Chapter 12: Enrollment

Between breaths, Dr. Schneider picked up his black tea and took a sip, then looked into the teacup with a hint of surprise

"This black tea is quite excellent."

"The Church and the Academy?"

Shade had no interest in the former detective's palate for tea, nor in what kind of person the man actually was; he was busy digesting the information.

"Yes, the Church can also train Circle Practitioners. In fact, the formal channels for training Circle Practitioners—at least in my view—are the five orthodox churches and the three great arcane academies. Other cults of evil gods, secret societies, ancient organizations, and various miscellaneous groups use methods that are either irregular or fraught with hidden dangers. Therefore, the fact that you happened to run into me during your talent awakening period is truly a stroke of luck—for both of us."

"Then the Church..."

Compared to the Academy, whose origins were unknown, Shade was actually more interested in the Church, given its ability to cooperate with the Kingdom's official authorities. The doctor could see this line of thought; he shook his head with a smile of understanding and explained

"The Academies and the orthodox churches are not in an adversarial relationship; they even cooperate occasionally. It's just that the Church dislikes Academy students, whether they are correspondence students or full-time ones. They view us as dangerous trouble-magnets."

He raised an eyebrow slightly, and seeing that Shade did not ask further, he continued

"So, while the existence of us correspondence-based Academy-style Circle Practitioners is not illegal, we generally do not let the Church know our identity or existence. I know you might be interested in the Church, so please answer my question—"

A smile curled at the corner of the doctor's mouth

"Joining the Church requires a completely clean background. Even if one has a criminal record, a complete life trajectory is required to ensure they are not a dangerous element. Can you provide that?"

Bill Schneider was a psychiatrist himself; at this moment, he seemed more like a doctor consulting a patient about their condition.

"You investigated me?"

The words escaped Shade's lips before he could stop them, but he immediately regretted it.

*It wouldn't be normal if you hadn't,* he thought to himself.

"I only investigated some basic information. After all, when an Academy recruits, they need to verify the identity of the applicant; I cannot recommend a dangerous element to the Academy. But because we are merely correspondence students—do you understand the meaning of 'correspondence'?—the requirements for identity are not as strict as those of the Church."

Dr. Schneider looked at the young detective sitting opposite him with a smile

"The awakening of a Circle Practitioner can affect one's psyche, which is why you changed from the original Shade into the current Shade. Having investigated your identity, I finally understood what that look of fear and bewilderment toward the world in your eyes meant when I saw you yesterday. For you, the moment your talent awakened was likely your true 'awakening,' wasn't it?"

He had likely misunderstood the reason for Shade's change in intelligence, but Shade was happy to let him believe that. He nodded, feigning the look of someone whose thoughts had been seen through

"If I were to take this explanation to the Church..."

"You certainly could, but I would prefer you first learn about the Academy and understand what a 'Circle Practitioner' actually is. Wouldn't it be better to make a decision after doing so? I believe you can understand that, at the very least, I am not a bad man," Dr. Schneider said.

Shade nodded again; the doctor made sense. He replied solemnly

"Very well. Thank you, Dr. Schneider. I am willing to learn about these things first."

The doctor pulled a pocket watch from his pocket and glanced at it

"We don't have much time. The duration of a talent awakening is usually around 72 hours, though it fluctuates due to individual differences. To prevent missing the window..."

"What happens if one is not guided during the awakening period?" Shade interrupted apologetically. "I'm somewhat curious."

The doctor shook his head nonchalantly

"Curiosity is a good thing; it shows you don't reject Circle Practitioners or mysticism. Someone like you, who knows almost nothing, is actually better suited for guidance. People fear the transcendent and dread the mysterious, but you have shown no rejection, only curiosity. I am very pleased with that. As for your question... I don't have specific data, but I can tell you that if a Circle Practitioner is not guided during their talent awakening, they will most likely go mad, or in rare cases, their head will explode. Yes, have you ever seen the image of a hammer smashing a watermelon? Pink and white spraying everywhere."

The doctor asked politely.

"No need to describe it. That metaphor is too vivid; I can almost see the image," Shade said immediately, feeling a slight discomfort in his stomach as if he hadn't eaten breakfast.

