that worshiped demons. They were in control of the Criminal Sequence pathway. From the sequence title itself, Klein felt that it had a high possibility.
Fifth was the Rose School of Thought that was known for bloody rituals. They had the Prisoner Sequence pathway, and the reason was the same as the one before.
Just as Klein was drowning in his own thoughts, the scene before him changed. Madam Sharon had just finished showering, and her wet hair hung low. There was a fresh yet seductive charm on her face.
I can't see the woman in the white robe that turned Madam Sharon into a Demoness... It might be because my psychic ability is still lacking... Klein reined back his thoughts and redirected his attention to what was before his eyes.
Madam Sharon flipped her hair, and water droplets glided down her cheeks.
She looked towards the man who was waiting on the bed as she giggled and said, "Do you need me to take care of Maynard?"
The middle-aged man on the bed creased his eyebrows and shook his head. "Not unless you can guarantee that there won't be any traces left behind. But that's impossible; besides, what means do you have?"
Looking at the man before him, Klein was taken aback at first before suddenly feeling that it was within expectations.
The middle-aged man's photo often appeared on the front page of the Tingen City Honest Paper and other newspapers. He was the current mayor that was looking to be re-elected, a member of Conservative Party.
Madam Sharon smiled but didn't delve deeper into the topic. Her robe was halfway up her legs, and she walked gracefully to the side of the bed.
The scenery before him changed one after another until Klein saw many Members of Parliament, businessmen, and civil servants who appeared on the newspaper occasionally.
They would either discuss how to receive donations, bribe voters by going around the Campaign Act, or promise protection and solve problems. In the entire development, Madam Sharon acted as a broker.
This is actually a documentary, right... "Tour the Upper Circles of Tingen with Madam Sharon"... Well, but why are there so many bed scenes... Many nobles and Members of Parliament knew that Madam Sharon had many lovers, so why did they look like they couldn't resist the temptation... Was this an ability of Madam Sharon's Sequence?
Klein watched thoughtfully as he speculated.
Through the divination earlier, he was certain that none of the guys in Tingen's upper circles knew of Madam Sharon's true identity, nor did they collude with her to murder Maynard.
In other words, Maynard's death was Madam Sharon's own decision? Why? She had no reason to take the risk.
Of course, from Madam Sharon's perspective, she possessed the Beyonder power to interfere in divination, and she could also create a sudden death from sexual pleasure and make the death appear natural and accidental. Killing Maynard wasn't something risky that would expose her identity, but she clearly lacks a motive. It doesn't match the risk involved!
Could it be one of the requirements of her "acting?" But she could definitely find someone whose identity and status wasn't as sensitive. Then, the case wouldn't have fallen to the Nighthawks, Mandated Punishers, or the Machinery Hivemind.
The most important point was that Madam Sharon should've been able to tell that Maynard's wife hated her and was extremely indignant. That made it highly likely that someone would be sent to investigate her, so why didn't she move those sensitive items like the white bone statue away? She could have buried it in the garden or something.
Was she so confident in the security of her safe and its hidden compartment?
Amidst his suspicion, Klein saw that Madam Sharon's spirit had yet to disperse. He seized the opportunity to do another dream divination.
This time, his divination involved: "Madam Sharon's true motive for killing John Maynard."
After he recited it in silence, Klein entered a dream once again and saw a new scene.
Madam Sharon held a glass of red wine which resembled blood. In her loose sleeping gown, she was pacing back and forth in her room. Finally, she drank the rest of the wine in one gulp, as though she had decided on something.
The scene dispersed quickly, leaving Klein even more confused since Maynard's death looked like Madam Sharon had volunteered to do it without anyone's instigation.
"That's weird..." Klein muttered to himself and used another few divination statements. But the answers were no different.
Seeing that Madam Sharon was growing transparent and illusory, signifying that she was going to disappear soon, Klein thought and made final contact with the dead spirit.
"Sequence potion formula of the Demoness pathway.
"Sequence potion formula of the Demoness pathway."
...
Klein recited the new divination statement. With the aid of Cogitation, he got into his dream very quickly.
At first, he didn't want to do the divination because he felt that the Demoness pathway only spread disaster and created pain. Even if he obtained a corresponding potion formula, he was unwilling to sell it to anyone and indirectly become a murderer.
Then, he recalled another matter from before. With his understanding of the Spectator potion, he had been able to suspect and verify that Daxter Guderian was a member of the Psychology Alchemists.
So, in order to better fight against the Demonesses in the future, he'd to learn more of the traits of their Sequence pathway.
Yes, after Hood Eugen's death, Daxter Guderian has yet to contact me. I'm guessing the Psychology Alchemists sent some stronger members for an investigation, and he hasn't dared to make any moves... As Klein's thoughts flashed, he saw the dark hall again. He saw the woman in the holy white robe again.
Madam Sharon hung her head low, and she could only see the other woman's legs, a pair of flawless legs.
Soon, she heard a melodious voice.
"Pleasure, that is the name of the Sequence 6 potion, the goal that you are about to advance to. If you succeed, you'll be a Demoness of Pleasure.
"When pleasure is irresistible and impossible to break away from, it's a form of agony. This is also a maxim that you have to live by.
"As long as you complete your advancement, besides the enhancement of your various abilities as a Witch, you'll also become more beautiful, making you better at seduction and providing unforgettable pleasure to the same or opposite sex during love-making. You'll be able to make strange threads like a spider and utilize them."
Immediately following that, an ancient silver book appeared before Madam Sharon. After it was opened, there was the formula and ingredients placed separately.
"Main ingredients: A pair of Succubus eyes, an adult Black Widow Spider Silk Gland.
"Supplementary ingredients: 100 ml of purified water, 5 drops of Black Jimsonweed juice, the complete remnants of a Succubus's hair, 10 grams of Feynapotter Fly Powder, and 5 grams of real Mummy ashes."
The scene changed again. It was the same hall, the same long white robe, and the same woman with indistinguishable features. But now, the difference was that Madam Sharon had returned to her original state. She was now the young man in the picture from before.
A melodious female voice reverberated in his ears.
"This is the name of the Sequence 7 potion, I'm sure you're surprised."
"Yes, I still can't believe it's called Witch!" "Madam Sharon" said in a rather agitated manner.
"Remember, if we want to get closer to the Primordial, we have to be more and more like 'Her.' She's a woman, so we have to be women too," The melodious female voice replied. "Either you give up or you accept. After you become a Witch, you'll become a true woman, and your appearance and charm will be enhanced substantially. You'll have the ability to turn invisible and use substitutes. You'll gain a rudimentary mastery of various dark magic, you'll be skilled at disrupting the divination of others, and you'll also gain the favor of the black flame and icy frost.
"The main ingredients are every drop of an Abyss Demonic Fish's blood and an Agate Peacock's egg.
"The supplementary ingredients are 80 ml of purified water, five drops of Jimsonweed juice, 3 scales of a Shadow Lizard, and 10 drops of Daffodil Juice."
...
Scenes continued to play, one after another, and Klein saw the Instigator and Assassin formula and understood their corresponding traits.
Just as he wanted to continue the divination, Madam Sharon's spirit dispersed completely.
Klein stopped the ritual and returned to reality. He packed up the ingredients, removed the wall of spirituality, and told Dunn Smith about the outcome of his mediumship without holding back any information. Then, he expressed his suspicions on Madam Sharon's murder of Maynard.
"Pleasure doesn't require her to kill anyone of a higher rank or position in society... Hmm, we need to investigate where Madam Sharon has been over the past few years and understand her origins. We need to look for the dark hall that you saw. Of course, this will need to be reported to the Holy Cathedral, and they can assign investigators accordingly. We can't leave Tingen as we wish." Dunn nodded slightly and looked around. He said, "Go to the first floor, check if those servants are still in deep sleep. If anyone is awake, bring them over and make them sign a confidentiality contract as per protocol. I'll be in charge of the second floor."
He found a black cloth and covered the Sealed Artifact 3-0271.
