Apparently, Klein figured out that deciding on the day of the marriage so early was no big deal at all- he didn't even have to mention it to Amon before the man somehow had come up with an entire plan for a 3-day grand wedding around the outskirts of the town all detailed even to the color of the different layers on the tablecloth with the food on it.
Sometimes Klein genuinely wondered if Amon had, like, a thousand different minds or versions of his own he discussed and planned everything with so easily and quickly.
Or it might just be… Amon had already long decided and planned everything and was just waiting for Klein to make the first move.
That was a much more feasible reason and made Klein understand why Amon wanted the wedding so fast…
"Klein? We've got a job." Leonard said as soon as Klein entered the office.
Klein blinked, "Really? What is it?" There had been nothing but paperwork and Leonard's rigorous training the past few days so Klein was a little excited.
Leonard, already getting prepared and putting on his gloves as well as fixing his uniform said in a mild tone, "Some important man was found dead randomly, we need a Seer like you to find if there were any extraordinary circumstances surrounding it."
Klein nodded, the mission seemed easy enough. But it was indeed a pity that he wouldn't be able to use some of the moves Leonard was teaching him these past few days… especially so because Leonard had taught him plenty of tips and tricks about how to fight as a Sequence 8 Clown.
'Uhg, I'm becoming more and more battle starved, did staying in close proximity to that Leonard make my mind go bonkers as well?' Klein cursed.
"This is a possible murder case, isn't it? Then shouldn't the Tingen police also be involved in the investigation?" Klein asked out of pure curiosity as they caught a carriage towards the Senator's house.
"Ah well, who knows what goes up in the higher up's heads?" Leonard shrugged casually.
Klein regretted ever asking him.
Leonard wasn't about to tell Klein how he had been basically bullied into making a special request to have only him and Klein investigate this due to none other than Amon's clones themselves.
Leonard swore that a couple of them had basically made themselves at home around Leonard, bugging him and torturing him every second of his life for their entertainment. This wasn't what he had wished for when he said that he wanted to be a main character as a child! Yes, he had two angels of sequence 1 guiding him and making him stronger- but one of them was Amon, AMON!
Leonard shivered.
The Amon clones were especially fierce this time and didn't even play around much and demanded everything.
Amon always had the tendency to act like he knew everything happening around him and maybe it was just the sheer amounts of clones that Angel had which meant more eyes to sneak around and know everything- but if you knew something was gonna happen and yet you still did not try to change it but instead willing to bully and take the anger out on an innocent person like Leonard? He wouldn't take it!
Not like he had a choice...
Honestly, Amon was really acting a little too weird. Yes, it was indeed quite stupid to assume every single story told by the Old Man was true about Amon and that the angel couldn't have changed much over the years... but still, there were so many discrepancies...
The main one is why the ever-loving fuck was the angel even doing around Leonard?!
Oh... how he wished to just pray to The Lady and have "Her" whisk away his problems...
"We do not appreciate saying that aunty's name in this household." One Amon clone huffed right beside Leonard's ear, making the poor NightHawk jump in surprise.
And he couldn't even have the basic right to have his own thoughts and have his epic cool monologue!
Even the Old Man was respectful enough to not interrupt Leonard while he was writing his autobiography in his mind!
"More like too tired and sleepy to," one Amon snickered.
"Or thinking you're too far gone to actually do something about it." Another Amon joined the laughter.
Not being able to hold back any longer, Leonard snapped, "Enough!"
Klein looked at Leonard, completely alarmed and alert.
"Sorry- nothing, I was- just ignore that please." Leonard laughed awkwardly.
"...Yes," Klein said, not completely convinced and already making up his mind to make sure to keep an eye on his new captain in case he also lost control.
Leonard hated his life.
The pair reached the house after a few minutes of awkward silence, the man whose death they were investigating, Maynard, his house was located in the Golden Indus Borough.
Apparently, the man had held a huge party or gala or whatever the day before and was found dead the next morning in his bed. All the people present at the party were still there and were being questioned by the Tingen police (the not extraordinary kind) and the scene was left as untouched as they could so 'professionals' could take a better look at it.
"You're not queazy with dead bodies, are you?" Leonard asked with a small smile as he reached out and held the edge of the white cloth the man was covered with.
"Captain... asking me this after all that has happened, seriously?" Klein flashed Leonard an unamused look.
'Look, I'm just trying to make sure I don't hit any of your boyfie's land mines, okay?' Leonard sighed in his mind before he pulled off the white sheet.
The gentleman, Maynard, was in his forties. His blond hair was cut very short, and his face had an expression of pain and pleasure mixed together.
Leonard whistled, "For being allegedly murdered, this man wears quite the amusing and ambiguous face."
"Leonard-!" Klein hissed, looking around on instinct.
"Don't worry, we are the only two ones in this room. We wouldn't want anyone to see how we're basically using magic to solve cases now do we?" Leonard chuckled casually as he waved at Klein, "You go do that mediumship ritual or whatever with that body, and meanwhile, I'll look around the room in case the policemen missed something."
Klein sighed, yet again being faced with the fact of how casual and unprofessional his captain was. He had even slipped and called Leonard by his name and Leonard didn't even seem to mind... whatever, calling that man Captain was awkward as hell so he might as well make good use of this opportunity.
As ordered, Klein took two steps back, took out the corresponding materials, and quickly prepared for the summoning ritual. After saying the required incantations, he repeated the phrase in his mind,
"The cause of MP Maynard's death.
"The cause of MP Maynard's death."
…
As Klein recited those words, Leonard felt a chill down his spine- oh no, the Amons were agitated!
