Chapter Twelve: Enrollment
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In the pauses between his words, Doctor Schneider lifted his cup and took a sip of black tea. Then, somewhat unexpectedly, he glanced down into the cup.
“This black tea is excellent.”
“The Church and the Academy?”
Shade had no interest in the former detective’s opinion of black tea, nor in what kind of person the former detective truly was. He was busy digesting the information.
“Yes. The Church can train Ring Sorcerers as well. In fact, as far as I know, the legitimate channels for becoming a Ring Sorcerer are the five Orthodox Churches and the three great thaumaturgical academies. The other heretical churches, secret societies, ancient organizations, and assorted groups either use improper methods or are fraught with hidden dangers. So, the fact that you happened to meet me while your talent was awakening is extraordinarily fortunate... fortunate for both of us.”
“Then the Church...”
Compared with the academies, whose origins were unknown to him, Shade was more interested in the Church, which could cooperate with the official authorities of the kingdom. The doctor could see this thought plainly enough. He smiled and shook his head in understanding before explaining:
“The academies and the Orthodox Churches are not enemies. In fact, they occasionally cooperate. It is simply that the Churches do not like academy students. Whether they are correspondence students or full-time students, the Churches regard us as... dangerous machines for attracting trouble.”
He raised an eyebrow slightly. Seeing that Shade did not ask anything, he continued:
“So, our existence as correspondence students of the academies and Ring Sorcerers is not illegal. But ordinarily, we do not allow the Churches to learn our identities or even know that we exist. I know you may be interested in the Church, so answer my question—”
A smile curled at the corners of the doctor’s mouth.
“To take up a position within the Church, one must have an entirely clean background. Even if one has a criminal record and an unclean past, one must still be able to provide a complete account of one’s life, to prove that one is not a dangerous individual. Can you do that?”
Bill Schneider was a psychiatrist himself, and at that moment he sounded rather like a doctor consulting a patient.
“You investigated me?”
The words escaped Shade before he could stop them, and he immediately regretted saying them.
“Not investigating me would have been abnormal.”
That was what he thought to himself.
“I only investigated some basic information. After all, the academy must also establish an applicant’s identity before accepting him. I could hardly recommend a dangerous individual to the academy. But since we are correspondence students—you understand what that means, I assume—the requirements regarding identity are not as strict as those of the Church.”
Dr. Schneider smiled at the young detective sitting across from him.
“The awakening of a Ring Sorcerer’s talent can affect the mind. That is why the original Shade became the Shade you are now. After investigating your identity, I finally understood what lay behind the fear and bewilderment in your eyes when I met you yesterday. For you, the moment your talent awakened was when you truly ‘woke up,’ wasn’t it?”
He had evidently misunderstood the reason why the intellectually impaired Shade had become the Shade he was now. Shade was quite happy to let him keep that assumption, however, so he pretended that his innermost thoughts had been seen through and nodded.
“If I took this explanation to the Church...”
“That would certainly be possible. But I would prefer you to learn about the academy first, and to understand what a so-called ‘Ring Sorcerer’ really is. Wouldn’t it be better to make your decision after that? I believe you can understand that, at the very least, I am not a bad person.”
Dr. Schneider spoke, and Shade nodded again. The doctor’s words made sense. He answered solemnly:
“Then thank you, Doctor Schneider. I am willing to learn about these matters first.”
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The doctor took a pocket watch from his pocket and glanced at it.
“We do not have much time. The duration of a talent awakening is generally about seventy-two hours, though individual differences can cause some fluctuation. To prevent us from missing the window...”
“What happens if no one guides the awakening? What becomes of someone who fails to become a Ring Sorcerer?”
Shade interrupted him, a little apologetically.
“I was merely curious.”
The doctor shook his head indifferently.
“Curiosity is a good thing. It means you are not repelled by Ring Sorcerers or the occult.”
“Someone like you, who knows virtually nothing, is actually better suited to being guided. People fear the supernatural and dread the mysterious. You have shown no rejection at all, only curiosity. That makes me very pleased. As for your question... I do not have any precise figures. I can only tell you that if a Ring Sorcerer’s talent is not guided during its awakening, there is a high probability that the person will go mad, and a small probability that his head will explode. Yes, have you ever seen a watermelon smashed by a hammer? Pink and white flying everywhere.”
The doctor asked politely.
“No need to describe it. That comparison is far too vivid. I can practically see it already.”
Shade spoke at once, feeling slightly ill from having skipped breakfast.
