"Young, I traveled all over and met an alchemist. I watched him turn stone into gold with my own eyes. After taking an alchemical potion, he even used his own body to stop bullets..."
Mr. Stork recalled.
"Although I didn't spend much time with him, during those few months I never saw him go out wearing a hat, yet he never showed any signs of being tainted by 'Miasma.'"
"Wow!" Miss Sparrow's lovely eyes lit up. "How amazing! If I had power like that, I'd turn all the dolls at home into gold!"
Mr. Stork shook his head with a hint of helplessness and said:
"Miss Sparrow, your family is already quite wealthy... Besides, as long as we keep studying the 'True Film Reel,' one day we may find such mysterious powers too."
Gilan glanced discreetly at Miss Sparrow. She's probably a rich young lady. I wonder why she joined a secret society like the Record Society.
He was also quite interested in the alchemist Mr. Stork had mentioned, so he asked:
"Mr. Stork, were you unable to learn anything from that alchemist?"
"No." Mr. Stork sighed with regret. "It's a mysterious power that requires exceptional talent to master. Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of gift."
"That alchemist didn't call himself an 'alchemist,' either. He called himself a 'Spirit Mystic'... He once hinted to me that mastering this mysterious power was like climbing a mountain or making one's way on foot along a rugged path through the woods. All seekers who study the mystic arts call this path the 'Path of the Flaming Sword.'"
'Spirit Mystic,' 'Path of the Flaming Sword'...
Gilan couldn't help feeling drawn to it.
It wasn't just about finding power to arm and protect himself. He was also driven by an instinctive curiosity and yearning for the mysterious.
He believed that with Iridescence, one day he would be able to encounter and master the mystic arts.
After leaving Gray Stone Street, the carriage followed the main road toward Fengdeng Mountain, where the wealthy district was located.
The neighborhoods they passed at first were fairly familiar to Gilan.
But after the carriage passed Daffodil Square by Fengdeng Lake, the streets and surroundings became unfamiliar.
The buildings were tall, the streets clean, and the shops upscale and bustling.
Most of the passersby were well-dressed and courteous.
Even the carriage, which had been jolting along before, rolled smoothly and comfortably over the level roads here... It belonged here; this was the sort of luxury meant for the wealthy.
Gilan had never been here before. The wealthy district wasn't open to just anyone.
Without proof of residence or employment, someone dressed like a poor man would inevitably attract the attention of patrolling officers.
The outcome was easy to imagine. Being forcibly escorted out of the wealthy district would have been the lucky result. If he was unlucky, they might accuse him of "disturbing the peace" or "suspicious behavior" and take him to the police station for questioning.
The original owner's greatest dream had been to live in the wealthy district one day, buy his mother a proper gravestone, and bury her at Fengdeng Cemetery on the mountaintop... But that dream had always been beyond his reach.
Gilan's eyes reflected the dazzling colors along the way, and his heart stirred.
He placed his hands on his warm thighs and thought to himself:
You fulfilled my dream... I'll fulfill yours too.
That's a debt a man must never forget.
Mr. Stork, seated opposite him, noticed Gilan's distant expression and assumed he was longing for the life of the wealthy. A trace of emotion crossed his face.
Just then, a squad of police officers wearing black armbands marked with a white "X" passed by on the roadside. Mr. Stork narrowed his eyes and said quietly:
"Horst Police Station's search squad."
Miss Sparrow reacted quickly. She immediately changed seats, sat beside Gilan, and wrapped an arm around his, leaning against him.
Gilan instinctively recoiled, wanting to push her away.
But Miss Sparrow looked up at him from his arms, winked, and raised a finger to her lips.
"Shh."
Gilan noticed the search squad on the roadside too. His heart tightened, and he quickly lowered his head, pulling his black felt hat down.
His body remained rigid and tense... Gilan had never been intimate with a woman before, and he felt extremely uncomfortable.
The officers in the search squad glanced over but paid them no mind.
Only after the carriage had gone some distance did Gilan raise his head and speak softly to Miss Sparrow:
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it, Mr. Snowy Owl." Miss Sparrow let go and sat upright again, giggling. "As members of the Record Society, we should look out for each other."
Gilan noticed the clean wool sleeve of Miss Sparrow's dress and the mud on her fair hand from touching him. He said in a low voice:
"Sorry, I got your clothes dirty."
"It's all right. I was going to change anyway."
Miss Sparrow seemed to notice his embarrassment and quickly reassured him.
As she spoke, she took a beautiful glass perfume bottle from her bag and placed it in Gilan's hand.
"Spray some on. It may help with your dizziness and discomfort."
Gilan looked at the expensive perfume bottle. After a moment's hesitation, he uncapped it and sprayed his foul-smelling body twice.
A fresh citrus scent immediately filled the air.
The aromas of orange, lime, lemon, grapefruit, and citron mingled together, evoking a girl's playful charm and easing Gilan's taut nerves.
Whether it was just in his head or the perfume really worked, Gilan did feel his dizziness and feverishness ease. Even his dry, itchy throat gradually settled.
"Thank you." Gilan thanked her again and handed back the perfume bottle.
Miss Sparrow took it and smiled at him.
Gilan couldn't help but stare for a moment.
He couldn't remember how long it had been since someone had smiled at him so sincerely.
Yes, sincerely.
The carriage finally stopped in front of a detached apartment building midway along Horst Third Avenue in the Third District.
There was a café on the first floor. A sign reading "13 Horst Third Avenue" hung beside one of its dark-brown floor-to-ceiling windows.
Gilan followed Mr. Stork and Miss Sparrow out of the carriage.
"Mr. Stork rented this entire apartment building. The annual rent is 85 Caesars... He owns the café downstairs too. He's always calling me rich, but I think he's the real hidden tycoon," Miss Sparrow whispered to Gilan.
Mr. Stork walked ahead and opened the double doors to the apartment beside the café. He looked back with a smile.
"Gossiping about people behind their backs isn't very ladylike... Come in, you two."
Miss Sparrow stuck out her tongue at him, then led Gilan into the apartment.
As soon as he entered, Gilan saw the spacious living room.
A huge leather sofa was arranged in an L shape around a glass coffee table, and above them hung a crystal chandelier nearly two meters in diameter.
The warm yellow light reflected off the floor. A gleaming wooden staircase wound up to the second floor, giving the whole place a clean, luxurious feel.
"Mr. Snowy Owl, you can choose any room you like except for 201, 202, and 205 on the second floor, and 302 on the third. Every room has its own bathroom. You can go upstairs and take a shower first. I'll ask Old Jerry to bring you a change of clothes."
Mr. Stork spoke to Gilan.
The "Old Jerry" he mentioned was the carriage driver from earlier, as well as Mr. Stork's assistant and housekeeper.
"It's almost time for the main meal, too. I'll introduce you to the other members of the Assembly afterward."
Mr. Stork glanced at his watch and smiled.
Gilan looked around, took a deep breath, nodded to Mr. Stork and Miss Sparrow, then turned and headed upstairs.