"Huh? So Charlie didn't actually pray to Guardian Saint Vives... but to a prostitute named Susanna?"
Adam let out a quiet sigh before lowering his gaze to the bowl of meat broth before him. He continued eating at an unhurried pace, silently reflecting on everything he had encountered throughout the day.
Only after finishing the last of the broth on his plate did Adrian finally speak.
"Susanna Matisse was once a regular guest at Trier's high society banquets. She was frequently involved in scandals with members of parliament, high-ranking officials and the wealthy."
"It was rumoured that she earned an astonishing income every year. However, she vanished from the public eye two or three years ago."
"No one knows what became of her. Some believe her dangerous associations eventually caught up with her, while others think she simply abandoned that life in search of somewhere peaceful to begin again."
Adam pondered those words before asking,
"If she associated with members of parliament and influential figures, she must have been quite well known."
He frowned.
"So how did Charlie mistake the woman in the painting for Guardian Saint Vives?"
Adrian smiled faintly.
"That's the problem with you Spectators."
"You people analyse every thought and emotion before reaching a conclusion."
"Sometimes the simplest answer is the correct one."
"Charlie was merely an unfortunate fellow who made a mistake."
Adam felt slightly insulted by Adrian's remark, but his expression remained calm.
"Perhaps he did make a mistake."
"But I don't think that's what truly matters."
"What matters is that Charlie believes it was divine intervention that changed his fate."
He looked directly at Adrian.
"Isn't that what everyone hopes for?"
"When people reach the end of their rope, don't they all pray for a little fortune... or for divine favour to change their lives?"
Adrian fell silent.
Adam's words lingered between them.
Receiving no reply, Adam continued,
"Have you never found yourself in a situation where everything seemed lost?"
Adrian paused.
His gaze drifted into the distance as though recalling a memory he wished to forget.
After several moments, he released a quiet sigh.
"...I have."
The nostalgic expression quickly disappeared before he looked back at Adam.
"You know..."
"I intentionally tested you just now."
"And I have to admit..."
"I'm surprised."
Adam smiled faintly
"What have you realised?" adam said slowly with a hint of couriousity.
Adrian folded his arms took a a deep breath and spoke
"When you were observing the playwright and the bartender discuss about Charlie and the woman in the painting, I wasn't watching them. i had already grasped the entire situation what i wanted to know was yours "
"I was watching you."
"I wanted to determine which pathway you belonged to."
Adam quietly listened.
"First."
"When you observed them, you appeared distant and detached, as though their situation had nothing to do with you."
"You simply watched."
"That is the acting principle of a Spectator."
"Observe... but never become attached."
He raised a finger.
"Second."
"When I dismissed Charlie as nothing more than an unfortunate man clinging to false hope, you immediately objected."
"You weren't defending Charlie."
"You were defending hope itself."
"A Bard inspires courage, hope and faith."
"Your response reflected those qualities."
He raised another finger.
"And lastly..."
His expression gradually became serious.
"The way you organised your thoughts."
"You separated assumptions from facts."
"You analysed everything logically while never ignoring the emotions driving people's actions."
"That frightened me."
"A Spectator observes emotions while remaining detached."
"A Reader interprets knowledge, logic and human nature."
"You somehow accomplished both."
Adrian stared directly into Adam's eyes.
"My conclusion is simple."
"You're not merely a Beyonder of the Spectator pathway."
"You're also a Beyonder of the Reader pathway."
He leaned back slightly.
"The reason I wanted to confirm this was because Spectators and Readers possess remarkably similar analytical abilities. To most people, they're almost impossible to distinguish."
"But after observing you..."
"I finally understood the difference."
Adam gradually understood Adrian's conclusion and couldn't help but feel a wave of anxiety.
He had already displayed characteristics belonging to three neighbouring pathways.
Such a phenomenon had never been documented.
Dual-pathway Beyonders were already extraordinarily rare. Someone displaying traits from three pathways...
That was simply unheard of.
For the first time, Adam couldn't help but feel like an outsider among Beyonders.
In truth, the moment Adrian had begun speaking, Adam had already realised it was a test.
Adrian wanted to determine whether he also belonged to the Reader pathway.
His method had simply been rather harsh.
Adam had played along.
Deep down, he also believed Charlie had merely mistaken the identity of the woman in the painting.
However, instead of focusing on Charlie's mistake, he chose to consider the final outcome.
Whether Charlie had prayed to the wrong person was no longer important.
His faith had changed his life.
That single fact was enough to refute Adrian's argument.
