Time Stone?

The old Kronos, simple-minded and devoted to scholarship, might not have understood what those words meant, but the current Kronos did.

Since the Conservative Party had forced the Argel family to swallow a piece of meat, their next step was to find a way to take a bite out of the New Party. That would even things out. Even if they had to be utterly shameless, they had to get that bite.

But Marquis Argyle could not be the one to do it. Only Kronos could handle something like this, after which they could chalk it up to a child who did not know any better, keeping it out of the realm of party politics.

That would not work if Kronos could not speak, however, so his Speech-Ban Period had to end early. He had finished digesting his potion four and a half years ago, so he could naturally take this opportunity to become a Melee Scholar and improve his ability to protect himself.

Kronos nodded, without a trace of confusion in his eyes. Marquis Argyle knew then that he understood and felt somewhat reassured. If he could not even understand those words, how could he possibly complete this task?

With the serious business concluded, they moved on to casual conversation.

"Brother, I want to go riding. Take me riding!" Annie wheedled.

"Father and Mother won't take me. They always make excuses about being busy, and they don't trust the servants to take me either. Now that you're finally home, please take me!"

Honestly, ten-year-old Annie looked like an oversized doll. Kronos simply could not withstand her pleading like this. Looking into those big, sincere eyes, he had no idea how his parents managed to refuse her.

So he turned to his father with a questioning expression.

Members of the Argel family were not just skilled at sign language. Reading someone's thoughts from their expressions was also a required lesson.

Marquis Argyle gave a rueful laugh. "I really have been busy these past few days. Two iron mines in Midseashire have produced a surplus that our steel company can't absorb, and we haven't found a buyer yet. Kronos, you can take your sister riding."

An iron mine producing a surplus that could not be sold was quite possible in this era.

Steelmaking technology was hardly commonplace, after all, so the only way to avoid waste was to mine exactly as much as the steel companies needed.

Thanks to the Mystery Pryer potion, Kronos had what could be called a photographic memory. He had even recalled parts of the original story he had forgotten, and an idea soon came to him.

Earl Hall, the leader of the New Party, was the Loen Kingdom's most famous banker. He was the largest shareholder in Bavart Bank, the fourth-largest shareholder in Backlund Bank, a special adviser to Loen Royal Bank, and the third-largest shareholder in Intis's Sushit Bank.

But he was also the second-largest shareholder in the Conston Coal and Steel Consortium. He could easily resolve the surplus from their family's iron mines, while also providing that bite out of the New Party.

Kronos signed his idea to his father, and Marquis Argyle's eyes lit up at the proposal.

Previously, their family had always done business with the intention of staying out of party politics, so they often avoided dealing with nobles. Now, however, they could make a few such contacts in moderation.

They simply needed Kronos to take the lead at first. As long as the marquis did not step forward himself, they would have room to salvage matters no matter what happened.

Marquis Argyle was just about to speak when Annie beat him to it. "Brother, didn't Father say you could end your Speech-Ban Period? Why are you still using sign language?"

She had a point. They had clearly said his Speech-Ban Period was over, and he was not wearing the Oath of Secrecy at the table, yet he had still used sign language out of habit.

Everyone at the table laughed, then turned their attention to Kronos. None of them had heard him speak in five years, and Annie had no memory at all of her brother speaking.

Kronos opened his mouth, then coughed twice to clear his throat before tentatively saying a name. "Annie."

"Wow, the first word Brother said was my name!" Annie waved her arms excitedly and shot her parents a triumphant look.

Although Kronos had not spoken for five years, he soon adjusted.

"Father, I don't think someone of Earl Hall's standing would come to me of his own accord. I should visit him while the news from the past few days is still fresh," Kronos suggested.

Marquis Argyle approved of the suggestion. "Yes, there's nothing wrong with that idea. You won't need to polish your words too much when the time comes. Just speak plainly and explain that you want to solve a problem for your family. You can also state directly that the family has no interest in politics. That will better suit your personality and experience."

The two discussed the matter a little further. The Marquise and Annie did not understand it, so they did not interrupt.

After lunch, Kronos took Annie to the riding grounds. A sizable riding ground occupied the northwestern corner of the estate. Although Kronos was not particularly fond of riding, he was proficient at it.

Holding little Annie's hand, Kronos walked slowly toward it, chatting happily along the way. For little Annie, the fact that her brother could talk to her was enough to keep her happy all day.

