Divination was a branch of magic. As followers of the God of Trickery, diviners had been granted the ability to glimpse the future. The current head of the Astrology Society, who had inherited the title of "Scholar," was a powerful fourth-tier diviner. Many strange stories and anecdotes about Lady Scholar circulated among the people.
Ever since the Empire was founded, every Scholar had been a trusted confidant of the king. Their prophecies often helped the Empire foresee dangers on the horizon and prepare in advance.
Ethan sat before the diviner, feeling as though thorns were pricking his back.
Captain Haig was still reeling. All his enthusiasm for the future had been shattered by the cold number "twenty years."
Haig was already thirty-five. That meant he'd remain a bachelor until the ripe old age of fifty-five.
To make matters worse, the average life expectancy for ordinary people in this era was only around sixty.
So knowing the future wasn't necessarily a good thing.
Ethan swore he'd only encouraged Haig because he'd seemed so eager. He hadn't meant to do that to him!
The diviner's expression remained unchanged, as if she hadn't realized she'd just snatched away a middle-aged man's hopes. She placed her hands over the crystal ball and asked, narrowing her eyes, "Which part of the future would you like to know?"
The onlookers craned their necks. When each lucky person was asked this question, most wanted to know about wealth, family, romance, or health. But not everyone received a favorable answer.
They tried to guess what Ethan was thinking. Though he was known around town as an "Occultism Expert," they figured a young man his age would probably want to explore the secrets of love.
But the next moment, Ethan gave an answer that no one expected. "An adventure."