Daly Simone, a Beyonder of the Corpse Collector pathway, was a Nighthawk attached to the Blackthorn Security Company in Tingen City.
Due to her unique talents, she had been promoted to Sequence 7 Spirit Medium in just two years.
Because of this, she caught the attention of the Holy Cathedral and was transferred to Port Enmat in East Chester County, with prospects of becoming the youngest deacon in the Church of the Evernight Goddess.
During the incident with Old Neil, Silas had met her once.
Her gorgeous, exotic eye makeup and mysterious style left a deep impression on him, as if she were a true "Spirit Medium."
Now, looking back on it, Silas immediately understood the reason for Ms. Daly's rapid advancement.
Clearly, she had been deliberately acting as a "Spirit Medium." She must have already mastered the "acting method."
"But if the Nighthawk captain at Port Enmat likes Ms. Daly, why doesn't he just pursue her? Why would he dislike Captain Dunn?"
Silas couldn't figure out the logic.
Wait a moment.
A thought suddenly struck him.
Two men and one woman... could it be...
"Because Ms. Daly seems to have more favorable feelings toward our captain," Leonard's answer matched his guess exactly. "Of course, this is all my speculation.
Since you just arrived, you might not know. Ms. Daly is already working in Port Enmat, yet she still frequently returns under the pretext of official business to assist the captain.
Not only that, they often correspond by letter, and their usual interactions are very natural."
Silas nodded, recalling that night with Old Neil. Ms. Daly's conversation with Dunn, and the way she looked at him... none of it seemed simple.
Gossip truly is humanity's favorite topic. Klein was also listening intently to Leonard's words.
He couldn't help but interject, "The captain always uses Ms. Daly's achievements to encourage us. He really admires Ms. Daly."
The three men exchanged glances, all catching the implication.
"If they both have feelings for each other, why don't they take things further?"
Klein asked.
"Maybe the captain has reservations about himself."
Leonard shook his head.
The other two immediately understood. Indeed, the captain was somewhat older, and Daly had already been recognized as a genius. Plus, there was the captain's hair... ahem.
"Don't say that. Doesn't the captain have his own charm, too?"
Silas shook his head, thinking of Dunn's usual gentleness and wisdom. "Ms. Daly has excellent taste.
A man like that is worth spending a lifetime with. The captain, too, it's rare to have such a refined lady pursuing him, yet he's still hesitating."
"Do you think we should give them a little push?"
Leonard said with a smile.
Silas thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"Better not. I feel like Ms. Daly will win the captain over sooner or later.
Besides, maybe this period of unspoken mutual understanding is also important for them. If we bring it out into the open directly, it would lose its charm."
"Smart!"
Leonard nodded. "The others in the team probably think the same way."
"The others all know?"
"Even if they haven't reached a conclusion... at least they've guessed something. Except for Rozanne. She's genuinely clueless and hasn't thought about it at all."
Leonard spoke without mercy about the receptionist at the Blackthorn Security Company.
"Woo—"
Just then, the train whistle let out a loud blast.
After the carriage shook briefly, it began to slow down. They had arrived at the transfer station, Stonn.
The carriage became lively. Some passengers got off at the station while others boarded with their luggage.
But those getting off were in the minority; more were boarding, and the carriage gradually became crowded and noisy.
Several ladies walked into the carriage laughing and chatting about something, but suddenly restrained themselves and became quiet after seeing Silas's face.
They sat down whispering among themselves, their eyes occasionally glancing toward him. Silas pretended not to notice.
"Wait a minute, wasn't our original topic about the captain at Port Enmat, Edward Crawford?"
Silas suddenly realized they had long since gone off on a tangent. "Earlier, we were saying that he doesn't like Captain Dunn, right? Does that have anything to do with us?"
"Of course it does."
Leonard said, "Unfortunately, Edward Crawford is not a gentleman with a generous heart. He dislikes the captain, and by extension, he'll dislike us too, especially you, Silas."
As he said this, he shifted his gaze to Silas.
"You represent the Nighthawks of Tingen City, coming to clean up their mess at Port Enmat.
Given his personality, he'll definitely feel humiliated and hate you for it. He's bound to make things difficult for you."
Huh?
Silas was stunned for a moment, then sneered coldly.
You're petty? Well, I'm not exactly a magnanimous person either!
"Then we'd better win some respect for the captain."
Silas said with a smile.
If the other party stayed professional, no problem. But if he decided to stir up trouble, Silas wasn't going to let it slide.
***
After stopping at Stonn for ten minutes, the train departed again, heading south. The three Nighthawks ate a memorable lunch on the train.
It wasn't until 3:30 in the afternoon that they arrived at Port Enmat.
Silas grabbed his suitcase and stepped out of the carriage door. A wave of hot air carrying the ocean's distinctive salty, fishy, damp smell hit him head-on.
Looking around and past the crowded masses toward the distance, the ocean and harbor were faintly visible.
"Stop looking. They definitely won't have arranged anyone to pick us up."
Thinking Silas was looking for someone to meet, Leonard shook his head nearby. "That captain definitely won't be so considerate... Ms. Daly?"
Silas looked in the direction of the voice. Near the exit stood a mysterious and charming lady.
She wore blue eye makeup, had a pretty face, and was dressed entirely in a black robe that fully displayed her unique temperament.
She stood out conspicuously among the diverse crowd. Many gentlemen passing by couldn't help but cast appreciative glances her way.
Ms. Daly also spotted the three of them and flashed them a charming smile.
"Ms. Daly, did your captain arrange for you to pick us up? Has he actually changed his ways this time?"
Leonard led the three of them over.
Daly shook her head. "It has nothing to do with Captain Edward. I came on my own initiative after confirming your itinerary with Dunn.
Captain Edward is busy with a case at headquarters and didn't arrange for anyone to pick you up."
Leonard smiled and looked back at the others, his expression saying: See? What did I tell you?
The station wasn't a good place to catch up. After a brief chat, the group followed Daly out of the station and boarded the carriage she had prepared.
"What's with you all? You're looking at me kind of strangely."
Not long after the carriage set off, Ms. Daly asked with a smile.
Having just learned about Ms. Daly and Dunn's situation, Silas and Klein's attitudes were inevitably somewhat deliberate.
"Nothing, we're just a bit touched that Ms. Daly came specially to pick us up."
Silas said with a smile.
"Touched? I see."
Daly's expression was ambiguous, making it unclear whether she believed his words or not. She simply repeated them.
She was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly spoke. "You three should all know about the acting method by now, right?"
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