Furen strolled leisurely along the streets of Winston District, contemplating what he had accomplished and left undone today while planning his next steps.
"First, I need to subscribe to the Trier Merchant Evening News. That means I'll have to visit the post office. However, this task isn't urgent—my 'apprentices' haven't digested their potions yet. Experiencing this world's post office in advance might actually be an interesting experience. Hmm, I can take care of this on my way home."
"Wait, when I transmigrated, there were already newspapers in the study. If I recall correctly... oh yes, it was the Trier Daily, one of the most influential newspapers in Trier. But why haven't I seen it in my mailbox yesterday or today?" Furen had just remembered the matter of subscribing to a newspaper, but he quickly realized something was off. Subconsciously, he'd felt a vague sense of discomfort.
Upon further reflection, Furen concluded that he truly had no particular thoughts on the matter and ruled out any extraordinary influence—after all, the only item capable of causing such coincidences, "0-08," was still locked away in the Church of the Evernight Goddess, waiting for Adam's schemes and the Goddess's tacit approval to reemerge in the world. Moreover, "0-08" had a limited range of influence. Ultimately, Furen chalked it up to coincidence.
Furen continued sorting through his thoughts: "Next is uncovering the true nature of this extraordinary organization. From my father's diary, I only saw records of a few particularly notorious organizations, including the churches. The rest were groups that have existed since the Fourth or early Fifth Epoch—such as the Demoness Sect, Moses Ascetic Order, Mystery Pryers, Blood Sanctity Sect, Hermits of Fate, Pure Light Brotherhood, Spirit Knowledge Assembly, Spirit Worship Cult, Life School and the Rose School of Thought. Then there's Sam, who's a 'Pyromancer.: That must correspond to the Red Priest and Demoness pathways. Could it be the Spirit Knowledge Assembly or the Demoness Sect?"
In a flash, Furen considered other possibilities: "The Sauron and Einhorn families also control the Red Priest pathway. Are these two angel families fishing for information? No, wait—Sauron family... could it be the Iron and Blood Cross Society? The decline of the Sauron family coincided almost perfectly with the rise of the Iron and Blood Cross Society. And this extraordinary gathering has managed to persist for so long without being eradicated. Could it be that the leader of the Iron and Blood Cross Society seized the Sequence 2 'Weather Warlock' characteristic, or even Sequence 1 'Conqueror,' during the Sauron family's decline? It's not impossible. I'll need to be cautious—after all, tall trees catch the wind."
Recalling the cross-shaped symbol, Furen couldn't help but place some faith in his hypothesis. He then shifted his thoughts back to personal matters: "Next are the family gathering and the philosophy meeting, both of which are imminent. I must prepare adequately. I'll need to borrow some philosophy books from the library and also study the material assigned in my curriculum. Only then can I quickly and successfully digest my potion. Ugh, what a headache!"
Before he realized it, Furen had arrived at the entrance of the Trier National Library. He wasn't surprised—after all, the library's location in Hopetown District was conveniently situated between Hernk District and Winston District. Furen also recognized that his recent deep thoughts had consumed quite a bit of time.
Considering that the most pressing matter was to acquire a basic understanding of philosophy, Furen entered the library without further deliberation and began searching for relevant books.
Before long, Furen found himself on the second floor of the library, browsing the theology section. To his delight, he discovered a book titled A Concise History of Ancient and Modern Philosophy by Gerka E. Allen. Despite its name, the book's sheer thickness left Furen feeling a bit daunted—it was nearly one and a half times as thick as the heaviest Five-Year College Entrance Examination, Three-Year Simulation.
Hoping against hope, Furen opened the book, praying the font size might be unusually large. He carried it to the second-floor reading area, only to find, to his dismay, that the font was actually one or two sizes smaller than other books.
Rubbing his temples with both hands, Furen felt some relief from his inexplicable headache. He skimmed through the author's preface:
"…I am fortunate to live in an era of philosophical explosion and to have the opportunity to introduce readers to professional treatises and terminology from various philosophical schools. I have endeavored to write this book in the simplest possible language for all who wish to learn philosophy…"
Furen couldn't help but develop serious doubts about the author's grasp of numbers. His suspicion deepened when he saw the claim:
"…This is undoubtedly the most comprehensive and concise introductory philosophy book you will ever read…"
Furen had lost the will to complain, feeling only the immense difficulty and complexity of digesting the Apprentice potion pathway.
"Perhaps I was wrong. 'Apprentice' isn't meant to be played this way. I was wrong—so very wrong…" Bowing once again before the altar of academic rigor, Furen's actions betrayed his resolve. He placed the massive tome on the desk and began reading it in detail.
Before long, Furen found himself pleasantly surprised. "Who would've thought Gerka E. Allen had such talent? The book is both witty and accessible—unexpectedly enjoyable!"
However, he soon slapped his forehead in frustration. "Ah! How could I be so careless? I came here to study, yet I forgot to bring a notebook, pen, or scratch paper. No matter—I'll browse today and return tomorrow to study properly."
As Furen immersed himself in A Concise History of Ancient and Modern Philosophy, his understanding of this world's history deepened.
In this world, since the recorded Fifth Epoch, philosophy initially struggled under the infiltration and suppression of theology. However, thanks to a few representative thinkers promoting religion-tinged philosophy, the world avoided a thousand-year dark age akin to medieval Western Europe. Instead, it quickly emerged from that period.
With the tacit understanding of several churches, philosophy, while subordinate to theology, developed independently and carved out a unique trajectory distinct from the philosophy Furen had previously known.
Philosophy came to champion reason and experimentation, eventually proving the existence of gods and the necessity of theology. Through this path, philosophy achieved a semi-independent status.
