There was a cold breeze blowing from the basement, providing a hint of relief for Kleinâs tense emotions.
Itâs finally here.
Once I pass this stage, I wonât have to worry about being examined like this for at least half a yearâŚ
Once I advance to Sequence 8 and become a so-called âClown,â Iâll possess actual combat strength. With the aid of divination and my Flaring Sun Charms for backup, Iâll have a chance of surviving even more relatively dangerous situationsâŚ
Since I was waiting for the Holy Cathedralâs examination, I havenât even dared to withdraw the three hundred pounds that Miss Justice transferred to the anonymous account. Just in case they audit my financial situation and find out that Iâm in possession of a large sum of money from an unknown sourceâŚ
âŚ
Just as Kleinâs thoughts flashed through his mind uncontrollably, Dunn Smith smoothed his sleeve and said in a low voice, âThe person in charge of the examination is one of the nine high-ranking deacons of the Nighthawks, Crestet Cesimir. The Holy Cathedral attaches great importance to you.â
âA high-ranking deacon?â Klein blurted in surprise.
In general terms, the thirteen archbishops and nine high-ranking deacons made up the upper echelons of the church. It was said that there was no lack of High-Sequence Beyonders among them!
The twenty-two ladies and gentlemen were all equal in terms of their rankings. They only followed the orders of the Evernight Goddess, and they were only answerable to the Pope.
Dunn took a whiff of the cold wind from the basement before nodding faintly.
âYes, heâs a high-ranking deacon. But you donât have to be nervous. Crestet is only a Sequence 5, and has yet to enter a demigod state. So, you donât have to be too afraid or reverent.
âOh, his title in the Beyonder world is the âGoddessâs Sword.â As he possesses a holy item, his combat strength is similar to a newly advanced Sequence 4 Beyonder.
âI just chatted with him. He was very friendly.â
If I read between the lines, Captain is telling me that he only said what was necessary. He doesnât want me to be nervous and go according to the plan⌠Klein nodded thoughtfully and asked, âWhere should I met the high-ranking deacon?â
âThe alchemy room where we concoct potions,â Dunn replied simply, as a hint of gloominess flashed across his face.
The alchemy room where we concoct potions? The laboratory where Old Neil made my Seer potion? Klein slowly let out a breath and returned to the Nighthawks recreation room and took his outerwear from the clothes rack.
He put on the black windbreaker, placed his hands into his pockets, and walked down the winding stairs that connected to the basement. Then, he took a left turn at the cross junction.
Very quickly, Klein saw a secret door under the light of the elegant gas lamps that lined the walls. He saw that the long tables in the room had been moved aside to open up a large space in the center of the room.
There were two classic high back chairs facing each other with less than a meter in-between them.
There was a man in his thirties wearing a black windbreaker and a white shirt seated on the chair that was facing the door.
His golden-brown hair was cut very short, and his blackish-green eyes were as dark as a forest on a moonless night. The collars of his shirt and windbreaker were put up, and his entire chin was hidden within the shadows.
âHello, Your Grace.â Klein bowed.
Crestet Cesimir had his right leg crossed over his left as he leisurely leaned back into his chair. He smiled and replied, âHello, Klein. You may sit over there.â
He pointed at the high back chair opposite him.
By the side of his leg was a suitcase made of silver. It was about the size of a violin case.
It can carry a sword with an appropriate length⌠Klein walked forward and sat at his appointed seat.
Crestet rested his right index finger on his upper lip as he thought for a few seconds.
âI plan to first examine how well youâve mastered your potion. Thatâs not a problem, right?â
âNot at all.â Klein shook his head with utmost confidence.
âVery confident.â Crestet smiled, but maintained his previous posture. All he did was intently watch Klein.
Klein suddenly felt the light from the surrounding gas lamps vanish, as though they were swallowed by the rich darkness.
He suddenly became exhausted, as though his biological clock had struck the time for sleep.
But, his mind was extremely tense, making it impossible to relax. It was just like when he was unable to sleep peacefully due to over-exhaustion.
The silent ânightâ filled his surroundings as Klein heard the noise of dripping water from a tap that wasnât closed properly. Then, he heard the conversations in the Blackthorn Security Company and the movement of the wind blowing through the stairway.
Besides that, he didnât see anything that he shouldnât see, nor did he hear any noises that he shouldnât be able to hear.
âExcellent.â Crestetâs hypnotic voice dispersed the darkness, and the light from the gas lamps inside and outside the alchemy room came into Kleinâs sight again.
Klein suddenly shook off his exhaustion and returned to his previous energetic self.
He affected me without me realizing it⌠Is that what a Sequence 5 Beyonder is capable of? This is the horror of a high-ranking deacon? He recalled what had happened and felt a little frightened.
