Chapter 61 — The Room Investigation
Gideon stood at the doorway and dialed Huang Ren's number.
Inside, the morning scripture reading had just ended. Streams of clergy filed out, murmuring softly to one another.
On the line, Huang Ren told him to just come straight in.
So Gideon moved against the flow of people and entered the church.
He quickly spotted Huang Ren, who led him to a side hall.
Ever since the Vatican's recent reforms, male and female clergy were now allowed to study in the same space. Still, their living quarters remained separate.
For example, near Saint Jehovah Church, the parish had rented several houses that were refurbished for staff lodging.
But Sasha, as the bishop's illegitimate daughter, enjoyed special privileges—she had her own private bedroom within the church itself.
By the time Gideon and Huang Ren arrived, someone was already there ahead of them.
"Miss Allard, Sister Sasha's room is right here," a church steward explained.
At his side stood a woman.
She wore a wide-brimmed brown leather hat, with long jet-black hair spilling over her shoulders. A belt cinched her waist, lined with various tools—two holstered pistols and a hunting knife among them.
"Much obliged," the woman replied in a rough, husky voice.
"Zain, this priest is also here to investigate," Huang Ren said to the steward.
At that, the woman turned, giving Gideon his first clear look at her face.
She had dark, piercing eyes and strong features with a Latin edge. Her skin was weathered, as if she'd spent much of her life in harsh environments.
It gave her a rugged beauty, raw and striking.
"Well, I wasn't expecting to see a yellow-skinned priest here," she said with a note of surprise.
"No offense intended, but the three of us stand out quite a bit in this place."
Faced with the remark, Gideon and Huang Ren only chuckled.
After a few quick words with the steward, Huang Ren pulled Gideon aside.
"Knowing your… peculiar habits, I already cleared it with them," he said. He meant Gideon's tendency to linger at crime scenes longer than most would tolerate.
"If you find anything, come to me right away."
He patted Gideon's shoulder, clearly expecting results.
He had his reasons—if his close friend turned up a clue to Sasha's whereabouts, Huang Ren could ride that discovery straight into the bishop's good graces.
Gideon didn't mind. Back when he'd first joined the church, he and Huang Ren had often helped each other. During the days of mandatory monthly contributions, Huang Ren had even slipped him extra funds in secret.
With that, Huang Ren excused himself. He still had official duties, unlike Gideon, who was essentially a free agent.
"And how should I address you?" the woman asked then.
"Gideon is fine," he replied.
"Alright then, Father Gideon."
She smiled faintly, showing gleaming white teeth.
"My name's Sadie. From the West. I'm a demon hunter."
"I could tell," Gideon answered with a smile of his own.
Her attire reminded him of the hunter he had once encountered at a high-ranking politician's mansion.
"Are you an exorcist as well, Father Gideon? From the Academy, perhaps?"
"No. Just an ordinary parish priest."
He kept his answer vague, not keen on sharing more.
"Miss Sadie, why don't we step inside?" Gideon offered, gesturing toward the door.
"Ladies first."
Sadie grinned. "Well, thank you. Didn't think you'd turn out to be a gentleman."
With that, she strode into the room on her own.
A minute passed.
"You're not coming in?" she called back.
Sadie turned to find the priest still lingering outside.
Only then did Gideon step in.
The truth was, he had already activated Ethereal Sight the moment he arrived, scanning the room for abnormalities.
But evil spirits often didn't appear immediately—they preferred to wait, striking only after someone stumbled into their trap.
So Gideon had waited outside to be sure. Since Sadie showed no signs of distress, he ruled out that possibility.
He began surveying the room.
It was a curious mix of classical and modern design. Heavy wooden floorboards covered the ground, while the walls were built from long gray bricks, with a hearth set into one side.
Stained-glass windows threw muted colors across the room.
Yet the furnishings leaned modern—woolen sofas, a crystal chandelier, even a television.
Since Sasha's disappearance, no one had touched the room.
From what Gideon could tell, there were no signs of a struggle.
Meanwhile, Sadie tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and focused.
Mmm. No evil spirits, she thought a moment later.
She wasn't here out of pure charity. Her true goal was the missing holy oil. For reasons of her own, she was determined to obtain it.
That was why she had been wary of Gideon—she had feared he might become her rival.
But after learning he wasn't from the Exorcist Academy, her concerns eased.
Ordinary priests could hardly be considered proper exorcists.
Before arriving, Sadie had known the room had already been searched multiple times. If there were obvious clues, they would have been found.
Still, she had come because she possessed a gift no other hunter had—Dark Vision.
It was an ability beyond common "spirit sight," one that allowed her to sense nearby malice. Whenever an evil spirit harbored ill intent toward her, she always knew beforehand.
Thanks to this gift, she had earned considerable renown among western demon hunters.
But now—she had already tested the room.
It was clean. Too clean. The aura of sanctity still lingered, unmistakably of the Church.
Meaning there was nothing here.
When she turned back, she saw the priest crouched low at the fireplace. Judging by the look of him, he wasn't finding anything either.
So we'll have to search elsewhere, she thought.
Meanwhile, Gideon probed the hearth. Evil spirits often preferred to hide in places like this.
"Hm?"
His brow furrowed. From inside his robes he produced a cloth, then carefully lifted a piece of charcoal from the ashes.
With Ethereal Sight, he examined it closely—and caught a faint trace of an alien aura.
He checked the other blackened logs, but they were ordinary.
Only this small fragment was different.
Stroking his chin, he wrapped the charcoal up.
Climbing out of the fireplace, he made for the door.
"Father, did you find something?" Sadie asked.
"No. Just going to try my luck nearby." Gideon shook his head.
"And you—I saw you with your eyes closed just now. Do you happen to have the so-called Spirit Sight?"
It was a direct probe into her secrets, and as expected, Sadie stiffened slightly.
"Well, Father, I didn't think you'd know about that." She smiled faintly.
"I did use Spirit Sight on this room earlier. Nothing at all."
It was a line she'd used often; many in the West already knew it.
Gideon only shrugged and walked out.
He tried to call Huang Ren, but the man never picked up.
With no choice, he began asking others.
Several clergy shook their heads—they had no idea where Sasha's firewood had come from.
Until at last he found a nun named Renia, who also served as the church's treasurer.
"The firewood? It used to all come from the church's stores," she recalled.
"But lately, a carpenter offered to sell us a batch at a very low price, so we've been using his supply."
"Do you remember his address?" Gideon asked.
"Oh, I couldn't say for sure… but I can look it up."
She led him into a records room where the church kept details of past suppliers.
Flipping through a ledger, she quickly found the entry.
"Ah—Hank Bayek! I remember this man now."
Looking up at Gideon, she continued:
"Once, while he was delivering firewood, he mentioned something strange. Said whispers were often heard from the forest near his timberyard, and many workers were too afraid to enter."
"I was actually walking him toward Sister Sasha's room when he told me that."
Gideon's eyes lit up.
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