Ciles carefully examined the contents of the manuscript, trying to decipher the relevant information from the messy, frantic, and fearful handwriting.
He then realized that it appeared to be a book note.
Of course, this reading note isn't very formal, and it doesn't include excerpts or reflections. It's more like Professor Cabel jotted down some thoughts as he read.
The entire sheet of paper is about the size of four palms, and the content is roughly divided into four sections.
In the upper left corner, Professor Cabel wrote down several doubts in his mind: "Is the content of this book true or false?" "Unknown source..." "If it's true, then it's too..." "Damn it! Damn it! How could this be!"
These contents are not particularly valuable, but they perfectly reflect the tension, fear, and unease Professor Cabel felt while reading them.
He acquired a book of unknown origin, the contents of which greatly shocked him and even shook some of his long-held beliefs.
In the lower left corner, Professor Kabel repeatedly wrote the words: "Shadow," "Madness," and "Silence." "Shadow," "Shadow," "Madness," "Madness," "Silence," "Silence."
There was also a word secretly written in the corner: "Slaughter".
Ciles stared at the word "killing" for a while.
In the upper right corner, Professor Cabel seemed to have copied down a short, monologue-like passage. Several words were blacked out, and some characters were written so carelessly that Ciles couldn't even recognize them.
"I don't believe (the blacked-out words) can die."
"The gods should forever dwell above (the illegible handwriting)."
"Believers should always prostrate themselves before Him."
There must be something we don't know.
"...something (the blackened words) remains silent in the darkness..."
Ciles stared silently at the few lines of text, countless possibilities flashing through his mind in an instant.
This passage… whether it was an excerpt or Cabel's own writing—gave Ciles a subtle sense of unease. He didn't know where that unease came from.
Suddenly, a notification sounded.
[Spirituality +1.]
...Spirituality?
Ciles took a light breath.
Just by looking at this vague text and this messy manuscript, his inspiration was instantly amplified.
Before that, when he left the room of the History Society, a prompt had echoed in his mind, telling him that his spirituality and knowledge had increased slightly. That was normal, after all, he had just received information related to the Revelation.
That was the first time I'd heard of such a thing, and it's very likely that it won't increase this quickly in the future.
But now, just by looking at this manuscript, his spirituality has increased a little?
In tabletop RPGs like those played by Cyrus, spirituality often signifies a connection to the divine. In simpler terms, a higher spirituality increases the likelihood of encountering supernatural events—the more likely one is to "see ghosts."
He doesn't know if ghosts exist in this world, but the higher one's spirituality, the easier it is to detect anomalies and encounter danger.
He gained two points of spirituality today.
Ciles felt his future was uncertain.
He couldn't help but look up at the motionless dice on the table, his feelings becoming increasingly complicated.
He looked down again at the last part of the manuscript, the bottom right corner. There was an eye symbol there, but a cross was drawn over it, and the two vertical lines were drawn very thickly.
...Does this symbol represent Antinham? Then what does the cross signify? Is it disdain for Antinham, or...?
As Cyrus's mind wandered, his spirituality increased a little more.
Sireston immediately closed his eyes. Although his expression remained calm, the manuscript, which didn't contain much information, had given him a boost of two points of spiritual insight, a truly remarkable loss.
It would have been better if a host had told him why he was gaining spirituality. However, his irresponsible host completely ignored him.
What was making his judgment? What was prompting him to increase his attribute points? Celes knew nothing.
After a moment, he took a deep breath, but did not open his eyes. Instead, he fumbled for another piece of paper to cover the manuscript and set it aside before finally opening his eyes.
He gained two points of insight, and although he didn't get any information, he did have a clue outside of this manuscript—what book did Professor Cabel read? Why did he suddenly submit his resignation? Why did his teaching assistant mysteriously disappear?
...Could that book be the Time Track? Could something have happened to those two?
Ciles felt a sense of unease and danger. Many secrets seemed to still be hidden within that messy office.
He realized that studying the past might be safe on Earth; but in this world, having the power to reproduce past events meant that the past itself was dangerous.
He stood up, went to the window, and looked at the rain and night outside the blurry glass, gradually calming down. He thought that, in any case, this matter required a much longer investigation.
Now, he finally has to focus on his lesson preparation.
After standing for a while, feeling that he had finally calmed down completely, Ciles sat back down at his desk. He placed the manuscript, which was of no immediate research value—and he dared not research it—at the very bottom of the drawer, and then began to peruse Professor Cabel's lesson plans.
As night deepened, Ciles outlined the general framework of the Silent Era literary theory and the course syllabus, and also compiled a rough reading list. His references were a reading list Professor Bright had given him, and the old book he had browsed in the antique bookstore that morning.
Of course, he carefully selected contemporary works and did not have his students read literature from before the Mist Period. He had no idea whether any of his students possessed the qualities of an enlightener.
Finally putting down his pen, Ciles let out a slightly relieved sigh. He noticed that the ink bottle was almost empty, so he secretly added it to tomorrow's shopping list.
He stopped working, tidied up all the documents and papers on his desk, turned off the wall lamp, closed his eyes to rest for a moment, and then got up to wash up and rest.
Just then, he heard footsteps echoing in the hallway outside. He wondered if it was the folklorist returning, or the couple who always left early and returned late.
