11:40 AM, 24th of December, 1728

  Alexander wasn’t sure where to start, other than the neighbor who had seen nothing. There were no leads to go on. The only hard facts were that Ron’s wife was dead and that he didn’t kill her. There was even the slight possibility that she had simply died from her cold, despite being in the third stage.

  The neighbor's home was just across the street, only a single story and much nicer kept, with no overgrown foliage to speak of. The lady was already on her porch, sitting in a rocking chair, watching as Alexander made his way up her front steps.

  The age was apparent in her face, though she was visibly younger than Ron, the wrinkles less pronounced and the eyes less recessed. Her hair was nearly entirely gray, with subtle hints of the color it used to be.

  “Hello.” She said, a cup of hot tea in her hands, the steam flowing through the air, in obvious contrast with the cold. “I saw you at Ron’s. What do you need?”

  “I was actually wanting to look into his wife’s death. Do you have anything you could tell me about it, anything you might have forgotten?”

  She thought for a moment before responding. “Nothing at all. I was here the whole time; no one went in or out, and the government told Ron there was no sign of any entry. It’s like a ghost did it.”

  A certain blonde woman crossed Alexander’s mind at the mention of a ghost, but she seemed to only be a ghost only to his Authority's vision. Invisible only to himself.

  With nothing else to go on, it was time to leave.

  “Alright then, sorry for taking up your time. Have a good rest of your day.”

  “Wait.” He turned, waiting for a response, but was met first with a cough.

  “How do you expect to find out who did it if you can’t even see?”

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  Alexander was a little taken aback, surprised by the bluntness.

  “Not everything’s as it looks, surely you know that, given what’s taken place here recently?”

  -

  Truthfully, Alexander didn’t have a single idea of where to look next, but he did learn something of importance.

  Questions could be asked of the Book of Truth as a reward. The thought was captivating. Could he become a scholar? What even was a scholar in relation to the City of Truth?

  He wanted to know. He needed to know.

  The inn stood before him, quiet and still. Entering it, he noticed Anissa leaving a room behind the counter, greeting him as he came in.

  “Hey! Should I grill up some of that meat for you?”

  The offer was tantalizing.

  “That’d be great, though I wanted to ask, how are you always here? Don’t you have to go home at some point?”

  She narrowed her eyes, a smile on her face, and snickered.

  “You do know I live here, too, right? Leonard and I have a room as well as our own kitchen and bathroom in the back. Though maybe it’s rude for me to assume that you would know that.”

  “No, you’re right. I probably should’ve noticed with Leonard being here before, eating in the morning.”

  He sat down, waiting for his food. As Anissa arrived, food in tow, he had decided to continue his pursuit of knowledge.

  “By the way, how does one become a scholar? Or rather, what even is a scholar?”

  She set the food on the table - three thick slices of ham with steam rising off of them - the scent filling Alexander’s nostrils, making his mouth salivate, and his stomach rumble in protest of the few long seconds he was taking to admire it.

  Anissa sat down just across from him, putting her hands up to her chin, holding it up as she responded.

  “Hm. They call them scholars, but studying is only a small portion of what they do. As to what they study, I couldn’t speak on that, but they also serve as protectors of the city. Most of the guards you see are considered scholars, though they rank far higher than the ones who only study.”

  “And how would I become a scholar?”

  She narrowed her eyes, a joking expression on her face.

  “Oh? Are you already planning on quitting your job after only a day?”

  “Well, I was thinking I would work the mornings and study the nights. I do have a lot of free time, afterall.”

  “No, I was just kidding. But to become a scholar, I’m not sure. Most people seem to be born into the role nowadays, spending their entire youth studying and then training in swordsmanship in their adulthood. I would say the easiest way to find out would be to ask a guard directly. I don’t think they would ever turn down competition.”

  He nodded.

  “Thank you for all your help, really.”

  After finishing his meal, Alexander left the inn for the third time that day.

  He headed towards the court, the part of the city where the population of guards would be the most dense.

  The door to the court was closed, with no guards near it, though they did seem to dot the perimeter of the building, with one even standing near the job board Alexander had used only earlier that day.

  “Excuse me, sir, but I was wondering, how would I try to become a scholar?”

  The guard was young, likely in his early twenties, with blond hair and blue eyes, a content look on his face.

  “Er, well, you would have to go see the headmaster at the university. I hope you don't mind me asking, but how do you expect to be a scholar if you can’t see? I think I would find it rather hard to study without my eyesight, let alone be a guard.”

  “Oh, it really wouldn’t be an issue. Where can I find the university?”

  “It’s just north of here, a few streets past the court is the start of the campus.” He said, scratching his face out of embarrassment.