"Take me to the Rom family," Adam instructed after boarding the carriage.
Kro nodded in agreement without further question, and they quickly arrived at the Rom household. This visit, however, was to address the issue of the martial law in Roya.
This time, Adam did not meet Doug. Instead, he was received by David, who, fortunately, could provide him with relevant information.
"A defector monk?" Adam repeated in surprise, echoing David's words.
"Indeed. It's said to be connected with the unrest in the Kingdom of Xitu," David informed Adam, offering all the details he knew.
The Kingdom of Xitu, also known as the Xitu Religious Kingdom, caused Adam to raise an eyebrow upon hearing its name. Situated to the west of the Holy Sound Kingdom, Xitu's influence through the Sacred Sound Church was vast, but due to its convenient transport links, it had once been the perfect escape route for him.
Unfortunately, unrest had broken out in Xitu, or perhaps it was precisely this turmoil that provided him the opportunity to escape.
"I believe I heard my teacher mention something about the ancient sea demon unrest there. Any updates?" Adam casually inquired, subtly emphasizing his relationship with his teacher, Alva, while also probing for more information about the situation.
"It seems to be nearing its end," David replied vaguely, clearly not well-versed in the affairs of the distant kingdom.
"But why would he run towards the Holy Sound Kingdom if he was in Xitu?" Adam frowned, his mind swirling with questions.
"I can't say what those high-ranking individuals are thinking. It's best to stay indoors for the time being," David answered, shaking his head in uncertainty.
On the return journey, Adam lowered the carriage curtain, resting his hand on the waxed candle box he had taken from the Rom family. He chose to ignore the patrolling soldiers and monks, his mind deep in thought.
"If the unrest in Xitu is coming to an end, it means that person will soon be free to act." Adam felt a headache coming on. With this, his time in Roya was growing shorter.
And by some cruel twist of fate, the defector monk had made his way towards Roya.
"Did I truly just make up the idea of a defector monk, and now one has actually shown up?" Adam mused.
"Logically, Xitu would have been the easier escape route. Why would he choose to head this way instead?" Adam pondered further.
"Is there someone waiting for him here? Or does he have a way of bypassing Roya's walls?"
"If the information about the defector monk spreads, we must also consider the possibility of involvement from the alien factions," Adam thought, sensing the situation in Roya growing increasingly complex.
"And why is Doug absent today?" Adam's sharp intuition suggested that, for Doug, the elixir of immortality should be of paramount importance. Something didn't quite add up.
"Doug is hiding something," Adam mused, feeling the need to remain cautious.
"I should gather more information on this defector monk. Perhaps I can use it to my advantage," Adam concluded, returning to the Bookhouse. After exchanging pleasantries, he spent some time amusing little Lina before heading upstairs.
Gold had already settled in a corner, feeding the little bird.
"Can't you feed just one at a time?" Adam remarked, his lips twitching as he noticed that one bird had become noticeably plumper than the others.
It seemed that ever since Gold discovered that particular bird liked to perch on his head, he had become obsessed with fattening it up.
Upon noticing Adam's arrival, the bird, its beak still smeared with crumbs, flapped its wings excitedly, slowly flying over to Adam's head, where it landed and settled comfortably.
Feeling the added weight, Adam turned to more serious matters.
"Have you seen Mansira recently?"
"He went out yesterday," Gold replied, prompting Adam to furrow his brow. Connecting the available information, Adam considered two possibilities for Doug's potential connection with Mansira.
Firstly, both were nobles, and today could have been a day for an internal noble meeting or some other gathering.
Secondly, there was the matter of the cup bearing the emblem of the floating city.
"You mentioned that Mansira has some mysterious backing?" Adam recalled Gold's previous intel, and now it seemed that this mysterious force might be symbolized by the floating city.
"Indeed, those nobles never stay idle," Gold chuckled. "Lately, the nobles in the Holy Sound Kingdom have caused quite a stir, like the rise in the threshold for entry into the Divine Academy."
"The most important development, however, is the three prohibitions," Gold continued. "They prohibit the practice of the knightly path, military service, and the spreading of one's reputation."
"All of this is to curb the rise of super-rich nobles," Gold added with a wry smile.
Unlike the nobles of the Loken Kingdom, who did not restrict the knightly path and eagerly sought to achieve military feats as they inherited their family crests—thus allowing the Loken nobility to grow increasingly formidable—the nobles of the Holy Sound Kingdom were held back by the three prohibitions.
These restrictions meant that Holy Sound's nobles had to hold onto the achievements of their ancestors, with little room for new elites to emerge. While the results of the Holy Sound nobles' efforts in recent years had been impressive, they were still heavily reliant on the Church of the Holy Sound for support.
"It seems that some monks have started suggesting that the nobility should contribute more," Gold shook his head. Though the Holy Sound Kingdom's nobles were heavily constrained by the Church, they were also deeply embedded within it.
"If you plan on returning to the Loken Kingdom, don't neglect your knight training. After all, it's one of the most advanced knightly traditions on the continent."
Gold, though a bloodline sorcerer, was exceptionally well-versed in the knightly path, no doubt due to the country's influence.
Adam took all this information into account and, under Gold's guidance, resumed his study of both knightly and bloodline sorcery techniques.
It was undeniable that, with his ability to adjust his soul's weight, Adam found his progress in knight training to be remarkably swift, particularly as his vitality surged, making his progress in this path much smoother.
Knightly training, in comparison to sorcery, required less memorization and was more focused on physical conditioning.
As his life force surged through his body, Adam's vitality model quickly adapted and began transforming.
"Your abilities are impressive, but remember to maintain balance. You don't want to damage the other foundation," Gold reminded him.
Unlike Anthony, Gold had encountered numerous practitioners and was well aware of the appropriate pace of progress. Sensing that Adam's training speed was accelerating too rapidly, he kindly offered a cautionary reminder.
"I understand," Adam nodded. As his meditation technique evolved, Adam's mental energy mode was gradually changing as well. While the goal was to reduce consumption, there would inevitably be an increase during the transformation process, and the same applied to his vitality model.
If Adam pushed himself too hard by adjusting his weight too much, it might affect the progress of his other training paths.
However, as long as he maintained the right balance, his speed of advancement would be more than double.
Adam also consulted Gold regarding his idea of life force transformation, knowing that Gold, with his deeper understanding of knightly training, would provide valuable insights.
"I've heard of similar methods," Gold recalled after a moment. "But it wasn't applied to animals—it was used on people."
"Some knights, who couldn't accumulate achievements and had no heirs or whose heirs lacked talent, would transfer their life force. By temporarily expending their own vitality, they could force a disciple to complete their vitality model and push them to the Overflow stage."
"Though there are many side effects, this method has allowed several martial factions to preserve their legacies, ensuring that even the worst-case scenario leaves an heir in the Overflow stage."
Within the five stages—Wei, Overflow, Refinement, Reversion, and Ascension—Overflow was only the second stage, yet for most people in this world, reaching the Wei stage was a distant dream, and those at Overflow were considered extraordinarily powerful.
"Your method clearly doesn't apply to this, but the principle is similar, both relying on external forces to assist another life in completing the vitality model."
"You'll need magic that can work on animals to help you study the foundation of your magic," Gold advised, helping Adam chart his path forward.
"I'll consult my magic teacher tomorrow," Adam sighed, adjusting his weight once more, this time leaning towards his soul. He asked Gold to check for any abnormalities in his body.
Though Alva's mental energy had dissipated, the curse remained. It was a vague curse that obscured Alva's memory in the presence of certain people, but who knew whether it might change in some way?
If it could be undone, it was best to do so.