Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Although she was secretly displeased, Angelina still obediently carried Mia downstairs. As for the cat not complaining, that was of course because it knew that if it didn’t go downstairs, it would probably have to sleep in the wardrobe.

Sometimes Shard would wonder whether No. 6, Saint Delan Square was, for Mia, just a bigger wardrobe. But the cat didn’t like a real wardrobe; it liked the "home" wardrobe. That really was very strange.

On Wednesday morning, at the breakfast table, he voiced his doubts to the two Princesses. Lecia, looking radiant, casually said:

"Home has a larger area, so Mia can run and jump around, and she can bask in the sun. Of course home is better."

Angelina, holding a glass of milk she clearly didn’t like to drink, said:

"The wardrobe is a forced choice, home is something Mia chose herself. People always like the things they choose, even if in reality they’re not much different from what they’re forced to choose."

After she finished speaking, she keenly noticed that Shard and Lecia, and even the cat lying by Shard’s hand that had just been licking goat’s milk, were all looking at her. She blinked:

"Um... what is it?"

"Angelina, I just didn’t expect you to say something like that. Sometimes I feel like I’ve been underestimating you all along, or that you’ve been pretending to be naïve in front of everyone."

Lecia said this while spreading jam on her bread. Angelina then pursed her lips, looking somewhat unhappy, so Lecia added carelessly:

"But it doesn’t matter either way, you’ll always be my little sister. Sometimes it’s good for you to be a bit more mature. Sooner or later you’ll have to face this world on your own. Whether it’s Mother or me, neither of us can stay by your side forever."

Angelina’s seemingly angry expression vanished at once. Lowering her head to eat, she looked a little sad. Because of this, she didn’t see Lecia turn to Shard and wink, looking very pleased with herself.

Shard suspected that Lecia was using some very novel "Psychic Control Spell" on her own sister, and when faced with Shard’s suspicion, the Red-Haired Princess "viciously" threatened him:

"Don’t make random guesses, I’m very good to Angelina. Shard, if you keep talking like that... you wouldn’t want Galina to find out that on the bed you praised my collarbones as being prettier than hers and... more delicious, would you?"

After breakfast, the two Princesses couldn’t linger at No. 6, Saint Delan Square. Lecia kissed Shard goodbye in the downstairs hall, and even egged Shard on to kiss Angelina on the forehead as a farewell. Once again, Shard felt that Lecia was using some very special means to discipline her own sister.

The next time they met should be this Saturday. Last week, Dorothy had given Shard a vivid "mermaid playing in the water under the moonlight" lesson in the lake on Green Island; this week it was Lecia’s turn, and he had no idea what she would do.

After seeing the Princess off, Shard was reminding himself not to dwell too much on "mermaids" as he closed the door, when he saw the young postman in charge of deliveries to Saint Delan Square hurrying over:

"Mr. Hamilton, good thing you’re at home, there’s a letter for you!"

He said this, panting, and handed Shard a letter from Miss Gawder.

"Thank you, you don’t have to run so fast... Why is it being delivered at this time?"

As he spoke, he turned and took some change from the cookie tin in the shoe cabinet where he kept his keys, and held it out as a tip. The young postman, whose nose looked like a strawberry, tried to decline, but in the end still accepted under Shard’s insistence.

Saint Delan Square and the Silver Cross Avenue area were priority delivery zones in the city, so the postman should normally deliver between six-thirty and seven, but it was already eight in the morning.

"This letter was sent from a region on the East Coast that’s dealing with an epidemic. You know what’s going on over there. Recently the Kingdom Health Department and Tobesk City Hall issued new regulations. All parcels and letters sent from epidemic areas have to undergo extra inspection and disinfection before delivery, so it’s a bit late."

He patted the green satchel slung over his shoulder. There were still quite a few letters inside:

"Mr. Hamilton, if you have other letters coming from there in the near future, they’ll probably be delayed as well. I won’t keep you; I’ve got other mail to deliver. Wish you a pleasant day."

"And I wish you a smooth day at work. Oh, are there any requirements for letters sent from Tobesk to the epidemic areas?"

"No, there aren’t."

The young postman said this while waving goodbye to Shard, then hurried off toward the other end of Saint Delan Square.

"Meow~"

A soft, gentle meow sounded behind his heels. Turning his head, he saw Mia poking her head out from behind the doorframe, looking up at him. Those big amber eyes were clearly asking why Shard was still not closing the door and coming home.

"Mia, your mistress, Miss Gawder, still doesn’t know what’s going on. That really is worrying."

He bent down to pick up the cat that probably knew nothing at all, gazing at Saint Delan Square below as it grew lively in the morning, while thinking of that lady in the distance whom he had never met.

Today was the second day of Thunder Moon, and as usual Miss Gawder’s letter came with 10 gold pounds. Perhaps because the family’s small town was facing a huge crisis, this time the letter was only a single page, clearly much shorter than before.

After the customary greeting at the beginning, Miss Gawder frankly admitted that the situation in the town was quite grim. The spread of the plague involved an area of considerable size along the East Coast, centered on Astra City, the "Sunrise City." And to prevent the already preliminarily contained plague from spreading again within the town, entry and exit were still under strict control.

In her previous letter she had associated this plague with the family courtyard once used for Bygone Days’ pleasures, but it was now certain the two had no connection. It was just that the courtyard itself hid secrets. Over the past month she had sent out multiple teams of adventurers hired with money, priests from the town, and townsfolk willing to travel to explore it; it was said that they had found some traces and clues related to the rumored "vampires."

