Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Chapter 1912: Rainy Morning

"Iluna, take this as well."

Shard casually handed the "Night Watchman" to Iluna:

"This sword can enhance the effects of the Arcane Technique. Although the Church has similar relics, you won’t find a better sword than this in the short term. As for how this sword ended up in your hands... just say that the Witch Council paid a price to borrow it from the God Summoner. Afterwards, the Church will compensate the Witch Council to repay the cost paid to the God Summoner."

Shard said while wearing his pajamas, handing the sword to Iluna:

"Go ahead, let them see that even though the Chosen of Balance doesn’t have a high Ring Mage Level like Death or Earth, you are the true protagonist of this era in the eyes of me and Luviya."

He yawned again, and at the same time, the cat at his feet opened its mouth to yawn, but when Shard looked down at it, the cat immediately closed its mouth.

"Shard."

Iluna pressed her lips looking at him:

"But such a useful alchemical item, saving it for Wednesday..."

"I have my own plans for Wednesday."

Moreover, priests will personally go to the island for the remaining sixth of the skull.

"Alright then."

She looked at the sleepy man in front of her, dressed in pajamas:

"Um..."

She wanted to say something, but the words didn’t come out. She wanted to say goodbye and leave to solve the matter over there, but felt it would be too abrupt to leave like that.

"What’s wrong? Do you want me to go with you? Then I’ll need to change clothes."

"No, no, with this I can manage on my own."

She wanted to say thank you but felt it would seem distant. Iluna always thought she was a persuasive person, but now she realized it was just an illusion.

Feeling anxious about her "stupidity," she sensed it was a good opportunity to strengthen their relationship. Then, somehow, she said something she wished she could punch herself for later:

"Let this aura be my birthday gift."

Many, many years later, Iluna Amelia Beath still didn’t know why she said that.

The next moment she realized what she had said, her face flushed, wishing she could disappear like an ant.

Shard indeed looked at her in surprise:

"How can that be? A birthday gift is to be given on your birthday; I’ve already prepared it."

Saying this, he discreetly shifted his body to block the black balance, golden apple, and that bouquet of flowers on the side.

Iluna blushed, opening her mouth, truly not knowing what to say this time. Shard noticed her embarrassment:

"Then I wish you success in your mission."

Blinking, Shard hesitated for a moment but then kissed her forehead:

"It’s tough so early in the morning."

Iluna suppressed the heart that seemed about to leap from her chest;

"I’ll be leaving first. If you go to the Green Lake Hotel for breakfast later, you should hear my good news."

She waved to Shard, turned around, and almost like fleeing, touched the divine statue to leave.

"Iluna was strange just now, was it because she hadn’t slept well?"

Shard muttered to himself, bending down to pick up little Mia:

"Do you want to go back to sleep again?"

"Meow~"

The previously sleepy Mia was now lively again and didn’t seem to need to rest further. Shard was initially puzzled about why the cat woke up so quickly, but as he stepped on the slippers up the stairs, he belatedly guessed that it probably understood Iluna’s mention of "breakfast."

Although he woke up a bit earlier than usual, Shard didn’t go back to sleep. Taking advantage of the morning lull, he washed up and went to the basement to sort out the relics he had collected, deciding what to bring on Wednesday. It wasn’t an easy task because Shard’s collection of relics is growing.

When the milkman arrived outside the door, the cat that had been waiting in the hallway immediately ran into the basement, meowing to remind Shard. After Shard opened the door and saw the rain drizzling in Tobesk City, he naturally muttered:

"It’s still raining, as expected."

Then he suddenly realized this wasn’t Green Lake City; Tobesk had been a smoky sunny city for the past few days. The newspaper even said that this spring, precipitation in the Tobesk Region was significantly less than in previous years.

"The sky is normal, the rift hasn’t spread here yet."

Shard looked up at the sky again and used the key to open the milk box hanging by the door, taking out two bottles of goat milk. After placing them on the shoe cabinet, he put two empty glass bottles he forgot yesterday into the milk box.

He didn’t return immediately but stood on the doorstep looking at the rain-soaked Saint Delan Square in the morning. Although it was early, the morning breeze was not at all refreshing. Suddenly he realized the Rain-Prayer Moon had already reached its latter half, with spring coming to an end.

Having been rushing around Randall Valley for two months, he hadn’t even had the chance to properly witness Tobesk City’s spring after the Circle Riding Competition:

"Time flies, almost a year has passed."