As for the major figures in this philosophical history, Gerka E. Allen dedicated special sections to discuss them chronologically. These included, but were not limited to, Konciso, Mareid, and Patterson, the founders of pragmatic philosophy; Lumier, who proclaimed that "Man is born free"; and even Roselle—the legendary figure who coined terms such as metaphysics and mechanology and pioneered dialectics.
Furen found himself baffled by the "Child of Steam's" specific methodologies.
***
Furen skimmed over the blinding rhetoric of Roselle, the Great Philosopher, and noted that the development of philosophy in this world was surprisingly similar to the history of philosophy in his own. It seemed that the methods and solutions thinkers employed to tackle problems were remarkably alike. Indeed, the minds of the wise often reached similar conclusions.
Following his own pace, Furen read a few chapters of A Concise History of Ancient and Modern Philosophy. When he checked the time, he realized it was about time to return home. If Betley's incessant calls broke his concentration and caused him to lose control here, in Trier National Library—a place clearly under the protection of extraordinary beings—he would undoubtedly meet his end.
Without lingering further, Furen left the library at an unhurried yet steady pace. The golden rays of the setting sun bathed the library's pristine white walls, reflecting a soft, radiant glow that wasn't blinding but bright.
After spending so much time inside, Furen stretched his slightly stiff body under the evening sun. He yawned, waved his hand, and flagged down a coachman in search of passengers.
Soon enough, Furen managed to find a carriage, though instead of heading straight home, he said to the driver, "Please take me to the nearest post office on the way to Corson Street in the Goldhanson District."
The coachman paused for a moment, surprised by such a specific and lengthy destination. However, as an experienced driver, he asked no questions and simply replied, "Alright, sir. Please get in. If we're heading to the nearest post office in that direction, it should be the one in Hearnk District. The ones in Hopetown and Winston would take us off course."
He waited for Furen's confirmation before cracking his whip. In a cheerful voice, he gave his horse a command only the two of them understood, and the carriage began to move slowly.
Furen noted the driver's unusual optimism. Although this was only his second time taking a carriage, he could already tell this coachman was far more cheerful than the last one. Intrigued, Furen struck up a conversation.
The coachman shared that he had been working since he was old enough to hold a whip, accumulating over twenty years of experience. After many years of scrimping and saving, he had finally become the proud owner of his own carriage. This achievement allowed him to move out of the slums and into the commoners' district, where he could afford to rent a small, affordable row house.
Despite being in his thirties, the coachman's enduring enthusiasm for life deeply moved Furen.
Not long after, they arrived at the post office in Hearnk District. The building wasn't bustling, but it wasn't deserted either. Furen didn't have to wait long before he learned how to subscribe to newspapers.
He quickly located the postal codes for the Trier Merchant Evening News and the Trier Daily. After paying for the subscriptions, he pocketed the receipt and left the post office.
By the time the red afterglow of the sunset had yet to fade entirely, Furen noticed the crimson full moon beginning to ascend from the edge of the horizon. For a fleeting moment, his face showed fear of the unknown threat, but it quickly disappeared. Checking the time, he realized it had taken him only half an hour to finish his errands.
Finding the coachman still waiting nearby, Furen thanked him and climbed back into the carriage.
Though he had delayed the driver by half an hour, the man showed no sign of displeasure. Instead, he shared stories about his family's hardships and his dedication to his work. Furen, amused by the coachman's peculiar reminders, could only shake his head with a wry smile. Still, he hinted that he would compensate the man generously. Only then did the driver feel a little relieved and drop the subject.
The rhythmic clatter of the carriage wheels echoed through Corson Street in the Goldhanson District as Furen finally returned to what could be considered his home in this world.
Handing over double the usual fare, Furen noticed the coachman's face light up with a mix of surprise and joy, as if he'd just received something he didn't deserve. The man hurriedly tried to decline.
Furen smiled and said, "This is the payment you've earned. Though you didn't stop talking while driving, the experience was entertaining for a change. Keep up the good work, and I hope your life gets even better."
Seeing that Furen wouldn't take back the extra money, the coachman finally accepted it, expressing his gratitude before driving off in high spirits to find his next passenger.
Furen turned back to the spacious mansion, now bathed in the ominous crimson glow of the moonlight. The eerie atmosphere made his mood slightly heavier. After all, the full moon was about to rise, and the sounds it would bring were the source of his inner torment.
However, Furen wasn't overcome by fear. Instead, he calmly entered the study, lit a candle, and retrieved his father's astrology notebook. Without lingering, he proceeded to the top floor.
The third floor, excluding the rooftop, was the mansion's highest point. There, in a study with a large balcony, Furen lit another candle. Before the full moon arrived, he began reading the legacy Martin had left behind.
Glancing at the timetable at the back of the notebook, Furen memorized the schedule and compared it to his pocket watch. Immersing himself in the text, he read:
"…In the mystical starry sky, each star is believed to represent a deity. The Seven Gods are considered the most powerful stars. Thus, we begin by learning about the seven stars associated with the gods—Venus for the God of Steam and Machinery, the Sun for the Eternal Blazing Sun, the Moon for the Evernight Goddess, Jupiter for the Lord of Storms, Mars for the God of Combat, Mercury for the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, and Saturn for the Earth Mother…"
After a brief immersion in reading, Furen checked his watch again. There were only ten minutes left before the full moon. Remaining calm, he closed the notebook, retrieved two items he always carried—the "Meteorite Dagger" and the "Angel's Gate," names he had given his mystical artifacts—and placed them on the table.
Then, he sat quietly on the spacious balcony. The cold ground seemed to cool the turbulent emotions in his heart. With his pocket watch beside him, Furen closed his eyes and began meditating. Those ten minutes felt like an eternity.