He didn't hear the door open or close, so he figured it might be the upstairs tenant. He stopped thinking about it and went to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. He thought to himself, "A flush toilet is truly one of the symbols of civilization and progress."
Soon, Ciles fell asleep to the sound of pattering rain. He woke up very early the next morning, as usual.
He lay in bed for a while, taking some time to review what had happened yesterday and what he needed to do today, before slowly getting up, washing up, changing his clothes, and going out.
It was still a gloomy, rainy day outside. The wind had picked up, and dark clouds filled the sky, making it seem as if a torrential downpour was about to begin.
Sirius carefully took his umbrella and everything else he needed. He ran into Mrs. Finn again in the first-floor foyer. This time, Mrs. Finn's worry and anxiety were almost undisguised on her face.
She answered Ciles's greeting absentmindedly.
"I'm planning to go to Logan Market," Sirius said. "May I use your kitchen later?"
"What? Oh…oh, of course. Mr. Noel, just remember to clean up," Mrs. Finn said. "Men always have a hard time showing off their skills in the kitchen."
She said this with a hint of displeasure.
Sirius looked at Mrs. Finn and wondered if something had happened to her husband, or perhaps to her son.
Mrs. Finn's husband, Mr. Finn, was a merchant who traveled between Ramifa and the Ashlands, apparently dealing in expensive furs—this was Mrs. Finn's boastful remark.
He's rarely home, always returning to Ramifa just before the rainy season ends. Since it's already late July, Mr. Finn should be heading home soon.
Since Mr. Finn is not home, the reason Mrs. Finn is so anxious right now is probably because of her son.
That young boy...
Sirius had some thoughts swirling in his mind, but he didn't ask any further questions. He simply nodded politely and left 13 Milford Street. It was about a ten-minute walk from Milford Street to Logan Market.
Along the way, Ciles finally had the time to take a look at his surroundings.
Milford Street is located in a bustling area of Ramifacy, always crowded with people, most of whom look hurried and tired. Carriages pass by, and occasionally, conversations or noises can be heard.
It has sewers, water pipes, flush toilets, shops, and windows. Compared to some other parts of the West Side, this neighborhood is relatively advanced, but it still can't compare to the East Side.
The majority of buildings in this neighborhood are three or four stories high, with some of the reddish-brown bricks peeling off. There is little greenery along the street, and most of the doors face directly onto the street.
Soon after, Ciles arrived at Logan Market.
He spotted Glenfield Antique Bookstore again, but perhaps because it was still early, Sirius found it wasn't open yet. He had originally planned to visit the kind shopkeeper on his way, but now he had to head to the market first.
Logan Market is a large commercial center; it's not only a vegetable market but also a shopping mall for everyday goods.
First, Ciles returned the glass bottle of goat's milk, then bought ink, paper, some cardboard boxes for packing luggage, and some long loaves of bread that could be stored for longer, as well as jam, cheese, and other things.
Afterwards, he went to the market and bought some vegetables.
He planned to cook some hot soup—to be honest, don't ask too much of him for cooking skills; being able to cook some soup to eat with bread would already be a decent meal.
It's nothing more than hot pot with white bread. A strange but filling combination.
Since he planned to cook something like hot pot, he needed to buy some suitable broth and ingredients. Ciles spotted a spice shop at the corner of the road and went over.
He paused in front of the spice shop and noticed an advertisement for barbecue seasonings, MSG, sauces, and the like, which seemed to be selling very well, with many people buying them inside.
Ciles looked at the advertisements with great interest, comparing them to the corresponding seasonings on Earth. He discovered that this world and Earth still shared some similarities.
When he entered the store, he found that the shoppers were all simply dressed women over thirty. They glanced curiously at Ciles, who had come to the store, and then focused on queuing.
Ciles noticed that the vast majority of customers were queuing for MSG. Intrigued by the taste of this otherworldly monosodium glutamate, he joined the queue at the back. Unfortunately, he couldn't buy any; the MSG was selling so well that it was completely sold out.
Ciles heard the clerk shouting, "Liquid beef is out of stock! Out of stock! Come back tomorrow! Come back tomorrow!"
The term "liquid beef" took Ciles somewhat by surprise.
After listening to what others said, he learned that it was now popular to put MSG directly into the soup and cook it, which could produce a flavor similar to beef. Therefore, MSG is also known as liquid beef.
...It is said that MSG was originally made using beef.
Ciles couldn't help but show a complicated expression.
He suddenly realized that if he could reproduce some of the seasonings on Earth, could that be a way to make money? Or, could he sell some recipes?
Thinking about this, he absentmindedly bought some sauce and soup base and left.
After that, he went to buy some vegetables and meat. The lively sounds around him lifted his spirits. No matter the world, the market is always bustling and full of life.
As he left, he heard people arguing in front of a newly opened butcher shop. Apparently, the shop was new and therefore offered very low prices, which had drawn the ire of other butcher shop owners.
Ciles paused to listen for a while, then glanced up at the name of the newly opened butcher shop—Grayson. He thought that if it was really cheap, he could buy meat here next time.
He then left Logan Market.
He bought a bunch of things, spending nearly three ducal coins, the most expensive of which were the packing boxes and vegetables.
From afar, he saw that the Glenfield Antique Bookstore was already open for business, and then looked down at the large pile of things he was carrying. He hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he went back first and hurriedly broke off a small piece of bread for breakfast.
Then he went out again to visit the mysterious Grenfell.