Dunn said in a low voice, "The person in charge of the examination is one of the nine high-ranking deacons of the Nighthawks, Crestet Cesimir. The Holy Cathedral attaches great importance to you."
"A high-ranking deacon?" Klein was surprised.
In general terms, the thirteen archbishops and nine high-ranking deacons made up the upper echelons of the church.
The twenty-two ladies and gentlemen were all equal in terms of their rankings. They only followed the orders of the Evernight Goddess, and they were only answerable to the Pope.
Dunn nodded. "Yes, he's a high-ranking deacon. But you don't have to be nervous. Crestet is only a Sequence 5.
Oh, his title is the 'Goddess's Sword.' And since he possesses a holy item, his combat strength is similar to a newly advanced Sequence 4 Beyonder."
Klein nodded. "Where should I meet him?"
"The alchemy room where we concoct potions," Dunn replied.
Klein took his outerwear and walked down the winding stairs that connected to the basement. Then, he took a left turn at the cross junction and arrived at a secret door under the light of the gas lamps that lined the walls.
...
The long tables in the room had been moved aside to open up a large space in the center of the room.
There were two classic high-back chairs facing each other. A man in his thirties with short golden-brown hair and blackish-green eyes sat on the chair that was facing the door.
"Hello, Your Grace." Klein bowed.
Crestet Cesimir leisurely leaned back into his chair, smiling. "Hello, Klein. You may sit over there."
He pointed at the chair opposite him.
By his side was a suitcase about the size of a violin case, made of silver.
Klein sat as Crestet asked, "I plan to first examine how well you've mastered your potion. That's not a problem, right?"
"Not at all." Klein replied.
The light of the gas lamps vanished, and the silent "night" filled his surroundings.
Klein felt sleepy but remained awake.
"Excellent." Crestet's hypnotic voice dispersed the darkness, and the gas lamps lit up again.
Klein shook off his exhaustion.
Crestet Cesimir said, "You passed the test and achieved an outstanding level in your mastery of your potion.
Then, I'll need to observe to see if there are any hidden dangers in your mind, to make sure that the potion's remaining spirit hasn't changed your character subconsciously or left some problems behind.
You have three minutes to prepare."
"Alright." Klein nodded and allowed himself to enter Cogitation to clear his mind.
Three minutes later, Crestet closed his pocket watch and said, "I'll begin singing."
Crestet began humming a melody that gradually lost its harmony and went out of tune.
Klein heard various annoying noises that intensified and turned chaotic.
He felt the need to vent his frustrations, but he, who frequently experienced the mad ravings, quickly restrained himself.
He displayed annoyance, tension, frustration, and insecurity at appropriate times, since being flawless would be a problem.
Crestet Cesimir soon stopped singing. The noises disappeared, and the room returned to normal.
"Very good. There are no latent problems in your soul. You have passed all the tests. Now I'll ask you a few things." Crestet asked, "You've mentioned that your experience in the Divination Club allowed you to quickly master the potion?"
"Yes," Klein answered.
Crestet nodded. "And your inspiration came from the maxim of the Mystery Pryers and also Daly's example?"
"Yes." Klein replied. "I've heard from one of my teammates that those who abide by the maxim of the Mystery Pryers have a lower chance of losing control, and also that Madam Daly wanted to be a real Spirit Medium, and that she is a genius who advanced to Sequence 7 within two years.
After noticing both situations, I thought I could give it a try and outlined some principles for a Seer. With this, I mastered the potion very quickly.
Your Grace, I'm not sure if you have had a similar experience. When I fully mastered the potion, there was a special feeling..." Klein described his experience.
The darkness in Crestet's eyes disappeared, and his gaze returned to normal.
"Dunn endorsed your experience." Crestet asked, "Did you share your experience with your teammates?"
"Yes," Klein admitted. "I hope that I can help them lower the risk of losing control. But I didn't tell the clerks."
Crestet said, "Although you have yet to be with the Nighthawks for two months, I believe your understanding towards partners is better than most.
Hmm, I plan to share more information with you, but according to the Holy Cathedral's rules, you have to swear to the Goddess that you won't reveal the contents of our conversation to anyone without permission.
That should be fine, right?"
Klein nodded. "No problem!"