"Please come in."
Opening the door, Klein stepped aside, bowing and raising his hand like a waiter at a restaurant entrance, inviting Angel to enter.
"Thank you."
Angel wasn't polite—she was no longer visiting Klein's home for the first time.
Since the last celebration feast for the Moretti family's move, Angel had visited this neighboring household several times, basically all occasions when she encountered Klein's sister Melissa Moretti after work and was warmly invited by her to come to Klein's house for chat.
But unlike previous times, this time Angel had actively requested to visit.
Entering the living room, Angel walked directly toward the single sofa by the bay window, sitting down directly as if returning to her own home.
No. 2, 4, and 6 Daffodil Street had almost identical internal structures. The positions of rooms like living room, study, kitchen, washroom on the first floor were the same as her own house, especially the single sofa by the street-facing bay window.
She stretched her limbs on the sofa, watching Klein go to the kitchen, bustle for a moment, then bring two cups of steaming coffee.
"Melissa hasn't finished school yet. I thought you came to find her."
Placing the coffee on the table, Klein sat on the sofa opposite Angel, also stretching his hands and feet, showing fatigue.
Today both had separately followed senior Nighthawks to patrol their districts, then used afternoon free time to search the city for the "red chimney" building Klein had divined. After running around all day, they were now very tired.
But Angel thought of last night's letter from Miss Daly, still forced herself to request coming to Klein's house to discuss "private matters."
"This time not looking for her, looking for you," Angel stared at the steaming coffee in her cup, "Last night Miss Daly sent me a letter. She mentioned the 'special application' matter again."
"Again?"
Klein keenly caught this word.
Only then did Angel remember she hadn't told the other party about Daly's first visit.
"It's like this..."
From Daly's nighttime arrival in Tingen, using the semi-transparent human face to communicate with her, until last night handing the reply to the messenger that used its tongue to grab letters, Angel completely told Klein about her communications with Daly over these two days.
Well, except for the "instigation" that angered Daly, and entrusting her to search for potion materials.
"I see. Miss Daly indeed mastered the 'acting method.' No wonder her advancement was so rapid... But why does the Church prohibit this method that can safely digest potions from spreading? They even require those who know to swear not to leak relevant information?"
Klein murmured, falling into thought, casually picking up his coffee cup, sipping once, but being scalded by the hot coffee and grimacing.
"Perhaps we'll only know the reason after advancing to the Church's high levels. At least with Miss Daly's Sequence 6, she still doesn't know the relevant information."
Angel was also puzzled about this, but currently the Church insider she knew with the highest sequence was Miss Daly. Since even she didn't know, or couldn't say, there were no other information channels.
"Let's not discuss this point for now. She also said to have us submit special applications as soon as possible. My 'Seer' potion has been completely digested, but what about you? If you need to take the potion on the spot..."
Angel knew Klein had used some method to learn she was already a Sequence 8 "Instigator," so she had this question.
"Miss Daly specifically mentioned that the Church internally doesn't possess the 'Instigator' potion formula. After examination ends, you might be required to formulate the potion on the spot for advancement, while I'm afraid I can only figure out my own method. What a pity."
Her expression showed no hint of pity, but revealed a slight smile.
Klein across from her also breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then there's no problem. We can go to the captain tomorrow to submit special applications."
He seemed to put down a worry, his face showing a smile.
"After submitting applications, we also need to find opportunities to tell other team members about the 'acting method.' Mm... the captain is already acting. I believe he'll have results soon..."
Speaking here, Klein frowned, as if remembering something unpleasant.
"...As for others, Leonard very likely also knows this method, or at least has similar conclusions. We can tell others about Daly's, about the captain's acting methods. Don't be too direct—it would seem deliberate. Having examiners think we knew in advance about needing to swear oaths would cause trouble for Miss Daly..."
Angel sipped hot coffee bit by bit, bathing in the sunset streaming into the living room through the window, watching Klein rack his brains, planning how to reasonably "reveal" the acting method tomorrow. For a moment, she actually felt this brief tranquility and peace would last until the end of time.
"Mm, what's wrong?"
Klein was speaking eloquently about his plan, felt Angel's gaze, looked up at her.
"No, nothing, continue..."
Clatter—
The sound of keys inserting into the lock came from the door, followed by Melissa's soliloquy:
"I'm back."
She carried a school bag in one hand and a paper bag of bread and vegetables in the other, using her knee to push open the door and walked into the living room.
"Eh, Klein, you're back so early today... Miss Angel, you came over too!"
Melissa discovered the two in the corner of the living room, calling out in surprise, then her eyes swept back and forth between Angel and Klein, suddenly asking:
"Miss Angel, are you having dinner with us today?"
————
"Braised lamb, this is brother's specialty dish."
Carrying the last dish to the dining table, Melissa introduced with a proud expression.
Not expecting Klein could actually cook such a "substantial dish," Angel, who could only make random stews in both lives, was somewhat embarrassed. She lifted the dish cover, driven by self-respect trying to find fault, but got lost in the instantly bursting aroma.
"...Mm, indeed very fragrant..."
She had to admit.
As Klein, who had finished distributing plates, also sat down, Angel saw the two preparing to eat and curiously asked: "Don't we need to wait for Mr. Benson to return?"
Melissa passed bread to Klein, then spread cream on her own piece, answering:
"Bens... brother's company has been frequently working overtime until very late recently. Previously he often needed business trips to Pritz Port, even to Dixie County. Fortunately recently he can turn down those heavy tasks, because..."
She looked at Klein who was breaking bread, smiling without speaking.
Angel understood. Klein becoming a Nighthawk, obtaining this high-income job, was tremendous help for the Moretti family originally supported by only Mr. Benson.
Their eldest brother, busy until his hairline frequently receded, no longer needed to frequently work overtime for that bit of extra income, and Melissa...
In less than a month of knowing Melissa, Angel could clearly see this girl's facial skin gradually becoming rosy, subcutaneous fat slowly filling out, even her black long hair becoming increasingly shiny.
One could imagine that before this, she simply couldn't obtain sufficient nutrition appropriate for her age.
No wonder Klein worked so hard to want advancement, to want to establish a firm foothold among the Nighthawks...
Looking at the "Seer" Klein beside her spreading cream on bread, Angel's mouth curved into a smile. She quickly bit into the fluffy bread to cover her expression.
Mm, perhaps after some more time, he wouldn't be a "Seer" anymore. Speaking of which, what's the name of the Seer's Sequence 8 potion?
While thinking, Melissa across from her thought of something else, her eyes brightening as she said:
"Moreover, Benson... brother is urgently using spare time to review recently, preparing to take the Kingdom's public examination next year. If he can pass the government employee exam, everything will improve, right?"
Right, Miss Justice mentioned at the Tarot meeting that the proposal to recruit administrative officials through public examination next year would enter implementation phase. For diligent clerks like Mr. Benson, if he could...
Eh, but how did the Moretti family, such an ordinary household, learn about this proposal that hasn't even passed both houses' voting?
This question suddenly arose in Angel's mind. She looked up at Melissa, seeing her immersed in fantasies about beautiful future life, then turned to look at Klein.
The latter was looking at her, but immediately shifted his gaze away.
Why can't chapter names be changed after uploading?