Before Siles took his leave, Bertram suddenly remembered something and said, “Right, the first dividend from the profits of Greyson Food Company should arrive by the end of the month. Keep an eye out for a letter then.”
Siles was a bit surprised to hear this news, and he said sincerely, “That is good news.”
“It should be a sizable sum.” Bertram laughed. “Greyson’s recent development has been truly excellent; I even feel my initial investment was a bit small. However, I’ll observe for a while. Recently, an increasing number of merchants want to invest in Greyson.”
“Contentment brings happiness,” Siles said. “Your life now is very stable and happy.”
“Indeed,” Bertram replied.
Siles bid them farewell and left Milford Street, heading to Logan Market to catch a hired carriage. It was getting late, well past the time Mrs. Fenn had previously warned him about.
Siles was half-skeptical about the rumor of the shadow in the West City, remaining somewhat vigilant along the way, but ultimately found nothing.
He couldn’t help but wonder, Could it really just be a rumor? But if it was truly a rumor, why would even Alfonso Carte specifically warn me about it? He is a genuine Revelator!
Unable to figure it out, Siles could only set the matter aside for the time being, planning to flip through the book The Ghost of Lamifa City he had bought earlier when he had time.
Sitting in the bumpy, dimly lit carriage, he couldn’t stop himself from yawning, feeling utterly exhausted. Having not slept all of last night, running around so much today, and keeping his mind tense the whole time, he was reaching his limit.
Siles returned to 6 Hayward Street at nearly ten o’clock. He almost fell asleep in the carriage. He gave the driver a slightly larger tip, then dragged his exhausted body through the door.
On the second floor, Lorenzo popped his head out again. “You have two letters, my dear roommate. I feel like I’m your personal messenger.”
“Thank you, dear messenger.”
Lorenzo rolled his eyes at him and said, “You look very tired. Go to bed early, Professor Noel.”
“I still have to meet with my apprentices tomorrow morning,” Siles said. “Looks like it will be another exhausting day.”
“You really are overly tired,” Lorenzo teased. “I’ve never seen you complain about this before.”
Siles closed his mouth and frowned.
Lorenzo laughed. “Hurry up and go to sleep! Good night!”
Siles also bid him good night, then went to the living room on the first floor to pick up the two letters. He noticed one letter was relatively thin, while the other was very thick, seemingly stuffed with a lot of paper.
He was puzzled for a moment, but in his drowsiness, he was too lazy to think much about it. Returning to his room, he quickly washed up and took a bath, even planning to leave his clothes to be washed tomorrow. Then he lay down on his bed and fell into a deep sleep.
In that moment, he completely forgot about the dream that had troubled him for two days.
And when Siles suddenly woke up on Thursday morning, bathed in bright sunlight, he suddenly realized that he had actually slept dreamlessly all night, completely without dreaming of the sea and the isolated island.
He sat up in bed, thinking somewhat troubledly: So, is it really just as Grenfield said? Because that dream left a deep psychological shadow on me, my brain automatically supplemented the dream’s contents?
…It doesn’t seem impossible.
With a somewhat lightened mood, Siles washed his clothes from yesterday and then tidied up his room. He took out the marionettes he had bought at the trading fair the night before and stared at them carefully.
He didn’t know if it was because his mindset had changed, but he now found these six marionettes quite ugly-cute, completely lacking the mystery and eeriness he had felt when he found them in the underground passage yesterday.
So, Siles placed this set of marionettes on the windowsill, treating them as decorative ornaments for the room.
Then he sat down at his desk and opened the two letters he hadn’t had time to read last night.
The thin one was from Alfonso Carte. He informed Siles that on Friday—that is, tomorrow afternoon—he would go to the Lamifa University library and bring the news Siles wanted regarding the wandering bards of the Sardinian Empire.
Siles felt a sense of pleasant surprise. He hadn’t run into Alfonso at the trading fair or 13 Milford Street yesterday, but he didn’t expect Alfonso had already found the information he needed.
He sincerely thanked Alfonso in his heart. He made a mental note of this, planning to visit the library tomorrow afternoon.
The other, thicker letter gave Siles an even greater surprise. It was from Knight Commander Bunyan.
