Kenji would be the first to admit that he wasn't an upstanding citizen. Throughout his work with Corswain, he had trespassed on private property and damaged both public and private property for the sake of his job. But standing in front of Room 213, Kenji felt a cold sweat bead down the side of his head.
'Am I really going to break into this guy's room?'
The red-eyed boy's gaze lingered for a moment. He looked down at the rustic iron knob. How easy would it be to destroy? But he didn't want to leave a lick of evidence if he decided to go down this route. He clicked his tongue. The smart thing to do would be to contact Shō, tell him about the door, and then plan.
Except...
'I'm not a damned kid, anymore.' Kenji hissed, 'If I don't do this myself, how would he ever take me seriously?'
The continuous patronizing already warped his mind. Kenji felt useless, worse than that, a burden that couldn't even be of proper help. He felt his teeth grit together, strong enough for him to taste iron. He'd prove to Shō that he wasn't just some errand boy, that he could be relied on.
His features were wretched, scowling in defiance, foolishly rebellious. Kenji was about to force his way in when a thought came to mind.
'Wait, be smart about this.' He snapped at himself. 'What if Remus Hague is in there?'
Their rooms were right next to each other.
Instead of barging in, Kenji had an idea. He raised a fist and knocked on the door. Once, twice, and thrice in quick succession. He stepped back, waiting to see if anyone would come over. A few seconds passed, then a minute...
By the time two minutes rolled by, Kenji assumed that there was no one here. He looked to the left, then to the right, to see if anyone was there. He moved his hands over and tried to use subjective law.
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[ Subjective Law: All locks touched by your hands will be undone. ]
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He reached out, taking the handle before...
Click.
It unlocked, but he hadn't touched the handle yet. Quickly, he moved it back. Just in time, as the door swivelled open to reveal a man in a dress shirt and slacks. His brown hair was neatly tied into a bun, and a goatee lightly furred his face.
Kenji took a step back, snapping his hands where he couldn't see, quickly dissipating his [Subjective Law]. He felt his muscles tense, and his face must've looked quite panicked.
'Calm down, Calm down!' He hissed to himself internally. 'You're just here to greet your new neighbor!'
The man's amber eyes stared into Kenji, then a soft smile formed on his face. His white-teeth showed themselves, clear and pearly.
"Hello, young man." In a suave voice, the preacher called out. "Are you a part of my new congregation?"
Kenji blinked, congregation? What the hell was that?
"Uhm— no, not at all!" Kenji began, forcing an awkward smile. He used the confusion to mask his anxiety. "I'm your new neighbor, just thought I'd say hi."
Kenji gestured to the neighboring room, 212.
"We're staying here for a few days to look around, so— uh..." He nervously said. The young preacher stared for a moment, and Kenji was afraid that he'd blown his cover. He nearly reached out to conjure his [Endless Chains], but he held himself back.
The man then nodded, complete understanding in his gaze.
"Ah, is that so? Well, mighty kind of you, good sir." The man said with a small laugh. "Tourists, then. I wouldn't say it's wise to be here, given the plague, but I suppose I'm much the same as you. Although my purpose here is a little different."
He spoke softly, gently, like a father he never had. Kenji blinked for a moment, stopping himself just before his mind eased.
'Stop it, Ken.' He snapped at himself. 'He could be dangerous.'
From what he recalled, Remus Hague was a member of the Constantine Order.
He researched the organization before he came here. Apparently, it was based in the Vatican. Ran privately by a wealthy magnate named Adrian Morrigan and sponsored directly by the Vatican's own cardinals. They were missionaries, going into some of the most dangerous warzones and irreputable places to preach the Holy Word.
They raised funds, established contact with multiple groups and ethnicities, and supported schools and welfare programs. Their biggest operations regarded the orphans; they took them in, and families sponsored by the Order adopted a few lucky souls.
On the surface, they all seemed like decent folks.
But no one has heard of what happened to those orphans, or why they were taken in. Rumors were bound, but no matter how many times they were investigated, nothing came of them.
'It's suspicious.' Kenji noted. 'They're abducting orphans under the guise of adoption, but for what?'
"Is that so?" Kenji finally said, nodding his way. "I'm a little curious, why are you here, then?"
Perhaps he shouldn't have asked that so frankly. Remus Hague's amber eyes stared into him for a moment, then a soft, solemn sigh escaped him. A hand moved to the door, and he leaned onto it for a moment.
"Well, to put a long story relatively short." He cleared his throat.
"I was sent here to offer relief, aid, to deliver funds to grieving families, and to offer medical supplies. I'm a preacher, you see. I've come here to preach the Holy Word in a time of need. Unfortunately, the only church in town is in a state of disrepair. Quite unfortunate, but my faith cannot be bogged down by a lack of a holy place. As such, I've come to gather a congregation in Saint Hathaway's multi-purpose hall.
"Ah," Kenji said, "is that so?"
'He really likes the sound of his voice, huh?' Kenji couldn't help but notice.
Remus Hague nodded.
"Sorry, I must've been rambling. Today has been quite a hassle for all of us, you see. And... judging by how you look, I can't help but notice a strain on you as well, young man. Are you having a rough day?"
Kenji stared for a moment, his blood froze. 'Am I that obvious?'
"What do you mean?" Kenji prodded.
The man's smile loosened for a bit, a strange glint in his eyes. He looked at Kenji, into his soul, his amber eyes seemed to pierce into his own. Kenji was frozen in place for a small moment; his gaze lingered, but he froze nonetheless.
