The good news was that sunlight didn't count as "firelight."
Actually this made no sense. In Angel's common knowledge, the sun's light and heat came from the energy produced by nuclear fusion constantly occurring inside the star. What humans saw was the visible light it emitted, and the heat they felt was infrared rays, essentially also belonging to "light" in the broad sense. If so, under the negative effects of the "Magic Pocket Watch," she should also fear daylight.
Yet she now stood at the entrance of Blackthorn Security Company, the morning sunlight shining on her face, but it didn't make her feel fear or terror.
The bad news was that in the stairway leading to the second floor of the security company, a gas lamp was lit.
How dare these people light gas lamps? Isn't flame the greatest threat to human existence in this world?
If gas leaked and was ignited by flames, the fire would rush back into the gas pipes, and the entire building, the entire block would be blown up...
Angel wanted to draw her pistol and shoot down this gas lamp that could potentially burn down the entire building, but then she thought that gunpowder ignition and bullet discharge would create sparks. After hesitating for a long time, she still didn't dare to fire.
...
"Good morning, Miss Angel. I didn't expect you to return from Enmat Port so quickly. Why are you standing at the entrance without going in?"
Klein, who had stayed up too late last night and nearly arrived late, got off the public carriage and came to the entrance of Blackthorn Security Company. Just as he was about to go upstairs, he discovered Angel standing by the street, head down, pacing and unwilling to enter.
He quickly straightened his somewhat disheveled clothing from walking briskly and greeted her.
When the other party looked up at him, Klein was surprised to discover an emotion in her eyes.
Fear.
In the eyes of this "Assassin" who had excellent marksmanship, skilled close combat techniques, could calmly deal with mid-sequence Beyonders and save teammates, this was the most impossible emotion to appear.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Klein took two steps closer and asked.
"...Klein, are you afraid of fire?"
Angel's voice sounded particularly weak and pitiful, making Klein gasp.
"Which kind of fire do you mean? Forest fires that burn entire mountain ranges, the fire that burned half the dock district a few years ago, or..."
"No, just that kind of fire."
Klein followed her pointing finger and discovered she was referring to the gas lamp lit in the stairway.
"In broad daylight, why is someone still keeping the gas lamp on?"
He answered somewhat puzzled, thinking he should mention to Miss Rozanne later about saving gas - everyone's responsibility.
"Yeah, why would anyone dare to keep a gas lamp on? Aren't they afraid of blowing up Tingen City?"
Angel murmured, staggering and swaying as she moved a bit further from that gas lamp.
"Ah, what?"
Klein was completely confused. He felt like he and the other party were not on the same wavelength.
What exactly happened at Enmat Port? How did she become so strange after going there once?
Klein felt the weather seemed to have gotten hotter. He removed his hat and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Rozanne, please turn off all the lights in the reception hall."
Klein pushed the door open a crack and shouted to Rozanne, who was standing behind the reception desk organizing files.
"It's okay, I'm fine now."
Angel said courageously. She went around Klein, pushed open the door to the reception hall, and was about to step inside, but the foot she extended never came down. Her expression changed repeatedly, and finally she retreated outside the door.
"Better turn them off..." Klein looked at the puzzled Rozanne and added with a bitter smile.
"What's wrong with Angel?"
Although full of questions, Rozanne still obediently walked out from behind the reception desk, went around the reception hall and turned off several gas lamps. The reception hall, now lit only by sunlight from the windows, didn't become darker, but gained a tranquility different from usual.
"I'm not entirely sure either, but she seems to have developed some kind of photophobia."
After all the lights were turned off, Angel finally breathed a sigh of relief and entered the reception hall. As long as there was no firelight in her line of sight, her behavior was consistent with usual, finding a sofa to sit down steadily, her expression no longer panicked or fearful.
"Photophobia?" Rozanne also sat on the sofa and asked curiously, "But the street is sunny and bright. If she really feared light, how did she get to the company?"
"Sunlight probably doesn't count. What she fears is firelight, like gas lamps, or..." Klein looked around and found a kettle boiling water on a stove in the corner, so he pointed over there and continued, "...that kind of stove flame."
Following his indication, Angel's face, which had returned to normal, became pale again, and her body began to tremble.
"I'll turn it off right away! Turn it off..."
Rozanne leaped up from the sofa, rushed to the stove, extinguished the flame, and returned to beside the sofa holding the half-warm kettle.
"I'm truly very sorry. I'm not in good condition right now, but it'll be fine in a few more minutes."
Angel took a small brass pocket watch from her wrist, opened the cover to check the time. Klein curiously leaned over and discovered the pocket watch was actually counting down, with seemingly less than five minutes remaining before the hands returned to zero.
