24. An Incomplete Time Track

The visitor was Bruer Darro.

Surprised to see Siles already in Room 666, he greeted him as he entered, “Good afternoon. You’re here early.”

“Good afternoon.”

Bruer seemed to want to say something, but Siles’s cold, expressionless face, coupled with his status as a university professor, made him hesitant.

Still, it was too awkward for the two to share the room in silence.

Finally, Bruer said casually, “I… met my fiancée privately yesterday.”

Siles looked at him, surprised. “You took Mrs. Fuller’s advice?”

“Yes,” Bruer said, a bit nervous but unable to resist sharing. “She’s a very beautiful young lady, very… very… very much to my…”

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Fkzlp pxkzle qykdvzu. “Usdtayvwzyvksdp.”

Jawla zssjle yv bkx yde nswzed’v blzr pyukdt, “Vasqlppsa, byhl usw lhla qlzv vbyv? Nkjl… vbl xsxldv usw pll psxlsdl, uswa pswz kp nyrvwale cu vblx.”

Fkzlp rywple, vbld pzsozu pbssj bkp blye.

Jawla xwaxwale, “Rv’p vawzu osdeaswp… xytknyz… kv alxkdep xl sq pvsaklp ycswv clzklhlap xllvkdt tsep.”

“Jlzklhlap xllvkdt tsep?”

Jawla rywple, vbld pyke, “Xb… kv’p yd sze vyzl qasx xu qyxkzu.”

Fkzlp ypjle nwakswpzu, “Uyd usw vlzz xl ycswv kv? Rq kv’p dsv kdnsdhldkldv…”

“Xq nswapl, Vasqlppsa.”

It seemed Siles’s professorial status indeed gave him an edge at times. He recalled Knight Commander Banyan’s offer to assist with research.

Bruer thought, then said, “My family wasn’t originally from the Konst Duchy; we came here after the Mist Era began. As the mist receded, my family sought opportunities abroad.

“When the mist cleared, the Konst Duchy was exposed, caught off guard by foreign attacks. My family helped the duchy and was ennobled.”

His tone was proud, clearly cherishing his family’s storied past.

Bruer paused, his arrogance fading slightly, and continued, “That was nearly four hundred years ago. Before coming to the Konst Duchy, our family already had genealogies, archives, and records.

“One family journal mentioned an ancestor who obtained a… I don’t know how to describe it, a manuscript? A booklet with drawings and text, describing a believer meeting a god, overwhelmed with emotion.”

Siles listened intently and asked, “What did the drawing look like? Have you seen it?”

“No,” Bruer shook his head. “The booklet was lost during our migrations, only mentioned in family records.

“I recall… uh, the record said it showed a kneeling figure and some… chaotic lines in the sky. Like something hidden in dark clouds.”

Chaotic lines in the sky. Something hidden in clouds.

Siles froze, immediately recalling the painter’s work at Atherton Square—darkness and clouds above, hiding something.

He frowned momentarily.

Perhaps Siles’s expression was too grave, Bruer said dismissively, “Professor, that was four hundred years ago. That booklet was probably even older—likely useless now.”

Siles took a slight breath, unsure if it was Bruer’s bear-like attitude or his cavalier tone.

He said, “Bruer, we’re Revelators.”

Bruer blinked blankly, then his expression shifted subtly. “You mean… it’s a time track?” He swallowed instinctively. “That drawing? A time track tied to gods?”

Siles nodded, then shook his head, about to explain when others entered, so he said no more.

But his words had already shaken Bruer, who sat dazedly on the sofa, likely forgetting he came early to talk about his fiancée.

As expected, until Carol arrived, the stunned Bruer didn’t mention his fiancée to Mrs. Fuller.

When Carol entered, he flashed his usual cheerful smile. “Alright, dear Revelators, today you’ll learn a second ritual and some theoretical knowledge.

“From now on, our lessons will speed up to help you complete the initiation phase and become true Revelators.”

He distributed potions, then time tracks.

This time track appeared to be cut from a metal object, its edges smoothed. One side was flat, the other bore intricate patterns, but overall, it was simple and weighty.

Siles toyed with it, then said softly, “A shield?”

Carol, yet to explain, looked at Siles in surprise. “How did you know?”

Everyone turned to Siles.

Siles paused, then explained, “The first ritual was for initiation; the second should be more practical. Revelators likely face dangers, so it’s probably about protection or evasion.

“This metal’s shape and patterns resemble a shield.”

Carol blinked, then praised, “You’re remarkably sharp.”

Siles shook his head modestly. “I just think a bit more.”

