The carriage arrived at the town, but it did not head toward the lord's mansion. Instead, it stopped near a very ordinary house.
After the woman got out of the carriage, the soldiers escorted her inside the stone house.
Once this task was finished, they remained outside the house to stand guard.
Bob took Gale to put the carriage back in its place and said, "Except when the weather is bad, we have to bring the madam every one or two days, and sometimes it will be for several days in a row."
"Understood."
"I'll give you the schedule in advance, and remember to be back at the farm before dawn."
"Yes." Gale nodded lightly.
"Come with me. I'll introduce you to the soldiers you'll be dealing with from now on," Bob said with a smile.
"Yes, sir." Gale obediently followed Bob, a little afraid that he might somehow be recognized by someone.
Bob introduced him to the soldiers on guard and explained his background: he was a boy bought from the slums and had been living on the farm for two months.
"But Bob, are you sure you want such a small child to take command?" A soldier smoking a cigarette frowned at this recklessness.
"He's very smart. I've already entrusted him with the farm's accounting. And more importantly, he's very obedient." Bob took the cigarette the soldier offered him, took a drag, and exhaled a cloud of smoke.
"You're a very cautious old man, so if you say so, that's fine." The soldier smiled, showing a disgusting grin, then looked at Gale and said, "Your name is Gale, right? Listen, forget about the arrangement you have with old Bob. Here, you mustn't fall asleep, or you'll get us all into trouble."
"Keep your eyes wide open, and if you see anyone suspicious, tell us immediately. We have the right to shoot any suspicious person who approaches us."
"Wouldn't that draw attention?" Gale asked, looking at the silent surroundings.
"Well, yes, it's better not to kill anyone. That would be too much trouble." After finishing his words, the soldier waved his hand and walked away with Bob toward the center of town.
Gale thought they would probably go somewhere for entertainment to have some fun. But even though he was free, he did not rush to talk to the other soldiers that night. Instead, he did his job and stood guard in front of the house, without sleeping all night.
Shortly before dawn, Bob and the captain of the soldiers returned.
They seemed to have been drinking; they reeked strongly of alcohol and women's cosmetics.
The lady of the mansion opened the door of the modest house and hurried out. Her hair was a bit messy, and her clothes had not yet been properly arranged before she boarded the carriage.
Gale observed her carefully and knew that she was far too tired.
After she got into the carriage, Gale and Bob returned to the farm.
"Go get some rest. Leave your other duties to someone else; just focus on these tasks. After eating, come to the young lady's room for a lesson this afternoon." Bob yawned and headed toward his room.
"Yes, sir." Gale was also very tired. On the first night, he had not dared to relax and had faithfully stood guard until the steward returned.
He went to the kitchen, grabbed some bread, returned to his room, lay down on the bed, and asked the cook to wake him at noon.
"It really didn't look like it… Lord Reiss truly has an excellent physique. He must be at least forty or fifty years old, and yet he can still work all night… That disgusting old man is surprisingly impressive…"
Gale yawned, and without even taking off his clothes, he fell asleep.
Darkness enveloped his vision, and he heard a strange voice once again.
"Well, this machine is already obsolete…"
…
Gale once again fell into a deep sleep, and the darkness dragged him into the same enclosed room where he kept his notes on gunpowder. The walls had no doors, only the old mirror leaning in front of the desk.
He expected to see Konstantin reflected there.
But that was not the case.
In the glass appeared an elderly man with messy white hair, restless eyes, and an expression of constant surprise, as if he were someone new to that place.
"Good heavens…" the old man murmured as he looked around thoughtfully. "This wasn't in my calculations. Am I dead, or am I dreaming?"
Gale frowned and muttered, "I think I'm the one who's dreaming."
The old man took a deep breath, adjusted the invisible coat he seemed to be wearing, and smiled with a strange dignity.
"I suppose this is the end for me… I've spent my life chasing time, and when you play with it, you end up in places like this."
Gale, still stunned, murmured, "Could it be… Emmett Brown?"
"The very same. How do you know me? I don't remember ever seeing you before, not even in my temporal travels." Emmett turned his head toward the mirror that connected to Gale's room and asked, quite intrigued.
"He's a legend. The creator of the first and second time machines of humanity, or so they say," Gale said, omitting the fact that everything that made up Emmett Brown belonged to fantasy.
Emmett Brown observed him closely and asked, "Wait… how do you know that?"
"I just know. From a book written anonymously by someone who accompanied you on your adventures. Although they said it was all fantasy, now I have you right in front of me, and I think those stories were real."
Gale made up the excuse at random, and Emmett believed it instantly.