"??? Sorry, I must have misheard. Are you saying that, with Klein's help, you almost lost control?"
Klein pressed his hand against his forehead, speechless. Could this guy even talk properly? What did he mean by 'almost lost control with my help'? He clearly saved him afterwards, okay?!
Edward chuckled. "Yes, I almost lost control, but the key point is—I didn't. And precisely because of that moment, I met the most important, the greatest, the most admirable person who completely changed my life. I'm willing to dedicate my life and soul to him."
Stop. Stop. Stop. Klein's secondhand embarrassment was flaring up.
Behind his back, Klein's fingers clenched into a death grip. He wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and crawl inside. "Ahem, Leonard, let's end this conversation here. We still have official business."
"Oh, right."
"Ah, my bad, I got carried away chatting. Gentlemen, please, come in."
Once they were seated, Edward poured each of them a glass of water. "Apologies, I only have hot water at home."
He sat down across from them and studied Klein up and down. "Mr. Moretti, aren't you a Seer? Why are you a policeman now?"
"Being a Seer is just my side job."
Edward nodded in understanding. He set down his cup, suddenly growing serious. "Mr. Moretti, and…?"
"Just call me Leonard."
"Alright. Since we're all acquaintances, I'll be straightforward. Mr. Moretti, I know you're a Seer. What about you…Leonard? Are you also a Beyonder?"
The two exchanged a glance before Klein nodded. "That's right."
"Good."
Edward pulled out a notebook and said, "So, tell me—where were you around 10 PM last night? What were you doing?"
Leonard blinked in confusion. He mumbled, "10 PM last night? I had just finished reading Emperor Roselle's poetry collection, then I—wait a second! Shouldn't we be the ones asking you this?!"
Edward's expression remained serious. "Apologies, but your status as a policeman means nothing to me. Mr. Moretti, your answer?"
"..."
Klein felt lost. If he remembered correctly, they had come here under orders to investigate last night's Beyonder incident. But why did it feel like they had suddenly become the ones being interrogated?
"Mr. Edward, in what capacity are you questioning us?"
"As an official member of the Church of the Evernight!"
"???"
Klein and Leonard almost spoke in unison: We are too!
But…why didn't they recognize him?
Leonard raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Mr. Edward, impersonating an official member of the Church of the Evernight is a serious offence."
"Oh? Seems like you know quite a bit. You're not a wild Beyonder, then?"
Leonard's expression darkened. "Sorry to disappoint you, but we're official members of Tingen's Church of the Evernight. And as far as I know, there's no one named Edward in our Nighthawks squad."
"I never said I was from Tingen's Church of the Evernight," Edward shrugged. "Allow me to introduce myself properly. I'm an official from Backlund, temporarily stationed in Tingen."
"???"
Leonard and Klein exchanged a shocked glance.
"But," Edward continued, "since I'm currently carrying out a classified mission, it's inconvenient for me to present any identification." Then, suddenly, he stretched out a hand and asked, "So, gentlemen, how do you intend to prove your identities?"
"???"
The two were utterly baffled.
Bro, you're pushing it too far! You can't provide proof of your identity, and yet you're asking us to prove ours?!
Klein thought for a moment before taking out his Nighthawks identification. "Will this do?"
"Of course."
Edward put his notebook away. "Since we're colleagues, that's the end of the questioning. Mr. Moretti…hmm, can I just call you Klein?"
"Uh, sure."
"As a token of gratitude for your help last time, let me treat you to a meal later."
Klein immediately declined. "No need, we still have work to do today. Maybe another time. Sorry to bother you."
He tugged at Leonard, who looked reluctant, and the two left together.
The moment they stepped outside, Leonard shook off Klein's grip and whispered, "You're just going to trust him that easily?"
Klein sighed helplessly. "Of course not."
"Then why did you drag me out?"
"What else were we supposed to do? Attack him on the spot?" Klein said seriously. "I think we should report this to the Captain first. If we do have to act, we should be prepared."
That was his honest reasoning. But deep down, he had another consideration—Edward was a member of the Tarot Club and a devoted believer of The Fool. If he really had done something suspicious…unless he was an outright heinous criminal, Klein would rather find a way to help him escape.
Leonard frowned. "But what if he runs away?"
"That's why I'll stay here and keep an eye on him. You go back and report to the Captain."
"No way. You're just a Sequence 9 Seer—you don't have much combat ability. It's too dangerous. You go back and report, and I'll stay here and watch him."
"Uh…fine."
Klein had no choice but to accept Leonard's concern. Before leaving, he warned, "Remember, don't act rashly before we get back."
Leonard raised two fingers and lightly flicked Klein's forehead.
"Hey, which one of us is the rookie here? Hurry up and go."
