20 Chapter 20 : Nighthawks

The original owner was unfamiliar with this objective. He only knew that the other party was currently the chief guard of the court. He had basic information that anyone with a little influence could find out.

In the original owner's plan, he intended to investigate Viscount Stratford more thoroughly after becoming a Beyonder. Viscount Stratford's intentions were unpredictable. The original owner died on the day he became a Beyonder while saving people, leaving his body to Lin Ruo.

However, just because the original owner was unfamiliar with Viscount Stratford didn't mean that Lin Ruo was clueless.

In a way, Lin Ruo couldn't claim to fully understand Viscount Stratford, but after reading the original text, he knew that the other party served directly under the Emperor of Loen. This was closely related to the significant plot in the fifth volume of the original text—George III's ambition to become a God.

"This is truly... a coincidence!" Lin Ruo thought as he reclined comfortably, feeling a bit befuddled for a moment.

Could he really not know when others didn't? All the intricacies entwined around Capim were also tied to this matter. The human trafficking and slave trade activities were largely linked to the provision of living individuals to the royal family. The royal family required these living individuals for George III's initiation ceremony.

Lin Ruo had originally planned to wait until he reached a higher rank before settling accounts with George III, the wretch who takes other people's lives as toys. But now, it seemed that this matter might evolve from a simple act for Lin Ruo to a quest for revenge on behalf of the original owner.

Of course, until there was no concrete evidence, this was mere speculation on Lin Ruo's part—it could even be coincidental. However, Lin Ruo didn't believe this was merely a coincidence when considering the key phrases "7 years ago," "rebellion," "important figure," and "Viscount Stratford."

Even if it wasn't a coincidence, this was a matter to be approached with caution. George's aspirations to become a God involved not just the Loen royal family but also the Aurora Order, Demoness Sect, and Psychology Alchemists, among other secret organizations.

For Lin Ruo, who was currently only a Sequence 9, participating in this matter might be reckless and lead to his demise. Of course, there were special circumstances, like yesterday.

"Indeed, I should advance in my Sequence first..." Lin Ruo let out a long sigh, feeling a mix of emotions. "The journey ahead is long!"

...

...

...

Lin Ruo was a bit dazed.

He was genuinely taken aback, not just mildly surprised. Cold sweat almost dripped from his forehead in an instant.

Because, at this moment, he was yanked back to Klein again. But that wasn't the main point. The main point was that Klein was standing in an office not far from him, wearing a white shirt and a black waistcoat. His deep gray eyes were fixed on Lin Ruo, clearly displaying surprise.

Dunn Smith!

This was Blackthorn Security Company!

This was the Tingen Nighthawks Squad's branch!

This was the time when Klein sought help from Dunn after being pursued by members of the Secret Order in the original text!

Lin Ruo almost instantly grasped the situation. Simultaneously, another realization hit him: because he had been pulled over abruptly, he hadn't activated the secret badge to cloak himself in secrecy. Dunn was looking directly at him.

Within a fraction of a second, Lin Ruo made a decision. He revealed the secret badge to Dunn before Dunn could react and removed the concealment effect that the badge inherently carried. He allowed the aura of the Evernight to emanate and said:

"My name is Lin Ruo, and I am the Chosen of the Goddess. If you doubt me, you can directly arrange a ritual for confirmation with the Goddess."

Now that Dunn had seen the badge, Lin Ruo didn't intend to go into hiding using the secret badge. After weighing the options, he decided to assert his identity as the "Chosen." After all, this time he had been pulled into the situation abruptly. There could very well be a next time with the next pull. In such cases, a direct confrontation might be more prudent.

And Lin Ruo wasn't concerned about verification. After all, the secret badge had been granted by the Goddess of the Night. If Dunn verified the identity of the Chosen, it was implausible that the Goddess would deny it.

And if she did deny it, she would likely provide a reasonable explanation, allowing Lin Ruo to proceed without worry.

This time, he looked at Dunn Smith with a dazed expression. He had been prepared to do so from the beginning, but his movements were momentarily frozen, his gaze locked on the badge that Lin Ruo had produced.

Of course, he didn't believe the claim of being the Goddess's Chosen based solely on Lin Ruo's words. Nevertheless, as a member of the Nighthawks and a devoted believer of the Goddess, he sensed a distinct divine aura from the badge in Lin Ruo's hand.

This was no ordinary ritual magic. The level of divinity infused in an item through prayer to the Goddess was something beyond Dunn's imagination.

After a brief hesitation, Dunn said, "Can you show me your badge?"

"Of course!" Lin Ruo nodded and handed over the secret badge to Dunn. Concurrently, he tried to clear his mind as much as possible, leaving it blank. This was to prevent any subconscious thoughts about 008 from leaking out—just as Klein had avoided detection by 008 using similar methods while hunting Ince in the original text.

At this point, Klein had also realized what was unfolding. He glanced toward Lin Ruo's direction, then shifted his gaze to Dunn, who was focused on the concealed badge. He opened his mouth, uncertain about what to say.

What could he say? Plead on Lin Ruo's behalf? But it seemed that Lin Ruo didn't need that.

Moreover, the Chosen of the Goddess of the Night... Klein suddenly recalled the response he had given when he asked whether Lin Ruo was an official Beyond. Now, that answer took on a slightly absurd quality.

Was being the Chosen of the goddess equivalent to being half an official Beyonder? Even without extensive knowledge about the church, Klein was aware of how rare Chosen individuals were. They were likely few and far between within the entire church.

Nonetheless, even if his thoughts seemed irregular, Klein kept it under wraps. His acting skills were exceptional, and he maintained his calm demeanor as he observed Dunn. He waited for Dunn's judgement.

After a short interval, Dunn handed back the secret badge to Lin Ruo within a few seconds. He maintained his gaze on Lin Ruo, his deep gray eyes steady, as he spoke, "I still need to perform a ceremony to seek the goddess's answer. During this time, you must remain within my sight and refrain from any suspicious actions. If you truly are the Chosen of the goddess, I'll apologize for my skepticism later. But for now, I ask for your cooperation."

Although Dunn had believed much of what Lin Ruo had said after careful consideration of the badge, he chose to proceed with caution and uphold his responsibility to his team members. He decided to arrange a ceremony to seek the goddess's answer.