The dimly lit cellar of the Auberge du Coq Doré was a cozy tavern that could accommodate no more than twenty to thirty patrons. Warm yellow light from the steam lamps flickered against the wooden walls as the aroma of roasted meat, cheap ale, and tobacco filled the air. Tankards clinked together every so often, while a few drunken customers laughed boisterously around a nearby table.
Adam and Adrian were already seated in a secluded corner, patiently waiting for their meal.
After a moment of silence, Adam glanced at the loose linen clothes he was wearing and muttered,
"I should've bought another set of clothes on the way here. I'm sure I would've found something that fit better."
Adrian looked up from his drink and snorted.
"Listen to you. Spending money you haven't even earned yet. You're an even worse saver than I am."
He tugged at Adam's sleeve.
"Besides, those were the cheapest clothes I could find. I have better uses for my money."
Wait... I only said that i did not like the clothes. Why did he react as though I'd criticized him? what better use does he have for his money?
Adam looked down at his shirt and said with a sigh.
They probably couldn't have been any cheaper...
After a brief pause, he said.
"I'm supposed to observe the streets of Trier and anything out of the ordinary. I should blend in with everyone else. These clothes are a little too loose. Perhaps I should've simply worn the clergyman's robe I arrived in."
Anxious about wearing an uncommon attire across the streets.
He looked toward Adrian and asked.
"Is there a strict dress code in Trier that I should know about?"
Adrian chuckled.
"Not at all. People wear whatever they can afford—or whatever they like. Trier isn't the sort of city that cares about what people wear. have you not notice the variety of dresses people wear?
Adam looked around once and replied.
yes there appears to be no rules regarding dress code
"I see then I can most likely make my own clothes. I'll keep in mind to buy the tools and materials then I can return the clothes you gave me.
Adrian appeared pleased for a moment as it was never his intent to assist in that aspect, Adam knew that it was only because the church asked.
Before Adam could say anything Adrian's expression gradually became serious and began to focus on the task they were given. He lowered his voice.
we are not here to talk about clothes.
He casually glanced around the tavern before continuing.
"This inn belongs to one of Trier's major mobs. We're observing for signs of mistreatment, illegal Beyonder activity, or anything connected to evil gods."
Adam instinctively straightened his posture.
The casual atmosphere between them disappeared.
He had witnessed the devastation brought about by the descent of an evil god in Cordu. Yet one question continued to trouble him.
Why would the Deacon send me here simply to observe?
Could the descent of an evil god begin with the actions of ordinary believers?
After considering the matter, he quietly asked,
"Do the Purifiers suspect that some Beyonders secretly abandon the Orthodox Churches and become followers of evil gods while continuing to masquerade as believers?"
Adrian nodded.
Yes, they started appearing more frequently about 6 years ago and all the churches have been putting efforts into preventing their influence from gaining a foothold.
He took a sip of his beer before adding,
"Faith spreads faster than disease. Once an evil cult gains followers, it rarely stays in one place."
Adam slowly nodded.
So that's how it happened...
A believer of an evil god entered Cordu and gradually influenced the villagers.
No wonder Valentine's report contained so many unanswered questions.
That's dangerous... A single believer managed to influence an entire village.
His thoughts continued.
Only Lumian Lee and I appeared to have walked away unscathed which is the grounds for weariness and caution.
The Church has already placed a bounty on him and they have placed me under observation.
Then why assign me to such a mission?
His fingers unconsciously tightened around the edge of the table.
...Unless they intend to observe whether I attract abnormalities.
If I were secretly corrupted, cultists or strange incidents might naturally gather around me.
It isn't an unreasonable precaution.
Then another memory surfaced.
But wasn't there also a woman...?
The one who left those strange cards behind...
Just as Adam was about to voice another question.
A lanky young man. Barely 1.7 meters tall, the man wore a faded linen shirt and black suspenders. Oversized black-framed glasses perched on his nose, and his unkempt, greasy brown hair looked as if it hadn't been washed for days. His dark-brown eyes betrayed his wariness.
Adam looked at him from a distance and casually observed this apparently stressed person. his peculiar expression drawing his interest.
A waiter had suddenly arrived with their meat broth and beer . Adrian immediately began to eat but Adam did not touched his food yet as he was now observing the other individuals in the room.
Most of them were native Intisian with the hereditary blue eyes and brown hair , some of them were already drunk at this time of the day while others were talking and eating.
The bartender looked at the tired young man and said .
what's the matter? he asked concerned by the young man's appearance and state.
