New Gods of North America

Thanks to Mrs. Lauraire, who provided so many people to "practice" on,

Miss Aurelia has now become quite proficient in the use of extraordinary abilities.

Wayne doesn't know what kind of scenes and images she sees when she "touches" others, but it sounds like various "rooms" in their hearts—Wayne thinks "areas" would be a more accurate term, because it seems that some normal people's inner worlds are also very large, but at least the style is consistent.

However, the discipline involved in this extraordinary ability is quite suitable for this young lady; in Wayne's eyes, it is probably closer to courses like "psychoanalysis" and "art appreciation."

The different departments of the Church actually have different styles when dealing with different events.

For example, when the local church needs public help with some minor matters, it's basically "anyone who can come is welcome"; when the local exorcism department is friendly, it would probably be "it's best not to refuse without a good reason."

But when the exorcists of the cathedral are dealing with cases that may involve heresy, it's "your own thoughts may not be important."

So the secondary screening at the academy proceeded very quickly.

Although some people had not been "touched" by Miss Aurelia before, a preliminary analysis could roughly determine the degree of suspicion.

At this time, the person with the greatest suspicion is Wayne's acquaintance, the "dorm manager," McKen Reeves.

Although this guy still looks like he's been possessed by an "evil personality," seemingly unchanged, according to Miss Aurelia, the "house" in his heart has almost been expanded into a "castle."

Miss Aurelia's spiritual power was completely exhausted after investigating him, and when she woke up from her coma, it was said that she almost got completely "lost" inside and couldn't get out.

Wayne doesn't have a good impression of the current "McKen Reeves"; he just feels a bit sorry that a pretty good ordinary family kid might be ruined by that bad old man.

The detective agency may be able to protect others from attacks in the open and in the dark, but it's really a bit helpless in the face of something like Father Parish, who administers long-term medication and focuses on the mental level.

The exorcists from the cathedral also felt helpless in this regard.

The Church's "purification" may be able to wash away the influence of extraordinary powers, but it is more likely to "wash away" the lives of several suspected students at the same time, so it is still impossible to confirm the crime or obtain effective clues.

But no matter what,

given McKen Reeves' current state and his previous connection with Father Parish, Wayne thinks it should be right to temporarily list him as a key suspect.

Time had come to Sunday. When it was midnight, Tom Hagen suddenly called Wayne and said that the Bishop was summoning him and wanted him to take a trip to Richmond with him.

Wayne felt that the progress of the investigation was not bad, so he probably wouldn't be scolded, so he honestly followed along.

Bishop Corleone received Wayne and Tom in a reception room deep in the cathedral. There were quite a few people waiting in line in the waiting room.

This once again deepened Wayne's stereotype that "people in the Church don't need to sleep at night."

During the intervals between receptions, several monks from the cathedral would occasionally push in a small cart covered with a red cloth.

Actually, Wayne shouldn't have been able to see this scene, because those monks from the cathedral were using another door in the reception room,

but Tom Hagen took Wayne to "cut in line" here, and after waiting for a while, he saw these.

When Wayne walked into the reception room, he saw Bishop Corleone with a ruddy complexion, and the "snack tower" piled with pastries and snacks, exuding an attractive sweet smell, on the small table.

He felt that those monks might be helping to replenish food or clean up the cups, and the detective agency might be able to learn from it when receiving important people in the future.

Wayne was originally feeling good about the progress of the investigation,

but Bishop Corleone, sitting in the center of the long sofa, quickly raised his hand to interrupt Wayne's report. "Is this all you've investigated in the past few days?"

Bishop Corleone asked in a low and hoarse voice, while also turning his gaze to Tom Hagen.

The latter stood next to Wayne and nodded slightly.

Bishop Corleone's cheeks bulged slightly—Wayne thought the Bishop must have gritted his teeth—and then his gaze came over.

This reaction made Wayne feel uneasy, and he felt that the soft short sofa cushion felt a bit prickly on his butt at this moment.

Whether it should be considered a good thing or a bad thing, Bishop Corleone's attitude seemed quite amiable:

"Wayne, I asked you to investigate this matter. What do you think the focus of the investigation should be?"

Um...

Wayne quickly thought of a few legitimate reasons, "To deal with the heretics in the diocese as soon as possible and ensure stable public security?"

Bishop Corleone directly gave the answer:

"The focus is to quickly confirm who else is 'available'.

"When facing a fire, sometimes you need to put out the fire first, and sometimes you need to first identify who can help put out the fire together, but you should never rush to arrest the arsonist first."

This is a bit beyond the detective agency's capabilities...

Bishop Corleone seemed to understand this and breathed a slight sigh of relief, "Let's get straight to the conclusion. Father Parish may still be alive?"

Wayne tried to answer following Bishop Corleone's train of thought:

"It's possible. But the high-ranking clergy in Georgeberg have basically stated that they want to draw a clear line with the heretics. From the current situation, the remaining work is mainly to confirm identities and make arrests, and the situation will not continue to escalate.

"However, those few students who are currently suspected still need to be carefully investigated. It is also possible that we have not yet found Father Parish."

Bishop Corleone's breathing sounded a little heavy, but he seemed satisfied with this answer.

He nodded slightly, "I'll tell you a sentence. In some cases, speculation is fact. Life will not always give you the time and energy for detailed analysis."

Wayne nodded obediently, "I understand."

Tom Hagen then reported the situation of a team of exorcists who had sacrificed themselves. Wayne then learned that Mr. Wiseman had actually been attacked.

The exorcists compared the situation with what the detective agency had said during the meeting and preliminarily judged that the murderer should be the same one who killed the servants in the manor.

Bishop Corleone waved his hand, indicating that the investigators should handle this kind of thing themselves.

Then Bishop Corleone rang the bell on the small table, and the monks pushing the cart immediately entered the reception room,

and the two of them wisely took their leave.

Before Wayne walked out of the room, Bishop Corleone's hoarse voice added a sentence from behind:

"Wayne, I don't think you understand the current situation.

"After clarifying one's position, some 'wars' should be like this—no reconciliation, no negotiation, no hesitation, no turning back, regardless of the cost, unscrupulously, until one side completely falls before stopping."

Wayne didn't quite understand the meaning of this sentence for a while, but he had recently learned a set of practices from that bastard Liam,

so he replied decisively, "Yes!"