August was clearly hesitant about Vivian's suggestion. He had grown used to living alone, keeping to himself and guarding his secrets, constantly changing from one identity to another—he had been a merchant, a farmer, a hunter, a prisoner, a soldier, and even a smuggler, and none of those identities had lasted more than two or three decades. If he went to Andre Ancient Castle now, all of that would change. He still was not ready to blend in with ordinary people again.
"Madam, I'm sorry," August said, standing up and bowing slightly uneasily to Vivian. "I...I'm not ready yet. The Andre family might not accept an immortal like me. Most humans probably wouldn't be able to. They might accept a witch or wizard who had lived from the Middle Ages until today, but it would be hard for them to acknowledge an ordinary person like this. I..."
"Oh, I didn't think it through," Vivian said, nodding. "Then are you going to keep living this way?"
"I'm used to it." August forced a smile. "Circling endlessly between life and death isn't actually that difficult. Wizards who have sought forbidden powers can live perfectly well too. I'll stay in contact with the Andre family, and I may move somewhere else for a change of scenery. In any case, that voice is gone. Things won't get any worse from now on."
Vivian looked at the human who had gained an immortal body. After silently pondering for a while, she suddenly waved her hand and summoned a small bat. "Paul, hold out your hand. I need to take some precautions for the future."
Though August was puzzled, he did not hesitate. He held out his left hand, and Vivian's small bat quickly flew over and bit a tiny wound into his arm. August frowned