"Very well. Of course, there is an even smaller chance of something peculiar happening, but we can discuss that later. In short, let me first introduce you to the concept of a Circle Practitioner. A mere lecture isn't very vivid, so please follow me."

The doctor stood up.

"Where are we going? To the St. Byrons Comprehensive Academy?" Shade brandished the Academy recruitment document in his hand.

"Of course not. We correspondence students are only eligible to go to the Academy—which is hidden beneath the northern ice caps of the Old Continent—after our fifth year. The Academy's address is a secret, linked to certain sub-space entrances attached to the material world and various alien species. Until then, we continue our lives and study within our own spheres. 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 wouldn't need to travel to a secret location like "Hogwarts" to study. This had its pros and cons, but at least it offered more freedom while acquiring power.

"Now, I am going to take you to find the person who killed Spylo Hamilton." The doctor made an inviting gesture.

"What?" Shade stood up abruptly; this was something he hadn't expected.

"Yes, I discovered this while investigating your identity. Since you have already encountered the transcendent and the mysterious, why not take this opportunity to help you resolve this issue? You are probably worried about whether the person who killed the original Detective Hamilton might implicate you."

Shade had to admit that even though the previous detective had promised not to implicate him, he was still worried.

"It isn't a very troublesome matter, and the opponent didn't seem to go out of their way to hide their tracks, likely because Spylo Hamilton was just an ordinary person. Now, follow me. I believe we can resolve this before lunch. By the way, do you have a pistol?" the doctor asked.

"No," Shade shook his head.

"Then please do not stand in front of me. I guarantee that as long as you stay behind me, there will be no danger today. After all, the person on the other side is not a Circle Practitioner."

Spylo Hamilton had said before his death that the opponent was.

"Ordinary people cannot tell the difference; they easily mistake anyone capable of using transcendent powers for a Circle Practitioner. But for a formally initiated Circle Practitioner, it is easy to distinguish. After all, that person lacks the [Wheel of Fate], has no accumulated Spirit, and cannot sense the four elements of [Miracle], [Enlightenment], [Profanity], and [Whisper]. They are merely a lucky..." The doctor paused, then corrected himself, "...no, an unlucky fellow."

"You mentioned a lot of terms just now," Shade said. In truth, he had already heard of the four elements and [Relics], but there was no need to show it now.

"It's fine, we can talk as we walk."

The profession of a detective was highly dangerous. According to the doctor's investigation, the former detective, Spylo Hamilton, had met with an accident during a certain investigation. Likely to prevent Shade from investigating, Spylo Hamilton had deleted all records of that commission before his death, but the doctor's intelligence network had fully reconstructed the event.

"Speaking of which, you investigated the whole thing in just one night?" Shade didn't forget to ask, but the doctor gave a vague non-answer, saying he would tell him once the matter was resolved.

"It's here."

The two took a carriage (paid for by the doctor) from the plaza. After a journey of nearly two hours, they crossed the city and disembarked on the embankment by the Osel River.

As the capital of the Northern Kingdom, Tobesk City had a well-developed water system, with inland river shipping supporting its prosperous steam industry and commercial trade. Several rivers flowed through the urban area of Tobesk, with the Osel River flowing through the northern part of the city. It was currently the summer flood season, and the river was surging.

This area was nearing the edge of the city. The doctor mentioned that the City Hall planned to establish a new industrial zone nearby, utilizing the Osel River's waterway for transportation to find new development opportunities for Tobesk, connecting it to the industrial zones of the northern kingdom and serving as a supplement to the kingdom's steam locomotive railway network.

But for now, at least, there were vast stretches of wasteland nearby. Looking around after getting off the carriage, only the distant clusters of buildings in Tobesk City could be seen through the hazy mist.

"To avoid startling him, we will walk from here. I noticed your boots are quite suitable for long distances. Mr. Hamilton, you probably haven't had breakfast yet; once this is settled, lunch is on me," the doctor said, picking up his briefcase and walking into the grass beside the main road with Shade, who was clutching his notebook. Before long, the two spotted a small path.

(End of Chapter)