Now that Adrian had explained his reasoning, even Adam found himself agreeing.
It was, after all, the most logical conclusion.
Compared to Adrian, Adam knew very little about the Beyonder pathways.
Adrian's understanding far surpassed his own.
That only made Adam ponder his unusual condition even more as he hastened to finish his meal.
After settling the bill for both of them, the two left the basement of Auberge du Coq Doré.
They walked into Le Marché du Quartier du Gentleman, situated along the southern bank of the Srenzo River in the southeastern corner of Trier, officially designated Quartier 13.
Although Trier's districts were numbered, almost every one possessed a historical nickname that citizens preferred over the official designation. Even government officials frequently used those colloquial names.
Quartier du Gentleman derived its name from the bustling Gentleman Market.
Its proximity to the Srenzo River allowed the construction of a Suhit steam locomotive station, which mainly served travellers arriving from southern Intis.
Surrounded by the marketplace and railway station, the neighbouring streets had gradually become overcrowded with labourers, drifters and the poor.
Crime was common.
It was one of Trier's largest slums.
Directly north of the market district, across the southern bank of the Srenzo River, stood Quartier 5, known as Quartier de la Cathédrale Commémorative, or more commonly, Quartier Universitaire.
Trier Normal College, Trier Higher Mining College and the Intis Academy of Fine Arts were all located there.
To the northeast, across the northern bank of the river, lay Quartier 12, the Noël Quartier.
The Veterans' Home, Wounded Soldiers' Hospital and several of Trier's largest medical institutions were concentrated there.
Northwest of the market district was Quartier 6, Quartier de l'Observatoire.
Adam intended to visit it later, as he wanted to buy far better clothes that the one he was wearing that was too loose and did not clearly portray his physique.
It was home to the primary entrance leading into Trier's vast catacombs.
Southwest of the market district lay Quartier 14, Quartier du Jardin Botanique.
The famous Mason Café was located there.
Because of the enormous factories beyond the botanical gardens, locals also referred to the district as Quartier du Sans-Culottes.
Adam had memorised all of this from the map he had purchased earlier at the bookstore.
As he walked through the streets, he occasionally unfolded the map to compare it with the surrounding landmarks.
An elderly couple, grizzled and slightly stooped, opened the door. In their sixties, they were both short, the man barely 1. 65 meters tall and the woman even shorter. Their dark jackets and yellowish cloth dresses were tattered and oil-stained.
Before long, they noticed several scavengers enthusiastically hawking paper-wrapped parcels to groups of travellers who appeared to be foreigners.
Curious, Adam walked towards them.feeling interested by the two old civilians of Trier
Behind him, Adrian rubbed his sore legs and muttered,
"...What does he want to buy this time? My feet are beginning to protest."
A grey-haired old man with deeply wrinkled skin quickly approached Adam.
Leaning closer, he lowered his voice.
"Good day, sir. My name is Rahl."
"Do you want photos of a street ma? tresse d'atelier.
What's a street ma? tresse d'atelier? " Adam didn't conceal his confusion or his revulsion at Ruer's stench but he intended not to appear disgusted as he understood the current state of Trier especially for old people.
Ruhr waved the thin paper bag in his hand and whispered, "In Trier, beautiful girls who model for painters are called 'ma? tresse d'atelier. 'With the advent of cameras and photographers, they also began taking photo subjects. As you might imagine, some of these photos were sold to painters as reference material, while others…"Ruhr flashed a sly grin and shook the paper bag in his hand again.
How would two old couple manage to find such things, they definitely wouldn't have the connections required for that. It's probably just a scam.
Adam looked more closely at the bag containing the photos that Rahl kept shaking in an attempt to make them enticing
and thought they do have photos but it most likely of something easily accessible Adam realized he then turned to Adrian and noticed a knowing smile but deep within his eyes Adam felt that Adrian had info in such things and was silent.
Looking around Adam saw Countless workers, clerks, and laborers hurried along in their gray, blue, black, and brown clothes, occasionally stopping to purchase food from street vendors.
Some women carrying wooden baskets moved more leisurely. They meandered between various vendors, comparing prices and quality.
It was very obvious that people would do things to earn money.
Adam with a slight smile spoke
Hello yes I would like to buy a few of the photos How much per bag.
Adam also wanted to ask why they were still working at this age but it felt too invasive.
Four licks per bag, with two photos inside!
Others sell them for over 10 licks! Ruhr replied a sly grin and brought out the paper bag in his hand again.
dam remained silent, listening.
