Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

By 2:30 PM that day, Shard had not received a reply from Miss Galina. Instead, someone was knocking on the downstairs door.

Upon opening the door, he saw a four-wheeled carriage parked outside. There was no one inside the carriage, but the cigarette-smoking carriage driver handed Shard a note. It bore Miss Galina's elegant handwritten script, instructing Shard to get in the carriage and meet her.

It seemed that the Grand Witch took Shard's request to visit very seriously.

The carriage carried Shard through the sweltering city, following a route he had once walked, and headed for Miss Galina's manor outside the city. His previous visit had been at night, and the abnormal heavy fog had made Shard speculate whether this place was some "witch's home," yet during the day, nothing seemed amiss.

Under the sunlight, the suburban manor looked as if it had been freshly washed, with the roof tiles sparkling in the afternoon sun. The lawn was trimmed to nearly the same height everywhere, and as the carriage drove through the main gate, Shard saw a team of servants trimming the large trees in the courtyard.

He gained a new appreciation for Miss Galina's financial strength.

Compared to the Royal Family's resplendent manors, the interior decoration of Miss Galina's house was relatively "simple." The only notable part was the oil paintings on the corridor walls—she seemed to have a fondness for various landscapes; those expensive-looking paintings were all landscapes, with not a single portrait among them.

The meeting place was the second-floor study. When Shard knocked and entered, aside from the Duchess and a personal maid, there was also a middle-aged woman dressed in a white shirt and a formal skirt, reporting on the taxation work.

Miss Galina gestured for the middle-aged woman to leave first. She nodded at Shard as she passed him, her eyes filled with unspeakable curiosity.

"Good afternoon, Miss Galina."

"Good afternoon, Detective. I haven't spent summer in Tobesk for several years, it rained just yesterday, and today it's so hot... Please, sit here. Tifa, the tea for the afternoon."

After Shard settled on the sofa, the Duchess behind the desk also came over to the sofa. Maid Tifa, along with a team of maids, wheeled in a trolley with afternoon tea and pastries.

From the study's window, one could see a general view of the manor's courtyard, and further afield, the vague shapes of city buildings. In autumn, if it was windy, the farmland outside the manor would have waves of golden wheat; it was really nice to sit here and watch the scenery.

"This place is truly wonderful."

Shard softly praised, and the Duchess, sitting relaxedly across from him on a single sofa, waved for the maids other than Miss Tifa to leave first, then looked over Shard's attire for today:

"Detective, I didn't expect you'd be stirring up trouble with the Silver-Eyed One so soon."

Before the Sunday banquet, Shard had shared his thoughts, and his letter also stated he was seeking help.

"Yes, if we delay any longer, the Blood Spirit School people will arrive, and we don't want to face so many at once."

"You're right, so what plans do you have now?"

The Duchess inquired, and Shard thought for a moment then nodded:

"Thursday night, the Church is going to stamp out the cultists who worship the Lord of the Blood Feast. We'll take advantage of when the Blood of Mercury folks are drawn out to storm the underground ruins and eliminate the Silver-Eyed One."

He paused for a moment to ensure there were no other ideas, then nodded:

"That's the plan."

The red-haired Duchess tilted her head and looked at him:

"Your plan is quite... succinct."

She laughed, but it was not in mockery:

"It's good to have your own plan, the simpler the plan, the fewer the things that can go wrong. I'm happy to offer my help, so what help do you want me to provide? First, you must understand that there are Thirteen-Ring Sorcerers from the Church in town, and I cannot intervene directly."

"No, I don't need you to take action directly. I would like to borrow some relics from you that I can use, which I will return after the matter is concluded. I can pledge 'Genesis: Silver Moon' as collateral."

Shard immediately said.

"Forget about collateral, but what sort of price can you offer to persuade me to lend you the relics?"

The Duchess asked, and Shard observed her expression:

"What do you need me to do this time?"

Miss Galina smiled and leaned over to pick up her tea cup:

"Thursday night, the True God Religion chose this moment because the cultists will gather with Blood of Mercury to host a feast and once again summon the Evil God."

Shard's expression turned serious; he truly didn't know about this.

"This time they are trying to bring a deity into the physical world in the form of a Saint, the vessel being the missing Mr. Lawrence you investigated last time. But don't worry, the church has full knowledge of their plan, timing, and location, and has clarity on the whole organization of the order, possessing a list related to this matter. Thursday night, led by the Thirteen-Ring Sorcerer from the Sun Church, they will personally handle the sacrificial scene, and a squad of Church Ring Sorcerers will scour the city for people on the list."

"It sounds a bit like the Lakeside Manor affair, but this time the Church has the initiative... But what does this have to do with me?"

Shard hesitated:

"Miss Galina, you wouldn't be asking me to go and stop the Evil God..."