Upon hearing that, Klein suddenly understood why the intense battle hadn't brought the servants over—the Captain had sent them into a deep sleep from the very beginning.
Klein's body was still cold and stiff. He had to slow down and move forward in very, very light steps. Re𝒂𝒂d the latest stories 𝒐n nov𝒆lbin(.)com
When he passed the bedroom door, he extended his hand and pulled out the two Tarot cards at the door. He wiped them and put them back into his pocket.
After he left the room, he walked towards the stairway.
After taking a few steps, he suddenly thought of a question—how would he make sure that the person was in a deep sleep?
Check with divination one by one? That'd be troublesome... The Captain is a Nightmare; he should be an expert in this. I'll have to ask him if he has any fast and simple methods.
With this in mind, Klein turned around walked towards the bedroom door, step by step, as he fought against the cold and stiffness in his body.
Before he came close, he looked through the ajar door and saw the shattered pieces of the angled full-body mirror.
There were still large shards of the mirror clinging to the frame, all the size of a palm.
In the cracked mirror, Dunn Smith, in his black windbreaker, was kneeling beside Kenley's dead body, doing something.
Suddenly, he lifted his head. His gray eyes were deep, and the corners of his lips were tainted with crimson blood.
Crimson blood.
Without thinking, Klein turned around, left the side of the door, and leaned his back against the wall.
-x-X-x-
Klein held his breath with his back against the wall as he faced the darkness of the corridor.
What's Captain doing? What's wrong with him? Was he drinking blood? Is this a sign of him losing control? Klein's mind was a mess, incapable of effective thought.
Nearly twenty seconds later, Klein clenched his teeth. With the help of the control he had over his body as a Clown, he silently made his way down the stairs.
Later, he then intentionally took heavier footsteps and made his way back to the door of Madam Sharon's bedroom.
Klein looked in to see the Captain wrapping Sealed Artifact 3-0271 with the black cloth. His expression was serious, his face clean.
It was as though what Klein had seen just now was only an illusion.
Glancing sideways, Klein saw nothing abnormal with Kenley's body. It was the same as it had been.
He inhaled and asked, "Captain, how am I going to confirm if those servants are still asleep? I can't make an accurate judgment just based on Spirit Vision alone. They'll have various emotional reactions due to their dreams which will be reflected in the color of their auras."
Dunn Smith fiddled with the Spirit Medium Mirror and was silent for a few seconds. He said with a raspy voice, "I'm sorry. I forgot about that. I've made too many mistakes tonight.
"There's no need for you to check, I'll confirm it."
He lifted his hand and pressed his glabella, then he closed his eyes, allowing formless ripples to spread towards the first floor.
It was crystal-clear to a Nightmare if anyone was asleep or not.
Klein froze when he saw this. He looked down and bit at the insides of his lips.
Captain, were you really drawing me away just now...
What are you doing? Do you know what you're doing...
He abruptly turned to look at the window, only to see the crimson moon hanging high in the sky, seemingly unchanged for thousands of years.
After collecting himself, Klein used the cover of picking up his tarot cards, revolver, half top hat, and other items to closely examine the corpses of Kenley and Madam Sharon.
They maintained the same look as when they died, but their skin was turning pale at a rapid rate. They also had tinges of blue and black marks.
It's a little weird, they seem to be missing something... It's not something specific, but more of a feeling... Klein muttered to himself. He felt his hair stand on end due to the chilly wind blowing through the shattered window.
At that moment, Dunn opened his eyes and said in a deep voice, "They're all still asleep, but some of them are close to waking up."
"That's good, that's good..." Klein looked at the Captain, not knowing what he was saying.
Dunn surveyed the surroundings and said, "Clean up the scene, then get someone from the nearest police station to come over. Oh, and make a trip back to Zouteland Street and get Frye to come help out."
Klein gave the Captain a deep look and nodded with his teeth clenched.
"Okay."
With Dunn's help, Klein quickly cleaned up the scene and left Madam Sharon's house through the front door. @@novelbin@@
Walking through the garden and coming outside, Klein couldn't help but look back. All he saw was the silent nursery in the darkness. There was no light at all.
He turned, his heart heavy. He soon located the nearest police station based on his memory—this was common knowledge to the Nighthawks.
Knock. Knock. Knock. Klein knocked on the steel door.
Sometime later, the officer on duty passed through the courtyard with a lantern in hand. He opened the door and observed Klein suspiciously.
"What's the matter?"
Klein failed to force any expression. With a heavy face, he produced his documents and showed it to the police officer.
"There's a serious murder case at 15 Osna Street. Immediately call for other officers to head there to help out!"
The police officer lifted his lantern and scrutinized the documents before putting his feet together and saluted.
"Yes, sir!"
Having settled this, Klein headed back to Zouteland Street on a rental carriage.
On the way back, he sat in the dark carriage. His thoughts were in a mess and unfocused.
Kenley is dead...
I remember that he was recently engaged... His parents are still alive...
What was the Captain doing just now...
Does he crave fresh blood...
Or does he have other motives...
His memory is still as poor as before, without any obvious improvement. Th-this means that he doesn't have the warning signs of losing control!
But he's known about the "acting method" for some time now. Does the fact that his memory hasn't improved mean that there's a problem...
No! It must be because the Captain is still figuring out the proper way to act as a Nightmare!
... Yes, the most important reasons why Kenley died was because of Sealed Artifact 3-0271. It was the Captain who gave it to him...
What am I thinking! It was a logical decision back then!
... It was also the Captain who suggested using Sealed Artifact 3-0271...
Calm down, calm down, I cannot make blind guesses. But I cannot wait around either, or the situation might worsen!
I'll send a letter to Madam Daly later and see if she knows what this situation means. Even if she doesn't know the exact answer, she'll definitely understand the signs of danger and inform the Holy Cathedral...
That way, we can smother the problem in the cradle and get the Captain back to normal!
No, the Captain might not have a problem. I might've misunderstood something. I'll see what Madam Daly says...
...
Klein had already made a decision when the carriage arrived at 36 Zouteland Street. He was no longer flustered and helpless as before.
He went up the stairway toward the entrance of the Blackthorn Security Company with heavy steps and opened the door from a key he fished out.
The familiar setting calmed him down considerably. It reminded him of how he felt when he asked the Captain for help every time something was wrong.
Taking a deep breath, Klein went to the recreation room and found Frye reading alone under the gas lamp.
Frye turned to look at Klein, his cold face revealing a look of concern and worry.
"Did something happen? Where's Captain and Kenley?"
Klein replied with a raspy voice, "Kenley's dead; he died at Madam Sharon's hands. We all made mistakes... The Captain is guarding the scene. He needs your help there."
Before they left, the Captain had informed Frye about the general situation. He told Frye that if they weren't back within two hours, he was to send a telegraph to the Holy Cathedral. Similarly, since they had to apply for Sealed Artifact 3-0271 and enter Chanis Gate at night, Royale, who was guarding Chanis Gate was also notified of the mission. According to the internal guidelines of the Nighthawks, a Captain could permit the opening of Chanis Gate at night. If the Captain was present, then only the Captain could enter.
Frye froze for a moment, then he let out a sigh. He drew a crimson moon on his chest.
He put on his coat and hat and headed out the door. When he walked past Klein, he suddenly said softly, "You don't need to blame yourself. Making mistakes is something we can never avoid. We must always trust our partners."
"Yeah..." Klein closed his eyes, his vision turning blurry.
Klein and Frye first headed to the basement to notify Royale before locking the door to the Blackthorn Security Company and rushing to Madam Sharon's house.
It was nearing dawn by the time they got Kenley's corpse and Madam Sharon's half decapitated body back.
Dunn stood in front of the mortuary, silently looking inside. It was some time before he turned to Klein and said, "Go home first. You just experienced an intense battle, you must be exhausted."
"Alright." Klein didn't reject the suggestion.
He puckered his lips and stole a glance at the Captain before quietly leaving the Blackthorn Security Company. He took a carriage back to Daffodil Street.
