Amon ignored Klein the entirety of the next morning, while waking up, while having breakfast, while parting ways...
Ah...
Klein realised he fucked up...
He made his fiance angry!
But- BUT! He was a straight guy... how could he do it with a dude?!
And that chest fondling thingie was only because Klein was very tired that night!
Nothing more!
He definitely did not find Amon's boobs nice to play with!
Klein sighed as he took the public carriage to the Blackthorn Security Company, this time there was no Amon to lovingly drop him off to his work place with his luxurious carriage...
Throughout the journey he kept brain storming in his mind on how to get Amon to not be angry with him anymore.
What if he breaks the engagement because Klein refused to have sex with him?!
The tragedy-
Wait-
Wasn't that what he wanted?! Why was he even getting sad over the possibility that Amon would break up with him!
Yup, it was because of the food.
Only because of the food.
Nothing else.
Not because of Amon's perfect ass and nipples and blush and-
STOP!
The moment Klein stepped into the door, he saw Old Neil and Rozanne chatting by the reception desk. The former was still in his classic black robe, without any concern for the gazes of others. The latter had changed into a casual cream-colored dress.
"Good morning, Mr. Neil, Miss Rozanne," greeted Klein as he took off his hat, shaking off any and all thoughts about Amon from his head.
Old Neil gave him a mischievous look.
"Good morning, you did not hear anything you shouldn't have heard last night, right?"
"No, I slept very well." Klein was also quite puzzled over that- the only thing he heard throughout the night were Amon's moans and begging for Klein to fondle with his tits and touch him-
STOP!
"Haha, don't mind that. Actually, it's not that easily heard." Old Neil pointed to the partition and said, "Go to the armory. We will continue out mysticism lessons this morning."
Klein nodded and followed Old Neil down the stairs and arrived at the armory to replace Bredt who had been on duty the entire night.
"What will we be learning today?" asked Klein curiously.
Old Neil dragged out his response and said, "The complicated and basic knowledge. But before that, let me teach you an interesting trick."
He pointed at the silver chain on his wrist. There was a pure moonstone hanging from the chain.
Klein spent the rest of the afternoon learning from Old Neil about things like mystical symbols, pendulum dowsing or spirit dowsing method, even how to make personal expenses get paid by the Nighthawks!
He was even planning to go to the divination club during his break to buy the membership on his own- now his 5 pounds were saved!
He spent the rest of the evening studying some of old Neil's materials and styling out his expenditure letter with the typewriter and submitted it to Dunn after he was done with everything.
"Did Old Neil teach you this?" Dunn's lips curved slightly in amusement as he looked over the letter.
"Yes." Klein did not hesitate to betray Old Neil.
With that, he began a simple but regular lifestyle. He would spend half an hour in the early morning Cogitating. He would have two hours of mysticism lessons in the morning and an hour and a half of studying the historical documents. Amon would come drop by the Blackthorn Security Company and drop him his lunch, and after lunch, he would take a short nap in the break room to regain his energy.
Following that, he would draw bullets and head to the Shooting Club. After finishing his practice, he would stroll over to Welch's place, which was not too far. He would then change routes and return to Iron Cross Street. That way, he could save on the carriage fees. If he had time, he would practice his Spirit Vision and Spirit Dowsing. On the way, he would buy groceries.
Sometimes he'd even visit Amon, since it's kind of expected to visit your fiance regularly, and get to eat the man's awesome food. But every time Amon attempted to goat him to stay the night at his place or at Klein's own place- Klein would always make up some excuse and run away.
Thankfully, even though Amon seemed quiet irritated with all this- he looked even more amused and kept calling Klein words like 'how cute', with those eyes that made Klein want to cover himself up in layers, afraid of his innocence.
Klein even started to accompany his colleagues during lunch and got to know them better. Thankfully, even though Leonard still acted a bit shifty with him sometimes, he would treat Klein normally and even as a friend, making Klein feel nice.
It was during such a normal and rainy day did his first mission come in.
"We actually only have one Nighthawk here today…" Rozanne said as she delivered a spoonful of thick soup into her mouth.
"I heard that a case with cultist elements is going on in Golden Indus. Therefore, the police department has requested for two Nighthawks…" Bredt said as he put down his bread.
