After carefully comparing the contents of the book with the reality of Trier and memorizing it, Furen finally arrived at Teson Street.
The long walk back suddenly seemed a bit absurd, but thinking that he had no social relationships to maintain or pressing obligations, he relaxed and took the short walk as an opportunity to get to know the streets of Trier better.
Shortly after he arrived at his home, as he was about to insert the key into the lock and push the door as usual to enter, his mind felt a slight wave.
Surprised, he looked up at something he hadn't used since arriving in this world: the mailbox.
Observing the red box, Furen approached it quietly. He glanced around discreetly, then extended his right hand toward the box.
On closer inspection, one would have noticed that he had no key in his hand, only a sheet of paper, and that the box had only one slot in the front.
Yet Furen firmly placed his hand behind the box, pressed the sheet of paper against its back, and, wrapping his hand in a spiritual way that no human could have understood, he passed it unhindered through the metal.
But when it came time to remove it, a problem occurred: the envelope refused to go through the wall.
Undaunted, Furen intensified the blanket of his spirituality, spreading it over the entire envelope.
This time he managed to pull it out. A little surprised, he immediately thought:
"If I can cross an obstacle with my clothes without losing them, then other objects can follow too, even if it requires a little more spiritual energy.
Note to self: test later.
He nodded, mentally noting this observation, then turned toward the front door.
Facing the solid lock, an enigmatic smile appeared on his face.
When his mind began to circulate by another method, the lock came loose of its own accord, as if an invisible hand had opened it—a natural gesture, like the falling of a ripe apple.
As he walked home, Furen reviewed the "Apprentice's" abilities:
The main one was "Open the door," which could be expressed in three ways.
The first was to project his body into another plane, thus passing through the door. But this method consumed a lot of energy—he could only use it twice at most. Perhaps after he had fully assimilated the potion, the expense would be less, or his spirituality would become more abundant.
The second method allowed him to create a ghostly blue door on top of another door, which could be fully passed through. This one cost less energy—he could use it three times—but it didn't allow him to carry other people.
Finally, the third opened any lock that did not contain mystical power, as well as a small number of locks enhanced by Beyonder effects. This ability required little spirituality and could be used more frequently.
For the mailbox, Furen had used the first method; for the door, the latter.
Apart from that, the "Apprentice" had simply granted him a banal spirituality, a slight improvement in his physical abilities and an increased memory.
According to the notes, an Apprentice could only activate "Spiritual Vision," without being able to discern the health or emotions of others like a Diviner.
Additionally, the "Apprentice" abilities only worked on doors.
The paper he used depicted a door so realistic it looked as if one could walk through it. It was a relic passed down in the Freeman family: it did not decompose, but it had no supernatural properties.
On the back was an indecipherable, but instinctively understandable name: Gabriel Abraham, a direct ancestor of the Furen clan, who fell during the War of the Four Emperors—he had been an Angel.
After double-locking the door, Furen went upstairs, letter in hand, and went to his study.
Under the reddish glow of the crimson moon, he lit a few candles, then sat down at his table.
In the almost solar light of the room, he took a small knife and broke the red wax seal.
Even before opening the letter, he recognized the emblem on the wax: that of the Abraham family.
The sender could only be Reeve Abraham, the eldest in charge of the Abraham clan in Trier, who had already managed to digest the "Astrologer's" potion.
Of course, members of the Abraham family did not use this name publicly.
Furen was called Freeman, his full name being Furen Freeman.
Reeve, himself, called himself Reeve Crow, an influential merchant from Trier, owner of the Crow Market, specializing in curiosities from elsewhere.
His family ran ten caravans trading between Trier and the northern mainland—suffice it to say that Reeve Crow was a wealthy and respected notable.
on the letter was written:
> "...A member of the Abraham clan in Trier has been spotted.
His supernatural power caught the attention of a suspected member of an Orthodox Church during an occult meeting. While fleeing, he dropped several letters he was writing, declaring himself a member of the Abraham clan and mentioning that there were more than ten of us in Trier. Now the Churches and the army are frantically searching the city for us...
Given the current situation and to welcome the birth of our second "Astrologer" in Trier, I have decided to call a family meeting on July 8. As a precaution, I will leave each local member a certain inheritance, so that our lineage will never sink into oblivion of the glorious past of our ancestors...>
After reading the letter, Furen frowned slightly and leaned back in his chair, going over the contents of the letter in his head over and over again.
It did indeed come from Reeve Abraham, the local chief of the clan.
Fingers tapping absently on the table, Furen analyzed the details:
"This letter appears calm, but the handwriting is much more agitated than usual..." he thought, remembering Reeve's old correspondence.
"If this member only revealed the number of our personnel, this does not justify such a summons. A simple written warning would be sufficient.
Unless Reeve's name has been compromised? It's possible—his identity is known to every Abraham in Trier. Or perhaps he wants to divide the clan's inheritance among us before a catastrophe? That's plausible, too."
"If that's the case, I might be involved...
At previous meetings, even though we all wore iron masks, our silhouettes and voices remained recognizable. If one of us is summoned by a medium, I will have to flee Trier, or even Intis, and live as a fugitive."
Furen massaged his temples.
The matter was serious.
If the Abrahams of Trier disappeared, he would have no way of obtaining the formulas for sequences 6 and 5, much less the necessary supernatural materials.
"Power... If only I were already a demigod!
I wouldn't have to worry about a purge of the Churches. They'd never try to attack an ancient angelic clan that still had a demigod. But apparently, the news that we no longer have any demigods, or even mid-sequence members, has already leaked."
Thinking back on the current state of his own progress, still digesting the "Apprentice" potion, Furen calmed his mind and returned to the study of his powers.
(End of chapter)