Compared to the manor thirty-three years later, Collins Manor had barely changed. When Shade followed the dim path along the side of the house to the front courtyard, illuminated by hanging Kerosene Lamps, he was surprised to find that this wedding banquet was even livelier than the one thirty-three years later.
The outdoor banquet had actually lit bonfires in the courtyard, and the night was even darker than it had been in 1854. The guests were having a wonderful time, dancing around the fires or strolling with drinks in hand as they chatted with friends. No one noticed Shade's arrival.
The development of the Steam Industry had transformed the era with each passing day. Even with only thirty-three years between them, the clothing styles of this time were vastly different from those of 1854. Fortunately, Shade was only wearing a white shirt, which at least did not seem too out of place.
Shade did not yet know whose wedding this was, nor did he know exactly what the relic had sent him to 1821 to do, because he had not heard the rules spoken by the relic at all.
However, the Beacon Acorn's effect had not yet worn off. He was about to use the Timestamp to see whether this era also had any Time Travelers, but after activating it, he realized that he should not have done so:
"The Hermits said that the acorn searches for targets whose Timestamps differ from one's own, and clearly, the Timestamps of everyone in the past are different from those of someone living in 1854—"
He stopped thinking as he faced the crowd illuminated by bonfires and lamps. After activating his perception, he watched people dance, joke, eat, drink, and talk, yet sensed only one Time Traveler rather than everyone.
Taking a deep