Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

"You mentioned the pearl, is it on that terrifying body, in the Undersea City, or in the hands of the Crimson Cult ritual leader?"

Shard asked again.

"I'm not sure about that."

Mr. Edmund's face showed a look of regret:

"I'm not a merman, nor have I been to the seafloor. All these are recorded in steles and documents, and I can't even be sure whether that pearl is a Relic. But you will definitely not misidentify it, it is a golden pearl, about the size of half a fist."

Shard furrowed his brows and thought it over. It seemed that the only way to confirm whether the pearl mentioned by Mr. Edmund contained what he was looking for was to touch it directly.

"I have another question. Besides the Favored Ones of the Evil God, is there any other danger in Coldwater Port? I'm worried that other things might crop up."

"Circle Sorcerers from both the Old and New World are converging on Coldwater Port to find a person. Is that considered dangerous? Besides that, there are rumors among the fishermen offshore about mermaid sightings, but that race is a peaceful one. That's all for now…"

The old man thought for a bit:

"Of course, this land is full of ancient legends, and there are many modern ones too. For instance, there have been sightings of level 0 Relics here, and this land has been tainted by desire and sin, making it a haven for smugglers and illegal immigrants. The light of civilization always attracts strange things… But I think these have nothing to do with the current matter."

"Alright."

Shard nodded once more, stood up, and prepared to take his leave.

"But if the mermen really have..."

This idea was still echoing in his head.

"... you would do anything to get your hands on it."

She whispered in his ear as if her hands were wrapped around his neck, whispering behind his ear.

Not only did Shard want to leave, Mr. Edmund also urged Shard to depart quickly since the True God Church might send someone there, and these old lighthouses were still of some use.

So Shard returned to the carriage below the sea cliffs with an umbrella and then had the coachman take him to the outskirts of the city. Since carriages were not allowed in Coldwater Port, he planned to walk into the city.

Braving the rain through the night, Shard wasn't stopped. Although the city was under martial law, it was only strict near the dock area. Shard was still able to find a carriage that took him to the Aphrola Manor.

The Aphrola Family's local manor was located at the end of Coastal Conch Avenue. The manor faced the city in the front and had a beach in the back, making it a true "seaside manor." It might not compare to the Royal Family's Sophia's Mansion, but it was still one of the finest buildings in Coldwater Port.

As expected, the area around the Aphrola Manor was sealed off strictly by the church and the police, forbidding anyone from entering. Although it was raining outside and Shard could use Illusion Technique and Spatial Movement Arcane Technique at night, and he could even swim under the sea to land on the beach, he didn't rashly intrude into the Witch's manor to avoid being seen as a suspicious person.

After observing from the shadows on the street, he decided to first seek shelter from the rain in the tavern on Coastal Conch Avenue where the manor was located and to also inquire about the events that had occurred in the city that evening.

Despite it being four in the morning, the Algae Tavern was quite busy. Although not every table was filled, at least a quarter of them were occupied.

An unknown poet was sitting against the wall, playing the lute, surrounded by some idlers listening, as laughter and discussions arose now and then, egging the poet on to play crude and vulgar folk tunes from the countryside.

When Shard pushed open the tavern door, a bolt of lightning streaked across the night sky. Those near the entrance reflexively turned to look, just in time to see a stranger drenched with water, pushing the door open. His shadow, cast long on the tavern's stone floor by the lightning illuminating the night sky outside.

It was clear they were startled, but when they saw Shard step into the warmth of the tavern's gaslight, shutting out the rainstorm and thunder, they breathed a sigh of relief and mocked each other's timidity.

Shard walked to the bar counter with a sniffle, first ordering a hot drink to warm himself, then asking the bartender for a dry towel.

He usually didn't drink alcohol, but he was so frozen from the rain that he didn't insist on plain water. He had expected a strong liquor but was served an amber drink with a herbal aroma instead.

"This is our exclusive recipe, half barley wine, half herbal alcohol, steeped with ginger and chili pepper, an absolute chill chaser. It's quite famous locally and has a good name too, 'Warmth Healing Barley Wine'. Many sailors buy a few barrels from us before setting sail,"

the bartender boasted confidently.

Although Shard had his doubts about the ingredients, he took a sip anyway. The taste was quite peculiar; the mix of herbal medicine, alcohol, chili, and ginger assaulted his taste buds all at once. The chili especially made his forehead break into a sweat. After wiping it away, his body felt warm and cozy, only his mouth was a bit uncomfortable.

