022 Sequence start
Upon ascending the stairs and returning to the reception hall, Klein was about to bid farewell to Roselle when he heard the brown-haired girl speak cheerfully:
"The captain said you should come back on Monday and take care of your household chores first."
"...Alright." Klein hadn't expected the Night Watch team's management to be so considerate, and he felt somewhat grateful for the gesture.
Originally, he had planned to rise early tomorrow and take advantage of the morning to "stroll" outside. He intended to visit Tinggen University, find the instructor responsible for interview receptions, and inform them that he would not be participating in the subsequent proceedings. After all, the original owner had entered the interview with a letter of recommendation from his mentor, so it was only courteous to see things through to the end. Even if it was not for his own sake, he needed to respect the favor of his mentor.
In a situation where there were no telephones, telegrams were charged per letter, and sending a letter was clearly too slow, taking a public carriage directly was the most economical and suitable option.
Now, with the captain's special permission, Klein didn't need to exert himself so much. He could sleep well and leisurely make his way there.
As Klein was about to bid farewell and remove his hat, he suddenly remembered something. He looked around and lowered his voice:
"Roselle, do you know what the Church's complete sequence initiation is?"
This was something he had forgotten to ask Old Neil earlier.
Roselle widened her eyes in surprise and looked at Klein:
"Do you want to become extraordinary?"
Was I so obvious? Klein touched the corner of his mouth, slightly embarrassed, and replied:
"After learning that there are indeed extraordinary and mysterious powers in the world, it's inevitable to have some longing."
"My goodness, do you know how dangerous that is? Hasn't the captain told you? The enemies of extraordinary people are not just cultists and dark wizards, but also themselves! Almost every year, someone loses control, someone sacrifices themselves! Don't you consider the feelings of your family?" Roselle emphasized with gestures, her reaction a bit exaggerated. "Klein, I think being an honest civil servant is a better choice. There's hardly any danger, and the salary increases every year. After you work for a few years and save up, you can rent a detached house in the northern district or on the outskirts of the city, and start a happy family with a charming young lady, and have cute, mischievous little angels..."
"Roselle, stop! Hold on a moment!" Klein saw the brown-haired girl getting carried away and quickly intervened with a sweaty forehead, "I'm just... I mean, um, interested in learning the basic knowledge for now."
"Alright..." Roselle fell silent for a few seconds, then lowered her gaze, somewhat embarrassed. "Because of my father's situation, I always tend to, um, get a bit excited about similar issues, as you understand. But frankly, I admire every gentleman and lady who voluntarily becomes a Night Watcher."
"I understand, I understand." Klein hastily agreed.
Roselle blinked her light brown eyes and added:
"My father once said, don't think that becoming more powerful, reaching a higher sequence as an extraordinary person, will solve problems and confront dangers. In fact, quite the opposite. You'll encounter increasingly terrifying things. When faced with certain unknown, horrifying entities, madness and death are the only two outcomes. He said this, and the second week after, he sacrificed himself... Klein, don't look at me with pity. I'm living well now, really well! You should be afraid of these things!"
"I just want to understand the basics..." Klein repeated his previous answer, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
The captain explained it more clearly and comprehensively, and even if I don't become an extraordinary person, I've already encountered extraordinary events...
"Well then." Roselle pondered for a moment. "I've heard from the captain and Old Neil that due to the decrease and disappearance of extraordinary species, high-level strong individuals are almost non-existent in this era. Being able to become extraordinary is already very impressive! In our Tinggen City and its suburbs, there are tens of thousands of people, maybe even more, but there are only a little over thirty extraordinary people. Well, this is just a guess... I didn't count those cultists and dark wizards who live in dark corners..."
Before Klein could speak, she seemed to regain her vitality and clenched her fists to her chest:
"And among these thirty-odd extraordinary people, most of them are Sequence 9! Oh, I seem to have digressed..."
"It's okay, these are also the basics I want to know." Klein hoped that Roselle would continue to reveal more information as she usually did.
"In any case, being able to become extraordinary is already very impressive!" Roselle repeated, "The starting point of the complete sequence belonging to our church is 'The Insomniac,' Sequence 9, 'The Insomniac'!"
Indeed... Klein nodded imperceptibly, listening to Miss Roselle describe the sequence further:
"You can guess from the name that 'The Insomniac' is someone who doesn't need to sleep at night, and only requires three to four hours of rest during the day. Ah, I'm so envious... No, I'm not envious at all. Sleep is a gift from the Goddess, the happiest thing!"
