Chapter 228: 012: The Journey of Time

Baron Jamie… no, now it’s Earl Jamie.

A few years ago, the old King of the Saladin Kingdom passed away. Due to the impure bloodline of the designated heir, he was mysteriously found dead on the throne not long after ascending to power.

The king’s sudden and inexplicable death immediately plunged the Royal Capital into chaos. Amidst this turmoil, the Seventh Prince George, known for his ambition, urgently mobilized an army and forcefully claimed his inheritance rights by military power.

Jamie, who had trained as a Knight in the Royal Capital during his youth, had developed a deep friendship with the Seventh Prince George. During this uprising, George immediately reached out to Jamie, relying on his unwavering support to successfully ascend to the throne and don the crown.

A favor returned for a favor.

Shortly after George assumed the throne, the Stock family took a major step forward and was granted the title of Earl, becoming one of the most influential figures in the Saladin Kingdom at present.

Jamie also received a new title: Bloody Flower.

With the alignment of status and resources, the Tulip Domain began city construction. The newly built city was named Flower City, and after several years of development, it had begun to take shape.

Walking along the newly constructed streets of Flower City, Jamie chatted with Lynch about the perilous war from years ago.

“After receiving the letter brought by George’s trusted envoy, I summoned all the Knights that very night. Among the six nobles he contacted, I was the only one to respond.”

“The Golden Armored Knight Guard of the Royal Capital was truly formidable. That old guy Lawrence, as the top warrior beneath a Great Knight, lived up to his reputation. This scar on my face is courtesy of him. It was truly a dangerous battle—I almost died there.”

The scar on Jamie’s brow, left by the battle, was prominent. Lynch offered to help heal it, but Jamie refused, dismissing it as unimportant. Yet Lynch knew Jamie was intent on reserving their mutual rapport for matters more significant.

“The blood that soaked the streets took three days to wash clean. I’ve never done anything this exhilarating before.”

“Fortunately, George didn’t treat me poorly. Luke, that old king who died, well, his wife and daughter are now my slaves. Anjou women are truly delightful—even after having children, they feel as pure as virgins…”

Bloated physique, unsightly scars, vulgar speech.

The Jamie before Lynch’s eyes now felt almost unrecognizable, a far cry from the elegant, handsome, and talented Knight of Hundred Flowers etched in his memory.

Lynch remarked, “Jamie, you’ve changed.”

Jamie asked, “What do you mean? Women or something else?”

Lynch said, “Probably both.”

Jamie replied, “My friend, you know, I’m already 43 now. I have heaps of official duties to handle daily. Surely you wouldn’t expect me to still woo women and court their hearts like a reckless young lad, would you?”

Lynch gave him a look, “Consider losing some weight.”

“Hahaha!”

Jamie burst into carefree laughter, “You know, after more than twenty years, I’ve finally realized how naive I used to be. Handsome looks, romantic words—those are just weak men’s labels to beg for women’s favor.”

“Truly strong men don’t need to seek anyone’s favor or care about their opinions. With a sword in hand and a title above my head, even the most beautiful women will kneel like dogs before me.”

His voice carried a sense of arrogance, and there was no trace of the youthful vigor and idealism he once possessed—only the taint of greed and self-interest.

Lynch didn’t want to continue this topic.

He changed the subject and said, “I plan to visit Lorent.”

Jamie asked, “The swordsmanship competition, huh? It’s been years. You really don’t change. Swordsmanship and military prowess are just tools to gain power, but I already possess them. Why would I need this anymore?”

Lynch fell silent for a moment.

Once, that young man had sat beneath the starlit sky, sipping rum with unrestrained ambition, painting dreams of winning the Lorent Swordsmanship Championship and becoming the youngest Great Knight in the Seven Kingdoms.

It all seemed so much like yesterday. How did it fade into obscurity so suddenly?

Time,

truly a fascinating thing…

…

After parting from Jamie, Lynch officially embarked on his journey to traverse the Seven Kingdoms.

For ordinary humans of this era, such a journey was exceedingly difficult. Bandits, wild beasts, diseases—all could easily claim a person’s life. Most common people would avoid long-distance travel, rarely leaving their hometown for a lifetime unless absolutely necessary.

However, for a Wizard, it was much simpler. The challenges faced by ordinary humans posed no real threat to Wizards.

Bandits and beasts? The former provided excellent opportunities to increase Spell Skill Level, while the latter made for delicious meals. Diseases that terrified the population could be easily resolved with a Magic Potion or a simple Healing Skill.

Lynch neither rode Parker nor used other magical mounts; instead, he traveled solely on foot, moving from city to town, step by step.

Most of the time, he journeyed alone. Occasionally, he joined merchant caravans and sat with fellow travelers around campfires, drinking coarse rye wine, chewing licorice leaves, and listening to their stories about life.

Whenever Lynch reached a new place, he would roam its streets, examine its historical artifacts, and take in the town’s scenery.

He would seek conversations with others—age and profession didn’t matter. He talked with cobblers, stonemasons, chefs, and craftsmen, as well as artists, musicians, dancers, and sometimes even beggars or vagrants on the roadside, or nobles living in grand estates.

Lynch’s own identity shifted constantly during this time. Sometimes, he was a young man visiting distant relatives in the countryside; sometimes, a city gentleman appreciating art; other times, a young Knight traveling across the continent.

During these encounters, Lynch acquired many useful Skills from ordinary people.

[Cooking]

[Painting]

[Cello]

…

The principle of “more Skills is better” applied here; Lynch recorded all available Skills into his system panel, planning to gradually enhance their Skill Level in the future—after all, he had plenty of time.

As he journeyed through diverse landscapes, meeting different people and encountering various events,

Lynch left behind one time coordinate after another.

These coordinates eventually merged into time-related rules and principles, slowly raising the [Time Wheel] level. Over time, reaching an advanced stage was inevitable.

The leveling up of the Time Wheel might still require some time, but improving spells was relatively easier.

A Skill Level of 10,000 might seem hefty, but with the aid of traits like [Magic Master], leveling up proceeded swiftly, with every study session adding dozens of experience points.

Lynch never stopped his practice of spells. During the intervals of his travels, he entered the Time Hut for cultivation and study, steadily increasing his Skill Level.

With sustained effort, after two months in reality, his spells achieved a breakthrough.

[Time Suspension Level 1: 18/30000]

Time Suspension, Beginner.

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