Chapitre 2: Chapter 2: Hourglass and Golden Finger
Walking out of the room, the outside world was bathed in bright sunlight, and everything at first glance seemed fine.
It was a good weather day.
Adam basked in the sunlight, looking at the scene before his eyes, feeling somewhat lost in thought.
He had seen this scene almost every day in the past, and had grown accustomed to it, not finding it remarkable in any way.
But now, seeing it again, he inexplicably felt a sense of detachment as if he was in a different world.
Standing there for a while, he turned around and left for a restaurant nearby.
Hodge Royal Academy didn't have a cafeteria, but there were various restaurants and food stalls organized by nearby merchants.
However, even among the same dining establishments, there was a clear divide.
Those dressed luxuriously and carrying weapons were usually the aristocratic children, who chose to enter one of the few pubs for dining.
As for the food stalls, only commoners would patronize them.
The separation between the two was crystal clear, like an invisible rule that was rarely crossed.
Though the Kingdom of Hodge went through a reform and advocated for equality among the people, traditional rules were still deeply ingrained in many people's hearts.
Even the supposedly enlightened Hodge Royal Academy could not avoid being affected in many ways.
Adam stood for a moment and then went to a nearby vendor and asked for some bread.
The freshly-baked bread had a fragrant aroma and its appearance seemingly differed from the bread in Adam's former world.
The merchant, who saw Adam's long sword at his waist, seemed a little surprised but quickly lowered his head and brought out the bread.
He bought two loaves of bread for four copper coins.
"Thank you."
Taking the bread, Adam turned and left.
In a flat area in the academy, he found a place to sit and eat.
The freshly-baked bread tasted pretty good, with a faint hint of freshness.
"It seems there's not much difference between this and the food in the aristocracy's restaurant...."
Adam thought, swallowing each bite.
Due to his social standing, past Adam would always choose to dine in a place like the aristocracy's restaurant, no matter how tight his budget.
Like other noble-born students, he believed such a setting was suitable for his position as an aristocrat.
Dining in a commoners' restaurant, sitting with ordinary people, was considered shameful in the eyes of nobility.
But now it seemed that the food in the aristocracy's restaurant wasn't any different from the food outside.
Well, there was a difference, actually.
Not only was it more expensive, but in some aspects, the quality was even worse.
The ordinary bread in Adam's mouth would cost at least five copper coins in the aristocracy's restaurant, and it was usually cold and hard, far less appetizing than the fresh-baked bread that Adam had just consumed.
But still, a large number of people choose the so-called aristocracy's restaurant.
Is it because they can't let go of their status?
Adam pondered, somewhat uncertain.
Or is it because of the circle they belong to?
Like the past Adam, as a son of a knight, he would likely face discrimination and exclusion from others of similar backgrounds if he were found dining with commoners.
Maybe it was due to such reasons that things became this way.
To fit into the aristocratic circle, one would rather pay a higher price for something that's not even that good.
Furthermore, in the process, they may genuinely be brainwashed by some illogical ideas, believing them to be the truth.
For example, the baseless ideas that commoners are inferior and aristocrats are noble, when everyone around them says so, they might truly believe it.
A sense of joy emerged in Adam's heart.
He was happy to have understood deeper concepts.
The truth behind these simple questions was something the past Adam hadn't known.
He was just passively following people around him, acting on instinct, floating along with the current.
But now, having the memories of his past, he understood in a flash.
Perhaps this wasn't a particularly memorable insight, but it was still worth celebrating for Adam.
However, maybe someone didn't want to see him so happy, as people always chose to interrupt and disturb someone's good mood at times like this.
"Isn't this Adam?"
A surprised voice came from not too far away.
He glanced up and saw a young man in a red long robe standing there.
The teenager looked about fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a bright red robe and had fair skin; the long sword at his waist vividly indicated his aristocratic identity.
Within the Kingdom of Hodge, although the official laws had lifted the various restrictions on commoners, many unwritten rules still existed, and only those of noble descent were qualified to carry weapons.
Even at Hodge Royal Academy, those who were able to wear a weapon must be of noble descent.
"Nehru, long time no see."
Looking at the young man, Adam was somewhat taken aback but politely greeted him.
"What are you doing here?"
Nehru stared at Adam, asking in confusion.
"As you can see, I'm having a meal."