Just as he had done the previous time, he easily entered his bedroom and locked the door.
Taking out the silver ritual dagger, Klein sealed the room with a wall of spirituality. He then sat at his desk and wrote urgently:
"Dear Madam Daly,
"I've noticed that there's something odd about the Captain recently. During a mission, he secretly..."
Klein stopped when he reached this point. His mind had gone blank. He didn't know how to continue or how to describe the incident.
Pa!
He threw the pen and crumpled the piece of paper in front of him into a ball. Looking at it, he pounded heavily on the table, sending a reverberating thump across the room. Klein closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands. He didn't move, as if he had become a statue.
Five minutes later, he sighed. He put down his right hand and burned the ball of paper with his spirituality. He watched it turn to ash as it fell into the bin.
After organizing his thoughts, Klein took out a fresh piece of paper and wrote:
"Dear Madam Daly,
"We just completed a mission and regrettably lost a partner. The exact details are as follows...
"... Back then, I felt that with my present standards, my Spirit Vision was incapable of accurately ascertaining whether the servants were asleep or not, and that it was very troublesome to do divinations for every one of them. Thus, I returned with the intention of asking for the Captain's advice. At that moment, through the mirror's reflection, I saw the Captain kneeling beside Kenley's corpse, with crimson blood covering his mouth.
"I'm not sure what exactly happened, nor do I know the state the Captain is in. I hope that you can give me an answer."
...
After writing this, Klein read the letter again with a heavy heart before folding it in half.
He then set up a ritual and activated his Spirit Vision to summon Daly's messenger. He summoned the strange face which was only a mouth without any eyes or nose.
He saw the red tongue laced with irregular sharp teeth and five pale fingers on the tip of the tongue. Klein silently handed the letter over.
When everything was restored back to normal again, he sat down and continued writing.
This time, he planned to ask Mr. Azik.
"... On a recent mission, something strange happened to my superior. He sent me away and kneeled beside the corpse of a teammate. His mouth was covered in crimson blood.
"Have you encountered something like this in your memories before? How can I help my superior?"
-x-X-x-
After folding the letter, Klein took out the copper whistle, put it to his lips, and blew hard.
In the silence, illusory white bones came flying up from the desk like a fountain and finally formed a huge monster. It was almost four meters tall, still covered in a faint glow. Its head was still poking through the ceiling, looking no different from before.
Klein flicked his wrist and threw the letter. The white bone monster caught the letter and gripped it tight
Klein blew the copper whistle again and saw the messenger break into illusory white bones and fall like rain before vanishing through the surface of the desk.
Klein felt much calmer after finishing everything, but he didn't stop trying. He moved the chair back and stood up. He then walked four steps counterclockwise and entered the world above the gray fog.
The lofty palace and the ancient mottled table appeared before his eyes, as though it would stay the same for tens of thousand of years.
Klein sat at The Fool's seat of honor. Then, he took out the spirit pendulum from his left sleeve and conjured a yellowish-brown goatskin and a fountain pen in front of him. @@novelbin@@
He wanted to divine the Captain's situation that night!
After some thought, Klein wrote the first divination statement.
"Dunn Smith's abnormality would lead me into danger."
In mysticism, divination that involved any danger to the diviner was hardest to infer. It was an instinctual ability of spirituality.
In other words, as long as there wasn't an extremely strong disturbance, Klein would be able to get an accurate result from the divination about his own situation.
This was also the reason why he would divine if there was danger in the mission even though he knew that Madam Sharon had the ability to interfere with divination. He also knew that Madam Sharon wasn't strong enough to affect this kind of divination.
In order to determine Captain Dunn Smith's situation, he decided to eliminate all disturbances and perform the divination above the gray fog.
He held the pendulum with his left hand as he recited the divination statement seven times. He closed his eyes and entered a Cogitation state.
After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and they returned to their normal color.
He looked at the topaz pendant, and he felt heavy-hearted because the pendulum was spinning clockwise. The rotation wasn't small, nor was the speed slow.
It meant that the result was positive.
It meant that Dunn Smith's abnormality would lead him to danger!
And the danger level was significant!
After he closed his eyes, Klein "wiped" away the previous content and wrote down a new divination statement.
"The reason for Dunn Smith's abnormality."
He put away the topaz pendant and leaned back into the chair. He recited the divination statement as he entered a dream with the aid of Cogitation.
In the blurry illusory world, he couldn't see or discover anything. There was nothing except gray fog.
That means that there was insufficient information, so the divination failed... Klein looked at the goatskin on the long bronze table as he muttered bitterly and helplessly.
Suddenly, he felt a strong feeling of exhaustion. He realized that it was the result of an intense battle, continuous rituals, and multiple divinations.
Klein wrapped himself up with spirituality and stimulated a rapid descent from above the gray fog and returned to reality.
He had a few nightmares that night. The ending of each dream was either Kenley vomiting his organs, or Dunn Smith with crimson blood around his mouth.
...
The next morning, Klein was on duty at Chanis Gate so he arrived early at the Blackthorn Security Company.
At that very moment, Rozanne, Mrs. Orianna, and the other clerks had yet to arrive for work. Klein walked through the partition and saw the wide open door and Dunn Smith, who was seated in the Captain's office.
Dunn had taken off his coat, and he only had his white shirt and black vest on. He sat in his seat while he held a cup of coffee in his hands. He was staring at the wall in front of him blankly.
His hair seemed dry, his gray eyes looked dull, and his face was showing obvious signs of weariness too.
Even for the Captain, who's experienced many similar incidents, it's still unbearable to lose two teammates in such a short period of time... Klein's heart winced as the scene of the shattered full-body mirror reflecting Dunn kneeling before Kenley's corpse with his face covered in crimson blood appeared once again.
Klein clenched his teeth and looked away.
After nearly twenty seconds, he composed himself and extended his hand to knock on the Captain's door.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Dunn put down his coffee cup as his gray eyes became deep again.
He took a deep breath and said, "I've reported the matter to the Holy Cathedral, and they gave an initial reply.
"The Church will compensate Kenley's family with 3000 pounds, and the police department will give 1000 pounds as bereavement payment..."
A total of 4000 pounds. To most middle-class citizens, that's wealth that can't be earned in a lifetime... Kenley's weekly salary was seven pounds, making an annual income of 364 pounds. Adding in any bonuses and additional income, he would make at least 380 pounds. Four thousand pounds is equivalent to ten years of his income... Such wealth can provide at least 200 pounds of income a year... Although money cannot make up for the loss of Kenley, it's the only effective thing at the moment... Klein had many thoughts passing through his mind before he finally sighed.
"That's all we can do."
The Church of the Evernight Goddess couldn't be faulted when it came to such matters.
Dunn pulled his collar and said in a deep voice, "Go to the basement and take over Royale's shift."
"Alright." Klein nodded slightly.
He turned around and walked towards the door. Then, he heard Captain add as though he was talking to himself, "We'll send Kenley home later..."
Send Kenley home... His father, his mother, his siblings, his fiancée, how will they react... Klein's heart tightened, and he was somehow glad that he didn't have to face such sorrow.
He knew it was the mentality of an escapist, but he was really afraid of seeing the agony in the eyes of Kenley's parents, or how his fiancée would seem to lose her soul. He was afraid to see their expressions of hidden resentment and afraid of hearing their sobbing.
Klein quickened his pace and hurried to Chanis Gate. He completed the shift change with Royale in silence.
He sat in the duty room and occasionally took out his silver pocket watch and watched the time pass by slowly.
After an unknown period of time, Klein suddenly heard illusory sounds that overlapped one another.
He saw the four black dots appear on the back of his hand and understood that it was either Justice, The Hanged Man, or The Sun praying to him.
He had no way to answer them immediately. He could only wait till the notification ended, for more prayers to come, and until the next morning when he returned home.
Having just fished his keys to open the door to his house, Klein saw the maidservant Bella wiping the dining table while his sister, Melissa, who was dressed up, and his brother, Benson, came downstairs.