Gabriel forced a bitter smile and responded I just ran out of ideas for the manuscript I am working on and came down for a drink.
do you want a glass of absinthe? the bartender asked feeling content with the reply as thought he had heard it before.
yes please. Gabriel replied.
you really need to take a break, you have at for about how many weeks now?
the bartender replied as he filled a glass and placed it in front of Gabriel.
three weeks. Gabriel said as he grabbed the glass and took a sip of it.
the bar tender was slightly alarmed as he said .
well then have you ever showcased some of your work to a Theatre ?
yeah i had the idea but i went to a few, but none of them thought it would be a big hit compared to the other writers that had already signed up. most of them focused on romance and fantasy.
after Gabriel spoke he drank from the glass again this time a larger sip.
from this observation, adam could infer the man's state of mind and his desire for recognition.
He seems to be a play wright having a writers tragedy as he hasn't found the means to make his works truly known. But he still manages to get a room here suggesting he has a job that pays a little?
The bartender is just going easy like he had seen him in this state before and is concerned but not to a visible extent.
Amidst Adam analysis Adrian suddenly tugged at him and said hey, arent you going to eat your food? adrian asked with food stuffed in his mouth.
Adam couldn't hear what he said well due to his mouth being stuffed but the intention was clear.
Adam looked at the food on the table and quietly began eating. he noticed that adrian had alread eaten close to half of his food.
seeing this adam couldnt help but this.
don't they feed you where you come from?
adam might just be a little judgy but what they had ordered was meat broth which was quite spicy.
did you hear about the speech charlie said yesterday night?
what speech? gabriel asked with interest finding something to distract him from his situation.
charlie was a neighbour of the Auberge du Coq Dore Hotel where they were now was the basement of the hostel. he had been drunk the night before and gave a speech.
well he said that he was going to switch his faith from the church of steam to the church of the eternal blazing sun. Apparently he had been struggling for a while until he saw the portrait of Saint Viève of the eternal blazing sun in his room, and after he prayed to it he fate appeared to have suddenly changed for the better.
Adam turned slightly toward Adrian who had swallowed what was in his mouth and muttered.
"Saint Viève" Isn't she the guardian angel of Trier revered by the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun?"
"She is."
Adrian nodded.
"She's mentioned in the Church's Bible."
"Are there other guardian angels?"
"There are two others connected to Trier's history."
Adam silently memorized the information before returning his attention to the speaker.
He said he had been reborn and had a new job that started today, when I arrived early this morning I saw him leaving the inn with the new tenet.
Adam remained silent for a moment before quietly asking,
"I don't understand... Why would a guardian angel help someone find employment?"
Adrian smiled faintly.
"Perhaps She didn't."
Adam looked at him.
"People often find meaning in coincidences. For someone standing at death's door, even the smallest stroke of fortune can feel like divine intervention."
He paused before adding,
"And there's another possibility."
"What is it?"
"You've already experienced it."
Adam immediately recalled the previous evening.
"The choir..."
Adrian nodded.
"The hymns of the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun have a peculiar charm. Listen long enough, and many people gradually develop a favorable impression of the Church."
Adam remembered standing outside the cathedral only the night before.
When the choir had begun to sing, an inexplicable warmth had filled his heart.
For a fleeting moment...
He had genuinely wanted to step inside and join them.
Across the tavern, the young man's blue eyes sparkled with excitement as he made his way toward the bar.
The bartender, polishing a glass with a cloth, merely glanced at the enthusiastic orator before letting out an amused chuckle.
"Charlie never could keep quiet. Always talking."
Oh so it might've just been a day dream while being drunk
took a seat at the bar and asked with a grin,
"Is he telling the truth?"
"Who knows?" The bartender shrugged. "You know the proverb: It's better to trust a snake than a Reemian. Charlie is from Reem."
Reem and Riston Provinces both hailed from the south. Their accents were similar, but they were mountainous provinces more akin to Lenburg.
Adam was in a state of immersion finding delight in the conversation of the bartender and the young man. He felt that he had seen him before but he could not remember where.
Adrian was just eating his meat broth that was still steaming. He would on occasion turn to look at Adam and the two individual talking and then return to his meal.
The young man mused aloud,
that's not the whole proverb. there's more to it."
The bartender's azure eyes sparkled with amusement as he replied,
"You're right. That proverb is longer.
"Trust a Loenese over a Reemian. Trust a snake over a Reemian, but never trust the Islanders."
The islands referred to the Fog Sea archipelago west of Intis. This was one of the Republic's overseas colonies. The Islanders often played the roles of thugs and con artists in Trier.
Without waiting for the young man to inquire further, the bartender cast a mocking glance at Charlie, still droning on, and whispered,
"If he really experienced that, he certainly doesn't know that the portrait of Saint Viève isn't in his room."
"Then whose is it?" the young man asked, amused.
The bartender struggled to suppress his laughter.
"Charlie lives in Room 504. The previous tenant frequented the Quartier de la Princesse Rouge's Rue de la Muraille. The image in the room was of one of Trier's most famous prostitutes a few years back, Susanna Matisse."