Eight hours earlier
"My apologies then, have a good day," Sunless bowed,
Soon after his brief conversation with the young man, Klein left the bakery and began walking down the street, wondering who Asterion was. Could he have been a friend of Sunless?
"That would make sense," Klein nodded to himself as he waited for a public horse carriage.
Besik Street was too far to walk, and he was afraid of missing the security Nighthawk's 'working hours', so he waited for a carriage instead.
But what didn't make sense was why Sunless called him that when Klein had just told the man his name? Maybe it was an accident?
As he was thinking about it, he accidentally bumped into a man.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
"It's alright, my friend, accidents happen,"
The man smiled politely and walked off.
"I hope I didn't spend too much time there," Klein said to himself as he took out his pocket watch and clicked it open to check it.
It was still around two in the afternoon. After ten minutes of waiting, Klein heard the sound of wheels hitting the tracks approaching from a distance, and a double-decker horse carriage stopped in front of the station at Iron Cross Street.
To Besik Street," Klein said to the carriage driver,
"You have to transfer at Champagne Street, and when you get there, it takes about ten minutes to walk to Besik Street."
"Let's go to Champagne Street then,"
"Will do, my friend, so that you know it's more than four kilometers, so that will be four pence. I like your suit, by the way." The driver added with a pleasant smile.
"Oh, thank you, kindly," Klein looked down at himself and smiled as he took four copper coins from his pocket and handed them to the young man.
"Not a problem, my friend," The driver nodded as he took them.
Klein walked up to the carriage and found that there were not many passengers. Even on the first floor, there were very few seats occupied.
"I only have three pence on me now, so I'll have to walk when I get back." Klein pressed his hat down firmly and sat down.
On this floor, there were four men and three well-dressed women; some were in work clothes, reading newspapers.
Though each of the women held a pocket mirror in their hand as they checked their faces. No one spoke, and only the sound of the wheels could be heard.
Klein shut his eyes to recharge his strength, becoming oblivious to the departing passengers and those who walked into the carriage to reach their destination.
After a few minutes, Klein suddenly opened his eyes when he felt someone staring at him. It was one of the men looking at him, extending his hand with a smile, and in his palm were a few shiny copper coins, signaling they were brand new.
"Wouldn't want a young man like you walking back home alone." The man smiled politely.
Klein hesitated; it was clear that the man had heard that Klein only had three pence left, but why help him out?
"Go on, take it, it's dangerous to walk alone at night, and I would have a guilty conscience if something happened to a young man like you because you didn't have the money to take a carriage." The man insisted when he saw his hesitation.
"Thank you." Klein took them with a smile.
Just because Klein was hesitant didn't mean he would decline free money!
"Not a problem, my friend," the man said, leaning back with a smile.
What a coincidence! That's what the driver said, too.
"What do I owe you?" Klein asked as he knew free things cost the most.
"Nothing, nothing at all, just make sure you put it to good use is all I ask, there are too many people who look out only for themselves nowadays, or if they do help, it's to benefit themselves."
"You're right, thank you again," Klein nodded,
"Do you know where I can find a black suit? I've been needing more as of recent." The man said with a growing smile. Once he told him that he didn't, the man accepted his answer, and Klein closed his eyes again, and soon, minutes passed, as well as Station after Station, until he heard the words 'Champagne Street'.
Only then did he get up to leave the carriage. He stopped, though, when he spotted an object on the floor.
One of the women dropped their mirror.
Luckily, it didn't crack. Klein looked around for three women, but all of the previous passengers, including the men Klein saw when he boarded the carriage, were gone.
He picked it up and decided to pocket it. Klein would give it to Dunn Smith and ask if he could give it to the police in case one of the women came looking for it.
After leaving the horse carriage and walking down Besik Street for a while, he stopped when he saw a pub with a brownish-yellow hound logo.
Klein reached out with his right hand and pushed the door open; he was immediately met with an uproar of noise and a wave of heat.
Although it was still the afternoon, there were plenty of people in the pub; some of them were temporary workers waiting to be hired, others were standing around while numbing themselves with alcohol.
After asking Mr. Wright, an older man, for a mercenary squad, Klein left the pub and asked around to find Zoeterland Street.