Crestet Cesimir clasped his hands and put them on his knees. He bent down slightly, and his lips were blocked by his collar.
âYou passed the test. You achieved a level beyond outstanding in your mastery of your potion.
âIâll need to observe to see if there are any hidden dangers in your mind, to make sure that the potionâs remaining spirit hasnât changed your character subconsciously or left some problems behind.
âYou have three minutes to prepare.â
Klein immediately nodded and said, âAlright.â
He secretly took a breath and allowed himself to enter Cogitation to remove various negative thoughts.
Crestet didnât speak again. He took out a silver pocket watch from the inner pocket of his black windbreaker and flipped it open.
Then, he attentively watched the second hand move.
Three minutes later, Crestet closed his pocket watch and said with a smile, âIâll begin singing.â
Singing? Klein wore a look of confusion.
Before Klein could reply, Crestet started humming a lovely melody.
The melody reverberated in the alchemy room and gradually lost its harmony and went out of tune.
Squeak! Scratch! Zing! Klein heard the noise akin to the scratching of blackboards with nails, the sound of bubble wrap rubbing against each other, electric drills drilling, and various other annoying noises.
The noises intensified and turned more and more chaotic. They made him want to vent his frustrations and cause destruction.
But Klein, who frequently experienced the mad ravings and terrifying screams, restrained his urges very quickly.
He displayed annoyance, tension, frustration, and insecurity at appropriate times.
Being in too perfect of a state would end up being a problem!
It was unknown when Crestet Cesimir had stopped singing. The noises in the alchemy room disappeared and room the was awash with tranquility and silence.
Silence sure is great! Klein exclaimed in his head.
âVery good, excellent. There are no latent problems in your soul. Of course, if you wanted to beat me up or stuff my mouth with something, thatâs only normal.â Crestetâs mouth was blocked by his collar so Klein could only determine his emotions through his tone.
âNo, I wouldnât dare,â Klein admitted honestly.
Crestet smiled and said, âCongratulations, you have passed all the tests. Now itâs time for the question and answer session.â
His green eyes suddenly darkened. His gaze was deep, as though he could see through flesh, and looked directly at the spirit.
âGo ahead,â Klein replied, sitting straight.
Crestet maintained his earlier posture and casually asked, âYou said that your experience in the Divination Club allowed you to quickly master the potion?â
âYes,â Klein answered frankly but didnât describe further.
Crestet nodded slightly and said, âAnd you said that your inspiration came from the maxim of the Mystery Pryers and also Dalyâs example?â
âYes.â Klein confirmed this first before explaining in detail, âI found out from one of my teammates who was a Mystery Pryer that those who abide by the maxim of the Mystery Pryers have a lower probability of losing control than normal. After that, I heard that Madam Daly once said that she wanted to be a real Spirit Medium, and that she is a genius that leveled up to Sequence 7 within two years.
âAfter noticing both situations, I thought I could give it a try, I attempted to be a real Seer and outlined some principles for a Seer. The outcome was better than I expected. I mastered the potion very quickly. Your Grace, Iâm not sure if you have had a similar experience. When I fully mastered the potion, there was a very special, very magical feelingâŚâ Klein described his experience as if he only vaguely understood the âacting method.â
The man he had been when he was on earth wouldâve been nervous and embarrassed to speak so many half-lies before such a powerful Nighthawk. But ever since he transmigrated to the current world, he had lied so much that he was used to it. He could do it flawlessly.
The darkness in Crestetâs eyes disappeared, and his gaze returned to normal. He smiled and said, âDonât worry, itâs not an illusion.â
From his answer, Klein couldnât see any doubt or scrutiny, so he felt at ease.
âDunn endorsed your experience. I believe that you really are a genius, with a logical mind and sharp senses,â Crestet complimented. He then asked, âDid you share your experience with your teammates?â
âOf course,â Klein admitted frankly. âI hope that I can help them lower the risk of losing control. Weâre teammates, comrades that face danger together. I donât have any reason to hide the truth. But for the same reason, I didnât tell the clerks.â
Crestet uncrossed his right leg and sat up straight. His thin lips were exposed from the shadow of his collar.
He lifted the corner of his lips and said, âAlthough you havenât even been with the Nighthawks for two months, I believe your understanding towards partners is much better than many others.
âHmm, I plan to share more information with you, but according to the Holy Cathedralâs rules, you have to swear to the Goddess that you wonât reveal the contents of our conversation to anyone that doesnât know about this.
âThat should be fine, right?â
I passed the test? Klein was delighted. He nodded without hesitation.
âNo problem!â
Although I wonât be able to teach others the âacting method,â I can let Miss Justice and Mr. Hanged Man do so indirectly!