The wind blowing from underground carried a chilling coldness, and Klein felt a sense of relief amidst his tense state of mind.
It's finally here...
Once I get through this hurdle, I won't need to worry about similar things for at least six months...
Once I advance to Sequence 8 and become the so-called " Clown," I will possess real combat abilities. With the aid of Divination and the safety net of the " Solar Flare Charm," even if I encounter significant danger, I will have a considerable chance of surviving...
In preparation for the Holy Cathedral's investigation, I didn't even withdraw the £300 Miss " Justice " had deposited into the anonymous account, lest the "audit" uncover financial irregularities and convict me of possessing a large amount of unexplained wealth...
Just as various thoughts Blink through Klein, Dunn Smith straightened his shirt collar and said in a deep voice:
"The one in charge of this assessment is Crestet Cesimir, one of the nine high-ranking deacons of the Nighthawks. The Holy Cathedral values you highly."
"A high-ranking deacon?" Klein blurted out in astonishment.
The thirteen archbishops and nine senior deacons are the upper echelons of the church in the usual sense, and it is said that many of them are powerful individuals of High-Sequence!
These twenty-two gentlemen and ladies are completely equal in status, follow only the oracle of the Evernight Goddess, and are accountable only to the Pope.
Dunn took a breath of the cool underground air and nodded slightly:
"Yes, a high-ranking deacon, but don't be nervous. Crestet is only Sequence 5, not yet at the ' Demigod- human' level, so there's no need to be too afraid or apprehensive."
"Yes, his title throughout the extraordinary world is ' Sword of the Goddess,' because he has gained the recognition of a sacred artifact. His combat power is no less than that of a newly promoted Sequence 4."
"I just spoke with him, and he was very friendly."
The captain's unspoken message was that he only said what he should have said, and nothing he shouldn't have, so I shouldn't be nervous and should proceed according to the plan... Klein nodded thoughtfully and asked, "Where should I go to see this senior deacon?"
"The alchemy room where potions are prepared," Dunn answered simply and directly, a hint of sadness flashing across his face.
The alchemy room where potions are mixed? The same lab where Old Neil mixed the " Seer's " Potion? Klein slowly exhaled, returned to the Nighthawks' recreation room, and took his coat from the coat rack.
He put on the thin black trench coat, put his hands in his pockets, and went down the winding staircase that led deep into the ground, turning left at the intersection.
Soon, Klein saw hidden doors illuminated by elegant gas lamps, and saw that long tables inside had been moved aside, leaving the central areas empty.
There were two classic high-backed chairs there, facing each other, less than a meter apart.
A man in his thirties, wearing a black trench coat and a white shirt, was sitting at the table facing the door.
His golden-brown hair was shaved very short, and his dark green eyes resembled a moonless lake at midnight. The collars of his shirt and trench coat were turned up high, hiding his entire chin in shadow.
"Greetings, Your Excellency Cesimir." Klein bowed.
Crestet Cesimir crossed his right leg over his left, leaned back leisurely in his chair, and smiled slightly:
"Hello, Klein, you can sit there."
He pointed to the high-backed chair opposite him.
Beside him lay a silver-white metal briefcase, its size and dimensions resembling a violin case.
This can hold a sword that isn't too long... Klein took a few steps forward and sat down in his seat.
Crestet bent his right index finger, pressed it against his nostril, and pondered for a few seconds before saying:
"I plan to test your knowledge of Potion first, is that alright?"
"No." Klein shook his head confidently.
"Very confident." Crestet chuckled, then maintained his previous posture, quietly gazing at the person opposite him.
Klein suddenly felt the gaslights around him disappear, swallowed by a thick darkness.
He suddenly became extremely tired, as if he had reached his biological clock's designated sleep time.
However, he was also highly stressed and found it difficult to relax, just like when he was too tired to fall asleep.
The quiet "night" permeated the surroundings. Klein heard the dripping sound of a tap that wasn't turned off properly, the voices inside the Blackthorn Security Company, and the sound of the wind blowing through the stairwell.
Apart from that, he saw nothing he shouldn't have seen and heard nothing he shouldn't have heard.
"Very good." Crestet's magnetic voice dispelled the darkness, bringing the gaslights inside and outside the alchemy chamber back into Klein's view.
Klein was suddenly freed from his deep fatigue and regained his previous energetic state.
It affected me without me even realizing it... Is this the level of Sequence 5? Is this the terror of a high-ranking butler? He recalled what had just happened with a slight sense of lingering fear.
Crestet Cesimir clasped her hands on her knees, shrinking down slightly so that her lips were completely hidden by the high collar.
