Preparations

As the sun rose, Irina found herself slumped over the sink, staring at her reflection. "Ugh."

Breathe in. Breathe out.

She inhaled deeply, exhaling with measured breaths. "Here we go. Today is the first real test. Captain Dunn must not, under any circumstances, lay a single finger on the Antigonus Notebook."

I can't let him get corrupted. But if I reveal its consequences too soon, it might stop Klein from stealing it later...

A quiet sigh escaped her lips. "Lately, I feel like I've been sighing way too often. Am I overthinking everything?" She stared at her reflection. "Why is this world so damn complicated? Like, seriously! Why couldn't I get transported to one of those trashy, fanservice-filled isekais?"

Life is so unfair sometimes... She paused, refocusing. Back to the main problem. Let's run through the plan once more. I'm not Klein, so it definitely won't go perfectly, but it's worth a shot.

Time passed, and Irina now found herself chatting with Rozanne at the Security Company. In the middle of their conversation, Klein entered the reception hall and greeted them. Both women smiled and returned the greeting.

Rozanne suddenly asked, "I heard the huge operation last night failed?"

Klein's curiosity was piqued. "The operation to nab Instigator Tris?"

She nodded energetically. "Yeah! Apparently, an informant from the Mandated Punishers spotted him at the harbor. They planned to wait for additional Beyonders and another Special Operations squad to arrive, hoping to capture him without alarming the commoners. But that Instigator... he was sharp. He noticed something was off, charged out of the encirclement, and escaped."

Klein made a light joke. "At times like this, they need a Beyonder with tracking abilities, like me."

Irina hummed playfully. "Feeling confident, are we?"

Hearing these jokes in real life feels strange after reading them so many times...

Suddenly, Dunn Smith's voice broke through the air. "There was no lack of trackers back then."

Startled, Irina jumped slightly. "Warn me next time, Captain! Don't sneak up on us like that."

As Irina and Rozanne turned to face Dunn, they noticed his intense gaze locked on them. He was leaning casually against the partition, his black windbreaker adding to his brooding air.

Rozanne quickly raised her hands, covering her mouth in mock innocence, while Irina, unfazed, decided to tease him. "Why the dramatic pose, Captain? I'm afraid Madam Daly is not here, so there's no one to impress. Although, if you want some advice, you could—"

Before she could finish, Rozanne shook her shoulder, signaling her to stop. Irina shot her a glance. "Killjoy," she muttered, "I was trying to save us, you know?"

Dunn, visibly uninterested in their banter, closed his eyes and sighed. He shifted his focus to Klein. After a moment of thought, he said, "There were six Beyonders from the Mandated Punishers, the Machinery Hivemind, and us Nighthawks. We tracked Tris to Lower Street on Iron Cross Street, found his temporary residence, but then... the clues ended. Nothing worked—no Beyonder methods, no ordinary investigations. It was as if he evaporated, disappearing into thin air."

"Do you need my help with divination?" Klein offered, a little probing.

Dunn shook his head gently. "No."

He just said they had enough trackers... Why would they need your help, Klein? Irina thought, exasperated. Damn protagonists, always finding a way to stay involved. Meanwhile, I have to work my ass off just to survive... and keep everyone else alive too!

...what if I just hid somewhere and let the whole story unfold without me? I'd at least save myself... right? She paused, her thoughts shifting. No. My guilt would tear me apart for letting them die.

As she mulled over her thoughts, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. Startled, she looked up to see Rozanne smiling at her.

"You were so deep in thought," Rozanne said. "You didn't even notice the Captain and Klein leaving."

Irina gaped at her. "Oh."

The two of them burst into laughter, the tension from earlier fading away.

With lunchtime approaching, Irina began pacing around the lounge. Leonard glanced up from his magazine, curiosity in his voice. "What are you up to?"

Irina froze in place but didn't turn to face him. "I seem to have a lot of energy today. Not sure why."

More like I have to.

Before Leonard could reply, the door swung open, revealing Dunn Smith standing in the doorway.

Here we go. Now you better take me along, Captain. I am ready to convince Dunn with everything I have. I'm even willing to go as low as bullying him about not confessing to Daly. I need to be there to take the Notebook myself, no matter what.

Dunn looked at both of them, then fixed his gaze on Leonard. "Sealed Artifact 2-049 just arrived. Head down and meet the others in the Keeper's room. But first, wait in front of my office."

Irina watched the exchange, ready to speak, but Dunn turned toward her with a serious expression before she could open her mouth. She was momentarily speechless as Leonard left the lounge.

Then, the Captain addressed her, his tone stern. "Bringing you along would be a liability. I've already explained this to you."

Irina's shoulders straightened. "I know, but—"

Dunn raised a hand to interrupt her. "I'm not finished. You lack combat abilities, your Sequence offers no physical enhancements, and you're not proficient in shooting."

Her shoulders sagged under his words, but she refused to look away. You think I'm not aware of that? I know better than anyone just how weak I am compared to others.