"Didn't you just go to Mass last week?" Klein asked curiously.
Benson smiled and said, "That sounds like the memory of a person who hasn't gotten any sleep the entire night."
"Huh?" Klein looked even more confused.
"Today is the first day that 'The Return of the Count' will be releasing tickets for sale," Melissa explained.
Klein smacked his forehead and took off his hat.
"I've been too busy recently. I totally forgot about it."
Especially these past three days... He added with a sigh.
Melissa looked at him with concern and said, "Your breakfast is in the kitchen. Eat it and get some sleep. Benson and I thought that since we're going out, we might as well drop by Saint Selena Cathedral to have Mass."
"Alright." Klein waved and bade his brother and sister farewell. He had a simple breakfast and returned to his bedroom.
After he did the preparatory work, he took four steps counterclockwise and entered the world above the gray fog. He saw that Justice and The Hanged Man's corresponding crimson stars were burgeoning and shrinking faintly.
He extended his right hand and emanated his spirituality. Then, blurry images formed before Klein's eyes. Miss Justice's prayer sounded in his ears.
...
"I pray for you to listen.
"Because of the Qilangos incident, my father hired a Beyonder to protect me. There are also others who are watching over me secretly. It wasn't easy for me to finally find an opportunity to pray to you. I would like to apply for leave from the Gathering next week. I believe this will pass soon."
Klein subconsciously glanced at the blurry image. The image was filled with fog, and there seemed to be a huge bathtub with rippling water. Miss Justice was wrapped in a bath towel.
He retracted his gaze and started listening to The Hanged Man's prayer.
His description was different from Justice's, but he was making the same request. He too needed to ask for leave due to the aftermath of Qilangos's death.
Klein nodded slightly and responded to their prayers respectively.
"I'm aware."
Then, he sent a message to The Sun's crimson star.
"The upcoming Gathering will be canceled temporarily."
...
City of Silver.
Derrick Berg was paying attention in the training field. The sky above his head was still dark, with occasional flashes of lightning that lit up the sky.
Suddenly, his vision went blurry before he saw the thick fog and the ancient palace that looked like the home of a giant. He also saw Mr. Fool, who sat in the depths of the gray fog.
"The upcoming Gathering will be canceled temporarily."
His voice reverberated, but the view before Derrick had already returned to normal.
He wasn't shocked at such a magical incident because Mr. Fool contacted him in this manner to remind him before every Gathering.
Derrick looked up at the woman in front of him subconsciously, a member of the City of Silver's six-member council, Shepherd Lloydia.
This terrifying expert kept switching between a smile and being aloof. She told every young man at the training field that they would join the patrolling troops soon and rid the dark monsters in the vicinity. That wouldn't be training anymore.
Elder Lloydia didn't notice anything strange... She seems to be getting weirder. Is it because there's a High-Sequence Beyonder's evil spirit among the souls that she grazes? Derrick thought.
...
Klein returned to his bedroom, threw himself into bed, and quickly fell asleep. He dreamed about what had happened these past few days.
Suddenly, he felt like he was being shaken by someone, and he suddenly woke up.
Klein opened eyes and saw a gigantic white bone hand.
The hand paused and threw the letter on the bed. Then, it vanished into thin air.
Mr. Azik's reply... Klein grabbed the letter, full of hope.
-x-X-x-
Klein opened the letter, feeling both expectant and nervous before he began reading Azik's reply.
"... I thought about a few possibilities regarding the scenario you described, and I remembered a few things about Vampires and Mutants.
"Natural vampires were already on the brink of extinction before the dragons and giants bowed out of the stage of world history. Later on, they might occasionally be discovered. The Vampires we usually talk about, as well as those mentioned in folklore, are more similar to Beyonders. I recall that the name of a potion in a particular pathway is called Vampire.
"If your superior is now in a half-insane state, then it's very likely that he mistakenly consumed such a potion. The result of mixing two potions from different pathways makes a half-insane state a certainty. Yes, I vaguely remember the pathway of the Evernight, which is also the Sleepless pathway as you know it, can be interchanged at High Sequences with the pathway of Death and the pathway of Giants. But it doesn't include the Vampire pathway.
"Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that your superior might have accepted it willingly. After all, Vampires have a long life, an exceptional constitution, and excellent looks. When compared with these benefits, accepting a state of half-insanity is reasonable."
Klein froze when he read the letter. He didn't expect Mr. Azik to provide him with this much information.
The Death pathway is also known as the Corpse Collector pathway. It can be interchanged at High Sequences with the Sleepless pathway. I knew about this from Emperor Roselle's diary. But to think that it can also be interchanged with the Giant pathway after Sequence 4... The Giant pathway is the one that the City of Silver possesses, which is also the present-day God of Combat pathway... I've always suspected that Giant King Aurmir was the ancient God of Combat...
Yes, Emperor Roselle's diary described the Church of the Evernight Goddess and the Church of the God of Combat as mortal enemies... Could this be because the pathways they possess can be interchanged at higher sequences?
If I follow this line of thought, I can find an explanation as to why the three ancient churches, the Church of the Lord of Storms, the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, and the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, are at odds with each other. That's because the pathways of Sailor, Bard, and Reader can be interchanged at High Sequences!
Yes, during the end of the previous Epoch, the Pale Era, it 's likely that the fall of Death was caused by the Evernight Goddess and the God of Combat...
The Captain is perfectly fine usually, other than his poor memory. He doesn't show any signs of half-insanity. I can rule out the possibility of him consuming the Vampire potion!
Mr. Azik has recalled quite a number of things recently... Could the Creeping Hunger have really stimulated his memories?
Klein nodded and continued reading the letter.
"Mutant isn't the name of a particular species. It's more like the description for many similar creatures. Under normal circumstances, they're no different from an ordinary human, but there is an innate, suppressed, twisted desire in their hearts. This desire erupts when they come into contact with a certain scene or object. They become monsters, succumbing to their desires for blood and massacre.
"After everything settles, they will return to normal again. They become slightly more merciless and unfeeling after each time their desires erupt, this will continue until their souls are completely twisted.
"The only example of this that I can recall is the werewolf. They're similar to humans for the most part, and they cannot be distinguished using most Beyonder abilities. But, during the full moon, the twisted desires in their hearts intensify, and their bodies also change accordingly.
"Your superior might be a potential Mutant. The death of your teammate might have triggered his true nature.
"These are all my personal guesses. I cannot guarantee that there are no other possibilities since I haven't gotten all my memories back. Perhaps your theory of this being a precursor to losing control can also explain this.
"There's no saving him whether he has consumed the Vampire potion, or if he's a Mutant. Of course, many people have theorized that Mutants were originally ordinary human beings, but were put under a strange curse or corrupted by some evil god or devil, and, thus, transform into a different monster under certain circumstances.
"Also, I'm not too sure if you can treat him when you notice the warning signs of losing control. I would advise that you report this directly to your superior's superior and hope that there's still time."
Klein looked gravely at the desk after placing the letter down. He slipped into deep thought.
He had to admit that the theory of a Mutant was a very possible one, but he couldn't eliminate the possibility that it was a warning sign to him losing control.
All I can do is wait for Madam Daly's reply... I sent the letter two nights ago, so she should've received the letter yesterday morning. If she replied immediately, I should've seen the letter last night or this morning... It's almost noon... Does that messenger not dare to go near Chanis Gate? Or was Madam Daly held up by something? Klein shook his head. He still felt exhausted and used Cogitation to force himself to sleep.
In the hazy world, Klein was suddenly jolted to his senses. He knew that he was dreaming.
He then saw Dunn Smith in his black windbreaker appear in front of him. @@novelbin@@
Responding in a manner congruent with a normal dream, Klein gave a delayed greeting, "Good morning... Captain..."
Dunn nodded slightly and said, "Leonard found a clue when he was investigating the Lanevus case. He needs your help. The Mystery Pryer that the Holy Cathedral sent over won't arrive until tomorrow morning because of a train fault."