The rain wasn’t heavy, so he walked out the door and looked up at his house from the steps, recalling when he took over last year, the place was practically abandoned. Now, not only was every room usable, but he also uncovered the reasons why the house had killed its previous owners... And now, it even has a female owner.

[Use plural here.]

"My grammar isn’t great, you know, I’m an Outlander."

Shard smiled in response in his heart, then recalled that Mr. Euclid, who left the Source of Chaos and the letter, mentioned that during his three months here, he sensed quite a few dangers, in addition to the Chosen of the Moon (Chapter 1088). Among them, "Sigh of the Deceased" was clearly the boundary between life and death on the third floor, but he still didn’t know what the "sound of dice rolling" and "crackling of flames igniting" were.

"That Star Observer seems to have good hearing, observing all sorts of sounds."

Shard pondered while looking at his house, as Mia poked her head out from the doorway, curiously watching Shard, not understanding why he hadn’t returned to prepare breakfast.

The postman driving the postal carriage into Saint Delan Square was wearing a raincoat. Seeing the door of Number Six open, he headed straight to the entrance:

"Good morning, Mr. Hamilton. Here’s your newspaper. Go back inside quickly, be careful not to catch a chill; spring flu is going around the city recently."

The middle-aged postman with a big nose said, while Shard nodded with a smile, noting that the newspaper, kept very dry, was still reporting on the large-scale military movements in the Green Lake Region.

He shook his head, and at that moment, the neighbor’s door next door also opened. The resident of Number Seven is a researcher at the Kingdom Army Steam Mechanics Research Institute, and often away, so it was the neighbor from Number Five, Mr. Elder Smith, who opened the door.

"Oh, Mr. Hamilton, you’re up this early too?"

"Yes, my cat woke me; it always reminds me to wake up on time."

Shard spoke from under his own rain awning, while Mr. Elder Smith, with his graying hair, wore a red button-up cardigan over his plaid pajamas—elders indeed needed to be cautious of the cool morning air.

Since they met, Mr. Elder Smith also stood under his own rain awning to chat with Shard, who was also in slippers.

The topic of conversation naturally centered on the newspaper regarding the Green Lake Region, with this former Chief Secretary of the Kingdom’s Ministry of Finance worried about the future of two nations. Even knowing the attempted assassination on Miss Galina and Princess Margaret wasn’t conducted by MI6 or Grey Glove, he believed the abrupt termination of Green Lake talks could likely worsen relations between the two countries.

"Oh, Mr. Hamilton, don’t worry too much."

In the end, Mr. Elder Smith comforted Shard, who paused before understanding:

"I already received an urgent letter sent by Miss Galina via steam train, saying she was only frightened, not harmed. She’ll be back soon; wish her well."

The worried elder nodded, without teasing his young neighbor about his romantic involvement with the Kingdom’s Grand Duchess.

When Shard, carrying Mia, holding the newspaper, and two bottles of goat milk, arrived at the Green Lake Hotel, it was indeed pouring rain outside.

In the kitchen, he found Little John staying here temporarily. The boy now helped in the kitchen, had bathed, and was wearing new clothes, while the little dog was kept in the hotel backyard. When Shard arrived, the boy shyly greeted him, and when Shard prepared to leave, he loudly thanked him.

This wasn’t what Shard was concerned with. On the first floor, he encountered Priest Augustus and Dr. Schneider, who had come down for breakfast, and heard the city’s matter had been resolved.

"Detective, you missed some exciting events. Around three this morning, rainbow-colored lights appeared to the northwest. I was startled awake and almost thought I was dreaming."

Dr. Schneider said to Shard.

What Iluna described as space fusion, under the intense clash of spirits and elements, resulted in optical phenomena visible even to ordinary people. This itself is a highly dangerous sign, signaling abnormal world phenomena have become easily observable by ordinary people, indicating spatial anomalies must be resolved urgently.

Today is Tuesday, with less than 40 hours until Edwards’s evening banquet, and Shard had much to do. During breakfast with Priest Augustus and Dr. Schneider, they discussed Wednesday’s island visit plans. After breakfast, as he greeted the witches arriving at the Green Lake Hotel for further discussions about tomorrow’s plans, he had to venture out into the rain:

"What are you going to do?"

Miss Galina pulled Shard’s sleeve:

"We’re all here, who else are you going to meet? Didn’t Annette say she’ll arrive soon?"

"I’m going to see Miss Danester."