Last Saturday, to deal with the man who cut Anthony Fenn at the trading fair, Siles specifically made a trip to the Central Cathedral of the Church of the Past. He also heard information from Dominic regarding the Torture Study Society, Professor Cabel’s disappearance case, and apostates.
That night, he also mentioned to Knight Commander Bunyan that he had recently been researching the wandering bards of the Sardinian Empire, asking him to help find materials.
And Knight Commander Bunyan had indeed helped Siles find quite a lot of materials.
The reason this letter was so thick was that Bunyan had placed all the useful materials into the envelope and sent them together.
“…Enclosed are some of the materials I have already found. I asked a scribe in the Church to help make a copy; you may use them as you please. I might be able to find some more later, but I thought you might be in urgent need, so I sent a portion over first.
“If there is anything else you need my help with, Professor Noel, you can always find me anytime. I will do everything in my power.”
Siles took out the stack—at least twenty or thirty letter-sized pages of copies—and sighed inwardly. Knight Commander Bunyan truly lives up to being a designated good guy in the scenario.
Interpersonal relationships are always a two-way street. Siles thought about what Bunyan needed—the whereabouts of the Church of the Past’ missing archives? He thought, Perhaps I can go find Chester earlier.
He believed the Church of the Past had definitely already interrogated the exchange process between Chester and the apostate Hamlin. But with the help of the dice, Siles might be able to notice information that the Church of the Past had failed to discover.
Siles made a mental note of this matter.
He checked the time and found it was already nearly nine o’clock. He needed to meet his apprentices at ten. So, Siles just hurriedly skimmed the contents of the materials Bunyan sent over and planned to head out.
He counted carefully and found there were 27 pages of excerpts in total. Most were selected passages. Different sources were annotated, but those books were all ones Siles had never seen or heard of; they appeared to be internal collections of the Church of the Past.
This made Siles somewhat curious and eager to access the book collection of the Church of the Past.
He also noticed that the vast majority of the copied paragraphs came from the same book—The Karacoc Diary: A Group of Forgotten People and the Ends of Their Lives.
If he were to guess the content of this book based on these selected passages, it seemed to be the diary entries of a wanderer named Karacoc during the last ten years of his life spent in Kansas City.
Just as Siles had imagined, Kansas City was a place with an extreme wealth gap.
The rich could ride airplanes—he actually didn’t know what the corresponding term for “airplane” was in this world—while the poor could only huddle by the sewers their entire lives, waiting for charities to hand out winter quilts and baguettes hard enough to beat someone to death.
I wonder if I can borrow this book from the Church of the Past. Siles thought to himself. He was actually very interested in the other parts of this book besides those concerning the wandering bards.
Siles sorted and stored the letters and materials, then got up, changed into a suit, took the necessary items (lesson plans, potion, brooch, and some other things), and left the dormitory. He first went to the cafeteria to eat breakfast, and then walked to his office.
At the door of his office sat a stack of papers. Siles picked it up and found it was the club application forms Professor Atlee had mentioned before. He needed to provide a list of club students within a week, and the sooner the better.
Siles thought about it and decided to look at it carefully tonight. Tomorrow afternoon he was going to the library, so he could drop the list off with Professor Atlee on the way.
He took the list into his office.
The air in the office was a bit stuffy, so he opened the window to let in some air.
It was already August 11th. He had unknowingly spent nearly three weeks in this world. It wasn’t a very long time, but to Siles, it felt like a lifetime ago.
His life on Earth in his previous life seemed to have grown very distant from him.
Sitting behind his desk, Siles lowered his eyes thoughtfully, pondering. When he snapped out of it, he noticed his fingers were unconsciously writing something on the desk.
He traced it again and only then realized he was writing his former name—He Jiayin.
The origin and meaning of his name were actually very simple. His parents felt his birth was good news, and combined with his surname, they hoped he would live a happy and joyful life, “looking forward to the arrival of good news every day.”
Every day, one must hold onto hope.
To some extent, He Jiayin had indeed achieved this. Aside from failing to start a family early as his parents had hoped, his life had been smooth sailing—a true winner in life.
Of course, in his thirties, having reached “middle age,” just playing a game with friends, he had unexpectedly transmigrated to this world filled with hidden unknown risks, not even knowing if he could return to his home planet… Who could have predicted such a thing?
