"So you're that little Priest? You're quite crucial, indeed!" The petite woman beside them spoke, her voice clear and vibrant, like a lively nightingale.
Silas blinked and asked, "Crucial?"
Logan explained, "It's late November now, nearing the end of the year. All three of Bayne City's Priests have gone to the capital to participate in the selection for the Holy Choir. Therefore, for the next month, the entire city will be without a Priest. So, your appearance is very critical."
Silas understood after listening, and then his mind quickly seized upon a keyword he hadn't heard before: Holy Choir.
The young man with the old face squatted down and looked at the Husky with a chuckle. "This dog is very well raised. In the future, it will become your most loyal companion."
"Thank you for your praise, sir," Silas said gratefully.
Although the young man seemed to like the Husky very much, he restrained himself from reaching out to pet it. He stood up and extended his hand. "Night Watcher, Marx Kenneth. It's a pleasure to meet such a good owner."
The nightingale-like young woman beside them said with a cheerful smile, "My name is Poppy Perseus. Marx loves dogs the most. If you let him pet it, I believe you'll become friends very quickly."
Looking at the three smiling faces, Silas blinked, somewhat unable to process the situation.
Logan smiled. "A bit surprising, isn't it? Why are those who walk in the night for years not as gloomy and cold as those vampires?"
"No! Not at all!" Silas quickly shook his head.
Marx looked at the Husky. "It's normal for people to fear us. After all, every night we move around like ghosts, driving everyone off the streets. But we're no different from normal people, except that during the day, we're like weak patients, unable to exert ourselves."
"If you want to pet him, go ahead. He's very understanding of human nature; he can sense your affection for him," Silas said, seeing the intense fondness and longing in Marx's emerald-green eyes.
This was a true dog lover!
The Husky itself was very lively. After confirming they weren't enemies, it approached them with a very familiar air, rubbing its head against Marx's robe.
A muscle twitched at the corner of Silas's mouth. He thought to himself, "Truly a dog that most easily reaches a consensus with criminals. You're way too friendly."
Seeing this, Marx's face lit up with joy. He took off his gloves, squatted down, and stroked the Husky's smooth back, constantly exclaiming, "So good, so good!"
Silas was about to ask some questions when Logan said, "It'll be light soon. We also need to return to the church to rest. Once you become an official clergyman, we'll have many opportunities to meet."
Silas nodded with a smile upon hearing this. He had a very good first impression of these three easygoing and cheerful Night Watchers.
Marx reluctantly stood up and patted Silas's shoulder. "Work hard!"
As the clear ringing of the bells accompanied the three figures departing, Silas thought to himself, "The friendliness of the Church seems to be much better than I imagined."
Afterward, he continued walking the Husky to the edge of the city. When the Husky saw the pristine white wilderness, it became incredibly excited and prepared to dash off, but Silas stopped it.
It was already six o'clock; time to go back, wash up, and prepare breakfast.
"However, this is also an opportunity. In the future, I can openly go to that collapsed factory under the pretext of walking the dog to check on Helles and Bernice. This way, even if I go every day, it won't arouse anyone's suspicion."
At eight in the morning, Silas, neatly dressed, sat at his desk on the first floor of the police station.
Yesterday's case didn't require his follow-up, so he found himself with some free time today.
With nothing pressing to do, Silas took out two books and prepared to study them seriously.
The two books were The Lunar Codex and Basic Priest Compendium. The former was an abridged version of the Church of Holy Blood's core scripture, The Tri-Moon Hagiographa, similar to books like the Bible on Earth, a staple in every household.
The latter was the book Jeros had given him related to his profession. It included how Priests should meditate, the benefits and mindset for delivering souls, and some simple methods for using Spiritual Energy.
Silas first read Basic Priest Compendium, which had direct practical applications.
He started with the meditation method. It wasn't particularly special; it involved using Spiritual Energy to empty the mind and enter a state of no-self.
"A Priest's deliverance of souls is the core key to a Priest's advancement in strength. Delivering souls can earn the Goddesses' grace, allow one to understand souls and faith more deeply, experience the joy of redeeming others, and thereby refine one's mind and enhance Spiritual Energy."
"The joy of redeeming others… it really is very comforting," Silas recalled the feeling he had yesterday when watching Chuck's soul depart.
"A Priest has numerous basic abilities, but almost none are combat-related. The more core abilities include Soul Affinity, Mantra of Serenity, Spiritual Word Purification, and Spiritual Energy Emission: Shield."
"I've used Soul Affinity; it can make souls feel very close to me."
"The effect of Mantra of Serenity is to infuse Spiritual Energy while reciting certain scriptures, allowing oneself and those nearby to shed negative mental states and regain calmness."
"Spiritual Word Purification, on the other hand, uses Spiritual Energy directly, not through vocalization, to form a special mystical sound that purifies certain curses and monsters."
"Finally, Spiritual Energy Emission: Shield is using Spiritual Energy to support a simple protective barrier that can withstand physical attacks and attacks from mystical creatures."
After reviewing the skills, Silas analyzed, "It's clear that a Priest is purely a support-type cleric role, with almost no combat capability. This is actually good. Support and logistics personnel are relatively safer. In this kind of world, being a bit more cautious won't go amiss."
"Four skills. With my current control and amount of Spiritual Energy, I can only use the first one. The road ahead is long!"
Closing the book, Silas leaned back in his chair, looking at the ceiling, his expression full of contemplation.
"You don't look like a gentleman in that state, more like a chimpanzee that has lost its dreams," Roland said, walking over at some point, joking with a smile.
Silas quickly sat up straight upon hearing this and said with a smile, "You look even more beautiful today than yesterday, like a vibrant sunflower under the sun, beautiful Lady Roland."
Roland laughed heartily upon hearing this, her arms crossed. "If my fiancé could praise others half as well as you do, our relationship would be much closer than it is now."
Jack walked over, holding a coffee. "You want a doctor to learn such beautiful words of praise? You might as well find a new fiancé, haha!"
Jack and Roland had a very good relationship; a little teasing wouldn't cause any offense.
Roland retorted without showing any weakness, "If you don't deal with your beard soon, I believe you won't find a girl you like even when you're fifty."
Hahaha!
Instantly, the entire police station was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
The police officers here were much more amiable than he had imagined.