"You passed the test; your mastery of Potion has reached an excellent level or above."
"Next, I need to observe whether there are any hidden dangers in your body, mind, or spirit, and whether your personality has been unknowingly altered by the residual effects of the Potion, leaving behind any problems."
You have three minutes to adjust your mindset.
Klein immediately nodded and said:
"OK."
He took a deep breath, allowing himself to slowly enter a Cogitation state, clearing his mind of all negative thoughts.
Crestet didn't say anything more, but pulled a silver pocket watch from inside his black trench coat and snapped it on.
Then, he watched intently as the second hand ticked away.
Three minutes later, Crestet snapped his pocket watch shut and said with a smile:
"I have begun to sing."
Chanting? Klein looked puzzled.
Before he could speak, Crestet began humming a melodious tune.
The melody echoed in the alchemy chamber, gradually losing its harmony and no longer conforming to the tone.
Squeak! Crack! Sizzle! Klein seemed to hear the sound of fingernails scratching a blackboard, the sound of foam rubbing together, the clatter of an electric drill, and all sorts of noises that drove him crazy.
The noise grew louder and more chaotic, stirring within him a violent urge to vent and destroy.
However, Klein was often tested by mad ramblings and terrifying screams, quickly suppressed his impulses.
He also appropriately displayed some anxiety, tension, restlessness, and unease.
A state that's too perfect is actually a problem!
At some point, Crestet Cesimir stopped chanting, and the noise in the alchemy chamber vanished, replaced by the peace and silence of the underground.
"It's so nice to be quiet!" Klein exclaimed sincerely.
"Very good, very good. There are no hidden dangers in your body, mind, or spirit. Of course, it's normal for you to want to beat me up or gag me." Crestet's lips were hidden by his high collar, so one could only judge his emotions from his tone of voice.
"No, I dare not," Klein honestly admitted.
Crestet chuckled and said:
"Congratulations on passing all the tests. Next is the Q&A session."
His dark green eyes suddenly deepened, his gaze so profound it seemed to see through flesh and soul.
"May I ask you something?" Klein straightened his back and said.
Crestet remained in the same position as before and asked casually:
"You said your experience at the Divination Club allowed you to quickly master Potion?"
"Yes," Klein answered very frankly, but did not elaborate further.
Crestet nodded slightly and said:
"You said you got the Spirit Intuition from the ' Mystery Pryer ' maxim and Daly's story?"
"Hmm." Klein affirmed first, then changed the subject and explained in detail, "I learned from a ' Mystery Pryer ' teammate that ' Mystery Pryer ' who abide by the maxims have a much lower probability of going out of control than normal. After that, I heard Ms. Daly say something that she wanted to be a true ' Spirit Medium,' and that she was a genius who advanced to Sequence 7 within two years."
"Considering both aspects, I think I can give it a try, to become a real ' Seer,' and summarize and refine the ' Seer Code.' Well, the results of the trial were much better than I expected. I quickly mastered the Potion. Lady Cesimir, I don't know if you've ever had a similar experience, but when you truly master the Potion, you experience special, wonderful feelings..." Klein described his experience, vaguely and unclearly explaining the " Acting Method."
In his previous life, he would have been nervous and embarrassed to say so many half-truths in front of such a powerful Nighthawks. But since transmigrating to this world, he had told far too many lies and was already used to such things, so he performed flawlessly.
The deep brilliance in Crestet's dark green eyes vanished, his gaze returning to its original state, and he chuckled softly:
"Don't worry, this isn't an illusion."
Klein didn't detect any suspicion or scrutiny from his answer, and felt a sense of relief.
" Dunn confirmed your experience; I think you are indeed a logically sound and intuitively sharp genius," Crestet praised, then asked, "Have you shared these experiences with your teammates?"
"Of course," Klein readily admitted. "I hope to help them reduce the chances of things getting out of control. We're teammates, partners who face danger together. I can't think of any reason to hide it, and for that reason, I didn't tell the civilian staff."
Crestet lowered his right leg, sat up straight, and let his thin lips peek out from the shadow of his upright collar.
He smiled and said:
"Although you've only been with the Nighthawks team for less than two months, I think your understanding of your comrades is better than many others."
"Well, I intend to share some of my experiences with you, but according to the rules of the Holy Cathedral, you must swear to the goddess that you will not tell anyone who knows the contents of our conversation."
"Is everything alright?"
Klein was delighted after the examination and nodded without hesitation.
"No problem!"
Although I can no longer directly teach others " Acting Method " because of this, I can still do it indirectly through Miss " Justice " and Mr. " The Hanged Man "!