On the surface, the headquarters of the Spirit Medium Order functioned as a central telecommunications station, managing all telephone communications across the city of York. Since this world lacked a strict data privacy law compared to his former one, Nicholas suspected that every single conversation passing through these lines was being monitored by the Order.
From his previous visit, Nicholas had already learned that the staff here did not consist solely of Extraordinaries. In fact, many were family members of Spirit Medium lineages or individuals who had been recruited by the Order. These people possessed at least a surface-level understanding of the organization's true purpose. Consequently, Nicholas realized that the number of ordinary citizens aware of the supernatural and the existence of Extraordinary was far from negligible.
Romero led him deeper into the facility and headed toward the lowest level of the Order's headquarters. Having already walked this path once before, Nicholas wasn't particularly surprised by the surroundings. However, there was one thing he immediately noticed was different— the crowds that had once filled this place had noticeably dwindled.
The vast hall supported by enormous pillars once again came into view. Its lonely silence and solemn atmosphere washed over Nicholas. Despite this being his second visit, Nicholas still hadn't grown accustomed to this place and its oppressive atmosphere.
Romero gave two rhythmic knocks on the door at the far end of the hall before pushing it open. Nicholas followed the young prosecutor inside, coming to a halt in the center of the chamber, directly beneath a shaft of light streaming down from the window overhead.
There sat Mr. Edwin behind his desk.
Clad in his customary white attire, his composed demeanor exuded an aura of profound tranquility. Although he bore the features of a middle-aged man, his hair was heavily peppered with strands of silver. Nicholas could sense the steady, collected emotions emanating from him.
Yet beneath that calm exterior, there lingered the faintest trace of concern.
Nicholas could only hope that the underlying trace of concern was not caused by his small request.
"Mr. Edwin."
Romero spoke with the formal salute, following the customs of the Church of the God of Death and Rebirth which Nicholas promptly followed.
Mr. Edwin raised his eyes to look at the two men before giving Romero a slight nod.
Seeing this, Romero bowed once more and quietly left the room. Now only Nicholas and Mr. Edwin remained, facing each other in solitary.
"Please, have a seat, Mr. Parlay."
Nicholas nodded and took the seat across the desk.
Mr. Edwin scanned the document in his hand for a brief moment, then placed it down and turned his gaze toward Nicholas.
"I've heard about what happened." the middle-aged man said, a slight smile touching his lips. "I must say, you've proven that my offer to bring you into the Order that day was entirely justified."
Having received praise nonstop throughout the day, Nicholas felt as though he were experiencing déjà vu.
"I was merely fulfilling my duty."
Nicholas replied. Initially, he had intended to respond with modesty but then recalling that the man before him was the highest authority within the Order. Under the circumstances, presenting himself as a capable and dependable subordinate seemed like the wiser choice.
Mr. Edwin smiled again but offered no further compliments. After a brief pause, his expression grew slightly more serious as he finally addressed the matter at hand.
"Do you know why I called you here today?"
Nicholas shook his head. In truth, he had been pondering that very question the entire way here, but no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't come up with an answer.
"Judging by your current condition, your body should have fully adapted to spiritual energy. Now that your physical vessel is sufficiently strengthened, I believe it won't be long before you're able to separate your spirit from your body and advance to the Dío rank."
Nicholas was slightly taken aback by the man in white's assessment.
In truth, ever since the battle yesterday, he had indeed sensed something strange— His body seemed to have merged with spiritual energy to a remarkable degree. Though physically drained, he felt inherently stronger, and his perception of the spirit world had sharpened significantly—as though he was on the verge of being able to project his soul from his body and freely wander through that realm.
Of course, that was what he sensed. But the fact that Mr. Edwin could see through his condition so transparently with just a glance was beyond his expectations.
"When I saw you just now, I was somewhat surprised. Since our very first meeting, I sensed that your body was uniquely sensitive to spiritual energy. It stood to reason that once you became a Spirit Medium, you would possess one of the densest reserves of spiritual power among your peers. That would normally mean adapting to and accumulating spiritual power would take longer than it would for an average Spirit Medium."
Mr. Edwin paused briefly
"In fact, I had estimated that it would take you at least half a year to advance to the next rank. Yet you've managed to build up your spiritual foundation within a month. No... not even a full month."
Mr. Edwin tapped his fingers against the desk out of habit before continuing.
"...Of course, what happened yesterday certainly contributed to your growth. However, that alone shouldn't have been enough to allow such dramatic advancement. It's almost as though you've encountered some extraordinary opportunity that greatly accelerated your accumulation of spiritual power."
Mr. Edwin's words immediately caused Nicholas to recall the incident at the casino in the aristocratic residential district.
Perhaps his encounter with the Moon God had played a role. Although only the deity's name had manifested, the impact it left on Nicholas's body had been far greater than he could ever have imagined.
The young man's expressions had, in fact, been under Edwin's observation the entire time. Yet he neither pressed the issue nor attempted to pry into the secrets hidden within the young man's heart.
"Rest assured, having a dense spiritual energy within one's body doesn't hinder advancement—quite the opposite. It actually makes the process much smoother. It's like building a strong foundation before climbing to greater heights. However..."
