Adam awoke early in the morning and immediately noticed that Kro had already placed water outside his door.
In every aspect, Kro surpassed McAllen, yet Adam did not hold Kro in as high regard as he did McAllen.
Kro was intelligent and attuned to the situation. He could execute commands with precision, preparing everything in advance and meticulously observing Adam's habits, offering care without intruding. This was a far cry from what McAllen, the 'coachman,' could manage.
For this era, Kro was a rare talent. He was not merely a coachman; perhaps it was precisely because of this that Adam's impression of McAllen remained stronger.
Perhaps, for a long time to come, Adam would remember a coachman like McAllen, one who, like most people of this era, was confined by the limitations of his own identity and fate. The slightest deviation from the norm led to his demise.
As Adam boarded the carriage, heading towards the central clock tower, he sensed something was amiss in Roya today.
There were noticeably more people on the streets than usual, and the patrolling soldiers had increased in number, appearing significantly more elite. With his sharp eye, Adam could even spot several knights among the soldiers.
"Has something significant occurred?" Adam furrowed his brow, deciding he would inquire with Doug later. As a local noble, Doug was bound to have the most up-to-date information.
After once again entering the Reflection Tower with a gold coin in hand, Adam did not linger and proceeded directly to the tenth floor.
At that moment, Selene happened to be descending the stairs.
Their eyes met. Adam nodded slightly in greeting and was about to push open the door when Selene called out to him.
"Who were those people searching the tower that day?" she asked.
"I've already informed the Master," Adam replied. He had always been curious about the Master's niece. Judging by the publication dates of some books on the shelf, it was clear that the Reflection Tower was not entirely isolated from the world.
Since Anthony rarely left the tower, it was only Selene who handled the errands outside. She had likely been with Anthony for a long time and must have known everything about him.
"Are they from Alva?" Selene asked calmly. However, when she mentioned Alva, Adam could almost sense a trace of animosity in her voice.
"No, they aren't," Adam shook his head. Based on the information he had, Alva had provided much support to this place, but Selene seemed to harbor a deep resentment toward Alva. What, then, had transpired between Anthony and Alva?
Selene's composed expression shattered after hearing Adam's denial, replaced by an unrelenting bitterness. She looked at him and asked, "What is his current condition? Has he completely lost the ability to move? Why has he not come to visit the Master for so long?"
"You should be able to go outside, right?" Adam countered. "Alva lives not far from here…"
"I cannot approach him, and anyone who has come into contact with me would also be detected if they drew near him," Selene seemed to regain her composure, though the hatred in her words, whenever Alva was mentioned, could not be concealed.
"If it weren't for the Reflection Tower, he would notice our contact."
Adam was taken aback. Could Alva truly be that powerful?
"I don't know much about Alva. All I know is that his primary role now is as a painter," Adam casually shared what little he knew about Alva. However, as he spoke, he realized his memory of Alva had grown increasingly faint—he could not even recall Alva's face clearly.
"Is that so?" Selene, receiving no further information, turned and walked away.
After she left, Adam reflected again, and fragments of memory began to resurface.
"What exactly did Alva do?" Adam furrowed his brow, recalling some of the information Anthony had shared about Alva, particularly his exceptional talent for curses.
"Is the trigger related to contact with Selene?" Adam wondered. Upon entering the library, he found Anthony already seated inside.
Dressed as always in the attire of a noble youth, Anthony was engrossed in a book, his expression tinged with melancholy.
"Good morning, Adam," Anthony greeted, his warm smile returning as he asked Adam about his grasp of the magical models.
After confirming that Adam had a solid understanding of the models, Anthony began preparing for the semi-solidification of the spellcraft.
He retrieved the materials Adam had brought back the previous night and began to divide them into separate components for processing.
"Follow me," Anthony instructed, taking the prepared materials and leading Adam to the sixth floor.
Guided by Anthony, Adam arrived at the floor and noticed there was little to see except for a high platform, upon which a flame burned in mid-air.
"This is the Source Energy Layer," Anthony explained. "It draws natural power from the environment, converting it into Source Energy Flame to power the entire Reflection Tower."
"If I use my own mental energy to alter these materials, it will have some impact on your mental strength, but with the Source Energy Flame, there will be no such effect."
"It's purely the power of nature," he continued, extending his hand. The flame separated into a ball the size of a fist.
"There's a new theory in the trinary system—soul, life, and nature. Many believe these three elements can ultimately merge into one," Anthony added. "Although it's just a theory, several aspects have already supported this idea."
"For instance, certain materials, when refined in a specific way, can adopt characteristics from other elements."
"Take these spellcraft materials. After refinement, they can acquire the properties of mental energy and be absorbed into your mental energy operation mode."
"Rituals work similarly. When mental energy is refined, it can directly interact with tangible natural substances in the real world."
Adam listened attentively to Anthony's instruction and, following his guidance, began processing the materials using the Source Energy Flame.
Through the refining process with pure natural energy, and occasionally channeling his own mental energy into the materials, Adam noticed the materials slowly began to transform.
"The Earth's marrow stone needs to be mixed with clean water and stirred to ensure the powder integrates with the water. When white bubbles appear under the influence of the Source Energy Flame, scrape them off. During this process, gently send your mental energy into the bottom of the stone."
"For the Night Bloom flower, reduce the Source Energy Flame to its lowest, then encase it in Black Meteorite Dust. When the dust starts to glow faintly, stop the burning, and immediately send your mental energy as soon as the flame is withdrawn."
As Adam worked, he felt as though he were cooking.
After collecting the final batch of processed materials into a container, Adam exhaled deeply. There had been a few failures along the way, but thankfully, the materials Anthony had provided were plentiful, and Adam's mental energy was sufficient.
"Next, use your mental energy to absorb these materials into your mental operation mode. Construct them according to the spellcraft model," Anthony instructed. "Don't worry if the model has small issues. The semi-solidification technique allows for continuous adjustments while maintaining the general structure."
"Rest for a while and recover your mental energy. Once you're nearly recovered in the afternoon, we'll proceed with the semi-solidification."
After returning to the tenth floor, Adam relaxed and began reviewing the fundamental knowledge of his magical profession.
It was hard to deny the peace that came from being alone in the library, quietly learning—an overwhelming sense of comfort.
"If it weren't for my status, I might have fallen in love with these moments," Adam thought as he watched Anthony leave. His mind drifted back to Alva.
"It's clear now. When I interact with Selene or Anthony, my memories of Alva begin to fade quickly. I can still think clearly when considering matters related to Alva, but when I try to recall specific memories, it's as if they've been locked away."
In other words, thoughts involving Alva could be processed, but recalling them directly was impossible.
"Is Alva trying to prevent me from revealing information about him to Anthony and the others?"
"Yes, that's right!" Alva's voice suddenly rang out, sending a chill down Adam's spine.