After locking the door, Galad stepped down the stairs.
One house over, the door to No. 2 Narcissus Street opened, and out came a scholarly-looking young man with dark hair and brown eyes. When he spotted Galad, he gave a warm smile.
"Good morning, Galad."
"Morning, Klein."
The young man was Klein Moretti, a colleague who had only joined the Nighthawks a few weeks earlier.
When Klein learned that Galad urgently needed to rent a house, he recommended Narcissus Street and even introduced him to his own landlord. Klein's brother, Benson, had personally handled most of the procedures and even haggled the rent down to twelve soles a week. For that, Galad was deeply grateful.
"Settled in already?" Klein asked.
"Yes. I'm going to report to the Captain now." Galad smiled. "I still need to thank you properly without your help, I wouldn't have found a place so quickly."
"Then you should thank Benson. He did all the hard work," Klein replied.
"The houses here are nice. My sister loves it it's the first time she's had her own room. She was so excited she couldn't even sleep."
Klein chuckled. "Mine was the same. The moment Melissa saw the place, she refused to leave."
The two men, both doting older brothers, exchanged knowing smiles as they walked together toward the public carriage. Along the way, several women's gazes lingered on Galad. He pretended not to notice, but Klein seemed a little uneasy under the attention. Fortunately, they soon reached Zouteland Street, got off, and headed toward the front of Blackthorn Security Company.
The last time I came here was… at night, Galad mused, eyeing the signboard with a trace of nostalgia.
The once-damaged front hall had been refurbished. New furniture, polished partitions, and even a freshly replaced floor gave the place a renewed brightness.
At the front desk, Rosanne the brown-haired clerk Galad had seen before was making coffee. She looked up as the door opened. Spotting Klein, she greeted him cheerfully, but when her eyes landed on Galad , her expression shifted.
"Good morning, Rosanne," Klein said.
"Morning, Klein. And this is…?"
She eyed Galad curiously.
"Galad Rondell. We've met before."
Galad gave a slight nod. The elegance of the gesture made Rosanne's eyes soften unconsciously.
"Hello, Galad, I'm Rosanne… Ah? Galad Rondell?!!"
She spoke almost automatically, but then froze, as though a memory had suddenly struck her. With a small gasp, she whispered, "You're ... you're that night…"
"That's me," Galad said simply.
Rosanne's smile faltered. Her excitement quickly drained, replaced by unease. She visibly shivered as the memory of blood and flesh flickered across her mind. "The Captain… he's in his office. First door on the right, past the partition. He told me you could go straight in."
Her voice had turned cautious.
"Understood. Thank you, Miss Rosanne."
Galad gave a polite reply and walked past the partition.
Rosanne watched him go, then leaned close to Klein and whispered nervously.
"Klein, is he really joining the Nighthawks?"
"Yes. Why, are you afraid of him?" Klein asked, fighting the urge to laugh.
"To be honest… yes." Rosanne grimaced. "Just seeing Haynes that night was terrifying enough. And he.....he killed Haynes. God, I nearly fainted when I saw that puddle of blood and meat on the floor. I had nightmares for days…"
"It's fine. Galad's a good person," Klein reassured her. "And think about it if he were really dangerous, would the Captain accept him?"
Rosanne reluctantly nodded, lowering her guard.
Knock, knock.
Galad tapped lightly on the office door.
"Come in."
Dunn's deep, steady voice floated from within.
When Galad entered, Dunn was seated behind his desk, gray eyes calm and unreadable. His usual black coat and hat were hanging on the rack; dressed only in a shirt and vest, he appeared warmer, far less oppressive than the terrifying figure from that night.
"Captain."
Galad greeted him with the respect due to his new superior.
"The Cathedral has sent back their reply," Dunn said, setting aside the document in his hand. "It's good news. They've cautiously approved your application but with the condition that I keep you under close watch."
"That's good enough for me. I'll cooperate with you captain," Galad replied with a faint smile.
Dunn studied him for a moment. "You used to suffer from hallucinations. Since that night, have they returned?"
"I haven't lost control again." Galad feigned ignorance and asked, "Captain, why do you think that is?"
Of course, he knew the true reason. But feigning confusion would make him appear less suspicious.
"I've considered it," Dunn said slowly. "In rare cases, some people are born with traces of Beyonder characteristics in their bodies like a child in Tingen named Ademisaul, who's naturally suited for the Monster pathway."
"As for you, I suspect you may be a natural candidate for the Secret Prayers pathway. Your spirituality was unusually high, which would explain why you were prone to hallucinations and easily harmed by evil influences. The Aurora Order may have targeted you for precisely that reason. Now that you've consumed the potion and stabilized your Sequence, your spirituality has been anchored. That instability is gone, so the hallucinations no longer occur."
Ademisaul blinked, feigning surprise.
That… actually sounds convincing. If I didn't know about the Illusory Tide, I'd almost believe it. No better pretend I do.
"I see. That makes perfect sense, Captain." Galad let out a relieved laugh. "So I really don't need to worry anymore. That's a huge weight off my shoulders."
"This is only speculation," Dunn reminded, his tone even.
He slid open a desk drawer and retrieved two copies of a thick document. "This is your contract. Read it over. If there are no issues, sign at the bottom."
Galad scanned the densely packed clauses ,confidentiality agreements, restrictions, obligations. Even though he'd braced himself, it still felt heavy.
Forget it. I already spent the advance. No turning back now.
He signed both copies with the fountain pen and pressed his fingerprint.
Dunn stamped the papers, kept one, and handed the other back. "Very good. From this moment on, Mr. Galad Rondell, you are officially a member of the Nighthawks."
"It's an honor," Galad said with a smile.
But Dunn's expression only grew solemn.
"Before we proceed, there are several things I must warn you of."
Galad 's smile stiffened. "Uh… please go on?"
Dunn's voice turned firm.
"First, and most important under no circumstances are you to seek a promotion in your Sequence."