He secretly lowered his eyes and smiled bitterly.
At times like this, he couldn’t help but think of his experiences on Earth, constantly recalling them, not letting go of a single detail, as if he would forget them the very next second.
As if he could never return to that place again.
…No.
He always believed that behind his transmigration, it wasn’t a coincidence, it wasn’t an accident, but someone—some God—who had intentionally done it.
Antinam. The Guardian of the Space-Time Rift.
If His Divine Position was truly as literal as it sounded, then could He possibly not know about He Jiayin’s transmigration? Could He not know that this world had welcomed a visitor from another realm?
Yet, He remained impassive, acting as if nothing had happened. Although the Church that worshipped Antinam showed a subtle, overly proactive goodwill, Antinam Himself remained constantly evasive.
Thinking of this, he sighed again.
In the end, everything was just his own thoughts. Perhaps, Antinam simply didn’t want to condescend to explain the whole sequence of events to him? Perhaps his transmigration truly was just a mistake, a coincidence?
And his brief life meant absolutely nothing in Antinam’s eyes.
He once again fell into deep thought.
By the time Dorothea and Jules arrived at his office, Siles’s expression had regained its calmness and composure.
Whatever the truth was, he always believed that as time went by, he would eventually figure it out.
In comparison, how long this peaceful and leisurely campus life could last was what made Siles feel a bit worried instead.
Both apprentices had already progressed quite a bit through the reading list Siles assigned. Siles checked their reading notes; the contents were very attentive and also very long. He probably wouldn’t be able to finish reading them in a short time.
Siles then said, “I will give feedback on your reading notes the next time we meet. This was an oversight on my part. In the future, you can deliver your completed reading notes, along with any other academic confusions or questions, to 6 Hayward Street on Monday nights. If there is time, I will finish reading them before we meet on Thursday.”
“Alright, Professor.” Both apprentices agreed.
So Siles set these notes aside temporarily and asked them, “Did any questions arise from your reading this week?”
Jules shook his head, indicating he had no questions for the time being.
Dorothea, after hesitating for a moment, said, “Professor, after I went home, I discussed what you told us last week with my elders.”
Siles was slightly taken aback. He didn’t expect this would drag Dorothea’s elders into it. He asked, “What did your elders say?”
Dorothea thought for a moment, and finally said rather tactfully, “My elders… mainly my grandfather, didn’t quite agree with your thoughts. He feels that although the nature of literature is indeed fictional, it ultimately has to be grounded in reality.
“Deities are not merely being described; they also inversely influence literature.”
It was obvious that Dorothea’s words had probably been sugarcoated. Most likely, her grandfather had severely scolded Siles, thinking Siles was leading students astray, and perhaps even intended to have Dorothea change her mentor.
Siles listened, and finally asked Dorothea, “Is your grandfather discussing this issue purely from a literary perspective, or from a societal perspective?”
Dorothea looked troubled and said hesitantly, “But, you once said that every era has different literature.”
“Yes, I did say that.” Siles nodded. “But these are two entirely different propositions. Literature, as well as any other abstract concepts like art, thought, and politics, are not completely identical to the real world in a practical sense.
“Sometimes, they are very close, so close that some literary works seem as if they are sketchings of the era; but sometimes, they are separated by a vast distance, so far that readers feel the author’s thoughts belong to the previous era, or that they are someone from the future.
“To give an example, how many similarities do you think exist between the works of the fallen deities’ believers during the Age of Silence—those referred to as ‘mental pollution’—and other works of the same era?”
Dorothea fell into deep thought.
Jules looked at her, then at Siles, and said, “They are not alike at all.”
“Yes. Completely different.” Siles said, “And if we define the scope to the category of literature, what do you think dictates the differences in these works? Is it the era? Is it the deities?
“These works come from the same era. When these works were born, the deities were falling, or had already fallen.”
Dorothea’s eyes suddenly seemed to be ignited by something. She said, “It is the author.” She paused for a moment. “Different eras nurture different authors, and different authors write different works.”
Siles nodded slightly: “You have filled in the flaw in my sentence from last week.”
Different eras give birth to different works?
