Chapter 47

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Old Neil rubbed his temples and said, “I believe we have a general idea of why the three of you committed mass suicide. That notebook is now purportedly in Ryer Bieber’s hands, and the matter has already come to light. Regardless of whether you are alive or dead, it will hardly influence subsequent developments. I think—no, I believe that the strange entity, or rather, the mysterious power that caused all of this, will not pay you further attention, just as you wouldn’t pay any heed to the ants on the ground. Heh-heh, as long as you do not try to make Him recall you.

“And our arrest warrant for Ryer Bieber will quickly reach the Secret Order. They will also deduce that it is related to the Antigonus family’s notebook. Believe me, a secret organization that has been in existence for more than a thousand years has many channels to obtain information. Therefore, their focus will be diverted to Ryer Bieber’s whereabouts in a bid to find the notebook before us. They will not continue to harass, stalk, or target you.

“Young man, congratulations on stepping out from the shadows of the past. You will soon welcome a brand-new journey filled with light.”

Klein nodded vehemently at this. With joy and relief, he said, “I hope so.”

It seemed the dark cloud that had hung over him ever since his transmigration was finally dissipating...

However, Klein still felt apprehensive. There seemed to be a connection between him and the notebook—to the point that he would even discover lingering traces of it by coincidence on a normal hostage rescue mission.

He was afraid that there would come a day when a courier would suddenly hand him a parcel, only for him to open it and find it contained the Antigonus family’s notebook!

Let's hope everything will go as Old Neil described..., he prayed silently.

Old Neil chuckled upon hearing his reply. “You don’t seem to be a devout believer of the Goddess. At this moment, shouldn’t you be drawing the sign of the crimson moon on your chest and saying, ‘Goddess bless us’?”

“Mr. Neil, you don’t seem like one, either. A real devotee would not say, ‘You will welcome a brand-new journey filled with light.’” Having studied mysticism under Old Neil for some time, Klein had established a decent rapport with him, so he unceremoniously returned a sarcastic remark.

The two locked eyes for a moment and laughed. At the same time, they tapped their chests four times and said simultaneously:

““Praise the Lady!””

At that moment, they heard the sound of cylinders and pins turning as the main door to Blackthorn Security Company opened.

The elegant Mrs. Orianna, with her fashionably coiled hair, stepped into the foyer, her light green dress swaying.

“Good morning, Mr. Neil. Good morning, Klein,” she greeted them with a warm smile, a small leather handbag in her hand. “It’s another bright and sunny day. A lovely day.”

“Good morning, Orianna. You are as beautiful as you were ten years ago,” replied Old Neil with a grin.

Orianna’s eyes narrowed into a scowl. “Mr. Neil, your compliments are still as infuriating as they wereten years ago”She emphasized the last few words.

“Is that so?” Old Neil looked at Klein in confusion, clearly perplexed.

Never mention anything that might remind a lady of her age...As a keyboard warrior who knew a little of everything, Klein instantly understood what had irked Mrs. Orianna. He chuckled and said, “Good morning, Mrs. Orianna. You are as beautiful as always.”

“Thank you, our outstanding Khoy University graduate.” Orianna nodded with a smile before adding, “That old butler has already paid the compensation for the mission. According to the captain’s rules, half of it will go into our funds, and the other half will be split between you and Leonard. But since you aren’t a formal Nighthawk member, you will only receive ten percent of that half. You can come by later to sign for it.”

“How much did he pay?” Klein asked happily, even as his heart ached.

“Two hundred pounds. He even said, ‘Lord, oh Storm above! I never imagined or dared dream that it could be resolved just like that! This is even more unbelievable than a dream! Why is your security company so unknown? It’s an insult to the entire industry!’” Mrs. Orianna mimicked Klee’s slightly southern accent.

Klein thought seriously for a few moments before saying humorously, “Itwasa little unfair to those kidnappers.”

Two Beyonders had swiftly resolved the problem in a way that could only be described as easy and breezy... It was just like a fully armored adult bullying a handful of kids...

“They were just unlucky and must have fallen out of favor with the gods,” said Orianna with a soft laugh. “I told the butler that we were only lucky that one of our informants happened to see the kidnappers bring the child into the hideout. Therefore, do not place too much hope on us. We really are just a very ordinary security

company.

Typically speaking, the more you emphasize that something is ordinary, the more extraordinary it becomes..., Klein thought to himself, smiling, as he watched Mrs. Orianna walk through the partition and enter the accounting room.

Next to him, Old Neil smacked his lips and said enviously, “You really are a lucky lad. You’ve only just joined us recently, and already you’ve encountered a job worth two hundred pounds.”

“Is that very rare?” Klein asked, puzzled. Prior to this, he had either been studying history and mysticism or wandering aimlessly outside, hoping to find clues with his spiritual perception.

“According to Orianna’s accounts, it’s more common to not get a single job in an entire week. And most jobs are worth less than twenty pounds.” Old Neil rubbed the white crystal by his wrist and sighed.

He looked at Klein with subtle anticipation. “If you encounter any similar jobs in the future, remember to inform me.”

Hearing Old Neil’s words, an odd feeling arose in Klein. He asked bluntly, “Mr. Neil, you seem to be very short on money... How much do you get paid a week? If you aren’t comfortable telling me, just ignore my question.”

