The reward Caesar ultimately received was a Mystical Item, which was the white bone flute Azik held.
"Infuse spirituality into the flute and blow it, and you can summon random undead creatures to command," Azik said. "It contains my blood, so you can use it freely for the first three times. But after the third time, the spirituality in the blood will be depleted. After that, the summoned undead might not obey your commands, unless your strength surpasses theirs."
"How strong do I need to be to use it freely?"
Caesar asked curiously.
"At least a Mid Sequence."
Azik said, handing him the bone flute.
Caesar thanked him and reached out to take it. The bone flute felt incredibly cold to the touch. It was a lustrous, milky white all over, but with a hint of fresh red swirling within, which was likely Azik's blood.
After chatting with Azik for a few more moments, Caesar stood up to bid him farewell. He had come out under the pretense of practicing shooting at the firing range, so it wouldn't be good if he lingered too long and was caught slacking off during work hours.
— — — —
Caesar took a public carriage back to Zoteland Street, getting off early at the intersection to walk a bit further and air out the cigar smell. When he stepped into Blackthorn Security Company, he found everyone present, and each person's face was beaming with joy.
What happened?
"Did something good happen?"
He asked Rosanne at the front desk curiously.
"It's payday today!"
Rosanne looked at Caesar incredulously. "I can't believe it! Caesar, you actually forgot a day like this. Go quickly to Mrs. Oriana, the accountant, to get your share."
Oh, it's weekly payday.
Caesar suddenly understood. Today was Friday, the day Nighthawks collectively received their weekly pay. He hadn't collected his salary for the past two weeks because he had needed money for settling in when he joined the team and had taken an advance for two weeks' pay. This meant this was his first official payday.
"Then I'll go now."
He said with a smile, walking quickly behind the partition.
The team's accountant, Mrs. Oriana, was in the first office on the right. She was a stylish woman in her thirties, wearing an intellectual and elegant green ruffled dress that perfectly matched her gentle temperament. When she looked at Caesar, a friendly smile appeared in her emerald green eyes.
"Good afternoon, madam."
Caesar had already met her when he received his advance. "I'm here to collect this week's salary."
"Alright, now it's just you and Dunn left."
She took out a salary confirmation slip. Indeed, all the other names on it already had seals, leaving only his and Captain Dunn's.
"Has Captain not come yet?"
Caesar took out his seal from his wallet, dabbed it in the inkpad, and stamped it, asking casually.
"It seems he went to the Goddess Church. Bishop has something to discuss with him."
Mrs. Oriana said, taking out a copper key, opening the safe in the room, and retrieving two banknotes. "Caesar, I've heard others say you've handled many important matters recently. At this rate, your salary might increase very soon."
"May the Goddess bless us, I hope your blessing takes effect."
Caesar said with a smile.
There was a salary increase mechanism within the Nighthawks. Contributions were recorded based on the Nighthawk's personal achievements, and once a certain amount was accumulated, their salary would increase, and they would be given priority for promotion opportunities. Additionally, the higher a Nighthawk's Sequence, the higher their base salary would be. Although Caesar's current salary was the most basic 6 pounds, due to his excellent performance in recent cases, a salary increase was likely already on the agenda.
Especially since he was not allowed to advance, as compensation, the salary increase would be even higher.
Caesar took the salary from Mrs. Oriana's hand, a total of two banknotes: one 5-pound note and one 1-pound note. The 5-pound note bore the portrait of Henry I, and the 1-pound note bore William VI. Both had similar faces, stern expressions, and thick beards.
Hmm, I've seen them several times now, and there's no longer any excitement.
Caesar put the two banknotes into his wallet, thinking to himself.
The salaries of the Tingen City Nighthawks were equally borne by the Goddess Church and the Awwa County Police Department. At the same time, the Police Department also provided them with corresponding police identities. For example, Caesar currently had a probationary inspector's uniform, which he could wear when investigating cases to make questioning the public easier.
Moreover, an even more wonderful aspect of being a Nighthawk was that their salaries were tax-free; whatever they received was exactly what they got.
Caesar put away his salary and glanced at his wallet.
The advance he had received earlier was almost entirely spent on renting a place, buying formal clothes for himself and his sister, paying tuition fees, and other expenses. Fortunately, he later received the house gifted by Old Neil, which not only covered the weekly rent but also left a surplus of 6 Soles. Coupled with the Lanevus case, he directly received 50 pounds, which greatly improved his financial situation.
Caesar saved half of that money, kept the rest for himself, and gave his sister about 3 pounds as pocket money. The little girl didn't know how to spend money, just looking at the banknotes in a dilemma.
However, listening to my colleagues chat, a Sequence 8 potion might cost upwards of 400 pounds. I'd have to sell my house to afford it. Oh, right, I also have two Mystical Items now. That bell isn't very useful, so when the time comes to buy a potion, I can consider selling it.
Caesar calculated his assets as he exited the partition.
As soon as he stepped out of the partition, he heard a joyful female voice, "Well done, you've helped me get rid of the anger in my heart!"
Following the sound, he saw the plump Mrs. Pond sitting in the hall, her face beaming as she praised Blackthorn Security Company's exceptional capabilities. Leonard, sitting opposite her, smiled awkwardly while casually humoring her.
"Alright, I won't disturb your work anymore. Here, this is the rest of your commission, and my extra tip."
Mrs. Pond boldly pulled out 7 pounds for the remaining balance from her wallet, along with a crisp 5-pound banknote.
"Madam, your generosity is impressive."
Leonard praised, his tone becoming much more sincere.
Hearing him say that, Mrs. Pond couldn't help but show an even brighter smile on her face.
"Hahahaha! That's because I suddenly received a large sum of money. My idiotic husband, feeling disgraced, committed suicide in prison! I not only inherited all his assets but also received a large severance payment from the company. This small tip I'm giving you is nothing!"
She laughed a few more times, then suddenly felt something was off, because both Leonard and Caesar's expressions were too serious.
"Are you saying, Mr. Pond, is dead?"
Leonard asked, forcing a smile.
"Yes, I heard the police say that idiot used a bedsheet to make a rope and hanged himself in prison." Mrs. Pond had no sympathy for her husband. "He deserved it! I'm going to spend his money lavishly and use his money to keep young lovers."
After seeing Mrs. Pond out of the security company, Leonard and Caesar exchanged glances.
"Do you believe Mr. Pond committed suicide?"
"How could that be?"
No matter how he thought about it, he was silenced.
Just then, the company door opened again, and Dunn Smith hurried in.
"Captain."
The two went to meet him, and Leonard said, "Mr. Pond was silenced."
"I already know."
Dunn nodded. "Not just him, but other high-ranking officials in the company who knew about it also committed suicide on the same night."
Just as the two were shocked by the other party's recklessness, Caesar saw Dunn's gaze shift to him.
"Caesar, are you interested in a business trip?"
He asked.
====================
Good news: I finally got a job! 🎉Bad news: I'll be working 9 AM to 6 PM, so chapter releases won't be as regular for now.But don't worry—I'm not dropping this novel! Keep enjoying the story, and thank you all for your support! ❤️
For advanced chapters visit [patreon.com/hoomanking1]