Chapter 25
Iconsel Bernard
"Let me introduce myself. I am Ikonser Bernard, a deacon of the Backlund parish of the Steam Church, and the captain of the Mechanical Heart of the Backlund parish."
The disheveled, resolute-looking butler politely introduced himself.
"Bennett Maynard, the youngest son of Maynard, a councilor in Tingen, is a student at the Black Night Theological Seminary in Backlund and is currently undergoing clerical training at the Church of the Night."
Chael, holding the Book of Revelation of the Night, performed a standard clergy salute.
"Hello, butler, I am Martin, Master Bennet's personal servant."
Martin straightened his slightly disheveled hair and bowed in greeting, following Chael's lead.
"I am Alice, a low-ranking Beyonder from the Church of the Eternal Sun."
Alice also introduced herself directly, saying that she was from the Mechanical Heart and not a scapegoat from the Church of Storms.
Captain Mechanical Heart can also understand Intis language.
"Captain, there are traces of werewolves here, and there's still a faint trace of the undead in the air."
"Captain, we've checked them all. The weapons are fine. The bloodstains on this gentleman's cane should belong to a human who was mutated and controlled by a werewolf."
Two members of the Mechanical Heart reported to Ikonser Bernard.
Let me explain.
"The weather in Backlund has been quite bad lately, which has really affected my mood. As a devout follower of the goddess, I go out at night to see Backlund at night, seeking peace of mind and relaxation for my restless spirit."
"My personal male servant, for safety reasons, hired Miss Alice as a bodyguard to accompany us out for a stroll."
"We met up at the Backlund Bridge, walked and talked, enjoying the night view. By the time we reached the bridge area, it was getting late, so we decided to find a pub for a drink and then head back the way we came to end our evening."
"As we walked down this street, Miss Alice sensed something was wrong. A monster that looked like a werewolf was lurking in the darkness, ready to attack us. We worked with Miss Alice to defeat the monster, but then an even more powerful werewolf appeared."
"Miss Alice, worried that she could not protect our safety, released a dazzling light and made a great commotion, which drove the werewolf away."
"That's how it is, Deacon Iconsel. Martin and I don't have our gun licenses with us. If you want to check, we can cooperate."
Xia'er's words completely absolved the three of them of any responsibility.
As for why he was out wandering around in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?
Because I am a follower of the goddess of night.
I am seeking inner peace.
"That werewolf didn't die?"
"You only wounded him?"
Deacon Ikonser nodded, confirming that there was nothing wrong with what Shael said.
"Yes, the second werewolf that appeared was much stronger than the first one. I doubt how much damage our bullets can do to him."
Xia'er had little hope of dealing damage. Werewolves are creatures that can heal themselves even if their intestines spill out, as long as they are cleaned and put back in. It would be difficult to kill them with ordinary bullets.
Iconsel looked at Alice.
"I am only a Sequence 8 Lightbringer, not a Sequence 7 Sun Priest. Without performing a ritual, I cannot inflict true holy damage on my weapon."
"I could only pretend to scare that werewolf."
Alice explained in the same way.
She could only imbue the weapon with a bit of holy light; she wasn't sure how much divine power the bullets would retain after being fired.
"I see."
"Gentlemen, you have shown extraordinary courage."
Deacon Ikonser praised Shael and Martin for their courage. Although they might have been blessed by the Lightbringers, it was already quite good that they didn't hold back their Extraordinary members in the face of danger.
If these two gentlemen weren't in monastic training for the Church of the Night, he would be happy to invite them to join the Steam Church and the Heart of the Machine.
"However, you should still be careful. Even if you want to go out to relax at night, try to choose a place closer to the church."
The kind butler did not make things difficult for Xia Er and the other two; he merely gave them some instructions and did not criticize Xia Er for going to the Bridge District instead of the West District.
The West District is under the jurisdiction of the Storm Church, and the Bridge District is under the jurisdiction of the Steam and Machinery Church. Isn't saying that the Bridge District has poor security a slap in the face to your own church?
"Thank you, Deacon Ikonser."
"If you hadn't arrived in time, we don't know what terrible things we would have encountered. If that werewolf had accomplices, I might have been in danger."
"It may be presumptuous of me to ask you a question?"
Xia Er first expressed her sincere gratitude, then asked with a hint of trepidation in her voice.
"Please ask, Mr. Maynard."
Deacon Ikonser smiled gently.
Looking at this very understanding butler, Xia Er decided to go back and remind Arrodes to give the man some privacy and not to keep bothering him.
"Um, could you please keep tonight's events a secret?"
"I don't want my mother to know; it will only make her worry unnecessarily."
Chael pleaded earnestly.
Ikonser was somewhat surprised. He thought it was some kind of troublesome matter, but he didn't expect it to be such a request.
"Mr. Maynard, you can rest assured that we will not easily reveal these things to ordinary people who do not understand the mysterious world."
The butler said with amusement.
He never expected that this young man who dared to shoot at the werewolf would be afraid of his own mother.
Thank you for your understanding.
Chael thanked him again.
"Hehe, I can only promise you that I won't tell your parents about these things, but according to the tacit understanding among the Church of the Righteous God, I have to share this with the Night Watchers. You can prepare in advance."
Deacon Ikonser didn't hide anything from Xia'er; that was standard practice.
"That's how it should be."
Xia Er responded without the slightest unease.
A peer-recognized outstanding young person—why not graduate early and get promoted directly?
I don't need to continue my seminary studies anymore; it's perfect.
"Can we go now?"
Seeing that the discussion was almost over, Xia Er decided to go back to sleep.
"Of course, do you need help checking it out?"
Iconsel offered a friendly suggestion.
"No need, thank you for your kindness, Deacon Ikonser. We'll have Alice perform a purification ritual later."
"If you have any discomfort, you can hold the event here together. You can also soak up the sunshine and drive away any dampness or chill that may be present at night."
Xia Er described the purification ritual as something like sunbathing, taking a sauna, or cupping, which made Alice, who had been silent, stare intently at the back of his head.