Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

"From the beginning, I never understood why you always thought I was weak. I know my performance was poor the last time we went out on a mission together, but that was an accident... Do you really distrust me like this?"

The white lightning flashed for just a moment, and then eternal darkness once again engulfed the two of them. Yet that brief moment of light was enough for them to see each other’s expressions. It was only after the rumble of thunder had faded that Shard spoke again:

"No, I trust you very much, that’s why I worry that you’ll get hurt protecting someone again. Last time it was to protect Miss Matilda, and this time I’m sure that if I were in danger, you would step forward to protect me just like you did before. But I hope you can stay safe."

The witch, who initially wanted to continue questioning, suddenly found herself speechless, nodding woodenly as she doubted what kind of special ability the "witch’s wordplay" she had seen earlier truly indicated about the man before her.

Shard once again reached to touch the sword on his back; only with the Night Watchman by his side could he feel at ease:

"You don’t have to worry about me either. You know I have the ability of Spatial Movement. If danger arises, I can run faster than anyone."

"Can you perform long-distance Spatial Movement like Emma?"

the witch asked.

"Long distances only by myself; for short distances, I can perform Spatial Movement with someone else."

After sensing that there were no church members nearby, Shard prepared the spellcasting materials and reached out his hand to her. The witch blinked before grasping his hand, and in a flash, they had retreated ten meters:

"Something like that, so there’s no need to worry about me."

He took a step forward, and the two of them once again stood by the window. Shard released her hand, and the blonde witch squeezed her hand:

"Your talent is truly impressive; with Seven Rings you can bring someone along for Spatial Leap, and you can manipulate time stasis and reversal. During the Green Lake incident, Vanessa and the others didn’t suspect you were the Chosen of Space, did they?"

"Of course not, I’m not a member of the Edwards Family."

Shard said, watching a glimmer fly into the sky under the rain, which should also be one of the council’s Circle Sorcerers.

"That makes sense... I really don’t know where Vanessa found you. You don’t seem like someone from the Randall Valley."

She continued, and Shard nodded:

"What I said during the card game on Friday was true. I’ve lived in Tobesk for quite a while, so I could technically be considered one of the Tobesk People from Draleon. I’ve spent most of my life in Tobesk, and the remaining fifth in the Randall Valley."

This wasn’t a lie; Shard had been in this world for a year, and the Randall Valley incident took a little over two months to resolve. The snow-laden ’Spring City’ was beautiful then.

Miss Belindel estimated Shard’s real age to be around twenty-three or twenty-four, reasoning that he likely met Vanessa Benanis about four or five years ago:

"A cold Northern boy of about seventeen or eighteen meets a beautiful, mature, and charming female opera singer... and her troupe of beautiful performers."

Feeling a bit wistful, she glanced at the two swords on Shard’s back:

"I’ll follow your arrangements in a while, and I’m also eager for you to tell me what you gain afterward. But now, at least let me know what your backup plan is? Your opponent tonight might be stronger than the Circle Sorcerers we encountered that evening."

"My backup plan... this."

He pulled out two pendants from around his neck, hurriedly tucking the Witch Detection Badge with Galina’s crest back in, then handed the Silver Cross to her.

The metal retained a hint of warmth, but what most captivated the blonde Countess was the red stone embedded in the center of the Silver Cross. Even without light in the room, the stone possessed a blood-like luster. Whether due to prolonged contact with Shard’s skin or the human body temperature that seemingly half-melted the red stone into flowing liquid, it remained immobile, seemingly embedded in the metal:

"This, this is..."

She hadn’t really cared what it was initially; she was more interested in Shard’s willingness to share his secret. But upon scrutinizing the object in her hand and recalling it from documented records, she opened her eyes wide, questioning if this was a dream:

"The Philosopher’s..."

"Yes, the Philosopher’s Stone."

Shard continued observing outside through the window.

Considering the lingering traces of the Divine War if counted as a "lock," he could not unlock it with his ordinary state even with both the Night Watchman and Yggdrasil’s Staff in hand. This situation might necessitate using the Key of the Door with the Philosopher’s Stone, which is why he brought it along. If he truly acquires divinity and the stone proves essential, then no matter how precious it is, it would be worth using tonight.

The crimson stone set in the center of the silver ornament looks even more mesmerizing than a flawless ruby. It’s as if it radiates a red glow, or like solidified blood.

