Doctor Schneider naturally knew what Shade was asking about. He sat up straight and took out the newspaper he had just put into his pocket. Leaning back, he unfolded it and used it to cover his face:
"Mr. Fernandes, curator of the Randall River Valley City Sculpture Hall, has already met with me. After you defeated that mirror, the curse on him disappeared as well. Though the lifespan he lost cannot be restored, at least he has gained freedom for the brief remainder of his life. We spoke briefly, and he asked me to thank you. He originally wanted to give you some money as a reward, but I refused it for you."
"It's good that you refused it. Mr. Fernandes should use that money to enjoy the rest of his life."
Shade breathed a sigh of relief. Rather than looking at the doctor behind the newspaper, he took a handful of cat food from his pocket. Bending down, he scattered the crushed kibble onto the ground before him. One leaned back while the other leaned forward, as though they were not speaking at all.
The pigeons at the church entrance truly were drawn over by the cat food:
"That curator was the one who reminded me that a cross could deal with the mirror. He was a great help. That's good, then. What about the Captain?"
A sigh came from behind the newspaper:
"I found all the demon-summoning materials in the safe at Osenfott Manor. I originally wanted to go back yesterday to see whether anything else had been overlooked, but The Church had already sealed the place off. So yesterday, I went outside the city to visit Captain Woody. Unfortunately, he had passed away."
"Hm?"
Though he voiced his question, Shade's expression did not change as he fed