Indeed so. However, there was a missing channel and link in between.
Jules joined the discussion, without bringing his own viewpoint, but simply asked in confusion: “But, Professor, this point doesn’t seem to contradict Dorothea’s grandfather’s thoughts?”
Dorothea’s grandfather believed that deities inversely influenced literature, and deities were indeed a part of the era.
If this matter were to be debated on a deeper level, it would probably have to be approached from the perspectives of history, culture, society, economy, thought, politics, and so on. Does the development of human civilization rely on humanity itself, or on the deities?
Siles did not want to touch upon these things. Moreover, unlike Earth, it was undeniable that deities did indeed exist in this world.
Finally, he simply said, “Imagine there are two books in front of you.”
Both apprentices paused for a moment, then listened attentively.
“One is praising a deity—any deity, for example, Atkinia, the God of Music and Art.” Siles said, “This is a hymnbook praising Atkinia.”
Dorothea froze, and then her expression changed for a fleeting moment.
Siles didn’t notice, and continued, “And the other book is praising an empire… for example, the Sardinian Empire, singing its praises.”
Both apprentices nodded, indicating they understood Siles’s two examples. But they hadn’t yet understood why Siles brought up these two examples.
Siles then said, “So, my question is, what do you think would be the difference in the content of these two books? Both are praises, but what is the difference between praising a deity and praising an empire?”
Dorothea and Jules both sat there stunned, thinking carefully.
Siles said almost gently, “This is not a question that will truly affect your studies and grades, but perhaps you can think about it. We are living in this world, and ultimately, we need to survive.”
Before the two apprentices could react to Siles’s meaning, Siles shifted the topic: “Alright, we should talk about other subjects. Let’s discuss your thesis topics.”
The apprentices snapped back to reality one after another and discussed their thesis topics with Siles.
During this process, they occasionally touched upon some titles from the reading list. The two students provided some feedback, giving Siles some certainty about the content of the second reading list.
After more than an hour, the Thursday meeting with the apprentices concluded just like that.
However, looking at Dorothea’s worried and thoughtful appearance, Siles suspected that the elders in her family probably wouldn’t be persuaded by Siles so easily, nor would they let the matter drop.
Siles stopped thinking so much about it—that was a matter for next Thursday. He stood up, stretched his limbs, and stood by the window gazing into the distance.
…And then he confirmed he really was a bit nearsighted. Not to the point of heavily affecting his vision, of course. This might have been related to the original Siles Noel’s manic reading habits, or it might be because, since transmigration, Siles had been forced to stay up late every night to handle matters.
In any case, he needed to get a pair of glasses.
He wore glasses back on Earth too. But Siles was somewhat doubtful of this era’s lens grinding technology.
It will most likely be those uncomfortable pince-nez glasses, Siles thought.
He was not in a hurry to deal with this matter.
In the afternoon, Siles finished teaching an elective class, and handed out his reading list to the students at the end of the class. With expressions of facing certain death, the students copied down Siles’s reading list.
Siles’s face remained impassive, but inwardly he found it amusing. Yet he also felt that mocking these students seemed a bit unethical.
After class, the other students quickly left the classroom, as if some ferocious beast was chasing them. Finally, only Kellogg and Siles remained in the classroom.
Kellogg took out a notebook from her bag, handed it to Siles, and said, “Professor, I found it. Works of the wandering bards.”
“Thank you, Kellogg,” Siles said. “However, I might have another matter to trouble you with.”
Kellogg looked at him and said seriously, “Okay, what is it? I am very happy… that I can help.”
Siles took out the travelogue about the Ashless Land by an explorer, which he had bought before school started, from his bag, and handed it to Kellogg: “It’s a travelogue; the author is from the Duchy of Kansas. I was wondering if you could recommend a suitable translator?”
Kellogg flipped it open, looked at it for a while, and then said with a smile, “Yes, Kansas text.”
Siles breathed a sigh of relief. Being able to confirm this meant he had a direction. He felt a bit more relaxed.
“I know a… person, also from Kansas, who works as a translator,” Kellogg said. “He works at… the Folklore Society now. His name is… Emmanuel. International students like us… if we have any matters, we go to him.
“I also asked him for help to find some of… these works by the wandering bards.”
