Fenkes! The kind, friendly, responsible prison doctor was the new leader of the Hatch Heresy?
Was Fenkes the secret agent of the heresy planted in the prison by Gilfren Hatch?
Or had Fenkes joined the heresy and eventually become the new leader?
The questions lingered in Kieran’s mind for a while.
On top of that, the Dark Star Society and Night Demon Society were also eyeing the bronze coffin in Alcatraz.
Kieran was up all night trying to figure out the relations.h.i.+p between all the parties involved.
He wanted to know what had happened to Fenkes, since he had still been on the island when Kieran had left.
According to Nikorei, Alcatraz Island had been taken over by the Dark Star Society, who had turned the island into its own headquarters. No outsiders could set foot on it anymore.
On the other side, the Night Demon Society was also investigating the incident on the island, and judging by its ruthless methods, it had to be even more dangerous.
Fenkes must have joined the Hatch Heresy to keep himself safe from both organizations, although this was just a speculation.
Kieran could not come up with any more theories without any further information.
"I need more information on this!" he said softly.
He had a general idea of where he could get more information about the incident.
In the dungeon, Kieran had no factions or authority whatsoever, so getting his hands on secret information would be harder than flying.
He might be able to get Nikorei to help him search, but he knew that would come at a price. After all, one could not make an omelette without breaking any eggs.
A favor from Nikorei might be hard for Kieran to repay though.
Therefore, rather than searching blindly, why not let the Hatch heretics approach him instead?
All Kieran had to do was leave an obvious trail and spread the word about avenging Gilfren Hatch, and the heretics would turn up themselves.
Then the truth would finally be revealed. There were still some things he needed to consider in order for his plan to succeed though.
In the morning, when Ferad the spirit butler came to notify him that breakfast was ready, Kieran got dressed and headed down to the kitchen.
He needed to discuss the matter with Nikorei. It could cause her trouble in the future after all.
…..
As the warm sun shone through the window, Nikorei sat in the kitchen in casual clothes, gently stirring her bowl of cereal. Beside Nikorei was her cat, Tiki.
Kieran had never seen a cat eat fruit salad for breakfast, nor a spirit ignore the sunlight like Ferad was.
Not only did Ferad not seem hurt, but he was also smiling pleasantly at Kieran.
"Morning, 2567! Tiki here is different from your average cat, and the same goes for Ferad!" Nikorei said with a smile.
"Morning, Rei!" Kieran replied to her greeting.
The shaman had asked everyone to address her by her short name.
Breakfast started when Elli finally arrived, sitting down at the table with a big yawn.
Since Raul was still injured, Cidney came down to greet everyone and take some breakfast up to his lover.
The meal was quite sumptuous. There were eggs, bacon, and sausages, and a big jug of milk and a bowl full of fruit salad to balance their vitamin intake. There was also toasted bread, with b.u.t.ter and honey to go with it.
Elli took a piece of toast and smeared it with honey and b.u.t.ter. The little girl still looked like she was dreaming.
It seemed like she had been too excited to sleep well the previous night.
Kieran didn’t like speaking with his mouth full, so even though he had a lot of things to discuss with the shaman, he decided to wait until breakfast was over.
The old lady was obviously thinking about something as well.
They all finished their breakfast quickly in silence.
"So what are we learning today, Rei?"
Elli, who had still been in a sleepy daze a moment ago, was suddenly filled with excitement.
"From today on, I will need you to study by yourself. You were able to read the runes on my invitation, so you have to be able to read and memorize the information and incantations in this book. If I’m happy with you, I will teach you more after you finish this!"
As Nikorei spoke, she picked up a big notebook and pa.s.sed it to Elli.
The notebook was tagged with all sorts of bookmarks, and it was over 10 centimeters thick. It looked as big as a small s.h.i.+eld.
"You want me to read and memorize everything in this?" Elli asked, her jaw dropping as she picked up the heavy book.
"Yes! I’ll give you enough time to study, but I would suggest that you start as soon as possible," Nikorei said with a smile.
The naive little girl stared at Nikorei for a while before looking at the notebook in her hands. Eventually, she carried the huge notebook up to her room.
Kieran could tell by the thickness of the notebook that if Elli were to listen to Nikorei, she would not come out of her room in the foreseeable future.
Kieran gave the little girl a sympathetic look as she walked up to the second floor. Then he turned his attention back to Nikorei.
"Your issue is quite serious, so I have to go visit an old friend of mine for a couple of days. While I’m gone, you will have to handle my daily shaman duties. In exchange for that, all the books in my study will be available to you. I believe they can be quite helpful sometimes. As for teaching you more about the mystical arts, I’m afraid that will have to wait until I come back. Don’t worry, a promise is a promise, and I intend to keep mine!" Nikorei told Kieran before he could even open his mouth.
"Very well!" Kieran agreed without a second thought.
Not only had he just gained access to all the books in Nikorei’s study, but he had also triggered a Sub Mission.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: The Shaman’s Daily Routine]
[Sub Mission: You have already become Nikorei’s a.s.sistant, but now she needs you to help her fulfill her duties as a shaman and solve problems as only a shaman can. Go find cases to solve! It will not just improve your reputation, but your relations.h.i.+p with Nikorei as well!]
The Sub Mission’s objective fit Kieran’s goals perfectly.
Being a subst.i.tute shaman for Nikorei was the proper course for his plans, although there were still some things that he needed to mention.
"The Hatch Heresy is still looking for me…"
"Don’t worry. Remember, you are now a shaman’s a.s.sistant. Go teach them a lesson!"
The old lady cut Kieran off, waving her hands in a casual manner.
Before she left with Tiki, she looked at Kieran in antic.i.p.ation. Eventually, she was sent out 1st Black Street by Ferad.
"So she’s hoping for me to turn the place around?"
Kieran was still lost in his thoughts when the old lady’s figure disappeared from sight.
Her att.i.tude towards trouble was strange. After all, not everyone was overly fond of getting into trouble.
Unless she needed the trouble.
What kind of person would be in need of extra trouble though?
As Kieran started guessing, a guest related to Nikorei’s daily duties arrived at the house.
Before Kieran could come up with a theory, he looked at the guest.
It was a policeman.
Kieran could tell that the middle-aged man was a policeman by the two gun-like shapes under his coat, the way he walked, and the fact he had a similar presence to Chief Officer John from the [Great Failed Detective] dungeon.
"Where’s Madam Nikorei? I need her help!"
The policeman was looking at Kieran with a doubtful expression.
Kieran replied by lifting the edge of his mouth in a warm, pleasant smile.