Even from half a room away, Shade could feel the danger emanating from the object in the hands of the sleeping young man. It felt as though that box belonged to another world, carrying an aura that could bring decay to all things. This was a Relic, and after seeing it this time, Shade was sure he would never mistake it again.
The doctor surveyed the room and continued speaking, "Relics can be tangible objects, events, or even just a piece of information, a single phrase. The True God Church classifies Relics into five levels, which the academy recognizes as well. They are as follows:
Poet Level (5): Information that can be sung by poets but is usually regarded as mere folk tales or legendary stories. The standard reference is the Manuscript of Poet Cohen.
Scholar Level (4): Requires detailed documentation and preservation of the information related to such Relics. The information can only exist on paper and should not be widely circulated. The standard reference is the Papers of the Unknown.
Keeper Level (3): Strictly trained Keepers guard the information of certain Relics. Under normal circumstances, these items must be contained and used with utmost caution. The standard reference is the Eye of the Keeper.
Sage Level (2): Only great sages can comprehend the information and containment conditions of such items. If any uncontained items are discovered, the academy and the True God Church must notify each other immediately as per their agreement. The standard reference is the Philosopher's Stone.
Angel Level (1): Extremely dangerous, the arrival of evil gods is controlled by Angel Level Relics, which are generally regarded as events of equal level. As a fifth-year correspondence student, I won't learn about the characteristics and containment methods of such items until the next year. The standard reference is the Heart of the Evil Angel."
"What are standard references?" Shade asked.
"Standard references are benchmarks used to classify Relics. Once the danger level exceeds that of the standard reference, it immediately escalates to the next level," the doctor explained.
Shade nodded, indicating his understanding. However, since even the highest Angel Level had a standard reference, it seemed to imply something...
He didn't voice his thoughts, knowing that Dr. Schneider likely wouldn't have an answer.
He whispered another question, his breath held so tightly that his voice came out muffled. "So what we're facing this time is..."
"A Poet Level (5) Relic. I've confirmed it; it's the Life Countdown Pocket Watch."
"Yes, the object in that box over there. I dare not touch it directly. This pocket watch allows the holder to rotate it within a certain range, giving flesh and blood. When pointed at any living being, the watch sets a countdown based on the angle it is oriented. The shorter the countdown, the more flesh is required. That's why Spiro Hamilton had such a long time."
The doctor instructed Shade to wait at the door as he stepped into the room, treading on the bloodied ground. He carefully retrieved the box containing the Relic. Once back by Shade's side, he opened it, advising Shade to concentrate and not let the Relic's power affect him.
As the box opened with a deliberate motion, a stronger wave of metallic odor surged forth. Inside was a container filled with blood.
After pouring the blood out, a silver pocket watch fell into Dr. Schneider's hands.
The doctor didn't open the watch cover, but Shade could see that both sides of the watch were engraved with a grotesque skull. Around the cover's edge, a circle of runes glimmered with words he had never seen before, yet Shade realized again that he could understand all the writings of this strange world:
[The price of life is the secret of flesh and blood.]
At that moment, he could taste the metallic tang in his mouth, as if he had just bitten into raw meat... Shade felt a wave of nausea wash over him, but fortunately, he hadn't had breakfast, so he couldn't retch anything substantial. The doctor quickly returned the watch to the box, placing it inside his briefcase.
"Is this what killed Detective Spiro?"
After a while, Shade finally murmured to himself. After all, the detective had pulled the original host from a life of homelessness and left behind his entire inheritance. He was glad to have the chance to take revenge for him.
"Yes, it's this. Those who are under the countdown know the limits of their lives but cannot reveal it to anyone, or they will die instantly. Although this Relic, born from the Fifth Epoch, is dangerous for ordinary people, the Circlet Mages have ways to negate its effects, so it's only classified as the lowest Poet Level."
"The countdown effect of life is constrained by various Miracles and Enlightenment factors, so its danger level is not high. It can only be considered an ordinary Poet Level Relic... It's unfortunate that Mr. Spiro Hamilton was just an ordinary person," Dr. Schneider said with a regretful shake of his head.
"In fact, I had been investigating this Relic for a few months now, so I was able to piece together your situation in just one night. Unfortunately, there were too many victims. While I managed to save a few, I ultimately failed to reach Detective Spiro Hamilton in time. He seemed to have passed away on the morning we met. It's truly a shame..."
The subsequent events were straightforward. The two of them searched the nearby rooms, with the psychologist using Circlet Mage techniques to dispel the illusions caused by the Poet Level Relic. They found all the remains of the corpses, confirming that they hadn't mistaken the killer.
After Shade refused to kill anyone, the doctor quickly dispatched Baide Morode in a dream, a process that took only a second in Shade's eyes.
Having completed these tasks, they left together. Earlier that morning, the doctor had sent an anonymous letter through special channels to the Tobesque City Police Department, specifically to the Valde precinct. Soon, the police would discover this place, drawing the attention of the True God Church.
"This area is under the jurisdiction of the Church of the Sun God, and they act quickly, so we need to leave soon."
As they boarded the carriage waiting for them, the doctor cracked a joke. However, Shade was not in the mood to chat. Although the foreigner had no ties here, witnessing such a bloody scene left him feeling uneasy.
This deepened his awareness of the cruelty and strangeness of this world.
They returned to the city together and stopped for a meal at a goose restaurant in the eastern district of Tobesque City. Naturally, the doctor was treating. However, Shade ate little, as the images from the second floor of the sanatorium would likely haunt him for a long time.
Afterward, they arrived at the doctor's psychological clinic located on Röntgen Avenue in the affluent eastern district of Tobesque City. While not as bustling as the city center of St. Delan Square, the neighborhood was beautiful.
Dr. Bill Schneider's clinic was flanked by an antique shop and a high-end tobacco store. The clinic spanned three floors: the first two floors were dedicated to consultations, while the third floor was where the doctor resided.
The clinic was spacious, and aside from Dr. Bill Schneider himself, there were five other doctors he had hired, along with receptionists, cleaners, and tea attendants, making it quite a formal establishment.
The doctor invited Shade to relax in his second-floor reception room, a treatment area typically reserved for important patients. After a servant brought in tea, the conversation continued.
The reception room felt more like a study, with arched walls lined with deep brown bookshelves filled with leather-bound books. A grand desk stood on a red carpet, and just the presence of a fountain pen on the desk hinted at the owner's wealth.
The combination of the sofa and coffee table wasn't as formal as that in a detective agency, but the homely tea set helped visiting guests relax and reveal their worries and secrets.
"How did this trip feel?" the doctor asked casually, reclining in the single leather sofa with his right hand resting on the armrest and fingers on his chin.
Shade sat on a fabric sofa, the kind typically used by Dr. Schneider's patients.
"I'm very grateful to you."
"For helping you resolve the lingering issues?"
"Yes," Shade replied, though his worries remained unresolved.
This trip was merely to avenge Detective Spiro, indicating that Spiro's death was due to the detective's commission and did not involve the task assigned to Shade. In other words, Shade still had no idea what secrets Spiro Hamilton held.
Current speculation suggested that Spiro Hamilton had an identity he could not reveal due to the unexpected events surrounding the detective case. However, that secret identity likely had nothing to do with the extraordinary, or else the detective would not have known about his impending death yet been powerless to save himself.
Of course, Shade saw no need to share this with Dr. Bill Schneider. Although the day's events had established a basic trust, Shade had yet to completely lower his guard.