TYND 80

“The problem now is identifying the catalyst for the artefact. Since it doesn’t react to aura, magic, or divine power, it might be blood.”

Most Tremuhle had catalysts that were either aura, magic, or divine power, making it easy to determine their activation method, but occasionally there were items like this where the catalyst was difficult to identify. Such items would exist as antiques for years until their catalyst was discovered by pure chance, causing their value to skyrocket.

In the past, an owl sculpture that’d been gathering dust in the corner of a curio shop was revealed to be a tremuhle when it was accidentally stained with bird blood. Among all types of blood, avian blood had been the catalyst. Theon also agreed with the high priest’s speculation and drew the knife from his waist. He planned to experiment by dripping blood from his finger on the items. 

Just when he brought the knife to his finger, a startled squeak rang out. It was a sound Theon knew all too well. When he turned to Rothy, those large, clear eyes were glistening with tears. 

“Theon… you’re going to cut your finger…? It’ll hurt…”

Theon set the knife down on the table and cupped Rothy’s cheeks. 

“Rothy, don’t worry. The high priest will heal me right away.”

“But… I think I know what the tremuhle is.”

“You do?”

“I wasn’t sure at first, so I didn’t say anything until now… But I think I know. It’s this watch. Though I’m not completely certain… “

Rothy picked up the cutely designed wristwatch from among the items on the table. Theon’s eyes widened. It was something he never would’ve imagined. The wristwatch was given to him by that unknown elderly woman. He’d worn it for six whole years, and it might be a tremuhle?

“Lord Rothy, how can you be certain this watch is an artefact?”

The high priest’s question caused Rothy to jump up, looking flustered.

“I just said I wasn’t certain… I said it twice…!”

When he looked at the high priest with hurtful eyes like someone whose efforts had been completely betrayed, the high priest cleared his throat.

“My apologies. Please calm down… Could you explain why you suspect this is an artefact?”

“The magic stone inside me reacts when it comes in contact with any tremuhle… From the first time I saw His Grace’s watch, I felt something rippling, and when I got very close to it recently, the magical energy inside the watch moved.”

“This watch hold magical energy? I couldn’t detect anything at all.”

Chungnip, who’d been listening quietly until now, interjected. He immediately tried again to sense the magic in the watch but still felt nothing.

“It’s a very minute amount… I wouldn’t have noticed either if not for the magic stone inside me.”

Rothy said gently, like he was trying to console Chungnip. 

“Seará has certainly sent down a relic that’s difficult to find…”

High Priest Dépaten and his clerics cross their chests with the sign of the holy cross. Once his surprise faded, a different kind of understanding settled in Theon’s mind. This was why Schrain had shouted ‘Found it!’ when they were looking at Rothy. At that time, the watch was in Rothy’s possession. He’d been worried there might’ve been another reason, but now he could finally feel relieved. 

“Lord Rothy, do you also know the artefact’s catalyst and activation method?”

“I don’t know that much… I’m sorry.”

“No, there’s no need to apologise… We can figure out the method…”

“I know what the catalyst is and its purpose.”

“Your Grace does?”

To those looking at him in surprise, Theon shared the mysterious experiences he’d kept to himself until now. Whenever he wore the watch and prayed to Seará, visions of the future appeared in his dreams that night. Of course, he omitted the specific details of those future visions. But as he spoke, everything began to make sense. 

When Rothy had taken the watch to examine it, those dreams had stopped, even when he prayed in the chapel. Then, a week ago, after the watch was returned to him, he’d gone to the chapel again without any expectations, and the dream returned.

He’d simply thought Seará had shown whimsy—in a good way—but turned out it’d nothing to do with divine will. The tremuhle had simply been activated. 

“Aah… A divine artefact that shows the future through dreams! What an incredible gift this is. And the ‘Archduke’ was hoarding something so precious in his vault!”

Unlike the excited high priest, Theon’s subordinates exchanged glances with each other. 

So this is why His Grace’s been visiting the chapel every single day recently. It wasn’t out of piety.

Exactly. Makes you wonder what kind of future he’s been dreaming about that he’s wearing out the chapel’s threshold by going in and out of it.

Let’s ask him later. I want to know if we show up in those dreams.

