Krafft's Anomaly Notes

Chapter 383 Side Story: Another Worldline [3]

As evening fell, Jerome left the library with his manuscript in hand.

As he walked out the door, he realized that his behavior might have been inappropriate; he shouldn't have left with manuscripts containing unpublished content.

Who knows if the contents here will be unearthed and reveal some outrageous ethical drama? If the descendants of the parties involved are still alive, things could get really interesting, and it could easily escalate into a bloody conflict.

But thinking about how much attention he received after not seeing anyone all day, he quickly felt relieved and went to the restaurant with the documents in his pocket without any qualms.

Since the organizers don't seem to care, it means there's definitely nothing sensitive about it.

The timing of the meal was perfect; the academic luminaries were still engaged in a heated debate in the hall, the intense arguments of which could be heard from the other side of the courtyard.

It was vaguely discernible that the last speaker's content had sparked differing opinions, with the two sides offering different interpretations of the new discovery from their own perspectives, searching for flaws in each other's theories to attack, and showing a tendency to escalate into personal attacks.

He had already identified several names on the chat list, and the list was still growing.

Unlike the lively atmosphere in the main hall, the restaurant was deserted, with only a few scholars as young as him wandering among the sumptuous dishes, grabbing the thighs of roast chickens and picking out the reddest berries from the fruit platter.

Seeing that new people had joined, they made room for them and then sped up the process of filling plates.

Jerome joined in somewhat awkwardly, took what he needed for dinner, a late-night snack, and breakfast the next day, and left through the back door with the wobbly plate in his hand.

The corridor was brightly lit at night, and the white marble floor and walls painted in the same color enhanced the brightness, leaving no dark corner.

The patrolling monks who pass by from time to time will kindly step forward to ask questions and point out directions to outsiders, making it difficult for even first-time visitors to get lost in this white palace.

He even conceived the idea that perhaps the Kingdom of God is nothing more than this, where believers enjoy eternal light and purity.

Looking up from any window facing the mountaintop, you can see the lights of that white tower spiraling upwards along its body, like a chain of stars connecting to heaven.

Having witnessed the awe-inspiring intricate construction of churches, he thought he would never feel the same way about architecture again, but his perception was shattered here.

A massive white geometric shape stands silently in the night, incongruous with the background, like the embodiment of some minimalist oracle, encompassing everything projected into its vast and precise order.

A sudden fear gripped his mind, and he lost all interest in appreciating the night view. He quickened his pace and returned to his room, where he encountered a monk who seemed to have been waiting for a long time.

His strong features and short beard made him look much older than the other monks.

Although he was only wearing a standard white robe with a silver badge, the handprint ring on his little finger, still bearing ink, indicated his status; he seemed to be a manager with some authority.

When the guests returned to the room, he greeted them with a smile that was not out of politeness, but rather a perplexing... sense of relief?
"Hello, brother from Dunling, you must be tired from your journey." The visitor drew a holy emblem on his chest and then approached to embrace him, making Jerome feel very warm and welcome.

God knows how long it's been since he last encountered someone who greeted him with church etiquette.

"Just call me Raymond. You must have arrived last night. I'm sorry I couldn't greet you right away. You know, there are just too many things to deal with here, and I really couldn't spare the time right now."

As the distance closed, Jerome could see the silver badge on the other's chest. In the center of the two-winged ring was an image of the Virgin Mary holding an infant, which only those who had obtained a theological degree from Dunlin would possess.

"That's not convenient either, let's talk inside."

Noticing that the guest was busy, Raymond skipped the hug, took the tray to help him find the key to open the door, and then followed him into the room as if they were old friends, closing the door behind him.

"I didn't expect you to be from Dunling as well. It must have been difficult to rise to the top here." "Oh, not really. I took over the duties of the academy supervisor shortly after I arrived."

"The Dean?"

Jerome looked at the overflowing plate and felt a pang of guilt. If he dared to do that in Dunling, his lunch and even dinner tomorrow would probably have to be nothing but water.

Fortunately, the other person didn't bring up the issue of wasting food and continued the conversation.

"Is this your first time visiting the White Pagoda? Are you getting used to it?"

I'm so used to it. The accommodations are excellent, the meals and refreshments are delicious, the professional materials are comprehensive, and the workload is customizable. I hope to come back next year.

"It's fine," he answered truthfully. After the initial joy of meeting an old friend in a foreign land subsided, a few doubts arose.

Why would a monastery supervisor, usually the second most important person in the monastery, come to see me?
"That's good. I was just afraid I might not have been able to entertain you properly." Raymond finished his pleasantries, and perhaps without even realizing it, the smile on his face gradually faded.

"Was the academic exchange successful? Are there any missing supporting materials?" Like a kind and proper senior student, Raymond straightened his clothes, the badge on his chest shining brightly.

"Although the White Pagoda is not as profound in its study of doctrines and classics as other places, it has a lot of collections that you can't find elsewhere. If you need them, just let me know."

"Thank you very much for your generosity, but I... don't have any special needs at the moment."

Jerome wanted to ask if there were any previous studies on the lineages of noble families within the parish, so he could make a comparison, but his scholarly vigilance stopped him from making the request.

The other party doesn't seem to know why they were invited?
The problem is that there have been too many cases of academic misconduct at Dunlin University in recent years, with scandals involving mutual accusations of plagiarism in research areas. This has made even this marginal discipline sensitive to the issue of prying into research content.

Even though my own ideas are logically useless to a supervisor, what if they are?
Moreover, the Supervisory Committee is unaware of the reasons why the guests on the invitation list were invited.

It's also possible that the other party genuinely doesn't care about this and is simply here to catch up with a fellow villager, but Jerome decided to play it safe. As long as he kept quiet, he wouldn't be in trouble if anything happened.

“That’s fine. If you need anything, I know the monk who’s in charge of cleaning and organizing the library this week. Go ask him for help and tell him that Raymond sent you.”

"Thank you, thank you so much." Jerome felt a little relieved. Seeing that the warden didn't seem to want to press further, he figured it was truly out of kindness. "Where can I find him?"

"Oh, he's usually on the first floor of the library. If he has something urgent to attend to, he won't be gone for long. Just wait a moment."

Are you all here?

Jerome doesn't recall meeting anyone at the library today.

Clearly, the Chancellor's job was very busy. After exchanging only a few words, Raymond stood up, supporting himself on his knees, and prepared to leave.

"That's fine. Young people need to exercise more, and don't eat too much at night." He glanced at the plate, gave a knowing smile, and then looked down at Jerome, noticing the manuscript tucked under his arm.

"Oh? This is your exchange. May I take a look?"

Thank you so much to reader hebby for the generous donation! I can never repay your kindness (sadly).

\(ToT)／\(ToT)／

(A song plays: If You Come in Three Winters)