Klein used the remaining wheat bread and dabbed it into the last bits of the meat stew Amon had made for him before stuffing it into his mouth. He did not say a word.
Under his left sleeve, there was a silver chain with a topaz hanging.
At that moment, knocks sounded outside the half-closed main door.
"…Please come in." Rozanne was taken aback as she put down her spoon. She quickly used a handkerchief to wipe her mouth and stood up.
The door was pushed open as a man in a halved top hat came in. The left shoulder of his black formal suit was drenched.
The sides of his hair had grayed. He put away his umbrella and said to Klein and company, "Is this the former small mercenary squad?"
"You can say that," answered Rozanne like clockwork.
The lanky man coughed and said, "I have a mission request."
A mission request… You probably came to the wrong place… This security company's signboard is really nothing but a signboard…
Klein immediately held back his urge to lampoon when he heard the visitor. How he yearned for there to be a message board and a screen for him to share his thoughts.
But he soon realized that he had once asked a similar question. The captain's answer was that they could take on jobs if they were free. The money earned could be used as funding for the team's petty cash account and bonuses for the participants.
Rozanne's eyes darted around as she thought for a moment before saying, "Our security personnel are all out on missions. The fastest it will take for them to return is an hour. If your matter isn't urgent, you can consider our services."
Among the six formal Nighthawk members, Captain Dunn Smith had been invited to the cathedral by the bishop for some unknown discussion. Leonard Mitchell was guarding Chanis Gate in his place.
Corpse Collector Frye and Sleepless Royale Reideen had already headed to the Golden Indus Borough to assist the police in the investigation of a robbery case with cultist inklings. Sleepless Kenley White was on leave, while Midnight Poet Seeka Tron had gone to Raphael Cemetery in the north suburb for a daily patrol.
As for the remaining two Beyonders, Old Neil was frail and too advanced in his years. He had not taken any missions in a long time. Klein was still a novice and was truly inadequate in various aspects.
"They are all out…" With one hand holding his umbrella, the lanky man's expression turned gloomy as he took off his hat. He bowed and said, "Sorry for intruding. Goodbye."
He turned around and walked out. He went down the stairs and left 36 Zouteland Street amid the spattering rain and howling winds.
Klein thought nothing on it and went back to what he was doing before.
The next time the lanky man visited, Klein was reading the newspaper article about the cover up of Welch and Naya's death and was wondering how must his own parents must be suffering from his disappearance...
"My name is Klee, a butler of Mr. Vickroy, a tobacco merchant. His only son, little Elliott, was kidnapped this morning. We have already informed the police and the matter has been given high priority. However, Mr. Vickroy remains uneasy. He wishes to go through the channels which mercenaries, uh—security personnel have, as well as your understanding of Tingen, to investigate the case from a different angle and ensure that little Elliott is rescued safely.
"If you are able to find where the kidnappers are hiding, Mr. Vickroy will be willing to pay you 100 pounds. If you have the means to successfully save Young Master Elliott, he is willing to pay double. 200 pounds."
Leonard Mitchell smiled leisurely."
"Mr. Vickroy seems to only wish for us to find the kidnappers' hideout? If not, he will not think that his only son is worth a hundred pounds. A tobacco merchant who has close ties with the southern plantations will not just offer two hundred pounds." Leonard, who had came back from the chanis gate said leisurely, his white shirt not tucked in as usual.
"No, Mr. Vickroy is only an ordinary merchant. He's not considered wealthy. Besides, he believes the police will be more professional when it comes to rescuing his son," Klee answered frankly.
"Alright. No problem." Leonard snapped his fingers again.
His green eyes turned their gaze on Rozanne.
"My beautiful lady, please write up a contract."
"Don't always act like a poet. In fact, all you do is recite the works of others." Having forgotten the presence of the client, Rozanne quipped. She was used to exchanging snipes with Leonard.
Leonard's eye twitched.
He was really hard to inact the acting method since Amon's appearance for his own safety okay! He needed to act like this to digest his potion quicker and scram towards Backlund!
Meanwhile, Klein was lampooning his he was working under such an unprofessional company.