"Oh, Detective, don't be silly, even if I sent you, what could you accomplish?"

The Duchess shook her head and tapped her fingers on her tea cup:

"I need you to attend this feast and obtain an item."

She said, and Shard looked at her seriously to confirm the other party was not joking:

"Sorry, even if we don't discuss whether I should appear at that kind of event, I also don't have time; Thursday is also the day for our operation."

"No worries, I will arrange people to assist you at the banquet. You can leave immediately by carriage once you succeed, and I will take care of the aftermath. Honestly, if it hadn't been for the 'Blood of Mercury' guessing that a Grand Witch was in Tobesk and being cautious of suspicious women, it would have been more appropriate for Tifa to handle this."

Miss Galina said, with the Maid by her side showing no expression.

"So, what do I need to acquire?"

"The 'Transmutation Ring'."

"Huh? Isn't that..."

"Yes, it has been taken in by the Peace Church. The Church deliberately let the ring 'accidentally get lost' to allow their people to infiltrate the cultists."

The Duchess's golden eyes twinkled with amusement:

"So, this gives me an opportunity. I have already smoothed out the manpower and made the plans. The banquet will host not only cultists and True God Church members but also my people. You just need to follow the plan, and obtaining the ring will be easy. Oh, by the way, the excuse for the banquet is a fundraising event for Tobesk University District, and there will be an auction. Whatever you buy, I can pay for it afterward."

"Will you be there yourself at the time?"

Shard didn't care about the luxury of someone else paying for the auction; he was more concerned about his own safety.

The Witch saw his intent:

"I won't be present. The Church has informed a very small part of the Royal Family, advising us to stay away from Thursday evening's banquet. Therefore, I was able to learn about this in advance and conduct an investigation."

She narrowed her eyes:

"I will not force you to go, but if you agree, once the ring is in hand, according to our previous agreement, you can freely ask one question about the Witch Council, and I will definitely answer anything I know. Besides lending you the relic, I promise that, following this event, you will have my complete trust. Also, please give me your hand."

"What do you mean?"

Shard, confused, still rose and extended his hand across the coffee table, only for it to be swiftly grabbed by Miss Galina.

"Again?"

He tried to break free a few times, but sure enough, he couldn't:

"You don't have to worry about safety; do you know why, Detective?"

The dark gold eyes gazed at Shard, who hesitated and looked at Miss Maid; she shook her head, though he didn't understand what she meant.

"I don't know."

"Because meeting a man like you, the only one unaffected by the Witch's Curse, I wouldn't want to lose you over such trivial matters."

This statement was compelling enough that Shard stopped worrying:

"Actually, you could let go of me before talking."

He remarked, to which the Witch gave him a smile and indeed released his hand:

"Tifa will be at Thursday's banquet, along with a few other of my servants. Even if you really run into big trouble, it will be possible for you to escape unharmed. After the event, I will arrange for a carriage to take you away, without delaying your business."

"Then there is no problem; I will attend the Thursday banquet."

Shard nodded, noticing the red marks around his wrist from the Duchess's strong grip.

Although the suddenly added task would make Thursday night's action more complicated, there was no need to worry too much given such thorough preparation.

"Good, as for the relic you wish to borrow..."

She didn't send Maid Tifa to fetch it, but instead leaned on the sofa, pondered for a while, and then took off the golden necklace she wore around her neck.

The necklace was luxurious and exquisite, with a gold chain woven into a diamond pattern, encasing a ruby.

Miss Galina gestured for Miss Maid to hand the necklace to Shard. The black-haired maid looked very surprised, but did as told. Shard, accepting the necklace, could even feel its warmth.

"This was a gift I received when I formally joined the Witch Council, Detective, guess its level."

"Hmm... Keeper of Secrets Level (Level 3)?"

"No, it's a Sage-Level Relic, the 'Ancient Witch's Golden Necklace.' Wearing it, any Arcane Technique and Sorcery used against a non-witch target will have its effects enhanced. I can't give you a relic that is too dangerous, as there's a risk of losing control, and most risk-free relics are of little use. But I think this one should be just right, especially since you've already demonstrated proficient control of Silvermoon Magic at Lakeside Manor; with this necklace, your arcane techniques would be further strengthened."

"Sage-Level..."

Shard couldn't help but exclaim. He wasn't unfamiliar with the wider world, but it was his first real encounter with a Sage-Level Relic. Sage-Level Relics wouldn't circulate on the black market; they were truly priceless. Even a veteran like Doctor, a Three-Ring Sorcerer, had never touched any Sage-Level Relics before.

Studying it closely, aside from the ruby, the entire necklace was crafted from gold, its golden chains intertwining to form patterns and at the same time composing a phrase:

"We can only trust ourselves."