Nicholas woke up the next morning. Naturally, after going through a near-death experience, he had practically passed out the moment he got home.
After the situation at the cemetery had settled the night before, the team had returned to the city in a state of utter exhaustion. Yet despite this, Piers as the vice-captain, still had matters to settle with headquarters. The man hadn't stopped grumbling for a single second during the entire carriage ride home.
The reason for this was simple—the severity of what they had encountered far exceeded what appeared on the surface. The appearance of rogue Extraordinaries at the Tría and Téssera levels was no trivial matter. The fact that such individuals had managed to infiltrate and operate right under the Order's nose made the situation even more alarming.
That didn't even account for the Hunter Association's involvement, While the Association fell under the jurisdiction of a different Church, and both Churches maintained a facade of diplomatic friendship, in reality, things weren't quite so simple.
The previous day had been Nicholas's first time seeing the Hunters of the Association in the flesh. If asked about his first impression, he held a fairly positive view of these Extraordinaries from a rival organization.
It wasn't strange for Nicholas to feel this way—after all, it was those Hunters who had saved their lives. Moreover, the female Hunter named Margaret seemed genuinely decent and sincere.
However, his attitude was completely different from that of the other Spirit Mediums in the Order. According to Piers, Margaret was actually a rare exception among Hunters. Most of them were rough and stern by nature. Some said this was a side effect of the potions consumed by Extraordinaries of this lineage. Typically, they rarely interacted with others. Even Piers, who had been a Spirit Medium for over a decade, could count on one hand the number of times he had spoken to a Hunter.
…In fact, it wouldn't be wrong to say that Extraordinaries from both organizations didn't particularly like each other—though it hadn't reached the point of outright hostility.
Nicholas also gleaned another crucial piece of information, among the various lineages of Extraordinaries, Hunters were known for possessing the greatest physical enhancements. As such, they were particularly feared among lower-level Extraordinaries.
The Hunter Association operated quite differently from the Order of Spirit Mediums, which had clearly defined divisions of labor and a strict chain of command. Most Hunters were independent and preferred to live in solitude. The association itself was more like a gathering place for them rather than a centralized command.
Like Spirit Mediums, Hunters also had a public front. They operated as an organization responsible for maintaining peace in common residential areas and the slums. Unlike the police, who worked under the city's administrative authority, their duties resembled those of volunteers and were also connected to the Empire's military. In addition, their work extended to roles similar to that of detectives.
Upon learning this, the image of a man wearing a cowboy hat, often lounging lazily on a sofa—Roderick Rickman—appeared in Nicholas's mind. His intuition told him that this private detective might somehow be connected to this secret organization.
As Nicholas went about his morning routine and ate his breakfast, his thoughts dwelled on everything that had happened. Previously, after settling matters with Antonio, the Gray Mirror had presented him with an advancement mission. The mission was inseparably linked to the Moon Worship cult. At the time, Nicholas had thought it too dangerous, so he hadn't accepted the mission.
He had initially hoped that by joining a powerful organization like the Order, he could navigate this world of mysticism and peril safely.
However, yesterday's events had been like a bucket of cold water thrown in his face. The influence of the Moon Worship cult ran far deeper than he had ever imagined. Whether he wanted to be involved with them or not, he was inevitably being drawn into these matters time and time again.
...Or perhaps it was fate that had determined from the start that he must face such dangers.
If that were the case, then he would rather resist it with everything he had than passively await a miserable fate. At the very least, if he had to die, he wanted to die understanding the truth and confronting it head-on.
As if sensing his thoughts, the mirror responded by emitting a bright glow. Nicholas decided to pick it up and the familiar script appeared before his eyes once more.
"The Moon Worship Cult are servants of the Primordial God 'Zar.'
They are disciples of calamity and chaos.
Advancement Mission: Discover the cult's true objective and attempt to stop their plans.
Reward: You may advance to the next rank of Judicial Representative.
The advancement mission will begin when you accept.
[Accept] [Decline]"
Nicholas let out a long, weary sigh before reluctantly uttering the word, "Accept." At that moment, the previous text began to fade away, replaced by a message of blessing.
"You have accepted the advancement mission. Henceforth, your fate shall be bound to
the mission of the Supreme Judge.
May fortune favor you."
…The light from the gray mirror dimmed and vanished. There wasn't even the slightest hint left behind for him to follow.
"Damn it, couldn't you at least give me something to work with?"
Nicholas couldn't help but curse aloud. He had hoped the Mirror would provide some sort of lead, but it seemed he had been mistaken. He didn't even understand the phrase: "Your fate is bound to the mission of The Supreme Judge." What did that even imply?
"The Supreme Judge..."
This was the first time Nicholas had heard this term. He suspected it was deeply connected to his status as the "Judicial Representative." Numerous questions arose in his mind, but he had no clue where to search for answers.
Looking on the bright side… at least he could be glad that the mission did not specify any time limit or penalty for failure.
If only there were a place where he could search for information about Extraordinary organizations, as well as records of this world's history.
Nicholas got dressed and left his house. His destination was the telecommunications station located on 4th street. Though he, as a new member of the unit, didn't have the heavy administrative burdens that Piers faced after a mission, he had been summoned to the station today to provide a supplementary statement for the official report being sent to high command.
Upon arriving at the station, Nicholas pushed through the doors without hesitation. Neither Piers nor Evelyn were there today; their absence was entirely understandable given the ordeal they had just endured.