"Where did I leave off? Ah, yes, 'The Insomniac' doesn't need light to see through darkness. The deeper the night, the stronger they become, I mean in all aspects, including their strength, their inspiration, their thinking. However, although they can detect unknown dangers hidden in the darkness, when they encounter monsters that cannot be dealt with by normal means, they still need to rely on items like hunting bullets. My father used to be 'The Insomniac.'"
Before Klein could ask further questions, Roselle continued on her own:
"Then there's Sequence 8, 'The Midnight Poet,' and above that is Sequence 7, 'The Nightmare.'"
The Nightmare? Klein suddenly remembered the incident where Dunn Smith guided him through his dreams and confirmed:
"The captain?"
"Do you know?" Miss Roselle's mouth almost formed an 'O' shape in astonishment.
"The captain once entered my dreams..." Klein glanced around and lowered his voice once again.
"I see..." Roselle suddenly realized, responding quietly.
She picked up the coffee cup next to her, took a sip, and then sighed:
"In our Tinggen City, there are only two people in Sequence 7. I believe the captain is one of them. Even if he goes to a large diocese like Beckland, he is still a formidable figure. Some deacons may not even be stronger than him!"
"So the captain is quite remarkable." Klein smiled and agreed.
Honestly, Dunn Smith's appearance last night had left a very deep impression on him. Almost instinctively, he believed that he was a very powerful extraordinary person.
"Of course!" Roselle straightened her back proudly.
Then, her expression changed to a troubled one:
"I don't know what's above Sequence 7. Perhaps only the captain knows among all the members of the Night Watch team."
"What about the initiations of the other sequences? The incomplete ones." Klein shifted the topic, satisfied with the information he had received.
I have to say, Roselle's description of '
The Insomniac' does match some of my imaginings and expectations of extraordinary people, but it's not exactly the type I want to become. My ideal Sequence 9 should involve learning and mastering a lot of mysterious knowledge to lay the foundation for figuring out the reason for my own transmigration and preparing for the future.
Roselle thought for a moment and sighed:
"I'm not very interested in this aspect. I only know that our church has more than others, after all, the Goddess is the Mother of Secrets... Um, there should be two or three kinds, because some members always give off a chilling aura, making people afraid, and they smell weird. Some members, um, like Old Neil, he knows a lot and even has some interesting magical rituals. Let me think... He once mentioned his Sequence 9 title, which is also the name of a potion formula... Oh yes, it's called the 'Secret Eye'!"
Several interesting magical rituals? The Secret Eye? It sounds very close to what I want... Klein felt a slight joy in his heart.
"Also, I know the name of another Sequence 7, the incomplete kind!" Roselle, triggered by her recent memories, spoke in a boastful tone.
"What is it?" Klein was exceptionally curious.
In a situation where high-level strong individuals are scarce, or even nonexistent, Sequence 7 is already considered the backbone of the church, right?
Roselle showed a sweet smile, somewhat proud, as she replied:
"The Medium!"
"Miss Dali?" Klein asked instinctively.
After the initial surprise, he felt that this matter was not so unexpected. Only a strong individual of Sequence 7 could achieve the mediumship performance of Miss Dali!
Roselle's eyes widened again, and she couldn't believe what she was hearing:
"How did you know again?"
"I've met Miss Dali." Klein didn't hide it.
"Alright." Roselle said with a longing tone, "If I could directly become a medium like Miss Dali, then I would also be willing to become an extraordinary person. No, I would seriously consider it for ten minutes..."
"Well, Miss Dali fulfills all my imaginations of extraordinary people." Klein exaggeratedly agreed.
Having achieved his intended goal, he chatted with Roselle for a few more minutes, but seeing no other information forthcoming, he finally bid farewell and left.
Walking down the stairs, Klein took a few steps and suddenly stopped. He reached into his inner pocket and touched the banknotes inside.
Immediately after, he took out the 12-pound banknote, tightly held it in the palm of his left hand, and then stuffed his hand into his trouser pocket, unwilling to let go or take it out again. A smile appeared on his face involuntarily.
According to the tradition of the big-eating nation, after receiving money, one must go out and have a feast!
Tonight, I'll treat my sister to a nice meal!