Kronos finished changing into his riding clothes first and waited for little Annie outside the changing room.

Suddenly, Kronos distinctly felt a gaze settle on him. A wave of intense malice followed, so powerful that it left him suffocating.

Then all sorts of corruption came in succession. Kronos had overlooked something: in this world, knowledge carried corruption. Much of it was not something anyone below the level of an Angel was qualified to know.

To think I'm going to die on my very first day after transmigrating.

Just as Kronos sank into despair, a green light shone between his eyebrows. As that light enveloped his body, the corruption afflicting him slowly receded.

Kronos still stood there, but a demigod looking at him would have noticed something slightly discordant. A demigod of the Wheel of Fortune Pathway would have discovered that no fluctuations of fate could be observed before them.

Kronos fell into a daze again, because he had received another piece of information.

Time Stone Sequence 9 ability: Concealment of Time. Allows the user to detach from their own timeline. All mystical connections, influences, and observations will become ineffective.

"I knew my transmigration was too inexplicable. Could that gauntlet really have been the Infinity Gauntlet? Why is there only one stone? If all six were here, wouldn't I have nothing to fear?" Kronos blurted out excitedly.

"Fear what, Brother?" Little Annie came out just then.

Kronos came back to his senses. "What could I possibly fear? Only that our little Annie won't have fun."

For the next two hours, Kronos remained distracted. On the surface, he watched little Annie ride, but all his attention was focused on the green stone between his eyebrows.

Only after their riding outing ended did Kronos have time to shut himself in his room and properly study the stone.

Kronos had indeed brought only this one stone with him. It was probably the thing he had grabbed during his transmigration.

Unlike the Paths of the Divine, it required no potions, no rituals, and certainly no anchors. As his own strength increased, the corresponding abilities would unlock naturally.

Originally, Kronos would have needed to discover and activate the Time Stone himself. But the sudden corruption from an Outer Deity had posed a threat that activated it automatically. Its Sequence 9 ability happened to counter this crisis, or he would have died.

The Sequence 9 ability was Concealment of Time. Its principle was to detach Kronos from his own timeline. People could see him with their eyes, touch him with their hands, and kill him with direct attacks. Nothing in the physical world changed.

But mystical connections, influences, and observations all became ineffective. The authority of time stood above other mystical authorities. If time deemed that he did not exist, then he did not exist.

He had to admit that the ability was not particularly useful, but for Kronos, it had saved his life.

Kronos now effectively possessed two Paths of the Divine, though neither offered much offensive power. Still, there was no hurry. He could drink his potion that evening. Melee Scholar offered offensive power, and the Time Stone would also unlock its Sequence 8 ability.

He had originally thought that if his talent proved insufficient, he would have no choice but to cling to Mr. Fool for support. Yet his cheat had arrived in the blink of an eye. Whether it could compare to a sef irah was hard to say, but surely it could not be weaker than an Angel's power. Kronos was satisfied.

His only slight regret was having chosen the wrong pathway. The powers of time and fate would have been such a perfect match. Perhaps he could even have obtained a sef irah and become the "Key of Light, Endless Chaos, Avatar of Fate."

But on closer consideration, Ouroboros had two Snake of Fate beyonder characteristics, while Will Auceptin had one beyonder characteristic and the Wheel of Fortune Uniqueness. That road was completely blocked.

Even if Kronos became a Sequence Two and added the Time Stone's power, he would most likely still be unable to defeat either of them.

Mystery Pryer was different, however. The Hidden Sage was an animated Uniqueness, with at most one additional Sequence One Knowledge Emperor beyonder characteristic.

Huang Roselle Tao had one Knowledge Emperor characteristic, and Stiano, the founder of the Moses Ascetic Order, had another.

The former was on an island and could be found. They were fellow transmigrators, so there was room to negotiate. The latter had most likely switched pathways and become the God of Steam and Machinery, so his beyonder characteristic should be with the Church of Steam and Machinery. That gave Kronos a lead.

Fortunately, he had not been born into a family belonging to a pathway with a true god. Otherwise, Sequence Two would have been the limit for his entire life.

No, no. He should say he was fortunate not to have been born into a family of the Marauder Pathway. Otherwise, he could only have become one of the Backlund Amon Avatars.

Thinking of it that way, all his regrets vanished. He now had a father, a mother, a younger sister, a cheat, and even the qualifications to aspire to the throne of a true god. His family also had a vast fortune waiting for him to squander. How wonderful life was.