Chapter 19: Sealed Beneath the Holy Cathedral

The corridor outside the window was sealed, its walls ice-cold. The room was illuminated with bright yellow lights.

Dunn shook his head and smiled when he saw Klein silent. "Are you very disappointed? Beyonders are not like what you imagine them to be. We are always treading alongside danger."

"There is always a price to any gain." Klein answered.

It was true that I never imagined that the halo, abnormality, and the inordinary aspects of a Beyonder would have such hidden threats.

"Not bad. Very mature and rational." Dunn finished the last mouthful of coffee. "Why would we use 1 to represent the highest grade and 9 the lowest? Isn't this against intuition and logic? The low Sequence we often mention refers to a low grade or a high number—they are the starting point of the Sequence chain.

Alright, where was I? Yes, Beyonders are not as powerful as you imagine them to be, especially a low-Sequence Beyonder. Those are no match for guns, much less cannons—they are just more fascinating and indefensible than firearms. If you have a chance to become a Beyonder in the future, you must consider what I said today carefully and not make a rash decision."

Klein gave a self-deprecating smile. "I don't even know when I will have the chance."

I felt that I would not miss the opportunity if it presented itself to me. Consuming the wrong potion or a higher-ranked potion in the Sequence could be mostly avoided. The major potential danger was the subtle effects and influences the potions had and what I would experience from having heightened auditory and visual perceptions.

For the former, I could draw on the experiences of generations of people before me. As long as I would not be in a rush to advance myself and patiently grasped control over my powers, the chances of losing control were relatively low. Furthermore, I still have to first understand the essence of mysticism—back when I held the luck enhancement ritual, I was nearly driven crazy from the murmurings.

Dunn picked up his pipe again. "I cannot give you an accurate answer on this. To become a Beyonder, firstly, you must make enough contributions. Perhaps tomorrow or the day after, you would be able to interpret critical ancient documents. Maybe you would be able to give us valuable ideas for one of our cases? Secondly, it depends on the arrangements of the higher-ups. No one can be sure.

Alright, I believe you should know quite a bit about Beyonders now. In the future, do not make a rash decision. Now, I'll introduce you to our Nighthawk team's civilian jobs."

Dunn stood up, walked to the door, and pointed in the opposite direction of Chanis Gate. "We have an accountant and some others who are in charge of procuring necessities and collecting supplies handed out by the Church and the police department while standing in as a carriage driver—they are professionals and do not need to take shifts, so they can rest on weekends.

The other three civilian staff are Rozanne, Bredt, and Old Neil. Their jobs include attending to visitors, cleaning the rooms, and writing case files and inventory registration lists. They also guard the armory, storeroom, and archives, strictly enforcing the registration should someone wish to enter, take out, or return an item. Each of them has one day off a week; other than Sundays, they negotiate among themselves on the arrangement of night shifts and rest days."

"So is my job scope the same as Rozanne and the rest?" Klein swept away his thoughts about Beyonders and tried to clarify his job responsibilities.

"No, there's no need. You are a professional with two tasks. First, every morning or afternoon, go take a stroll outside. Focus on the various streets that lead from Welch's place to yours." Dunn said.

"What?" Klein was dumbfounded. What kind of job is this? Is this what professionals do?

Dunn inserted his hands into the pockets of his trench coat. "After confirming that you have lost your memories, we will close the case on Welch and Naya.

Similarly, that diary of the Antigonus family has vanished completely. We suspect that you brought it with you. You might have hidden it on your way home, which might be why we did not find any clues at your place. This is also likely the reason why you were not there and chose to commit suicide at home.

Although you were mysteriously influenced and have forgotten this piece of memory, the human spirit and brain are very profound, so there might be residual traces. Daly might not be able to obtain them through her medium, but that does not mean they do not exist. Perhaps you will feel a sense of déjà vu at a familiar and critical spot."

"Got it." Klein was enlightened. The Nighthawks' deduction of the diary's location was indeed reasonable.

I was the only one alive among the people involved, and only I had the time and motive to take the diary away and hide it on my way back.

"That is what we wish to obtain. If you can find the diary this way, you will likely make enough of a contribution to become a Beyonder," Dunn encouraged, indirectly revealing the importance of the diary.

"I hope." Klein nodded.

Dunn changed the subject again. "Secondly, you get a day off every week. You can decide which day it is for now. When you are not outside, go to our armory and read the literature and canon books. This is a job for a professional historian. When you finish them all, you will have to begin taking shifts with Old Neil and the rest."

