After William went downstairs, Nelson excused himself, taking with him the magically inscribed text William had written, and left the bookstore.
That evening, there weren’t many customers. William sat there, reading a book, listening to Alice and Evelyn chat without joining in. As for the fact that Alice was drinking from the same coffee cup he had sipped from, he didn’t really think much of it.
He had noticed the times had changed. Interactions between men and women weren’t as restricted as they used to be, where even shaking hands, hugging, or kissing someone of the opposite sex was limited.
Were the wealthy women at bars even more liberal than men?
If Bella could suggest he become her husband upon their first meeting, Alice’s behavior was really nothing in comparison.
Little did he know, as soon as Alice saw him coming downstairs, her body tensed up, her fists clenched, and she couldn’t muster the courage to sip her coffee anymore. To hide her inner discomfort, she kept trying to chat with Evelyn.
“William, we have a staff gathering tomorrow night. You’re free, right?” Alice’s conversation became increasingly incoherent, and seeing that William remained silent, she finally had to pose this question.
When William was upstairs earlier, he had overheard Alice talking about watching a movie.
Up till now, there were many things he hadn’t really tried.
“Sure!”
A movie, he mused, could probably be equated to the plays from the old times.
Seeing that William hadn’t declined, Alice pulled out her phone to discuss with Evelyn what movie to watch the next night.
There was no point in discussing with William; given his demeanor, wouldn’t it just be inviting disappointment?
Listening to the two women discuss which movie to watch, William sank into deep thought.
He had never imagined that the changes in fifty years could be so significant. Even after centuries in the past, William could quickly adapt because, at most, there were changes in rulers, and the lives of ordinary people didn’t shift much.
But in these mere fifty years, the lifestyles of ordinary people underwent dramatic transformations and many new things emerged.
Even now, William hadn’t fully adapted to the current way of life.
As Alice and Evelyn chatted, Edward stumbled to the entrance of the bookstore. Their conversation abruptly ceased, and they both turned to look at Edward.
“Mr. Johnson, I believe you!” Edward approached William, placing both hands on the table, his gaze fixed firmly on William. “Everything you said before, I believe it all!”
William, a book cradled in one hand, just looked at Edward without responding.
Evelyn had once reprimanded him for saying too much to Edward. William had replied that he didn’t care whether Edward believed him or not. What mattered most was whether Edward believed in himself.
Yesterday, Edward had left in a daze. Today, he entered only to utter such words.
Seeing William’s silence, Edward fixed his gaze and said, “Mr. Johnson, I need to speak with you!”
“Go ahead,” William responded, not even shifting in his seat, clearly indicating for Edward to speak directly.
Edward glanced at Evelyn and Alice, suggesting that some matters weren’t suitable for their ears.
William remained impassive. Alice stood up and nudged Evelyn, “Evelyn, let’s get some fresh air.”
Both of them knew Edward, the former dean of Hudson University, a man of great respect.
Even if William didn’t show much reverence for Edward, they still needed to observe propriety.
Evelyn, understanding the situation, went out “for air” with Alice.
“Mr. Johnson, last night everything in the tomb on Mount San Juan Teotihuaca was stolen by Arcane Society’s Nelson.”
“Mm,” William nodded, fully aware of the situation. He had taken the items from the cave, but Nelson was the one being blamed.
Edward leaned closer to William, lowering his voice, “Mr. Johnson, do you believe there are gods living among us in this world?”
William nodded, “I believe.”
“That’s right then. Since gods exist, everything you’ve mentioned before must naturally be believable,” Edward said gravely. “I told you yesterday, some items inside couldn’t be moved an inch by the archaeological team, no matter what they tried. Many objects would immediately kill anyone who got close, and their deaths were gruesome. But when the magicians from Arcane Society arrived, they took everything.”
“You also mentioned to me yesterday that the amphora belonged to Poseidon. The four swords on the wall were ‘Thunder Sword of Zeus’, ‘Sun Sword of Apollo’, ‘Wisdom Sword of Athena’, and ‘War Sword of Ares’, which are said to belong to the god Thor. It might sound astonishing, but it’s the only explanation that makes sense,” Edward took a deep breath, continuing, “There are many things in this world that science can’t explain, especially those things in the tomb.”
Edward excitedly added, “If what you’re saying is true, then everything makes sense.”
Having listened, William asked, “Now that the items are taken, you won’t need to research them, right?”
“No!” Edward exclaimed passionately, “Those items were taken by people from the Arcane Society. The archaeological team has already reported it, and someone will intervene soon. The items must be returned!”
William looked slightly surprised, “Aren’t the magicians from the Arcane Society Soulmancers? How will you retrieve them?”
“Soulmancers?” Edward snorted, “So what? This world is still dominated by ordinary people like us, bound by laws. Even a Soulmancer needs to bow their head to survive in this society. They aren’t invincible. If the Arcane Society doesn’t provide an explanation for this, it won’t stand!”
William remained silent. He realized that the world had changed. More and more ordinary people revered gods but didn’t fear them. The powers of a Soulmancer, such as flying, disappearing, and even controlling thunderstorms, are much stronger than that of an average person. However, he couldn’t detect any fear from Edward.
“Mr. Johnson, I plan on paying a visit to the Arcane Society. Are you interested?”
William waved his hand dismissively, “Not interested.” 𝒃𝒆𝙣𝒐𝒗𝙚𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝒎
Edward wanted to confront the Arcane Society.
Edward continued speaking in front of William and even took out his phone, wanting to inquire further.
With a stern expression, William ignored him. Finding the conversation dull, Edward finally excused himself.
But as he left, it seemed as if he had found an answer. An answer that would give him the determination to press forward. He had come stumbling in, his demeanor spirited, with the sole purpose of asking William those two questions. If William believed, then he would believe.
William watched Edward’s receding figure and smiled faintly, shaking his head. “This old man is rather interesting,” he mused. “It’s just a pity that the Arcane Society will completely bear the blame for this.”