Dr. Schneider paused to take a sip of his tea and then glanced at the cup, somewhat surprised.
"This tea is quite good."
"The Church and the Academy?" Shade wasn't interested in Schneider's opinion on tea, nor in who the former detective might have been. He was too busy trying to digest the flood of new information.
"Yes, the Church can also train Ring Warlocks. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, the formal channels for training Ring Warlocks are through the five Orthodox Churches and the three major Arcane Academies. The other groups—cults, secret societies, ancient organizations, and all sorts of odd factions—either don't train people properly or are riddled with dangers. That's why it's incredibly fortunate that your awakening happened during a time when you crossed paths with me... We're both lucky."
"The Church..." Shade trailed off. He was actually more intrigued by the Church, which had ties to the kingdom's official governance, than by an unknown academy. Dr. Schneider saw this and smiled, shaking his head in understanding before explaining further:
"The Academy and the Orthodox Church are not enemies. In fact, they occasionally cooperate. But the Church doesn't like Academy students—whether correspondence or full-time. They see us as... troublemakers, magnets for danger."
He raised an eyebrow, but seeing that Shade had no further questions, he continued.
"So, while correspondence students from the Academy aren't breaking the law by merely existing, we generally don't want the Church to know our identities or our presence. I understand that you might be more interested in the Church, but let me ask you this—"
Dr. Schneider's lips curved into a smile.
"The Church requires a completely clean background for its members. Even if you have a criminal record, they need a fully documented life story to ensure you're not a dangerous element. Could you provide that?"
Bill Schneider, a psychologist by trade, now seemed to be probing his patient like any other case.
"You've investigated me?" Shade blurted out, immediately regretting his words.
"Not investigating would've been more suspicious," he thought to himself.
"I only looked into the basics. After all, the Academy has to ensure that its candidates aren't dangerous. I couldn't just recommend someone without knowing who they are. But since this is just correspondence, do you know what I mean by that? The requirements aren't as strict as they are for the Church."
Dr. Schneider smiled at the young detective sitting across from him.
"The awakening of a Ring Warlock's talent can affect a person's mind, which is why you've changed from the old Shade to the Shade you are now. After investigating your background, I finally understood the fear and confusion in your eyes when I first saw you yesterday. For you, that moment of awakening was when you truly 'woke up,' wasn't it?"
He had clearly misunderstood why the previously "dim-witted" Shade had transformed into who he was now. But Shade didn't mind the misinterpretation, so he nodded along as if his thoughts had been laid bare.
"If I were to take this explanation and bring it to the Church...?" Shade began.
"You could, of course," Dr. Schneider replied, "but I'd prefer if you first understood more about the Academy and what being a 'Ring Warlock' truly means. Wouldn't it be better to make your decision after that? I trust you can see that I'm not a bad person."
Shade nodded again. The doctor's reasoning made sense. He responded solemnly, "Thank you, Dr. Schneider. I'm willing to learn more about all of this first."
Dr. Schneider glanced at his pocket watch.
"We don't have much time. The awakening period for your talent will last around 72 hours, although it can vary slightly depending on the individual. To prevent missing the window—"
"If I'm not guided during the awakening, what happens?" Shade asked, embarrassed to interrupt.
Dr. Schneider didn't seem to mind. He shook his head with a mild smile.
"Curiosity is a good thing—it shows that you're not rejecting the idea of Ring Warlocks or the mysteries involved. For someone who knows almost nothing about this world, that actually makes you easier to guide. Most people fear the supernatural and dread the unknown. You, on the other hand, haven't shown any signs of rejection—just curiosity. I'm glad to see that. As for your question... I don't have specific data on hand, but I can tell you this: if a Ring Warlock isn't properly guided during the talent's awakening period, there's a high chance they'll go mad. A smaller chance they'll have... a brain explosion. Yes, have you ever seen a hammer smash a watermelon? Pink and white bits flying everywhere?"
The doctor asked with a polite smile.
"No need to describe it further," Shade immediately said, feeling a little queasy in his stomach, which reminded him that he hadn't eaten breakfast. "That analogy is vivid enough. I can almost see the scene."
