Ethan was sitting inside the carriage as he looked at the bustling and busy street through the glass window. He was wearing a formal black pant and a white shirt with a black long tailcoat. Ethan rarely wore the hats, so this time, he just decided to go without one as his raven black hair combed neatly. His sharp hazel-blue eyes looked lost in thoughts unknown.
"Sir, we reached the crossroads at Cathedral Street," Coachman informed as he halted the carriage at the side.
Ethan stepped out of the carriage as he paid and then left to visit the cathedral.
Ethan entered the St. Lumina Cathedral as the same serene and beautiful environment as yesterday welcomed his sight.
After putting a five-found note in the donation box. Ethan looked at the main door for a second as he shifted his gaze back to the huge silver cross engraved with archaic golden carvings.
'As expected, someone is keeping a close eye on me...but why? Are they the same who ambushed my grandpa?'
Ethan wondered as he felt an intense anger boiling within him. He had no idea why he and his family suddenly became targets for some superhuman terrorist group, but one thing was sure: they were responsible for his grandpa's death, and he would make them pay for this.
'Sigh...I think there's no other way then...but will I be able to return back from that path? I thought this life would be different and I wouldn't have to suffer like before. But life once again pushed him to a corner and he lost his entire family. Even if he wanted to stay out of this entire thing, what could a normal human like him could do to those powerful superhumans?
Finally, after making his decision, Ethan stood up and left the Cathedral as he headed toward Volga Street.
***
"Nighthawk Security Company...this seems to be the place" Ethan looked at the name written on the wooden plaque. It was a big, three-story building.
*ting*
Ethan rang the bell hanging outside the door and within a few seconds, a middle-aged man came out of the building.
"What do you want?" He asked in a heavy tone.
"Uh...I want to hire a service. Ethan said as he took out a black card and handed it to the middle-aged man.
The card was from Varian's personal card that he found in his coat pocket yesterday.
"Hmm...follow me and stay quiet" He stated and then went inside the building.
Ethan followed closely behind the man who passed through the corridor and then went downstairs. It was a dimly lit corridor that led to another door.
"Go," a middle-aged man spoke as he opened the door where stairs on the other side led outside.
*Bam*
As soon as Ethan stepped on the other side, the door closed.
'Well... let what awaits me there'
Ethan thought in his mind as he went upstairs he found himself in a bright room where the reception table was placed. A young brown-haired, beautiful lady was sitting behind the counter. Nearby stood the same young man, Raizel, whom he met back at his home.
The lady looked one or two years older than him, and her beautiful face was a little chubby and cute look to it. She was wearing a long grey shirt and a blue top with a long thick brown coat.
Raizel was a little bit shorter than him by a few inches, and his thin, handsome face exuded a strong charm. His long, messy, curly hair swayed gently even though there was no wind coming through the room from outside. His clothes looked messy but he seemed to be unbothered about it.
"Huh?" Lady noticed his arrival as she hurriedly looked at Raizel but the young man just took a five-pound note and handed it to the lady.
She happily accepted the money with a bright smile on her beautiful face.
"Hello! You must be Ethan. Captain told us about you...like how you fought a Devaint despite being a normal human! How cool and scary...you look quite young, but you are already so skilled at fighting...ah my bad, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Noelle, I'm the receptionist here, and I just joined a month ago, so I'm basically a newbie like you...my bad, you have yet to join us officially, but still, welcome..."
"Cut it, Noelle. Captian is waiting for him," Raizel interrupted the lady as he knew how difficult it was for Noelle to stop talking.
"So you have made your decision, huh? Well, follow me. The captain is waiting for you in his office?" Raizel said as he gestured to follow him.
"Nice to meet you, Noelle," Ethan said with a smile as he followed Raizel.
"Hehe..." Noelle giggled at his response as she went back to her seat behind the counter.
***
Ethan and Raizel walked through the corridor, and Ethan followed right behind him.
"Are there only three people here?" Ethan asked as found the place unusually empty and silent.
"Of course not. We can't protect the entire city with just three people, do we? Me and I are on the first floor along with Noelle. Three of my colleagues are in the underground area protecting some important things. By the way, if you haven't realized it until now, this building is right beside the Church. We have some underground corridors connecting both places. You will know everything once you meet Captain," Raizel answered as he finally halted in front of a door and gestured for Ethan to enter the room.
Ethan nodded and then entered the room where Varian was sitting while playing with his hat with one hand and holding a cigar in the other.
"Welcome, Mr. Holmes. I knew I wouldn't let go of such a good opportunity to avenge your loved ones," Varian stated as he gestured for Ethan to sit meanwhile he put the documents on the table.
'Damn...this bastard looks cool despite his age'
Ethan thought as he observed Varian, who, despite his age, looked rather strong and sturdy. His messy long grey hair was combed backwards roughly. His facial hair gives him a little rough and manly look.
"What other choice do I have if I want to avenge my grandpa legally?" Ethan said as he picked up the pen and started reading the documents.
The contents of the documents were the same as Varia had told him previously. It was a document of secrecy and a document of joining the 'Templar Order' under the authority of the Church of Eternity.
Ethan signed the documents and then handed the documents pack to Varian.
"From this point onwards, you are one of us. You are welcome to the Templar Order, Ethan." Varian said to him as he put a small iron case that was roughly the size of a palm and a black metallic revolver on the table for Ethan to take.
Ethan opened the case and saw a shiny metallic batch of the police department of the western borough written at the bottom bronze color. On the top, there were three stars, representing his rank as a senior inspector.
'Templar Order holds higher authority than the normal police...'
Ethan thought as he observed the batch.
"You want to ask something, Ethan?" Varian asked as she saw him lost.
"To be honest, I feel quite overwhelmed with all these things that happened...It's disheartening to not be able to bury my grandpa in peace even after his death. The most disturbing thing for me is, why Grandpa? What did those attackers want from my grandpa that they couldn't even leave his dead body in peace? After what what come to know about things now...I'm wondering...are we even dealing with humans in the first place?" Ethan wanted to say more but calmed himself and stopped.
"I lost my wife and seven-year-old daughter to the terrorist of the Aurora Order, and that's when I joined the Templar Order. After years of experience dealing with Deviants, the only thing I found common among them all was madness. In times like these, I think about the famous quote from Emperor Askanor" Varian said and continued,
"I can calculate the motion of Heavenly Bodies, but not the madness of people...this truly holds the meaning far deeper than what we can imagine"
'This quote...isn't this the quote from Sir Isaac Newton. How the fuck did Emperor know about this quote?! Is it just a coincidence or...Emperor is a fellow earthling'
Ethan's mind turned chaotic upon hearing the quote that came from Earth.
"Raizel will explain more about the things and your responsibilities. Your salary will be around 2 pounds until your training period of two months and then it will be increased to 10 pounds a month." Varian said and then closed his eyes as if he had fallen asleep within a second.