Senior Deacon Arrives

Bang! Bang!

Luther repeatedly pulled the trigger at the target ten meters away. The revolver rang out sharply, recoiling again and again against the web of his thumb and his palm.

After firing all six rounds, he lowered his arm, let out a long breath, and narrowed his eyes at the target opposite him.

There were three bullet holes embedded in it.

A fifty percent hit rate. I still need more practice...

The corner of Luther's mouth twitched as he muttered to himself inwardly.

He flicked open the heated cylinder with his thumb and gave it a slight shake. The spent casings clattered onto the floor.

He was currently in a sealed underground shooting range, with no one else around. This was the underground range at 3 Zorante Street. Most of it belonged to the Tingen City Police Department, while this small section was reserved specifically for the Nighthawks to practice in.

Luther went to the nearby rest area and sat down, placing the revolver on the table before carefully wiping it down with a handkerchief.

Come to think of it, he had collected this revolver, along with the bullets, from Old Neil.

As he maintained the gun, he recalled what had happened that day.

Frightened by Old Neil's abnormality, Luther had rushed upstairs to find Dunn after his mysticism class, not even daring to collect the gun he had been longing for. He had originally worried that Dunn would question him. After all, Old Neil had been his teammate for years, while Luther was merely a newcomer who had joined a day ago. Yet after Luther carefully described the appearance of the pair of eyes behind Old Neil, Dunn quickly believed him.

According to Dunn, those cold, indifferent eyes without eyelashes perfectly matched the description of the evil god at the peak of Old Neil's pathway—something Luther, with no foundation in mysticism, could not possibly have fabricated.

Since Dunn believed him, the key issue became how to resolve Old Neil's problem.

How?

One word: wait.

Dunn told Luther not to tell anyone for the time being, promising that he would handle it properly. Until then, Luther had to act normally, continuing his classes, conversations, and studies with Old Neil as if nothing had happened.

Thus, the following days had been extremely difficult for Luther. He had tried his best to act as though nothing was wrong—going to work, collecting his gun, receiving training, and joking cheerfully with Old Neil under the glare of those monstrous eyes behind him... It nearly drove him mad. If Luther had not retained some trust in Dunn, he might have suspected that Dunn was in league with Old Neil as well.

The pressure weighed heavily on Luther, giving him even greater motivation to practice shooting. Every afternoon after work, he did not go straight home. Instead, he came to the range and practiced for half an hour.

Fortunately, tonight was the deadline.

Luther polished the revolver until it gleamed, then loaded the cylinder one Demon-Hunting Bullet at a time. After snapping it shut, he slipped it into the holster beneath his arm. He stood, dusted the gunpowder residue from his clothes, took the coat hanging from the nearby rack, put it on, and left the shooting range for the street.

The sun was gradually setting, and it was just after work. More pedestrians and carriages filled the streets, making them lively and bustling. Luther joined the crowd, walked along the road for a while, and entered Old Verne's Restaurant to pick up the dinner he had ordered. Carrying the food box, he took a public carriage home.

By the time he returned home, the smell of gunpowder on him had mostly dissipated.

Pushing open the door of 6 Daffodil Street, Luther saw his younger sister Cecilia reviewing her lessons at the table in the living room. To make reading easier, she had tied her long black hair into a ponytail, exposing her fair, slender neck, whose graceful curve resembled a swan's. Seeing Luther enter, she looked up and smiled.

"You're getting off work rather punctually today."

As she turned to speak, Cecilia's black ponytail swayed back and forth, looking quite adorable.

"Unfortunately, no."

Luther set the food box on the table. "I have to stand watch tonight. I'll be staying at the company overnight and won't be coming home to sleep. Make sure you eat properly, remember to lock the door, and if anything urgent happens, go to the Moretti family at Number 2."

"Standing watch?"

"Yes, I have to stay awake all night... Everyone takes turns, and tonight is mine," Luther explained. Seeing his sister's smile fade slightly, he added, "The good news is that there is an allowance for standing watch, so I'll get a little more pay."

"I understand."

Cecilia lowered her head and accepted the food box. "Then you should tell me earlier next time. I was waiting to have dinner with you."

Her obedient, quiet manner made Luther feel a little guilty. He could not help giving her a few more reminders before finally leaving reluctantly.

By the time Luther returned to Blackthorn Security Company, night had completely fallen.

In August and September, the nighttime temperature was just right. Facing the cool night breeze, he entered the company lobby.

"Mm! Luther, it's you. Good evening."

Rozanne greeted him from behind the desk. This girl was surprisingly carefree. After discovering that Luther truly was not some strange person, and after chatting with him a few times, she had quickly grown familiar with him. By now, they could smile and talk casually.

"Good evening. Have you had dinner?"

Luther returned the greeting casually, then turned and entered the rest room, closing his eyes to rest on the sofa bed.

He had told Cecilia that he was on night duty, but in truth, it was not his turn to guard Chanis Gate tonight. In fact, Dunn had specifically asked him to come here tonight, telling him to keep quiet and wait for instructions.

Before long, the rest room door opened and someone walked in. The newcomer had long black hair and a cold expression. It was Royale, whom Luther had met before.

"Ms. Royale, have you recovered from your injuries?"

Luther asked. Her steps were steady, and though she still looked somewhat tired, she appeared to be in good spirits.

"Yes, they're basically no longer a problem."

Royale answered. She sat on the sofa opposite Luther and looked at him curiously.

When they had previously met in the rest room, Luther had still been someone under protection. Now, he had transformed into her teammate. The world truly was marvelous.

"I think I still owe you a thank-you. Thank you for saving me."

Although she had lost consciousness at the time, based on the others' descriptions, she might have long since been devoured alive by the cultists if not for Luther.

"No need to thank me. I was mainly protecting myself at the time."

Luther spoke honestly. "But now that we're teammates, isn't protecting your teammates only natural?"

Royale nodded.

She was about to say something else when the rest room door opened once more. Dunn stood outside, wearing his black windbreaker and hat. "Luther, come with me... Royale is here too? Good. You come as well."

"Captain, where are we going?"

Half surprised and half bewildered, Royale stood and asked.

"We're going to Tingen City Railway Station. A senior deacon has arrived."