"Very nice."

He looked at the remaining liquid in the cup with surprise, the gray-haired bartender revealing a proud expression:

"This is our signature drink here. But, on a rainy day like this, what are you doing outside? There's a curfew in effect now."

"Oh, my luck today is just terrible; I lost at cards all night, and as soon as I stepped outside, I got questioned by the police. I can only hide out here, hoping those damned officers leave quickly."

Shard spoke in a rather rude tone, and the bartender expressed sympathy:

"Then you'll have to wait a while. Earlier tonight, there was continuous gunfire for half an hour, right, at the manor near the end of this street. The police came afterwards, and even though the gunfire stopped, no one dares to go out now."

He pointed at the patrons inside the tavern:

"These folks are staying here, planning to leave when it gets light."

"What exactly happened outside? Damn it, that gambling... The soundproofing at my friend's place is just too good."

Shard said, rather frustrated.

"Not sure, but judging by the intensity of the gunfire, it seemed like a battle? Maybe those damned Carsonrickians have landed."

The bartender shrugged his shoulders, chuckling at his own joke.

"What about the people in the manor? Did anyone come out? If those noble lords dare to leave, I think we could too."

Shard asked again.

"The manor was very lively tonight, seemed like they were hosting a banquet, but no one has come out yet. They probably cherish their lives more than we do."

The bartender shook his head, then tried to peddle to Shard their tavern's special drink that could cure hemorrhoids. And it wasn't for external application, but for direct consumption, a new formula developed from a long-standing local herbal remedy, and very cheaply priced at that.

The sound of it was quite terrifying, and Shard didn't need it, so he immediately refused.

Realizing that there had also been an attack by mermen nearby, although not understanding why the people in the manor hadn't left after the danger had passed, Shard decided he would wait until he warmed up a bit before entering the manor to see what was going on.

Just as he had shifted the conversation to the Roder Cards, wanting to see if this tavern, which sold magical alcoholic brews, had any valuable cards, the tavern door was pushed open again.

The cold wind and rain, along with a rustling sound, burst into the tavern filled with a faint scent of alcohol. Shard turned to look, then quickly turned back around, pretending he hadn't seen anything.

The newcomers were an old gentleman with glasses and a middle-aged man with spectacles and a mustache.

The old man, wearing round glasses and formal black attire, was even taller than Shard, a pocket watch chain peeking out from his chest pocket, attached to a button on his chest.

Shard kept his head down and said nothing; he had seen the elderly gentleman before. He was the vice-principal of Saint Byrons Integrated Academy, the head of the Student Affairs Office, and Professor Hams Sanchez from the Academy of Library Management. The last time they met at Shard's house, the old professor's "Enchantment" spell had left a deep impression on the outlander new to this world.

Professor Sanchez and his companion also approached the bar, chatted with the bartender, ordered their drinks, and then went to look for a free table. While this was happening, Shard kept his head down, fiddling with his Roder Card, afraid of being recognized. Fortunately, he was lucky this time.

Professor Sanchez's companion was also a High Ring Sorcerer, likely another professor from Saint Byrons. However, the news Shard heard was that the professors sent to Coldwater Port for the "Sea Return ceremony" came from the political and economic academies, not expecting Saint Byrons to send the vice-principal himself.

"But what are the professors doing in this tavern, and with the rain pouring, they wouldn't come all this way to drink so late at night for no good reason."

Strictly speaking, Aphrola Manor was not in the heart of Coldwater Port's core urban area, but at the edge of the Dock Area.

Shard hunched over, fully intending to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible, when the bartender who had been talking to Shard about the Roder Card came back over after serving the other customers.

It wasn't just him; when the maid opened the door leading to the kitchen, a cat suddenly darted out from behind the door. This must have been the tavern's cat, kept to catch mice. It looked around briefly, then with agility, jumped onto the high stool in front of the bar, and then onto the counter, plopping itself down next to Shard's hand with dexterity.

It was a pretty white cat, not as cute as Little Mia, but such pure white fur was indeed rare.

"Where were we?"

The middle-aged bartender stroked the white cat, then continued his conversation with Shard:

"Next month, the Big City Player is starting. The location this time is Tobesk City, and I'm planning to place a big bet there."