Chapter 995: Prelude (Asking for Monthly Votes)

7 Pinster Street. Leonard, who had returned home specifically for the Tarot gathering, was about to head out to the basement of Saint Samuel Cathedral to look over materials and prepare for his evening soul-appeasement operation, when suddenly a figure appeared before him: the messenger holding four golden-haired, red-eyed heads and wearing a gloomy, intricate long dress.

— As a «Soul Warden», he could now directly see spirit creatures.

Accepting the letter from Klein, Leonard barely had time to say thank you before Reinette Tinekoul turned and vanished into the void without pausing.

— …Old man, why does Klein have a messenger of that level? Is that a perk for a blessed? — Leonard couldn't help lowering his voice and asking Pallez Zoroaster.

At first he'd even fantasized that this was standard issue for Tarot Club members, but later realized he'd been thinking too highly of himself.

Pallez Zoroaster's somewhat aged voice immediately chuckled: — It should be unique to Klein Moretti. Everyone has their own special encounters, don't they? Even a guy like you is no exception, right? — Heh, I thought you'd call her a "damaged angel," but you switched to "a messenger of that level." Not bad, you remembered my warning.

Leonard twitched the corner of his mouth, unfolded the letter, and began to read.

— "A blessed of Secrecy and Fate indeed…" — Pallez Zoroaster, using Leonard's eyes, quickly scanned the beginning.

Leonard, without looking at the floor, stepped back a few paces and threw himself onto the sofa, then said: — Klein can see through theft and replacement of fate… Then we don't need to rush to search for demigod-level items of the Marauder pathway.

— Even if you were in a rush, you wouldn't know where to search. — Pallez sneered.

Even at the gatherings of the Fate Hermits, such items only appeared once every few years, and the next meeting wouldn't be until the end of the year.

Leonard couldn't find a retort for a moment, so he focused on the next two paragraphs.

After a brief silence, he chuckled: — I've always wondered where Klein got those high-level Sun domain charms when he faced Megose. I thought they were from that "Death Consul," but I couldn't understand why an angel of the Death domain would collect high-level Sun domain charms. To commit suicide? Now I finally get it. — Old man, I held "3-0782" too, so why didn't you notice it contained a drop of the Eternal Blazing Sun's divine blood? If you'd extracted some power in advance, then you wouldn't have, wouldn't have…

Leonard had originally meant to mock the old man, but as he spoke, he fell silent.

Pallez Zoroaster sighed in his mind: — If that drop of divine blood were that easy to discover, that mutated sun emblem wouldn't have ended up in Tingen.

Leonard was silent for a few seconds, then asked: — So how can I find a chance to get that holy emblem and make "Sunfire" charms?

Although Klein had made it sound easy in the letter, Leonard knew it wouldn't be simple: he was no longer a Nighthawk in Tingen City, and even if he returned now to visit former colleagues and teammates, he wouldn't have the authority to enter that Chanis Gate.

Hearing his question, Pallez Zoroaster said testily: — You're asking me about such petty matters? Can't you think for yourself?

Leonard coughed awkwardly, tasked his brain cells, and began seriously searching for a solution: — I'm operating independently now, but the archbishop gave me the authority to draw local Nighthawks from the involved regions. — Hmm, if these spirits in Backlund are all appeased but I haven't fully digested my potion, couldn't I expand to other dioceses? — If at that time Tingen happens to have a haunting case, then I could reasonably go back, call in two Nighthawks, and use "3-0782"…

When Leonard finished his "self-talk", Pallez Zoroaster laughed: — Not bad, you found a line of thought quickly. — But have you considered that you're going to appease, not purify, and that conflicts with using "3-0782"? It could easily arouse suspicion.

Encouraged, Leonard laughed: — Old man, you just don't get it. One of the principles they drilled into me when I first joined the Nighthawks team was: appeasement works best when you have the ability to purify. — As Emperor Roselle said, solving problems requires both a stick and a carrot.

Pallez Zoroaster clicked his tongue: — Then go ahead with your plan, provided you can finish all the tasks Anthony Stevenson gave you within a week or two. If you haven't obtained the "Sunfire" bullets by the time the operation to eliminate Amon officially begins, then it won't be necessary.

Leonard recalled the task list covering several pieces of paper, and his forehead twitched.

He forced himself to forget that worry and muttered to himself: — When will the mission to punish that vampire start? … — I wonder if the vampires have any demigod-level sealed artifacts of the Marauder pathway… — A temporary dream world… I can create it myself and might make a charm out of it, but can a power of that level resist the darkness of the Land of the Forsaken?

…………

Joywood District, inside a house.

Fors was holding a novel, sitting on the sofa, watching Xio walk towards the hallway and put on her outdoor boots.

— No need to rush. That gentleman won't issue the investigation task so quickly. — Fors finally said, unable to suppress her curiosity any longer.

Xio glanced at her and said: — I'm a bounty hunter. I have other tasks.