"You seem stressed." Remus Hague intoned. "As if something's ailing your mind... could it be envy? Rage? Or perhaps..."
He turned, staring into his eyes.
"A feeling of utter uselessness?"
Kenji's eyes snapped open. How did he know? Did he give that much away? He nearly activated his orange eye to see if there was anything anomalous driving the man, but doing so would risk discovery.
"H-How did you—"
The man let out a small chuckle. "Mere guess, dear boy. I've been blessed on this day, I suppose. Even still, I can tell it ails you quite clearly, dear boy."
Remus Hague regarded him for a moment, then nodded his way as if an idea popped into his mind.
"Come to my congregation tomorrow, at around four in the afternoon. You and the rest of the townsfolk are in need, and my Lord has sent me to be his instrument to your salvation."
'He has a way with words, huh?'
"I'll... check it out, if ever." He said, nodding his way.
Remus Hague nodded, then he blinked. "Ah, where are my manners?" He held out his hand. "I am Hague, Remus Hague."
Kenji stared for a moment, wondering if he should shake the man's hand. Secretly, he activated [Subjective Law] around his hands.
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[ Subjective Law: Information regarding subject: [Remus Hague] will imprint into your mind once physical contact is established. ]
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The red-eyed voidborn reached out, touching the man before...
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[ Error! Error! Error! ]
[ Local Influence Resisting Information Extraction ]
[ Adapting... ]
[ Obtained Minor Information ]
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'What!?' Kenji's eye snapped open, as if a jolt of electricity took him in.
If Remus Hague was responsible for whatever happened, he didn't show it. Instead, his brow shot up the moment Kenji's eyes snapped open.
"Is something the matter?" He asked, his voice tinged with concern.
Whether it was genuine or not, Kenji couldn't tell. He sheepishly let go of Remus' hand, then let out an awkward laugh.
"Static shock, I must've accumulated it a bit." He said, scratching the back of his head. Remus blinked, then chuckled.
"Ah, is that so? Careful with the carpets then, dear boy." He smiled Kenji's way, and the boy couldn't tell whether or not it was real.
His mind wracked for a moment, and he couldn't stay here lest he expose himself.
"Y-Yeah, I will... I think I should go now. I still need to unpack. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Hague." He turned and tried to leave, walking to his room. But before he could—
"Wait." The man's voice was sharp, cutting. It froze him in place, and Kenji couldn't help but sweat.
"Yes?" Kenji asked, trying his damnedest not to panic.
"..." The man stared for a moment, then a smile formed on his face. "You haven't said your name yet, dear boy!"
"O-Oh..." Kenji turned his way and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, sorry. I'm..."
He paused for a moment, thinking of what name to use.
"Kyosuke." He decided, "Kyosuke Shosai."
It was a made-up name; he wouldn't dare give his real name to a target. He had to think hard for the former, but for some reason, the latter name came naturally to him.
"Kyosuke Shosai..." Remus familiarized himself. "Very well then, it was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Shosai."
"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Hague."
Kenji smiled back, but turned away before it grew strained. He walked through the door, and he nearly slammed it shut. He let out a deep breath, one he didn't know he was even holding. He swiped his hand in front of his face to try to calm himself, letting out a deep sigh.
"Right." He inhaled. "I need to see what information I took."
The System said it was limited, meaning his [Subjective Law] was resisted. But he recalled the moment, the way it was imprinted into his head.
'Local influence?'
It didn't specify whether Remus Hague was responsible. It meant that whatever blocked his psychic powers could've come from an outside source.
It didn't necessarily have to be Mr. Hague.
'But for now, Mr. Hague is our biggest suspect...'
Whether or not he knew, Mr. Hague resisted Kenji's [Subjective Law]. It implied that he was under the influence of a supernatural power. The boy's mind wracked, and at the very least, their suspicions of him only grew.
'Let's see...'
He opened the system, directly imprinting the information gleaned into his mind.
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[ Remus Hague, Servant of the Stars ]
[ Ad Astra Dei ]
[ Full Name: Remus Lorian Hague ]
[ Age: 46 ]
[ Short Description: Remus Hague is a devoted follower and loyal member of the Constantine Order. A kind and charismatic preacher, his words could sway even the most iron-hearted. ]
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Kenji blinked. Servant of the Stars? Ad Astra Dei? What did these words even mean?
'Even the short description is vague, I can't use any of this!' Kenji internally spat, a sigh escaping his mouth.
Aside from the 'Servant of the Stars' bit, nothing about the information was anything new. He could already tell that the man had a way with words; the System didn't need to tell him that. He let out a groan of utter disappointment, heading to the bed and lying on it.
'No, no...' Kenji tried to think of a positive. 'This is a good thing, you still managed to gather information.'
He smirked.
'I was useful...'
The boy still managed to glean even a hint of information from Remus Hague, and now he had the means to come and try to get more information from the congregation. It wasn't a total loss.
Just as he was feeling good about himself, his phone suddenly vibrated. The feeling shook his calm, and pressed an uncomfortable weight in his pockets.
He fished the gadget out, then looked at the notification. It was a message from Octavia; she should've been by the Church right now, trying to get a sample of the bell.
The message caught his throat, and panic replaced his sense of accomplishment.
[ You have received a new message from: Octavia Aina Lichtmann ]
[ Urgent! Need Back-Up. Send Help. ]