Dunn continued, his gaze unwavering. "However, your Spirit Vision excels at finding clues—something no one else can do. You'll be tasked with keeping the Antigonus Notebook secure and analyzing it on the way back. Relying on divination is one thing, but having a specialist with us is another."

Irina's eyes widened. "You mean... I'm actually coming?"

Dunn's expression hardened. "You didn't expect it? In that case—"

Before he could finish, Irina stepped forward, standing right in front of him. A big, stupid smile spread across her face as she pointed an accusing finger at his chest. "Oh no, no. You're not taking it back now! You have no idea how much I've planned to make sure I tag along. I was even prepared to involve Daly."

She sidestepped him and headed for the door, her demeanor shifting to one of solemn determination. With a hand on her chest, her voice turned serious. "Captain, I'll do my absolute best on this mission. That Notebook is dangerous, and I'll make sure nothing happens. I trust you and the others to handle the fighting."

Dunn paused before responding. "In that case, let's go. There's no time to waste. The others are already down. You'll go with Leonard; he'll instruct you on what to do. I'll fetch Klein."

Irina half-seriously saluted him before exiting the lounge and finding Leonard waiting outside. Wasn't he supposed to wait in front of Dunn's office? I bet he eavesdropped on the whole conversation. Not that it matters—I didn't say anything compromising.

The poet tilted his head towards the stairs. "Shall we go?"

She replied mockingly, "Have you been waiting long? Hmm… Perhaps not, you were well entertained."

The poet chuckled as they headed down the stairs. When they reached the tunnel, Leonard abruptly stopped. "Ready for some exercise?"

Irina crossed her arms, skeptical. "A bit early, isn't it?"

We're still far from the Keeper's room.

Leonard smiled. "Not exactly. This isn't about fighting Ray Bieber. Sealed Artifact 2-049 is peculiar—"

"Aren't all Artifacts peculiar?" Irina interjected, amused. "While exercising isn't what I had in mind, sure, let's hear about it."

Hid expression turned serious as he began bending and extending his arms. "You'll need to repeat this movement. Never stop, under any circumstance, or—"

Irina burst out laughing. "Haha! I'm s-sorry! It's just... Your serious face with that movement—it doesn't match at all!"

She mimicked him, trying her best to keep a straight face. "Like this?"

Leonard looked her dead in the eye, but her laughter didn't subside. He sighed. "I guess it's on me. Let's go meet the others."

She followed closely, almost brushing shoulders with him. The silence between them was comfortable, only broken by the clicking of their boots against the cold, hard ground. The halls grew chillier as they descended, sending a shiver down Irina's spine.

Just outside the door, Leonard's movements slowed. Irina playfully swung and landed a solid hit on his shoulder, using just enough force behind it to make him wince. "Next time, try explaining it better. Consider yourself lucky I didn't kick you instead."

Leonard groaned, rubbing his shoulder. "Has anyone ever told you how merciless you can be?"

Gosh, the Victorian era is so annoying. And this is even the Goddess' Church. Imagine being at any other one, I'd get reprimanded for every little thing I do.

She smiled smugly at him, her voice teasing. "You do. So does Captain, sometimes. It really encourages me, you know?"

Leonard turned to her. "Encourages you to stop?"

Irina grinned mischievously. "To be even worse~"

They laughed together as they entered the Keeper's room, the three other Nighthawks inside looking at them in confusion.

The poet coughed and elbowed Irina. "This is Irina, the History Teacher from the Bookworm Pathway. She'll take care of the Antigonus Notebook once we find it."

Stepping forward, Irina addressed the group. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I'll rely on your strength in this fight."

No presentation from Leonard's side. I guess they know each other already.

The black-haired woman nodded in a friendly manner as she introduced herself. "We are colleagues from the Backlund diocese. We escorted Sealed Artifact 2-049 here. I am Madam Lorotta, Sequence 8 Gravedigger, and a master sharpshooter."

Lorotta wore masculine attire, forgoing a hat. She had on a black coat with a white shirt, tight black trousers, and black leather boots. A slight smile graced her lips.

After some pleasantries were exchanged, attention turned to the charming middle-aged man seated behind the desk. He introduced himself warmly. "Aiur Harson, same sequence as Dunn Smith."

The last man had a cold demeanor, simply stating his name: "Borgia." A knife scar ran along the side of his face, and his sharp brown eyes resembled an eagle's, constantly observing everyone in the room.

Irina settled into a seat while Leonard opted to remain standing. In her position, she had a front-row view of the black metal chest that had been hidden behind the desk. It was carved with resplendent stars and a crimson full moon, exuding an aura as though it were surrounded by a formless barrier.

Activating her Spirit Vision, Irina's eyes were immediately flooded with multiple colors. She stared at the box, then scanned the room, noticing a colored mist enveloping everything. A simple thought came to mind: The radius of effect.

Wait.

How do I know what that means? Is this part of my Sequence? Hmh... let's test it.

Returning her focus to the chest, she observed the engravings glowing with a cold blue tone. "Spiritual Restraints." But I can't tell anything else. Those two things are all I knew from the novel, but seeing them with my own eyes is different.