Old Neil leaned back onto the sofa and laughed. “That needn’t be a secret. I’ve been here for so many years. At present, I receive a salary from both the church and the police department every week—a total of twelve pounds.”

“A weekly salary of twelve pounds?” Klein blurted.

A weekly salary of twelve pounds for fifty-two weeks a year means more than six hundred pounds a year!

He remembered reading in The Tingen Morning Post and The Honest Paper that high-level barristers earned eight hundred to one thousand pounds a year—and those were the best lawyers! Even the managers at Benson’s import-export company only made six pounds a week, which already made them very dignified.

“Yes, such a salary is actually quite generous, and we do not need to pay any taxes,” added Old Neil with a smile.

Klein had heard from Benson that one had to pay E-class taxes when weekly salaries exceeded one pound. In other words, government and corporate employees had to pay 3% on the portion between one and two pounds, 5% on the portion between two and five pounds, 10% on the portion between five and ten pounds, and 15% on the portion between ten and twenty pounds, with a 20% tax on any amount over twenty pounds.

Apart from that, he had also read about the four other types of income tax in the newspapers: A-class was related to value appreciation on land, housing, and other assets (including any rent collected); B-class was a tax on agricultural earnings; C-class was a tax on profits from bonds, funds, and equities; and D-class taxed commercial, financial, or professional income.

“A delightful benefit of the job,” Klein agreed with Old Neil’s words.

“However,” Old Neil shook his head, “such a salary is rarely sufficient for Beyonders like us who must frequently explore hidden mysteries, as well as practice and attempt rituals.”

“Aren’t all materials obtained via official application?” asked Klein in puzzlement.

Old Neil scoffed. “There’s a limit to that, and we often have to provide a legitimate reason for why we need them. If you want to learn more and experiment in the field of mysticism, you can only buy materials at your own expense, either internally or on the black markets.”

Hearing this, Klein was instantly invigorated. He asked, “There are extraordinary materials for sale in black markets? I assumed the churches would not permit their existence.”

A channel to obtain supernatural materials was exactly what he needed at the moment. With the mysterious organization in its nascent stages behind him, he couldn’t very well fulfill all his needs internally via the Nighthawks.

“There’s no way to regulate such things. From the viewpoint of mysticism, all beings are sentient, and all beings stem from the same source. The materials we use are not limited to those from extraordinary creatures but also include ordinary animals, plants, and minerals. For example, the hemlock, gold mint leaves, and night vanilla in your Seer formula are items we encounter frequently in our daily lives. They might not have any extraordinary properties, but they possess unique characteristics of their own. Through concoction and synthesis, they can achieve certain effects. Therefore, the church cannot simply ban trades like these,” explained Old Neil in detail.

Before Klein could say a word, Old Neil continued, “Besides, it’s not only the essence of extraordinary beings that is useful to us. Take the Rava octopus, for example. Apart from its blood, its eyeballs, skin, and tentacles are all excellent materials. Unless the church plans to capture it all themselves, it would be a tremendous financial burden to completely corner the market and control any outflows. The lower the grade of the extraordinary material, the more true this is. They can only do their best to prevent the more unique materials from flowing out.”

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Old Neil suddenly laughed. “There’s another important reason. Better the black market we know than the black market we don’t. As long as secret organizations have not been fully exterminated, this remains a decent strategy.

“Besides, it can help us obtain the materials we lack. Of course, with such markets, contraband goods will inevitably exist as well. As long as they aren’t too excessive or dangerous, we will turn a blind eye. At most, we might use them to enrich our vaults.”

“Is it also because the major churches serve as checks and balances for one another, so none of them can take drastic action?” Klein guessed.

Old Neil acknowledged tersely but did not elaborate.

“I’m a Seer, so I’ll definitely need extensive practice in the future and, therefore, require more materials. Mr. Neil, can you take me to the black market to have a look?” Klein asked, offering a perfectly valid reason.

Old Neil seemed to be in a quandary. “Well, most of the people active in those places are not Beyonders. Some of them might be aristocrats with an interest in mysticism or rich people with similar inclinations... Oh, but I have a thirty-pound bill that needs to be paid soon. I can’t go there for the time being.”

“All right...” Klein never expected the reason to be Old Neil’s unpaid debt.

Moments later, he said deliberately, “Mr. Neil, do you need me to lend you money? I just earned a commission of ten pounds.”

“Ha-ha, there’s no need. I have my way of resolving it.” Old Neil patted the sofa and slowly stood up. “Ah...age is truly the invincible nemesis of living beings. I’m exhausted from last night’s shift. Hmm, spend this morning reviewing what I’ve taught you before. Continue reading the literature. Tomorrow, I’ll teach you the foundations of ritual magic.”

“Okay.” Klein rose and took off his hat to bid him goodbye.

By noon, when Captain Dunn did not return, Klein pretended he was still searching for the notebook and went out to roam the streets again.

Having earned ten pounds, he no longer needed to wait for his next paycheck. He could head directly to the Divination Club!

The murmurs appeared occasionally during his trance, and his spirit vision made him desperate to begin his “acting.”