"Good morning, doctor."
Although the distant city of Tobesk welcomed early spring rain, the Randall River Valley had long-awaited good weather on Wednesday.
There was no snow, no earthquakes, no large-scale outbreaks of infectious diseases, and even the gray fog with the smell of rotten eggs that permeated the entire winter had disappeared.
More than half a week has passed since the earthquake, and the lives of the citizens of the Randall Valley have gradually returned to normal. After all, everyone has to eat and support their families. It's not that people don't remember the dead, but the living are more important.
So, on this sunny morning, in front of the Dawn Church on the west bank of the Airon River in the northeast of the city, Shade waved and greeted Dr. Schneider with brisk steps.
The doctor had obviously arrived earlier than Shad, and he sat on a long bench on the river bank facing the entrance of the Dawn Church, reading a local newspaper. An old man with a cane was bending over to feed pigeons on the other side of the bench, and a middle-aged gentleman on another bench next to him was brushing the dirt off his child's knees.
"Oh, good morning, Detective. It's a nice day today. It looks a bit like spring."
Dr. Schneider put down the newspaper, stood up and said with a smile. Xia De shook his hand enthusiastically:
"How was your sightseeing in the Randall River Valley these past two days?"
"Very good. I haven't been able to go out for a walk for a long time since I started running my clinic. Maybe I should take a short trip every year. It will help me, a psychiatrist, to stay in a good mood."
The doctor replied, folding the newspaper and putting it in the outer pocket of his coat, then reminded in a low voice:
"Put up your collar, Detective. The marks on your neck are too obvious."
"oh!"
Xia De looked down hastily, then realized that it was difficult to see his neck, so he had to raise his collar. Fortunately, the weather was still cold, so this outfit would not look strange.
"Then let us go, and hope that Reverend Murphys, I mean Bishop Murphys, is in the church today."
As they spoke, the two of them walked towards the bustling church together.
The church faces the river bank, and is separated from the gas street lamps, benches and rectangular wooden flower beds on the river bank by a wide road. After crossing the street along the river, you will enter the small square in front of the church, followed by the steps.
Because it is close to the river bank and considering the issue of disaster prevention in summer, there are thirteen steps in front of the local Dawn Church, which makes the church look more magnificent.
Although it was a weekday morning, after experiencing a major disaster, the citizens were clearly more willing to pray to the gods and pray for peace more frequently than usual. This was not to put their own safety on external forces, but they really had no other choice.
Passing by those truly devout believers, Shade asked while adjusting his collar:
"By the way, doctor, has there been any big news in the Randall Valley in the past few days?"
"Of course. All the hotels in the city are checking the identities of outsiders. I was even checked three times in two days because I look like a Delarion."
The doctor seemed quite unhappy about this topic, and then he lowered his voice and muttered in Northern English with a Tobesk accent:
“These old Southerners discriminate against the people of De La Rio.
Xia De did not ask the doctor how he had avoided the examination, nor did he remind him that "Southern old man" was also discriminatory language. Instead, he walked up the stairs and said with a smile:
"Such inspections will certainly take place. I am more curious about how the newspapers explained the landslides and fireballs before Saturday morning."
Although the final battle took place outside the city, the sound and light effects of the battle between the Thirteen Ring Warlocks and the Guardians, Yin Luna's Power of the Earth and the Earth Energy Cannon, and the subsequent battle between gods, could be clearly observed in the city, as the girls at Wilde Opera House could attest.
"These are all secondary disasters caused by earthquakes. Landslides are earthquakes, fireballs are the ignition of underground combustible gases, singing is an illusion, and the sky lights are unknown astronomical phenomena similar to the aurora before an earthquake."
The doctor said, and the people around them didn't look at them sideways because of the content of their conversation, because this was the topic that everyone in the city was talking about in the past few days.
"I see..."
Shad nodded, and walked to the end of the stairs with the doctor, then followed the crowd into the main entrance of the Dawn Church.
The church's magnificent metal double doors were clearly open, but once you stepped over the threshold, you could immediately feel that the temperature inside was at least 10 degrees higher than outside, and the air was filled with a soothing aroma. Coupled with the stained glass windows in the main hall, the religious murals on the walls and dome, and the psychological impact of the miracle elements, the church's sacredness was naturally born.
"Then how do you explain the monsters? Fossilized creatures and corrupted elemental giants have also appeared in the city, right?"
