PftA Book 2 - Chapter 20

A/N: I updated this chapter (10/28) to add her swearing the oath and removing the last portion of the chapter since it felt a bit too... in the weeds.

Chapter 20 – A Timely Discussion

Refreshed by my meal, I was in a good mood when I appeared in Master Kairos’s greeting room. One of his uniformed servants was waiting for me and greeted me with a bow.

[Human – Tier 5]

I was surprised by the man’s tier. However, perhaps I shouldn’t have been, given Master Kairos’s level. Realizing the man had likely sensed my intrusion, I said, “I apologize if that was rude. I’m not really accustomed to dealing with—” I waved my hand around “—all this.”

Though I knew it was common to Identifypeople when you met them, doing it to significantly higher-tier individuals made me nervous. I also had no idea if some cultural faux pas within sects existed or if some other factor might apply. Ultimately, I felt it was better to apologize unnecessarily than to assume things were fine and offend someone much stronger than me.

“It’s fine, Young Mistress. It is expected upon meeting. How else would one know their place amongst others?” he asked politely. “Not doing so would likely lead to unnecessary bloodshed in many instances. You have not offended me in the slightest.”

I cringed a little at the title, though most of it came from imagining Callie’s reaction to witnessing the exchange in real life. I didn’t take the servant’s comments negatively, either. He was absolutely correct. Not recognizing someone’s strength could certainly cause problems.

However, for people like Master Kairos, his power was nearly palpable. I doubted anyone needed to bother identifying him. The same couldn’t be said for Rhona, who gave off no sense of pressure, nor did she exude any identifiable aura, though she was only three tiers weaker. It was possible my senses were not advanced enough to pick up on such things, but I suspected it had more to do with her control than my lack of sensitivity. Either that or the power difference between Tiers Seven and Ten was simply mind-boggling.

Since I’d changed into my sect attire before teleporting to the island, there was no delay in my arrival to the room Master Kairos had reserved for my training. Seeing my mentor was not present, I focused on the helpful Tier Five servant.

“Are you a member of the sect?” I asked, eying the sect markings on his uniform. The cut was nothing like the sect robes I wore, but it still followed the sect’s color palate and displayed its insignia.

“Yes, Young Mistress. I’ve been a member since awakening, though my talent in Time magic is weak. As the child of sect members, I could still join when I came of age since I hold one of the two foundational affinities. I was quite lucky in that regard.”

“So, even the child of members wouldn’t be able to join without a Time or Fate affinity?” I asked, now curious. I hadn’t given it much thought before, but now that it was pointed out, I saw several potential issues with limiting membership to those with specific affinities.

“Correct. But that is the way of things,” the servant replied mildly. “What good would joining a sect focused on Time and Fate be for those without those affinities? At best, it would limit the individual’s progression. At worst, it could actively hamper them since the sect wouldn’t have the knowledge and resources needed for the individual to become strong. The insights and lessons required to strengthen an individual’s understanding of Fire differ from those for Earth, Water, or Air.”

I considered the man’s words before stating, “I applied Master Kairos’s lesson on Time magic to my understanding of Space. I found it immensely helpful.”

The servant gave me a knowing smile. “Yes. You applied the lessons related to an affinity you hold and understand to another affinity you hold and perhaps understand. The affinities are also not so different in the grand scheme of things. I imagine you’d struggle were you to find yourself with only ‘Core Four’ Mages as instructors.”

Focused on the conversation, I was surprised to hear Master Kairos’s voice interjecting from the other side of the large room.

“Indeed. There are many reasons why people seek out others with similar affinities from which to learn,” Master Kairos said as he created a zone of time dilation. “It’s what makes sects and academies successful. There are some academies that take a more generalized approach to magic, but those who attend rarely excel in anything.”

The servant bowed deeply before gracefully moving to the side of the room. Another servant stepped through a nearby doorway and stood next to the first.

“I see you finally began your research,” the sect Patriarch said as he settled into a plush chair matching the sect’s colors. He motioned for me to sit in one of the empty chairs. “What were your initial thoughts?”

“That depends on how accurate the game’s depiction of the sect is,” I said with a light smile, hoping my words were not too direct. “I assume the entry requirements are based on the strength of one’s affinity?”

