Klein glanced at Swain standing before the Monster's corpse, then turned to look at the " Mandated Punishers " who had been holding them back, helping his semi-conscious companion to his feet. Klein suddenly felt an indescribable sadness.
Whether Nighthawks, Mandated Punishers, or members of the Machinery Hivemind, almost none of them have the chance to become heroes, because everything they do will remain unknown to the public and can only be hidden deep within various confidential documents, yet the dangers and suffering they endure are so real.
Perhaps one day, my opponent will be my teammate... Klein sighed silently, feeling the heavy weight contained in the terms " Nighthawks," " Mandated Punishers," and "Member of the Machinery Hivemind."
At this moment, Old Neil sighed and said:
"Let's leave and not disturb them."
"Okay." Klein picked up his cane and was about to take a step when he suddenly noticed that Old Neil was still clutching his left hand, so he asked with concern, "Are you injured?"
Old Neil chuckled and said:
"I got pricked by some flying shards. If I were younger, I definitely could have dodged it. Luckily, it was just a minor injury."
He loosened his right hand slightly, allowing Klein to see the small wound on the back of his left palm that was still oozing blood.
After confirming that there were no major problems, Klein remarked as he descended the gangway:
"Mr. Neil, you are calmer than I expected. Even with that Monster less than two meters away, you were still able to calmly recite the words and use the spell."
Although the Mandated Punishers had gone out of control and turned into Monster, lunged at Klein, Old Neil was always very close to him.
Faced with the praise, Old Neil immediately chuckled and said:
"I'm a seasoned Nighthawks. In all the dangerous situations I've experienced, what just happened doesn't even rank in the top ten. I remember once, Dunn and I were patrolling Raphael Cemetery when some dead body somehow turned into Living Corpse, left its grave, and quietly lurked in the shadows of the trees. I passed by without noticing it at all, thinking about finding a secluded spot. Hey, you know, I ended up getting pounced on from behind and grabbing my neck."
Klein was quite taken aback by what he heard, and guessed as he asked in return:
"Under these circumstances, can you still calmly use incantations, or spells that a ' Mystery Pryer ' can quickly cast?"
Old Neil glanced at him and chuckled, "No, Dunn managed to drag that Living Corpse into slumber in time. I'm telling you this to tell you that as Nighthawks, you not only need to trust yourself, but also your teammates."
"..." Klein paused for a few seconds, then said, half-jokingly and half-sincerely, "Mr. Neil, you are so wise today."
Old Neil took a small step, stepped onto the dock, and replied with a hint of disdain:
"That's because you only see the most insignificant side of me."
The two walked out of the dock and returned to the front of the Evil Dragon Bar.
Klein put away his revolver, leaned his cane against it, took off his coat, and, by the light of the gas street lamp, began to check for any damage.
"How lucky! It was just a few splinters that got stuck and made a small patch of dirt..." He pulled out the debris, roughly dusted off the dirt, and dressed himself neatly again.
Old Neil watched with a smile, mimicking his tone, and casually added, "What a pity, it's not reimbursable."
"..." Klein was momentarily speechless.
"I'm not that kind of person!" he emphasized to himself.
At that moment, the public carriage arrived, and Klein took out his silver pocket watch with vine-like patterns, turned it on, and glanced at it.
"If there's nothing else, I have to go home," he said, turning his head to Old Neil.
Old Neil nodded slightly and said:
"Go back and enjoy your dinner. Don't worry about that ' Sleeping Charm ' from earlier. I'll get compensation from Swain; he's a rich man. Of course, not today, I have to consider his feelings."
"... Thank you for your generosity..." Klein opened his mouth, but only managed to utter this one sentence.
He quickly boarded the carriage and returned to Daffodil Street. By then it was past seven o'clock, and the sky was completely dark.
Klein took out his key, opened the door, and saw Melissa taking off her veil and hanging it on the coat rack. He then laughed and said something pointless:
"You just got back?"
At that moment, the complex emotions he had accumulated earlier dissipated, and he felt relaxed and warm.
"We have a practical lesson at school today," Melissa explained earnestly.
Klein sniffed, smelling the aroma of food, paused, and subconsciously asked:
"Who's preparing dinner?"
Before he could finish speaking, he and Melissa answered simultaneously:
" Benson!"
The two of them sounded a little panicked.
Just then, Benson, who had overheard their conversation, came out of the kitchen, wiped his hands on his apron, and said:
"Don't you have any confidence in my cooking skills? I remember when Melissa couldn't cook, you would patiently wait for me to come home, eagerly watching me cook. Actually, cooking is very simple. For example, stewed beef with potatoes: first put the beef in and boil it, then add the potatoes, then the seasonings..."
Klein and Melissa exchanged a glance and remained silent.
Leaning on his cane and removing his hat, Klein turned and smiled:
"I think it's time to hire a maid; it's very unhealthy to always have dinner on time."