Adam smiled, "The scenery here is nice, I think it's perfect for relaxation."
"If you're going to eat, why not go to a restaurant?"
Nehru was puzzled.
"Actually, my money pouch is empty, I don't think I can afford a restaurant."
Adam said frankly.
In fact, he still had the money he had borrowed from Regan, and if he really wanted to go to the aristocracy's restaurant, he could afford it.
However, for the current Adam, he felt it was unnecessary to spend that money just to go to such a place.
It was purely an intelligence tax.
Nehru unconsciously showed a disdainful expression on his face, but it disappeared quickly after.
For an aristocrat, exposing one's embarrassing financial situation is quite an awkward scene, and it would be mocked by many people.
However, thinking back to the rumors about Adam, Nehru suddenly understood.
"That's really sad."
He pretended to sigh and said with emotion, "I hope your difficulties will pass quickly."
"They will."
Adam saw the fleeting disdainful expression on Nehru's face but didn't mind it. He just smiled and said, "In fact, I think it's fine now."
"That's even better."
Nehru nodded and quickly left with an excuse.
Looking at his demeanor, was he afraid that Adam would ask him for a loan?
According to common understanding, it's very possible.
People from aristocratic families rarely expose their financial difficulties, but once they do, they're probably prepared to borrow money from you.
Under these circumstances, was Nehru's reaction understandable?
But Adam was sure that he didn't have that intention.
However, seeing Nehru's almost fleeing demeanor, he probably understood what was going on, and he didn't say much.
Having eaten the bread in front of him in two or three bites, Adam was thinking of returning to his room.
"Huh?"
As he was getting up, Adam noticed something strange.
He found that a mysterious scene seemed to appear before his eyes.
A flash of purple streaked across his vision and transformed into a miniature hourglass.
The hourglass looked exquisite, with tiny purple sand grains fluttering within and gradually falling.
"What is this thing?"
Looking at the golden hourglass before him, Adam was somewhat surprised.
He didn't feel fear or horror.
Perhaps it's because he just experienced soul fusion, but now seeing this golden hourglass didn't seem strange or shocking to him.
On the contrary, his first reaction when looking at the golden hourglass was to wonder about its function.
Hourglasses are traditional timing tools in many places, and Adam isn't unfamiliar with them.
There are many of them in the Hodge Academy, and they have various applications.
If hourglasses are for timing, what does this hourglass represent?
Adam observed it carefully.
The golden hourglass was filled with purple sand, which was slowly flowing downward at the moment.
However, this speed was quite slow, and it seemed like it would take many days for it to finish running once.
What would happen when the hourglass runs out?
This thought flashed through Adam's mind.
He had a premonition that something good would happen when the sand in the hourglass completely runs out.
Also...
Adam glanced at the small piece of bread he had left and looked thoughtful.
The bread in front of him wasn't small, and one piece was enough for an ordinary person to eat for two meals.
But Adam had eaten two pieces and still didn't feel anything, only experiencing a mysterious sense of hunger.
This wasn't normal.
Although he had a large appetite before, it hadn't been this exaggerated.
Could it be...
To test his thoughts, he got up again and bought two more pieces of bread.
Seeing him come and go, the vendor was puzzled, but still enthusiastically handed him the bread after learning his intention.
Adam went to one side and finished the bread by himself.
As expected.
After finishing the two pieces, Adam didn't feel hungry anymore, but there wasn't any sense of being full either.
It could be confirmed now.
The loaf of bread was not small, and Adam's stomach was only so big. Eating four pieces in a row should have made him FULL.
But there was no reaction at all.
It could only be explained by something else.
Looking again, even the hourglass in front of him had changed after eating so much, showing that a lot more sand had fallen.
Perhaps in a few more days, it would end.
Adam was looking forward to it.
He felt like the hourglass in front of him was probably the result of his soul fusion.
According to the memories from his previous life, wasn't it like the golden finger that appeared after time traveling?
In the past life's memories from Adam, there were many legendary stories in that world, and most of the protagonists had time-traveling experiences and their own golden fingers.
Now that he had experienced soul fusion and awakened the memories of his past life, could he be considered a time traveler? And was it reasonable to have his own golden finger?
Adam thought so.
There was no way.
There were no similar cases around him, so naturally, he didn't know whether his situation was normal or not.
Since he didn't know, the only way to interpret it was this way.
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone