Inside the Tingen City Circus.
"Boss, are you alright?" The Clown asked, looking at the Magician's bandaged body with some concern.
Seeing his subordinate's concern, the Magician's lips curved slightly upwards, but he quickly became serious again and said in a deep voice, "I'm fine. How about you?"
"I sustained some minor injuries, but they've already been treated," the Clown forced a smile.
The Magician nodded and asked, "Where are the other two?"
"They expended too much this time and have gone to rest. Should I call them?"
"No need," the Magician shook his head gently.
He was always very lenient with his hardworking subordinates.
After a moment of silence.
"Everyone, keep a low profile these next few days," the Magician instructed.
"Not just a few days, Boss, have we already been targeted by the Official?"
Seeing his subordinate's panicked look, the Magician pressed his forehead and said, "I performed a divination after I returned. The situation is still manageable, and we've made appropriate disguises, so we shouldn't be directly exposed."
"That Demoness named Shelun is also dead. She was probably caught by the Nighthawks."
"How is it? Your revenge is served. Are you happy?"
Upon hearing this, the Clown's face showed little of the pleasure of having exacted great revenge; instead, it was filled with more worry.
"Just bear with it for a few more days, and our deployment mission will be over. Then we can leave," the Magician said, comforting his worried subordinate.
"But…" The Clown tried to say something, but the Magician interrupted him.
"With me here, what are you panicking about?!"
...
Two days later.
Acting Captain Frey's temporary office.
"Come in."
"Frey, you called for me," Klein pushed open the Door and walked in.
"Yes, have a seat."
Klein pulled out a chair and sat down.
"How are your injuries?" Frey asked with concern.
"They're fine, just some minor scrapes. Nothing serious."
Seeing Klein looking well, Frey pondered for a moment before speaking.
"The ingredients for the "Clown" potion have arrived."
"Really? That fast?" Klein was a little surprised; it had only been a few days since his application was approved.
"Actually, they were sent from the Cathedral yesterday, but…"
Frey's tone was a bit conflicted.
"If it's something you can't talk about, you don't have to tell me," Klein said kindly, seeing the other party's hesitant expression.
"No, it's actually not a big deal."
"Before the Captain went to Backlund, he specifically instructed me.
He said that you were mastering potions too quickly, and he was a bit worried, hoping you could wait until he returned from Backlund before advancing."
"The Captain is concerned about me," Klein nodded.
Frey glanced at Klein and continued, "But, you know the current situation.
Ke Enli is injured and won't be able to work for a short period. The Captain and Ms. Daily are both absent…
We urgently need to strengthen our forces now."
"Do you think you are in a state to advance smoothly?" Frey asked, looking at Klein.
"I think so, but…" The opportunity for advancement was right before him, and Klein truly didn't want to give it up, but hearing the other party's words, he actually had some concerns.
After a few seconds of silence, he asked Frey, "Can I leave to perform a divination?"
"Of course you can," Frey nodded.
A few minutes later, Klein, who had finished his divination above Grey Mist, returned to the office.
"The divination result tells me that I can advance."
"Mm."
Frey bent down and pulled a white box from under the desk.
"All the ingredients are in here."
He handed the box to Klein.
"Old Neil will be on duty soon. Do you need his help?"
When it came to concocting potions and various elixirs, no one in the Nighthawks team could surpass Old Neil, who was a "Seer."
"No, I can do it myself. Old Neil already taught me how to concoct potions," Klein gently shook his head; he didn't want to trouble his teammates.
...
After Klein left.
Frey lowered his head and continued writing his report.
"Frey, this is bad!" Rosanne suddenly opened the office Door with a panicked expression.
"What's wrong?" Seeing Rosanne's anxious look, Frey suddenly had a bad premonition.
"Old Neil, he… he was arrested by the Punishers on his way to the company…"
"What?!"
...
In the basement, Klein was busy concocting the "Clown" potion.
He opened the white box and saw the dense array of ingredients inside.
Among them, the most striking was a palm-sized gray ram's horn, with layers of peculiar patterns faintly visible inside.
Next to the ram's horn was a blue rose, its petals adorned with strange markings that seemed to form a grinning human face.
"Crystallized horn of an adult Honachis Gray Mountain Goat, complete Human-Faced Rose."
"That's right…" Klein nodded.
Following the method Old Neil taught him, Klein easily completed the potion's concoction.
Looking at the potion before him, Klein picked up his pendulum and silently chanted:
"This potion is harmful."
"This potion is harmful."
After seven repetitions.
Seeing no abnormalities in the divination result, Klein no longer hesitated. He raised the cup, held his breath, and gulped down the potion.
...
Klein, having successfully advanced to "Clown," was in a good mood, but strangely, Frey was nowhere to be found in the office.
"Rosanne, has something happened?" Klein asked Rosanne, who looked unwell.
"Klein, this is bad. Old Neil has been arrested."
"What?!" Klein was very shocked.
"Arrested by whom?"
"The Punishers," Rosanne replied.
Klein was somewhat taken aback: "Why? They shouldn't have the right to arrest a Nighthawk, right? Did Old Neil lose control?"
"No, no, they said Old Neil was researching black magic."
"Black magic?" Klein was a little surprised. He couldn't imagine Old Neil being the kind of person to do such a thing.
Could it be that the magic Old Neil used to repay his debts had gone wrong?
Somehow, a bad premonition suddenly arose in his heart.
...
...
Inside the carriage,
Old Neil sat silently in the innermost seat, his face looking very grim.
Frey wanted to say something, but seeing the Punishers beside them, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
As the Acting Captain, he couldn't possibly hand over his teammate.
But the Punishers claimed they had received a report and had already obtained substantial evidence of Old Neil researching black magic.
After some negotiation, Frey decided to accompany Old Neil to his house, intending to see the so-called evidence.
He had initially thought it was just a misunderstanding. As Old Neil's teammate, he knew that Old Neil usually enjoyed researching strange ritualistic magic.
Perhaps the Punishers had made a mistake? Mistaking those peculiar rituals for black magic.
Just like the ritual Old Neil once used to repay his debts.
But reality shattered his hope. Upon reaching Old Neil's doorstep, seeing Old Neil's pained expression, Frey knew that things were not as simple as a misunderstanding.