Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Hearing the door being pushed open, Miss Beyas in the dark turned around. Seeing it was Shard, she smiled apologetically at him:

"I couldn't sleep well tonight, so I wanted to watch the rain."

She placed her teacup on the windowsill, her somewhat hoarse voice blending perfectly with the sound of rain in the background:

"This place is really nice. I worried about waking you all, so I came to this room to watch the rain. Usually, there's no time to spare for such moments."

"Be careful not to catch a cold."

Shard kindly reminded her, hesitated for a moment, did not turn to leave, but instead entered the room and came to the window as well.

Outside the living room windows of both rooms was Saint Delan Square. Although the gas lamps on the square were still lit, in this rain, the light from the gas lamps could only turn into warm yellow halos, unable to illuminate the vast darkness on the square.

The raindrops moved densely downwards on the window glass in front of them, like little tadpoles. Amid the sound of crashing water, Shard noticed that Miss Beyas had written something on the glass in front of her using the steam from her teacup and with her finger.

It wasn't a contemporary language, but before Shard could make it out clearly, Miss Beyas had already wiped it away with her hand.

"Worried about tonight's events?"

Miss Annette was the oldest of the three; the outlander Shard had also experienced many things. Only this 17-year-old girl seemed somewhat naive, and Shard worried she might harbor troubling thoughts due to the pressure.

"To say I'm not worried at all would be impossible. But primarily... I'm still contemplating the matter of 'The Chosen One'."

She looked towards the window:

"Honestly, I never imagined I would become some 'chosen one.' The results will come tonight, and Miss Annette said I'd gain great power, and my future path will become more... magical; that's the word she used. Maybe I'm just sentimental, but I'm somewhat panicked about such a future."

"Do you want to become The Chosen One?"

"Of course."

Her answer was immediate.

"Then move forward, don't overthink it."

Shard said, thinking back to himself a month before, recalling a story he had heard yesterday in the cemetery:

"Sometimes, we can't choose the futures we face; we can't even anticipate the situations... That you still have a choice is already great. And you're not alone; Miss Annette and I will always be by your side to help you. Besides us, there will be more Chosen Ones in the future, appearing among us."

He meant to pat Miss Beyas' shoulder reassuringly but hesitated about whether it was polite to touch a young girl's nightgown.

"This probably really is being sentimental, Detective... Shard, don't mind it."

She turned her head and smiled at Shard:

"Standing here alone watching the rain, the mood really does get worse, but you're right, thinking about these things, it's better to plan more for tonight's arrangements."

Seeing how she easily adjusted her mood, Shard wasn't sure if it was his wordplay that had an effect or if she was naturally resilient.

Just then, he heard a noise from behind at the door; turning his head, he saw two glowing objects floating in the darkness. But before he could be surprised, a sleepy-eyed cat with short legs came walking in.

It had probably come looking for him because Shard had not returned for a while. It staggered to Shard's feet and slowly stretched out its right front paw to scratch at his pants.

By the time Shard lifted the warm, soft cat, it had already fallen asleep again. This cat lived quite a regular life, waking precisely at 6 a.m. to urge Shard to prepare breakfast. And now, it was still its resting time.

Miss Beyas watched Shard holding the cat with a smile:

"Once everything is over, I..."

"Stop! Never say such things."

Shard quickly interrupted her speech, seriously warning:

"Never say such things before doing important tasks."

"Is that some weird superstition, Shard? Circle Sorcerers shouldn't be superstitious."

Miss Beyas said with a laugh, turning back to continue looking at the rain curtain outside:

"I truly envy the life you have, tranquil and peaceful, with idle moments to hold a cat and watch the night rain. Although I'm a Church Ring Sorcerer, I actually admire the founder of Baylens, that Female Sorcerer of the Thirteen Rings, the merciful witch, the witch of knowledge, who built her great deed and then comfortably enjoyed life, rather than always being on the run... It's not that I chose to become The Chosen One; it's that I had no choice. It's a power, it's a price, it's a curse, it's a blessing, it's... balance."

"The church seems to know you're a candidate for The Chosen One?"

Shard asked again.

"Yes, my Sun Church and the Peace Church that holds some of the Witch's Relics know."

"So, after tonight's success, will you confess that you've gone from being a candidate to officially becoming The Chosen One?"

"Yes, the value of The Chosen One's identity lies in my ascension to the Thirteen Rings; there's nothing worth hiding. On the contrary, I'll use this to seek more power and freedom, which will also facilitate cooperation with you to find more Chosen Ones. In the future, there will be many opportunities to cooperate with you and Miss Annette."

She showed a gentle smile toward the glass, Shard nodded, but before he could voice his agreement, Miss Beyas, as if murmuring to herself, continued to say:

"Since that banquet on Sunday night, I have been carefully contemplating the so-called meaning of balance these past days."

