The black-haired maid, Miss Tifa, had already anticipated that Shade would refuse. She shook her head.
"Don't be anxious. I'm not looking for you to test the medicine. Wouldn't it be more convenient to use rabbits or mice for experiments?"
She pointed to herself.
"Actually, I just want to find someone for a comparison—to see the effects of these three potions on different people. I will drink them along with you, and then we can compare the different answers we provide."
"You're drinking them too?"
"Of course. My own sensations are the most authentic. Besides, Detective, if I didn't drink them, would you alone swallow something of unknown origin that I've brought out?"
But in reality, even if Miss Tifa Servette, the maid, was also drinking, Shade still felt a sense of resistance toward this behavior.
"I would not intentionally try to harm you. The Young Lady introduced you to the job and even made an agreement with you regarding when she would reveal her secrets. You may suspect that I have ulterior motives toward you, but you cannot doubt my loyalty to the Young Lady. This point, Detective, you should understand."
She spoke sincerely and with considerable reason, but Shade remained silent. Even if he agreed with her words and didn't believe the maid had any reason to suddenly turn on him and plot his murder, the whole matter still felt strange.
"Detective, do you want extra payment?"
Seeing him like this, the maid asked again. The carriage jolted, causing the two people inside to shift slightly. They had already entered the city; the familiar glow of the gas streetlamps was reassuring.
"Of course not. I promised to accept payment in the form of White Stone Crystals, so I won't ask for extra money. Are you sure your potions really have no problem?"
"I swear by my loyalty to Duchess Galina Cavendish."
Shade looked at her, and she looked back at him. After a long while, Shade finally spoke.
"Very well, but we'll test the medicine at my place."
"No problem."
Shade wasn't looking for a familiar environment; rather, he was planning that if a situation arose—if the maid truly intended to harm him—he could immediately use the final Time Key to seek help from the [Innocent Creator] to eradicate the potion's toxicity, and then use the newly acquired White Stone Crystals to teleport to a distant place.
【But thinking in the worst-case scenario, what if she kidnapped your cat to threaten you? A cat cannot approach that statue of the Ancient God.】
Shade was stumped by this tricky question. He looked at the girl, who was tilting her head to look out the window, half her face illuminated by the serene moonlight.
"Although I am not yet familiar with this world..."
He said firmly in his heart
"I believe that if I cannot even judge the basic good or evil of the people I encounter around me, then no matter how cautious I am, I will eventually meet a miserable end."
【You believe she belongs to the side of good?】
"No, I am simply certain that at least Galina and the maid are not on the side of evil."
The carriage plunged into the night, the *clop-clop-clop* of horse hooves disturbing no one in the silent night. It carried Shade and the maid to the entrance of Number 6 St. Delan Square. After opening the door with his key, Shade invited the maid to test the medicine on the first floor.
This was because it was closest to the basement, and the basement door happened to have a keyhole, meeting the basic requirements for using the [Time Key].
The first floor of Shade's house had no furniture or wall decorations; the entire space was very empty. Because he hadn't found the time to go to the gas company to have them connect the gas pipes on the first floor, there weren't even any gas lamps here.
Using the excuse of going upstairs to get candles, Shade brought the cat down with him and put the Time Key in his pocket. However, he didn't test the medicine immediately after coming downstairs; instead, he fed the cat first to stall for time. After all, the Time Key could only be used in the early hours of Thursday after Wednesday had passed.
Having not seen Shade for a day, Mia squirmed with great dissatisfaction while being held. The fluffy cat wasn't hungry today, as Shade had left plenty of cat food before leaving.
Now seeing that Shade had prepared a midnight snack for her, she didn't forget to look warily at the strange woman who had entered the house before shaking her tail and primly eating. Miss Servette was also very interested in this small orange cat, but attempting to approach it while it was eating was clearly unwise; Mia likely suspected someone was trying to steal her food.
The candle stood on the floor. When the time was right, Shade and the maid Tifa sat facing each other on opposite sides of a small table they had moved over, with two empty teacups placed upon it.
"First is the first one."
The maid handed the wooden tube to Shade. Shade poured the liquid inside into the two cups, then chose the cup on the left. After watching the maid drink hers in one gulp, Shade also drank the potion.
"Meow?"
The cat stood on the nearby windowsill, staring with amber eyes, licking its paw while curiously watching them drink the liquid, somewhat hoping it might get some too.
"How does it feel?" the maid asked.
"How much sugar did you put in? Why is it so sweet?" Shade said vaguely, putting down the cup.
"Any other sensations?" the maid asked again. Shade shook his head in the negative.
She shook her head with regret, then pointed at Shade's cup, and half a cup of clear water appeared inside.
"Detective, please rinse your mouth."
