Seeking Something

"It seems I've gotten myself involved in the internal conflicts of a noble family," Adam thought to himself.

When Matt entered the room, Adam immediately realized who had sent Macallan. He had birds follow Macallan and noted down everyone Macallan interacted with for extended periods. When Adam encountered these individuals, the birds would signal him with their calls.

The first person signaled was David. When the middle-aged man entered, the birds signaled again.

Walker, who had been standing silently, also glanced at the birds outside.

Seeing this, Adam walked to the window, opened it, and gestured for the birds to perch on his hand. The last, slightly chubby bird wobbled and perched on his head.

"They are my pets. I left them outside to avoid causing any trouble," Adam apologized.

"Master Adam is too considerate," Doug replied, increasingly appreciating Adam. Despite being a commoner, Adam excelled in every aspect except for his birth. If such a young man had been born into the Rome family, it would have been ideal. Initially, Doug only sought to get close to Adam for the longevity potion, but now he genuinely admired Adam's talent.

"Master Adam, you must stay with us tonight," Doug said decisively, then instructed Walker, "Have someone notify the Boku family and bring some small gifts."

"Thank you, Mr. Doug," Adam replied. He had initially declined but now accepted, understanding that he was already entangled in the affairs concerning Doug and Alva. Avoiding it now would be futile, and Adam didn't like to evade challenges, even though his primary goal was to escape the domain of the Holy Sound Church.

"That was my eldest son, Matt," Doug said, sipping from a cup bearing the emblem of the Floating City.

Noting the cup, Adam blinked. Did all nobles favor the Floating City? He had seen similar cups when secretly observing the Mansla estate, carried into the study by maids.

Adam kept this in mind, continuing to listen to Doug's grievances as a good listener could earn great favor.

"Busy with family affairs in my youth, I neglected their education. Now, Matt has turned out quite disappointing," Doug's face darkened. "A noble heir who doesn't even understand our family's enterprises."

"I arranged several trials for him, but he barely passed one by luck. If he inherits the Rome family, it would be disastrous," Doug lamented. With a listener, he rarely had the chance to vent his frustrations. He had considered passing the crest to Matt but had quietly tested him first, hoping Matt would at least pass.

The results were disappointing. Matt couldn't even recognize the family casino and, under a planned scheme, lost his entire fortune, accruing significant debt. It wasn't just that he fell for the scheme; many nobles did. But he didn't even think to ask for help. Instead, he was scared into submission, holding onto the debt as if it were a lifeline.

Lacking intelligence, easily deceived, unable to seek help, cowardly, and not even brazen enough to deny the debt—Matt's failure had made Doug vomit blood.

Adam, though unaware of all the details, expressed his sympathy, understanding that for nobles, the most crucial matter was always the legacy.

After venting his frustrations, Adam expected Doug to bring up his request regarding Alva. Surprisingly, Doug restrained himself and did not mention Alva at all.

That evening, Adam was invited to dine with the family. At dinner, he met Doug's other children, who were timid and fearful of Doug but harbored their own small ambitions. This was Adam's impression of them.

Seeing them, Adam understood why Doug, despite his disappointment, hadn't revoked Matt's inheritance. Canceling it would only cause more significant problems.

"Such a failure in education," Adam thought. If only one child had turned out this way, it would be their problem. But since all of them were this way, it reflected on Doug's failures as a parent.

The other children showed various reactions to Adam's presence, while Matt remained conspicuously absent throughout the dinner.

Matt felt his territory was being invaded. The old man dared to bring someone directly into the estate. Was he planning to announce the revocation of Matt's inheritance and throw him out? After hearing that Adam had entered the study with Doug, Matt lost all rationality and stormed in. Realizing what he had done, he couldn't even express his anger under Doug's reprimand, redirecting all his resentment toward Adam.

In his mind, Adam had become his competitor. Learning that Doug had secretly sent people to the central clock tower, Matt was convinced of his suspicions.

"The old man is so eager, huh?" Matt thought, angrily lifting a vase, then deciding against breaking it for fear of making too much noise and drawing attention. He put it down, seething in his room.

"No, I must act," Matt decided, summoning his servants.

Meanwhile, a group of people sneaked into the central clock tower under the cover of night, quietly searching for hidden mechanisms. However, after several rounds of inspection, they found nothing and discovered one of their members had disappeared without a trace, silently vanishing.

Realizing this, the remaining individuals quickly fled the tower.

In the eleventh layer, Celine, holding a spellbook, stared at the unconscious intruder before looking up at the twelfth layer. Invisible whips wrapped around the person, dragging them into the room.

After dinner, Doug disappeared briefly before reappearing and inviting Adam to the study.

Understanding it was time to discuss serious matters, Adam didn't refuse.

"Master Adam, you've seen my children," Doug said, appearing much older. "None of my sons are competent, and though a couple of my daughters have some wits, they've all married."

"Mr. Doug, feel free to speak your mind. I'll help however I can," Adam offered, knowing such promises often carried little weight.

Finally, Doug revealed his true request.

"Master Adam, studying under Master Alva, you might know of one of his remarkable achievements."

"The longevity potion," Doug said, coughing, his eyes gleaming with a different light.

Adam felt an indescribable malice envelop him—not from Doug, but from the mere mention of the longevity potion.

His eyes widened, feigning surprise, while internally, he understood everything.

Why had a member of the Holy Sound Triumvirate become a painter? Most churches believed life and death were decreed by the gods and shouldn't be altered. Although this belief weakened the church, leading to the rise of noble power, some ambitious individuals within the church sought change. Yet, their fates were rarely favorable.

It seemed Alva was among them.