"Any insights?"

Shard, holding a cat, asked softly, thinking that, with his knowledge as an Outlander, he might be able to offer some advice, while Miss Beyas answered directly:

"Understanding the meaning of balance does not come with a numerical benchmark for reference. Ever since I became a Circle Sorcerer, I have been exploring my special abilities. After meeting you all, I realized they were the powers of The Chosen One. I can use the power of 'balance' to lower the strength of Ring Sorcerers higher in level to be similar to mine."

The first time Shard had seen the "Sunlight Gun," she had used this power to overcome the Circle Sorcerer of the Blood of Mercury.

"I can use the power of 'balance' to discern the good and evil in others."

Therefore, she had few friends; even without summoning the Golden Scales, she could innately measure a person's moral balance.

"I can even use this peculiar power to suppress the strength of a powerful Relic for a short time, maintaining the balance between the Whisper Element and the surrounding Enlightenment Element... Of course, this is difficult and can only suppress part of the Relic's power."
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But that was already quite impressive, given her status as a Second Ring Sorcerer. She indeed was very strong.

"After that banquet, I deeply pondered the deep meaning of my own power, trying to excavate the essence of power from 'balance' itself, and then... I failed. This power is like drinking water, walking, or raising a hand; it's a capability I inherently possess, but it needs to be gradually unearthed. They don't hold any special meaning; they are just part of me. But for that reason, I understood a very simple truth."

"What truth?"

Shard asked as the cat in his arms meowed faintly, but it was just dreaming.

"I am balance itself."

Her gaze shifted from the window to Shard, the two locking eyes closely:

"All balance is based on me. If any power exceeds mine, I lower it; judgments of good and evil are based on my thoughts; balancing the power of a Relic relies on my own Enlightenment as a fulcrum. Since I am favored by the 'balance' Ancient God, The Upside-Down Judge, when I hold the scales, I am the fulcrum of all balance."

At that moment, it seemed as if golden light was flickering in her eyes.

But soon Shard understood that it was not just "seeming."

Miss Beyas raised her right hand; the golden hue naturally lit up from the palm of her hand. Behind her, amid the steam of whistles and bell rings, the Ring of Fate emerged.

The light in her palm and the brass-colored Ring of Fate behind her began to shimmer golden:

"Miss Annette was right; I was merely using the power, not discovering it. Now I can feel it. By the time the ritual ends and I have fully transformed the Ring of Fate into gold, I can truly master the power of balance."

She clenched her right hand tightly, scattering the light from her palm into floating specks in all directions.

The sound of rain was relentless. Shard gaped at the Ring of Fate behind Miss Beyas. He had thought understanding the "power of balance" would be very difficult, but in just three days, she seemed to have understood everything:

"I thought you might need help, like dynamic balancing or something."

He laughed sheepishly:

"My understanding of balance isn't static, but fluctuates around a line to form a solid balance. Miss Beyas, you're truly remarkable."

"You're quite impressive too. So, Shard, what do you think of my power?"

Miss Beyas, somewhat excited, displayed it to Shard, seemingly asking for his evaluation:

"I used that Witch's Reproduction Paper to copy the balance power I've used on myself against the mirror. Plus, just now, as I was watching the rain here tonight, I thought about many things. I was able to intuitively understand everything when I answered your question just now."

Shard sincerely complimented:

"Very powerful, not just your power, but your talent and wisdom are very powerful."

Being an Outlander, he had truly witnessed how unique "The Chosen One" was compared to Miss Beyas; Shard's path as a Circle Sorcerer was far too ordinary.

"So, tonight's action will definitely go smoothly."

Making the Ring of Fate behind her disappear, Miss Beyas said. But after the excitement, fatigue surged again, and she could only temporarily say goodbye to Shard to get some sleep before dawn.

Leaving Shard alone standing in the empty room, he watched the rain through the window:

"Having predicted the risks in advance, everyone has prepared new strengths; Miss Beyas is even one step away from fully mastering extraordinary abilities... With such conditions, tonight's event should undoubtedly go smoothly."

"Do you really think so?"

She whispered in his ear.

"While life always holds surprises, given such meticulous planning, even if something unexpected happens, it's beyond our control to change. Besides..."

Feeling the power sleeping within his soul and the Ring of Fate, he closed his eyes; in the darkness, he seemed to see a golden divinity directly before him:

"In tonight's operation, if something truly beyond their ability to handle occurs, I will not be stingy with this drop of Divinity."

"To sacrifice a precious drop of Divinity for Beyas?"

"To sacrifice a precious drop of Divinity so that I have a strong ally on the path to finding Divinity in the future. I would not do something that would leave me with regrets after death."