Carol didn’t dwell, explaining, “These are parts of knight shields from the Church Knight Corps, used in combat, then scrapped and collected by us as ritual time tracks.”

Church Knight Corps, Siles thought. Besides the Konst Duchy’s army and police, the Corps was a legal force, handling “normal” events for the former two, and likely “abnormal” ones for the latter, as Carol mentioned in the first lesson.

…Perhaps the Historical Society was a secular branch of the church?

As Siles pondered, Carol smiled. “Some shields might belong to Knight Commander Banyan, but they’re mixed, indistinguishable. If you’re lucky, you might gain the past power of Banyan.”

The Revelators gasped.

Knight Commander Banyan—young, handsome, devout, skilled—won admiration from many, especially young women.

Siles glanced at Angela Clayton, her delicate fingers gently stroking the shield fragment.

Hm… Siles considered: why not base his novel’s protagonist on Banyan? Would the Knight Commander mind?

“Alright, to business,” Carol coughed. “This ritual is [Invisible Shield]. It creates an unseen air shield in front of you, blocking frontal attacks.”

He looked at Siles with an ambiguous tone, emphasizing, “This ritual’s power is limited to forming an invisible shield in front. It can’t move or block overly fierce attacks.

“These are its flaws.”

He seemed to say this for Siles.

Siles nodded calmly, inwardly wry… to hide secrets, he’d cemented his image as a nitpicking researcher.

…Fine, not a bad thing.

Carol added, “Releasing this ritual is simple: tap your knuckle on the patterned side of the shield fragment.

“Of course, the exact spot and force affect compatibility, but this ritual rarely fails.”

This made Siles stare intently at Carol.

Carol paused, then explained, “Because we know these shields become [Invisible Shield] time tracks, we had knights hold them while others struck every part.

“It’s part of their training. Two birds, one stone.”

Siles understood.

A strange feeling arose.

Since an object could be a time track to recreate past power, could people prepare such tracks in the past for future use?

This world, with its wondrous Revelator powers, seemed to loop time subtly. The past would recur; the future already existed.

This was…

The Earthling’s mind sparked an idea: what if he deliberately crafted time tracks for his future self?

During practice, Siles pondered this feasibility.

He tapped the shield fragment casually, feeling blue light flow from his fingertips, enveloping the metal.

Then, the light expanded, forming a majestic, half-person-high blue shield forty centimeters in front.

Siles: “…”

Wasn’t it invisible?

He frowned slightly, then relaxed.

An invisible shield turning visible was good. In combat, seeing its size and shape, he could adjust his stance for surprise.

Siles suppressed his odd emotions.

He checked his compatibility gauge, unsurprisingly finding a 10.

If every ritual scored 10, he didn’t need to worry about success or strength—each would be optimally powerful.

…Good, indeed.

As he thought, Carol approached, looked at Siles’s front, reached out, felt an invisible shield, nodded satisfied, and praised, “You’re a genius.”

Siles hesitated, not wanting his oddity noticed.

He asked, “Carol, I have a question.”

Carol: “…”

He didn’t want to hear it!

But Carol listened. “Crafting time tracks for your future self?” He mused. “That’s a tough… practical issue.”

Siles listened.

Carol said with a headache, “Siles… we can’t predict the future, so we can’t prepare for specific events.”

Siles paused, saying softly, “I see.”

Carol, looking at this imaginative young scholar, encouraged, “But it’s a valid idea. Um… it might clash with some Revelators’ beliefs.”

Siles asked, “What beliefs?”

“Some think older time tracks yield stronger power,” Carol said. “So, making time tracks for the near future might not align with their views.”

“Venerating the ancient.”

“Yes,” Carol, usually cheerful, sighed. “Some high-ranking elders in the Historical Society.”

Siles recalled the rift between Glenfiel and his teacher, Vice President Joseph Morton.

He didn’t know their exact issue, but Carol’s tone suggested the Historical Society had… factional divides.

Siles didn’t press, and Carol shook his head, not elaborating. “I think you’d fit in the research department. They’d welcome you.”

Siles didn’t respond directly.

Carol didn’t mind. As a novice Revelator, Siles’s many ideas were just thoughts.

Carol guided the others.

After everyone successfully cast [Invisible Shield] with decent compatibility, Carol gathered them at the sofas, raising another question.

“I mentioned your shield fragments come from the Church Knight Corps’ shields. What’s the difference between the ritual’s shield and an actual knight’s shield?”

Young Darell Hobbs answered eagerly, “It’s not as strong! I tried hitting a wall hard, and with full force, the invisible shield shattered!”

“Correct,” Carol nodded, glancing oddly at Darell.