Bathed in the dim glow of the gas lamps, where the guard room maintained a still image. Selina placed both of her hands on her lap, intertwining them while secretly caressing each other.
Will I achieve this as smoothly as Klein? a quite apprehension crept into her heart.
Old Neil halted his fingertip from turning a page midway, lowered the magazine to his lap, and looked at Selina.
"How do you feel? Have you calmed down? Do you need a glass of wine, or an advance on your salary, or a day off?"
Selina, who had completely digested the Apothecary potion, had a slightly difficult time at maintaining a path to her designed "switch".
However, she still managed to overcome this nuances and thus proceeded with her past considerations.
The present her have shed the need for a physical motion activation for her Spirit Vision. Therefore, she can resume with her plan to use a more concealed approach to achieve her goal; for example, tapping a certain finger once or stroking the joints of her index.
However, since she had her mind fixed to utilizing her molar teeth, which is significantly more discreet than the aforementioned approach. In activating it, she decided to tap her left molar once and again for deactivation.
There was a pleasant coincidence when she share her plan with Klein before. It's that they both reach molar as their choice.
However, Klein got to use his left molar for activation and left for deactivation. Something Selina is reluctant to mimic given the difference of inherent spiritual mastery of Seers.
After a short while, repeatedly suggesting to herself, she completed the change. She then opened her eyes and smiled impeccably.
"I am merely too concerned with the rest in their operation. Thirty people to be exorcised is simply exhausting and visceral. But I'm fine."
At the same time, she clicked her left molar a couple of times to activate her Spirit Vision. Wanting to familiarize with this method as quickly as possible.
Old Neil laughed a bit. "They really can't hold important intel from you Ms. Roy huh? I told them time and time again that Rozanne isn't too adept at keeping secrets and I know you'd understand."
"Thank you for the consideration." Selina spoke softly. A certain 'King' should learn this from you and not only mysticism...
Her gaze lifted and she started scanning the room preemptively.
During that. Old Neil suddenly recoiled from his chair and his face turned steamed red, Cough! Cough! Cough!
"Old Neil?" Selina froze before asking in concern.
Her gaze fell onto Old Neil's aura that are radiating with crimson. Something that from Klein's previous checkups didn't got accounted.
Should I tell this to Klein? No, why would even question it? Of course I should tell him!
"Have you been taking the medicine I prescribed you? Or have you been neglecting?" Selina's expression went into an agitated professional looking at her disobedient client.
"I have... ahem!" Old Neil almost spilled the coffee from the stool next to him. "They taste bland, but I continued."
"I will talk to the others of this once they return." Selina said in conviction.
Old Neil recovered swiftly and reclined back to his chair. "Go ahead, I won't stop you. I'm glad you and Klein are concerned with my health.
"You know, I've recalled another trait that normal Apothecaries can discern after some time. It's when their Spirit Vision became clear and they can see what sort of terminal illness a patient has."
Upon saying that, he lifted his cup of coffee and took a flavorful sip in an attempt to calm down.
Terminal illness... Selina muttered and she inhaled a little. "Even then, I believed that terminal illnesses can be cured. Perhaps by the Church of the Earth Mother."
Then, Old Neil chuckled and said with clear humor. "Persistent, too persistent. I merely wish to die in peace why make it so difficult?"
Selina wearily smiled with angst. Mr. Old Neil, don't just wish to die! Value life!
"Ahem, ahem... whoa the coffee suddenly got hot?" Old Neil coughed for twenty more seconds before earning respite. He felt for his coffee and took one more sip, "Let's end today's mysticism lesson, ahem! I still had to tend to Ademinsaul after this so let me recover."
"...Alright. Have a proper rest." Selina wasn't so elated with today's changes.
She stood up and walked out of the guard room and headed for the archives to recount the documents the Church of Earth Mother provided and to also refine her Mandarin mastery since her tutor has yet to return.
...
The serene darkness shrouded up to the corners of the Saint Selena Cathedral Church.
Candles were alit in a magnum opera that span over the sides of the underground crypt. They illuminated the scene of thirty caskets, each lid bearing the emblem and symbols of the Evernight Goddess. Prepared to be nailed with silver nails to fortify the exorcism.
Klein, Dunn and the rest were lifting bodies after their dissection and cleaning, thus allowing for their bodies to befit the requirement for the cleansing ceremony.
However, the anomaly was that there was no spirits to be exorcised. Which now merely required their aid for cleansing the body.
As this are happening. Above the Crypt held a mass for the people of the West Borough lower street. Monelaid, an archbishop, the Goddess's Voice, stood at the chancel, preaching and inducing her words with spirituality.
Every voice and tone of Monelaid carries a pacifying allure the drives the apprehended civilians to a state of clear minds. Accompanying it were the resounding choirs and hums echoing in the entire edifice
"Hmm~"
Nearing the end. Each relatives had begun taking a candle from the archbishop's hands and using them as their guide in entering the stairwell. It spans at a deep length and it is separated from the entryway of the Chanis Gate.
The spiraling stairway induced a sacred, monolithic solemnity blending with the tranquil hair that settles their stirring thoughts.
