Chapter 12: Enrollment |
Dr. Schneider paused mid-conversation to take a sip of his tea. After a moment, he glanced at the cup with some surprise.
“This tea is quite good.”
“The Church and the Academy?”
Shade wasn’t interested in Schneider’s opinions on tea or the character of the former detective. He was still digesting the new information.
“Yes, the Church can train Ring Warlocks. In fact, the formal channels for nurturing Ring Warlocks—at least from my perspective—are the Five True God Churches and the Three Grand Arcane Academies. Other options like the cults of evil gods, secret societies, ancient organizations, or various dubious groups are either unreliable or riddled with risks. It’s pure luck that you encountered me during your awakening—luck for both of us.”
“And the Church…”
Compared to unknown academies, Shade was more intrigued by the Church’s ability to collaborate with the Kingdom’s authorities. Schneider, recognizing this inclination, smiled understandingly and elaborated:
“The Academy and the True God Churches aren’t enemies; they even collaborate on occasion. However, the Church doesn’t like Academy students—whether they’re enrolled directly or through correspondence courses. They see us as… dangerous troublemakers who attract unnecessary problems.”
Raising an eyebrow slightly, Schneider noticed that Shade wasn’t asking questions, so he continued:
Schneider’s lips curled into a smile.
“Joining the Church requires a completely clean background. Even if you have a criminal record, your entire life must be traceable to ensure you’re not a threat. Can you meet these criteria?”
Schneider, being a psychologist, had a knack for analyzing his “patients.”
“You investigated me?” Shade blurted, immediately regretting it.
“Of course. Not investigating would be strange,” he thought to himself.
“I only looked into basic details. After all, the Academy needs to verify the identities of applicants. I couldn’t recommend someone dangerous to them. However, since this is just a correspondence course, you understand the leniency, don’t you?”
Schneider smiled at the young detective sitting across from him.
“The awakening of a Ring Warlock’s talents can affect the mind, which is why the original Shade has become the Shade you are now. Investigating your background helped me understand why, when I first saw you yesterday, you seemed so fearful and bewildered about the world. For you, the moment your talents awakened was the moment you truly ‘woke up,’ wasn’t it?”
He had misunderstood the reasons behind Shade’s transformation, but Shade found it convenient for him to think this way, so he nodded as if his thoughts had been laid bare.
“If I were to present this explanation to the Church…”
“Of course, you could. But I’d recommend learning more about the Academy and understanding what being a Ring Warlock entails before making a decision. Doesn’t that make more sense? I’m sure you’ll understand that I’m not a bad person.”
Schneider’s reasoning struck a chord with Shade, who nodded earnestly.
“Alright, thank you, Dr. Schneider. I’m willing to learn more about these matters first.”
Schneider checked his pocket watch briefly.
“We’re short on time. The awakening period typically lasts about 72 hours, with some variance between individuals. To ensure we don’t miss this window…”
“What happens if someone isn’t guided during their awakening as a Ring Warlock?” Shade interrupted, embarrassed.
“I’m curious about this.”
Unbothered, Schneider shrugged.
“Curiosity is a good sign—it means you’re not repelled by Ring Warlocks or the mystical. Your lack of fear and simple curiosity make you well-suited for guidance. Many people fear the supernatural and shun the unknown, but not you. I’m pleased about that. As for your question… I don’t have precise data, but I can tell you that most unguided awakenings lead to insanity, a few result in spontaneous cranial explosion—you know, like smashing a watermelon with a hammer, with pink and white flying everywhere.”
“No need to elaborate. That’s vivid enough; I can practically see it.” Shade waved off the grotesque imagery, his stomach queasy from skipping breakfast.
“Alright. There’s also a smaller chance of something unusual happening, but we’ll discuss that later. For now, let’s focus on understanding Ring Warlocks. Purely theoretical explanations aren’t enough—follow me.”
Schneider stood up.
“To where? St. Byrons Comprehensive College?” Shade waved the Academy’s enrollment documents.
“Of course not. Correspondence students like us can only visit the Academy after the fifth year. It’s located in the far north of the Old Continent, hidden beneath the polar ice caps. Its location is a secret, linked to material world subspaces and alien species. Until then, we continue our education while living our everyday lives. Remember, Mr. Hamilton, this is adult education—we’re correspondence students.”
This meant Shade wouldn’t need to live in a hidden “Hogwarts-like” location to study. It had its pros and cons but offered more freedom overall.
“Now, let’s go find the person who killed Sparrow Hamilton.”
“What?” Shade leaped to his feet, genuinely shocked.
“Yes, while investigating your identity, I came across this matter. Since the extraordinary and mysterious have already touched your life, why not use this opportunity to resolve it? You’re likely concerned whether the person who killed the original Hamilton detective might also target you.”
Shade couldn’t deny he still harbored such worries, despite Sparrow’s assurances.
“This won’t be a complicated task. It seems the culprit didn’t bother hiding their tracks, likely because Sparrow Hamilton was just an ordinary person. Let’s deal with this quickly—I’m confident we can wrap it up before lunch. Do you own a gun?”
“No,” Shade replied, shaking his head.
“Then stay behind me at all times. I promise that as long as you’re behind me, you won’t be in danger today. After all, the opponent isn’t a Ring Warlock.”
Sparrow had said as much before his death.
“To an untrained person, anyone using supernatural powers might seem like a Ring Warlock. But to us, it’s easy to distinguish. That individual lacks a Fate Ring, has no spiritual accumulation, and can’t grasp the Four Mystical Elements—Miracle, Enlightenment, Blasphemy, and Whisper. They’re just an unlucky person who happened to acquire a relic.”
After a brief pause, Schneider corrected himself.
“No, a foolishly unlucky person.”
“You mentioned a lot of terms just now,” Shade pointed out, even though he’d already heard of the Four Mystical Elements and relics. He saw no need to reveal that now.
“Not a problem—we can discuss them on the way.”
Detective work was inherently risky, and Schneider’s investigation revealed that Sparrow Hamilton had died due to an accident during a case. To prevent Shade from delving into the matter, Sparrow had erased all records of the incident before his death. However, Schneider’s network had fully reconstructed the event.
“You figured all this out in just one night?” Shade asked.
Schneider deflected, saying he’d explain everything after the matter was resolved.
“Here we are.”
After Schneider paid for a carriage ride from the square, they spent nearly two hours traversing the city and disembarked by the banks of the Oser River.
As the capital of the Northern Kingdom, Tobesk was crisscrossed by waterways, with its thriving steam industry and trade relying heavily on river transport. Among the city’s many rivers, the Oser flowed through its northern parts. It was the summer flood season, and the river ran fiercely.
They were now at the city’s edge, where the municipality planned to build a new industrial zone. The plan aimed to leverage the river for transportation, connect to the northern industrial districts, and supplement the Kingdom’s steam railway network.
For now, the area remained largely undeveloped. From their vantage point in the open countryside, they could only see Tobesk’s skyline through the summer mist.
“To avoid alarming him, we’ll start walking from here. I see your boots are suited for a long trek. Mr. Hamilton, you likely haven’t had breakfast yet—once we settle this, lunch is on me.”
Schneider picked up his briefcase and led Shade into the grass off the roadside. Before long, they came upon a narrow path.
Comments 1