Holy Cathedral's Approval

Inside the study on the second floor of the house rented by the Moretti Family at number 2 on daffodil street, more than ten meters away.

Klein Moretti carefully used a silver knife to construct a Wall of Spirituality, sealing off the room so that what he was about to do would not affect his older brother Benson or younger sister Melissa next door.

During the day, he had felt two invisible forces envelop him in succession, just like when he had previously used the Luck Enhancement Ritual to enter the Gray Fog. They had come with waves of illusory whispers and the appearance and disappearance of four black dots on the back of his hand.

At the time, he had judged that members of the Tarot Club had successfully performed Ritual Magic and contacted the Fool through the incantation he had created. However, while at Blackthorn Security Company, Klein had not dared respond to the prayers with a Luck Enhancement Ritual in front of so many Nighthawks. He had waited until night, after returning home and after his family had gone to rest, before preparing to enter the Gray Fog Space and investigate.

Reciting the incantation he had long memorized and walking four steps counterclockwise, the Fool arrived at His divine hall.

The Gray Fog Space was unchanged from last time, but among the many deep crimson stars, two were flickering with a special glow.

Was it the Hanged Man, or the other two ladies?

Klein pondered as he extended his spirituality and touched one of the flickering stars.

The images and sounds contained within immediately entered his mind. Accompanied by illusory, distant prayers, a blurry scene unfolded as though separated by a layer of mist.

It showed a young woman in a black robe, standing in a crude basement before an altar with four lit candles and four offerings. With her hands clasped together, she silently recited something.

From the surroundings and the strand of blonde hair poking out beneath the hood of the black robe, Klein determined that this was a member of the Tarot Club, Miss Empress.

It worked. This self-created Ritual Magic truly pointed to him, to the Fool!

Klein felt a surge of secret delight. The success of the Ritual Magic confirmed his authority within the Gray Fog Space, giving him greater confidence in some of his future actions.

He steadied his excited emotions and tried to answer Miss Empress's prayer within the scene.

"I know."

"I know."

Even the following morning, when Angel arrived at Blackthorn Security Company in a daze and sat in the reception room drinking the coffee Rozanne had brewed, the Fool's deep, mysterious voice from the night before still echoed in her mind.

In this steam age without television or the internet, Angel had nothing to do at night and could only go to bed early. Yet just as she entered her bedroom, an incomparably clear image had suddenly appeared uncontrollably in her mind: the Fool's body hidden behind the gray fog, and His response to the ritual.

Compared to entering the divine hall in the Gray Fog directly from the Physical World, this method of feedback that affected her everyday life frightened her even more.

There was no doubt that this was an incomparably powerful existence. Even if He was not a deity, He was not far from one.

She seemed to have become this powerful being's first believer?

Unsure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, Angel quickly let it go. After all, resistance was useless, so she could only...

"Ah, Angel, you're here."

Dunn Smith, captain of the Nighthawks, emerged from behind the partition at the back of the reception room. Seeing her stirring the coffee in her hand while staring unfocused at the empty sofa ahead, he greeted her.

"Good morning, Captain." Angel gathered her thoughts, set down her coffee cup, and returned the greeting.

"The Holy Cathedral's approval has arrived." Dunn briefly stated his purpose. He glanced at Rozanne, who was pretending to read the newspaper carefully behind the reception desk while sneaking looks in their direction from time to time. "Come to my office."

"Rozanne, if Klein comes, have him come to my office too."

Rozanne, who had been feigning concentration, hurriedly nodded. Then she watched Dunn and Angel disappear one after the other behind the partition.

She knew the Nighthawks had many higher-level secrets that a civilian employee like her was not allowed to know, but she could not help pricking up her ears, trying to catch the conversation coming from deeper within the building. Unfortunately, the sound of the office door closing made her lower her head in disappointment.

"Have a seat." After entering his office, Dunn sat directly in his high-backed chair. Angel closed the door and, without standing on ceremony, sat opposite him, waiting for him to continue their previous topic.

"The Holy Cathedral replied to me by telegram yesterday morning, but Tris the Instigator delayed things, so I didn't tell you right away." As Dunn explained, he took out a telegram from the drawer, cleared his throat, and read its contents aloud.

"Reply to the Nighthawks' Tingen City Team: Your application to promote new member Angel Granger to a full member has passed our identity verification and qualification review. We hereby approve Angel Granger's appointment as a full member of the Nighthawks' Tingen City Team."

Setting down the telegram, Dunn Smith said solemnly, "Once you become a full member, your weekly salary of 3 pounds will immediately double to 6 pounds. It will gradually increase with your years of service, and you will also receive the status of a probationary inspector in Awwa County."

"I believe you already understand the rules you need to follow. Last time, I said you could wait until the Holy Cathedral's reply before making your decision. So now, what is your decision?"

Angel had made up her mind long ago, so naturally she would not back down now. With an equally serious expression, she nodded, took a deep breath, and answered, "I am willing to become an official Nighthawk."

"Congratulations, Miss Angel Granger. You are now a full member of ours."