"Alright..." Klein replied in a fleeting voice.
Dunn thought for a moment before adding, "There's no need for you to return to Zouteland Street. Head to 62 Howes Street directly. Leonard will be there waiting for you. It's been hard on you."
The moment he finished his sentence, Klein's dream shattered. Klein instinctively opened his eyes.
Howes Street... Isn't that the area where the Divination Club, my classmate Welch, and the member of the Aurora Order lived? There sure are many incidents lately, one after another, as if they're culminating in something... Klein thought as he got up slowly. He washed up in the bathroom before changing into a white shirt, brown vest, and black windbreaker. He then picked up his hat and went down to the living room.
It wasn't eleven yet, and Benson and Melissa hadn't returned home. Klein informed Bella that he was going out and that she didn't need to prepare lunch for him.
He then took a public carriage to Howes Street and saw the messy-haired Midnight Poet—Leonard Mitchell, whose hair exuded beauty, waiting for him in at building 62.
Leonard was still in a thin white shirt despite the chilly September weather. He had paired it with beige pants. He swept his green eyes at Klein.
"This might be the building rented by Lanevus under a false name."
"How did you figure it out?" Klein asked out of curiosity.
Leonard pointed to his head.
"Since you found a clue from Hood Eugen and suspected that Lanevus was likely connected to that member of the Aurora Order—the cloth merchant Sirius Arapis—I had to change my line of thinking after my normal investigations revealed nothing. I started investigating the Aurora Order.
"The previous report told me that Sirius had interactions with many of the residents on Howes Street, so I searched every one of them and found a problem with this one."
"What problem?" Klein asked.
Leonard raised his brows. "An obvious problem. The guest here appears very rarely. He claimed to be going to the Southern Continent to do business after Hanass Vincent's death and never returned. His records are very realistic, and the police didn't discover anything."
"This could only be a coincidence." Klein creased his brows.
"Of course, a coincidence. But when I showed the residents around here Lanevus's picture, an old man felt that he looked similar to the resident at number 62, other than his different glasses." Leonard took out a black-and-white photograph from his pocket.
Why didn't you say so earlier... Klein lampooned inwardly. He entered 62 Howes Street with Leonard, and at Leonard's request, he started to divine if there were any hidden compartments or secret chambers.
The result was yes!
"The secret chamber or hidden compartment in this building."
Klein wrote down another divination statement. He took a seat on the sofa and closed his eyes as he recited the statement.
Seven times later, he entered a dream. His vision was blurry.
In the blurry world, Klein saw a wooden bookshelf. He saw rows upon rows of books. He saw that one of the books had been taken away. He saw the wooden surface beside the book open, revealing a hidden compartment.
The scene quickly disappeared as Klein opened his eyes and told Leonard, "In the study."
Klein wound the topaz pendulum around his wrist and followed Leonard into the study. He saw the wooden bookshelf he had seen in his dream.
"Pull out that book, the place it's covering has a hidden compartment." Klein pointed at the book nearest to the sides.
"So it's here... I couldn't find anything when I searched the place, and I had no choice but to return to Zouteland Street to request for help," Leonard grumbled as he walked over. He pulled out the book Klein had pointed out.
After searching the area, he finally found the mechanism to open the hidden compartment.
A letter lay silently in the hidden compartment.
A letter? Lanevus hid a letter here? Klein found it extremely strange.
After he divined to see if there was anything dangerous within the letter and received a negative answer, Leonard picked up the letter and opened the unmarked envelope.
Leonard pulled out the letter within and unfolded it.
Klein leaned forward to get a look of its contents. All he saw were the first few paragraphs of the letter:
"Hahaha, congratulations. Congratulations on finally finding this letter!
"This means that you're not too stupid, nor too slow. You qualify to take part in this game of life and death that I've designed.
"Child laborers that die before their time. Factory workers who seldom live past ten years after entering the factory because of their working conditions. Female workers who risk severe illnesses for a meager salary. I see boundless resentment surrounding every factory, turning the surroundings oppressive and gloomy. This is the worst of times, and also the best of times. Our game shall take place under such a setting.
"Fools, prepare yourselves, I'm going to issue you a hint!"
-x-X-x-
Klein and Leonard lifted their gaze from the letter and exchanged glances. They muttered, "He's crazy, right?"
"Lanevus is secretly a lunatic?"
A lunatic who truly has a delusional disorder and an antisocial personality... Klein thought and felt a tug at his heartstrings. He quickly redirected his gaze to the letter.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the hint is that I've placed a bomb in Tingen, a bomb that will grow stronger over time.
"Seek it and finish it before it explodes. If you lose the game, there will be a boom, and the entire city of Tingen will be reduced to a ruin. Trust me, I'm not lying at all about this.
"—Lanevus, who enjoys giving his friends pleasant surprises."
"A bomb?" Klein looked at Leonard and muttered to himself, perplexed.
Leonard held the letter up to the sunlight and looked as he flipped it around. He didn't find any other clues.
"The term 'bomb' is probably an expression. I've never heard of a bomb that can grow stronger."
Klein creased his eyebrows and said thoughtfully, "No, I mean, he might be using 'bomb' to reference something in mysticism. Such as an evil ritual that continuously accumulates power..."
Leonard cocked his head as though he was listening to something when suddenly, his facial expression grew solemn.
He nodded as his green eyes constricted. "Maybe you're right. Isn't there a description at the beginning of the letter? Child laborers that die before their time, factory workers who seldom live past ten years after entering the factory because of their working conditions, female workers who risk severe illnesses for a meager salary... Boundless resentment surrounding every factory... Perhaps, that might be the energy source that constantly strengthens Lanevus's bomb."
"Yes... that's very possible!" Klein suddenly tensed up and said, "We need to report to the Captain immediately!"
Leonard laughed and said, "There's no need to be so nervous. You should know that Lanevus is a Swindler. The part where he said that he didn't lie might be a lie itself.
"Of course, regardless, we have to return to Zouteland Street to report to the Captain. It's best if we can request the Holy Cathedral to send a mysticism expert over and find the location of the altar through the abnormal accumulation of resentment."
Someone is apparently very familiar with protocol... But why would the setup of such an altar need Hood Eugen's help? What role does a Psychiatrist play in this? Klein didn't object to the idea. He left 62 Howes Street with Leonard and rushed back to Zouteland Street on a hired carriage.
Just as they entered the Blackthorn Security Company's door, Klein saw two familiar faces, one voluptuous and one scrawny. They were Maynard's wife and sister.
They were still in black dresses and black hats. The fine checkered black gauze concealed their faces.
The two ladies were chatting with Rozanne, and when they suddenly saw Klein's return, they turned around and walked forward.
"You really are the cream of the crop in this industry." Mrs. Maynard nodded slightly and said in a low voice, "I'm very pleased with the outcome and am also impressed with your work approach. Here's the reward that you deserve."
The scrawny woman passed a light brown paper bag to Klein. It was filled with thick stacks of cash. There were ten pound notes, five pound notes, one pound notes, and also five soli and one soli.
"It's a total of 230 pounds," the scrawny lady stated simply.
Klein was in no mood to pay any attention to the money. He passed it to Rozanne and said, "Take this to Mrs. Orianna. I doubt the two respectable women would make a mistake counting the money."
At that moment, the corner of his eyes caught the Tingen City Honest Paper in Mrs. Maynard's hands. On the most eye-catching spot on the front page, there were two pieces of news.
Old baron's widow dies in involvement with MP Maynard's murder.
Mayor Dennis takes the blame for the worsening public security in Tingen for the past three months and resigns.
So that's the official excuse for Madam Sharon's case? I've yet to read the newspaper today... Klein nodded at the two ladies and followed Leonard through the partition to the Captain's office.
"How was it? Did you find any clues?" Dunn Smith closed his document, lifted his head, and looked at Klein and Leonard with his deep gray eyes.
"We found a letter that was left behind by Lanevus." Leonard didn't provide any further descriptions and simply passed the Captain the letter filled with madness and provocation.
