Preparing to Set Sail

"What about the Church of Steam and Machinery? Can't they help us?" Kronos asked.

Since the Augustus Family distrusted the Argel Family because of the Church of Steam and Machinery, surely the church ought to offer the Argel Family some support.

Marquis Argyle asked solemnly, "That's also something I wanted to ask you. Do you intend to believe in the God of Steam and Machinery?"

Kronos hadn't expected that question, but he gave it some thought. "Not at the moment. It's just that the God of Steam and Machinery helped me during my advancement, so I have a better impression of Him. That's all."

"Our relationship with the Church of Steam and Machinery is really one of mutual exploitation, and we've had some tremendous conflicts," Marquis Argyle said.

"Our ancestor Botu died at the hands of the Church of Steam and Machinery."

Kronos was genuinely shocked. Portu Argel, the man who had saved the family from collapse and restored its fortunes, had actually died at the hands of the Church of Steam and Machinery.

Marquis Argyle continued, "That's not entirely accurate. Back then, after Ancestor Botu became a Demigod and made a name for himself, the Church of Steam and Machinery approached him. Their intention was to have our family commit fully to the church. They were willing to give him their full support in advancing to Sequence 3, but he would have to switch to the Savant pathway."

Kronos raised a timely question. "Wasn't one of the God of Steam and Machinery's conditions for helping us that we couldn't change pathways?"

Marquis Argyle replied, "Yes. Because of that condition, Ancestor Abel couldn't find the Sequence 3 formula for the Mystery Pryer pathway and died at Sequence 4. But six or seven hundred years had passed by then. Perhaps the conditions had changed."

"After discussing it with the family, Ancestor Botu decided there was nothing wrong with joining the Church of Steam and Machinery. We would be free of the Hidden Sage's threat for good and gain a powerful backer, so he agreed."

"But five days after he left with the church's people, his body and Beyonder characteristic were sent back. The church said he had failed to switch pathways and died as a result."

"At the time, the family was too consumed by grief to think much of it. Only later, through a chance opportunity, did we learn that the strongest members of families that joined the church were usually brainwashed into fanatical believers, then received into the true god's divine kingdom. Most of those who couldn't be brainwashed died."

Kronos understood. "So that's how Ancestor Botu died too?"

"If he had failed while switching pathways and advancing, how could there have been no sign of it in his Beyonder characteristic? Yet the characteristic they returned had not a trace of the Savant pathway. How could a lie like that not arouse suspicion?"

Now Kronos finally understood why a distinguished founding family with a hereditary marquisate and several Demigods in its history had ended up in its current situation.

To outsiders, the Argel Family possessed wealth to rival a nation and enjoyed the royal family's favor. In truth, however, the entire family had always been caught between the royal family and the church, feared by both and rejected by both.

Kronos had originally held a very favorable impression of the God of Steam and Machinery, so he often went to the Church of Steam and Machinery to donate money, hoping to build a good relationship. He would never go again.

"All right, Kronos. That's all I wanted to tell you. Just remember that someone in this manor is always watching us. Be careful about what you say and do." Marquis Argyle had said everything he needed to say. He trusted Kronos to work the rest out himself.

"I understand, Dad. I'll be going, then." Kronos turned to leave.

But before opening the door, he suddenly turned back as though something had occurred to him. "I still have over a hundred pages of the secret tome left to read. Are there any useful spells in there? If not, I won't bother. They're really an assault on the eyes."

"Hahaha!" Marquis Argyle laughed heartily, clearly recalling those eye-searing spells himself.

"What? Aren't you afraid they'll obstruct your path anymore?" Marquis Argyle teased.

"It's already a thousand-pound boulder. I can't move it anyway, so another pound or two won't make any difference," Kronos said, rolling his eyes.

"About a dozen pages from the end, there are a few spells left by our ancestor Abner, the Wisdom. They aren't too hard on the eyes. You can take a look."

"All right." Having obtained the information he wanted, Kronos left the Marquis's study.

The instant he opened the door, grief and despair settled over Kronos's face, and his back stooped. In that moment, it was as though the Beijing Film Academy, Central Academy of Drama, and Shanghai Theatre Academy had all lent him their power. He could well have been called "Backlund's Little Hu Ge."

The Marquis stared in astonishment from inside the room. Well, there was no need to worry that his own son was a fool. He only needed to hope the boy would spend less time going out and deceiving other people's foolish sons.