Theon could read every word they were saying with their faces. But that curiosity would never be fulfilled. 

“Then, what’s the catalyst?”

“Holy water. Whenever I prayed without it, I never dreamt of the future.”

“I see. That makes perfect sense. For now, I’ll wear the watch myself so we can verify if what you say is true.”

Theon was curious. Would erotic scenes appear in the high priest’s dream too? Strangely, whenever Theon dreamt, he was always having sex with Rothy. Even throughout this whole week……

“Theon, here’s your watch.”

After the Ken Bane incident was resolved, Rothy had returned it to him. That evening, he’d prayed at the chapel, his expectations low and he dreamt again. Since he didn’t know it was a tremuhle then, he’d clicked his tongue at Seará’s fickle nature. From that evening on, for seven nights straight, Theon had met with the future Rothy. Every time he dreamt, Rothy was either moaning beneath him, or riding his cock with a flushed face, or he was sucking Rothy’s cock, or had just come inside Rothy, or had just shoved his cock deep into Rothy…

He couldn’t find any clues about Rothy’s growth because he would always just lost himself to the sensations of his future self. He wanted to ask how he’d grown, but he couldn’t even move his lips properly, and even when he barely managed to open his mouth, he would immediately be expelled from the dream.

Was my future self only obsessed with fucking Rothy?

Or was this tremuhle’s function was to show only the most carnal scenes from the future? 

The high priest would prove it. The delicate wristwatch, with its childish design, was now fastened around the high priest’s wrinkled wrist. 

“It really show’s the future…? That’s so amazing…”

A pair of bright emerald-green eyes were fixed intently on the wristwatch. ‘I want to wear it too’ was written all over his face. Usually, Theon would’ve immediately snatched the watch and fastened it onto Rothy’s wrist, but this time, he pretended not to notice. Whether Rothy would be allowed to use that tremuhle or not would be decided on the high priest’s result. 

It wasn’t after the high priest had left that Theon realised his mistake.

I spoke too hastily. 

He was annoyed with himself. He’d been willing to give up even Starront, the sword he’d carried for ten years, not the watch… Fortunately, the high priest had decided to stay at the estate tonight to verify the tremuhle’s authenticity. Theon decided he’d retract the donation tomorrow morning. 

Taking back something he’d donated was rather ungraceful, but he couldn’t give the watch up. 

For multiple reasons……

In the end, Theon didn’t have to put himself in that position because the next morning, the high priest held out the watch to him and said, 

“I saw no future. I just slept very well under Seará’s grace. Are you sure you’ve had dreams of the future, Your Grace?”

Theon was puzzled himself. 

“Yes, I’ve seen them, Even the night before last. I’ll try again this evening and confirm it.”

The high priest agreed to stay one more day, and that night, Theon sprinkled holy water on the watch before falling asleep.

“Theon…. mmmmhm…. please, stop…! AH…! Mmmh!”

And he woke up after thoroughly ravaging the white-haired young man until he finally broke down sobbing beneath him.

“I confirm the future definitely appeared in my dream.”

“How peculiar…”

The high priest extended his stay at the estate by another day and instructed one of the clerics to try using the watch. The next morning, the stoic man returned and shook his head.

“I didn’t dream.”

Aah…… The high priest sighed while making the sign of the holy cross. 

“Sometimes, there are rare artefacts like this. A gift created by Seará for one specific person only. I really envy you, Your Grace. To think Seará would send down a divine artefact meant for you alone…”

“Just for me?”

“Indeed. It was originally sent down to Araxys as yours, but the ‘Archduke’ stole it, so Seará sent an apostle to return it to you. The elderly woman you met must’ve been Seará’s apostle. Her apostles usually take the form of either very old or very young females.”

“Your Grace…please, if you keep this, I’m sure it’ll serve you well…”

Was that elderly woman really an apostle of Seará? It’d been six years… Had Seará really been watching all along? Watching over this world that was constantly caught in a war with the Maton’s offspring. Theon felt bewildered and at the same time, a thought rose inside him. 

Why me?

Why would Seará give this to someone who didn’t even believe in gods…?

No.

In the next instant, a realisation cut through all his doubts. It wasn’t for him. It wasn’t for his sake, but rather…