"Julian Albrecht."
The lady spoke softly, her words carrying a magic that soothed the soul:
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am a Blessed of the Evernight Goddess."
"Greetings, Lady Arianna."
Julian was startled, but he brought his emotions under control as quickly as he could.
Naturally, he realized who had come. After all, there was only one person who dressed like this and called herself a Blessed of the Goddess.
He simply hadn't expected her to come in person.
The foremost of the Church of Evernight's thirteen Archbishops, head of the Evernight Cloister, a Sequence 2 Grounded Angel-the Servant of Concealment, Arianna!
At Julian's words, a hint of surprise appeared in Arianna's eyes:
"You really are somewhat different... Even as a descendant of the Jacob Family, you shouldn't know my identity."
"I am grateful for the Goddess's attention."
Julian offered no further explanation. He merely smiled and traced the Evernight Holy Emblem.
By now, he was completely certain that Amanises, the Evernight Goddess, must have heard his earlier prayer and sent Arianna here.
The appearance of an angel-level Blessed of the Goddess also meant that what he had just experienced was anything but ordinary.
After a moment's thought, he asked tentatively:
"May I ask what instructions you've come to give me today?"
"You must have noticed that the potion you just took was very unusual, and you must have questions about it."
At Arianna's words, Julian's smile faded, and he nodded.
This wasn't Julian's first time taking a potion, but he had never experienced anything so strange.
That intense resonance of colors and terrifying sensation of being torn apart had made it feel as though he had taken not a Sequence 9 potion, but a Sequence 4, Sequence 3, or even an angel-level potion.
It had seemingly drawn the gazes of the great beings in the Astral World-even Julian himself suspected that, had Arianna not intervened in time, he would have taken a blast of "Leodero" head-on and been obliterated without a trace.
"It is as you say... I don't quite understand my current condition."
Julian said, "So I'd like to hear your assessment of the situation."
"To put it briefly, although the great being that contaminated you has split apart, even into extremely minute fragments, it appears not to have fallen completely dormant, nor is it sealed."
Arianna said:
"This is an extremely rare situation... Normally, their wills only begin to awaken within Beyonders of their subordinate pathways once those Beyonders possess divinity. For someone like you to sense its existence at Sequence 9, there is only one possible explanation."
She raised her eyes to Julian:
"That being chose to split apart of its own accord, maintained its consciousness through some as-yet-unknown means, and is remaining by your side.
"This is an extremely dangerous state-as your sequence rises, it may be able to project more of its influence directly into the nations governed by the orthodox deities.
"In fact, the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom ordered your capture because it wishes to bring you under control and uncover that great being's true intentions and methods.
"Of course, if necessary, he will choose to eliminate you outright. That would temporarily nip all potential dangers in the bud."
Julian frowned at this:
"Then won't the Church of Evernight get into trouble for taking me in?"
There was a probing edge to the question. Julian hoped to use Arianna's answer to gauge how much the Church of Evernight was willing to tolerate him.
If that tolerance was limited, he would have to start planning a way out.
Seemingly picking up on the implication behind his words, Arianna replied:
"There will be trouble, but for those at the higher levels of the Sleepless pathway, the danger is currently manageable.
"The Goddess judges that this great being's power appears to be related to 'color'... It was so powerful that it nearly illuminated the entire Astral World just now.
"But that happens to be countered by the Sleepless pathway.
"Besides, rather than kill you, we would prefer to use you as a window through which to observe how the situation develops, until we understand that great being's true intentions.
"Therefore, as long as you visit Saint Selena Cathedral at a fixed time every week to receive Requiem, and pray to the Goddess before each advancement, there should generally be no problems, at least until you reach the high sequences."
"I can pray directly to the Goddess?"
Julian raised his eyebrows:
"Will she answer me?"
"Perhaps she will, perhaps she won't. The Goddess's intentions are beyond our understanding."
Arianna shook her head:
"But your requests should be addressed. At the very least, I will help you."
"...I understand."
Julian understood now. In effect, he was a Blessed of the Goddess who had yet to receive formal recognition.
The reason for that lack of recognition was that the Goddess was unwilling to promise him anything. If something arose that even she couldn't resolve, she could simply kill Julian.
For now, though, she seemed willing to invest in him to a certain extent. As for why she would undertake such a dangerous experiment, Julian couldn't yet see clearly.
"In any case, thank you, Lady Arianna."
With that, Julian traced the Dark Sacred Emblem over his chest again:
"Praise the Goddess!"
"Praise the Goddess."
Arianna nodded gently. Then the outline of her entire body rapidly vanished, like a pencil drawing being rubbed out with an eraser, leaving Julian alone.
Julian took a deep breath. He quickly showered, ate something, and changed into clean, presentable clothes. At last, he gradually began to adjust to his extraordinary four-color vision.
Just then, he suddenly heard a knock at his front door.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Smith... Or should I call you Captain?"
Julian opened the door, saw Dunn, and asked with a smile.
Dunn's black trench coat now looked somewhat green, while his gray eyes appeared to Julian as something akin to purplish red.
It was an exceptionally strange sensation.
"Just call me Dunn. You're a consulting specialist, not a member of the Nighthawks team, so there's no need to call me Captain."
Dunn shook his head.
"Get in."
"Where are we going?"
Julian asked, despite already knowing the answer.
"Iron Cross Middle Street."
Dunn's tone remained utterly level. He opened the carriage door, and Julian saw Leonard Mitchell sitting inside, wearing epaulets with two stars.
"Hey, good evening, Professor."
The young man with a poet's air gave Julian an exaggerated bow.
"Good evening, Leonard."
Julian nodded lightly to Dunn, who had extended a hand in an inviting gesture, then climbed into the carriage.
"You seem a little different from how you were at noon."
Before Dunn could get in, Leonard winked at Julian and spoke in a low voice.
"Why else do you think I'm here?"
Julian gave the deliberately mysterious Leonard an amused glance:
"In Loen these days, it's hard to land an official position without having something wrong with you, let alone become a consultant."
Leonard froze for a moment and didn't pursue the subject.
He felt that Julian was hinting at something, but he couldn't be sure.
In truth, Julian was simply stating the facts, not singling anyone out.
Even setting aside Loen's royal family, senior military officers, and royal advisers, among whom normal people were hardly abundant, the Nighthawks team in little Tingen alone had a captain who consumed his teammates' Beyonder characteristics and a Leonard carrying an old man around with him.
If nothing unexpected happened, they would soon be joined by a New Cat Without a Hat who secretly moonlighted as a cult leader... No, a newcomer.
In a sense, Tingen truly exemplified a small place crawling with outsized trouble.
On the way, Dunn handed Julian a file concerning the person they were to investigate that day:
"Klein Moretti."
As expected...
Julian's eyes shifted slightly as he studied the somewhat scholarly face.
Julian knew more about Klein's situation than anyone else present, but he still pretended to read the file carefully, wearing the focused expression of an old scholar.
Just as reading began to make him drowsy, he felt a jolt accompanied by a creak.
At that moment, the carriage finally stopped.
"We're at Iron Cross Middle Street."
Dunn spoke quietly.
The next second, the driver opened the carriage door, and the rather run-down streetscape outside came into Julian's view.