"But I don't want strangers around when we're talking; it makes me uncomfortable," Melissa subconsciously offered another reason to object.
Klein, while taking off his coat, said with a smile:
"Don't worry about it..."
Just then, his expression suddenly froze, and he stopped moving:
That was close! I almost accidentally took off my jacket; I have a revolver under my arm...
"Ahem." He cleared his throat, pretending nothing had happened, and said, "Don't worry about it. When we get home, we can let the maid who does chores rest in her room. I don't think any servant dislikes resting. Hmm, we must find a maid who is willing to learn to cook."
He certainly doesn't want to suffer from terrible cooking in the future.
Benson stood in the kitchen doorway and nodded in agreement:
"When we have free time, we can go to the ' Tingen City Help Domestic Servants Association '; they have abundant resources and sufficient knowledge in this area."
"Okay, it's decided then!" Klein ignored Melissa's somewhat reluctant look.
Backlund, Queens Borough, the House of Viscount Glaint.
Audrey Hall, accompanied by her personal maid Annie, left the ball, went up to the second floor, and entered the bedroom arranged by the Viscount.
With Annie's help, she slowly removed her gorgeous dress and light dancing shoes, and put on a black hooded robe that had been prepared beforehand.
After putting on her hood, Audrey stood in front of the full-length mirror and began to examine herself.
She saw that most of her face was hidden by the shadow of the hood, with only her beautifully curved lips clearly visible.
A long black robe, a face hidden in the shadows, a mysterious and profound feeling... This is the look I've always dreamed of! Audrey thought happily.
Still feeling uneasy, she added a blue, boat-shaped soft hat inside the hood, with black checkered tulle hanging down, making her features appear hazy.
"That's it, just like that!" Audrey slipped her feet into her calfskin boots and turned to Annie, saying, "You wait here for me. No matter who comes, don't Door Opening."
Annie looked at her mistress helplessly and said, "But you must promise that this outing will not exceed one hour."
"You should believe me. I've kept my promises the last few times." Audrey smiled, leaned closer to her personal maid, hugged her, and gave her a cheek kiss.
Then, she lightly leaped back a few steps, pulled up her hood, turned and left the bedroom through the hidden door.
She walked downhill until she reached the side gate of the Viscount's house, where she saw a carriage already parked.
Master Glaint stood in the shadows, glanced at Audrey, and sincerely praised her:
"Your outfit is really, well, like what Emperor Roselle often used to describe it, very cool."
"Thank you." Audrey lifted her long robe slightly and gave a graceful and pleasant bow.
The two boarded a carriage, left the villa, and arrived at a house ten minutes away.
Outside the front door of the house, Audrey saw Fors Wall, the " Apprentice " she had been seeing regularly, and her friend, Xio Derecha, the " Arbitrator."
Fors slightly wavy brown hair and light blue eyes that exuded a natural languidness, pointed to Xio Derecha beside her and said:
"She's an excellent persuader and can help you get what you want."
Xio Derecha is rather short, barely over 1.5 meters tall, with delicate and soft features, but his eyebrows and eyes seem not to have fully developed, making him look quite immature.
Despite her messy, shoulder-length blond hair and traditional knight's training uniform, she possessed an indescribable air of authority and a captivating charm that inspired confidence.
Audrey had met the other person a few times, and greeted him with a slight smile:
"Miss Hugh, can I trust you?"
"You don't need to worry at all." Xio Derecha smiled and gestured for him to proceed.
Just as she was taking a step to catch up with Audrey and Glaint Viscount, a "clang" sound suddenly rang out.
Audrey looked in the direction of the Xio Derecha's feet.
"..." Audrey and the other person looked at each other, both forgetting to speak.
A dozen seconds later, Xio Derecha quickly and nimbly crouched down, picked up the triangular spike, and hid it on his person.
"We must guard against unexpected events. Some people lack sufficient rationality and are not so easily persuaded," Xio Derecha explained earnestly.
Audrey nodded silently and replied in a soft voice:
"I trust you..."
"This is a tool to calm some guys down and talk to us," Fors added, turning his head to look at the lawn.
The four men said nothing more, took a few steps forward, and knocked on the wooden door with three long knocks and two short knocks in intervals.
With a creak, the main gate slowly opened, and Audrey, now in the Spectator, saw many people sitting scattered inside. Some of them concealed their faces in various ways, such as with hoods and masks, while others were unconcerned and openly exposed their features.
Almost instantly, Audrey noticed the man in black robes sitting on a single sofa.
The man was also wearing a hood, concealing his face in the shadows.
He silently observed the visitors, giving the impression of looking down from a superior position.
Very confident, but with a disgusting look in her eyes, her gaze constantly moving over me like two slippery tentacles trying to strip me naked... Audrey, with her keen senses and meticulous observation, calmly made a judgment, but almost got goosebumps all over her body.
At this point, Fors introduced:
"That's Mr. A, a powerful Beyonder, and the organizer of this Concealment gathering."