Faint light shone in from the narrow stained windows high above, making the darkness in the Morse Cathedral a little more visible.
Klein placed his top hat on his knees and leaned his cane on his leg. He sat quietly on the first row of chairs on the left side of the aisle and looked at the altar in front of him.
There was no statue of a consecration there, only a huge Dark Sacred Emblem. It had a black base and was embellished with resplendence. It surrounded half of the crimson moon.
On the wall behind the Sacred Emblem, there were holes. The sunlight from the outside world shone in, condensing into pure, miniature spots of light. They connected with the dark surroundings and transformed into a majestic starry sky.
Be it the Evernight Goddess, the Eternal Blazing Sun, or the Lord of Storms, none of the orthodox deities left behind a concrete image. They could only be consecrated and worshipped as their symbols … This seems to be another expression of "not looking directly at God" … Klein allowed his thoughts to wander. He wasn't in a hurry to create the Flaring Sun Charm while he was guarding Sealed Artifact 3-0782 alone.
He believed that he had to be cautious, patient, and wait. In the first ten minutes or so, Leonard and Kenley could come in at any time to remind him of certain matters.
Time passed quickly in the extremely quiet atmosphere. Klein suddenly snapped out of his daze and took out his silver vine-patterned pocket watch. He snapped it open and glanced at it.
It's been twenty minutes … he muttered silently. He put his half top hat and black silver-inlaid cane to the side, got up, and walked to a relatively secluded corner near the altar.
He first faced the side of the altar, but when he saw the huge Dark Sacred Emblem and the holy scene that looked like a night sky projection, he felt an inexplicable sense of guilt and unease. Hence, he turned his back to the altar.
Right on the heels of that, Klein took off Sealed Artifact 3-0782 from the inside of his black tuxedo and bent down to place the ancient, dark gold badge on the ground.
Looking at the abstract symbol of the Sun, Klein took out a small candle mixed with sandalwood and placed it right below Sealed Artifact 3-0782.
This was a dualistic ritual that he had "learned" from the Eternal Blazing Sun. He used objects that were closely related to the deity to directly symbolize "Him," and used candles to represent himself.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Klein took out the items needed for the ritual one by one, including a carving knife, two thin gold plates, the essential oil extracted from a mixture of black-edged Sun flower, golden-edged Sun flower, and white-edged Sun flower, fingered citron powder, and rosemary powder.
After doing all of this, Klein skillfully used the silver ritualistic dagger to guide the flow of spirituality around the simple "altar," creating an invisible, sealed wall.
He squatted down, put away the silver dagger, stretched out his right hand, and lit the candle that symbolized himself by rubbing it spiritually.
In the flickering, dim light, Klein picked up the Sun essential oil and dripped a drop onto the candle flame.
With a splash, an illusory fog spread out, bringing with it the scent of sunlight.
After burning the fingered citron and rosemary powder, Klein stood up with the carving knife and the gold plates. He took a step back and chanted in ancient Hermes,
"Blood of the Eternal Blazing Sun.
"You are the Inextinguishable Light, the Embodiment of Order, the God of Contracts, the Guardian of Commerce."
…
The Inextinguishable Light, the Embodiment of Order, the God of Contracts, and the Guardian of Commerce were all part of the Eternal Blazing Sun's honorific name. Without the prefix of "Blood of the Eternal Blazing Sun," the ritual needed a response from the deity before it could continue. If that happened, Klein suspected that the Eternal Blazing Sun would recognize him as the disrespectful person who looked straight at "Him." When that happened, Leonard and Kenley would only see a pile of black ashes when they entered.
Furthermore, the ritual had to be done in ancient Hermes, a sacrificial language that came directly from nature. Only an unprotected but effective language would allow the incantation to bypass the Eternal Blazing Sun and point to the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem.
At the same time, as he was stealing the power of a deity, Klein couldn't divine if things would go smoothly. He believed that it would make him face the deity again. Therefore, he could only keep his heart in suspense as he cautiously chanted the follow-up incantation.
"I pray to you.
"I pray to you to bestow me with power.
"Bestow me with the power to complete the Flaring Sun Charm.
"Blood of the Eternal Blazing Sun, please transmit your power to my charm …
"Fingered citron, a herb that belongs to the domain of the Sun, please transmit your power to my charm …"
…
As the incantation came to an end, Klein suddenly felt something light up in front of him.
The dark gold emblem emitted a blazing light, like the Sun that had descended upon the earth.
Klein was instantly immersed in extreme heat. His hair quickly heated up, as though it was about to combust.
His feet seemed to be stepping on the yellow sand that had been illuminated by the midday sun. His face and body were being buffeted by the strong winds that blew in from all directions.
At that moment, he felt that he had to do something to guide and release the burning power. Otherwise, he would become a human candle.
Without needing to think, Klein raised his hands. With his thoughts boiling like porridge, he relied on the combination of his spirituality and the strong winds. Following his instincts and the guidance of the ritual, he used a carving knife to carve symbols, corresponding Spirit Numbers, magical labels, and ancient incantations on both sides of the gold piece.
Outside the cathedral, Leonard was standing in the shadows, avoiding the afternoon sun.
Suddenly, he realized that the sun had become stronger, just like the hottest days in early July.
He narrowed his eyes and looked at the sky. He saw that the blue "curtain" didn't have a single cloud or speck of dust. It was so clear that it left him in awe.
"Strange weather." On the other side, Kenley had also noticed the change in the sunlight.
Leonard was about to respond with a chuckle when he suddenly tilted his head.
He frowned slightly and looked at the cathedral as though he was scrutinizing it.
