Florent was awakened by the sound of newsboys shouting outside his balcony...
He had fallen asleep last night while contemplating the moon, but fortunately, the night wasn't too cold, and he didn't catch a chill.
"Extra! Extra! The 'Melanie Villa' has been destroyed! The entire Crow family has perished!"
"Extra! Extra! The 'Melanie Villa' has been destroyed! The entire Crow family has perished!"
Florent was jolted awake by the cries of the newsboys outside his house. Though he only caught snippets of their shouts, he distinctly heard "Melanie" and "Crow".
Having been preoccupied with these matters since yesterday, Florent didn't fully understand what had happened, but he quickly straightened his clothes and prepared to go out to buy a newspaper.
As he approached the door, he forced himself to calm down. He adjusted his clothes with a more composed demeanor, and with an air of forced restraint, he walked out of the house at a measured pace toward the young newsboy who was shouting at the top of his lungs.
The newsboy didn't notice his approach as several people were already buying newspapers. The boy deftly collected money and handed out papers while occasionally shouting to attract more customers.
"I'll take a newspaper," Florent said, his face betraying little emotion.
The newsboy noticed that the customer looked pale but didn't dwell on it. In fact, the pallor was the most striking feature of Florent's expression, but the boy knew better than to pry.
Years of delivering newspapers had taught him that curiosity could lead to trouble. This particular newsboy had even been noticed by his boss for his keen observational skills, which had earned him opportunities to provide leads for the newspaper... a rare talent for someone his age.
As for Florent, after receiving the newspaper, he didn't linger. He walked back to his villa at what he thought was a normal pace but was actually faster than usual.
Once inside, he resisted the urge to read immediately and rushed to the study, where sunlight streamed through the windows.
As soon as he reached the desk, he spread the newspaper flat and quickly turned to the most prominent section, eager to read the details.
The article wasn't long, taking up only one page. Part of it described the Crow family, another part recounted the incident, and the final section covered the police department's speculations and statements, equivalent to what would now be called the police force.
After reading the newspaper, Florent slumped into his chair...
The entire Crow family, except for Levi, had been killed shortly after the family gathering began. From the vague descriptions, it seemed that after their deaths, all the victims had been subjected to spiritual interrogation.
Florent wasn't worried about his own exposure. Levi had always been meticulous in his preparations, holding each gathering in a different villa and ensuring that the servants were never the same.
After each gathering, Levi would use a sealed artifact to erase the memories of the participants' appearances.
Levi's cautious, almost paranoid approach had drawn criticism from some family members, and Florent had initially shared their sentiments.
But now, he understood that this was the reality for the Abraham family... no, this was how rogue Beyonders and families like the Abrahams, who had become almost indistinguishable from rogue Beyonders, operated...
The only difference was that the Abraham family had slightly more resources.
Florent felt a deep pang of sorrow for the ruthless methods of the Theosophy Order– no, the Demoness Sect...
Not everyone in the Crow family had been a Beyonder. Levi had always hoped that some of the Abraham descendants would live as ordinary people, free from the curse, to ensure the family's bloodline continued.
But in a single night, everyone related to Levi by blood or marriage, whether they were Beyonders or not, had been killed.
For a moment, Florent's mind raced. In his heart which had always treated life as a game, this was the most brutal event he had ever experienced.
At the same time, he began to feel a sense of connection to the Abraham family, a family he had initially felt little attachment to. The idea of restoring the family's glory took root in his heart.
A once-glorious family had fallen due to a curse, also surrounded by enemies far stronger than themselves. Some had fled, some had feigned ignorance, but there were also heroes, those foolishly clinging to the glory of the past.
Florent didn't want that glory to be forgotten, because now, Abraham was his surname.
A traveler from another place had taken root in this identity. Though still an outsider, he was willing to take risks for it. His lonely heart had found a place to rest, and the suppressed thoughts in Florent's mind were finally released.
Who would want to remain stranded in a foreign land waiting for an uncertain future? Though he hadn't yet accepted the idea of performing miracles or digesting potions like others, he felt a little better.
The mindset of a traveler was incomprehensible to those who stayed in familiar surroundings.
Travel, new experiences, strangers, unfamiliar landscapes, and unfamiliar events... all these could leave one feeling overwhelmed.
In his previous life, Florent had been someone who preferred staying at home, sharing joys with his family, and helping them bear their sorrows. Though he had always mapped out plans to deal with uncertainties, busyness couldn't alleviate loneliness.
Facing the morning sun, bathed in its light, Florent couldn't help but cry...
On one hand, he grieved for the tragedy of the Abraham family, but on the other, he was relieved to have found a reason to exist. Joy and sorrow intertwined... that was life...
Florent wasn't one to cry easily. He prided himself on being strong and rarely let his emotions show. After his tears subsided, he felt a bit embarrassed by his own sentimentality.
'I'm supposed to be a cold, unfeeling transmigrator. How could I cry so easily? It must have been the original Florent part of me who cried upon hearing the news. It has nothing to do with me,' he complained inwardly.
But then he remembered the mental split issues that had plagued Klein and quickly corrected himself, "Fine, it was me who cried. I admit it."
These thoughts didn't take long, as Florent quickly shifted his focus to the digestion of his potion and his own safety.
After all, he still lacked extensive knowledge of mysticism, and the risk of exposure loomed over him... especially because of Hedelin, the 'Witch' who had seen his face...
...
{T/N: Florent doesn't know that Hedelin was actually a Sequence 6...}