In fact, I'm not sure whether the notes were destroyed or hidden—though it's reasonable to infer that if they were to be destroyed, it could have been done right then and there, making it unnecessary to have me take them away and carry them forward. Upon hearing Leonard's question, Caine instantly activated his "keyboard detective" mode and said thoughtfully: "Perhaps the unknown entities we encountered with Welch and Naya both relish the 'sacrifice' of life and desire such events to continue. Therefore, knowing that a 'suicide incident' would inevitably be discovered, they entrusted me with the notes, intending to hide them and prepare for a second such experience. It seems, however, that something went wrong during the process, and ultimately, I failed to achieve the suicide." This is Caine's well-reasoned hypothesis, drawn from the various accounts, novels, films, and television series he has read in his previous life. As for what went wrong during the process, he is very clear—namely, the introduction of himself as a 'variable' from another dimension. "Good explanation, but perhaps there's another possibility—Welch's and Naya's suicide sacrifices created the opportunity for that unknown entity to manifest. The notebook itself carries or nurtures the evil, and by having you take it away and conceal it, they're concerned that, before it fully emerges or strengthens, we discover it and destroy it outright." Leonard Mitchell outlined this alternative. Pausing, he locked eyes with Caine, offering a gentle smile: "Of course, the notebook might have already been destroyed—intentionally, to conceal its contents, to hide the true object that carries or nurtures the evil. In that case, your near-fatal suicide would make perfect sense." What does this mean? Are they questioning me? Suspecting that the original body—my body—carries or nurtures the evil? No, he carries or nurtures the travelers... "Nurtures" is a decent choice. Kline paused, quietly muttering under his breath while carefully formulating his response: "I don't need to defend myself, since I truly do remember having forgotten that memory. However, both Captain Lennard and Miss Dail have confirmed that I have no other issues—your joke falls flat." "I'm simply exploring the possibility that the unknown entity, upon its arrival, may have been struck hard, leading to your failed suicide attempt. We must believe, always, that the goddess remains with us." Leonard smiled and changed the subject. "What did you find this afternoon?" After the conversation just now and the events that preceded it, Kline had developed deep reservations about Leonard, yet he maintained a composed demeanor, responding: "Nothing. I'll need to change my route tomorrow afternoon." He gestured toward the partition. "I have to go to the armory to pick up some ammunition." The "Shooting Club" will run until nine o'clock, since many of its members only have time after work hours. "May the goddess watch over you," Leonard smiled, drawing a circle on his chest symbolizing the Crimson Moon. Watching Kline pass through the partition and hear the sound of his footsteps descending the stairs, Leonard's smile gradually faded, replaced by growing bewilderment in his emerald eyes. He murmured something, his tone slightly dissatisfied. Your description was not quite accurate. It should be this: the name of the sequence potion I have been taking is "The Seer." "You still chose to become an Exceptional One..." Rosan sighed, pausing in silence. Klein turned to the middle-aged man beside him, politely asking, "May I ask your name?" Is this another member of the Night Watch, or one of the two administrative staff I haven't met yet? Rosan pressed her lips slightly and said, "Brayt, one of our colleagues. He would like to swap shifts with me, freeing up his shift for tomorrow evening. He's going with his wife to the Grand Theater in the North District to see 'The Proud One,' celebrating their fifteen-year wedding anniversary. What a romantic gentleman he is." Brayt smiled and extended his hand. "With Rosan here, everything will be settled without repetition. Good morning, Klein. I didn't expect you to become an Exceptional One so quickly, while I, well, perhaps I'll never have the courage." "Probably because the uninformed are fearless." "Self-deprecating, I must say," Klein remarked, extending his hand to shake it. "That's not bad at all," Bright chuckled, shaking his head. "Once, a remarkable one told me just before passing away that you should never investigate strange and dangerous matters—knowing less means living longer." At that moment, Rosan interjected: "Klein, don't worry about it. I heard from Old Neil that your 'seer' is a support-type, relatively safe as long as you don't attempt to communicate with the unknown. How else do you explain your