Shade shook his head again. The maid looked him over and said
"It's uncomfortable to hold liquid in your mouth, isn't it? I won't give you the chance to preserve a liquid sample."
Only then did Shade pick up the cup.
Next was the second tube of potion; this one had a distinct minty smell. After drinking it, both Shade's and Tifa Servette's left eyes became blurred to a certain extent. For the former, it lasted ten seconds; for the latter, seven seconds.
But once the duration ended, their vision returned completely to normal.
The final tube of potion tasted no different from drinking water. This time, the two experienced different situations. No effect occurred on the maid, but Shade's entire body suddenly began to twitch uncontrollably, as if shivering in extreme cold. This process lasted for a full half-minute before ending.
Fortunately, aside from the twitching, Shade's body suffered no other effects.
After testing the three potions, the black-haired maid insisted that Shade rinse his mouth again. Only after ensuring no liquid remained did she conclude her visit to Number 6 St. Delan Square.
He stood on the stone steps at his front door, watching the light of the kerosene lamp hanging from the back of the carriage fade into the distance. Then, he briskly closed the door. Under the curious gaze of the cat crouching on the table sniffing the cups, he walked quickly into the basement and returned a moment later holding a paper bag.
Holding the paper bag in one hand and closing the basement door with the other, he took out the wooden key that was nearly completely shattered.
"May the World Tree protect me within infinite time."
Turning the key, with a *click*, the opened basement door revealed an endless white mist. This would be the third time entering the year 1068 of the Fifth Epoch, and it would also be the last. In truth, Shade's preparations for the final two wishes weren't particularly thorough, but up until now, he had done his best and formed his own ideas.
Time travel could not carry supernatural items; he could rely only on his own learning and knowledge. And now, it was time to depart.
"Mia, wait for me for three seconds. If all goes well, I'll take you to eat something delicious tomorrow."
"Meow?"
The cat watched Shade walk into the white mist behind the door, and the things he was holding all fell onto the floor.
Mia immediately became excited, leaping lightly onto the floor and curiously running toward the paper bag in front of the door. The cat wanted to know what kind of good things Shade had brought.
On the other side, Shade had already stepped into the white mist. He saw with some disappointment that the paper bag containing the potions and materials was gone from his hand, and a voice echoed in his ear
【Outlander, you have stepped into the Corridor of Time.】
【Message from the Ancient God "Father of the Infinite Tree":】
【Autumn, Year 1068 of the Fifth Epoch, Southern Continent, Hope Town.】
【Event: The fall of the Old God "Innocent Creator".】
【Duration: 10 minutes (3/3).】
【You have obtained additional information.】
【The gaze of the Father of the Infinite Tree continues to watch you.】
【The trial given by the Ancient God of Time shall continue.】
【Before the fall of the Old God "Innocent Creator", witness His final wish.】
【The Ancient God of Time shall grant you rewards: Thaumaturgy - Blade of Deranged Time, Miracle Spirit Rune - Echo.】
Time was pressing. After confirming there was no additional information, he immediately took a step forward through the white mist.
The white mist dissipated, and he returned once again to the old town where the toy shop was located.
The first time he came, Hope Town was in daylight; the second time, it was in night. This third and perhaps final visit took place at twilight.
A tragic sunset stretched from the far reaches of the sky to even further horizons; the dim yellow light seemed to signify the end of all things. This strange scene caused Shade, who thought he was prepared, to freeze for a moment.
On the dilapidated streets of twilight, only a few townspeople walked among the low, crumbling buildings. Some noticed Shade again, but before they could approach, Shade pushed open the door and entered the magnificent toy shop before him.
The scent of candy diffusing in the air jolted his spirits. The bright light and the shelves brimming with toys allowed Shade to step out of the scene under the sunset.
The Saint, wearing a ridiculous clown hat, was still standing behind the counter. When Shade pushed the door open, he was looking down at a book.
Hearing the door, he looked up and smiled at him. This was the final meeting between the two in this era.
"Oh, look who's come?"
The Saint laughed, intending to clap his hands to call over three children, but Shade stopped him.
"Apologies, before the final two wishes, I would like to request your help."
"And what is it you want?"
The young man said with a smile. He looked young, but for some reason, Shade felt as if an ancient person were speaking.
"Can you tell what I just drank?"
He pointed to himself. The maid had thought he was preserving liquid in his mouth, but she could never have imagined he would seek the answer directly from a god.
Probably, no one would ask such a ridiculous question when deities were willing to grant wishes.
"It's very simple. First, you drank a glass of water with sugar in it. Oh, that high-grade white sugar was quite nice."
That was why it had been so sweet it nearly made Shade vomit. But it was just water and sugar; no matter how one looked at it, such a thing could not be a potion.
(End of Chapter)