Upon entering the library, Furen was immediately struck by the sight of a golden ocean. The first floor was entirely devoted to the works collected by the followers of the "Church of the Eternal Sun."
The content, at first glance, did not present any particular problem - except that all the authors, without exception, sought to extol the virtues of solar worship. From time to time, one could even find small hidden inserts, veritable disguised advertisements glorifying the Sun.
"Crazy people who worship the sun..." Furen thought. In his eyes, the believers in the Eternal Sun were like salesmen in a vast proselytizing network: wherever they went, they never stopped preaching.
Trier's nickname, "the City of the Sun," actually existed since the founding of the Intis. But originally—that is, towards the end of the Fourth Age—in the esoteric world, this apparently laudatory nickname had an ironic connotation.
It was then said that "the City of the Sun" mocked the excessive fervor of the faithful of the Eternal Sun: those who got too close to the sun ended up either dead or mad.
Looking back, it was not surprising that those who first named Trier in this way were the worshippers of the god of Knowledge and Wisdom. At that time, the followers of the two deities were temporarily united only by external circumstances—which made this nickname all the more delicious and true.
Furen owed all this occult knowledge to his father, Martin Abraham. In the secret room of his family library was a book entitled The Last Folly—The Pale Calamity.
Its author, though only a Sequence 5 Traveler, had lived through the final phase of the Pale Calamity and pored over countless archives. His book, therefore, enjoyed considerable credibility.
The National Library in Trier had a somewhat unusual layout. Unlike traditional libraries, the first floor did not house general knowledge about the world, but rather practical works: manuals for learning how to support oneself, or treatises on how to easily turn knowledge into profit—even if their limits remained modest.
On this floor, Furen saw here and there a few readers standing or sitting, immersed in their books. Their clothes were mostly simple, even shabby. Some, in the middle of reading, unconsciously raised their hands to their hollow stomachs. Beneath these rough clothes, one could make out emaciated, almost skeletal figures.
— "It's touching, isn't it?"
A voice rose from behind Furen as he watched the readers on the first floor. He didn't turn around right away; he first searched his memory for who the timbre of voice might belong to, while turning slowly, with a measured gesture.
Before him stood two young men whose clothes contrasted sharply with those of the readers.
The first had short, golden hair and wore a long white tunic embroidered with gold thread. Seeing Furen turn around, he gave her a kind smile and raised his hand in greeting. On his wrist shone a golden rosary, adorned—oddly enough—with a small kumquat flower, also made of gold.
The second, with brown hair, was wearing a navy suit over a brown waistcoat. His appearance seemed more reserved than the first, but not cold: he simply exuded an impression of unshakeable calm.
The contrast between their styles was so marked that their duo seemed almost incongruous… and yet, in a strange way, their association seemed natural, harmonious even.
As Furen watched them closely, the blond, noticing his reaction, gave a slightly embarrassed smile before lightly scratching the back of his head. Then, in a tone that was both playful and friendly, he said:
— "As always, Furen, you're very hard to recognize, your friend! It's me, Quevedo Heimer!"
The respected "Brightness of Wisdom," Master Roman Karman, do you remember? I was his student, just like you, when we attended his classes at Count Mann's mansion!"
At these words, Furen dropped his thoughtful expression and displayed a slightly apologetic smile. He extended a hand toward Quevedo and replied:
— "Forgive me. My memory may not be up to my friends' expectations, but I always do my best to recognize them. And... may I ask who your companion is?"
Quevedo then exclaimed enthusiastically:
— "Ah, this greeting gesture is such a beautiful custom! It perfectly embodies the warmth of the people of Trier!"
Governor Roselle is truly a man of great talent!"
Then, returning to the subject, he introduced the other man:
— "This is Mr. Erich Sabbach, from Lemberg. Among all the young men I have met, no one equals his erudition. He could converse as an equal with the scholars of the previous generation. We met right here, in the library. He is a man of admirable learning!"
Quevedo, filled with respect, leaned slightly forward, palms facing the sky, as if presenting a treasure too precious to be touched.
The young man in the blue suit stepped forward, extended his hand to Furen and, in a calm tone, said:
— "Hello. I'm Erich Sabbach, from Lemberg. I'm continuing my studies in Trier. Mr. Quevedo is undoubtedly the most passionate and knowledgeable man I've ever met. I'm happy to meet one of his friends."
— "Don't be fooled by his cold attitude!" Quevedo immediately intervened.
"In fact, he never hesitates to reach out to anyone who shares his thirst for knowledge."
Then, with a small apologetic smile, he clasped his hands in front of him, as if to apologize for having "slandered" his friend.
Furen took no notice. He shook Erich's hand and replied:
— "A friend from the haven of knowledge, Lemberg, can only be a brilliant mind. Quevedo himself is a man of remarkable learning, so a friend he esteems so highly can only be exceptional. I hope you will become not only Quevedo's friend, but mine as well. For a researcher, having a scholarly friend is the greatest reward."
Quevedo seemed a little surprised by Furen's calm and measured tone, but he quickly regained his composure. Then, suddenly remembering something, he took a pocket watch from his white robe, consulted it, and exclaimed:
— "Forgive us, but we must attend the reading room held at Count Conley's mansion.
Enjoy this sea of books! I hope we will soon have the opportunity to share a veritable banquet of knowledge together.
— "Don't worry," Furen replied understandingly.
"I'm sure we'll have that opportunity. Go ahead then, and don't let my presence delay you."
Quevedo and Erich gave him a slight nod before walking briskly away.
At the time Furen was receiving his education, there were no public schools as such. The nobles and the wealthy refused to allow their children to study alongside the common people, and the schools run by the churches rarely provided any truly useful knowledge.
For those who could afford it, hiring a homeschool teacher was the best choice.
But the true masters, proud of their status, did not go to the homes of the nouveaux riches. Fortunately, these teachers did not always teach one-on-one: some nobles, linked to the rich by interest, agreed to have their children take classes together—after all, some had the power, others the wealth.
The alliance of power and money seemed inevitable, both in the ordinary world and in the occult world.
Furen was no exception: it was at Count Mann's house that he followed the teachings of Master Roman Karman.
It was probably in these circumstances that he met Quevedo.
(End of chapter)