That evening, Adam refrained from going out. His strength was still too lacking, and his understanding of the supernatural was far too limited.
He decided to first gather more information about otherworldly beings from the church before proceeding with his plans. After all, he was far more familiar with the Church's methods than he was with the beings themselves.
The next morning, Adam was delighted to see Monk Fura waiting for him at the door.
With a strained smile, Fura said, "I've spoken with Master Alva. We've arranged for you to meet him. He'll take you on as an apprentice."
"Thank you, Monk Fura!" Adam responded, his face lighting up with joy. Seeing the smile on Adam's face, Fura sighed in relief. Perhaps he had been too rigid in his thinking before.
Putting aside his previous concerns, Fura led Adam toward the South District Church.
"Monk Fura, you seem quite busy lately?" Adam asked, running his fingers through his hair as if preparing to make a good impression on the teacher he was about to meet.
He carefully arranged his bangs to cover the scar under his left eye. Fura might be too young to notice, but the other monks at the South District Church might not be so oblivious.
"Hmm, handling some troubles," Fura replied.
"Is it those creatures?" Adam steered the conversation, "That day, I saw you slay one of them with a single stroke. You must have wiped out all of them by now, right?"
Fura smiled shyly, his expression no longer carrying the decisiveness from when he had struck that blow.
"Such things are never so easily eradicated. Adam, if you see anything suspicious, you must be careful," Fura cautioned, glancing at his hand as he spoke. "Those creatures are far too dangerous."
"There are several common types of these otherworldly beings: werewolves, ghouls, wendigos, banshees, and sea monsters along the coast. Of course, there are others, such as vampires."
Fura didn't go into further detail, merely offering a general description of the creatures' characteristics.
The one that piqued Adam's interest most was the vampire. According to some legends from his past life, vampires were natural enemies of werewolves.
In this world, the two species were deeply intertwined.
Initially, vampires didn't exist. They were the product of a human sorcerer's quest for immortality, a result of research into werewolves. The birth of each pure vampire required the sacrifice of a werewolf, which made them incompatible.
Ghouls and wendigos, while similar, could not remain hidden among humans for long. Once they reached maturity or a certain stage of development, they had to retreat from society, unable to hide their abnormalities. Banshees lived in the wilderness, even more elusive.
But among these creatures, werewolves were the most dangerous, for they could hide the longest, blending in seamlessly with human society.
Fura briefly introduced the common traits of these beings, primarily to help Adam stay alert. He offered no further explanation, and by that time, they had arrived at the South District Church.
As they entered through the side door, Fura noticed that everyone was watching him with astonished eyes, and he suddenly felt the urge to lower his head and hide his face.
"You're still too young," Adam observed with curiosity, glancing around the church. Seeing Fura's discomfort, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.
Perhaps, over time, Fura's principles would continue to erode. But that was his own problem. As Adam guided him, he had lowered the monk's moral standards, and this made Adam fully aware of the fact that he was, indeed, a man of dubious morals.
"Is the structure of every Church similar to this?" Adam mused, mentally noting the architecture of the church.
While most people simply referred to it as "the Church," there were distinctions between each one.
In a formal Church, the god worshiped was always the Creator God "Nohr," the deity depicted in the Divine Words.
However, the god seen by each Church was but one aspect of the divine, leading to variations in both doctrine and the representation of the god itself. The relationships between different Churches also varied—some were harmonious, while others were at odds.
The Church in the Kingdom of Saint Heavenly Sound primarily worshiped the Holy Sound God, which was a relatively accessible faith. Among the churches on the continent, it was one of the larger ones.
For Adam, his goal was to avoid becoming entangled with the Holy Sound Church, though for now, he needed to extract more from it.
From a distance, Adam spotted a middle-aged man squatting in a corner, slowly running his fingers over the patterns in the wall. His beard was unkempt, and his long hair was tied into a simple ponytail. His white robe had faded to a brownish hue, but there was no unpleasant odor, though his hands were stained with various pigments.
"Alva Ratu!" Fura quietly introduced him to Adam. "A renowned painter who settled in Roya a few years ago."
"Master Alva, this is Adam," Fura called as they approached.
"Monk Fura, go ahead and handle your business. Just leave him here," Alva replied without lifting his eyes from the wall. He continued feeling the textures and occasionally tapped the surface, listening intently.
"I'll take my leave then. Adam, study hard, and if you need anything, just come find me!" Fura clapped Adam on the shoulder and walked off. He had his own matters to attend to.
As Fura left, it felt as though the corner now contained only Adam and Alva. However, Alva showed no intention of speaking, still absorbed in his examination of the wall.
Adam wasn't idle either. He followed Alva's movements, observing the murals, which depicted the creation of the world and the salvation of mankind, as told in the Divine Words. Over time, these murals had faded and begun to peel.
This was not surprising. The Holy Sound Church, while not actively hunting sorcerers or witch doctors, still held strong animosity toward them. Consequently, the quality of church artifacts was only marginally superior, devoid of any supernatural properties.
What the Church truly valued was communication with the gods. As long as that communication was effective, it could yield more divine powers.
Adam followed Alva as he continued his peculiar method of observation—touching, staring, listening, even sniffing the wall at times.
"Someone, go tell that person to order a bottle of strong liquor with the materials," Alva suddenly mumbled.
Adam glanced around to see he was alone, so he said nothing further, instead walking to find a passing monk. He asked about who was responsible for the Church's procurement and soon tracked down the right person.
For a long time, apprentices were little more than free labor. What they learned from their masters depended largely on luck.
Adam didn't mind, however, as this was an ideal opportunity to wander the church and listen for any hidden secrets.
The church's procurement officer was a middle-aged, overweight man, who was clearly irritated by Adam's request to add liquor to the materials list. He even conveyed a clear sense of distaste.
"Does painting require liquor? That must be the filthy painter talking nonsense. Didn't you hear him clearly? Go back and ask before coming here," the man snapped, nearly telling Adam to leave.
"I'm certain I didn't mishear. Please…" Adam glanced at some documents on the desk and added, "Please add this material to the list. If you have any questions, you can consult with the teacher."
"Brother Jim, Lord Ruba is here," someone knocked at the door and announced, further irritating the procurement officer.
"You can leave now. I'll add the materials for you later." Jim waved his hand dismissively, as if he had already agreed, yet noticed Adam hadn't moved.
Only then did Jim take a proper look at Adam, grabbing a file from the side and adding the requested liquor to the list.
"Thank you, Brother Jim," Adam said with a smile, turning to leave.
Returning to the corner, Alva was still there, continuing his peculiar observations. Throughout the day, Adam followed Alva, watching as the painter measured various areas of the church.
"Whoever, come earlier tomorrow!" As night fell, Alva finally addressed Adam, still not remembering his name.
Just as Adam was about to leave through the side door, someone called out to him.
It was the white-bearded monk from the night of the execution.
Now, he looked kindly and gestured for Adam to come closer, squinting and smiling as he said, "Adam, right? There's something I'd like to ask you."