Nicholas knew instinctively that everything the man had said so far was merely a prelude to whatever was coming next.
"I was informed that you requested access to the library as your reward for the mission. It is a bit complicated, but would you mind telling me your reason for making such a request?"
'So it really is about that?'
Nicholas's eyes widened. He couldn't comprehend how everything Mr. Edwin had just said was connected back to his seemingly minor request. Were the books inside that library so immensely valuable that the Order had to be this stingy about them?
As Mr. Edwin watched Nicholas opening and closing his mouth without answering, he let out a sigh.
"If you'd rather not tell me, then I won't press further. But I must offer you a word of warning."
Mr. Edwin's expression became stern and serious, a stark contrast to his usual gentle and approachable demeanor.
"You should already be aware that every advancement undertaken by an Extraordinary carries the risk of losing control. This can be triggered by various factors—external interference during the advancement process, insufficient accumulated spiritual energy, or even the individual's mental state." He paused briefly before continuing.
"But the factor that most often leads an Extraordinary to lose control is knowing too much."
"Knowing too much?"
Nicholas couldn't help repeating the words in confusion.
"'Mortals must never gaze directly upon gods, nor do they dare utter their names.' Such words aren't mere superstitious fabricated to command religious piety. Rather, they are warnings passed down by word of mouth since ancient times." His eyes gleamed as he spoke
"We, the Extraordinary, exist as entities caught in the middle—midway between the divine and the mortal. Though we may be considered 'beyond human,' we are still incomparable to those higher existences. Merely 'gazing' or 'perceiving' can cause us to lose control. If it does not kill you, then becoming an Abomination is also a possibility."
The finger tapping the desk accelerated in rhythm.
"Certain types of knowledge are fundamentally tethered to things that should remain unknown, to entities that must never be revealed, or even the deepest secrets of the universe and the cosmic void. We call such knowledge 'Insight.' The more an individual accumulates such Insight, the higher their chances of losing control during their ascension as an Extraordinary."
This time, the man in white fixed his gaze directly upon Nicholas.
"Learning about history or grasping information regarding Extraordinaries' secret in general is not inherently dangerous. However, the books preserved within this library are far beyond that. Some of the records contain information that could be classified as 'Insight,' ranging from the lowest levels to the most exalted. Furthermore, in our world, even seemingly mundane information can also harbor danger…"
"What separates humans from beasts is our ability to interpret. Should you learn superficial information one day, only to later develop interpretations leading to profound conclusions, that conclusion itself may become a form of Insight your mind simply cannot bear"
"Of course, the higher an Extraordinary's rank, the greater the burden of Insight they can withstand. In that sense, everything has its proper time. Sometimes, knowing too much before one is ready... can be considered a misfortune"
Nicholas's heart raced. He had been oblivious to such truth.
His thoughts drifted back to the basement where he had confronted Antonio—merely uttering the Moon God's name had driven the former mafia boss into madness, transforming him into a mindless monster.
He didn't know how much 'Insight' he had already accumulated, but it sent shivers down his spine!
"I tell you all of this out of concern for your well-being," Mr. Edwin continued. ""No one has ever made a request quite like yours, but there is also no explicit rule within the Order that forbids it. I can grant you access to the library. But nothing guarantees that after reading the knowledge preserved here, you won't encounter Insight far too heavy for your current self to endure. Should that happen... it may become the greatest obstacle to your advancement."
Mr. Edwin's voice remained calm.
"And even if you manage to overcome it at the Dio level, this psychological burden will only continue to grow as you ascend to higher ranks. Therefore, I will ask you only one simple question..."
Mr. Edwin's fingers came to a halt. His eyes, filled with an almost tangible power, met Nicholas's.
"Are you prepared to face the consequences?"
To be honest, everything Mr. Edwin had revealed today had left Nicholas deeply unsettled.
It was undoubtedly one of the greatest secrets he had ever learned about the world of the Extraordinary. If that were true, then wasn't investigating supernatural mysteries essentially inviting disaster upon oneself?
Within the library filled with books, silence now reigned. One stood waiting for an answer, while the other deeply weighed his response.
Because Nicholas could perceive the faint emotions emanating from Mr. Edwin, he understood that every word spoken by the middle-aged man was not merely a warning—it was also a test.
However, this wasn't the first time Nicholas had been forced to shoulder risks that could cost him his life. He had crossed the point of being able to remain detached from such matters ever since the day he chose to accept the mantle of Judicial Representative.
"I am," Nicholas replied,
The young man's eyes held not the slightest trace of hesitation. Even so, he did not forget to add,
"...Though, if possible, could I trouble you to help screen the materials beforehand, Mr. Edwin?"
The answer didn't stubbornly reject his superior's goodwill, and it served as a tactful, measured plea for guidance.
Mr. Edwin studied Nicholas as he awkwardly voiced the latter half of his response. A trace of benevolence flickered across his eyes.
Then, slowly, a smile returned to his face.
"That's a good answer."
10.11.550
Nicholas Parlay
Spirit medium (Éna)