Emmanuel. The Folklore Society.
Siles nodded: “I’ll remember that. I will also express my gratitude to him. Kellogg, have you submitted my club application form?”
Kellogg nodded hard: “It is… my honor.”
Siles smiled slightly.
Kellogg suddenly pointed at the travelogue again, struggling to squeeze out a word: “Dangerous.”
“Dangerous?” Siles was taken aback. “Does the content of the travelogue mention the dangers of the Ashless Land?”
Kellogg’s face showed she was thinking. Her language proficiency seemed insufficient to let her understand Siles’s meaning.
Siles then said, “I mean, did this author encounter danger while in the Ashless Land?”
Kellogg nodded: “Yes, he encountered… danger.” She added, “Also, this… this… travelogue, is dangerous.”
“The travelogue itself?” Siles pondered.
The things mentioned in this travelogue were highly likely to involve other Revelators, Old God followers, or even the Old Gods themselves. The pollution of the Old Gods was highly likely to permeate the travelogue.
This point was within Siles’s expectations early on. He had specifically asked Carol before, and Carol’s answer had put his mind at ease—unrecognized text would to some extent block the Old God’s pollution.
But…
Siles suddenly thought again, but he hadn’t seen the blue radiance symbolizing a Revelator on Kellogg. He wasn’t in the ritual duration today, but last Thursday, he was in the ritual duration and hadn’t noticed anything abnormal about Kellogg either.
Was Kellogg a Revelator? Or, did she sense the danger of the travelogue through some other method? Regardless…
Siles asked, “Will such danger affect you?”
Kellogg shook her head. She seemed to understand that Siles had misunderstood something, so she explained again: “The travelogue… hides… a secret. It’s… a clue to a treasure… map.”
She pronounced those syllables a bit vaguely, probably because she didn’t use them often and wasn’t familiar enough with them.
She continued: “Others will… want it. So, Professor must… be careful of… danger.”
Siles suddenly understood.
It wasn’t the mysterious content related to Old Gods or Revelators that he had understood, but rather related to the wealth of the Ashless Land. Many people were spying on such wealth, which of course was a danger.
A treasure map?
Siles couldn’t help but feel curious. This travelogue actually hid a clue to a treasure map?
But he had also flipped through this travelogue before, and never found any route similar to a treasure map in it. Perhaps, it was a clue hidden within the text?
Siles then said to Kellogg, “Don’t worry, I will be careful.”
Kellogg nodded, bid farewell to Siles, hugged her schoolbag, and slowly left.
Siles stood in place and thought for a moment. Finally, he decided to find the translator first. He calculated his schedule.
If Emmanuel worked at the Folklore Society, then he could perhaps visit him on Monday morning, right before he needed to go to the History Society on Monday afternoon to learn about his new job.
…Speaking of which, the Folklore Society?
Could Emmanuel have any connection with Alfonso Carte? Kellogg and Alfonso… they wouldn’t end up finding the exact same person, would they? Siles thought to himself.
He packed his things and left the classroom. It was already nearly 3:30 PM. Siles had originally planned to go to the cafeteria to pack a dinner and head straight back to the dormitory, but when he walked to the first floor of the main castle, he suddenly remembered that the Lamifa University infirmary was on the side of the first floor.
Perhaps he could go visit Chester Fitzroy now; having the excuse of nearsightedness was perfect.
However, the awkward thing was that the last time he met with Chester, they had said they hoped their next meeting wouldn’t be in the school infirmary… Sure enough, that was actually a prophecy.
When Siles walked into the infirmary, Chester was sitting behind the desk, head down, recording something.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, he didn’t even lift his head, just said gently, “Please wait a moment.”
Siles then said, “Alright.”
Saying that, he raised his eyes and swept a glance around.
The infirmary was roughly forty to fifty square meters overall, fully equipped with various facilities. A blue curtain blocked off a small section of space on the side, presumably a bed used for examinations.
Near the entrance, there was a desk, and behind it were some instruments that looked very complex. But those instruments were not medical instruments in the modern Earth sense; rather, they possessed a bloated, complex mechanical structure.
