A person's prejudice is like an immovable mountain.
Silas had worked at the Blackthorn Security Company in Tingen long enough to grow accustomed to a steady, rational captain like Dunn.
He'd almost forgotten that the most common difficulties at work don't come from external threats, but from incompetent colleagues, idiotic superiors, and moronic bosses.
Edward rejected Silas's proposal on the grounds that a fallen ritual invoking evil gods should not be performed before the sacred Chanis Gate.
Then Leonard suggested they could transfer the target aboveground before conducting the ritual, but Edward refused that, too.
His reason: the commotion would be too great and might leak intelligence.
While Leonard continued arguing his case, Silas had already seen through to the heart of the matter.
The issue wasn't about the ritual at all. Edward simply didn't want them solving the case.
So Silas stopped Leonard and turned to face the other man with a smile.
"Captain Edward, I won't deny that my ritual requires borrowing evil forces.
However, since you don't agree with my proposal, you must already have another solution in mind."
The man looked confident, as if he'd secured other support and believed he could resolve things even without Silas's help.
"Your guess is spot on. That's right. The local Machinery Hivemind team in Enmat Port has an experienced support member.
He's a Sequence 7 on the Mystery Pryer pathway and has handled similar extraordinary incidents many times before."
As expected, Edward had already found someone else. Facing Silas's inquiry, he no longer concealed it. "I've already arranged things with the Machinery Hivemind.
Tonight, that Beyonder will come here and extract intelligence from the target using more conventional methods."
"Captain Edward!"
Daly frowned. "When you went out yesterday afternoon and didn't come back, was it to negotiate this with the Machinery Hivemind?"
Edward smiled at Daly without denying it.
Then he turned to Silas and said in a tone that was polite but distant, "On behalf of the Nighthawks of Enmat Port, I thank Captain Dunn of Tingen and the three team members for their assistance."
"Your proposal is quite interesting, but considering the relevant factors, I've decided to adopt a more reliable approach.
I'm sure the Holy Cathedral will understand. I just don't know if you three have any objections."
His words seemed to pose a question, but were actually a statement, plainly telling them not to interfere.
Of course, they had objections. Damn it.
Silas didn't voice his thoughts. Instead, he glanced at the monster in the cage.
Theoretically, a Mystery Pryer, also skilled in various rituals, could dispel the blood curse. Moreover, the one they'd recruited was a powerful Sequence 7.
But based on his observations, the blood energy around this monster was somewhat unusual, as if it concealed an even more frenzied power within.
Like a bomb inside another bomb. If you only defused the outer layer and thought everything was fine, the outcome would be predictable.
If Silas handled it himself, he naturally had ways to deal with it properly. But since they didn't want his help, so be it.
Silas smiled.
He would wait and watch the show.
"We're here to assist and cooperate with Enmat Port. Of course, we'll respect your decision."
He replied in a tone that was beyond reproach.
---
"I really didn't expect him to bring in people from the Machinery Hivemind."
After bringing the three from Tingen back to the inn, Daly still looked furious.
"Just because he doesn't like us, does he need to go this far?"
Klein asked, somewhat puzzled.
What was originally an internal Nighthawk matter had now been dragged outside.
While official Beyonders did cooperate with each other regularly, specifically inviting a Sequence 7 Beyonder to do something this dangerous would inevitably incur some debt of favors or exchange of interests.
After a moment of silence, Daly sighed and explained, "It's probably because Captain Edward wants to advance further."
It turned out that recently, Archbishop Ince Zangwill of the Church of the Evernight Goddess had defected, taking with him a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact from the Church.
Setting aside the matter of how to hunt down and deal with Ince Zangwill, his defection had created a vacancy in the archbishop position.
Everyone below him with ambitions was now stirring, Edward among them.
Nighthawks were people, too, and people have their own selfish interests and ambitions.
If this slave ship case were solved by Nighthawks from another city, it might damage Edward's reputation and hinder his advancement.
Add to that the fact that it was the Tingen Nighthawks he already disliked, and his attitude became even worse.
"It's fine, Miss Daly."
Silas smiled. "As long as the matter gets resolved, that's what counts. This way, I'm actually more relaxed.
I can take the opportunity to look around the city. By the way, does Enmat Port have any underground markets? I'd like to replenish some beyonder materials."
"Hmm, a trading market for beyonder materials? Of course there is. It's on White Tower Street, three streets away.
Walk east along the road and you'll see a bar called 'The Unfettered.' The beach behind the bar is the trading market."
Daly gave him detailed directions. After chatting with everyone for a bit longer, she also had matters to attend to and left in a hurry. Only the three from Tingen remained in the room.
"Speaking of which, what's the deal with that archbishop?"
Silas recalled what Daly had just mentioned.
"Ince Zangwill, an archbishop of the Goddess's Church.
He defected after failing to advance to Sequence 4 and being forbidden from trying again," Klein explained, having read the internal report earlier.
"When he defected, he stole a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, 0-08. The only description of this artifact is that it's a quill that can write without dipping in ink."
Can write without ink? What does its actual effect have to do with that?
Silas understood the danger level of Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts and muttered to himself, Could this thing carry a curse where whoever you write about dies?
(A/n: haha)
Forget it, no point worrying about it. There are dedicated pursuit teams for this. It has nothing to do with me anyway.
He looked up and asked the other two in a relaxed tone, "I'm planning to check out that market. Do you want to come?"
"I want to rest this afternoon, so I'll pass."
Klein said.
Today was Monday. He needed to prepare for the Tarot Club meeting.
Silas then looked at Leonard and found Leonard was also looking at him, with a somewhat strange expression.
"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Are you planning to curse Edward to death?"
Leonard asked quietly.
"Huh?"
Silas was stunned for a moment, then said irritably, "What kind of joke is that!"
"Then you're just accepting this so calmly? I thought you'd refute that captain on the spot."
Leonard had been teammates with Silas for a while and understood his personality somewhat.
"But you actually held back. I was thinking you might be planning to retaliate against him later."
Silas couldn't help but laugh.
Leonard wasn't entirely wrong. He'd held back not for any other reason, but to watch the joke unfold later. But he couldn't admit that out loud. He just shook his head.
"You think too badly of me. I'm disappointed. Since you don't want to go out either, I'll just go by myself."
With that, Silas ignored Leonard's gaze from behind and walked straight out of the room.