“They are. For the few who manage to awaken an exceptional affinity, there are no additional requirements for entry. We can teach skills and combat, but affinities are difficult to affect.” He gave me a look meant to keep me from mentioning my feat.

A second later, he continued, “Those with Strong affinities are much the same, though they are not usually given special treatment unless they draw the attention of an Elder. Naturally, those with a stronger affinity to Time or Fate will draw more interest than those with a weaker connection. The amount of resources and support is based on the individual’s affinity and contribution level. I assume you’ve already learned how that works?”

I nodded. “Yes, and it makes sense. I feel lucky to have focused on learning such a critical skill set. From what I saw, I’ll be able to earn far more contribution points through Enchantingthan I would doing nearly anything else.”

“That’s likely true, though as my personal disciple, you won’t have the same requirements as others.” He gave me a playful smile before sipping on a hot drink that appeared in his hand. “It’s one of the perks of having such a high affinity. Do you have any other questions?”

I thought for a moment, recalling the things I’d seen during my short exploration. “I’m guessing the oath exists in reality, too?” I said questioningly. Master Kairos nodded. “Is it the same?”

My young-looking mentor tilted his head as his eyes unfocused. A few seconds later, his eyes regained clarity. “Essentially. There are a few restrictions built in to close some of the more obvious methods of getting around the oath, but the core purpose is the same. The sect isn’t going to run your life, especially not after you finish the initial schooling. However, there is an expectation of support while within this realm.

“For most, that means serving as an Elder and teaching the younger generation for a while. Even members who can’t progress beyond mid-tiers can serve in this role in one of our branches. That is not meant to imply that every Elder at one of the lower-tier branches has reached the apex of their ability.” He shook his head. “Several fill those positions while taking time off to have families or focus on things other than progression. Most return to the climb eventually.”

“What if someone wants to focus on ascending as quickly as possible? Are they forced to take a break to fulfill the oath?” I asked, more out of curiosity than any desire to do so personally.

“No, but that type of person is rare. In the centuries it takes to progress, everyone eventually needs a break. For those few who do not, most choose to support the sect financially to ensure those who come after us will have the same level of support the older generations enjoyed. Now,” the robed Mage shifted forward in his seat. “If you don’t have any more questions, we should take care of the oath so there are no restrictions on what I can teach you. I should have done it last week before giving you any sect resources, but I didn’t feel like you would be very receptive to it right away.”

I eyed by mentor suspiciously causing him to smile. “So, you tried and I didn’t react well?”

His grin grew. “Maybe,” he said with a playful smirk that momentarily helped me forget the man was likely several centuries old. He certainly didn’t give off the impression of someone old. Regaining a sense of seriousness, he said, “I won’t be able to teach you anything beyond what you could learn in an academy until you swear the oath. While your membership won’t truly be ‘official’ until your information is added to the records, it will be close enough that my oath won’t limit what I share.”

“I didn’t need an oath to learn from Mage Stella,” I countered.

“She isn’t a sect member,” he replied. “I doubt she’s shared any of her family’s techniques. She’s likely limited her lessons to what you’d be able to learn from any academy that specializes in Space magic.”

He made a good point.

While I never gave much thought to joining a sect before meeting Master Kairos, I’d put a lot of thought into the subject since being declared his disciple. I was probably strong enough now to protect my family during the initial turbulence of the reintegration. But I wanted to be able to keep them safe beyond the transition. Joining a powerful sect seemed like a good way to accomplish that.

“Alright. I’ll do it,” I said. “I want to be able to protect my family. If joining a sect is like joining a family, I hope my membership will extend a measure of protection to my family as well.”

“That can be arranged, though it would be much easier if they were to relocate along with you. They won’t have access to the sect compound, but there are several small communities of family members just outside our property. I can make sure they are set up with enough resources to get them situated once we arrive.”

With my family’s safety nearly assured, I swore an oath tying me to the sect. For better or worse, I was now a member of the Epikairos Sect.

= = =

“I have something for you.”

Master Kairos removed a crystalline cuff nearly identical to the Fitmon I’d worn as a beta tester. I suspected there was more to it than that. It likely had additional functions like the one I’d commissioned for Amie.

“An alert bracelet?” I guessed as I mechanically reached for the item.

