Shade toyed with the ugly little wooden figurine in his hand when the priest suddenly stopped and gestured for Shade to look beside them:
"We're here."
12 Hangerton Garden Street had originally been the Freeman family's home. Now that they had moved away, the priest visiting them had somehow borrowed the key to this house, which had yet to find a buyer, through his tremendous personal charm.
The family seemed to have left in a hurry. Trash from the move was still scattered through the garden, where weeds had run wild from neglect. But they had not been gone for long, so the place merely looked a little untidy.
The priest took out a ring of keys and unlocked the iron lock wrapped around the gate. They reached the front door after walking a dozen or so steps along the path. Throughout that time, neither Shade nor Priest Augustus sensed anything unusual.
"Based on the information we have so far, no one in the family besides Mister Freeman suffered any accident. Mister Freeman's death also unfolded over a long period, so I don't believe the danger here will be particularly great."
The priest spoke to Shade, who was examining the garden, while holding the keys.
"But don't lower your guard. Whether it's an evil spirit or a relic, either could kill us outright, so we must be cautious."
"I understand, Priest."
The old man nodded, lowered his head and closed his eyes to offer a quiet prayer to Mister Dawn. Then he gripped the holy emblem hanging on his chest, confirming that this Divine Art Item with exorcising power was functioning properly. Only then did he use the largest key on the ring to unlock the front door.
They smelled nothing strange upon entering, but the house had been sealed