Leonard turned slowly and observed as Klein's eyes turned black and he fell into a deep sleep.
And after a few moments-
His eyes shot open, his face beat red and Leonard could just hear his coworker's heartbeat getting so loud-
He just looked like he had accidentally walked in on and watched something he shouldn't have.
Leonard looked at the corpse and its expression, and then back at the Amon clones in the air almost on the verge of destroying the entirety of Tingen any second now.
Leonard had been in this field for multiple long years, he was also an intelligent man as well.
Leonard walked up to the blushing and still confused Klein Moretti and patted him on his shoulder like a bro and nodded at him.
"So that's the cause of death?" Leonard said vaguely and watched as Klein slowly nodded and got up, the body still flushed and a little excited.
"Yes..." Klein didn't even ask Leonard how he knew what he knew and slowly forced himself to regain his composure, "I- Mr. Maynard died of... overexertion during s-se-sexual intercourse..." Klein stumbled over his words like a stupid virgin.
For a man who was just about to get married in a few days, he was acting like someone who had just seen sex for the first time in his entire life.
But how couldn't he?
The woman in the dream looked so... enchanting and beautiful.
"Agh-!" Leonard was suddenly hit by a headache as all the Amon clones started screaming around him.
"HOW DARE HE-"
"CHEATER! CHEATER! CHEATER!"
"TRAITOR!"
"SCUM!"
"WORST OF THE WORST!"
"Leonard, are you alright?" Klein asked worriedly as he watched Leonard squeeze his head painfully.
"Nothing, just-" Leonard huffed, "A really bad hangover."
Klein gave Leonard a judging look.
'Stop looking at me like this when YOU'RE the reason I'm having this headache!' Leonard screamed in his mind.
What had Klein even thought to have all the Amon clones riot so badly?!
At this rate they were really about to burn Tingen to the ground-!
Klein looked back at the corpse and was reminded once again of the images he saw in the dream divination, and blushed again.
"CHEATER-! I'M FILING FOR DIVO-"
'But of course, my Amon is way prettier. Hehe.' Klein thought smugly.
Leonard blinked as all the white noise from the Amons around him suddenly stopped and then turned into silence.
S-should he be concerned?
Wait- Amon didn't die, did he?
Amon still hadn't finished helping Leonard digest his potion! Amon had promised in exchange for all the humiliation the angel had made him suffer while he was still a midnight poet!
You're not allowed to die on my watch, Amon!
[Aren't you supposed to root for him to die you brat?!]
Old Man shut up!
Then suddenly the surroundings lit up again with cries from the Amons-
But these ones sounded more like fangirls screeching than angry housewives when they find their husbands cheating.
"???"
Leonard was confused.
Why couldn't he get the magical cheating ability to read minds?! He was out of the loop here!
Hello?!
But before Leonard could even start to understand what had just happened, the corpse's fingers twitched- then moved and crackled-
And then jumped right towards Klein.
If Klein hadn't been a Sequence 8 Clown or had been trained by Leonard these past few days, he wouldn't have been able to dodge the sudden attack!
Klein slammed himself towards his right to dodge the Zombie's extending hand and instinctively pulled out his gun.
Wait no-! If he used his bullets then how was he supposed to explain why he had just shot a corpse?!
"Klein! Watch out!" Leonard warned from his position on the other side of the room. Shoot-! If only he wasn't so disoriented with the Amons around he would have seen the corpse move before it attacked Klein-!
Klein kicked the zombie to the side and into a few of the cabinets before pulling out one of his handmade charms,
"Crimson!"
Go back to sleep!
A red light flashed around the room and the corpse fell back down, completely unmoving.
Klein sighed and relaxed his tense shoulders when-
The corpse once again woke up and dashed right toward Klein, his extended hand reaching for Klein's breast pocket.
Bang!
The zombie was knocked to the side by the force of the bullet shot from Leonard's gun.
"Klein, I don't have time to sing a poem- use your silver bullets and the same sleeping charm from before!" Leonard ordered quickly. The silver bullet would weaken the zombie further so that the sleeping charm would work much better!
Klein didn't even hesitate before loading a silver bullet into his gun.
He would think of the consequences later! Besides, it was Leonard who fired first!
Klein pulled the trigger and hit the zombie right over his chest- a perfect bullseye!
Without waiting for another second, Klein pulled out another silver charm and chanted once again in ancient Hermes,
"Crimson!"
The charm grew cold in his palms and Klein injected his spirituality into it before throwing it towards the corpse and soon the room was once again engulfed in the same red light bringing about a sense of exhaustion.
The zombie plopped down for the second time as Leonard grabbed Klein's bag and pulled out the required materials for the purification ritual.
"Go make a spiritual wall," Leonard ordered as he quickly set up the ritual. Holding rituals wasn't really his niche but there was no way he was about to allow Klein to do this and speak the Goddess's name! Amon would kill him!
Klein watched mesmerized as Leonard chanted his prayers as well as a few poems and the way a dark smoke poured out of the corpse before finishing completely.
Leonard had just saved him and even acted like a dependable captain while in action... and he was even taking over Klein's job!
This man... he might act lazy but he was definitely an experienced NightHawk.
Klein felt a little bad. He still wasn't at Leonard's level...
Sigh...
As expected of Amon's childhood friend.
("Once again, what childhood friend?!")
Klein let Leonard do his work and instead focused on the other major problem at hand- why Maynard even became a zombie in the first place without any sort of forwarning.
Klein looked down at his breast pocket where the zombie kept trying to attack him.
That was where he had kept Mr. Azik's copper whistle!
Mr. Azik... I know you are an amnesiac but please at least mention the fact that your whistle literally resurrects the dead!