There was no standard template for a contract!
What a tragedy...
"I'll wait for your good news." After receiving one copy of the contract, Klee stood up and bowed with his hat off.
Leonard did not respond. He seemed to be in deep thought.
He suddenly turned his head toward Klein and revealed a smile.
"I need your help."
"Ah?" Klein was taken aback.
"I mean you and I can finish this mission together." The corners of Leonard's mouth curved up slightly as he explained, "I'm good at combat, shooting, climbing, sensing, and chanting, and taking on some support roles. But that does not include looking for people. You don't expect Old Neil to go out in such weather, right?" it was also to win some brownie points from Klein's devil boyfriend to give Klein more experience. But klein didn't need to know that.
"Alright." Klein did have the urge to attempt his new 'abilities,' he'll make sure to show his worth to Amon's childhood friend!
("When the hell did the setting change from family friend to childhood friend?"
"This Klein is just is cute..."
"Stop drooling all over Klein's hair! It's my turn to do that!")
Leonard and Klein travelled with Klee towards Elliott's residence where they got themselves some clothes that the boy had worn oreciosioy so that Klein could attempt his spirit dowsing method and finally broareded a private two wheeler carriage which thankfully was paid by Leonard, who did not want to get skewered alive if Klein's fimace found out about this.
Actually, the old man even said that knowing Amon, he probably had about a hundred clones flapring all around Klein as microbes- probably the reason for the weird aura all around Klein that the old man had sensed.
Which was honestly quiet terrifying...
Leonard sneaked a peak at Klein who was so focused and dedicated while doing his spirit dowsing and couldn't help but sigh again. Poor lad didn't even know how much of a stalker his fiance was...
After the carriage circled a building once, he finally determined that Elliott was inside. It had only been thirty minutes since they bade Klee farewell.
They exited the carriage and Klein used spirit dowsing for the last time, the cane fell to the front with a slant. Klein pointed at the staircase and said, "There."
"Your skills are indeed quiet good." Leonard praised, half due to his actual impression and half because of that really fierce looking ant on Klein's shoulders looking at him while moving it's right antenna.
"You can surely do it as well if you tried it." Klein replied back.
Was... was Klein saying that he was lazy?!
Okay that was true...
But at least he should have been a bit kinder!
They climbed the stairs till Klei stopped in front of a room.
"They should be in there." While Klein picked up his cane, he tapped his glabella twice.
Various colors saturated as he looked at the right room. He saw all sorts of auras inside.
"One, two, three, four… Three kidnappers and one hostage. The numbers match… One of their auras is short. It's likely Elliott… Mr. Klee said that they have two hunting rifles and a revolver…" Klein whispered.
"Leave them to me," Leonard gave a chuckle.
Leonard's singing brought upon a calm and quiet atmosphere, but for some reason Klein didn't feel sleepy at all. Was Leonard's poetry that bad?
He gave a stink eye to Leonard.
'You have literal hundred of demigods and angel clones all around you and protecting you- hoe can my sequence 8 skill even affect you?!' Leonard wanted to cry.
After that, he punched the lock on the door and Klein watched baffled as the lock broke just like that and fell to the ground. Leonard then casually opened the door with a satisfied smile.
Klein was not as confident as him. He reached under his armpit, drew his revolver, and turned the cylinder, making sure that he could shoot at a moment's notice.
As the door swung back, he saw a man sleeping on a table with a gun by his feet. Another man was rubbing his eyes in a daze while trying to stand up.
Bam!
Leonard slid forward and struck the awakening kidnapper unconscious.
Klein planned to enter as well when he suddenly sensed something. He turned around abruptly and faced the stairwell.
An accomplice was coming up the stairs!
Klein pointed his gun at the man holding some bread in his hand and spoke in a calm and deep tone in a relaxed manner, "Do not move. Raise your hands. Three, two, one…" he imaged the man as his target practice.
"Sir, is this a kind of a joke? Has there been a misunderstanding?" He stared intently at the finger that Klein had placed on the trigger as he forced a smile.
Klein was temporarily unable to determine if he was an accomplice or a neighbor, but he did not reveal any abnormalities. He said in a deep voice, "Do not attempt to resist. Someone will determine if it's a misunderstanding in a while."