"Thankfully, Roshan isn't here. Otherwise, she would be complaining that the sun has tanned her skin," Leonard said with a smile as he retracted his gaze.
The blazing sunlight only lasted for a few minutes before it gradually dimmed. Everything returned to its original state.
Inside the cathedral, Klein's carving knife was making the final stroke.
As the magical label that symbolized "light" was completed, the spirituality on both sides of the gold piece suddenly merged into one and retracted into the innermost part of the metal piece.
No, this is closer to godhood … Klein finally broke away from the burning heat and examined the two Flaring Sun Charms in his hands with a clear mind.
The golden luster on their surface had already dimmed, and the patterns were simple and complicated. A warm and moist feeling seeped out bit by bit, seeping into Klein's skin.
Not bad, I finally have a powerful trump card. Klein sighed silently.
The activation incantation he had set for the Flaring Sun Charms was the ancient Hermes word for "light."
If I want light, there will be light … he mocked himself as he put the Flaring Sun Charms into another pocket. He didn't put them together with the Slumber, Requiem, and Dream charms, as that would affect the latter and reduce the duration of their effects.
Yes, the Flaring Sun Charms' powers can be maintained for at least a year, maybe even longer. Klein reined in his thoughts and looked at the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem on the ground.
Seeing that there were no changes on the surface, and that the warm and pure feeling was still assimilating the surroundings, Klein heaved a sigh of relief. He quickly completed the ritual and removed the wall of spirituality.
Only then did he have the mood to check himself. He discovered that his shirt was almost completely drenched, his face was covered in sweat, and the edges of his hair were slightly curled.
Thankfully, thankfully … Klein sighed in relief, put away the items, and returned to his original seat. He was so tired that he fell asleep sitting down until he was awakened by footsteps.
He opened his eyes abruptly and subconsciously touched the Flaring Sun Charms to confirm if it was still there.
"You don't seem to be in a good state?" Leonard asked as he entered the cathedral.
Klein rubbed his temples and got up with a smile.
"Because I'm almost at my limit."
He took out his silver pocket watch, opened it, and said, "Just in time, it's your turn to guard Sealed Artifact 3-0782."
Before he finished his sentence, Klein took off the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem and handed it to Leonard calmly.
After watching him walk out of the cathedral, Leonard put away his frivolous attitude and carefully examined Sealed Artifact 3-0782. His expression gradually became confused, revealing obvious confusion.
After taking turns to guard it, the three Nighthawks embarked on their return journey.
Before that, they got Priest Smile to keep an eye on the town's situation. If there were any suspicious incidents, they were to immediately send a telegram to Saint Selena Cathedral.
At twenty past seven in the evening, they finally arrived at Zouteland Street and handed over Sealed Artifact 3-0782.
After confirming that the Captain didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, Klein happily left the Blackthorn Security Company and rushed home before eight o 'clock.
He took out his keys and opened the door. Suddenly, he saw an unfamiliar figure.
It was a girl who was obviously not even twenty years old. She was wearing an old grayish-white dress and was diligently wiping the dining room.
She had black hair and brown eyes. Her eyes were small, and her nose wasn't sharp enough. Her facial features were very ordinary.
Who is it? Klein was taken aback at first, but he immediately understood that she was a maidservant who was here to try out doing housework.
At that moment, Baansen lowered the newspaper and looked at his brother.
He smiled and said, "Companies that don't let their employees leave work on time are always disgusting."
"But the salary it gives can heal such wounds," Klein replied with a smile.
When Miss Justice's 300 pounds arrives, I'll tell Baansen and Melissa about the salary increase to six pounds a week so that they don't have to worry too much about the family's finances … As Klein thought about it, he leaned on his cane, took off his top hat, and walked to the living room.
He lowered his voice and said, "Have you made your choice?"
He had used the information on the three maidservants to divine yesterday and came to the conclusion that they were suitable. Hence, he handed the decision to his brother and sister.
"Yes, Bella. Her weekly salary is five soli. She is very willing and has the ability to learn how to cook. She hopes to become a family chef in the future. That way, her weekly salary will double. Her father is a worker at the Tingen Iron and Steel Union Factory, and her mother is a laundress." Baansen replied with a chuckle. "Of course, the other reason why Melissa and I made the decision is that the other two maidservants believe in the Lord of Storms. She's the only believer of the Goddess. I personally don't mind believers of the Lord of Storms, but Melissa doesn't like it."
It wasn't that Melissa didn't dislike it. A more accurate description was that she lamented their misfortune and was angry that they didn't strive. Yes, Lu Xun said it! Klein recalled his sister's behavior all this while, and a smile appeared on his face.
Benson didn't speak further. He put down the newspaper and stood up.
He put down the newspaper and stood up. "Since you're back, let's enjoy dinner."
…
The next day, Klein entered the Blackthorn Security Company in a good mood.
"Good morning." Roshan looked around and said, "Old Neil is sick. Why don't we visit him at noon?"
"Old Neil is sick?" Klein asked in surprise.
Could it be that the anti-diarrhea ritual caused severe constipation?
Hmm, from his reaction after he vaguely learned of the "acting method," it's possible for him to suddenly fall sick … As he gets older, his mind becomes weaker. His body will most likely suffer from problems …
Roshan nodded vigorously.
"Yes, he got someone to apply for leave from the Captain."
Klein nodded slightly and said, "Then we'll visit him at noon. Sigh, speaking of which, Old Neil is quite pitiful. His wife passed away early, and his child is busy in some city. He can only lie at home alone and helpless after he falls sick."
He recalled the first time he went to Old Neil's house.
Upon hearing Klein's sigh, Rozanne widened her eyes and asked in surprise,
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