"Alright then," Dr. Schneider chuckled. "Of course, there's also a smaller chance that some strange things might happen... but we can discuss that later. For now, I want to give you a better understanding of what a Ring Warlock really is. Purely explaining it with words wouldn't be as effective, so come with me."
Dr. Schneider stood up.
"Where are we going? To St. Byrence Integrated Academy?" Shade raised the academy's enrollment brochure he was holding.
"Of course not. As correspondence students, we're only allowed to go there in our fifth year, and that's to the Academy hidden beneath the northern ice sheets of the Old Continent. The Academy's location is a secret, linked to some subspace entrances and non-human entities tied to our material world. Until then, we continue living our normal lives and study within our own surroundings. Remember, Mr. Hamilton, we're adults receiving correspondence education."
In other words, even if Shade joined the Academy, he wouldn't need to study at a secret place like "Hogwarts." This had its pros and cons, but at least it meant more freedom while acquiring power.
"Now, I'm going to take you to find the person who killed Sparrow Hamilton."
Dr. Schneider gestured for Shade to follow him.
"What?" Shade jumped up from his seat, taken by surprise.
"Yes," Dr. Schneider said. "I only discovered this when I investigated your background. Since you've been exposed to the supernatural and mysteries, why not take this chance to resolve it? I imagine you're concerned that the person who killed the original Sparrow Hamilton might come after you."
Shade had to admit, even though the previous detective had assured him there'd be no trouble, he still couldn't help worrying.
"But don't fret," the doctor added. "This isn't a complicated matter, and it seems that the perpetrator didn't bother to cover their tracks too carefully since Sparrow Hamilton was just a regular person. Now, come with me. I'd like to settle this before lunch. By the way, do you have a gun?"
"No," Shade shook his head.
"Then please stay behind me. I guarantee that as long as you're in my shadow, there'll be no danger today. After all, the other party isn't a Ring Warlock."
Sparrow Hamilton had said as much before his death.
"Ordinary people can't tell the difference and tend to assume that anyone capable of using supernatural powers must be a Ring Warlock. But for formally trained Ring Warlocks like us, it's easy to tell. That person doesn't have a Wheel of Fate, hasn't accumulated spirit, and can't feel the Four Elements: Miracle, Enlightenment, Blasphemy, or Whispers. He's just a regular guy who happened to stumble upon a Relic by luck..."
Dr. Schneider paused before correcting himself.
"No, not luck—misfortune."
"You just mentioned quite a few terms," Shade commented, even though he had already heard about the Four Elements and Relics. He figured it was better not to reveal that just yet.
"Don't worry, we can talk as we walk."
Being a detective was a dangerous profession, and from Dr. Schneider's investigation, it seemed the previous Sparrow Hamilton had met his end during one of his cases. To prevent Shade from investigating further, Sparrow had deleted all records related to that particular commission before his death, but Dr. Schneider's network of information had managed to restore the details of the incident.
"You found all this out in just one night?" Shade asked, still curious, but Dr. Schneider brushed off the question, promising to explain everything once the matter was resolved.
"We're here," the doctor said.
They had taken a carriage (paid for by the doctor) and departed from the square. After a nearly two-hour journey through the city, they arrived at the banks of the Osel River.
Tobesque, the northern capital, had an extensive river system. Inland shipping supported its booming steam industry and commercial trade. Several rivers flowed through the city, with the Osel River cutting through its northern districts. It was summer, and the river was in full spate.
They were now at the edge of the city. Dr. Schneider mentioned that the town hall had plans to build a new industrial zone here, using the river's transport routes to fuel Tobesque's future growth and connect it with the kingdom's northern industrial regions. The river would also supplement the kingdom's burgeoning steam locomotive railway network.
But for now, the area was largely undeveloped. After disembarking from the carriage, they looked around. In the mist, only the distant buildings of Tobesque were faintly visible.
"To avoid alerting him, we'll walk from here," Dr. Schneider said. "I noticed you're wearing sturdy boots suitable for long walks. Mr. Hamilton, you probably haven't had breakfast yet, but once this is over, I'll treat you to a meal."
With that, the doctor grabbed his briefcase, and he and Shade, who was clutching his notebook, walked off the road into the tall grass. Before long, they came across a small path.