Chapter 66: Welcome to Ireland

Ireland Central Station.

The early morning mist enveloped the platform, the distant church bells chimed leisurely, intertwining with the roar of the steam locomotive.

As the train slowly pulled into the station and came to a stop, the doors opened, and I walked out carrying my suitcase.

The cold morning wind blew against my face, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible scent of ink.

The air in this city seemed to naturally carry a scholarly atmosphere, which couldn't help but remind me of Veronica's room.

People came and went on the platform, their uniform black robes looming in and out of the fog, like a crowd of silent shadows.

My gaze lingered on the group for a moment, and I noticed that almost all of them wore similar badges on their chests—

An open book, within which seemed to be an endless number of pages.

The insignia of 【Knowledge】.

“Saint Clement's Lyceum seems to be in this city....”

I murmured to myself as a chilly wind blew past, lifting the hem of my skirt.

I subconsciously rubbed the silver ring on my right hand; the ruby seemed to grow warmer upon contact with the city's air.

“Next.... I'll go to Saint Clement's Lyceum first.”

Having decided on my next course of action, I walked out of the station.

Just as I stepped out of the station, I saw a large metal sign directly facing the entrance, with a sentence written in golden paint:

【Welcome to Ireland】

Compared to Dunke City, Ireland's industrialization process was more advanced.

The roars of steam engines rose and fell one after another, and a skyline dotted with chimneys loomed in the morning mist.

But even amidst this industrialized scene, ancient libraries and academies still stood tall.

Their spires pierced the fog, reaching for the sky, as if silently narrating the other side of this city—a sacred land of knowledge and wisdom.

I walked on the stone-paved streets, occasionally passing some scholars dressed in black robes.

Their steps were hurried, and they clutched thick tomes to their chests, looking quite urgent.

However, when they met other scholars, they would stop, press their right index and middle fingers together to their brow, and greet each other in the manner of a follower of 【Knowledge】.

I arrived at the tram platform and waited patiently for the next train.

The scents of steam and metal intertwined and permeated the air, and the tracks extended in all directions of the city through the morning mist.

I stood on the platform, my gaze casually sweeping over the people around me.

There weren't many passengers on the platform, most of them were scholars dressed in black robes.

They sat or stood quietly, holding various books in their hands, occasionally conversing in low voices.

I noticed that the black robes on these scholars were not entirely identical—

Some had silver threads embroidered on their cuffs, while others had gold; some had feather-shaped badges on their collars, while others wore ink-bottle-style pins.

These subtle differences seemed to represent their respective identities and statuses.

An elderly scholar passed by me, his black robe embroidered with complex runes that faintly shimmered in the morning light.

When he brushed past another scholar, both of them almost simultaneously pressed their right index and middle fingers together to their brows, their movements identical.

“Wooo—”

The whistle of the tram sounded from a distance, steam forming a white mist above the tracks.

The train slowly pulled into the platform, its body painted with dark blue stripes that complemented the brass fittings.

When the doors opened, a warm current mixed with the scents of leather and wood flowed out.

Stepping into the carriage, a few scholars were already seated, reading the tomes in their hands by the morning light.

I found an empty seat and sat down, immediately noticing a newspaper on the small table next to the seat.

【Ireland Morning Post】

The front page was emblazoned with a news headline—《Saint Clement's Lyceum Library's New Wing Completed, Collection Size Jumps to First in the Britannic Empire》

My fingers unconsciously rubbed the silver ring; the ruby seemed to grow slightly hot upon contact with the newspaper.

The train began to move slowly, the sound of the wheels hitting the tracks echoing within the carriage.

While waiting to arrive at my destination, I leaned against the window, recalling everything that had happened a few days ago.

Mr. Allen had successfully completed the God's descent ritual and attracted the gaze of 【Knowledge】.

But 【Knowledge】 did not gaze at Mr. Allen, instead, it turned its attention to me.

It was as if while watching a grand play, the audience paid no attention to the protagonist performing with all their might, but focused on an insignificant supporting character instead.

It was perplexing.

And besides that, after I had entered the Development Phase, I was forcefully pushed back by some power from 【Knowledge】.

Immediately after, 【Knowledge】 shoved that memory into my mind, forcing my soul into another Stress Phase.

And the result of this was that I, who should have been a Shepherd of the Red Moon, had now also become a Shepherd of Knowledge.

I took a bronze pocket watch from my pocket and opened it.

The current time was fourteen minutes past ten in the morning.

But my purpose wasn't to check the time.

The other side of the pocket watch was a smooth mirror.

Through the mirror, I saw my own eyes.

Those eyes had returned to their usual amber color, but within the right eye, there was a faint, blurry mark.

This was the mark left by 【Knowledge】.

And thanks to It, I could no longer see the souls and filth on others.

I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

I put away the pocket watch and looked out the window.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was still quiet.

The old scholar across from me was reading an ancient book, the pages making a faint rustling sound as they turned.

“Clack, clack—”

Amidst the rhythmic sound of the moving train, a young female scholar hurried past.

Her black robe was embroidered with silver thread, and a badge in the shape of an ink bottle was pinned to her chest.

When her eyes met mine, she seemed to notice something, and her steps faltered slightly.

There was a hint of surprise in the female scholar's eyes, but she quickly returned to normal, nodded at me in acknowledgment, and then walked away quickly.

(It seems the mark 【Knowledge】 left in my eye is visible to these scholars...)

I frowned, suddenly feeling the back of my right hand burning, so I quickly hid it in my pocket.

It would be bad if others discovered I still had the mark of the 【Red Moon】 on me.

(I need to buy a pair of gloves later....)

I thought.

The train began to slow down, and the scenery outside the window gradually became clearer.

A magnificent neoclassical building appeared in view, its massive dome made of bronze and glass.

Sunlight scattered through the dome, draping the entire building in a sacred glow.

This was Saint Clement's Lyceum.

If nothing unexpected happened, then after the start of spring, Veronica would come here to study.

In essence, it was a huge academy.