Dunn opened the letter and scanned through it quickly. He rubbed his temples as he said, "He really is a lunatic."
"He's only a Sequence 8, Sequence 7 at most."
Klein agreed from the bottom of his heart. "Lanevus is a dangerous figure who can damage the stability of social order. Even though he's weak, we can't belittle him."
Then, he told Captain about his and Leonard's assumption.
Dunn touched his receding hairline as he said, "That was my thought as well. I'll immediately send a telegram to the Holy Cathedral and ask them to send a mysticism expert over for assistance.
"Who knows how dangerous Lanevus's bomb could be. We have to be extremely careful. When the Holy Cathedral replies to me, I'll arrange for the follow-up."
Klein and Leonard exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously as they said, "Alright." @@novelbin@@
Seizing the moment when Captain was sending a telegram to the Holy Cathedral, Klein returned to the reception hall to grab a copy of the Tingen City Honest Paper from Rozanne.
He stood at the partition and read the two articles with full concentration.
"... The widow of the old baron of the Khoy family, Madam Sharon, was suspected to be involved in the sudden death of Member of Parliament Maynard... The police received a tip and took action at night. They discovered that Madam Sharon and her accomplice had knocked out her servants to carry out a pagan ceremony in her bedroom. They refused to surrender and attempted to resist arrest, resulting in the death of a heroic police officer.
"Finally, Madam Sharon and her accomplice paid the price for their evil deeds with their lives."
...
"... Mayor Dennis takes the blame for the worsening public security in Tingen and resigns. He also announced that he wouldn't be running for reelection next year. For the next few months, Deputy Mayor Mr. Harry will take on the responsibilities of mayor."
...
A heroic police officer... Is that the description of Kenley? Klein sighed and knew that it was the best way of handling the situation.
According to the internal rules of the Nighthawks, in order to prevent the forces of evil from taking revenge on their family members, their names would be kept confidential even if they sacrificed their lives.
He folded the newspaper quietly and returned it to the reception desk. Klein suddenly saw a visitor who walked through the entrance.
She was a young lady, in her twenties at most. She was in a ruffled hat and loose dress. She had lovely facial features, blonde hair, green eyes, and also a depressed yet silent temperament. She was quite a beauty.
The most eye-catching thing about her was her stomach that bulged out. She looked like she was more than seven months pregnant.
Klein was stunned, and he felt that he had seen the young pregnant lady before.
Suddenly, he heard Leonard say in surprise, "Miss Megose?"
Megose... Yes, the young lady who was conned by Lanevus! She's pregnant with Lanevus's child, and as such, there might be something wrong with her mental health. She says her child sings in her stomach and also whistles... Klein was suddenly enlightened and he wasn't surprised that Leonard knew Megose.
When they relaunched the investigations of people related to Lanevus, the lady's photo had been seen by every Nighthawk.
Klein knew her even earlier. Her aunt Christina, whose savings had been conned by Lanevus, had brought her to the Divination Club to ask for help. Her aunt even asked if the child in her stomach could be used for divination.
Then, as Megose heard Leonard's voice, she looked over at the both of them vacantly and replied politely, "Hello."
"Miss Megose, what brings you here to the Blackthorn Security Company? Do you have anything that you'd like us to do for you?" Klein took two steps forward and asked.
He was very confused by Megose's sudden visit. He felt it was an extreme coincidence.
We just found Lanevus's letter, and Megose comes visiting?
Megose touched her stomach and smiled faintly.
"Somehow or other, I suddenly thought of coming to Zouteland Street and suddenly thought of coming up to take a look."
Her mental health seems to have worsened... Klein recalled that he hadn't managed to activate his Spirit Vision and check on Megose's situation previously. Hence, he lifted his teeth and was about to tap his left molars.
Just then, a series of thoughts screamed through his head in increasing intensity.
"Don't look!
"Don't look! Don't look!
"You'll die!
"You'll die if you look!
"You'll die if you look!"
...
Klein stood rooted on the spot like a statue as his forehead was covered in cold sweat.
It was like having a deep and heavy nightmare that he nearly couldn't wake up from.
Suddenly, he understood something. He had failed to activate his Spirit Vision the last time because his spirituality had noticed an unimaginable danger. It slowed him down subconsciously, so he missed the opportunity and forgot the follow-up.
At that point, Klein had yet to digest the Seer potion entirely, and he had yet to advance to Sequence 8, so the warnings of spirituality were very subtle and difficult to notice. But now, Clown's spiritual foresight was so clear and obvious!
After nearly twenty seconds, Klein finally shook off his paralysis. He looked sideways at Leonard and realized that the Midnight Poet was also covered in cold sweat, and his eyes were filled with horror.
Suddenly, Klein understood what the bomb Lanevus was referring to!
It's the baby in Megose's stomach!
It's the baby that he left behind!
Klein suddenly associated the description in the letter with Hood Eugen's answers, and he suddenly remembered something that he read in Emperor Roselle's diary.
"I started the Industrial Revolution with my own hands and personally ushered in the Age of Steam and Machinery, but this will only become the hotbed for the descent of an Evil God upon this world?"
Klein's pupils constricted as he thought of a possibility that he instinctually refused to admit.
No! That's not right!
The baby in Megose's stomach can't be the son of some evil god or an evil god waiting to descend upon the world!
No! Why would Hood Eugen do such a silly thing! Although his Psychiatrist power can help Lanevus fool Megose and use her as a spawning vessel in her semi-unconscious state...
No! The resentment of child laborers that die before their time, and the factory workers and female workers who live less than ten years aren't helping the son of an evil god to grow rapidly!
No!
Y-you may not look directly at God...
-x-X-x-
Klein instinctively reached for his pockets. He held the Flaring Sun Charm in one hand and Azik's copper whistle in the other.
He acutely noticed that the cold, gentle Beyonder feedback of the latter had vanished as if it was being suppressed by an invisible power. However, the former was still warm and comforting.
Making use of this comforting feeling, Klein entered a half Cogitation state. He blocked out his feelings of worry and didn't leave anything to chance.
He turned and shot a look at Leonard Mitchell, then tipped his chin toward Megose.
He then controlled his expression with his Clown abilities and smiled at Megose.
"Do you want coffee, black tea, or nothing at all?"
Megose stroked her stomach as if she was listening to something.
"A cup of warm water. I suddenly thought of chatting with you guys about Lanevus. I have the feeling that you know a lot."
"Who told you that?" Leonard was no longer the frivolous guy that he usually was. His smile had turned rather stiff.
Megose suddenly giggled.
"My child told me. He knows a lot. He's very smart!"
Klein fought back the urge to curse. He turned to the partition and signaled to Leonard to keep Megose calm.
Leonard forced a smile and pointed toward the sofa.
"That's exactly what I'd like to talk about. We want to have a chat with you about Lanevus."
Behind the receptionist desk, Rozanne looked on in confusion. She suddenly realized that she didn't need to do anything.
Klein quickly made his way past the partition and directly pushed open the door to Dunn Smith's office, then closed the door with a bang.
He saw Dunn looking shocked before turning serious and saying in a heavy voice, "Captain, something serious has happened. I know what Lanevus meant by bomb!"
Dunn stood up and pointed outside.
"Megose?"
He had obviously heard Leonard's shocked exclamation, but he was unable to see the looks of fear and cold sweat on his teammates' faces.
Klein nodded and explained quickly, "I tried to activate my Spirit Vision to observe Megose to ascertain her mental condition, but my spirituality stopped me from making the attempt. It kept "warning" me not to look, that I would die if I did so!
"This made me recall a saying, 'You may not look directly at God.' Even if the fetus in Megose's stomach isn't an evil god attempting to descend upon this world, or the spawn of an evil god, it's definitely a legendary creature.