He walked for a few minutes before arriving at the second floor of the building, which appeared to be the home of Blackthorn Security Company.
He walked up the steps, then looked at the vertical sign bearing the name of the so-called mercenary squad, and knocked gently on the half-closed door with his right hand.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The sound echoed slowly and rhythmically, yet no one answered, aside from the faint sputtering. Thinking he hadn't been heard, he knocked at the door again, this time a bit louder.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Klein received the same response: nothing. Deciding to let himself in, Klein pushed open the door, widening the gap as he stared inside and saw a classic sofa likely used for serving guests, a soft fabric armchair, and a wood coffee table.
There was a girl behind a table with brown hair, with her head drooping, with a small plate of lemon cakes, along with a newspaper in front of her.
I know 'Security company' is simply a guise, but isn't this a little too unprofessional? Klein walked closer as he silently complained and knocked on the table just beside the girl's ear.
Knock! Knock!
The brown-haired girl immediately sat up, grabbed the newspaper in front of her, covered her face, and began eating a lemon cake with a false air of interest directed at the newspaper. The title read:
Tingen City Honest Paper
"The steam train service 'Soaring Express' that directly reaches Constant City is starting operations today. Oh come on, when will there be one that goes straight to Brindisi Bay? Oh well, what can you do? I'm just glad I stopped by that bakery the Captain recommended; these are pretty good. The walk was definitely worth it, though I should've taken a horse carriage in hindsight. Huh? Who are you?" As she read the newspaper, she lowered it, revealing her smooth forehead and light brown eyes, and looked at Klein with a fawning, startled expression.
"Hello, I am Klein Moretti, and I'm here at the Invitation of Dunn Smith," Klein said as he took off his hat to his chest and bowed.
The brown haired girl looked to be in her early twenties. She wore a light green Loen-style dress with beautiful lace on her sleeves, chest, and collar.
"The Captain, alright, wait here for a moment, I'll go get him." The girl got up and went into the room beside her.
She didn't even service a cup of water or anything; the level of service awareness is beginning to worry me.
After three minutes, the brown-haired girl opened the door and came out with a sweet smile.
"Mr.Moretti, please follow me. The Captain is on watch at the 'Chanis Gate' and is unable to leave at the moment."
"Okay," Klein quickly followed behind as the girl began walking.
Chanis Gate.. What could that be?
Going through the partition, the first thing he saw was a corridor that only had three offices on each side. Some of the offices were locked tight, while others were wide open, revealing someone typing nonstop on a heavy typewriter.
Klein turned his attention to another office with an open door and noticed a familiar figure: the young officer who had investigated Klein's apartment.
He still had the same black hair, blue eyes, and the romantic vibe of a poet. He was not in official wear; he now wore a white, untucked collared shirt, making for quite an unruly appearance.
The young man sensed Klein's gaze and met his eyes.
Perhaps he really is a poet… Klein nodded in greeting, and the young man smiled in return.
The brown haired girl pushed the left office door open at the end of the room and pointed inside. "We still have to go down a few levels," She said in an upbeat tone.
The brown-haired girl walked ahead, staring at her feet as she moved carefully, and after a few moments of silence, she suddenly spoke up.
"Although I walk here often, I'm still constantly afraid of falling and tumbling down like a barrel, that's what happened to Leonard on the first day he became a 'sleepless'. Oh, right! Leonard is the one you greeted a moment ago, anyway, he tried to run down a flight of stairs and-and rolled down the steps like a cartwheel!" the girl laughed.
"This was about three years ago, I've been here for five, I joined when I was seventeen."
Suddenly, she smacked her forehead. "I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Rozanne. My father was a member of the Nighthawks who sacrificed himself in an accident five years ago. I suppose we are colleagues from now on- err yeah colleagues the right word, at least I think, we're not teammates because we're not beyonders."
"I hope I have the honor of becoming one, but it still depends on what Mr. Smith has to say," Klein said as he felt that they were going underground, as he felt a dampness in the floor they walked on.
"Don't worry, the fact that you already made it this far means the Captain has agreed. To be honest, I've always been a little afraid of him; he's amiable and a fatherly figure, but I'm still afraid of him, and I don't know why."
