Ratu

"Are you going out today, Adam?" Lina sat beside Adam, propped up on a small wooden stool, leaning over the table as she watched him eat breakfast.

Adam touched his still-damp hair and combed it back with his hand into a slicked-back style. With no fringe covering it, his entire face was on display.

He had a habit of washing up before going out. Lina was observant, and the sight of his wet hair had let her guess it.

"Mm, I'm going to the church today." Adam smiled and nodded. After finishing breakfast, he rubbed Lina's little head and headed out.

Walking down the street, Adam shook his head and let his hair fall back down. He tidied it up, using his fringe to cover the scar on the left side of his face. Several birds flitted between branches and walls, following behind him.

The atmosphere at the church was not especially pleasant. When Adam arrived at its entrance, he saw several priests coming out with grim expressions. Yet upon seeing Adam, they still forced smiles and greeted him.

"Has Teacher Alva arrived?"

"I haven't seen him. Go take a look yourself, Adam."

After exchanging a few casual words, Adam entered the church, greeting every priest he passed.

Then, following the traces of the new mural, Adam reached the wall that was under construction. Not far from the chief priest's office, a red-haired priest stood outside the door.

"Is something the matter, Priest Raven?" Adam approached and asked, only then noticing the man's somewhat deathly pale complexion.

"It's Adam. You're back." Raven forced a smile as he greeted Adam.

"I have something I need to apply to the chief priest for." As Raven spoke, his hand involuntarily covered his abdomen, and his expression darkened.

Curiosity and concern appeared in Adam's expression, because the chief priest's door opened.

Chief Priest Xia Ya, slightly hunched and looking old and frail, still wore a kindly smile.

"Raven and little Adam, come in first." He spoke as he shuffled back into the room.

"Little Adam, I'm afraid you've made a wasted trip today. Alva is taking the day off and didn't come to the church. Still, I'm glad to see you've recovered. You look much more spirited."

"Is that so? I feel like I've been in pretty good spirits lately too." Adam did not deny it. After awakening, he was bound to have changed; there was no hiding it.

Although the chief priest was not in a state of communion with God, his perception could not be underestimated. Since that was the case, Adam might as well admit it outright.

So long as the chief priest was certain Adam was not a mutant, he was tolerant of most things.

"Have you finished the candied fruit you brought home last time?"

"There's still quite a bit left, Chief Priest Xia Ya." Adam answered naturally.

"This is that fellow Alva's address. You can find him here." The chief priest tore off a slip of paper, wrote an address on it with a quill pen, and handed it to Adam.

"Thank you, Chief Priest." Adam accepted the address and took his leave. Before leaving, he saw Raven take out a sheet of paper, upon which he could vaguely make out words such as "transfer application."

Did it leave a shadow on his heart? Adam showed no sign of anything unusual.

Last night, he had had plenty of time to finish Raven off. But there had been no point in killing him. Wounding him badly and using him to hold Fula back had been the most suitable choice.

As for Raven being traumatized and wanting to transfer to clerical work or somewhere else, Adam had no opinion on the matter.

He felt neither regret nor guilt, but neither did he believe his actions had been right.

Adam had been reincarnated, after all. His personality had changed greatly in this life, but some of his values still remained.

It was like jumping into a cesspit to stay alive. There was nothing wrong with that, but something disgusting was still disgusting. It would not change simply because it had been done to survive.

"But perhaps this is the only understanding I have left." Adam gave a self-mocking smile, yet did not care. He bade several people farewell with a smile, left the church, and headed for the address.

"The noble district?" Adam frowned. He knew little about the noble district; the place he had visited most was only the small area where Baron Mansla lived.

"It's a bit far." In his werewolf form, Adam could run very quickly and cross the city with ease. But in broad daylight, displaying anything abnormal would be courting death.

"Wait..." Adam glanced around and spotted a familiar carriage.

"I'll come again in a couple of days. No need to see me off, Priest Jim." Sir Rube stood at the church entrance, bidding farewell to the plump Priest Jim.

"Then we'll welcome you again when the time comes." Jim wore a kindly expression, then spotted Adam approaching.

"Adam, Master Alva didn't come today." Jim frowned, but he was no longer as openly displeased with Adam as he had been when they first met.

"Thank you, Priest Jim. I've already asked the chief priest, and he gave me Teacher Alva's address. It's just rather far in the noble district, so I wanted to borrow some money from Priest Jim to hire a carriage." Adam did not look at Rube beside him, but he knew full well that Rube was interested in him now.

"Is this Master Alva's student?" Rube slightly lifted his top hat and said to Jim, "There's no need for such trouble. I happen to be heading back, and Master Alva's home is not far from mine. Ride there with me in my carriage."

"This is too much trouble for you, Sir." Jim shot Adam a glance and gritted his teeth in irritation. Knowing this little rascal as he did, Adam's purpose in coming here was definitely not to borrow money. He had probably intended from the very beginning to hitch a ride in Rube's carriage.

But there was no need to say that aloud. It was enough to keep it in his heart. Rube probably understood it too; he simply did not care.

After all, in that single short sentence, Adam had directly mentioned both the chief priest and Alva. Had it been an ordinary commoner, Rube likely would not have given him the time of day.

"Thank you for the trouble, Sir Rube." Adam thanked him politely.

Although Rube sat some distance away from Adam after boarding the carriage, he was fairly amiable—or at least, he appeared to be.

They chatted a little along the way. Then, upon reaching a fork in the road, Rube pointed out the location of Alva's home and departed.

He had neither been overly enthusiastic toward Adam nor overly distant.

The sort who knows how to invest in the future? Adam recalled this encounter and committed every scrap of information he had gathered to memory.

Following the address, Adam arrived at Alva's home and rang the bell outside the courtyard.

Looking at the house's exterior decoration, Adam truly could not have imagined that this was the home of Alva, the man who could collapse and fall asleep anywhere in the church.

A servant dressed in attendant's clothes hurried to the gate. He did not look down on Adam because of his commoner's attire, instead asking softly, "Sir, this is the residence of the painter Alva Ratu. May I ask what business you have here?"

"I am Teacher Alva's student, Adam Boku. Since Teacher did not go to the church today, I came specially to study under him." Adam clearly explained his identity and purpose.

He could clearly see the servant's fleeting surprise, but the man quickly said, "Mr. Boku, please come in and wait here. I will go ask the master."

Adam nodded. Watching the attendant leave, he revealed no unusual reaction, because when the servant had drawn near, Adam had sensed the faint life aura leaking from him.

A knight in the Overflow stage? Adam suppressed his surprise. Something just feels off.

Yet even if he was not an Overflow-stage knight, he was still someone who had come into contact with supernatural power. And such a person was merely Alva's servant.

"The Three Outstanding of Sacred Sound?" Adam recalled what Jin had said, but then heard the sound of a carriage behind him.

An ornate carriage stopped before Alva's residence, bearing a noble crest Adam did not recognize.

The coachman climbed down and hurriedly drew open the carriage curtain, then set down a wooden step and helped an elderly man descend. The old man possessed an imposing dignity even without showing anger.

The old man glanced at Adam inside the fence, then rang the bell.

He's here to see Alva too? Adam guessed, lowering his head and avoiding the old man's gaze.

Some nobles considered it a provocation when commoners looked at them. Many commoners had lost their lives because of it.

Before long, the servant came hurrying over again.