Dunn Smith revealed his familiar smile again and extended his right hand, clasping the right hand Angel extended at the same time.

"Full members need to take shifts guarding Chanis Gate. You may take one day off each week, and you can choose which day, though it's best to keep it fixed. This week's schedule has already been arranged, so you won't need to stand watch for now. However, we have other tasks planned today, and you may need to stay here to handle emergencies."

After the brief "confirmation ceremony," Dunn Smith immediately returned to his role as captain of the Nighthawks and began assigning tasks.

"Also, now that you are a full member, I can speak more openly about certain matters. Old Neil once mentioned that the caliber of your handgun ammunition differs from everyone else's, making logistics more difficult. I suggest you standardize your ammunition caliber as soon as possible. Go to him later and receive a new handgun, though you may keep your current one and turn it in only after you become familiar with the new weapon."

Angel was not surprised to hear Dunn's words. Old Neil had mentioned the matter when she collected ammunition before, but because she was used to her current weapon, she had not paid it much mind. Now that she had become a full member, it seemed it was time to make a change and integrate into the group.

"Then, if there is nothing else, I'll take my leave." Seeing the captain nod in agreement, she prepared to leave the office. Yet after taking only two steps, she unsurprisingly heard him call, "Wait a moment," from behind her.

As expected... Captain, are you showing signs of premature senility...

Angel turned back and gave him an inquiring look.

"Did I forget to tell you that full members need to complete a task independently in order to earn the recognition of their other companions?"

Seeing her shake her head to indicate that she did not know, Dunn continued with a smile, "Normally, I would assign a task involving supernatural factors. But considering your outstanding combat performance when dealing with Mrs. Sharon's attack, I think an ordinary task can be used instead."

"Don't worry, this isn't an official rule and won't affect your evaluation among the Nighthawks. It's just... well, one of our Tingen Team's internal requirements."

"All right, Captain. Is there anything else?" Angel silently noted down this "joining task," intending to ask the other members about it when she had time.

"No. You may leave."

Having learned from the last time she had been repeatedly called back, she deliberately slowed her pace. When closing the door, she even leaned her head back into the office for another look. Dunn was writing something in his notebook. Sensing her gaze, he looked up at the doorway curiously.

"There's really nothing else," he said helplessly.

Angel made her way to the armory with practiced familiarity. This time, Old Neil was no longer studying those pages from Emperor Roselle's Diary, but brewing his own hand-ground coffee with an old set of cups.

Hearing that she had come to switch to a smaller-caliber revolver, Old Neil explained with a wry smile, "I only mentioned it when Dunn went to the Police Station to collect next quarter's bullets. I wasn't complaining to him about logistical difficulties. You can absolutely continue using weapons of your original caliber."

"It's fine. I've actually wanted to switch for a while."

Angel spoke against her true feelings. Since changing guns was already a done deal, it was a pity, but there was no need to make Old Neil think his careless remark had caused the outcome.

Moreover, from the perspective of logistics management and replenishing each other's ammunition in battle, the advantages of using weapons of the same caliber were obvious. Angel had previously refused to switch because she was used to her .45 handgun, but she had also hesitated inwardly. Now, taking the opportunity of becoming a full member to switch to the same weapon as the other Nighthawks was not a bad idea.

Seeing that Angel did not mind, Old Neil let out a breath of relief. He took out the armory key and quickly found a brand-new revolver. Perhaps as compensation, it came with two full boxes of ordinary bullets of the same caliber, ten Demon Hunter Bullets in a metal case, a matching shoulder holster, and a speed loader.

The surfaces of these beautifully crafted silver bullets were covered in intricate patterns. Their effects were said to be similar to the special bullets Angel made herself, but instead of enhancing repeated attacks, they dealt additional damage to Spirit Bodies.

"You don't need to turn in your old gun either. Keep it as a secondary weapon during the transition. Last time, you exchanged your own old gun for the new one, so technically you never received a weapon of your own. This time, I'm making up for that." Old Neil handed the revolver and its accessories to Angel, watching as she signed her name in the record book.

"No... all right. Thank you. Once I'm used to this gun, I'll turn in the old one."

A revolver was not worth more than a few pounds, and Angel did not want to leave the old members with the bad impression that she was greedy for small advantages. She had intended to refuse, but after a change of heart, she felt Old Neil had a point. It would take time to adapt to the new gun, so she might as well keep the old weapon for now.

She gripped the new revolver and tested its feel, then opened the cylinder and loaded the .38-caliber bullets one by one. This revolver held six rounds, one more than her previous large-caliber revolver. That might take some time to get used to, so she would not automatically reload after firing five shots.

The shoulder holster did not fit very well either. Angel turned her back and adjusted it for quite a while before securing it in place. She slipped the new gun into the holster, pressed the remaining bullets into the speed loader and put it in her pocket, then finally bid Old Neil farewell and left the armory.

Under the lights lining both sides of the underground passage, Angel retraced her path to the crossroads connecting the church, Chanis Gate, and Blackthorn Security Company.

Clack—clack— Uniform footsteps came from the direction of Chanis Gate. She turned to look and was met with an utterly ridiculous sight.