On the way back to his room, Kronos did indeed feel a gaze settle on him. It wasn't the kind projected by a true god; someone was secretly watching from nearby.

But Kronos didn't turn to look. Instead, he committed himself to his role as an actor, sighing all the way until he reached his room.

He sat back down at his desk and flipped aimlessly through the secret tome, his thoughts having long since wandered elsewhere.

His predecessors had researched practically every pathway. They hadn't even spared the Prisoner pathway, which had been captured by the Mother Tree of Desire, or the Secrets Suppliant pathway, which had the True Rapper as its patron. It seemed only the Marauder and Criminal pathways remained unstudied, since their Beyonders were genuinely scarce.

To play it safe, Kronos didn't want to provoke any Marauders. Amon in Cuttlefish's book was the stuff of childhood nightmares. If he could avoid him, he would.

That left the Criminal pathway. Its Beyonders were certainly rare, but Kronos could find them. There were some right in Backlund.

As he was thinking this, Kronos turned to Ancestor Abner's page and took a look. Well, there went the Criminal pathway too. Had he known, he wouldn't have read it. Curiosity killed the cat. Right now, Kronos wanted to burn the secret tome.

Forget it. I've already read it. Regretting it won't help, so I might as well read it properly.

As he lay in bed that night, Kronos considered how to break out of his current predicament.

Thinking it through, he still had some confidence in his progress with acting, because he had another avenue available to him.

That was the power of time, a field no one had researched. If he could uncover even a little of its workings and create a spell or two, perhaps he could complete his acting straight away.

But the biggest problem was that Kronos himself had no understanding of time whatsoever. He was merely using its power through the Time Stone.

His acting would be a long and difficult undertaking. He could only study and comprehend the power of time bit by bit in the days ahead, doing his best to reproduce a time spell or two.

As these thoughts ran through his mind, Kronos drifted off to sleep.

Over the next few days, Kronos shut himself in his room as though acting the part of a dispirited man, coming out only for meals.

The Marquise, little Annie, and Gner were all worried at first, but Marquis Argyle persuaded them not to interfere.

Little did they know that Kronos was positively exhilarated during those days. He experimented with his newly learned spells in his room, having the time of his life, floating into the air one moment and emitting holy light the next.

The Marquis kept others from disturbing him because he knew what his son was doing. After all, the materials used to cast the spells came from the storeroom. How could Kronos take things from there without the Marquis knowing?

Kronos also took advantage of still being at home to test Concealment of Time several times, since he wouldn't be able to dispel it once he left the manor.

But even after repeated tests, Kronos remained utterly baffled. What even is this? Why can't I feel anything at all?

That was only natural. With the power of time, perhaps only Demigods could sense a slight incongruity, and only Angels could discern some clues. How could Kronos comprehend it so easily?

The days passed in a flash. The Bowen Trading Company's fleet had finished loading and could depart at any time. Once Kronos received the news, he prepared to set off without hesitation.

Since departure was scheduled for the following morning, the Argel family did something unprecedented and went out together.

That afternoon, they set off by carriage for Pritz Harbor. Before leaving, the extravagantly wealthy Marquis Argyle sent a telegram to Benjamin of the Bowen Trading Company, telling him to buy a house in Pritz Harbor immediately, right that instant-and a nice one.

In Marquis Argyle's words, why should they stay in some shabby little inn whenever they traveled? What else was earning money for?

Kronos had nothing to say. He could only raise a thumb in respect.

After arriving at Pritz Harbor, the family of four enjoyed the long-missed warmth of having everyone together. After dinner, they took a walk along the shore.

Over the years, Marquis Argyle had borne tremendous pressure as he sought change for the family, and sometimes he neglected his home life. The Marquise might have had a few small grievances, but she still chose to stand firmly behind him and support him.

Kronos had always lived on his own and missed much of what happened at home, especially little Annie's childhood. That was why he did his best to satisfy her requests whenever he returned to the manor.

And so, all four of them treasured the time they shared that day.

Marquis Argyle and his wife walked quietly behind them. Little Annie ran about in high spirits, while Kronos ran alongside her, staying close as her shadow to keep her safe.

The Marquis and his wife gazed tenderly at their two children, then exchanged an equally tender look. Finally, the Marquis gently took his wife's hand, and they continued walking.

The setting sun, about to slip behind the mountains in the west, cast its gentle light over them, while the sea breeze brushed softly against everyone. It was a truly beautiful scene.