Siles was not clear on what these instruments were used for, but that deep metallic color gave him a subtle sense of unease. Perhaps because he was already used to the cold, clean blue and white of Earth’s hospitals.
An eye chart hung on the left wall.
Chester finished writing the last line, raised his head, and smiled in greeting to Siles: “Professor Noel. I didn’t expect to really see you in the infirmary.”
Siles shook his head and said, “I’m here to have my vision checked.”
Unsurprised, Chester stood up and handed Siles a small handheld occluder: “Do you know how to use it?”
Siles nodded.
Chester then walked over, turned on the backlight of the eye chart, and pointed to some symbols for Siles to identify, saying, “I’ve noticed there are always quite a few nearsighted people on university campuses.”
“Of course,” Siles identified them, almost subconsciously squinting, then relaxing again to ensure the results he got were completely authentic. “We always have to read, write… it’s ‘up’… and also, work at a desk.”
“However, vision is very important.” Chester said somewhat disapprovingly, “But nowadays, the lighting at night always makes it difficult to provide a suitable environment for studying and working.”
“Indeed.” Siles said in a low voice.
He missed the electric lights of Earth. But this era did not yet have electricity.
Chester said, “…Alright. You are indeed a bit nearsighted. It’s not very serious, but you have to wear glasses and pay attention to eye care.”
This world’s diagnostic standards for nearsightedness were not quite the same as Earth’s, so Siles couldn’t gauge exactly how serious his nearsightedness was. However, he believed Chester’s assessment.
“Do you want to have a pair of glasses custom-made?” Chester asked.
“Custom-made?”
“Yes. The prescription for your left and right eyes are a bit different, whereas off-the-shelf glasses have the same prescription for both lenses,” Chester said.
“Then let’s custom-make them,” Siles said. “How much will it cost?”
“We can put it on your account,” Chester said, head down, writing. “It will be deducted from your salary. About 10 Duke coins.”
Siles thought to himself, Not cheap.
But he agreed in the end.
Chester finished writing a slip and then said, “You can come to me to pick them up when the time comes.”
“Alright,” Siles replied.
Chester then said, “Hopefully the factory will be quick. Of course, it would be best if you could try to avoid reading and writing at night.”
Siles looked at him and said carefully, “I will. You truly are a good person. Mrs. Fenn said so too.”
Chester paused for a moment, then smiled gently: “I try my best to do so.” He somewhat unnaturally twirled his slightly long hair with his fingers.
Siles said, “Is this considered your principle of conduct?”
Chester pondered for a moment, then leaned back slightly, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked at Siles, about to say something.
Right at this moment, a voice popped into Siles’s ear.
[Keeper of Secrets, Chester Fitzroy (Lamifa University School Doctor) needs to make a Psychology check.]
Siles subconsciously narrowed his eyes.
Psychology?
Last time at the cathedral, Bunyan had also triggered a Psychology check, but that check was whether Bunyan could tell Siles was lying.
But the timing of this check popping up was exactly as Chester was about to speak.
Siles looked at Chester. This gentle-tempered, slightly curly-haired doctor had his lips slightly parted, about to speak a sentence in the next second. And his words…
Siles suddenly realized.
It was also Psychology, but this check was the exact opposite of Bunyan’s. What was going to be checked this time was whether Chester’s words could make Siles believe them.
With a subtle state of mind, Siles stared at Chester, and then casually tossed the dice.
[Psychology: 65/55, Success.]
[Chester Fitzroy knows his words will be believed by Professor Noel. No matter what, the other party doesn’t know his secret, right? Of course, this lie will be exposed one day. But, at least not now.]
The frozen scene around them suddenly flowed again.
Chester said, “I am very willing to help those who seek my help. I am a doctor, am I not?”
He is lying!
Siles thought in his heart.
However, his mouth moved as if uncontrolled: “You are a noble person, Doctor Chester.”
Chester revealed a pale and gentle smile.
As if completely failing to see the certain meaning in that smile, Siles bid Chester farewell on his own and walked out of the infirmary. The moment he stepped out, Siles suddenly took a deep breath subconsciously, and then walked quickly toward the cafeteria according to his original plan.
His heart was filled with astonishment.
Chester’s Psychology check was successful. In that instant, Siles, who originally did not believe Chester, spoke words entirely contrary to his inner thoughts.
