"Good morning, Terrence. The business in Moen is resolved?"
Leonard Mitchell — one of the Church of the Evernight Goddess 's nine High Deacons — returned Cormac Terrence's greeting with an easy smile.
His attire was casual to the point of negligence: outer coat unbuttoned, vest not on, and a button on his shirt collar forgotten. But paired with his handsome features and a wandering-poet quality of romance, the effect somehow came across not as untidiness but as effortless, unhurried charisma.
Terrence was well past being surprised by this. The deacon's famously unhurried style was well-known. Not that his tenure was long — just over a year — but his ability was beyond question.
"Yes, sir. Although the current rotation should have Deacon Ilya on duty — where is she?" Terrence asked with mild puzzlement.
As one of the most important elements in the intensive crackdown on cults, all major churches had dispatched three or four high-Sequence powerhouses to the chaotic Southern Continent to suppress the more brazen cult activity there. The corresponding crackdown in the Northern Continent was, in comparison, almost incidental.
But sustained engagement with the dangerous followers of evil gods carried risks even for those approaching the level of demigods. As a result, the church periodically rotated the high deacons and archbishops assigned to the Southern Continent. Which meant the direct supervisor for Terrence's Red Glove unit in Beklund wasn't always the same person — and currently it should have been Deacon Ilya, not the man now in front of him.
"Oh — she had something come up. For my part, things on the Southern Continent just reached a lull, so I thought I'd come back and relax for a while. She found me as soon as I arrived and pressed me into service." Leonard spread his hands with a mild complaint.
Terrence knew this deacon had a close friendship with a certain female demigod who possessed a transportation ability. Her involvement in designing the stone monolith capable of rapidly transporting multiple people from Beklund to various Ruen cities was something Terrence had heard. Leonard arriving on the Northern Continent for a brief rest, therefore, wasn't a surprise.
"I'll brief you on the Moen situation first, then — there's a person who will also require your direct judgment on how to handle her."
After Leonard nodded, Terrence gave a concise account of the general situation, with particular emphasis on Ais's anomalies.
As Terrence spoke, Leonard's expression shifted from a smile to something complicated, then back to composure.
"It's not just being minimally affected by the Pleasure Witch's charm that's unusual. Her behavior after becoming an Beyonder is also somewhat atypical — though in a positive direction."
After processing Terrence's account, Leonard summarized, leaning slightly forward in thought. Then he looked up and confirmed:
"The shift started after she became an Assassin in late last year?"
Terrence thought back and confirmed:
"That's correct — October 21st of last year."
"I see. Then I'll need to make a trip myself — not just to see her, but to Moen as well."
Leonard stood, pulled a silver-white box from his drawer — barely larger than a book — and after dispatching a telegram to the Moen Watcher team, he and Terrence proceeded to the large room with the monolith.
Goodness, he's handsome… Ais, currently being introduced to Beklund by two Red Gloves, caught the face of the man beside Terrence and couldn't suppress a quiet note of surprise.
Looking at him honestly — this man wasn't worse-looking than her current self after the Witch advancement.
"Hello, Miss Ais. Pleased to meet you for the first time. I'm Leonard Mitchell, a High Deacon of the Church of the Evernight Goddess ."
Leonard smiled warmly as he introduced himself and extended his right hand.
Good news. Even facing someone this attractive, no heart racing. Ais thought with some surprise, but extended her hand composedly and returned the smile:
"It's an honor, Deacon Mitchell."
The three Red Gloves exchanged glances.
Leonard released her hand politely and looked into Ais's sapphire-clear eyes with a gentle tone:
"I've heard about your anomaly. What I can tell you is that at minimum, I see no sign of anyone else's influence in you — but also no sign of any hidden danger. This either means the influence has already faded from you, or that whoever influenced you was an exceptionally powerful Beyonder.
But even if it's the latter — that doesn't mean your situation is bad. You're simply too weak. That exceptionally powerful Beyonder may have influenced you unconsciously and might not even be aware you exist. So keep your curiosity in check. Don't explore things beyond your understanding. If you do that, living your full lifespan despite carrying this influence is entirely possible."
Do you talk to everyone like this?… Ais nodded and summarized:
"What you mean is: don't pay it any attention, and don't do anything reckless — in case they remember I exist, right?"
Leonard gave an easy nod:
"Exactly. In comparison, the Witch cult is a more immediate concern. The 'Primordial Witch' evil god who is believed in and followed by that pathway controls all of it. Even if that deity hasn't noticed you personally, exerting some influence over the relevant supernatural traits — making Extraordinaries of the Witch pathway more likely to encounter each other — isn't a particularly difficult thing for Her."