The Time Mage looked surprised that I knew what the item was but quickly schooled his expression. “Similar. It’s not uncommon for a Master to ensure the safety of their disciple by providing something like this. Unlike a basic alert bracelet, this device will automatically teleport you to my location, should something happen. If you are injured and unable to cast the spell, it will also apply [Restore] to revert any injuries. The only real limitation is that it doesn’t fully work inside rifts since they are functionally separate dimensional spaces. The healing spell will still work, but not [Teleport],” he said as I examined the item in my hand.

Without hesitation, I attached the item to my wrist and sent a small tendril of mana into it. Once the cuff was attuned, Lisa connected to the thin piece of jewelry. I watched as the device on my wrist shifted slightly, becoming more translucent and blending in with my arm. Once attuned, the item had become nearly weightless.

“I can set the teleport location somewhere else if you’d prefer,” Lisa offered.

“No,” I replied silently. “If the effect is triggered, I’d likely need help. I doubt there is much on Earth that Master Kairos can’t handle. Besides, if he had ill intentions, it’s not like there’s much I could do anyway.”

“…and nobody can see the details since you are an adult. Even as your Master, I need permission to access anything aside from the emergency alert,” my mentor said, having continued speaking during my brief exchange with Lisa.

“Is there a reason for the precaution?” I asked, wondering if something had prompted the gift. “I know you said it was normal, but there shouldn’t be much that could threaten me, aside from maybe a targeted attack. Having a healing/escape item like this seems a bit… excessive?”

“I don’t see it that way,” Master Kairos immediately countered. “It’s an investment in your safety. At Tier Two, plenty of mundane things can still kill you. Enough has changed from your previous timeline that there is no guarantee of your safety otherwise. As my disciple, I am responsible for ensuring you are given the opportunity to learn and grow. I can’t protect you from everything since that would be counter-productive, but I can prevent your death… or other emergencies.”

A feeling of warmth spread through my chest at the gesture. I was grateful that the person who’d claimed me as their disciple seemed to care about my wellbeing. There were plenty of stories about Masters who found amusement in their disciple’s suffering, caring little about the person they were responsible for teaching aside from how it benefited them.

While I wasn’t naïve enough to believe Master Kairos wouldn’t get some benefit out of our arrangement, he seemed genuine in his desire to keep me safe. It may have been nothing more than protecting an investment, but that was fine. I didn’t mind having a safety net.

“Thank you, Master Kairos. I appreciate your concern and will try to remain safe,” I said humbly, realizing I hadn’t expressed much appreciation for the Tier Ten Time Mage’s efforts. Remembering his comment about rifts, I added, “You mentioned that rifts were separate dimensional spaces. How does that impact large, undirected Time reversal spells like Rewind?”

Master Kairos once again expressed surprise. This time, it wasn’t because I knew something unexpected. It was because I didn’t know something that was apparently common knowledge.

“I can see how you might not know that, having come from a mundane world,” the man said before sending a data packet to my interface. “Review that later. It will clear up many of your questions. However, as a Time Mage, the answer is very relevant to our lessons.”

I was tempted to access the information immediately, but I resisted. Instead, I directed Lisa to review it for me.

“Have you ever wondered why spells like Rewind are frowned upon, if not restricted for use outside of rifts without an anchored zone of influence?” he asked.

I remembered hearing something like that when I’d first signed up with the Adventurers’ Guild, but I’d never really given it much thought. The comment was made in passing, so it didn’t seem all that important.

“I hadn’t before, but I do now,” I replied. “Is it because spells like that wouldn’t affect anything in rifts, just like using them inside rifts doesn’t impact the rest of reality?”

It was a guess, but it felt correct. Once he mentioned the rifts were separate dimensions, the pieces seemed to fall together. It also explained why every Chrono-Melee lesson began with creating an anchored zone. I hadn’t considered questioning my former instructor’s declaration that the zone was required to limit the effects. I’d just assumed it was done to reduce the costs – which it did, especially for large-scale spells like Rewind.

“Exactly,” he said, confirming my guess. “It causes many issues when people don’t show up for delve slots because they are already inside the rift. Because the people inside are immune to the spell's effects, they are not returned to their previous existence. They are simply missing from the previous events. Some devices can mimic the effect, but they are rare due to the number and types of materials needed. It is one of the tools used to combat Time Mages, though, so you need to be aware they exist, even if it’s unlikely you will ever encounter one.”