At the same time, his mind was perfectly clear, fully aware that a force had been imposed upon him, twisting his true intentions. This was also why he had ignored the implicit meaning in Chester’s smile afterward.
But he knew this.
As Siles Noel, the professor of Lamifa University, he believed Chester’s words. But as He Jiayin, the Keeper of Secrets of the world, he knew Chester was lying, and he also knew that the character he was “playing” believed Chester’s words.
…This was a dual identity. And his dual identity exhibited diametrically opposite psychological activities at the same moment.
Siles felt a subtle sense of dissonance.
This dissonance reached its peak at that moment when he could not control what he was saying.
In other words, Siles Noel could not defy the result of the dice. If the dice said he would believe Chester’s words, then he would believe them; however, He Jiayin, beneath the mask of Siles Noel, was not constrained by the dice.
His own willpower was not altered by the dice.
But isn’t Siles Noel also him?
No… wait, wait. He closed his eyes, his head aching, feeling he had complicated everything.
Siles Noel and He Jiayin—these two identities and their essences were different.
Before He Jiayin brought the dice and transmigrated into Siles, Siles Noel was just an ordinary research scholar. He had no aptitude as a Revelator and had never encountered any danger in his life.
It was He Jiayin’s arrival that changed the essence of Siles Noel.
The three basic attributes in a tabletop role-playing game: Constitution, Spirituality, and Willpower. Constitution corresponded to the body, and the latter two could be temporarily summarized as the soul.
That is to say, he was now composed of Siles’s body and He Jiayin’s soul.
The result of the dice was something Siles’s body could not defy; but He Jiayin’s soul would not be affected.
Yet the question was, what exactly did the result rolled by the dice represent? Why was He Jiayin’s soul unable to control Siles’s body at that moment? Why did it happen even though his soul wasn’t affected like his body?
He knew clearly that he shouldn’t trust Chester, but the words he spoke were completely out of his control, as if—he thought of the marionette in his dream.
A string puppet.
Siles took a deep breath, feeling a slight terror and unease. He didn’t know to what extent this matter was affected by his identity as a transmigrator, nor did he know what these—damn—dice were all about.
He had countless confusions, countless questions, yet this world full of secrets was unwilling to answer a single one.
…For example, Chester.
In the scenario setting of the role-playing game, Chester Fitzroy was just an ordinary doctor. He graduated from Lamifa University’s medical school, successfully stayed on campus, and quietly worked as the school doctor.
In the original body’s memory, this gentle and polite school doctor had already been working here for many years.
The reason he moved to 13 Milford Street was that his years of working at the school had increased, his salary had risen, so he decided to move to an apartment with a slightly better environment, nothing more.
Why was he now hiding some secret? Why did he lie to Siles?
The most crucial thing was, what lie was hidden in the sentence he lied about: “I am very willing to help those who seek my help. I am a doctor, am I not?”
Is he not willing to help those who seek his help? Is he not a doctor?
Siles pondered in trouble.
Even though he now knew there was something wrong with Chester, he felt even more confusions popping up.
Most importantly… was that missing list of priests from the Church of the Past really related to Chester? Was it with Chester, or was he himself an accomplice of the apostate?
But if he were an accomplice of the apostate, would the Church of the Past not know? After learning that the apostate Hamlin had gone to Chester to treat his wounds, the Church of the Past must have thoroughly investigated Chester, right?
Thinking of this, Siles sighed silently.
He understood; he still had to go back and find Knight Commander Bunyan.
Going round and round, it still came down to the internal disputes of these few role-playing characters.
Of course, there were a total of eight characters in the role-playing game, and Siles had only met four of them so far: Knight Commander Bunyan of the Church of the Past, Lamifa University school doctor Chester Fitzroy, archaeology student Herman Grove, and merchant Jerome Lanmere.
There were still quite a few role-playing characters hidden in the shadows and mist.
With a subtle sigh, Siles went to the cafeteria to pack a dinner and returned to the dormitory.
Tonight, he needed to organize the student list for the club, flip through the reading notes submitted by his two apprentices, and read the materials regarding the wandering bards of the Sardinian Empire given to him by Bunyan and Kellogg.
