Under the skillful handling of the coachman, the carriage swiftly passed through street after street until it eventually arrived in an unremarkable alley in the western part of the city.
Here lay a vast courtyard, quaint and serene in style, with an aesthetic steeped in the beauty of bygone years. The mottled bluestones that made up the walls spoke of history past.
The carriage entered through the back door of the courtyard and stopped in a small courtyard. Richard, Bobbobovic, and Joseph stepped down from the carriage.
Bobbobovic surveyed the surroundings, his gaze landing on a small fountain not far away. The fountain was only a few meters square, but the basin was exquisitely crafted, with its surface carved with a complete circle of reliefs, the lines and designs of which were masterful.
"This place isn’t bad," said Bobbobovic, glancing at Joseph as if to casually ask, "Is this where your organization’s leader—namely, the Canon Steward—lives?"
Joseph shook his head: "How could that be? However, this is a property of our organization’s members. The Canon Steward chose to meet you here because it’s convenient."
"Oh, I see," Bobbobovic nodded, subtly glancing at Richard to indicate: this was important, something to remember.
Richard, however, had already noted much more.
According to the information he had gathered in Delan, this house should belong to a quite wealthy merchant in the city. This suggested that the peripheral members of the Truth Society comprised not only wizards with extraordinary powers but also some ordinary people.
"Follow me, this way," Joseph said, leading Richard and Bobbobovic aside.
They made several turns and finally entered a parlor.
In the parlor, someone was already seated, waiting for some time. Dressed in a dark gray robe, his demeanor was serious. It was the so-called steward, Canon.
Upon seeing Richard and Bobbobovic arrive, the man stood up and said: "Welcome to meet with me here. Joseph should have told you already, I am the Canon you were to meet."
While his mouth spoke words of welcome, there was no sign of it in his expression. With an impassive face, his eyes devoid of emotional fluctuation, he continued: "And since you’ve come here, you should be somewhat clear about certain things, like Joseph recommending both of you to join our organization, and that you both have a slight willingness in this respect."
"Yes," Richard nodded.
"Good, let me give you a brief introduction to our organization so that you have a general idea," Canon continued, controlling the pace of the conversation, allowing no one else to interject.
"Our organization is named the Truth Society, vastly larger than you can imagine, hundreds, thousands of times so. Perhaps through recent contact, you have some speculation about our organization, but believe me, what you have seen is just the tip of the iceberg.
The reason we are called the Truth Society is quite straightforward: our purpose is the pursuit of truth in this world. We explore everything, study everything, all in order to grasp the essence of things, to develop under the guidance of the absolute truth and to ensure that we will not perish in a catastrophe, to ensure we do not become like the second fabled ancient wizard civilization—flourishing for a time, yet suddenly destroyed."
"So, you’re certain that the ancient civilization was destroyed by a catastrophe? What kind of catastrophe was it?" Richard inquired curiously, "As far as I know, there’s not much information on the destruction of the ancient civilization, and there are many speculations to this day. For example, civil wars, loss of control over powerful spells, invasions from otherworldly realms, and there’s no definitive conclusion."
Canon glanced at Richard, frowning slightly: "The true story behind the ancient civilization can be understood after you join our organization. For now, let’s continue to discuss how you can join the organization."
"Like I mentioned before, our organization is more complex and vast than you can imagine. Anyone who joins us gains many benefits. Therefore, not just anyone can join us. In addition to possessing strong abilities, one must also meet some of our criteria and be referred by an insider."
As for the recommendation, Joseph helped you, and some requirements can be accordingly relaxed. As for the abilities, Joseph thinks you are competent, and I have no doubt about that, but procedures must be followed. You have to prove yourselves."
"Prove? How do we prove it?" Bobbobovic spoke up at this moment, his tone half-joking as he said, "By the way, that Canon Steward, you wouldn’t have us fight you right here to prove ourselves, right? If that’s the case, we should go outside the city. Clashing here, if we can’t control our power and end up destroying the entire courtyard, that would be such a waste. After all, I think this courtyard is quite nice."
Canon’s eyebrows deeply furrowed, the wrinkles on his forehead looking as if they could pinch a baby’s finger. He gave Bobbobovic a penetrating look and said, "You don’t need to worry about the courtyard because the Truth Society will not use the method you imagine to verify your strength, Mr. Bobbobovic!
I’ve said it, our organization’s goal is to seek the truth, not to select the most capable wizard in combat like the Duel Arena does. So, Mr. Bobbobovic, you won’t lift a hand against me, nor will you against any member of the Truth Society."
After a pause, Canon looked at Bobbobovic and continued, "The way to prove your strength is by completing tasks issued internally by the Truth Society. If this had been before, perhaps you would have been sent to Jialan City to apprehend an Undead Wizard. But now, there are other options, and Joseph will accompany you to carry out the task. Once completed without major issues, you will be able to join our Truth Society."
"So that’s how it is; well, that sets my mind at ease," Bobbobovic said, exhaling a breath of relief and turning to Canon, not forgetting to correct him, "By the way, Canon Steward, my name is Bobbobovic, not Bobbobovic."
Having said his piece, Bobbobovic flashed a friendly smile.
Canon let out a dry chuckle, like a gust of wind blowing out of a cave, stirring up clouds of dust.
Canon was laughing, but there was no warmth in it, or to put it more precisely, not even the skin was smiling. His brows furrowed even deeper, almost into a knot, as he stared at Bobbobovic for several seconds and commented, "Bobbobovic, what an interesting name."
Bobbobovic: "Actually, it’s not Bobbobovic, but... alright, Canon Steward, you got it right."
Bobbobovic had wanted to keep correcting the mistake, but seeing Canon’s face turning grim, he decided to hold his tongue. Otherwise, he genuinely suspected that he might not need to wait for the other party to discover his disguised identity; the man might just strike him down right there.
Canon gave Bobbobovic a deep look, then addressed both Richard and Bobbobovic, "That will be all for our meeting. Joseph will provide you with the details of the task later. I have matters to attend to and must leave now."
With that, Canon turned and left directly.
It wasn’t until Canon had been gone for quite a while that the oppressive atmosphere in the parlor gradually returned to normal.
Bobbobovic let out a long sigh of relief, turned to Joseph, and complained, "Hey, is it me or has your Canon Steward never smiled in his life?"
Joseph spread his hands and said, "Canon Steward’s demeanor is just like that, very serious. It can feel oppressive if you’re not used to it. But if you deal with him for a while, you’ll find..."
"He becomes friendly?" Bobbobovic asked.
"No, you’ll find that you simply get used to it," Joseph said earnestly.
"Alright," Joseph looked at Richard and Bobbobovic, speaking up, "Let’s leave this place and head to the location of the task. It’s quite a distance from Delan, so it’s better to set off early. On the way, I’ll tell you the details about the task."
"Okay," Richard nodded.
"Alright," Bobbobovic agreed, and the two followed Joseph out of the parlor and soon were seated in the carriage that had brought them, driving out of the courtyard, out of Delan, and heading northwest.