Xia De asked in a low voice, and the doctor looked at him in surprise:
"This is a strange question. Explain? Why do you need an explanation? The newspapers didn't even mention it. Detective, what you said are just rumors among the common people. I think these are probably hallucinations of the people who were frightened by the earthquake and were afraid and worried. In addition, it was dark, so it was easy to magnify the fear and see normal things as monsters. In the process of spreading rumors, they were exaggerated, and only then did this kind of story become an urban legend."
He said seriously:
"As a licensed professional psychologist, I want to give you a suggestion. If you encounter this kind of patient, you can introduce me to treat him. Post-traumatic stress disorder after a major disaster has been a hot research topic in the field of psychology in recent years. I am happy to help these patients... My fees are very cheap."
Hearing him say this, Xia De nodded in understanding. Obviously, the City Hall will explain the parts that can be explained, and remain silent on the parts that cannot be explained. After all, in this superstitious age, people will be happy to find an acceptable reason for themselves.
The local unicorn legends, the rumors about the elf tribes, and the stories about the Randall River Valley that Shade had come into contact with were mostly formed in this way.
Only this land can remember the truth of all stories, it was like this in the past and it is like this now.
"Excuse me, sir, are you a psychiatrist?"
Shade and the doctor did not stay in the main hall, because it was obviously not the place to talk. They walked towards the inside of the church while talking in a low voice. Although Dr. Schneider believed in the God of Good Nature and the God of Evil, the Lord of All Things, Shade at least believed in the God of Light and Shadow, Mr. Dawn, on the surface. Therefore, the two planned to let Shade pray first.
But they had just passed through the main hall where the collective questioning ceremony was being held and came to the side corridor. Before they entered the prayer hall on the side, an old man who came out of the prayer hall interrupted their conversation curiously.
He was wearing a clergy robe and looked older than Priest Augustus. Although he had a head full of white hair, he looked in good spirits. When he spoke in Carsenric with a slight Randall Valley accent, his tone was very melodious.
"You are..."
Shade looked at the old man's attire. Although it was the style of a traditional clergyman's robe, the details such as the edge of the robe still revealed his identity. Shade knew Bishop Canas Owen of his diocese and was very familiar with the bishop's attire:
"Are you Bishop Morpheus?"
Neither he nor the doctor had expected that it would be so easy to find the person. They had originally thought that it would take some effort.
"Yes, my two friends from the North, I am sorry to interrupt your conversation."
The old man smiled and said, there happened to be no one in the corridor, so the three of them talked in the corridor.
The doctor introduced himself:
"I'm a psychiatrist. What can I do for you?"
"Yes, after the earthquake last week, there are obviously more believers coming to the church to pray than in the past. Although I am very happy that people can use our Lord as a spiritual support, sometimes, some small psychological tricks can also help those poor people get rid of those bad memories as soon as possible."
Bishop Murphys has a typical southern appearance, with high cheekbones but a slightly lower nose bridge. Like Dr. Schneider, he has blue eyes, but probably because he is older, the old man's eyes are a little darker.
"Psychology can indeed play a role in this situation. I have always believed that in addition to theology, church priests should also study psychology. Unfortunately, this subject is far less recognized by people than "mechanical manufacturing" or "business." For people who have suffered a major disaster, psychological counseling is also very important after ensuring their safety. The Psychological Association of De La Rio has conducted statistics and surveys. After major disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and storms, the suicide rate will show a significant peak. By the way, the surveyed population includes both the poor and the middle class, and the results are very rigorous."
The doctor spoke seriously about his area of expertise, and then talked about the differences between Delarion's psychological research and Carsonrick's.
This not only involves the difference in funding for colleges and universities in the two countries, but also has something to do with the different perceptions of psychology among the people of the two countries. The advent of the steam age has comprehensively promoted the development of society, and the rapid changes mean that people cannot accept all the changes immediately.
But it was obvious that Bishop Murphys was quite interested in the topic of psychology, and he talked with Dr. Schneider for a full twenty minutes.
When the topic was almost over, Xia De started talking about the real purpose of his and the doctor's visit today:
"Bishop Morpheus, we actually have something to talk to you about."
He took out a letter that Shade had written to Father Augustus at the Dawn Church after leaving the Carina Manor this morning.
"The doctor and I are both from Tobysk. Before we left our hometown and came here, an old priest in the Tobysk parish asked us to deliver a letter to you."