At that moment, Leonard, who had finished handling the kidnappers, walked out and noticed the man in the stairwell. He said leisurely, "So the kidnappers have another accomplice responsible for buying and delivering food?"
Upon hearing this, the man's pupils constricted as he suddenly raised his foot and kicked the bag of bread up in an attempt to block Klein's vision.
Seemingly unaffected, Klein coldly pulled the trigger like his usual training.
Bang!
Blood burst out from the man's left shoulder.
He tumbled to the ground and attempted to escape from the second floor; however, Leonard had already reached his hand towards the handrail before leveraging himself to jump over.
With a dull thud, Leonard landed on the man from above.
The man fainted as Leonard swatted away some of the blood that had splattered on him. He looked up at Klein and chuckled.
"Nice shooting."
"I was trying to hit his legs…' The corner of Klein's mouth twitched in an indiscernible manner.
("This inexperienced and stupid Klein- I LIKE!")
He discovered that despite not having any enhancements to his visual, auditory, or tactile senses after consuming the Seer potion, he could still "see" obstructed objects and "hear" faint footsteps, allowing him to take preemptive judgment.
Was this in the scope of spiritual perception? Klein nodded in thought as he watched Leonard find a sharp dagger in the accomplice's possession and "drag" him into the room.
After that, Leonard strapped the kidnappers together and lightly bandaged them and unbounded the reliever looking Elliott.
Leonard stood up and said to Klein, "Go downstairs and find some patrolling cops. Get them to inform the tobacco merchant. I do not wish to walk out with a child and four idiots like a kidnapper."
Klein tried not to burst out in laughter as he heard Leonard trying to soothe the boy by asking him to gamble with him.
After the two were finally done recounting everything to the police and sending off Elliott to his home, they finally boarded a carriage back to Blackthorn Security Company.
Leonard closed the window, turned around, and looked at Klein.
He extended his right hand and smiled.
"It was a pleasure working with you!
"Also that calm manner you handled everything and didn't flinch on seeing blood even when it was your first time, that's some real skill!" Althiugh he doubted that someone chosen by the King of Angel Amon would be any less of a hidden genius.
"Yes, likewise." Klein smiled as he shook his hand with Leonard.
Leoanrd, who felt murder gazes at him, instantly withdrew his hand with a brief panicked look.
"Shouldn't we confirm with Mr. Klee? If he believes that the police rescued Elliott, our commission will be halved."
A total of 100 pounds!
There was no doubt about their providing of the kidnappers' location from their 'meeting' from before.
"Don't mind it. To us, money isn't that important," said Leonard with a shrug.
…It's very important to me!
Klein forced a polite smile and said, "Many poets died early from poverty."
Leonard chuckled. "I believe Elliott would not lie on this matter. I can tell that he still has some of his innocence left in him. However, you will not get much of the 200 pound commission either."
"How much would I get?" asked Klein immediately.
"As the unspoken rule has always been, half of the commission would be handed to Mrs. Orianna as additional funding for the team. The remaining would be split among members. A pity you aren't a formal member; you will only get about ten percent of the remaining half." why was klein even worried about money? His boyfriend was the ex-duke Amon! Even his civilian secret identity in front of Klein was that of an aristocrat!
10 pounds? That isn't bad either… Klein pretended to feel the pinch as he asked, "Aren't you worried that the kidnappers will realize that they were under the influence of a Beyonder's powers after they wake up?"
"They will not suspect anything. They will only believe that the weather was good and very conducive for sleeping, leading to them dozing off. They will even believe that the song existed only in their dreams. This is something we have verified before," answered Leonard very confidently. "Instead, it's your demon hunting bullets that might arouse suspicion. Of course, you being a queer who enjoys mysticism would be a perfectly reasonable explanation."
"I see." Klein was relieved. He just kept feeling like he had forgotten or overlooked something.
After that, he went back home after some more normal routine stuff. He ate with his siblings, paid fro the gas and went to sleep tired from that day's sudden mission.
That was when he had the strange dream-
He woke with a start as he realized the meaning of his dream!
The Antigonus Family notebook! It was there in the other room!