Time swiftly flowed to July 15th, a day that would no longer be uneventful for Florent, or at least, it would break his recent routine of shuttling between home, shops, and the library...
Deep down, he yearned for an extraordinary life. But in this world, "extraordinary" often meant danger, and danger for someone as powerless as he was now spelled disaster...
That said, Florent hadn't been idle. Quite the opposite. Though most of his days had been spent buried in books, that didn't mean he hadn't made progress elsewhere.
After long hours of study, he could faintly sense that the potion he had ingested was beginning to digest. There were no shattering stars in his body, nor any overwhelming sensations of transformation, but his spirituality had grown noticeably more active.
In the meantime, he had finished the hefty tome ~A Concise History of Ancient and Modern Philosophy~... skimmed through Martin's notes on astrology to form a basic understanding, and even plowed through all the books on magic in the library's sixth floor.
As expected, the magic books were largely superficial... long-winded on trivialities while skimping on actual substance. Though he had no real interest in them, he had committed to his study plan and forced himself through them.
Yes, Florent now considered reading his job...
Reading should have been a pleasure, but when done day in and day out, it became labor... unpaid labor, no less. Still, the growing liveliness of his spirituality reminded him that this wasn't futile.
Beyond the library, Florent had also squeezed in a visit to the Bacall Circus' magic show. To his surprise, the magic performances in this world were strikingly similar to those in his past life, and just as outdated.
The same old tricks, though he couldn't decipher their secrets, left him thoroughly unimpressed... 'I've seen it all before...'
Now, in his study holding a cup of coffee he had finally learned to brew properly, Florent picked up the newspaper to start his day.
Over the past few days, he had glanced at books about coffee, not out of genuine interest, but purely for practicality. He had settled on a rough water-to-coffee ratio of 15:1, averaging out the recommendations.
It might not have been the perfect ratio for this particular blend, but Florent wasn't chasing perfection. While he respected food and enjoyed good meals, he refused to obsess over minor details...
As a mere mortal, he couldn't afford to devote his limited attention to brewing the 'perfect' cup.
Taking a sip of the fragrant coffee, he skimmed the newspaper, feeling almost like the lead in a British drama... if one ignored his face...
The leisurely act of sipping coffee while perusing the news had, in his mind, elevated him to that aesthetic.
As for why it wasn't the classical 'sipping tea' vibe, a glance at his suit (utterly incompatible with traditional attire) answered that.
Flipping through the 'Trier Merchant Evening News' which he treated as a light appetizer, Florent spotted an ad on the third page: «Buying Crystal Stones»
'Of course, things have to pile up all at once,' he grumbled internally... 'Today, a philosophy salon. Tomorrow, a Beyonder gathering. And that careless 'Pyromaniac' didn't even tell me when the meeting is!'
After mentally cursing the owner of 'Flame Axe Tarven', Florent resigned himself to checking the situation tomorrow afternoon. Then, he turned his attention to the 'Trier Daily'...
Finishing the newspaper, he gained a clearer picture of current affairs and confirmed they didn't conflict with his plans. Satisfied, he got up to head to the library.
The philosophy salon was in the afternoon, but that didn't stop Florent from squeezing in some study time beforehand...
'Life may pause, but learning never stops… Yeah right...'
At the library, he picked up a book on Ancient Feysac grammar and vocabulary. But the sea of unfamiliar words made him uneasy, his mind wandering to what might happen later.
Unable to focus, he finally snapped the book shut...
'I've tested Ashley twice with my abilities. She's trustworthy. No more need for suspicion. Ugh, living alone is such a hassle... I blame my paranoid nature. Maybe I should read up on modern salons so I don't embarrass myself later...'
After scouring the fourth and fifth floors, Florent found no dedicated books on salon etiquette. However, modern art books and novels frequently depicted such gatherings.
Skimming through a few dubious accounts of philosophy salons, Florent finally set off for Trenk Street in the Starfield District.
The «Crimson Gold Café» stood out among its neighbors... though, to be fair, every café and restaurant in the area had its own flair.
Unlike the understated gold-themed establishments or the plain styles of the commoner districts, the 'Crimson Gold Café' lived up to its name with a striking mix of crimson and gold decor.
From his religious readings, Florent knew that while Crimson wasn't the primary color of the 'Evernight Goddess', it was one 'She' favored.
Gold, on the other hand, was beloved by the 'Eternal Blazing Sun'. The combination, though visually appealing, left Florent feeling oddly unsettled.
But he quickly brushed it off... 'I'm not a follower of either god. Let the devout deal with the cognitive dissonance.'
Checking his pocket watch, he noted it was 2:45 p.m... a bit early, but he preferred arriving ahead of time.
It was a habit ingrained since childhood, from school to work. Being punctual, even early, had always been praised...
'Though,' he mused, 'I wonder if that's the norm in this world too...'