The upper echelons of the Church of the Evernight Goddess included thirteen archbishops and nine high-ranking Deacons.
Crestet Cesimir was one of them.
That such an important figure in the Church would make a special trip to see him didn't make Silas feel honored, but rather frightened in retrospect.
"Didn't Mr. Cesimir come for Old Neil's matter?"
"No, Mr. Cesimir made a special trip to see you, to review whether you, a Nighthawk on the Secrets Suppliant pathway, were qualified... It's just that he happened to receive my report, so he decided to handle the matter while he was at it.
So in every sense, Old Neil should thank you."
Dunn said.
"Then why did he leave again?"
Silas couldn't help but feel a bit confused.
"He said that after witnessing your actions to save Old Neil, and seeing that the Goddess's holy relic approved of you, there was no need for further review." Dunn smiled at this point.
"This is a good thing, Silas. It means you've been recognized by the Holy Cathedral. Now you truly have official protection. You should be happy."
Hearing him say this, Silas did indeed feel a wave of relief.
But soon after, he thought of the scene of Crestet opening his mouth wide, with wraiths clinging to every tooth, and he felt uneasy again.
The joy of acquiring property, the reassurance of being acknowledged by the Holy Cathedral, and his wariness of Crestet... various emotions swirled in his heart. He sat there in a daze, not knowing what to say.
"Also, because Old Neil is gone and you and Klein are still newcomers, I'm planning to apply to the Holy Cathedral to have them transfer an assistant from another region to strengthen the team.
Until then, you'll have to self-study your mysticism courses... Old Neil said he left all the documents in the data room downstairs.
You can read and study them on your own, but be careful. Don't rashly try anything you're uncertain about."
Dunn laid out the future arrangements.
Upon hearing that the mysticism courses that once tormented him were gone, Silas felt happy but also a bit regretful.
After all, Old Neil had taught real knowledge. With his departure, Silas would only be able to self-study from now on.
I hope Klein has mastered it better and can teach me more.
He silently prayed.
"That's everything, Silas. You can go now. Remember to tell Klein about this as well."
"Yes, Captain."
Silas stood up and slowly moved his feet while secretly counting in his mind.
One, two, three...
"Wait."
Here it comes.
Silas turned around and asked with a smile, "Is there something else, Captain?"
"Your newcomer's welcoming dinner has been booked.
This Friday evening at Old Will's Restaurant. Heh, Old Neil won't make it to this feast. He even told me earlier that he was really looking forward to it..."
"I'll remember, Captain."
Silas didn't know what to say and could only nod.
He prepared to leave again.
"Wait one more moment."
Dunn spoke up once more.
Silas was forced to stop. "Captain?"
"Remember to submit your proof of mental soundness. It would be best to get the paperwork done and give it to me within the next week."
"No problem."
He turned to leave again. This time, Dunn didn't call him back, and he was able to smoothly exit the office.
***
Nothing eventful happened that afternoon.
Silas spent the afternoon at Blackthorn Security Company savoring the news, and also took half an hour to practice shooting.
He finally gradually accepted the fact that there was now a house worth 900 pounds in the northern suburbs that would belong to him.
His heart finally began to truly feel happy. After work hours, he took the tram to the streets.
When Cecilia came home from school and pushed the door open, she saw a large table of delicious food: pan-fried goose liver, roast beef, vegetable salad, lamb stew, cream cake, and a bottle of champagne and a bottle of wine, already opened, shimmering enticingly under the gaslight.
"You're back?"
Silas was pouring champagne into wine glasses. Seeing her come in, he couldn't help but say with a smile.
Cecilia looked at all this food with a somewhat bewildered expression. She put down her schoolbag, thought about it, and asked, "Silas... what are you doing?"
"Celebrating good news."
Silas smiled.
He'd spent the whole afternoon thinking and had figured it out. He truly deserved this reward, so he should accept it frankly and use it to live a better life. That would be living up to Old Neil's kind intentions.
"Good things happen every day, but if we squander money like this, we'll have nothing to eat tomorrow."
Cecilia earnestly tried to persuade him.
"Don't worry, little sister."
Silas couldn't help but laugh.
"Actually, what I'm celebrating is this: your brother is so capable that in one night, I earned you an entire house!"
After he finished speaking, Cecilia didn't show any happiness, but instead looked worried.
"Silas... are you having hallucinations again?"
(/n: haha)
Silas couldn't help but give a helpless smile.
He had no choice but to explain in detail, though he couldn't tell his sister the whole truth.
He could only say what he was allowed to say. It took a great deal of effort before Cecilia believed Silas's words.
"Brother... so what you're saying is all true?"
She widened her adorable eyes and looked at Silas in astonishment. "You're amazing."
"Right?"
Silas couldn't help but smile.
Being sincerely praised by his sister was far more gratifying than being complimented by a high-ranking Deacon of the Church of Evernight. "I think so too."
Then he clapped his hands. "All right, what are we waiting for? Hurry and wash your hands so we can eat. If the food gets cold, it won't taste as good."
So the two washed their hands, took their seats, clinked glasses in celebration, and began to feast heartily.
Seeing his sister eating happily, Silas felt genuinely joyful from the bottom of his heart.
Then he, too, picked up his knife and fork and joined the eating brigade.
After enjoying the meal, the two immersed themselves in the lingering aroma of the delicious food, chatting casually.
They rested for quite a while before getting up to clear the table and wash the dishes.
"How are things at school? Is anyone bullying you? Are there any clueless punks trying to take advantage of you?"
Silas asked while scrubbing plates, glancing at his sister's profile.
"Don't worry, brother. The day Mr. Smith took me to school, he had several police officers following behind him.
"Now everyone's saying I'm some police bigwig's secret daughter. Nobody dares mess with me anymore."
Cecilia rinsed the foam off the plates while answering.
"That works too."
Silas laughed helplessly. "What about your studies? Is there anything you can't keep up with?"
"It's fine.
What the teachers are teaching is pretty simple. I've been reviewing carefully after class, too.
On the last class test, I ranked near the top of the class."
His sister's answer was super reassuring.
"That's good, that's really good."
Silas felt much more at ease. He chatted with Cecilia for a while longer, making plans to go to the theater on the weekend to see a performance.
Only then did he finish tidying up, and they each returned to their bedrooms to rest.
After returning to his bedroom, he didn't lie down immediately. Instead, he turned on the gas lamp and pulled out a sheet of paper from his desk.
Old Neil's situation had given him a bit of a sense of crisis.
He wanted to take advantage of having time tonight to properly organize what abilities he currently possessed.