“Very well. Of course, there is an even smaller chance that something strange will happen. We can discuss that later. In any case, the first thing is to let you learn about Ring Sorcerers. A simple explanation would not be very vivid, so come with me.”
The doctor rose to his feet.
“Where are we going? To St. Byrons Comprehensive Academy?”
Shade raised the academy’s recruitment documents in his hand.
“Of course not. Those of us who study by correspondence are not eligible to go to the academy, hidden beneath the polar ice cap in the far north of the Old Continent, until after our fifth year. The academy’s location is a secret, connected to certain subspaces attached to the material world and to various nonhuman races. Until then, we continue living our own lives and study within the sphere of those lives. Remember, Mr. Hamilton: we are receiving adult education. We are correspondence students of the academy.”
In other words, even if Shade joined the academy, he would not have to go study at some secret location like Hogwarts. That had its advantages and disadvantages, but at least it would grant him greater freedom while he acquired power.
“Now, I am going to take you to find the person who killed Sparrow Hamilton.”
The doctor gestured for him to follow.
“What?”
Shade sprang to his feet. This was something he had never expected.
“Yes. I discovered it while investigating your identity. Since you have already encountered supernatural and occult forces, why not take this opportunity to help you resolve the matter? You are probably also worried that the person who killed the original Detective Hamilton might somehow implicate you.”
It had to be admitted that even though the original detective had promised that Shade would not be involved, Shade was still worried.
“It is not a particularly troublesome matter. Since Sparrow Hamilton was merely an ordinary man, his killer seems not to have deliberately concealed the traces of the deed. Come with me now. I think we can settle this before lunch. By the way, do you have a pistol?”
The doctor asked another question.
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“No.”
Shade shook his head.
“Then do not stand in front of me. I guarantee that as long as you remain behind me, you will not be in any danger today. After all, the person we are facing is not a Ring Sorcerer.”
Before his death, Sparrow Hamilton had said that his opponent was one.
“Ordinary people cannot tell the difference. They easily regard anyone capable of wielding supernatural power as a Ring Sorcerer. But for a formally initiated Ring Sorcerer, the distinction is easy to make. That person does not possess a [Ring of Destiny], has accumulated no spirit, and cannot sense the four elements of [Miracle], [Illumination], [Blasphemy], and [Whisper]. He is merely a lucky man who happened to obtain a [Relic]...”
The doctor paused, then changed his wording.
“No—a very unlucky man.”
“You seem to have mentioned quite a few terms just now.”
Shade spoke casually. He had already heard of the four elements and [Relics], but there was no need to reveal that at this point.
“It does not matter. We can talk while we walk.”
The profession of detective was highly dangerous. According to the doctor’s investigation, the previous detective, Sparrow Hamilton, had met with an accident during one of his cases.
Perhaps to prevent Shade from investigating the matter, Sparrow Hamilton had deleted all records of that assignment before his death. But the doctor’s intelligence network had reconstructed the entire incident.
“Come to think of it, you investigated the whole matter in a single night?”
Shade did not forget to ask. The doctor gave him a vague reply, saying that he would tell him after the matter had been resolved.
“This is the place.”
The two of them took a carriage—the doctor paid—and set out from the square. After a journey of nearly two hours, they crossed the city and got off beside the embankment of the Ossel River.
As the capital of the northern kingdom, the city of Tobesk possessed an extensive waterway network. Its inland shipping sustained the prosperity of its steam industry and commercial trade.
Several rivers ran through the city of Tobesk, among them the Ossel River, which flowed through the northern part of the city. It was summer, the season when the rivers were at their fullest, and the current rushed turbulently onward.
They were already nearing the outskirts of the city. The doctor said that the municipal government planned to establish a new industrial district nearby, making use of the Ossel River’s transportation routes to seek new opportunities for Tobesk’s development. It would also connect the city with the industrial regions in the north of the kingdom and serve as a supplement to the kingdom’s railway network for steam locomotives.
For the moment, however, the area was still covered by vast stretches of wasteland. After getting down from the carriage, they looked around. Through the hazy mist, only the distant cluster of buildings that formed Tobesk could be seen.
“To avoid disturbing him, we will start walking from here. I noticed that your boots are well suited to long journeys. Mr. Hamilton, you probably have not eaten breakfast yet. Once we have settled this matter, I will buy you a meal.”
The doctor spoke as he carried his briefcase. Together with Shade, who held his notebook under one arm, he walked into the grass beside the road. Before long, the two of them came upon a narrow path.
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