Morning, St. Amanda School, Western Outskirts of Igwynt In the morning, the classrooms were bustling with teachers giving lessons, as it was class time. Outside the classrooms, however, the rest of the campus was quiet and empty. Inside the school library, sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating rows of bookshelves. A white-haired girl sat at a desk, flipping through a book in front of her with evident boredom, occasionally yawning. “Ugh… Taking all these days off really has its price,” Dorothy muttered to herself between yawns. Due to her involvement in the operation against the Crimson Eucharist, she had been taking frequent absences and had barely attended school lately. As a result, she had fallen behind in her studies and was now in the library trying to catch up on her own. For most people, self-study could be challenging. But for Dorothy, a Cognizer, it was incredibly easy to make up for lost lessons. However, the books she was reading, which contained almost no spiritual significance, felt unbearably dull to her. As expected… whether in my past life or this one, school is always boring. The main problem is that the material lacks spirituality, making it hard to stay motivated, she thought in disinterest. Deciding to take a break from her coursework, she reached for a few copies of the Igwynt Daily News on the desk, intending to catch up on current events—a way for her to learn more about this unfamiliar world. Dorothy began reading the news while mentally critiquing the content. “Jones Airship Company secures large government contracts: a sign of further development in the kingdom’s air transport industry? Or a prelude to the formation of the kingdom’s air force?” Airships, huh… Too bad I don’t have enough mechanical knowledge yet. Otherwise, designing an airplane and playing the part of the another world Wright brothers would be pretty cool, she mused. “Tensions rise in the New Continent: constant friction with the colonies of Falano. Violent incidents caused by native savages hit a record high. The government considers tougher suppression measures. Combined with the ongoing pirate threats, the shipping of goods from the New Continent is expected to face disruptions. Price increases for many commodities are inevitable.” Native uprisings? Colonial disputes? Pirates? Feels like this world’s technology is around the 19th century, but its political landscape still carries shades of the 17th or 18th centuries…, she skimmed past the domestic and global news, turning to local headlines. “Bloodbath! Gentleman from Purple Hill Town brutally murdered in his Igwynt residence! All servants in the household killed. Neighbors report hearing intense gunfire!” Oh, it’s already in the news, Dorothy thought, her eyes lighting up as she continued reading. “Mr. Burton Veil was known as a gentle and friendly man. The perpetrator of such a heinous crime is utterly depraved. Sheriff Jack urges citizens to stay cautious when traveling at night, as the suspect remains at large. Authorities vow to bring the criminal to justice.” Hah… A ‘gentle and friendly’ Mr. Burton, huh? And the police? As if this case is even within their jurisdiction… Dorothy scoffed before flipping to another local article. “Viscount Field criticizes Igwynt police once again, accusing them of ignoring the plight of the city’s impoverished lower classes.” “Viscount Field claims that many of Igwynt’s poor, particularly those living in solitude, are under threat from an unidentified criminal organization. Numerous individuals have gone missing, but since they have no family to report them, the authorities have allowed the crimes to fester unchecked. A known philanthropist, Viscount Field has devoted himself to improving the lives of the impoverished, often conducting charity work in the lower city. He has been well-loved since arriving in Igwynt six years ago.” Disappearing people? Criminal organizations? Could this be the work of the Crimson Eucharist? If so, the police wouldn’t be able to handle it anyway… And if those culprits really are part of the Eucharist, Viscount Field’s public statements might put him in serious danger, Dorothy pondered this as she stared at the newspaper. Just then, a familiar voice broke her train of thought. “Well, well, isn’t it Miss Mayschoss? What a rare sight—you actually came to school today.” Dorothy turned her head to see Aldrich, dressed in a janitor’s uniform, standing between the bookshelves. He was dusting the shelves with a feather duster. “Now that things are settled, I had to come back. I still need to attend school—I don’t want my report card at the end of the term to be filled with C’s and D’s, or my brother will be furious.” Dorothy replied, closing the newspaper and addressing Aldrich. “Thank you for helping me these past few days. If it weren’t for you, the teachers wouldn’t have approved so many days off.” “Helping you? Oh no, no… I was just doing as I was asked. Besides, I accepted your payment, so of course, I had to handle it properly. Isn’t that right, Miss Mayschoss?” Aldrich said with a grin. Dorothy couldn’t help but inwardly roll her eyes. ‘You’ve got some nerve to say that… My brother pays the school to let me study here, and you still charged me extra for taking leave. You even claimed, The tuition goes to the school board, not me, so I have to charge a small service fee for this favor.’ Luckily, Aldrich’s leave approval fee wasn’t too expensive—just a few coins. Still, Dorothy felt mildly annoyed by his habit of turning everything into a business deal. ’Does turning everything into a transaction increase his spirituality or something?’ After silently grumbling, Dorothy suddenly remembered something and asked, “By the way, Mr. Aldrich, do you know how to perform divination?” Her interest in divination had grown after encountering counter-divination techniques. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮 “Divination? I only know a little bit,” Aldrich replied. “If you’re interested, I can teach you some basic methods. Of course, you understand there’s a price…” As he spoke, Aldrich’s familiar sly smile appeared on his face. “Basic divination techniques aren’t too costly. I’ll give you a discount—just 40 pounds.” Hearing this, Dorothy’s face turned expressionless. Silently, she pulled a few bills from her wallet and handed them over, spending more than half of her current savings in one go.