"Isn't it normal to be afraid of a father?" Klein asked humorously.
"True," Rozanne nodded,
As they spoke, they finished walking down the stairs and reached a stone-paved floor. It was a long aisle mounted with gas lamps, surrounded by metal grates on both sides of the wall.
Klein noticed that there was a dark sacred emblem every few meters, the symbol of the Evernight goddess. It was a deep black background dotted with sparkling emblems that clustered into a half-crimson moon.
"The path to the left leads to the Saint Selena Cathedral; to the right is the armory, storeroom, and archives. And straight ahead is the Chanis Gate." She explained to him.
Aware that his status made it inappropriate to ask any more questions, Klein remained silent and listened.
They passed through the intersection and moved straight ahead. In less than a minute, a black iron split gate carved with seven sacred emblems was seen.
It stood there, heavy, cold, and domineering, like a stone statue guarding a temple in the darkness.
"Chanis Gate, go on in by yourself," she said, pointing to the room with a smile.
"Alright, thank you," Klein smiled as well,
The windows were open, revealing the lit room inside. Klein took a deep breath to calm himself and reached for the door.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Come in," Dunn's deep voice responded.
Klein opened the unmatched door.
There was a table and four chairs inside the room.
Sitting behind the table in one of the chairs was Dunn Smith, who was wearing a black coat from the previous night they had first met, plus a gold watch chain around his chest.
He was reading through a file with a serious expression before tossing it into an unorganized stack of identical files to his left, then he grabbed another and began reading it.
"You seem like you're busy. I can wait outside until you're finished." Klein said, making the man glance up at Klein, then shake his head and look back at the file before closing it and putting it into the stack.
"No, it's fine, it's just over the past three days, there's been an influx of reports of people mentioning a name all of a sudden, along with seeing a man in a bizarre white suit, some of them have even been chanting his name. I'm starting to think it's the work of a wild beyonder from the visionary pathway gone rogue, and he's forming a cult of his own." He contemplated, then shook his head.
"But that doesn't make sense. What kind of Beyonder is sloppy enough to make their goal of creating a cult known? They're supposed to be secret after all. Still, if luck is on our side, then it's a mid-sequence beyonder in their pathway, it could be a Psychiatrist." Dunn said with a serious expression and rubbed his chin.
"I understand," Klein nodded,
Dunn shook his head,
"No, you don't. Not yet, at least. Anyway, enough about that, come and sit. We can discuss your decision now."
"Actually, I'm curious about the reports. Also, if you don't mind telling me what a wild beyonder is?" Klein sat down and leaned forward, interested.
"It's a title for beyonders who become one without a church sanction. Usually, they have to remain hidden at all times to avoid being captured by the church. But sometimes they are offered jobs if the church or the authorities find their pathway convenient, such as bounty hunters, detectives, and adventurers. I assume that's how the secret organizations get their beyonders as well by offering them jobs." Dunn explained with a flat tone.
Secret organizations?
"I see. What name are people saying?"
Dunn was silent for a while before answering.
"Asterion,"
"There's that name again," Klein said out loud and leaned back with a puzzled expression.
"Hm? What do you know about it?" Dunn's eyes snapped to him, interest and alertness in them.
"I met one of those people we saw last night, one of them was a young man named Sunless, who was working at Smyrin's Bakery. He asked me if I knew where to buy a hat and a cane. When I told him I would let him know when I found a place, he thanked me and called me Asterion," Klein told him truthfully.
"What people?" Dunn raised an eyebrow.
Klein stared at him with a puzzled expression.
Was he being serious? Did he not just hear a word I said?
"The seven people we saw standing in the dark last night?" Klein asked, his expression incredulous.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about them. The woman with the scar on her face and the woman with grey skin had to be high-sequence beyonders from the demoness pathway. I have no idea what they're doing here, though. Not a single woman I've ever seen in my life is naturally that beautiful; it was eerie to see someone so gorgeous, and the scarred woman was almost painful to look at because of her beauty. Anyway, what about them?" He asked offhandedly,
Klein had no idea what a demoness was. But how could Dunn forget seeing people who looked like that?
Goddess help me.
"I met one of them at Smyrin's Bakery on my way here," Klein explained with a neutral expression.
