11. Beginner’s Tutorial

Carol Hausman’s pocket was like a treasure trove.

At the last gathering, he pulled out the Box of Knowledge; this time, it was a small piece of leaf.

…A leaf?

Siles had considered many possible time tracks for creating a breeze—a fan, a piece of paper—but when Carol produced an ordinary, still-green leaf, as if casually picked up from the street, Siles was slightly taken aback.

Carol indeed said, “This is a leaf I picked up from the street before coming here.” He pulled out a handful of leaves from his pocket, adding, “These are for you to use and practice with later.”

He looked at the expressions of the new Revelators and laughed. “Do you think this time track is too ordinary and mundane?”

Angela, eyeing the plain green leaf, said, “I thought the ritual would feel more… mysterious?”

“Of course. There are very mysterious—or rather, advanced—rituals. But you’re just beginners, trying a Revelator’s methods for the first time. You need to be careful,” Carol said with a lenient tone.

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But on Carol, the glow was soft, rich, and stable, like a thin film of light covering him.

When Siles’s gaze landed on Carol, he felt an odd sensation, as if…

The die in his mind gave a soft rattle.

Siles snapped back, his expression calm but his heart filled with uncertainty.

…Could he now designate someone here for a check?

After drinking the potion, the feeling he’d had at the book vendors’ market grew stronger and more confident, as if in this state, he could gain more information.

The premonition of being a Secret Keeper intensified, brimming with temptation. Siles forced himself to look away from Carol. After a moment, when his emotions stabilized, he glanced at Carol again.

Carol, oblivious to Siles’s oddity, smiled and said, “That small sip of potion you drank will sustain ritual time for two hours.

“Typically, a qualified Revelator carries enough potion to replenish at any time, ensuring they remain in ritual time—though they rest occasionally.

“As beginners, you can try taking the potion at a fixed time each day to experience ritual time. You feel the world becoming clearer, don’t you?”

After everyone agreed, Carol nodded, satisfied. “That’s due to the potion’s effect. It makes it easier to trigger the power of rituals.”

“Easier?” the perpetually impatient young man, named Bruer Darro, suddenly asked. A young noble, he was notably kinder to Miss Clayton than others. “Sorry, does that mean even with the potion, a ritual can fail?”

“Of course,” Carol nodded. “Every ritual’s success requires hundreds or thousands of practice attempts and a bit of luck.”

“…Luck?”

Carol said, “Because no one can guarantee that what you know is truly accurate, right?”

Bruer Darro seemed slightly surprised, about to press further but held back, nodding. “Thank you for clarifying.”

Carol said, “Alright, we can discuss ritual time later. Now, let’s continue with the initiation ritual.”

The other Revelators nodded.

Only Siles Noel’s heart surged with turmoil.

Why hadn’t Carol mentioned the blue glow covering them? Was Siles the only one who could see it? Why…?

Because he was the Secret Keeper? Because of the die?

Was the die his “golden finger”?

Siles took a deep breath, calming his slightly excited mood.

Mrs. Fuller beside him said, “Such profound knowledge, isn’t it?”

Siles replied softly, “Yes, Mrs. Fuller.” He added, “I hope to master this power soon.”

Mrs. Fuller gave him a gentle, elderly look.

Siles didn’t know what her glance meant. He turned to Carol.

Carol was explaining the ritual’s process: “Wind brushes over a leaf, and the leaf stirs a slight breeze—airflow. This is common knowledge. To recreate this, we first need to generate that initial wind.”

He casually fanned the leaf he held.

The next moment, something wondrous happened. Everyone felt a faint breeze, coming from nowhere, gently brushing their cheeks.

“Oh! There’s really wind!” Angela exclaimed. “But the leaf didn’t move at all!”

“Yes, of course, Miss Clayton,” Carol explained gently. “Because this is just the time track, the anchor point. The leaf doesn’t create the wind; the past’s power is recreated in this moment.”

“But… but…” Angela stammered, “How does it happen? Why just…”

“The potion pries open time’s gate, the time track locates the time node, and the ritual recreates the event’s process,” Carol said. “It’s a complete stage, and the final stage is the Revelator guiding time’s power.”

Carol turned to Angela. “Miss Clayton, please pick up a leaf.”

Angela did so, eagerly looking at Carol.

Carol said, “Try using your hand, slowly, very slowly, to fan in front of the leaf.”

Angela cautiously placed her palm before the leaf, carefully moving her fingers… Suddenly, she exclaimed.

“What? What happened?” young Darell Hobbs asked eagerly.

“It’s… it’s…” Angela struggled to explain. “You’ll understand when you try it!”

With that, she ignored them, joyfully holding the leaf, turning half her body, and tirelessly fanning it.

Carol smiled leniently. “Alright, everyone, take a leaf and try. Be careful not to try near others to avoid accidents.”

The six novice Revelators each took a leaf, retreating to corners of the room to try privately.

Siles was slightly distracted. While others fervently fanned their leaves, he gently waved his palm before his leaf, feeling a soft breeze brush his cheek, then stopped.

He could sense it.

He felt… a latent, cool power within his body. The blue glow, when he made the fanning motion, flowed through his action into his palm, then into the leaf.

He even sensed the blue glow subtly shift direction. Though he fanned toward the leaf’s tip, the glow flowed into its stem.

Then, a softer blue light, accompanied by a breeze, flashed before him.

Siles stopped, feeling a sense of ennui.

…What was this blue glow? Beginner protection? A tutorial?

Before attempting the ritual, he thought the blue glow symbolized their individual powers. But now, it seemed tied to the potion—or rather, time’s power.

Since the novices used less potion, their glow was faint; Carol, likely in a prolonged ritual time, had a rich blue glow.

Siles felt his fascination with Revelators and curiosity about power were tainted by this damned blue glow.

He sighed softly.

“Mr. Noel, what’s wrong? Did you fail?” Carol, nearby, heard his sigh and asked.

Siles shook his head. “No, I succeeded.”

“Then why…”

Carol asked why he sighed, but looking into Siles’s dark eyes, filled with faint regret, he was puzzled.

Siles hesitated, unable to voice his true thoughts, and asked, “I was wondering, why can’t we change the wind’s direction?”

Carol gave him an odd look, echoing Glenfiel’s earlier comment. “Mr. Noel, I think the research department would welcome you.”

Siles fell into a subtle silence.

Carol answered, “Mr. Noel, you said on Monday that a ritual’s success requires knowing exactly what happened.” He flicked the leaf in Siles’s hand. “And this leaf can only do so much.”

Siles thought, then said, “If I used a leaf from a storm, could I create a strong wind?”

Carol: “…”

He paused, then patted Siles’s shoulder. “Trust me, the research department is a great fit.”

Siles, silent, felt he’d paid a steep price to hide the blue glow’s existence.

Carol, in a joking tone, added, “But your idea is worth trying. You can experiment more with leaves and wind later.”

Siles nodded.

He realized that within the Historical Society, research and exploration by Revelators seemed relatively open. But why had Carol called some external Revelators “speculators”?

Siles couldn’t help but feel puzzled.