Upon reaching the ground level. They saw a wide, arched path that leads to the crypt of the Saint Selena Church. From there, each of them saw an array of silver-ebony caskets, containing a deceased person within, mingling with the Slumber flower swaying beside them.
The masses quickly rushed into the path and approached their relatives behind the glass casing.
They quickly whiffed the scent of Moonflower and Slumber flower. However, some still mourned with loud wails, while others became calm enough to resort caressing the glass.
Every citizen here that had relatives do not have the ability to finance such a coffin or ritual for proper burial. However, since it passed the criteria of the Church of the Evernight, the burial ceremony is held with or without fee depending on the family's income after the next Sunday.
The reason for this excess days was to allow the relatives to visit the Crypt and the deceased, and each day following that will hold similar prayers.
Proceeding with the blessings. Multiple priests have been stationed by the sidelines and waited until a chime ringing within the distant darkness resounded.
They began to walk up to the deceased and lifted a charm from their hands as they chant in a choir.
"We pray for the blessings of the darkness;
"We pray for the blessings of the serenity;
"We pray for the blessings of the Goddess's loving grace;
"We pray for the deceased souls to be guided; to be claimed into your divine kingdom.
"We pray for the waning emotions to settle; to be soothed under your name...."
...
"May the Goddess have mercy on them. Praise the Lady!"
As the loud reverence echoed from across the door. In a separate room, Klein, Dunn and company alongside other teams that have been deployed for assistance gathered to rest.
By the stream of the gas lamp light. Dunn briefly flipped his pocket watch open to see the time and quietly closed it into his pocket.
"That should handle the bodies of the deceased with proper sanctified burial."
Klein, seated at the sofa, was flicking his coin and muttering to himself. The coin landed in at the upright of tails. Because of that, he sighed deeply.
"It seems this is another case of a ritual." Leonard combed his hair back with his hand and looked at Klein.
Dunn nodded slightly but didn't allowed Klein to reply, "We'll lean into the investigation as soon as the burial is finished. Frye, what have you seen in the traits of the dead?"
Frye finished packing his tools and withdrew himself from it, answering Dunn's question, "There was no cause of death. Simply a peaceful one during their sleep. The only strange and horrifying thing is that the bodies had not produced any sort of spirit."
Klein was aware of the instances of death and the spirits. This is mysticism basics and he would feel hanging himself if it didn't crossed his mind.
"Leonard seems correct. This case could be a reflection of the Trissy's attempt." said Frye in addition.
Dunn acknowledged the suggestion and pulled away from the scene of the room. He looked distantly at the door in which leads to the direction of the caskets and mourning masses.
"I should have had our attention at the missing meteorite sooner... Sigh, this is no use. Perhaps now it is safe for Selina to join the investigation as long as she had company.
"And it seems it's unlikely that the other units will be involved. The divine light was based on rumors and it doesn't have any epiphany to request support."
Klein agreed heartly to that suggestion. He didn't want to place a one-sided rule for Selina either. In fact, he still withheld his word for accepting her conditions.
After turning over to face them, Dunn pondered briefly before saying, "Right, before it slip me, we'll start investigation now by interviewing each of the relatives here."
Then at that moment. Klein was just about to follow them as the short break ends. He felt tiny movements in his pocket.
He went and checked. Sure enough it was the seed wriggling and signaling him to response.
"Wait, Captain, I need to go to the bathroom." Klein hurriedly excused as he exited the door frame.
Dunn blinked twice before nodding slightly, "Alright. Do what you must."
Thanks for the gallant bidding Captain... Klein lampooned silently before rushing to an intersection, taking the staircase and arriving at the communal hall to look for a bathroom.
Once he found a stall out of the only two stalls present. He quickly entered cogitation and drove himself to sleep.
...
In the distant plane of grass rolling infinitely into the horizon.
Klein had just arrived when a loud, familiar, yet beautiful voice resounded from the world. Subverting his expectation of a layered and majestic one.
"Klein!" said the familiar woman.
"Selina?" blurted Klein out with bafflement. I... didn't know she can do that?
"What happened to our agreement?"
Klein was horrified and perplexed. His gaze darted around and saw Mrs. White standing like statue meters distance away, calm and vacant.
Mrs. White!
"Klein!" Selina's voice echoed again.
Klein was stunned for a bit before he quickly answered. "Y-Yes?"
"..."
The world seized to add another word, as if Selina was waiting for Klein to properly give a reply.
"I haven't..." Klein said wearily. Selina, we are at the presence of a Goddess, don't scold me now!
"Really?" for Klein it felt like the voices had an expression. For this instance, Selina had a raised brow.
"Sigh... Klein Moretti, Zhou Mingrui. I merely want three things..." this time, the voice seemed to have softened and turned wistful.
"First is prioritize your safety, let me know what's happening and never decide on your own! Yet have you been doing?"
Klein instinctively casted his head and gaze down. It took him a solid twenty seconds to reply in compliance and awareness. "...I'm sorry."
"..." only the soothing zephyr rustled soundly against the fabric of Klein's long-sleeve and vest.
He closed his eyes, inhaled and drew a slow breath, reconstructing his train of thoughts and clarifying himself of the things that are happening.
Finally, he said in a gentle tone, "Let me make it up to you right now..."