Hiring Commission

After successfully borrowing the Goddess's power to create a Sleep Charm, Luther fell into deep thought instead. It was not because becoming a believer of the Goddess made him gloomy; he was analyzing why his Potion had been digesting so quickly.

A Secrets Suppliant was one who prayed to hidden existences.

Had the Potion digested quickly because he had prayed to the Goddess, who represented concealment, for power, thus matching the Potion's name?

No, it was not just that.

Luther carefully recalled that the moment his Potion began digesting rapidly had not been when he prayed, but the instant he received the Goddess's response and gained her attention.

Right. Prayer was merely an action; its true purpose was to receive a response from a hidden existence!

The key was—establishing a connection with a hidden existence!

He quickly thought of the name of the Sequence 8 Potion: "Listener."

First, pray to a hidden existence and establish a connection. Then, listen to the voice of that great existence and become a believer—this was how this pathway worked. Everything made sense now!

Then could he replace the object of his Listening with the Goddess? If so, perhaps he would have a chance to advance to Sequence 8 without becoming a fanatic of the True Creator?

For a moment, Luther's thoughts raced. A bright road seemed to appear before him, and he could not help feeling delighted. It might not work, but having hope was always a good thing.

That cheerful mood lasted until the next day. He was even beaming while eating.

"Luther, did something good happen?"

Rozanne could not help asking.

"Something like that."

Luther smiled as he tore off a piece of bread and soaked it in the vegetable soup.

This meal counted as a work meal. It was inconvenient to go home for lunch, so they ordered food from Old Verne's Restaurant across the street, and a waiter delivered it at mealtime.

Since there was official business to discuss, Dunn had gone to a meeting with the captains of Machinery Hivemind and the Mandated Punishers. Klein had gone to eat at the Divination Club. With some on leave, some standing watch underground, and some still working, only Luther, Leonard, Rozanne, and Frye remained in the hall for the work meal.

Frye looked cold but was warm-hearted and rarely spoke, so only the other three chatted idly. The midday sunlight was lovely. Sitting in the spacious hall, eating and chatting, made for quite a peaceful and pleasant day.

"So what exactly are you happy about? Did you get another huge sum of money somewhere?"

Leonard asked jokingly.

"No, I was just thinking about going to the theater with my sister this weekend, and it made me happy."

Luther smiled and brushed it off.

He always felt that Leonard was a little different. Whether it was his probing words or his usual behavior, Leonard seemed certain that there was something extraordinary about Luther. Not only that, he always carried the confidence of someone who believed himself to be the protagonist of the story, relaxed and at ease with anyone.

"Going to see a performance at the Grand Theater, how nice..."

Rozanne said enviously and longingly, "I haven't been in ages... Damn it, work has drained all my energy. Even on my days off, I only want to catch up on sleep in bed. Why haven't any new clerks joined yet? I need someone to save my dark circles!"

"This is when you should think about people who rarely need sleep."

Leonard lightly tapped his chest and smiled.

"Sleep is the Goddess's gift. I should be happy about it." Rozanne shot Leonard a resentful glance, then looked at Luther. "Your sister will definitely wear a pretty dress when she goes to see the performance, right?"

"A dress? I didn't notice. She probably only has two everyday dresses."

Luther answered casually. Those two dresses had been bought when they first moved. Cecilia had said that buying expensive ones for school would make her stand out too much, so she had only bought two rather plain dresses.

He saw Rozanne's expression freeze.

"Only everyday dresses?"

She asked, enunciating every word.

"Uh, yes?"

Luther had a bad feeling about this.

Rozanne's chest heaved as she took a deep breath.

"Mr. Luther Rondal, do you think it is appropriate for a beautiful young lady in the bloom of youth to wear nothing but an ordinary dress on a day when she is going to the theater?"

"...It does seem inappropriate."

After thinking for a moment, Luther answered honestly.

He had nearly forgotten that in this entertainment-starved world, going to the theater was already an occasion with a strong sense of ceremony. Many middle-class families, even at considerable expense, would maintain appearances by dressing properly for such refined activities.

Although Luther felt that clothes were just clothes, and a performance was merely a performance, according to worldly common sense, failing to prepare a beautiful dress for his sister really was negligence on his part as her older brother.

—Especially since he was not short of money now.

"It's too late to have one tailored," he said thoughtfully. "Then I'll just take her to buy something ready-made."

"Ready-made dresses might be very expensive..."

"Is anyone here?!"

An angry voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Rozanne. They looked up to see a lady in an extravagant dress striding in. She was somewhat older and slightly plump, with undisguised fury on her face.

"Madam, how may we be of service?"

Leonard rose first and bowed to the lady.

The furious lady first swept her gaze over Leonard's face, then lingered on Luther's for a moment. Her angry expression softened considerably. "Mm... Do you have any capable people here? I need some help."

Capable people?

It took Luther a moment to understand. Ah, right. This place was publicly advertised as a "security company." In Loen, security companies probably handled work such as bodyguarding, escorting, and investigations, while also taking on some more dangerous jobs. Thus, asking for "capable people" was a euphemism indicating that the matter might involve an illegal gray area.

But we're actually proper Nighthawks...

Just as Luther was about to refuse, Leonard cheerfully spoke first. "Of course, madam. We are very capable indeed, but what exactly do you need us to do?"

At that question, the lady's softened expression turned fierce again.

"Catch a cheating husband!"

Mrs. Pound, whose husband worked at a dockside logistics company, had recently begun suspecting that he had someone else outside. He often came home late, and his attitude toward her had grown worse and worse. The more she thought about it, the more suspicious she became. After having a huge fight with her husband, she stormed out onto the street to look for a private Detective. By a twist of fate, she found Blackthorn Security Company.

"Could it just be that your husband is busy with work?"

Rozanne asked curiously from the side while enjoying the drama.

"Impossible!" Mrs. Pound denied firmly. "I have conclusive evidence."

"What evidence?"

Rozanne pressed.

"He's already eaten his fill outside! Not only has it happened less often, but the amount isn't enough either!"

Mrs. Pound said indignantly.

Luther savored those words for a few seconds before finally understanding what the formidable lady meant.

"Pfft!"

Frye, who had maintained a stony expression the entire time, could not hold it in any longer and sprayed out all his black tea.