I didn't know that… The information was genuinely startling. Ais immediately nodded:
"I'll be careful. Thank you very much for the warning, sir."
Leonard smiled and said:
"Don't worry about it. The church is currently running an intensive crackdown on all manner of cults — we naturally have no interest in pushing unaffiliated Extraordinaries who are willing to live peacefully alongside ordinary people toward them. If it weren't for the fact that we don't have the corresponding formulas and materials ourselves, we'd have no objection to trading with cooperative unaffiliated Extraordinaries like yourself."
Your standards are flexible… Ais was genuinely taken aback.
The three Red Gloves nearby registered no visible reaction — though their first time hearing this had produced roughly the same response.
Leonard, watching Ais left briefly speechless, added with a note of sentiment:
"The war not long ago changed a great deal."
A pause, and then — in a tone that had suddenly become a little more subdued — he continued:
"In any case, the Pleasure Witch's traits don't have to be off-limits to you. For the specifics, ask Terrence. But before that, you'll need to swear an oath before the holy relic and the Goddess — to not disclose the Role Method or the Law of Undying Traits."
A holy relic — something with Beyonder power?… Ais speculated inwardly and nodded.
Since Ais didn't know Hermes yet, Leonard repeated the oath several times until she could recite it fluently from memory. Then he opened the silver-white box, exposing the ancient jet-black book inside to the air.
Warned ahead of time, Ais had already looked away. She pressed her hand onto the cold surface from memory, eyes averted. A faint, melodic sound — like a poem being sung — drifted into her ears, filling her with the same quiet that might come from standing alone in open country beneath a sky full of stars.
In the room, only Ais's clear voice reciting the solemn Hermes oath was audible:
"To the Evernight Goddess , more sublime than the starry sky, more enduring than eternity:
By my true name and my spiritual energy, I swear:
From this moment forward, I will never under any circumstances reveal the specifics of the 'Role Method' or the 'Law of Undying Traits' to those who do not already know of them.
If I break this oath, I submit to whatever punishment You see fit.
I ask that You bear witness to my oath."
There was something in the moment — a fleeting sense of a connection forming, between herself, this book, and something impossibly high up. It was gone the instant she registered it, as though it had only been her imagination.
Leonard nodded and closed the box. Then, after a pause:
"Very well, Miss Ais. I can confirm you're trustworthy — but the necessary process still needs to be completed. You'll remain at the cathedral for a few more days while the Nighthawks verify your full history. Here, though, you won't need to be put behind the Chanis Gate. That's good news too, isn't it?"
Did something actually just happen? I didn't feel myself being pulled into a dream — was that a different ability?… she wondered inwardly.
Leonard, unaware of her thoughts, looked toward Terrence:
"The rest is in your hands, Terrence."
"Understood, sir." Terrence answered, then turned to the remaining three:
"Gareth, Sutherland — you're free to rest. Get your reports to me promptly. Miss Ais — come with me for now."
As the three departed in turn, Leonard murmured inaudibly to himself:
"Old man — she should be one of the people 'the Fool' mentioned, shouldn't she? The timing and the details line up."
A silence. He touched his nose lightly:
"Though — barely affected by the Witch's charm. Worth watching more closely. I hope she took my warning seriously."
On Terrence's end:
"Congratulations, Miss Ais. Now that Deacon Leonard has cleared you, you shouldn't have much to worry about. Once the process is finished, you can return to a normal life."
"Thanks for the congratulations, Mr. Terrence. Speaking of which — can I actually exchange the Witch's supernatural traits through the church?"
After acknowledging the thanks, Ais asked the question she was most curious about.
"More important than that, ma'am — you should think about a complete name. You can't have only 'Ais' on your identification documents." Terrence pointed out.
Ais, who had completely forgotten about this, didn't hesitate:
"Fal. Ais Fal."
"Good enough. Miss Fal — you can start looking forward to your new life."
(End of Volume One)
Author's Note (this chapter): Terrence knew this deacon had a close friendship with a certain female demigod who possessed a transportation ability. Her involvement in designing the stone monolith capable of rapidly transporting multiple people from Beklund to various Ruen cities was something he had heard.
书友20240929013731189 · Tianjin · 02-12 10:22 Salted Fish?
寒枫落雪 Her flesh as a spiritual material? 雨书春秋: Probably Star Worm.