Klein quickly turned and ran, flagging down a passing carriage and heading straight for the Blackthorn Security Company on Zouteland Street.
No, I have to confirm with Edward first—whether he's actually impersonating an official. But…wouldn't it be too embarrassing if The Fool himself suddenly asked such a question?
A flash of inspiration struck Klein. What if I phrase it as a plea to myself? I could say…'I, Klein, am a favoured of The Fool,' and use that as a warning to Edward. But how would I even know his identity in the first place?
Hmm, as a favoured of The Fool, knowing the identities of Tarot Club members should be reasonable, right?
"Stop."
Klein made up his mind and called out to the coachman, "Sorry, I need to use the restroom."
———
[No. 5 Tulip Street]
Edward tossed a small ball into the air, and Lilith leaped up, snatching it mid-flight before twisting in the air and landing gracefully. She trotted back, stood on her hind legs, placed her front paws on Edward's lap, and eagerly spat the ball out. "Meow (▽｀)."
Edward picked up the ball, just about to throw it again when—
His vision suddenly blurred.
A dense, grayish-white fog engulfed his surroundings, stretching endlessly into the distance. Deep within the mist, a high-backed chair loomed, eternally present. A vague figure sat upon it, its presence solemn and unshakable.
The Fool?
Then, from within the mist, another shadow emerged—a hazy figure clad in a police uniform. He remained kneeling in a posture of prayer and spoke with sincere devotion:
"Mr. Tower, I am Klein, a favoured of The Fool. I need to know if what you just said was true. Are you really an official member of the Church of the Evernight? If not, please find an opportunity to escape immediately."
Edward was momentarily stunned, a flicker of surprise flashing through his mind.
Klein is actually this loyal? He's even willing to risk exposing himself to warn me?
After the initial shock, he sighed internally. No wonder everyone loves Klein.
Placing a hand over his chest, Edward lowered his head and responded, "Honorable Fool, please inform your favoured that every word I spoke earlier was true. I am indeed an official member of the Church of the Evernight. He may rest assured."
A moment later, The Fool's calm voice echoed through the mist:
"I understand."
The next second, everything vanished—sight, sound, presence—leaving no trace as if it had never happened.
Lilith had long since carried the ball away, tossing it aside to engage in a one-sided battle with the air on the floor.
———
Elsewhere.
Klein opened his eyes inside a department store restroom, exhaling in relief.
Even though all Tarot Club members, himself included, could be considered two-faced schemers in the grand scheme of things, Klein still felt a strong sense of belonging to the Tingen Nighthawks squad. This act of "betrayal" weighed on him heavily.
—
Ten minutes later.
Klein returned to the Blackthorn Security Company.
At the reception desk, Rozanne was nodding off with a book in hand. The moment she heard the doorbell chime, she jolted awake. "Welcome—oh, Klein, you're back?"
"Yeah. Where's the Captain?"
Rozanne covered a yawn. "In his office."
"Got it."
Klein hurried off.
Rozanne suddenly remembered something. "Oh, wait—Captain is meeting an important guest…Everyone's in such a rush today."
She lowered her head again, flipping through her book, soon drifting back into drowsiness.
Klein descended the staircase quickly. A chill drifted up from below, dispersing the lingering heat on his body.
As soon as he reached the underground office area, he saw Captain Dunn leading a man out of his office. Judging by their positions, Dunn seemed to be the subordinate in this conversation.
"Klein, you're just in time."
Dunn took a step back and introduced the man beside him.
"This is Lord Crestet Cesimir from Backlund, one of the nine senior deacons of the Nighthawks. He's responsible for your assessment."
Klein's spirits lifted. The assessment is finally here! I can finally advance to Sequence 8!
"Nice to meet you, Klein."
Crestet Cesimir was a man in his early thirties, dressed in a black trench coat over a white shirt. His golden-brown hair was cropped short, giving him a sharp, composed appearance. He wore a warm, affable smile.
"Shall we begin?"
"Of course."
Klein nodded instinctively, then abruptly halted. "Wait! Captain, during our investigation earlier, we made an important discovery."
He quickly recounted the entire encounter with Edward and concluded, "So, given that we're uncertain whether he's an enemy or an ally, and we don't know his true strength, I felt it was best to report back before taking any action."
Dunn nodded approvingly. "You made the right call."
He then turned to Crestet Cesimir. "Lord Cesimir, do you know an Edward from Backlund's Nighthawks?"
"Edward?"
Crestet Cesimir frowned in thought. After a brief moment, he said firmly, "I'm certain that there is no one by that name in either Backlund's Nighthawks or the Red Gloves. Hah, he must be an imposter."
"What?!"
Klein was dumbfounded. His first reaction was:
Edward, you actually dared to trick even The Fool?!
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.