At the end of the letter, Miss Gawder also admitted that her family must be hiding some enormous secret. Strange Ancient Ruins outside the town, a bay filled with glowing coral, bandit-haunted wilderness, hidden beast lairs in ancient sewers; together with the courtyard now under exploration and the farm that had yet to undergo major restoration—everywhere reeked of eeriness.

She urged Shard not to visit with Mia this summer, and her wording showed deep concern for Shard and Mia’s safety.

After reading the letter, Shard stood for quite a while with his hands behind his back at the study window before writing his reply to Miss Gawder. Events of all kinds were happening all over the World now—no one could escape them.

After replying to Miss Gawder, Shard also did not forget to use the poetry manuscript paper to apply to the Academy for purchasing the Ritual Materials needed for "Adel’s Principle of Return." The quotation for the materials was given to Shard directly: at 98 pounds and 7 pence it wasn’t cheap, but considering the high level of the ritual, the price was acceptable for the Outlander in his current circumstances:

"The materials will arrive tonight—that really is fast. I thought I’d have to go gather them myself."

Besides the two letters, before leaving home that morning Shard also remembered the matter of the newly acquired [Calamity Card: Sand Worm] from yesterday. Of course, this card could be used to call forth "Professor Drake" again, with the same price of further hastening the Apocalypse.

But if he used the method taught by Sister Delphine—using the Fire of the Primordial to suppress the Calamity’s Power and only drawing upon part of the card’s ability—he could use this card to cast the "Earthwalking Curse."

The effect of this Incantation allowed the user to move through soil and sand as though swimming. Yesterday, when using the key, the First Phase Professor Drake had already demonstrated it for him. However, Spellcasting required ground with a depth enough to accommodate the user’s body, so places like floors definitely wouldn’t work.

"But it doesn’t seem that useful. [Lagre’s Leap] and [Red Butterfly Incarnation] are both more convenient... Still, combined with [Enhanced Spatial Awareness], it might produce a decent effect."

Because he had to deal with all these matters, by the time Shard arrived with the [Source of Chaos] and "Water of Moonlight" at Belindel Estate in Moon Bay City, it was already nine thirty in the morning. Whether arranged by the Countess or Miss Matilda, someone had been stationed at the estate gate to greet him in advance, and Shard soon saw the Blonde Maid waiting for him at the main entrance of the mansion.

"Please follow me. My lady is awake, but still in the bedroom."

Miss Matilda led Shard upstairs, and as they climbed the staircase she described Miss Belindel’s current condition.

Shard’s Healing last night had been very good. The Witch had risen in the middle of the night to have a snack and wash up, then fallen back into a deep sleep. When she woke this morning she had a slight fever, but the problem was not very serious.

The Magic Potion formula Shard had left before departing last night had already been prepared into a semi-finished product. Next, they only needed to add a small amount of "Water of Moonlight" for it to be ready for use. Thus, before entering the Witch’s bedroom, the Maid in charge of Magic Potion preparation took the materials Shard had brought, and when Miss Matilda led Shard into the bedroom, Miss Belindel was sitting on the bed reading a book.

The drapes around the four-poster bed concealed her figure. After receiving permission, the Maid drew back the curtains on the side facing the door, revealing the Witch in her nightgown.

"Good morning."

She greeted Shard with drowsy weariness. Her hair hung loose, unbound, but she no longer had the shy look from last night when she had been leaning alone against the headboard.

"Good morning, Miss Belindel. Let me examine you first."

Shard sat down and reached out his hand to her, and the Witch turned, back facing Shard, voluntarily pulling down part of her clothing to reveal her snow-white shoulder. During this, Miss Matilda had people push in, on a dining cart, the items to be used in the upcoming "operation," then left the room, giving the space to Shard and her mistress.

Although the steps of the operation were nothing more than "implanting the Relic into the body," it still took the whole morning. Shard naturally had no surgical experience; most of the time was spent on preventing the Relic from harming the human body and on the safeguards carried out using Magic Potions and rituals.

Miss Adel Isabella had said that this Healing method came from the Truth Society, and that the fusion of Relics with the human body was precisely one of the projects they had once undertaken. Shard did not know whether the Great Witch of Destiny had ever contacted the Truth Society. Throughout the entire "operation" she remained conscious, but did not talk much with Shard; she only answered softly when Shard asked her to drink a Magic Potion or bite down on a towel to endure the pain.

Though the process was relatively complicated, thankfully this "Healing" was quite successful. Thanks to the Witch’s special constitution and the effects of restorative Magic Potions, not even the slightest mark was left on Miss Belindel’s skin. When the final step of the "operation" was completed, her smooth, fair shoulder was still as alluring as ever. If he didn’t touch it with his hand, even Shard himself couldn’t sense the yellow Treasure Bead hidden beneath the skin:

"The Truth Society’s research may be cruel, but it’s not without merit... What am I thinking?"

Seeing Shard staring blankly at her shoulder, the Witch with the bare shoulder made no comment at all. When Shard finally pulled himself out of his thoughts about the "operation," he met those golden eyes.

In that Instant, those eyes that seemed to carry electricity made the Outlander, exhausted from a morning’s work, feel his scalp tingle and his heart race wildly.