After comparing the descriptions in the books with the reality of Trier and memorizing them, Florent finally arrived at Tesorn Street. This long walk back seemed a little silly to him, but since he had no social connections to impose constraints on him, he decided to take advantage of it to better familiarize himself with the city's streets.
As he opened his front door as usual, Florent felt a slight vibration in his spirituality. Surprised, he directed his gaze toward the red mailbox, which he had never used since arriving in this world.
He approached without rushing, scanned the surroundings, then reached for the box. In reality, he didn't have a key in his hand, only a piece of paper, and the box only had a slot on the front; there was no slot on the back.
Yet Florent simply placed the sheet against the back of the box and, covering his hand with a layer of that spirituality incomprehensible to mortals, he managed to pass through the box as if it did not exist.
But when he removed his hand, a problem arose: the envelope wouldn't fit through the slot. Florent didn't panic. He simply extended his spirituality over the envelope, and this time, he managed to pull it out. A little surprised, he quickly understood what had happened:
"Just as you can bring your clothes through with you, you can also bring other objects through. It just requires more spiritual energy. Take note. I'll test it tonight."
Satisfied, he returned to the door of his house. The padlock seemed solid, but a slight smile played on his lips. With a slight nudge of his spirituality, the lock opened of its own accord, as if an invisible hand had turned the key.
As he entered, Florent thought back to the abilities of the "Apprentice":
The first allowed one to move as if through an invisible door.
Very energy-intensive, he could only use it twice in his current state, perhaps in the future if he digested more potion it would reduce.
The second opened a blue, incorporeal door allowing one to cross an obstacle. Less expensive, he could do it three times, but not take anyone with him,
Even if an apprentice's connection to the spirit world is blocked, they can still use the Gate Opening to accomplish this feat.
The third opened any lock that did not contain mystical powers without breaking it, as well as a small number of locks reinforced by Beyonder effects with a low spiritual cost.
This is the second and third ability he used for his door.
Other than that, the Apprentice offered only a slightly improved memory, slightly better health, and a still rather weak but strong spirituality for a mortal.
Unlike Seers like Klein and Zaratul, he could not read the health or emotions of others, he could only open his spiritual vision.
The sheet he used was a family heirloom: a paper marked with an extremely realistic door design, passed down through the generations of Freemans.
It had no extraordinary properties, but bore on the back a strange name, written in an incomprehensible but immediately recognizable language: Gabriel Abraham , an ancestor who fell during the War of the Four Emperors, once an Angel.
Florent carefully locked the door behind him and went upstairs. In his large office, lit by the red moon, he lit a few candles, took out his knife, and opened the wax-sealed envelope. He had already recognized the Abraham family crest:
This letter could only have come from their representative in Trier, Elder Ralph Abraham , who had already reached the rank of Astrologer.
Of course, members of the Abraham family do not use Abraham family name in public.
The last name that Florent used in public was Freeman and his full name was Florent Freeman
In reality, Ralph called himself Ralph Crow , a well-known wealthy merchant from Trier.
His family owned the Crow Merchant, specializing in rare and exotic items, supplied by ten caravans constantly traveling the northern continent itself. Trier, Ralph Crow was considered a wealthy man.
Florent began to read:
"...A member of the Abraham family was discovered in Trier, his supernatural powers having attracted the attention of supposed followers of an orthodox cult during an beyonder meeting...
Unfortunately, while fleeing, he left behind a letter in which he declared himself a member of our family, mentioning that there were more than ten Abrahams in Trier. From now on, the churches and the army are actively searching the city for us… »
"…Given the situation, and to celebrate the arrival of a new "Astrologer" in our lineage, I have decided to call a family meeting on July 8th.
In order to avoid any risk, I wish to leave some resources to the Abrahams of Trier, so that we do not lose the glory of our ancestors...
Putting the letter down, Florent frowned. He leaned back in his chair, his mind deep in thought.
There is no doubt that this letter does indeed come from Ralph, the family representative in Trier.
"Ralph tried to write calmly, but his handwriting is much messier than usual; he's more in it," he noted.
He began tapping the table with his fingertips.
"If it was just a family member discovered, it would be enough to send letters discreetly..., not call a meeting. Perhaps Ralph's own name has been revealed? Possibly if he has to divide the family resources among the survivors, then things are much more serious."
Florent understood that he too could be in danger.
At previous meetings, everyone wore an iron mask to hide their faces, but the silhouettes and accents were enough to give away clues. If someone used necromancy to interrogate a dead person, they would be betrayed sooner or later.
The only option then would be flight—to become a fugitive wanted by the Church and the military.
He massaged his forehead. This situation was serious. If all the Abrahams of Trier disappeared, he wouldn't even have access to the formulas for sequences 6 and 5, much less the materials needed to progress.
"If only I were already a demigod... The churches wouldn't risk attacking a family of former angels with such power. But alas, everyone knows we don't have any demigods left, or even many mid-sequence members..."
He sighed, and reminded himself that he needed to continue digesting his Apprentice Potion first. He let his thoughts refocus on mastering his abilities for now.
(End of chapter)