Chapter Fifty-Three: Desires Within the Heart

After Professor Garcia left, Shade continued to sit slumped in his chair with his eyes closed. Only after several minutes did he quietly narrow his eyes to survey the silent living room, confirming that the visitor had truly departed before straightening his posture.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, his face bore the expression of one awakening from a deep dream under the glow of the gaslight. Of course, his earlier demeanor had been an act. It seemed the deliberate performance had been the right choice. To the professors at Saint Byron’s, even glimpsing a god’s dwelling would hardly be a casual experience.

He glanced down at the basin. Under the brass gaslight on the wall, the water inside was completely dry. Only a dry parchment scroll from an elective course lay quietly within, its back devoid of any writing.

“What just happened?” he asked his own mind, pulling out the key from his pocket. It was indeed the time key, but its surface was now covered with cracks.

“Why can the key be reused? Why did I encounter the task of the ‘Father of the Infinite Tree’ the very first time I traveled through time? Why is that deity called an ancient god? The thirteen original... mentioned by the Old Gods...”

“Stranger, I am you; you do not know, and neither do I,” a woman’s soft laughter came.

“Until now, all the ways I have differed from normal are due to your uniqueness. The knowledge of the Drarian language is drawn from the fragmented memories of the previous soul inhabiting this body; the ability to sense relics at close range is a special trait of the stranger’s soul. I am you—this is your peculiarity. You do not know it, nor do I.”

Her explanation matched perfectly with Shade’s own thoughts from earlier that day.

Listening to the voice by his ear, Shade leaned back in his chair and gazed at the ceiling.

“In this world, I have finally seen a god with my own eyes.”

He sighed. Once his spirit fully recovered, more questions flooded his mind.

“Thirteen ancient gods—why have I never heard of such a thing before? That Father of the Infinite Tree... thirteen original Rod cards, the last thirteen witch empresses of the Fifth Era—what a strange coincidence. The number thirteen must hold some special significance. Does everything originate from the ancient gods?”

“Perhaps you can guess for yourself. I imagine you already have some ideas.”

“Yes, but I have no proof...” He sighed, summarizing tonight’s “adventure”:

“This time, at least I have lost nothing.”

“You have also gained the spell ‘False Immortality’.”

“But I haven’t completed the task, nor received the rewards of arcane arts and spirit runes.”

“You still have two more chances.”

“I don’t understand what power the ‘Divine Afterglow’ spoken of by that Old God refers to.”

“But at least you are still alive, and you have infinite possibilities.”

Shade sat in his chair and laughed.

“Actually, I’m grateful you speak to me like this. Although I still don’t know exactly what you are, having someone always by my side feels good. No need to comfort me—I am not so fragile. Now that I’ve seen the chance to gain power, I won’t let it slip... Divine Afterglow... perhaps Cleric Augustus will have some insight.”

His eyes turned toward the slightly ajar bedroom door. The tired ginger cat, Mia, sleepily squeezed through the narrow gap—though the doorway was clearly wider than that.

Her amber eyes met Shade’s, and with a little run-up from her short legs, she leapt onto his lap. After lying there for a while without feeling any petting, she tapped his leg impatiently with her paws.

Shade reached out to stroke the soft fur along her back. The orange coat was extraordinarily soft and warm, like holding a small hearth.

“Meow~”

She flipped onto her back on his lap, kicking her legs playfully and exposing her white belly. Tilting her head, she gazed up at Shade with wide eyes. The stranger finally felt completely freed from the mental strain of earlier.

“Thank you too, Mia. Thank you for liking me so much.”

He played with the cat, then raised his eyes to the window, heavy curtains drawn tight.

“God.”

The stranger whispered.

***

(The little Mia running about...)

The next day was Thursday of the fourth week in the Month of Sunshine. When Shade went out to fetch the newspaper, milk, and goat’s milk in the morning, sure enough, he found a letter from the Taylor and Wanda Joint Mining Company in the southern kingdom. Inside was the same sheet of poetic manuscript paper that allowed direct contact with the academy—identical to the one Dr. Schneider had sent.

During breakfast with little Mia, Shade hesitated for a while. Although Professor Garcia had offered to write the report for him, Shade ultimately composed his own, including a description of his physical condition, and sent it to the academy via the poetic manuscript page.

The academy’s reply came swiftly, seemingly penned by Professor Garcia himself. The handwritten calligraphy resembled intertwining vines. He was advised to rest carefully. The credit and other rewards for the investigator’s mission would be decided at the upcoming History Academy assembly.

This near-divine encounter had elevated the status of the Fifth Era-1068’s Time Key to angelic level. Shade guessed that having actually seen a god could be classified as an unknowable zero level.

After dealing with these matters, Shade quietly greeted the woman in his mind for the first time that morning, then slipped the manuscript sheet into the novel The Silver Knight. The shattered key was now locked away in his bedroom desk drawer. The newly acquired spell ‘False Immortality’ required a severely injured state to activate. Unwilling to harm himself or Mia to such an extent, he couldn’t use it for now.

But at least he had gained a new spell—and its effect sounded extraordinary.

He still didn’t fully grasp what had happened last night and planned to attempt activating a new Time Key after the History Academy’s summary, to see if last night’s event was an anomaly.

Though eager for the Fifth Era-1068 mission rewards—the arcane art ‘Blade of Distorted Time’ and the spirit rune ‘Echo’—the Old God, the ‘Pure Creator,’ had said he needed at least the power of the ‘Divine Afterglow’ to complete the task.

So, until he understood what ‘Divine Afterglow’ truly was, Shade would not waste the remaining two chances with his key.

“Could this also be due to the uniqueness of my soul? I won’t dwell on it for now. Today’s goal is the Seers’ Association.”

He adjusted his clothes before the full-length mirror, while Mia rolled and played on the bed behind him.

“Stranger, your soul is very special. This remains the cause of all these peculiarities. I am you; there is no doubt about that.”

The murmured voice was cheerful. It was the first time Shade had heard her speak like this. She seemed in good spirits, probably because he had greeted her this morning.