"Good evening, Mr. Hamilton, no need to bother with the tea. First, congratulations on joining the History Department of St. Byrons Comprehensive College, but tonight is about two other things."
Professor Garcia, the vice dean of the School of History, said, clapping his hands in congratulations and holding up two fingers, not giving Shade a chance to speak. This professor was quite decisive:
"First of all, let me tell you about you. Please show me your core spirit rune."
The heavy hammer fell, and the life ring appeared in the scorching steam mist, and the brass-colored space and time appeared in front of three translucent figures.
Every time Xia De summoned the Life Ring, he felt that this power system was really particularly... fashionable.
Professor Garcia nodded with satisfaction and said in his unskilled Delarion language:
"Very good, Mr. Hamilton, this is indeed time and space. You have now been included in the list of key training by the History College. In addition to the relic that has been handed over to you, your "Time Travel Practical Training" will be personally guided by me. The college's regulations stipulate that this course will not begin until you engrave the first spirit rune. But since you are a key training target, the time point of time travel can be advanced..."
"in advance?"
Shad blinked.
"Yes, tonight. To be more precise, after we finish discussing everything that happened tonight."
Professor Garcia spoke without much emotion, which gave Shad the impression that he was serious and rigid, but Shad admired this kind of professor.
“Most correspondence ring sorcerers don’t actually understand who to focus on training.
You are different from ordinary correspondence students. Although we cannot violate the rules and let you enter the college directly, St. Byron will provide you with many teaching conveniences and more training resources, but will also make more requirements. Mr. Hamilton, the History School is looking forward to the day when you officially enter the school. I rarely take the initiative to praise students, but please don't waste your talent. Generally speaking, the "Time Travel Practice Training" of the History School is taught by ordinary lecturers. "
After saying that, Professor Garcia gave Shade a somewhat strange smile. This professor probably didn't smile often. Shade nodded with a stern face. Of course, he was happy about this, but he was a little nervous about the time travel.
"Before the course starts, there is one more thing. This thing has nothing to do with our history department, but with the group you are in."
Professor Garcia pointed to Professor Sanchez, who was sitting opposite Shade. Although both were professors at St. Byron's, the latter was obviously of a higher status:
"Mr. Shad Hamilton, I hope you can promise that what we are going to talk about next will not be told to anyone else."
Professor Sanchez, who had a pocket watch chain on his chest, said.
"So, you can say something about the preferential treatment for key training subjects?"
Xia De thought about it, but he didn't say anything like "The next words must not violate morality", but nodded directly. He seemed to hear the sound of cat claws scratching the door, and he was very worried that Mia would destroy the family property:
"I'm sworn to secrecy."
"Okay, we want to talk about the five-member group you're in. Your group has big problems."
Miss Jones lowered her head to take notes, Professor Garcia sat upright and listened to the conversation, and Professor Sanchez, who seemed to be over fifty years old, had a serious look in his eyes.
He opened his mouth to continue speaking, but was suddenly stunned, and looked towards the window of the living room almost at the same time as Professor Garcia.
Xia De closed the curtains as requested. The thick fabric curtains could completely block the warm yellow light of the gas street lamps around the square. Now, from under the curtains, a faint silver steam mist appeared at some point and was slowly spreading throughout the room.
"Mercury mist?"
Even though the real thing wasn't in the living room of this detective agency, the two tenured professors still recognized what it was.
"Mr. Hamilton, someone is trying to invade here."
Professor Sanchez said, but he still sat there without moving. He frowned and looked at Shade:
"Have you done anything in the past two days?"
The detective, who was covering his mouth and nose for fear of mercury poisoning, nodded immediately. He understood when he heard "mercury". Knowing that now was not the time to hide anything, he told the whole story about the statue of the old god. However, he did not tell the time and place of meeting with "the lady", but only said that he had found a reliable buyer.
The professors didn't care that he sold the statue of the old god instead of giving it to the college. The two professors looked at each other, and Professor Garcia of the History School said in his not-so-standard Delarionese:
"Then the matter is roughly clear. The buyer you found helped you solve the problem of Mercury Blood's tracking of the person who discovered the statue, but there are still subtle traces. They originally just wanted to test it, but they didn't expect you to start the ritual to let the other party confirm that you are the ring warlock."
Xia De didn't know the professors' reasoning method, and he didn't know how to describe this bad luck.
"But don't worry. It was me who chose tonight as the meeting place, Mr. Hamilton. I will take care of this matter."
Professor Sanchez said, looking at the secretary, who answered clearly:
"It complies with the regulations of the academy, but I must remind you, professor, that during the projection ceremony, even high-level sorcerers will have their powers reduced."
"It doesn't matter. Although the Mercury Blood organization is ancient, their strongest contemporary is only the Nine-Ring Warlock 'Silver Eyed'."
Professor Sanchez said, and also gave Shade some common sense:
"The ring sorcerer is thirteenth ring, but there are very few thirteenth ring sorcerers in this era, and they all have their own names. The thirteenth ring sorcerers of Saint Byron are our dean, Professor Pigman, the 'Silver Guardian', and Miss Danister, the 'Red Moon Witch', the administrator of the Saint Byron Library. Below this, ring sorcerers above tenth ring are qualified to serve as the guardians of the archdiocese of the Orthodox Church, or professors with tenure in the academy. Outside the church and the academy, sorcerers above tenth ring are rare.
The inheritance of Mercury Blood is ancient, and it is said to have been born in the late Fourth Epoch, but it has now declined, and the main body is attached to the Blood Spirit School that is being hunted by the Five Gods Church. The heirs of Mercury Blood are too obsessed with the angel-level relic-Mercury Blood. "
The professor did not stand up. As he spoke, the mercury mist was almost spreading from the window to everyone's feet. Xia De didn't know whether he should remind the professors that they were projections and did not have to worry about poisoning, but he was a physical entity.
"But what is the Blood Spirit School?"
He believed that the professors at St. Byron's would not stand by and watch him die.
"A madman with an older and more powerful heritage... ...you or me?"
The deputy dean of St. Byron asked the deputy dean of the School of History, who thought for a moment and said in a calm but unskilled Delarian language:
"Let me do it first. At least we need to know who the other party is and how much intelligence we have on Mr. Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton, please watch out. This is the power of space."