Do ratmen dream of the sacred tree of spirits?

Chapter 100 Investigation and Discovery

"Damn it, what's going on!" Aldrich's spirituality became disordered, and Victor quickly used magic to pull the two spiritual beings out of the shallow spiritual realm.

"You were traveling too fast using the spirit world teleportation technique just now," Aldrich said, panting, his voice laced with barely suppressed anger.

"I can feel it," Victor said, his face also pale, his spiritual aura still fluctuating. "This isn't normal spiritual currents."

As dawn broke, the two landed on a barren field, their feet on withered yellow grass. Aldrich stumbled and staggered before regaining his footing. The spiritual light on his body flickered several times before settling back down.

"The spirit world has been disturbed," Victor said, looking around and recognizing that this place was not close to the territory of Lorraine. "Someone has set up a disturbance spell in the shallow spirit world, and the scale of the operation is not small."

Aldrich then truly realized the gravity of the situation. He narrowed his eyes, and silvery-white spiritual threads emerged from between his brows. His expression grew even more grim: "You're right, it's an interference spell, and a multi-layered one at that. It's been set up by at least several third-tier messengers. Where does your student live? We need to get there right away."

Fafnir, Sister Fanning, and Kingsley stood at the entrance to the alley where Irene's house was located, an alley even more dilapidated than the one near the poor Zian School.

"Her house is at the very end of the alley," Fafnir pointed in the direction.

Sister Fanning and Bishop Kingsley's shoes made a soft rustling sound on the cobblestones. The alley was short; they reached its end in less than thirty steps. Fafnir raised his hand and knocked on the door. After a moment, there was no response from inside.

"Eileen is doing better and may have already gone to school today. Her parents both work all day and won't be back until very late."

"Let's go straight in," Bishop Kingsley suggested. Although forcibly entering someone else's home was wrong, they couldn't waste any more time here. Bishop Kingsley pushed hard, and the dilapidated door was forced open. Sister Fanning went in first, her gaze sweeping over the room. There was only some old furniture, no wardrobe, and clothes piled messily on the bed. A damp and faint musty smell emanated from the room. Fafnir followed in and immediately activated his spiritual vision.

In the distance, a thin, grayish-white mist permeated the entire room, with a faint, almost imperceptible spiritual residue. Within this grayish-white mist, tiny black particles floated slowly, like dust.

"Kingsley," Sister Fanning said without turning her head, "come and take a look at this."

Kingsley stepped forward, silvery-white spiritual threads emerging from between his brows. He stood there for a moment, his brow furrowing.

“There are indeed remnants,” Bishop Kingsley said in a low voice. “They are faint, but they are definitely traces of spiritual pollution. The concentration is not high, but the distribution is very even, as if—as if someone deliberately spread them.”

Fafnir had a bad feeling: "Lord Demery—was this spread deliberately?"

“Yes,” Bishop Kingsley retracted the spiritual thread and turned around. “If it were naturally seeping spiritual pollution, the concentration should be uneven, concentrated near the source of pollution and diluted further away. But in this room, the concentration is almost the same in every corner.”

Sister Fanning paused for a few seconds: "This means the source of the pollution is not fixed, but rather it has been deliberately spread."

"Who would spread spiritual pollution in a place like this?" Fafnir asked.

"I don't know," Sister Fanning shook her head, "but what is certain is that Eileen was not infected by chance."

Bishop Kingsley walked to the door, then glanced back at the room: "This room can't be left here. It must be sealed off and left for church professionals to handle."

"I'll get someone to handle this immediately," Bishop Kingsley said. "Sister Fanning, you and the little one go back to school and see if any other students have similar symptoms. I'll have someone seal off this area."

"May I ask," Fafnir still had some doubts, "what substance caused the spiritual pollution, and where did the spiritual pollution originate?"

“This is not something we can find out,” Bishop Kingsley explained. “It requires the messengers to detect it in the shallow spirit world, which we cannot do. Young man, you and Senator Fanning should go back now.”

Sister Fanning nodded and beckoned to Fafnir, who followed her out of the alley and back into the carriage.

By the time the carriage returned to the East District School for Poor Children, it was already fully light. Students arrived at the school one after another. Fafnir stood at the school gate, watching each child walk in. As usual, there was nothing unusual.

Where is Eileen?

Fafnir stood at the school gate until the school bell rang, but still didn't see her. He had no choice but to ask Martha, "Eileen? She didn't go home yesterday; she's resting in the principal's office." Martha explained to her.

After Fafnir entered the classroom, Luca stood up and asked him, "Mr. Fafnir, why isn't Irene here today?"

"She's sick and is resting in the principal's office," Fafnir said briefly.

Luca said "Oh".

Fafnir seemed distracted all morning. During the break, Martha approached him again and asked in a low voice, "Fafnir, is there any new information about Irene?"

"Bishop Demery and Sister Fanning have sealed off her house and are still investigating," Fafner said, without elaborating further.

At noon, Fafnir was having lunch in his office when a young priest in a black robe stood at the door, wearing a silver tree emblem on his chest. He was from the city hall.

"Priest Fafnir?" the man asked.

"Hello, it's me."

"Bishop Leiden requests your presence at the City Hall, now."

"Okay, by the way, is there anything I can help you with?"

"I don't know, I'm just relaying messages." The man shook his head.

Fafnir immediately left his office. Bishop Kingsley's personal carriage was parked at the school gate. Kingsley sat in the carriage, looking rather unwell.

"Little one, get in the car," Kingsley said. "We'll go together."

The carriage headed toward the city hall. On the way, Kingsley whispered, "Bishop Leighton just lost his temper. I heard that the Eastern District has sent him a letter saying that two vice-judges from the Eastern District Joint Court are coming soon, but they didn't give him any advance notice."

After a pause, Kingsley said with a wry smile, "It is indeed a very bad practice to report to a higher level without proper authorization."

Fafnir listened quietly. “I’m worried,” Bishop Kingsley continued, “that the Leyton Cathedral will put the blame on you. You should keep quiet and let Sister Fanning and me handle it.”

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