Raising a finger, Adrian continued, "First, when you observed them, you became distant and detached as though their situation had nothing to do with you. You simply watched. That's the acting principle of a Spectator: observe, but never become attached."
He raised a second finger.
"Second, when I dismissed Charlie as nothing more than an unfortunate man clinging to false hope, you immediately objected. You weren't defending Charlie. You were defending hope itself. A Bard naturally inspires courage, hope, and faith. Your response reflected those qualities."
Finally, he raised a third finger.
"And lastly, the way you organised your thoughts frightened me the most. You separated assumptions from facts and analysed everything logically without ignoring the emotions driving people's actions. A Spectator observes emotions while remaining detached. A Reader interprets knowledge, logic, and human nature. Yet you somehow accomplished both."
Adrian looked directly into Adam's eyes.
"My conclusion is simple. You're not merely a Beyonder of the Spectator pathway. You're also a Beyonder of the Reader pathway."
Leaning back slightly, he added, "The reason I wanted to confirm this is because Spectators and Readers possess remarkably similar analytical abilities. To most people, they're almost impossible to distinguish. But after observing you, I finally understood the difference."
As Adam gradually understood Adrian's conclusion, anxiety quietly crept into his heart. He had already displayed characteristics of three neighbouring pathways, something that had never been documented. Even dual-pathway Beyonders were extraordinarily rare, let alone someone exhibiting traits from three.
For the first time, he couldn't help but feel like an outsider among Beyonders.
In truth, Adam had realised Adrian was testing him from the moment the conversation changed direction. Adrian wanted to determine whether he also belonged to the Reader pathway, and although his method was rather blunt, Adam chose to play along. He also believed Charlie had mistaken the identity of the woman in the painting, but instead of focusing on the mistake itself, he chose to consider the outcome. Whether Charlie had prayed to the wrong person no longer mattered. His faith had changed his life, and that alone was enough to refute Adrian's argument.
Now that Adrian had explained his reasoning, even Adam found himself agreeing. It was, after all, the most logical conclusion.
Compared to Adrian, Adam knew very little about the Beyonder pathways. Adrian's understanding far surpassed his own, leaving Adam to ponder his unusual condition as he quietly finished the remainder of his meal.
After settling the bill for both of them, the pair left the basement of Auberge du Coq Doré and entered Le Marché du Quartier du Gentleman, situated along the southern bank of the Srenzo River in the southeastern corner of Trier, officially designated Quartier 13.
Although Trier's districts were numbered, almost every one possessed a historical nickname that citizens preferred over the official designation, to the point that even government officials frequently used the colloquial names.
Quartier du Gentleman derived its name from the bustling Gentleman Market. Its proximity to the Srenzo River allowed the construction of a Suhit steam locomotive station serving travellers from southern Intis. Surrounded by the marketplace and railway station, the neighbouring streets had gradually become overcrowded with labourers, drifters and the poor, making it one of Trier's largest slums.
Directly north lay Quartier 5, the Quartier de la Cathédrale Commémorative, more commonly known as Quartier Universitaire, where Trier Normal College, Trier Higher Mining College and the Intis Academy of Fine Arts were located. Across the northern bank stood Quartier 12, the Noël Quartier, home to the Veterans' Home, the Wounded Soldiers' Hospital and several of Trier's largest medical institutions. Northwest of the market district was Quartier de l'Observatoire, where the primary entrance to Trier's vast catacombs could be found, while Quartier du Jardin Botanique lay to the southwest, housing the famous Mason Café and the massive factories that earned it the additional nickname, Quartier du Sans-Culottes.
Holding the map he had purchased from the bookstore, Adam occasionally unfolded it while walking, comparing the streets around him with the landmarks marked upon it.
Not far away, an elderly couple quietly approached groups of travellers while discreetly offering paper-wrapped parcels. Both appeared to be in their sixties. The old man barely stood one metre and sixty-five centimetres tall, while the woman was even shorter. Their patched clothing was faded and stained with oil, and the wrinkles on their weathered faces spoke of decades of hardship.
Curiosity stirred within Adam, prompting him to change direction.
Behind him, Adrian rubbed his aching legs and muttered, "...What does he want to buy this time? My feet are beginning to protest."
The grey-haired old man hurried over with surprising agility and lowered his voice.
"Good day, sir. My name is Rahl. Would you be interested in photographs of a maîtresse d'atelier?"
"A maîtresse d'atelier?" Adam repeated. "What's that?"