"And?"
"Sunless also mentioned the name Asterion; he called me it as he thanked me," Klein said as he tapped his fingers on his knees.
Dunn sat in silence for a beat before nodding to himself and looking at Klein again.
"I'll be sure to bring him here soon for questioning to see if he knows anything about the name. In the meantime, let's now discuss why you're here. Have you decided? Are you sure you want to join us and become a civilian staff member?" Dunn asked, leaning back in his chair.
"Yes, I am certain," Klein nodded.
"Then take a look at this deed, heh heh, some people call it a contract now," Dunn softly chuckled to himself, then opened the table drawer and pulled out two copies of the contract.
A five-year contract. Two pounds and ten soli for the weekly wages as compensation for the risks and confidentiality.
"I've no problem," Klein answered after reading it,
"Then sign it," Dunn said as he pointed to a dark red fountain pen and ink.
Klein used a piece of waste paper to test the pen, then took a breath and signed the two contracts with his name, as he didn't have a stamp and found it unprofessional to use his thumbprint.
Dunn received the contracts, took out a stamp from a draw and began stamping the paper. With that done, Dunn put the contract in the drawer with one hand and then stood up ans reached for Klein with the other.
"Welcome, from now on, you are one of us, and please note that the contract is confidential as well."
"So I shall be addressing you as Captain now?" Klein asked, standing up as well and shaking his hand.
"Yes," Dunn nodded,
After shaking hands, they sat down, and Klein glanced at the contract stamp, which read: Nighthawks Squad, Tingen City, Awwa County, Loen Kingdom.
"I can't believe you guys would use the name 'Blackthorn Security Company' as a disguise," Klein said with a laugh.
"Actually, we have other signboards too," Dunn pulled out a piece of paper.
On the paper were stamps of the city government and the police department. Dunn began explaining when he saw Klein's gaze.
"Seventh Unit, Special Operations Department, Awwa County Police, Loen Kingdom."
"The first four units are the regular police responsible for general security, like VIP protection and the Key installations protection unit. From Unit Five onwards, the units deal with supernatural incidents in each city. Our unit, Unit Seven, is responsible for incidents involving followers of the Evernight goddess in Tingen City. If there are different types of followers, then we divide the area accordingly. The Nighthawks are mainly in charge of places like the north, west, and the Golden Indus region."
"Unit Six is the mandated publisher squad under which the church of the Lord of the Storms is in charge of the pier region, the east, and the south. The university area and the suburbs are under Unit Five, which is the Hivemind squad in Tingen."
"Right, what happens if someone really comes here because of the 'Blackthorn Security Company' signboard and really has a request for our services?" Klein asked after Dunn finished explaining.
"We'll take those requests too; why shouldn't we? As long as it doesn't affect our daily operations. Any earnings would be considered additional bounties, so our members are quite willing to take those jobs." Dunn smiled.
"So how many are there in this Nighthawks squad?" Klein asked since they were on the topic.
"There aren't many supernatural events, so there are very few Beyonders. In fact, there are only six formal members of the Nighthawks in Tingen City, including me. And there are only six civilian staff members, including you. Anyway, you said Sunless works at Smyrin's Bakery?"
"Yes, he does, but before I forget, one of the women who was in the horse carriage with me dropped their pocket mirror. I wanted to give it to you so you could hand it over to the police department in case she comes looking for it." Klein took the mirror out of his pocket and extended it to Dunn, who stared at it for a moment before reaching for it.
"Thank you," Dunn said, taking the mirror and putting it on the table next to the files with a nod.
"You're welcome," Klein nodded as well,
"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention this," Dunn suddenly spoke up.
"Yes?"
"The other Nighthawks have seen an ominous temple that's surrounded by an unnatural, impenetrable darkness. It showed up out of nowhere three days ago, and we've been keeping an eye on it ever since. Have you seen or heard anything about it?"
This chapter would have been out MUCH sooner, but I was hit with 12-hour shifts for the rest of this week, and I was trying to binge LOTM and get this out before the end of the week so I could keep reading.
I'm curious if you all prefer the chapters as they are now or would like them longer.
Also, am I going too fast? Should I slow down?