Chapter 19: Women Writers and Tuition |
[You have encountered “Whispers.”]
Just a single glance at the exquisite snuff bottle had Shade captivated. Although he had seen more intricate items in his own world, he inexplicably felt a strong desire to possess this one. Fortunately, the woman’s voice pulled his thoughts back to the right track, and Dr. Schneider merely smiled at Shade's momentary lapse:
"Even Poet-grade 【Relics】 can affect ordinary people, which is why the Churches and Academies try their best to contain and control them. But you’ve recovered remarkably quickly... When I open it, you’ll fall into a dream that will last exactly 7 minutes and 23 seconds. In that dream, you’ll learn about the Academy’s past and present, which should help convince you of what I’ve been saying."
"Such a precise time?" Shade asked, then leaned back slightly against the sofa as directed by the doctor, adopting a relaxed posture for a short nap.
"Almost every Ring Warlock enrolled in St. Byrons’ correspondence program undergoes this verification process with this 【Relic】. It has been used countless times without fail," the doctor said with a smile.
That phrase, “without fail,” somehow made Shade uneasy, but he didn’t voice his concerns and simply signaled the doctor to proceed.
"Alright, get ready—"
The doctor stood up, covering his nose and mouth with a damp cloth to avoid falling asleep himself, and took a step back:
"Here we go."
He dreamed. In the dream, his soul left his body and ascended to a great height, where he overlooked a bustling Steam City shrouded in gray mist. He saw steam factories spewing thick smoke in the distance...
Then he flew north, crossing cities, mountains, plains, and forests, eventually arriving at snow-covered peaks. Behind the tallest mountain, he saw the vast northern ice cap.
Perhaps it was a moment, or perhaps hours or even days, but the northern skies dimmed. Beneath the shimmering northern lights, enormous architectural structures emerged from behind the glacial mountains.
It was a dream unlike any other. Upon waking, Shade only remembered wandering through the grand Academy, strolling within ancient castles, climbing spire rooftops to gaze at the stars, attending lectures in tiered classrooms filled with seats, searching for herbal recipes in the basement, and browsing the containment lists of 【Relics】 in the library.
Mysterious, ancient, profound, and secretive—this was St. Byrons Comprehensive College, but it was also a gathering place for Mystics. Behind the glaciers of the far north, it had stood from the distant past to the present day.
When Shade opened his eyes, his vision was still slightly blurred. Gradually, the image of the doctor came into focus, sitting on the opposite sofa. He was hurriedly sealing the lid of the snuff bottle and placing the Poet-grade 【Relic】 back into its box.
"So, now you know the Academy is real, don’t you?"
After securing the snuff bottle, the doctor asked with a smile. Shade sighed wistfully, already missing the peculiar dream.
"Yes, it’s real. What you said is true," he admitted.
Even though it had only been a dream, it was enough for Shade to make the right decision.
"The only side effect of this Poet-grade 【Relic】 is a slight addictive tendency," Dr. Schneider said gently. His tone carried a strange power, as if to pull Shade completely out of the dream world:
"Forget the dream, Shade Hamilton. But someday, as a Ring Warlock, you’ll join us on a journey by steam train to the far northern city, trek across the aurora-covered ice cap, huddle together during the long nights of blizzards, climb the tallest glacier, and finally enter St. Byrons Comprehensive College—the sanctuary for Ring Warlocks. My dream is to attain the tenth ring within the Academy and secure a lifelong teaching position there. Shade, if you liked what you saw, then join us."
The vivid yet surreal dream took Shade a moment to process. When the doctor formally asked for his decision again, Shade nodded without hesitation:
"Yes, I’d like to join the Academy and become a correspondence Ring Warlock."
Dr. Schneider smiled warmly, a smile that came straight from the heart:
"Then congratulations, Shade. Please allow me to address you this way—you are about to become the fifth Ring Warlock in our group. Wait a moment. Dorothy Louisa was here earlier; she’ll help me conduct your admission ceremony. I’ll introduce you to her and make it clear that I’m not always so unlucky. Admission ceremonies require at least two group members to be present to ensure new members aren’t misled."
Even though the doctor had been welcoming since visiting No. 6 St. Derain Square this morning, his enthusiasm seemed to grow even stronger:
"Oh, Dorothy is a fourth-year, four-ring correspondence Ring Warlock and a novelist by trade. I know you’ve just ‘awakened’ from your blind stupor, so you probably haven’t read her work, but she’s fairly well-known. Her short stories The Snail’s Dream and A Midsummer Night’s Wish won the Kingdom’s literary prize three years ago. She even attended a royal audience alongside 35 other winners."
"There’s no need to mention the exact number of winners from that year."
The door opened, and the golden-haired lady from earlier stood there. She was dressed the same but seemed slightly annoyed:
"Doctor, do you really have to share every trivial detail when introducing your friends?"
It seemed the correspondence Ring Warlock group had a good dynamic, at least as far as friendship went. This made Shade happy, though he also suspected the novelist might have been eavesdropping outside the door.
"Of course, no one can be entirely unguarded," he thought silently, preparing to greet her.
The doctor avoided answering her question, instead inviting Miss Louisa to sit:
"Detective Hamilton has accepted my invitation. We now have five Ring Warlocks in our group."
"Doctor, are you sure you didn’t use some luck-draining 【Relic】?" she teased but still walked in, extending her hand to Shade:
"Dorothy Louisa, novelist and part-time journalist."
Miss Louisa came across as efficient and capable. Shade stood and lightly shook her hand:
"Shade Hamilton, detective of sorts."
"That’s quite the profession," she remarked as they both sat down again. The doctor cleared his throat, signaling he had something to discuss:
"Shade, if I may address you this way, there’s one final matter before your official enrollment—we need to talk about tuition."
Shade froze, the harsh reality chasing away his fleeting joy. He blinked:
"Yes... tuition."
He realized the doctor hadn’t mentioned the Academy’s major drawback while introducing it. After all, True God Churches never charged for membership.
"The fees are calculated per year. Hold on a moment..." Dr. Schneider retrieved a document from a bookshelf behind his desk, while the golden-haired lady watched the exchange with interest but said nothing.
"Here’s the fee structure. Since we’re in correspondence, we don’t deal with the Academy directly, so they’ve created these documents to prevent group leaders from overcharging... Apparently, such incidents were common centuries ago."