"Snap—"
She closed the cover, shut her eyes and leaned back against the sofa, seeming determined to wait here until her abnormal condition disappeared before doing anything else.
Although Rozanne looked bewildered and wanted to ask questions several times, she ultimately restrained her curiosity. She whispered to Klein: "Klein, the captain said when you arrive, go to his office. Angel too, but in her condition... you go first."
"Alright, I'll go right now. Please take good care of her."
Klein looked at Angel hesitantly before nodding, straightened his coat and hat, and walked toward Dunn's office.
...
"I'm really fine now, look."
Angel looked at Rozanne, who was following her with a worried expression, and with a "click" turned on the gas lamp switch on the wall, letting the flame gradually ignite and cast warm light around.
She had actually thought this small flame would burn down all of Tingen City just now?
Simply unbelievable. Is this the negative effect the "Magic Pocket Watch" brought me?
"Hmm, this way it does seem like you don't have the earlier symptoms..."
Rozanne's tone carried hesitation. Her gaze moved back and forth between the gas lamp and Angel, finally convincing herself and nodding, but then asked puzzledly:
"But weren't you fine just a few days ago? How did you suddenly become like this?"
"Just think of it as a negative effect brought by an extraordinary ability, like the captain's memory decline, like Leonard and the others not needing sleep."
Angel didn't know how to explain the negative effects of mystical items, so she could only brush it off.
"How is not needing sleep a negative effect? I also wish I had such an ability!" Rozanne, who had put the kettle on the stove and re-lit the flame, retorted, "If I could sleep only four hours a day, I wouldn't have dark circles from staying up late."
"The captain's dark circles haven't been small recently either. It seems the 'Sleepless' ability wouldn't satisfy you either."
Angel stared at the blazing gas flame for a few seconds, confirming she no longer feared firelight, before reassuringly returning to sit on the sofa.
Rozanne watched over her kettle, and after the water boiled, she brewed a pot of coffee and returned to the center of the reception hall, pouring a cup each for Angel and herself.
The aroma of coffee instantly filled the entire room.
Freed from the negative effects of the "Magic Pocket Watch," Angel became talkative again. Rozanne made exaggerated expressions mimicking her fear of firelight, making her laugh heartily and pretend to knock Rozanne's head.
"Ahem—"
A deliberate cough came from behind the partition, making both quickly resume proper sitting postures.
Klein waited for the two ladies to arrange their appearance before walking out from behind the partition, pretending to know nothing and asking: "Miss Angel, it looks like you've returned to normal?"
"Ahem, yes, thank you for your trouble earlier."
Angel quickly thanked Klein. If not for this considerate gentleman helping to turn off the gas lamp in the corridor, she would probably still be pacing downstairs, waiting for the negative effects to disappear.
"Serving beautiful ladies is a gentleman's duty." Klein exaggeratedly removed his hat and performed a gentleman's bow, making the two ladies present laugh, before resuming a serious tone and informing Angel to go to Dunn Smith's office.
"The captain is looking at telegrams from Enmat Port. It's probably a report about what happened to you there these past few days."
The two walked one after the other to Dunn's office door, with Klein quietly reminding her.
"Thank you, I'll be careful."
Angel nodded, preparing to knock.
"Oh, there's one more thing," Klein seemed to just remember he had something else to say, raising his hand to stop Angel from knocking, "Are you free next Monday afternoon? Around 3 o'clock, it's about what I mentioned to you before."
What was mentioned before... the "Moretti family relocation celebration dinner"?
Angel was somewhat puzzled. 3 PM was neither here nor there, suitable for neither lunch nor dinner. Could it be afternoon tea?
But since the other party had already extended an invitation, Angel was about to nod in agreement, but she suddenly remembered that Monday afternoons required attending the "Tarot Club." Although Mr. Fool had taught everyone ritual magic and allowed temporary leave, she didn't plan to be the first to "eat the crab."
"Sorry, I already have other commitments Monday afternoon and can't get away. Could it be arranged for the evening?"
She replied to Klein with an apologetic expression.
"As expected... It's fine, we can arrange another time then. The afternoon time slot is indeed not very suitable..." Klein seemed to have anticipated she wouldn't be free Monday afternoon, nodding knowingly: "I've delayed you a bit. You should go in and report to the captain first."
"Alright."
Angel knocked on the office door, and only after Dunn Smith invited her in did she push the door open and enter.
Just before the door closed, she glanced through the gap at Klein, seeing his profound gaze and expression hidden in the shadow of his hat, still standing outside the door, pondering something.
Hey, I originally wanted to cut two 3000-word chapters into three 2000-word chapters, but the chapter breaks turned out so well (not really) that I couldn't bear to cut them. So I'll post them together. There's another chapter in 1 minute.