“Good evening, Mr. Hamilton. No need for tea. First, congratulations on joining the History Academy of Saint Byron's Comprehensive College, but tonight is for two other matters.”
Professor Garcia, the Vice Dean of the History Academy, said, clapping his hands lightly in congratulation, then extended two fingers, giving Xia De no chance to speak. The professor was quite decisive:
“First is about you. Please display your core Ling Rune.”
A heavy hammer struck, and in the hot steam mist, his Destiny Ring appeared. The brass-colored 【Time-Space】 emerged before the three translucent figures.
Every time Xia De summoned his Destiny Ring, he felt that this power system was exceptionally… fashionable.
Professor Garcia nodded with satisfaction and said in not-so-fluent delarion:
“Very good, Mr. Hamilton. This is indeed 【Time-Space】. You have now been placed on the History Academy’s priority cultivation list. Besides the relic already given to you, your ‘Time Travel Practical Training’ will be personally guided by me. The college’s charter states that this course will only begin after you engrave your first Ling Rune. But since you are a priority cultivation target, the time point for time travel can be advanced…”
“Advanced?”
Xia De blinked.
“Yes, it’s tonight. More precisely, it’s after we’ve discussed all matters for tonight.”
Professor Garcia spoke without much emotion, giving Xia De the impression of a serious and rigid person, but Xia De appreciated this kind of professor.
“Most Letter-based Ring術士 don’t actually understand what a priority cultivation target is.
You are different from ordinary correspondence students. Although we cannot directly let you enter the college against the rules, Saint Byron's will provide you with many conveniences in teaching, offer you more cultivation resources, but also make more demands. Mr. Hamilton, the History Academy looks forward to the day you officially enter the college. I rarely praise students proactively, but please do not waste your talent. Generally speaking, the History Academy’s ‘Time Travel Practical Training’ is handled by ordinary lecturers.”
After speaking, Professor Garcia even forced a somewhat strange smile at Xia De. This professor probably didn’t smile often. Xia De nodded with a straight face; he was, of course, happy about this, just a little apprehensive about the upcoming time travel.
“Before the course begins, there’s a second matter. This matter has nothing to do with our History Academy; it concerns the group you are in.”
Professor Garcia pointed to Professor Sanchez, who was sitting opposite Xia De. Although both were professors at Saint Byron's, the latter clearly had a higher status:
“Mr. Xia De Hamilton, I hope you can guarantee that the topic we are about to discuss will not be disclosed to anyone else.”
Professor Sanchez, who had a watch chain on his chest, said.
“So, the special treatment for priority cultivation targets can be discussed?”
Xia De thought to himself, and without saying anything like “the following words must not violate morality,” he nodded directly. He seemed to hear the sound of cat claws scratching at the door and was very worried about Mia damaging household property:
“I swear to keep it a secret.”
“Alright, what we need to discuss is your five-person group. Your group has a big problem.”
Miss Jones lowered her head to record, Professor Garcia sat upright listening to the conversation, and Professor Sanchez, who seemed to be over fifty, had a serious look in his eyes.
He opened his mouth to continue speaking but suddenly paused, looking towards the living room window almost simultaneously with Professor Garcia.
Xia De had closed the curtains as requested; the thick fabric curtains completely blocked the warm yellow light from the gas streetlights in Ring Square. But now, from beneath the curtains, a faint silver steam mist had appeared at some point and was slowly spreading throughout the room.
“Mercury mist?”
Even though their true bodies were not in the living room of this Detective agency, the two professors with tenure still recognized what this was.
“Mr. Hamilton, someone is trying to infiltrate here.”
Professor Sanchez said, but he remained seated, not moving. He frowned and looked at Xia De:
“Have you done anything in the past two days?”
The Detective, covering his mouth and nose, worried about mercury poisoning, immediately nodded. He understood when he heard “mercury.” Knowing it was not the time to hide anything, he spilled the beans about the Old God statue. However, he did not mention the time and place of meeting with The Lady, only saying that he had found a reliable buyer.
The professors didn’t care that he sold the Old God statue instead of handing it over to the college. The two professors exchanged glances, and Professor Garcia of the History Academy said in his not-so-standard delarion:
“Then the situation is probably clear. The buyer you found helped you resolve the Mercury Blood’s tracking of the statue discoverer, but there are still subtle traces. They originally just wanted to test, but they didn’t expect you to have just started a ritual, which allowed them to confirm that you are a Ring術士.”
Xia De didn’t know the professors’ deduction methods, nor did he know how to describe this bad luck.
“But don’t worry, it was I who chose this meeting place for tonight, Mr. Hamilton. I will handle this matter.”
Professor Sanchez said, looking at the secretary, who replied clearly:
“It complies with the college’s regulations, but I must remind you, Professor, that during ritual projection, even a High-Ring Sorcerer’s own power will be diminished.”
“It’s fine. Although the Mercury Blood organization is ancient, their strongest contemporary member is merely the Nine Ring Sorcerer, ‘Silver-Eyed One.’”
Professor Sanchez said, also giving Xia De some common knowledge:
“Ring術士 have Thirteenth Ring, but Thirteen Ring Sorcerer are extremely rare in this era, and they all have their own titles. The Thirteen Ring Sorcerer of Saint Byron's are our Dean, Professor Pigman, ‘The Watcher of Silver,’ and the Saint Byron's Library administrator, Miss Daniste, ‘Red Moon Witch.’ Below that, Ring術士 above Ten Ring are qualified to serve as Watcher of major archdioceses in the Orthodox Church, or professors with tenure at the college. And outside the Church and the college, sorcerers above Ten Ring are rarely seen.
The Mercury Blood has an ancient heritage, said to have originated in the fourth epoch, but it has now declined, its main body attached to the Blood Spirit School, which is pursued by the Five Gods Church. The inheritors of Mercury Blood are too obsessed with the angel-level relic—Mercury Blood.”
The professor did not get up. As he spoke, the mercury mist had almost spread from the window to their feet. Xia De wondered if he should remind the professors that they were projections and didn’t need to worry about poisoning, but he was a physical entity.
“But what is the Blood Spirit School?”
He believed that the professors of Saint Byron's would not stand by and do nothing.
“More ancient and powerful lunatics… You or I?”
The Vice Dean of Saint Byron's asked the Vice Dean of the History Academy. The latter thought for a moment and said in a calm but not-so-fluent delarion:
“Let me go first. At least we need to know who the opponent is and how much information they have on Mr. Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton, please watch closely. This is the power of space.”