"Captain, connecting this to the black altar in Hood Eugen's memories, to his Psychiatrist abilities, to the tragic world as described in Lanevus's letter, I think that my guess is quite close to the truth: Lanevus obtained a ritualistic magic linked to the True Creator from an Aurora Order member. With Hood Eugen's help, he turned Megose into a vessel to gestate a certain power. Then, this power will make use of the resentment, oppression, and gloominess surrounding the factories to quickly grow until maturity. In other words, the ritual itself needs this resentment, oppression, and gloominess in order to succeed!"
Dunn considered Klein's words seriously for nearly twenty seconds before nodding with a solemn expression.
"I'll ask for assistance from the Holy Cathedral immediately. Let's hope that the baby in Megose's stomach can still wait!
"Of course, we can't just sit back and do nothing. Tell Leonard to keep Megose calm and keep her company. Notify Mrs. Orianna, Rozanne, and the rest. Get all the non-combatants to evacuate!
"I'll head to the back of Chanis Gate after I send the telegram. We have to prepare for the worst, which is if Megose's baby is born before the arrival of reinforcements from the Holy Cathedral.
"As Captain of the Tingen Nighthawks, I have the authority to use Saint Selena's ashes during emergencies!"
Saint Selena's ashes... The ashes of a High-Sequence Beyonder... The core seals within Chanis Gate... Klein's worries eased a little. He quickly thought of other things.
"Captain, we can also ask for reinforcements from the Mandated Punishers and the Machinery Hivemind; they should have similar holy items!"
Klein suddenly had a stroke of inspiration as he muttered to himself, "Lanevus's case was originally under the purview of the Mandated Punishers. Old Neil and I were there to help when one of their senior members lost control..."
As he spoke softly, his voice grew to a crescendo.
"Captain, can you ask the Mandated Punishers if the member who lost control was tracking or keeping Megose under surveillance?"
"Are you suspecting that he lost control because he got corrupted by the baby in Megose's stomach? They were responsible for Megose when the investigation was happening..." Dunn answered seriously. "We cannot delay any further. Go to Mrs. Orianna and the rest. I'll take this time to send a telegram to first ask for assistance from the Holy Cathedral, then I'll inform the Mandated Punishers and the Machinery Hivemind. Yes, I'll also have to send a telegram to the police department and see if they can come up with an excuse to evacuate the citizens nearby."
"Alright." Klein had taken a few steps out of the room when he suddenly recalled something. He thought about the coincidence of Megose's sudden visit.
The image of the building with the red chimney appeared in his mind. He turned around quickly and said to Dunn, "Captain, one more thing. Do you remember the coincidences I told you about? The clue to the Antigonus family's notebook in the house opposite the kidnapping, Ray Bieber who didn't make it out of Tingen in time, Hanass Vincent exposing himself because of a coincidence, and how a member of the Aurora Order lost his life because he chanced upon me, etc.
"All these coincidences are very subtle and hard to detect, but the fact that Megose suddenly came looking for us right after we discovered Lanevus's letter is too obvious and direct. This coincidence was already laid bare before us, it's no longer hidden! I think that the person behind this will soon take center stage!
"Also, why would Madam Sharon take the risk in killing Member of Parliament Maynard? Is this also a coincidence?"
Dunn thought about it and gave a solemn reply, "I'll include this point in the telegram."
Klein didn't waste any more time. He exited the office and went straight for the accountant's room on the opposite side.
Mrs. Orianna was preparing the budget for the last three months of the year. She wanted to complete it in advance just in case the Captain forgot about it again. When she saw Klein enter, she greeted him with a smile.
"Lad, what claims do you have to submit today?"
Klein exhaled.
"Mrs. Orianna, we will be on vacation today. Go back home immediately."
Orianna froze for a while, looking at the serious face before her in a daze.
A few seconds later, she stood up in a fluster.
"Alright."
Klein added in a hurry, "Help me inform the rest of the clerks in the office and the armory. I'll inform Rozanne."
"Yes!" Orianna didn't even pack. She grabbed her handbag and hurried out of the accounting office.
She turned and stared at Klein after entering the corridor. She drew a crimson moon near her chest and said, "All of you will be blessed by the Goddess!"
Thank you... Klein replied in silence. He made his way past the partition into the receptionist area only to see Leonard chatting with Megose about Lanevus, his expression rigid.
Klein leaned toward Rozanne as he filled up a cup of warm water. He then whispered, "Go home, it's dangerous here. Come back tomorrow."
Rozanne opened her mouth in shock but closed it again after seeing Klein's stern expression.
She lowered her head and packed for about ten seconds before picking up her bag and leaving the receptionist area.
Just as she was walking past Klein, she bit on her lip and whispered, "To be honest, I respect the Nighthawks as much as I hate other people who become Beyonders..."
...
After seeing the clerks evacuate the Blackthorn Security Company, Klein brought warm water to Megose, bent his back, and placed it on the table in front of her.
"I have something to settle, I'll be back soon."
As he stood up, he took the opportunity to lean in towards Leonard's ear and whispered, "Keep her here."
Leonard clenched his teeth and widened his mouth into a grin. He continued his conversation with Megose and noticed that Megose was getting a little restless, as though she was losing her focus.
Klein returned to the Captain's office, only to realize that Dunn had already gone underground. There was a telegram on the table. It was the reply from the Mandated Punishers. @@novelbin@@
"Yes. We will be there immediately."
Yes... The Mandated Punisher did lose control because of Megose... Klein couldn't calm himself down as he made his way to the corridor. He didn't know if he was waiting for the Captain to retrieve the holy ashes or for reinforcements to arrive.
I wonder if High-Sequence Beyonders can teleport... I don't think so... He paced around a few times, suddenly feeling peaceful. He saw that the gas lamps on both sides of the corridor were now dyed a faint blue.
Amid the darkness, Dunn followed the stairs into the corridor. In his palm was a square, palm-sized box of ashes.
This box looked as though it was made out of pure silver, but it also felt like it was human bones. It was carved with many mysterious patterns. Klein felt colder the closer he was to the box, it was as if the cold was rapidly seeping into his blood.
Dunn's face was bathed in an icy blue light. He told Klein, "Go to Chanis Gate and pick out a Sealed Artifact with the highest offensive ability. Decide exactly which one with your own judgment. I've already told Seeka and the Keepers inside. Take note of the hidden threats. Of those, there are three Grade 2 Sealed Artifacts, which are..."
"Oh, now that I've taken out the ashes of Saint Selena, Seeka and the Keepers cannot leave their positions now."
At this point, Frye and Royale were both at Kenley's house for the funeral preparations. The Archbishop at Saint Selena Cathedral had gone to the countryside to preach.
"Alright." Klein didn't hesitate, immediately turning towards the basement.
When he was nearing the intersection, Klein suddenly stopped. He knew that most of the Sealed Artifacts behind Chanis Gate at Tingen City were Grade 3 and wouldn't have much of an effect on the baby in Megose's stomach. It was, at the very least, a legendary creature.
The Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem might work, but it takes too long to have an effect. It's unsuitable for this... There are only three Grade 2 Sealed Artifacts in Tingen City, and they're all very dangerous artifacts that can easily result in my death... I estimate their powers to be about the same as my Flaring Sun Charm, so I cannot have too many reservations later. I'll use the Flaring Sun Charm without any hesitation! It would definitely be as powerful as a Grade 2 Sealed Artifact; after all, it has the power of divine blood in it... Klein's mind whirled as he nodded indiscernibly.
He felt for the Flaring Sun Charm and Azik's copper whistle in his pocket, but he was surprised to find that the sensation of the latter was back.
Regardless of whether it was useful or not, Klein took out a pen and paper set that was used for divination and wrote a short message.
"The person who made my fate disharmonious and stole the skull of your child has appeared. He has arranged for Megose to enter the Blackthorn Security Company at 36 Zouteland Street. It's highly likely that Megose is harboring the son of an evil god.
"The situation is very urgent."
He put away his pen and folded the piece of paper. Klein took out the copper whistle at the intersection and blew, then watched the giant skeleton messenger appear before him.
-x-X-x-
In the corridor within the deep and serene basement, the nearly four-meter-tall bone messenger disappeared before Klein's eyes after taking the letter.
