Only God

As a Court Tutor, Belvan led a very regimented life.

He would generally wake up at the second crowing of the rooster in the morning and personally go to the kitchen to enjoy his meal, then head to his study and laboratory, where he would stay for an hour. Afterward, he would pray alone, beseeching Hiris to bless his research to go smoothly while also asking God for his own safety. For a long time in the prayers of this alchemist, the two Divine beings kept to their respective roles without interfering with each other.

After his prayers, Belvan would start two hours of reading, during which time he might enjoy a glass of malt liquor, depending on the situation—sometimes it was honey wine, but never grape wine, which wasn’t a favorite among Dwarves.

For the remaining time until noon, Belvan would be busy with his research. Due to the need to observe the stars, there was actually very little research he could do in the morning, so he often invited several of his apprentices to the study to teach his knowledge and the results of his research during this time.

After noon, it was time for the formal lessons. Dwarves, unlike humans, do not have universities or academies; the skills of craftsmen are mainly passed down through generations or apprenticeships. Thus, Belvan couldn’t find a place to teach. He had simply set up a small school in the Palace.

There were only a handful of apprentices in the school, no more than a dozen. Because Belvan taught Ancient Language Studies, Dwarves, who valued practicality, were not too interested. Therefore, only two of noble birth were present, Mura being one of them; the remaining apprentices were either orphans from the orphanage or children of the Palace servants.

After three hours of teaching, Belvan would return to his study and laboratory. Some students were particularly eager to learn and would request to follow the teacher to the laboratory. At such times, they were fortunate to hear Belvan’s private lessons.

Belvan devoted his life to the study of Ancient Language Studies. Despite his academic achievements hardly being noteworthy, this did not diminish his fighting spirit. On the contrary, even in middle age, he was full of confidence, and perhaps time would also forget to erode his past ambitions in the long river of history.

For his research, Belvan was shamelessly persistent in pleading for funding. He not only wrote letters and met privately with the King time and time again but also repeatedly encouraged his disciple, Prince Mura, to request funds.

Kafu the Sixth found this a headache. This King was actually a wise person and was not stingy with money. When facing talented craftsmen, he often awarded them generously, and the craftsmen could usually show results within a year or so. But Belvan... to this day had not found even a trace of achievement.

Apart from his research, Belvan’s life was exceedingly monotonous and dull, similar to an ascetic in the Temple. He was frugal in clothing and food and cared little for money. He prayed at the Temple once a week, following the Clergy in worshiping the two Divine Gods they believed in, well-versed in the Dwarves’ hymns, prayers, and scriptures, as well as all the Holy Scriptures and the Creed of the True Religion. Even without engaging in research, he could become an excellent member of the Clergy.