Although the pungent smell clinging to Rahl's clothes made him instinctively uncomfortable, Adam showed no trace of disgust. After everything he had witnessed in Quartier du Gentleman, he understood that merely surviving into old age here was already no easy feat.
Rahl smiled knowingly as he shook the paper bag.
"In Trier, beautiful young women who pose for painters are called maîtresses d'atelier. After cameras became popular, many of them also began posing for photographs. Some are sold to artists as painting references..."
He paused before giving Adam a meaningful grin.
"...while others are collected for rather different reasons."
Adam narrowed his eyes. Two elderly civilians living in one of Trier's poorest districts were unlikely to possess connections to photographers or studios. Even if they really possessed such photographs, acquiring them in large quantities would hardly be easy.
Most likely...
They were ordinary portraits being advertised with suggestive words to attract curious customers.
His gaze lingered on the worn paper bag before shifting to Adrian, whose knowing smile suggested he understood exactly what Rahl was selling. Yet Adrian merely watched in silence, making no attempt to explain.
Turning back toward the busy street, Adam saw workers, clerks and labourers hurrying past in grey, blue, black and brown clothing, occasionally stopping to buy inexpensive meals from roadside vendors, while women carrying woven baskets wandered between stalls comparing prices and inspecting the quality of vegetables, bread and meat.
The bustling market concealed countless struggles beneath its noise. Here, everyone was simply trying to earn enough to continue living.
Looking back at the elderly couple, Adam smiled gently.
"I'll take a look at your photographs."
He paused before asking,
"But may I ask you something first?"
Rahl blinked.
"At your age... why are you still working?"
Hesitant to reveal their private lives to a stranger, Ruhr and Michael remained silent for a moment. However, Adam's innocent eyes showed no trace of ill intent, eventually giving Michael enough courage to speak.
"It's actually because of our age. We've had to work more because of it. We came to Trier when we were young and took whatever occupations we could find, but the wages were never enough to cover our daily expenses. As our health and strength gradually declined, we began to fear what would happen to us in the future. We don't know what fate has prepared for us."
As Michael spoke, her eyes gradually became moist. Ruhr immediately moved closer and gently comforted his wife.
Adam was moved by their story and asked in a softer voice, "Isn't there some kind of charity or organisation that supports the elderly?"
He deliberately avoided asking whether they had children. Given their circumstances, some possibilities were already obvious: perhaps they had never had any, or perhaps their children had died before reaching adulthood.
More importantly, the question was partly directed at Adrian. As an official member of the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, he should at least know something about such matters.
Feeling reassured by Adam's kindness, Ruhr nodded. "We've heard of something called the Aging Society somewhere in Trier, but we don't know which district it's in or whether they would accept us. Organisations like that usually rely on pension insurance, which we obviously don't have."
After a brief silence, Adrian finally spoke.
"If that's the case, just look for charitable organisations in Trier. They usually receive financial support from members of parliament and should have plans to benefit Trier's citizens, especially the elderly. Particularly with the election approaching."
Ruhr and Michael were momentarily stunned.
Adrian's words made sense, but the bluntness with which he delivered them left little room for courtesy.
Adam was equally dumbfounded.
Doesn't a Reader have any ability to navigate other people's emotions?
Are all Readers like this, or is it just Adrian?
He silently sighed before turning back towards the elderly couple.
"What kind of photographs are you selling?"
Ruhr hesitated before answering with a slightly embarrassed expression.
"Scenic photographs of the Srenzo River, as well as pictures of Trier's castles and palaces."
The elderly couple had already noticed the kindness in Adam's behaviour and decided not to scam him for a few coins. Of course, that wasn't why Adam had questioned them so extensively. He had genuinely been affected by their situation.
"Does anyone cause trouble for you?" Adam asked, maintaining the gentle demeanour of a concerned gentleman.
Ruhr swallowed before shaking his head.
"The people who buy them don't dare open the packages in front of us or come back to confront us later. They... feel guilty."
He gave an awkward smile.
"Besides, the police won't bother us if we're only selling landscape photographs."
Adam nodded, having finally understood their situation.
"In that case, I'll take four bags."
Ruhr's eyes widened slightly before hurriedly handing them over.
"Thank you, sir."
Adam paid without bargaining and accepted the photographs.
After taking a few steps, he suddenly turned towards Adrian.
"Does anyone really sell photographs of street maîtresses d'atelier?"
Adrian glanced at him.
"Of course. Last month, the police arrested a group of photographers and art dealers. They claimed to have confiscated more than ten thousand photographs."
Adrian said as they gradually left the couple and continued to see a tourist site.