"Very well. I'll have news for you within a week. Since you only want relatively well-known research groups, I doubt it'll even take that long."
The professor accepted the envelope of money and set it aside without even checking how many banknotes were inside. Then, looking rather embarrassed, he said:
"Detective, I'd actually planned to visit Louisa in the next few days. I had that kind of dream again."
"What? How could that be?"
Shade was startled. It had been nearly a month since the Joyful Dream Pen had gone out of control. Miss Louisa had clearly confirmed that the professor was recovering quickly and had not suffered any further mental effects.
"How many times? When did it happen?"
"Once, yesterday."
"Please give me your hand."
Shade took Professor Manning's right wrist. Under the professor's worried gaze, he adopted a listening expression. More than ten seconds later, he released the professor's hand with a relaxed look.
"Please don't worry. It's not that kind of problem. You're safe."
At such close range, "she" could not sense even a trace of the Whisper Element inside the professor.
"Then why did I have that sort of dream?"
Professor Manning asked in confusion. After his recent serious illness, the old gentleman had not yet fully recovered.
"I'm not a scholar, so I can't explain what causes dreams. But I suggest you see a psychologist friend of mine."
Shade did not have Doctor Schneider's business card on him, so he asked for paper and a pen and wrote down the address for the professor. As he wrote, he said:
"My friend is just an ordinary person, but he's very good at treating this sort of psychological illness. He'll be able to help you."
The professor's face immediately reddened, and he hesitantly asked:
"So my dream