When all that was left of the surroundings were the classic gas lamps embedded in the walls, he put away Azik's copper whistle and walked towards Chanis Gate.
As he was writing the letter, he had already decided on which Sealed Artifact to pick.
Firstly, it would be almost impossible for the Grade 3 three Sealed Artifacts to have any effect on the baby in Megose's stomach. Unless it was an item like the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem which had hidden powers.
But, at that very moment, in such a situation, Klein wasn't in the mood to explore or research a secret that might or might not exist. Plus, most Sealed Artifacts would carry a certain level of danger for the user. So, Klein eliminated the Grade 3 Sealed Artifacts that would weaken the user without affecting the enemy.
Secondly, the Tingen Nighthawks didn't have any Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts and only three Grade 2 artifacts. That was originally a secret that Klein wasn't allowed to know, but due to the urgency of the situation, Dunn made use of an emergency clause and told him the general situation.
Dunn Smith couldn't hold any other Sealed Artifacts at the same time while holding Saint Selena's ashes.
And behind the Tingen City's Chanis Gate, there were three Grade 2 Sealed Artifacts: 2-030, 2-078, and 2-105.
The name of 2- 030 was "Inexhaustible Poison." It originated from a Beyonder with an unknown Sequence name who suddenly went mad and cut his wrist to commit suicide. He let his blood flow into an ordinary silver cup. But when his blood ran dry, the silver cup wasn't filled, and the liquid in the cup became crystal-clear and alluring. It was a temptation that even a Sequence 5 Beyonder had failed to resist. After he drank the liquid, he died of poisoning on the spot.
After the person died, the poison seeped out through his pores and pooled together again. Its volume was the same as before he drank it. Not one bit less.
Dunn said that the researchers in the Holy Cathedral suspected that the poison could kill a High-Sequence Beyonder. However, the question lay within the fact that it was almost impossible for a High-Sequence Beyonder to be tempted to drink it. Furthermore, the traits of 2-030 were obvious, so no one would consume it by accident. If one wanted to poison them, they had to first capture them, seize control of them, and then force it down their throat. But then, why go through the trouble?
2-030 would constantly tempt the living things around it to drink it. The user had to be fully focused on resisting its power. Any slight negligence would make one drink the poison as though it was only natural to do so.
When Dunn finished his description, Klein decided, almost instantly, to not pick that Sealed Artifact.
The name of 2-078 was "Door of Death." Its appearance was like a normal wooden door. Any living thing that passed through it would die instantly. No High-Sequence Beyonder had ever participated in the test. @@novelbin@@
It possessed living traits and constantly attempted to escape. It could change its appearance and disguise itself into pre-existing doors. If the user made any mistakes, he would lose control of it. Then, he would need to be careful and not pass through any door near him. He would have to try to wait at the original spot for help or break through a wall to escape.
Klein thought of using 2-078, but after reevaluating the latter two, he felt that the intuition of a legendary creature would be very sharp and would be able to differentiate whichever door was the Door of Death.
In the end, he decided to pick 2-105.
The name of the Sealed Artifact was "Blood Vessel Thief." It looked like a thick, stiffened blood vessel. Anyone who touched it, regardless of whether they were protected or not, would have their life stolen. In the beginning, it wouldn't be obvious. But, if one didn't break contact with it, the effects would be visible half an hour later. Dunn said that a Sequence 5 heretic held onto it for two hours. He turned from a brawny man in his thirties into a hunched old man who had loose skin, thin white hair, and missing teeth.
The most important trait of 2-105 was that the person wearing it would have the chance to steal an ability from a target within a specific range. Even High-Sequence Beyonders could be robbed of their abilities, but the probability was smaller.
Within a ten-minute time period, the person who was robbed would lose the corresponding ability while the person who wore the item would be able to use the ability skillfully. Ten minutes later, the ability would vanish, and the person who was robbed would need to wait a couple of days to recover.
Regardless of whether it works or not, it will at least raise the probability of success from five percent to ten percent. I'm the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck, after all... Besides, our main goal is just to take precautions and make preparations to deal with the worst case scenario. We won't necessarily have to take action... Hopefully, reinforcements will arrive soon... Klein stopped outside the duty room, showing no signs of hesitation anymore.
About the negative effects of Sealed Artifact 2-105, he wasn't worried because he wasn't planning to use the artifact himself...
His plan was to give it to Leonard, as he already had the Flaring Sun Charm and Azik's copper whistle who he had no idea if it would still be suppressed.
My dear Poet, it's time for you to show your true secret... Klein muttered and saw Seeka Tron standing by the duty room.
With her white hair and black eyes, the part-time author remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "Why don't you guard Chanis Gate? I'm stronger and more experienced than you."
But you don't have Flaring Sun Charms... Klein replied with a smile, "Madam, I'm already a Sequence 8.
"It wouldn't be safe here either. There are many Sealed Artifacts that possess living traits that are itching to take action. Well, if we fail, the people here will definitely not survive.
"Heh heh, our goal upstairs is to buy time and wait for reinforcements. It might be safer than being around Chanis Gate."
Seeka Tron puckered her lips slowly and drew a crimson moon on her chest.
"May the Goddess bless all of you."
As Dunn didn't have the time to write the document in time, Klein couldn't enter Chanis Gate directly. All he did was watch Seeka Tron push open a tiny crack and enter.
After a few minutes, she appeared by the door, and she was holding a thick, blood-tainted, pale blood vessel in her left hand.
Klein extended his hand to take it, and he immediately felt a faint current surging in his body.
...
In the reception hall of the Blackthorn Security Company.
Leonard had already shaken off his stiff state from earlier, and his expression didn't look abnormal as he talked about the recently discovered house that Lanevus rented before.
"Is that so? He never told me about it before..." Megose replied normally, creasing her eyebrows slightly.
Then, she grabbed her blonde hair, pulled out a handful, and casually threw it into the trashcan by the side.
Leonard was dumbfounded. He gulped with difficulty, and his palms were full of cold sweat once again.
...
Klein walked up the stairs to the second floor with the Blood Vessel Thief in his left hand.
He looked at the door that led to the Nighthawks break room, where Dunn Smith stood silently in his black windbreaker. His eyes were gray and deep, just like when they had first met.
"Reintroducing myself, Nighthawk, Dunn Smith."
The voice of the past sounded in Klein's ears as the scene of Dunn by Kenley's corpse flashed in his head. There was blood all over his mouth.
He suddenly fell silent and walked over. He lifted his left hand and said, "Captain, I picked Sealed Artifact 2-105. I plan on letting Leonard use it."
Dunn nodded slightly. He didn't ask why but turned and pointed at his office as he spoke.
"The Holy Cathedral sent a telegram. They said that they'll gather a team of strong Beyonders immediately and asked us to stall for as much time as possible and try to wait.
"About those coincidences, they didn't give any reply. I think they don't have any conclusions as of yet. Or perhaps, the person who handles the telegrams doesn't know the actual situation and has no way to make guesses. You know, we have to make the best use of time. Telegrams can't be too long."
"Yes." Klein nodded. He got closer to the partition and looked outside as he said, "How's the situation?"
"Nothing strange as of yet." Dunn looked down at the Saint's ash box in his left hand.
Seeing how Leonard and Megose were having a good time chatting, Klein didn't interrupt them. He retreated to the Nighthawks' recreation room and faced Dunn with the corridor in between them.
Just then, Dunn suddenly let out a self-deprecating laugh.
"I forgot something."
"What is it?" Klein replied, puzzled.
Dunn looked sideways at him and said, "Daly told me to explain myself to you."
"Huh?" Klein was stunned, as he couldn't quite understand what the Captain meant.
After two seconds, before Dunn could reply, he suddenly understood.
Madam Daly didn't reply immediately because she thought it was unnecessary. She had forwarded the matter to the Captain and let him explain himself.
Th-that means that there isn't anything serious with the Captain!
At this critical point, Klein suddenly felt a surge of joy erupt inside of him.