Upon hearing Quevedo's words, Furen sat bolt upright in astonishment. After all, aside from Amadi, only members of the Demon Sect knew his identity as a Beyonder. But a last vestige of reason prevented him from fleeing. If Quevedo had been a member of the Demon Sect, he would have already perished from the cold or been burned alive by the black flames.
Seeing the slightly surprised expressions on Karl and Erich's faces, and Quevedo's satisfied smile, Furen tried to control his heart. After catching his breath, he said, "What are you talking about, Quevedo? I don't quite understand."
There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice. Furen could hear it himself, and he was certain the other three could hear it too. But he simply couldn't hide his shock.
Although Quevedo expected Furen to be surprised, he hadn't anticipated such an intense reaction. This didn't bother him, however. Laughing heartily, he said, "Hehe, surprising, isn't it? I know you're a Beyonder."
Furen had now regained control of his emotions, but he didn't persist in denial. Quevedo had never mentioned the existence of the Beyonder world before, and yet, he now asserted with conviction that Furen was one of them.
Clearly, it was impossible to dismiss the question out of hand. Furen finally composed himself and calmly said, "Yes... but how did you discover that, Quevedo?"
Seeing Furen calm again and the other three wearing almost identical expressions, Quevedo felt completely demoralized. "Sigh... why aren't you more surprised? Why do all three of you have the same expression? Oh, never mind... maybe I just like making friends like you."
Without further ado, Quevedo continued: "Hehe, Furen, you might not remember this… Back when we were studying at Count Mann's estate, one day the bathroom on our floor was locked. You needed to go. I knew it was locked and I wanted to warn you, but… hehe… I saw you touch the lock, and it popped open."
And I'm sure there was a faint glow on your hand. I was thrilled! Of course, I only understood the truth later: you were a Beyonder.
Furen finally breathed a sigh of relief. He said to Quevedo, "Ah, so that's how it happened. But now that you know this secret, you must keep it for me." He also glanced at Erich and Karl, giving them a silent nod.
Erich and Karl nodded, and Quevedo added, "Of course, I won't tell anyone. Besides, I too have entered the world of the Beyonders. I am now a 'Savant'. Isn't that an admirable path?"
He seemed exceptionally proud, clearly very pleased with his potion. Then he asked curiously, "By the way, Furen, what's the name of your potion?"
"Apprentice," replied Furen.
"Well, it looks a bit like mine... but it's still not as attractive. 'Savant' what an enviable name!" continued Quevedo triumphantly.
To Furen's surprise, Erich interjected: "No. A scholar may possess vast knowledge, but it lacks depth. A true sage does not learn every subject; on the contrary, he delves deeply into the field in which he excels."
Quevedo frowned. "All right, all right, you're the strongest, my mighty 'Reader.' But in the end, even 'Readers' have gaps in their knowledge; you could be tricked because of them. Whereas a 'Scholar,' although not a specialist, won't fall into such traps."
This was reminiscent of a well-known story on Earth: at the beginning of the Fifth Epoch, a philosopher, like Thales, fell into a ditch while meditating on the philosophy of the stars. Quevedo used this example to mock Erich; although more specialized, he too could fall into a hole through inattention.
Erich didn't insist on comparing the strength of each sequence. He simply regained his composure and stated, "If you're so fixated on which sequence is the most powerful, then I have nothing more to add. Each Path has its own unique characteristics."
Realizing that he had given the impression of boasting about his own Way and even denigrating those of his friends, Quevedo immediately felt guilty. Bowing sincerely, he said, "I'm sorry. I was stubborn. I even neglected our friendship. Please forgive me. I really love my sequence far too much."
Furen didn't pay it much attention and quickly said, "It's nothing, it's nothing." Erich added, "Quevedo, we're all friends, but we're also human beings with our own dignity and right to privacy. I hope we can all understand each other. But it's nothing, I accept your apology. We're good friends."
Upon hearing their replies, Quevedo finally straightened up, wearing the embarrassed smile of someone who had made a mistake. He scratched his head, unsure what to say. Then he remembered the main topic and prepared to initiate Karl into mysticism.
Quevedo began: "Hmm, Karl, I've already explained the basics of mysticism and the world of the Beyonders, but I'd like to go over it again, and perhaps Furen and Erich can clarify any points that aren't clear."
Clearing his throat, he said aloud, "Beneath the peaceful surface of our world lies an invisible world no, that world is the real world. A world of extraordinary power. This world is called the World of the Beyonders, and those who wield that power are the Beyonders. Erich, Furen, and I are Beyonders. And we hope that you will become one too."
Karl noticed Quevedo deliberately paused, then asked the question that had been nagging at him since returning home: "Quevedo, is drinking potions the only way to gain Beyonder powers? Aren't there mages wielding magic wands? Or heroes who slay dragons with swords? Like in The Adventures of Gloria or The Magical Journey of Valia?"
The Adventures of Gloria told the story of a hero slaying a dragon, while The Magical Journey of Valia told the story of a wandering mage. Many children in Intis grew up listening to these stories, so Karl's curiosity was understandable.
(End of chapter)