Miss Belindel didn’t speak for quite a while because she didn’t know what to say:

"Did Vanessa give this to you too?"

"No, an old man I’m relatively close to passed away, and this is the relic he left me. By the way, that old man was also a Diviner; I can tell you his story sometime."

Shard said without turning his head, squinting his eyes as he looked out the window at the night sky. It was not just raining; snowflakes, ice particles, and various things were falling. The lightning streaking across the night sky was increasingly astonishing, and the rumbling sound made Shard feel as if the glass in front of him was trembling. His strong sixth sense was almost explicitly indicating to Shard that something significant was about to happen; he felt his heartbeat quickening, and he was excited.

"Do you know the value of the Philosopher’s Stone?"

The Great Witch of Destiny asked again, eyeing that red stone flashing with an alluring glow in the darkness. For a moment, she even saw her reflection in that stone, which felt very strange.

"Of course, I do."

"What exactly are you looking for in the traces of the Divine War tonight? The value of the Philosopher’s Stone far exceeds that of a typical Sage-Level Relic; even most Angel-Level Relics aren’t as valuable."

"But there are always things whose value is above that of the Philosopher’s Stone, and besides, I’m not necessarily going to use it tonight; it’s just in case."

He turned and took back the cross that Miss Belindel handed him, carefully putting it away.

"First it was that Yellow Moon Orb, and now it’s the Philosopher’s Stone. I see that the sword you’re carrying should also be a relic, right? You’ve got quite a few good things in your hands. Even Vanessa doesn’t have so many practical Sage-Level Relics, does she?"

The witch softly said, not asking Shard but just sighing.

Shard didn’t turn to look out the window again but smiled at her and said:

"That’s why she sent me to Moon Bay; she’s very confident in my abilities."

The blonde witch nodded gently, and Shard added:

"Looks like we’ll have to wait a while longer. Miss Belindel, tell me about the local church’s situation. I know there must be quite a few Circle Sorcerer teams in a major parish like Moon Bay, so how are the High Ring Sorcerers? And who is the Thirteen-Ring Sorcerer permanently stationed here?"

The witch, who was earlier considering whether the man in front of her might be "wealthier" than herself, then replied:

"I can’t give you an exact answer about the number of local High Ring Sorcerers, but the church’s attitude towards Moon Bay Parish is the same as towards places like Velindale and Tobesk. Not only is commerce and industry prosperous here, but it’s also an important trade and transportation hub to the New World, important in every aspect. The Church of the Five Gods has quite a few Twelve-Ring Sorcerers permanently stationed here, and as for the Thirteen-Ring Sorcerer from the Dawn Church, it’s Joshua Brooklyn of the ’Radiant Hand’.

Shard thought for a moment but couldn’t recall the name, which meant that during the numerous significant events before, this gentleman hadn’t left the area to participate:

"What is he skilled at?"

"Like the Light Witch from the council, he’s skilled in light-based incantations. I’ve seen him at a banquet; black-haired, skinny, and appears to be in his forties."

She thought for a moment and then added:

"I’ve never heard of him taking action in the local area, you know, although thriving Moon Bay isn’t without crimes by Circle Sorcerers, no catastrophic events have occurred here in hundreds of years. Tonight’s scale is already a rare major occurrence in the locality."

As time crept towards late night, the weather worsened. Shard and Miss Belindel hadn’t left the deserted tavern. The witch, wearing a hooded robe tonight, seemed to possess an arcane technique like "Toy Creation," constantly drawing various divination items from her robe.

Around seven-thirty, during her third round of cartomancy, the witch informed Shard of a significant revelation:

"The dragon has reached the nearshore, and a conflict with the church is expected in ten minutes."

"Can we identify which dragon it is now?"

Shard asked again, and the witch went through her cards once more:

"Still can’t, it’s not that I can’t divine it, but I can’t interpret it. If I’ve never seen an elephant, then even if the answer is an elephant, I can’t describe it to you. This dragon is very likely an alchemical product or a new species; without seeing it in person, it’s difficult to describe."

The dragon’s bloodline is quite mysterious, as they can almost reproduce with any creature. More intriguingly, the same dragon living in different environments may evolve into different types over millennia. Scholars believe this relates to the complex spectrum contained within the concept of "Light," where dragons originate. Consequently, almost everyone knows that the existing complex system of dragons does not encompass all species of dragons, and no one knows when or where a dragon unfamiliar to anyone might appear.