The person on duty today was Dmitri Gurov. He was a tall, large man with brown hair. His personality could be described as that of a gentle giant—despite his imposing appearance, he was remarkably polite and mild-mannered. Like Nicholas, this man was an Éna-level Spirit Medium. He had been stationed with fourth Division for about a year now.
The moment he saw Nicholas enter, he nodded his head in greeting with a smile. Nicholas politely removed his hat and returned the gesture.
"Where's Captain Romero?"
"He's in his office. He told me to send you straight in as soon as you arrived."
"Thank you."
After a brief exchange with Dmitri, Nicholas hurried toward Romero's office at the back. He gave a professional knock on the door, and a moment later, a voice called out.
"Come in."
Entering the room, Nicholas found Romero seated at his desk, holding some documents in his hand. His brows were tightly furrowed, revealing a tense mood.
"I'm here to provide my supplementary statement for the report, as ordered."
Romero nodded and gestured for Nicholas to take a seat.
"It's nothing that serious. In fact, I've already read Piers's report—there's no real need for an additional statement. But from what he wrote… it seems you've given me quite a few surprises."
The prosecutor narrowed his eyes, looking at Nicholas with subtle meaning. Nicholas immediately understood what he was referring to. Nicholas had revealed the ability of the old compass during the critical moment. Though at the time Piers and the others had no opportunity to inquire about the details, when writing his report, Piers would naturally have to mention it.
Nicholas forced a dry smile, searching for the right words, but Romero raised a hand to stop him.
"No need to explain. Every Spirit Medium has an ace up their sleeve. Furthermore, any artifact a member of the Order discovers by chance—so long as it's not a dangerous item— it is considered your personal property. I trust that I don't need to tell you to use it with caution, do I?"
'It's actually a cursed object tho.'
Though he thought so, Nicholas simply nodded, inwardly grateful that the other man did not press further.
"Now, let's get to the reason I called you here today. You must already know that what happened yesterday was a major incident involving both church organizations... What you did not only helped turn a dire situation around but also saved the lives of your teammates. That's quite a commendable achievement."
Romero watched the young man sitting across him. It was hard to believe... that an ordinary person who had only recently passed the Trial of Rebirth and become an Extraordinary less than a month ago, could produce such remarkable results?
"In truth, there are many ways to reward those who contribute to the organization. But since you're somewhat… different from the others, I decided to ask you directly…" He finished speaking and studied Nicholas carefully.
"…What do you wish to receive as a reward for your merits?"
The Spirit Medium Order offered a vast array of rewards, from monetary bonuses to promotions, or even the acquisition of official artifacts. Of course, such rewards depended on whether the achievement met the required criteria.
...In truth, even Romero himself wanted to know what this attorney would request from the Order.
Nicholas fell silent for a long moment. When he thought it over carefully, he realized that he didn't particularly need anything. He wasn't interested in climbing the career ladder, especially since he was constantly facing life-and-death dangers. Perhaps requesting a better self-defense artifact would be the most practical choice?
But just then, Nicholas recalled the thoughts he had earlier that morning, along with something Piers had once mentioned to him long ago.
"I've heard that the Order has a library that contains knowledge about history and organizations of Extraordinaries. If I were to request access to study the records within, would the Order permit it?"
The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Just as he was worrying about where to find clues regarding the Moon Worship Cult and the Parlay family, an opportunity had presented itself right before him.
Romero raised an eyebrow in surprise. To be honest, he hadn't expected Nicholas to request something like this. However, this was not a decision Romero could make on his own.
"I may need to inquire with my superiors first. It might take some time. I'll have someone inform you once I have an answer."
Nicholas gave an understanding nod. Romero waved his hand, signaling Nicholas to leave, before picking up the telephone on his desk.
When Nicholas stepped out of the room, he saw the large man sitting at a desk near the break area.
"All done?" Dmitri asked.
Nicholas nodded, then suddenly recalled something and asked,
"You were on duty yesterday too, right? How are Piers and Evelyn doing?"
"They both seem fine. The old guy made quite a fuss, though," Dmitri chuckled. "He was shouting about taking a full month's leave—with full pay, no less. At first, Captain firmly refused since the schedule had already been set, but out of sheer annoyance, he let him take three days off instead. So, I had to cover his shift."
Nicholas let out a dry laugh. Back when they were together, Piers had brazenly planned for seven days off—how it somehow turned into a whole month was beyond him, but that was certainly suited that old man's personality.
"Sorry for the trouble."
Dmitri waved his hand dismissively, indicating not to worry about it.
"I'm not very high-ranking, and I haven't been here long. I used to think desk duty at the station like this was boring. But after reading the report about yesterday's incident, I realized how lucky I am. And it actually gave me a bit of courage, too..."
Nicholas wasn't quite sure what the other party meant by that. The large man glanced at the young lawyer before him, a flicker of admiration passing through his eyes.
""What you did out there was incredible. No one would ever guess you're just an Éna like me."
Nicholas scratched his head awkwardly. In truth, he hadn't done anything particularly great—he had just been trying to survive.
While the two were conversing, the door to Romero's office suddenly opened, and the prosecutor's figure emerged from within.
"I've relayed your request to the Order. It turns out there's been a slight change of plans," Romero stated. "Mr. Edwin wants to see you personally... Get ready and follow me."
Romero's words made Nicholas's eyes widen in confusion. He hadn't thought his request would be significant enough to require the big boss of the Order to personally get involved like this.
He felt as though something ominous was about to happen...
10.11.550
Nicholas Parlay
Spirit medium (Éna)