As she continued to stare, she soon realized that more colors were present. A hidden purple hue lurked behind the blue.

That's the puppet. Wow, this ability is quite useful. Why haven't I used my Spirit Vision more often? The longer I stare, the more color I see. I don't understand all of it, but that could be because of my low Sequence.

Irina's gaze intensified, beginning to discern the arms, legs, and torso within the chest. I'll just stare at every single object I come across from now on.

Borgia's cold tone broke her reverie. "Are you that interested in the Artifact?"

Irina, without thinking, blurted out, "Not the puppet, but just how cool this ability is."

It was Leonard's question that snapped her back to reality. "How do you know it's a puppet?"

Shit.

Aiur Harson spoke up next. "You didn't tell her?"

Borgia cut Leonard off. "I think we're overlooking an important fact here. After staring at it for a couple of minutes, you now know how that Sealed Artifact looks?"

All eyes turned to her.

Double shit.

Irina fumbled with her words for a moment before attempting to explain. "I don't really know. I just figured out I could do it. It's all thanks to my Spirit Vision."

Why do I keep losing focus and making stupid mistakes?! Look at where it's gotten me!

Lorotta interjected, her tone measured. "I'm aware that your Sequence allows you to see different colors and establish some sort of information through them. It differs from Seers and Mystery Pryers in the subject of the matter. They can see these on people or, in general, living creatures, while your Pathway focuses on inanimate objects instead. Yet, you somehow saw the puppet?"

Irina picked up where she left off, trying to regain her composure. "As far as I know, that's correct. I looked at the chest out of curiosity and saw the engravings radiating a blue color. I think those are the Spiritual Restraints. The more I stared, the more I started to make out some purple behind it. It's very condensed, and its form is clear. I doubt it could be anything other than a puppet."

Let's at least keep the mist out of it. The less they know, the better for me.

Leonard whistled in amazement. "Being able to see past a sealed box, especially one made to hold a Sealed Artifact? That's not bad."

Aiur Harson glanced at the poet before turning his attention back to the chest. "'Not bad'? I don't know anyone who can perform such feats. That's a seriously strong ability you have there."

Triple shit. Imagine if I had told them about the mist as well. Seeing the area of effect must be very useful.

Irina laughed awkwardly. "Oh, I'm sure it's nothing. You all should already be working with someone from my Pathway over in Backlund."

Borgia interjected abruptly. "We don't."

Aiur Harson continued, his tone serious. "I'm afraid you haven't been told how rare your Sequence is. The abilities you possess are still a mystery, even to us from the Backlund diocese. We know about your inability to fight, which is definitely a negative aspect, but you compensate with all the skills you have."

Again with the 'rare Sequence' gig.

He paused, seemingly lost in thought.

Irina opened her mouth to speak, but Borgia was quicker. "Your Sequence would be much more useful in Backlund than in a tiny city such as Tingen."

Uh?

Aiur Harson quickly agreed. "That is true. Perhaps you could be moved to our division."

UH?! NO, NO, NO!

Lorotta attempted to sway her. "Think about it. A bigger city means greater opportunities. Your salary would definitely rise as well."

More money sounds good—YOU CAN'T CONVINCE ME!

Aiur Harson pressed on. "She's right. You wouldn't be considered a normal member. Your abilities will grow, and such unique powers are extremely valuable to our diocese."

I CAN'T LEAVE TINGEN, YOU ASS! Who will save Dunn, Old Nei—

Leonard intervened with a loud cough, drawing everyone's attention. "I believe this matter should be discussed at another time. We have a much more pressing mission at hand right now."

MY SAVIOR! HAVE I EVER TOLD YOU JUST HOW MUCH I ADORE YOU?!

Aiur Harson slowly relented, agreeing with the poet. "You are right. We should discuss it with your captain as well. I believe after this mission will be the perfect time."

The perfect time is NEVER. And to think I liked him—there's no way I'm moving to Backlund.

Irina locked eyes with Leonard and silently thanked him a million times over. He smiled back before nudging Borgia's sluggish shoulder.

I'll NEVER go there as a Nighthawk. I'd basically bind myself to the Evernight Goddess with no way out. Besides, I have too much to do here in Tingen.

Not long after, Dunn arrived, bringing Klein along. Another round of greetings rose, and the Gravedigger had to push Sir Harson as he became sluggish. Once settled, Dunn decided to start the mission. He picked up the chest; Klein, only now noticing it, observed it curiously.

Thump!

Thump! Thump!

Violent knocking sounds suddenly erupted from the black chest. The surface bulged repeatedly.

Fuc***g shit. Is this a horror movie?—It kinda is...

Thump! Thump! Thump!

It was as though something horrifying had awakened within the chest and was pounding wildly. The knocking reverberated in the hearts of everyone present.

Irina glanced around and caught Dunn's movement becoming sluggish. She pushed him, and soon they all steadily left the room, heading up the stairs and outside to the waiting carriage, which Leonard was tasked with driving.