attire? It's not at all gentlemanly! What are you here for?" "To collect today's thirty rounds of ammunition," Klein replied, not addressing Rosan's earlier questions. He believed she would soon forget the matter. "Very well." "Rosan pointed to the table," "Bright, everything's yours now. You should know exactly where the keys and the bullets are located. Oh, Neil is so stingy—he promised me a full cup of coffee today, yet he didn't even leave a spare cup for me to enjoy it properly..." As she spoke on and on, Caine received the bullets. Together, they parted ways at the street level, one boarding a public carriage for home, the other walking toward the "Shooting Club." As Klein was about to head to the market or the street to buy ingredients for dinner, he found the front door open and Melissa returning with a bag of stationery and textbooks, plus a large pile of vegetables. "…I think you and Benson will be coming back later today. When we left this morning, I took one souler from where you kept your savings." Seeing her brother's puzzled look, Melissa habitually explained in a serious tone. "Why didn't you take the public carriage to school?" Klein recalled the morning's events. "Why take the public carriage? It costs four pence to get to school, eight pence round trip—plus you and Benson, that's twenty-four pence a day, exactly two soulers. That's twelve soulers a week, excluding Sundays—roughly equivalent to our rent!" Pause. Pause. Pause. Don't show off your mathematical skills… Klein found himself chuckling and gently pressed a hand to his chest. Melissa paused, then added, "I find walking to school quite manageable. The teacher says everyone should stay active, and I also often pick up some broken parts along the way." Klein chuckled and said, "Then let's add up the costs: public carriage fare at 12 sou, rent at 12 sou 3 deniers, totaling just 1 pound 4 sou 3 deniers—something that can easily be covered by Bensun's salary, with quite a bit left over. In fact, he received last week's pay. And I receive 1 pound 10 sou weekly as well. Even if I eat meat every day, and include expenses for gas, coal, wood, and spices, I still have a surplus—enough to subscribe to the morning newspaper for just one denier per day." "By the end of two months, once I've settled the advance payments, I'll be able to save up for Bensun, for you, to buy new clothes." "But, but," Melissa insisted on her point. "We must also consider unforeseen expenses." Klein smiled at her and said, "Then we could cut down on meat. Don't you think it's a waste of time to spend fifty, no, one hundred minutes each day just traveling? We could use that time to read more, reflect on more issues, and improve our academic performance." "That way, Melissa, you'll graduate with outstanding grades and secure a well-paying job—after that, what will there be to worry about?" "...” Drawing on his experience from previous debates on online forums, he finally convinced Melissa to agree to take the public carriage to school. Phew—finally convinced, no, how could it be called 'convinced' when it was really 'reasoned persuasion'? Klein muttered under his breath, took the vegetables Melissa had bought, and sighed, "Remember to buy beef, lamb, or chicken tomorrow... eat well, eat properly, so you can maintain a healthy body and a sharp mind to handle the challenges of your studies." Just talking about it already makes me hungry... Melissa bit her lip and remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "Alright." ……the next morning, watching Melissa board the public carriage, Crayne and Bensen parted at the street corner, each arriving at the office. As Crayne stepped through the main doors, he saw Neil and Rosan chatting at the reception desk—Neil still dressed in his classic black robe, unbothered by the gaze of others, while Rosan had changed into a light yellow, flowing dress. "Good morning, Mr. Neil, Miss Rosan," Crayne bowed slightly, removing his hat. Neil gave him a teasing glance. "Good morning. Did you hear anything you didn't want to hear last night?" "No, I slept very well," Crayne replied, equally puzzled. He could only attribute it to his inspiration still not being quite strong. "Ah, don't worry—there's not really that much to hear, after all." Neil pointed across the partition. "Head to the armory. We'll continue our 'Mysticism Course' there this morning." Klein nodded and followed Old Neil down the stairs into the underground, arriving at the armory to relieve Bright, who had been on duty overnight. "What would you like me to learn today?" Klein asked curiously. Old Neil gave a long, thoughtful hum. "Something complex yet fundamental—though before that, I'd like to teach you a little trick first." He pointed to the silver chain wrapped around his wrist, with a pure white crystal hanging at its top.