Silas obtained Roselle's diary from Grela, far more easily than he'd anticipated.
What disappointed him, though, was that the other few diary pages contained mostly trivial matters.
Things like Roselle's rendezvous with various noble ladies, or inventions he'd plagiarized, that sort of thing. The only useful entry was the one he'd seen initially.
According to that diary page, Beyonders of adjacent sequences could indeed switch pathways.
But this conversion could only be achieved upon reaching the higher sequences.
For example, a Sequence 5 "Gatekeeper" of the Death pathway could, instead of directly advancing to Sequence 4 of their own pathway, also advance to Sequence 4 of the Darkness or Twilight Giant pathways.
But he was only Sequence 9! The conditions for pathway conversion were still far, far out of reach.
Moreover, he had no idea what constituted "adjacent sequences," or which sequences were adjacent to Secrets Suppliant. For now, he could only shelve the matter.
Better to contact Mr. Azik when I get back and see if he has any other solutions.
That was his thinking.
The business in Enmat Port had concluded.
After attending the funeral, the Tingen team of three bid farewell to Ms. Daly and boarded the return train, arriving back in Tingen after what felt like ages.
Finally back.
Stepping onto the Tingen station platform, Silas let out a heartfelt sigh.
After his time in crisis-ridden Enmat Port, returning here gave him something resembling a sense of homecoming.
Though, come to think of it, there are lunatics here who summon evil gods, too. Can't really call it that safe...
Shaking his head to banish these cynical thoughts, Silas joined the other two in a carriage.
They headed first to the Blackthorn Security Company on Zotland Street to report in, essentially debriefing from their mission.
"...Edward faithfully fulfilled his duty as a Nighthawk, protecting Enmat Port. May the Goddess bless him."
Having received word of their arrival, Dunn was waiting for them in his office.
After hearing the full account of events, he fell silent for a long while before finally speaking these words slowly.
"May the Goddess bless him."
The other three traced crimson moons over their chests and bowed their heads in prayer.
"Alright, thank you all for your hard work on this trip. I've applied for leave on your behalf. You don't need to come in today or tomorrow, so rest well and spend time with your families." Dunn stood, addressing them. "Oh, Silas, stay behind for a moment."
Why me?
Silas, who'd been planning to pick up his sister from school, wondered about this curiously. After the other two left, he remained where he was.
Dunn looked at him, and after a moment, smiled slightly.
"Silas, you prevented a divine descent this time and protected Enmat Port.
You've distinguished yourself again. Your accumulated merits have reached a certain threshold, and I've already submitted an application to the Holy Cathedral to raise your weekly salary from 6 pounds to 8 pounds."
A raise? That's great!
Silas perked up immediately. A direct increase of one-third, and on top of an already substantial salary, no less. Truly cause for celebration.
But looking at Dunn, he seemed to have more to say.
"Captain, is there something else?"
He asked.
"Yes."
Dunn nodded, paused for a moment, then continued, "With the merits you've accumulated, you've actually earned enough to apply for a Sequence 8 potion.
However, due to your sequence issue, there's no way for you to advance normally. So after consideration, I've decided to provide compensation."
Compensation. What a beautiful word.
"Captain, what kind of compensation?"
"A Sealed Artifact."
A Sealed Artifact?
Silas looked up at Dunn, making sure he wasn't joking.
"Captain, are you serious?"
"Of course I'm serious."
Dunn's calm eyes held no hint of jest. "You often encounter various incidents alone, and your Beyonder abilities lean toward support.
You truly need external items for backup. However, don't expect anything too powerful.
At most, I can assign you a Grade 3 Sealed Artifact with non-dangerous side effects. And it's not yours to keep, just temporarily under your custody."
Hearing Dunn add all these qualifications, Silas finally believed him somewhat.
True enough. Those precious Grade 1 and 2 Sealed Artifacts, with their powerful effects and dangerous side effects, couldn't be casually handed over for his use. Grade 3 Sealed Artifacts, though... honestly, a bit underwhelming.
Probably not as useful as Mr. Azik's bone whistle, but still better than nothing.
Silas tried to make himself feel enthusiastic.
"Alright then, I'll look through the Grade 3 Sealed Artifact files later and pick something suitable. But Captain, does this comply with regulations?"
He recalled the team had rules that even Grade 3 Sealed Artifacts required approval for actions involving three or more people.
"I've reported it to the Holy Cathedral using my authority as team captain. If they approve, you can collect it... Given your contributions, it should go through."
That's good then.
Silas nodded and bid Dunn farewell before heading out.
"Wait, one more thing."
Dunn called from behind.
Silas had no choice but to turn back around. After days away on assignment, he'd forgotten about Dunn's memory issues...
"What is it, Captain?"
"Regarding the human trafficking case, the military has completed its investigation.
Their final statement is that some temporary employees were seduced by the Aurora Order, colluded with external enterprises and local forces in Backlund, and committed trafficking and sacrificial crimes."
Temporary employees? Classic.
"I don't believe it. Ms. M said they were just intermediaries."
Silas shook his head.
"The Church doesn't believe it either, but since the military has given their explanation and all other leads are severed, the Church can only suspend the investigation for now and wait for new clues to emerge."
Dunn said.
After this, the Church would probably pay more attention to similar incidents.
And the military, or rather whoever was behind it all, would likely be more cautious. This matter probably wouldn't be resolved in the short term.
"Understood."
Silas couldn't influence the Church's decisions, so he simply nodded.
"Oh, Captain."
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something.
Turning back, looking into Dunn's eyes, Silas said seriously:
"Captain Edward asked me to tell you: don't be a coward, or he'll look down on you."
And then he saw the perpetually calm Dunn's eyes widen in an instant.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, only silently took a deep breath and sat in the darkness without a word.
Walking out the doors of Blackthorn Security Company, it was around three or four in the afternoon.
Looking up at the clear sky and bright sunshine, Silas's mood gradually lifted.
Leave those grand conspiracies for the big shots up top to worry about. More important than all that was caring for his own family. Right, since he had this rare opportunity with time off today, why not go pick up his sister from school?
***
Outside the gates of Tingen City's St. Anilena Girls' Middle School.
This girls' school was considered one of the better middle schools in Tingen.
The students mostly came from upper-middle-class families, including quite a few daughters of minor nobles and wealthy merchants.
Every day when school let out, these youthful, exquisitely dressed young ladies would walk out in groups of three or five, creating a beautiful sight that drew eyes throughout Tingen City.
Today, however, after these young ladies emerged from the gates, they lost their usual liveliness and walked with the utmost ladylike propriety.
The bold few would steal glances toward that figure across from the school gates, pretending to chat with their close friends.
There, a bored-looking young man with black hair leaned casually against a carriage. He wasn't wearing formal attire, his arms were crossed, and his shirt collar was slightly open.
And so on this early autumn evening, the young ladies on the street all felt the gentle breeze of early spring.
Where's my sister?
Silas's eyes swept back and forth among the girls until he spotted Cecilia, then broke into a smile that left the girls mesmerized.
Cecilia saw Silas and looked surprised as well. Amid the envious gazes of countless peers, she quickly walked to her brother's side.