It was nearly evening by the time we returned to the manor. The inspection of the Royal Arsenal and two other companies had taken far longer than expected.
In truth, I had intended to tell the manor librarian tonight to bring me one of the books on Britain's history.
But I was far too exhausted to even think about reading.
After arriving home, I encountered no one on my way up to my chambers on the third floor—no Housekeeper, no Leonard Vance.
Only Frederick accompanied me, making sure I reached my room safely.
Once I was inside, Frederick quietly withdrew.
Now I was completely alone.
I walked to the bed, sat on the wooden chair beside it, and stared into the mirror opposite me.
Under my breath I murmured,
"Finally… a little solitude."
I gazed at my reflection for a while.
No drowsiness this time.
Somehow the constant need for sleep had lifted—at least for the moment. But why?
I rose slowly from the chair and began pacing the room, quietly reviewing the events of the past few days.
Muttering under my breath,
"Day one… I encountered the man in grey. Day two… I ordered the Security Advisor to search for those three lost books. Then the wedding invitation arrived. After replying, I planned to go to the Temple of Uire—St. Paul's—but after seeing the police, I felt that going there would only make them think I was afraid of them. So instead I went to Westminster Abbey… and stumbled into the Celestial Conclave…"
I paused.
Then continued murmuring.
"After the abbey, I went to Mayfair to meet Geoffrey—but he had already gone to the docks. So I followed. After speaking with him about the wedding, we agreed to meet at seven o'clock in front of Baron Romeo's manor…"
Another pause.
I walked to the desk, straightened a few papers, and stared at the map of London.
"Yesterday was full of events… but today I only met two people—Sebastian and Alistair—who, according to William, are likely members of the Night Keepers… one of the branches affiliated with the Royal Knights, probably under direct Crown control…"
I stared at the map, lost in thought, and muttered,
"But last night… why did John Smith suddenly disappear?"
I slapped my forehead hard.
"What does any of this have to do with the map? Why did I suddenly come over here? And why… did I forget what I was going to do?"
I leaned against the desk again and closed my eyes to focus better.
If Westminster Abbey—the place of worship for Senry, Ruler of Heavenly Principles—had a Celestial Conclave…
I opened my eyes and thought back to last year.
"When I went to St. Paul's Cathedral… I felt my gaze catch on a large door behind the statue of Uire…"
My mouth opened slightly. I turned and stared out the window.
"If every major church in London has its own Celestial Conclave… and some kind of divine gift from Celestia…"
I quickly slipped on my coat, placed a top hat on my head, and—exactly as before—slipped out through the side gardens so no one would see me.
When I glanced at the clock inside the manor, it was nearly 23:50—ten minutes to midnight, when Big Ben's bells would ring.
I hurried through the gardens and out onto the street—but the moment I stepped beyond the manor grounds, someone stood directly in my path.
A man dressed entirely in black—or rather, clothes of deepest midnight—wearing a top hat with a lantern embroidered on it.
In his left hand he held an actual lantern. A strange spear was strapped across his back.
When he saw me, he simply smiled.
"So the rumours are turning real after all? A duke who slips out of his manor at night? I thought it was a joke…"
I stared at him.
I had my revolver with me. He was likely a man of the law… or something close to it.
I whispered,
"Who… are you?"
But he only raised the lantern toward me—still keeping his distance.
The flame inside shifted from ordinary orange to a dark, deep purple. Vapour clouded the glass.
He smiled wider.
"I believe I introduced myself to Your Grace… this evening."
My eyes widened slightly.
I straightened.
"You…"
He took one careful step closer—still maintaining distance—and said,
"Your Grace… I am Sebastian Oakley."
I gave a tense, crooked smile.
"And now… what do you intend to do?"
Sebastian turned slightly toward another street and said,
"I'll behave as though I never saw you."
I turned back to him.
"Wh—what? But why?"
He turned toward me again. The flame in his lantern had returned to normal.
"You know… when they stop paying you, you stop working for them. Simple."
I stared at him in surprise—but kept my composure.
"So… just because your wages are late, you won't report me? You won't tell anyone a duke was running around at night like an idiot?"
He gave a calm smile.
"We're not heroes of the night. We're only guardians of the night… as long as they pay us on time, every week, right on schedule. Simple, isn't it?"
His logic made sense.
And I might be able to use that logic.
I took a small step closer.
"Then work for me. Wages on time… freedom from want, and a place to stay."
He raised an eyebrow and gave a short, quiet laugh.
"True—we're not heroes. But we're not traitors either."
I smiled.
"One thousand pounds per week."
His smile vanished instantly.
"What exactly are you after…?"
I smiled wider.
"The price of men…"
His eyes widened.
"No… I meant your goal!"
I took another step closer.
The only sound was my shoes on the cobblestones.
I said quietly,
"A controller… Someone who speaks—and even the King obeys without needing a reason."
Sebastian shifted one foot back. He raised his lantern higher.
The flame inside turned blood-red. Vapour filled the glass completely.
His wide eyes locked on mine.
And at that moment, Big Ben's midnight bells began to toll.
The gas lamps dimmed slightly.
Sebastian and I stood facing each other.
A few minutes later…
I had returned to the manor.
Fortunately, no one had seen me come or go at that hour.
In truth, I had told Sebastian to search around—or even on the roof of—St. Paul's Cathedral. Perhaps the missing Yangban was there.
Of course, it was only a possibility—not a certainty.
───────────────────────────
Around half past midnight, a group of seven Night Keepers moved toward St. Paul's Cathedral.
They crossed rooftops with uncanny speed.
The small team consisted of three lantern-bearers and four with gear-embroidered top hats.
Fortunately, they reached the cathedral quickly.
They searched the surroundings—but found no trace of the Yangban.
For caution's sake, they also checked the roof.
There they discovered the dried corpse of the Yangban.
In utter disbelief: though the signs of death appeared fresh, the body was already badly decomposed.
And this… might become the greatest trouble of the coming day.