Anthony

Adam walked down the road, able to feel someone watching him. A carriage had already passed by his side.

"That noble who visited Alva as well." Adam memorized the emblem on the carriage and frowned. His intuition warned him that whoever was inside might bring him some trouble.

Shaking his head, Adam took out the letter, hoping Alva had not lied and that this letter could truly help him find someone to guide his mental power.

Adam had already prepared himself for the possibility that the letter would be completely useless. Considering Alva's loathing for him, it was not impossible.

Only a few sparse lines were written on the envelope.

At noon, Central Clock Tower.

Below ground, strike twelve in reverse.

Inform the inquirer: the visitor is one returned from death.

"The clock tower at twelve?" Adam raised a hand to shield his eyes and looked up at the sun. There was still some time before noon, so he headed toward the so-called Central Clock Tower.

Roa was divided into the southern and northern districts. Each had a grand cathedral, with numerous smaller churches scattered through every corner.

Adam usually moved about only in the southern district and was not particularly familiar with the north. The Central Clock Tower stood between the two districts, not far from the noble quarter.

With the letter in hand, Adam's steps grew a little lighter. Jin's understanding of the profession of a spellcaster was limited to a few basics—and how to get rid of spellcasters.

If he wanted to learn, it was best to find a spellcaster teacher.

Since the letter Alva had given him included an address, it ought to be useful. That man might hate him, but he would not go so far as to toy with him over it. Either he would give Adam a useless letter, or, just as he had said, there would truly be someone here capable of developing Adam's mental power.

"Of course, I still need to be careful. This mentor may not necessarily be a good person." Adam liked good people, because no matter how one looked at it, they were easier to get along with.

Upon arriving at the clock tower, Adam found no keeper. Generally speaking, an important structure like this would have stationed troops or hired guards protecting it.

One hand quietly pushed open the clock tower's door. Only after surveying the interior did Adam slip inside.

Walking across the wooden-plank floor, Adam had no intention of making a great commotion.

"Below ground, strike twelve in reverse?" Adam looked up. A great bell hung at the top of the clock tower, its chimes long and resonant.

"There's no bell-ringer?" Adam climbed the stairs.

The stairs were made of wooden boards, and each step rang out clearly beneath his feet. After climbing step by step to the top floor, Adam discovered a sun-powered timer resembling a sundial. There was also a dripping-water timer and an hourglass, as well as a mechanical timepiece similar to a pendulum clock.

This greatly interested Adam.

Seeing that the time was nearly upon him, Adam looked at the great bell and considered whether he should ring it, only to find that it suddenly began moving on its own.

When the first chime rang out, the sound wave swept the dust from the air. Adam abruptly understood and turned to head downstairs.

On the long wooden staircase, Adam stepped down as the bell chimed, the sound of his footfall merging with the bell's lingering echo.

Over the next eleven chimes, Adam descended eleven steps. Then the world turned upside down. Though he had clearly been walking downward, Adam suddenly found himself climbing upward.

And the end of the stairs was no longer the top of the clock tower, but a hazy door. Before it stood a figure shrouded in shadow.

"Please state the command." The figure's voice was very young, and female.

"One returned from death," Adam answered. This world had no concept of reincarnation. Death meant returning to God's embrace, so "returned from death" did not mean going to die. Otherwise, Adam might not have dared come here. He might even have suspected that Alva, unable to act against him for Xia Ya's sake, had tricked him here to send him to his death.

"Come up. No one has come here in a long time." The figure pushed open the door, revealing the light—and with it, her youthful face.

Her features were exquisite enough to seem inhuman. Sky-blue hair was wrapped and tied behind her head beneath a lace kerchief, with only a few strands exposed. Her gemstone-like eyes seemed capable of reflecting Adam's face.

She wore an exquisite black noble outfit embroidered with patterns. On the young girl, it lent her a touch of heroic vigor and drew the eye irresistibly.

"Only a little worse than me..." Adam was somewhat startled, but quickly composed himself and hurried up.

After the door closed, Adam realized that the space within far exceeded the confines of the clock tower. Unmarked candles hung everywhere, providing light, while there were no doors or windows around them.

"Please wait a moment. Master will be out shortly." Without introducing herself, the girl poured Adam a cup of black beverage, then turned and pushed open the door through which they had entered, leaving through it.

There was not the slightest rise or fall in her words; she displayed even less emotion than Adam did.

Holding the letter, Adam sat upright and used the corner of his eye to inspect the room as much as possible.

Unknown incantations had been carved into the walls, ceiling, and floor. The candles hanging to one side had clearly been burning for some time, yet Adam could not detect any consumption at all.

Some sort of pattern was carved into the furniture, which was extremely old.

Paintings hung on the walls. The style... Alva's style?

"Creak." The door opened, and a young man dressed in noble attire walked in from outside, faint puzzlement in his voice. "A new guest?"

Adam immediately stood up and saw that the young man's face was extremely familiar. He had seen it not long ago at the Thousand Paintings House.

He was likely the last of the Holy Sound Three Heroes. His appearance was no different from the portrait, even his clothing and bearing nearly identical.

"Hello, I'm Adam Boku. I was referred by Teacher Alva. This is my letter of introduction." After a brief moment of surprise, Adam handed over the letter in his hand.

"Alva's student? Sit." The other man accepted the letter with a delighted smile and gestured for Adam to sit.

The room had originally been lit by candles. Though bright, it inevitably seemed dim. Yet after the man sat down, it was as if he illuminated the entire place, making everything warm and completely driving away the gloom.

Adam sat down and no longer disturbed him as he read the letter.

As he read its contents, the man gradually restrained his initial joy, revealing obvious disappointment and loneliness. The hand holding the letter trembled faintly, but afterward, he smiled in relief and put the letter away.

A smile returned to his lips as he looked at Adam, without allowing his earlier emotions to spill over onto him.

"Adam Boku?" He confirmed Adam's name and smiled. His white teeth made him seem especially approachable. "I am Anthony Ratu Fernandes."

"Alva recommended that you become my student in the profession of spellcasting." Anthony looked into Adam's eyes, and his sincerity could be felt. "I can see that you are very talented. Are you willing to become my student?"

"Of course I am, Teacher Anthony." Adam could not possibly refuse. Though they had known each other only briefly, the Anthony before him gave Adam a very good impression.

"His charm is even stronger than when I exert mine with all my strength." Adam looked at his own clothes and felt that what he lacked was his attire.

"Excellent." Anthony was very pleased. He hurriedly took a gold coin wrapped in a fine chain from his clothes and placed it in Adam's hand.

"For certain reasons, I cannot leave the clock tower. Take this. Whenever you have time, come to the clock tower and show it, and you will be able to enter the inner space I have opened."

As though recalling something, Anthony turned and called outside, "Xilin, bring me my spare spellbook."

Then he turned back to Adam. "Xilin is my niece. She lives here with me. I tell her to go out more often, but she refuses. She also always calls me Master, no matter how many times I correct her."

In this short time, Anthony had already come to trust Adam completely.

Perhaps it was because of his trust in Alva, or perhaps because of the loneliness of spending so long in the tower, Anthony hid nothing from Adam, as though he regarded him as family.

At that moment, Adam felt a kind of charm different from his own—the charm of character.

"So this was Alva's purpose in introducing me here?" Adam quickly realized it.