Dunn pointed to the black outward-swinging gate that was engraved with seven sacred emblems. "This is Chanis Gate. It is named after the creator of the modern Nighthawks system, Archbishop Chanis. There is one under the central cathedral of every major city—guarded by formal Nighthawk members on rotation.

You must not approach it under any circumstances; otherwise, misfortune will befall you.

Inside, there are at least two 'Keepers' who are sent by the Church, as well as countless traps. The area is divided into a few zones, and stored within are certain potion formulas for certain Sequences and other magical materials. It is also used to temporarily hold heretics, mutants, cultists, and members of secret organizations. Heh heh, they will eventually be sent to the Holy Cathedral," Dunn introduced in passing.

Holy Cathedral? The headquarters of the Church of Evernight are located in the Winter County to the north of the kingdom, at the Cathedral of Serenity. Klein nodded slightly as he pondered over the matter.

"In addition, there are all sorts of classified documents and records inside. When you gain a higher clearance, you might have a chance of reading them." Dunn hesitated for a moment before adding, "Behind the Chanis Gate, there are also Sealed Artifacts in the basement.

Some of the extraordinary items we gather and retrieve are just too important and magical. If they fall into the wrong hands, it would cause immense destruction; therefore, we have to keep them strictly confidential and watch them carefully—only under special circumstances can we use them.

Besides, there are some things inside that are very special and have certain 'living' characteristics that could entice the Keepers and influence the surroundings, attempt escape, or cause catastrophic outcomes. These have to be strictly controlled."

"Sealed Artifacts?" Klein ruminated on the terms, commenting wistfully.

"The Nighthawks headquarters have categorized these Sealed Artifacts into four grades:

Grade 0 represents Extremely Dangerous—they are of the highest importance and of the highest confidentiality. They are not to be inquired, disseminated, described, or spied, and can only be sealed in the basement of the Holy Cathedral.

Grade 1 is highly dangerous—they can be used in limited ways. Their security clearance is limited to diocesan bishops or Nighthawks deacons and above. The central cathedral of diocese headquarters like Backlund can store one to two artifacts, and the rest will be handed over to the Holy Cathedral.

Grade 2 is dangerous—they can be used with care and moderation. The security clearance requires one to be a bishop or a Nighthawk team's captain and above. The central cathedrals in the various cities can store three to five artifacts, and the rest will be turned in to the Holy Cathedral or the diocese headquarters.

Grade 3 is considerably dangerous—they have to be used carefully. The security clearance requires one to be a formal member of the Nighthawks and can only be requested for operations that require three or more people."

Dunn continued, casually describing in great detail all the classified information about the Nighthawks to Klein.

"In the future, you'll have access to the relevant documents. By looking at the numbers, you'll understand what they represent. For instance, 2-125 indicates Dangerous-grade Sealed Artifact No. 125."

Back in his room, Dunn pulled a piece of paper from the bottom of the drawer.

"By the way, take a look at this. Three years ago, a newly appointed archbishop lost control. For unknown reasons, he stormed through the various levels of protection and vanished mysteriously with a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. Remember this photo: If you discover him, do not alert or disturb him. Return to report it immediately, or the chance of you dying in the line of duty is a thousand percent."

"What?" Klein received the piece of paper—there was no title on it, just a black and white photo with a few lines of words.

"Ince Zangwill. Male. Forty years old. Former archbishop. A Gatekeeper who failed in his promotion was enticed by the devil and corrupted. He escaped with Sealed Artifact 0-08. Particular traits are..."

The picture, together with the description, depicted Ince Zangwill as wearing an all-black clergyman robe with buttons on both sides and a soft cap. His hair was dark blonde, and his pupils were dark blue. He had a high nose, and his lips were tightly pursed. His facial features were like a classic sculpture without any wrinkles. The most striking characteristic was that he was blind in one eye.

"The description of the corrupted is so detailed, but the only thing mentioned about the Sealed Artifact is its codename." Klein offered his first impression.

"That's why it is at the highest security clearance. The search for Sealed Artifact 0-08 is only described verbally and never written in words. Even so, the description will be little," Dunn said with a sigh. "0-08 appears to be a common quill, but it does not need ink to write. That's all."

Dunn did not dive deeper into the topic. He tugged at the golden chain on his black trench coat and took out a pocket watch. He clicked it open and took a glance before pointing outside. "I've told you all you need to know. Go to the armory to find Old Neil, and get him to arrange the documents that you need to read. He is no ordinary civilian clerk—he was once a formal member, but due to his old age, his failure to advance, and his ailing health, it's no longer suitable for him to handle cases. Furthermore, he does not wish to become an internal Keeper or rest at home. All he wishes is to be accompanied by documents and records."