Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

"Detective, you are lucky; if I hadn't had this Relic on hand, the deal might not have gone so smoothly. After all, for a weak Circle Sorcerer, overly mysterious knowledge and too powerful weapons are equally dangerous... Detective, I won't fuss over the matter of the Box of Darkness. It was a pleasure to cooperate with you."

The lady's words behind the door seemed to suggest it was time for the guest to leave.

Shard closed the ring box, taking it from Miss Maid. As Miss Maid moved back toward the door, instead of bidding farewell and departing, he collected his emotions and said aloud:

"Madam, might I have the honor of knowing your identity?"

"You do not have that honor, for the time being."

The woman spoke bluntly, and Shard seemed to hear the black-haired Miss Maid accidentally let out a chuckle as she pushed the door.

"I know what you're worried about. Now that I know your identity, your appearance, naturally I can find out your address, the identities of the Correspondence Circle Mages you work with... But what of it? The most important thing for Correspondence Circle Mages is not to let the church know their identities. So, do you think I am someone from the church?"

Just as the woman did not believe Shard was a devout believer of the True Gods, Shard also did not take her for a devout believer:

"You can talk about tonight's events to the Correspondence Circle Mages you team up with; they naturally know the rules of this city. That includes our trade; of course, you can speak of it. Any more doubts?"

She was probably in a good mood now, having obtained information from Shard, although there was some initial displeasure.

"Your presence here tonight..."

"Certainly not for you. Encountering you was purely accidental. I appeared in this disreputable place tonight only because I heard the club had a rare Roder Card."

"Which series is it, may I ask?"

"It doesn't matter anymore, it was a forged Roder Card."

"That's truly unlucky... Then, goodbye, madam, may you soon touch the statue of the Old God."

This was a reminder for her to search quickly, so that the Blood of Mercury wouldn't have time to move the statue, preventing her from finding it and blaming Shard later.

"Farewell then, Detective... Speaking of which, I do appreciate a young man like you. Your reaction when the Relic went out of control was commendable; most First Ring Sorcerers don't perform like you do.

If you ever need anything, you can reach me through this club. But you understand, all gifts come with a price to pay."

"Indeed, madam. I wish you a wonderful night."

Clutching the ring box, Shard turned and left the premises, but as he reached the door, he suddenly looked back towards the slightly ajar door:

"Madam, regarding the Box of Darkness..."

"A rare Relic of the Third Era. Relics are built up from the resentment and hatred at the end of an Era; there's no need for suspicion about hearing anything.

The Fifth Era belongs to the witches, and the war of the last thirteen Witch Empresses almost brought forth terrible beings from beyond the material world;

The Fourth Era was an Era of darkness and chaos, with darkness shrouding Earth, and strange creatures roaming the material world;

In the Third Era, different races coexisted with humans, but at the same time, terrifying and bizarre humanoid creatures occupied much of the material world—these were Evil Spirits born amidst the Whispers. Humans and other normal life forms lived on the fringes, protecting each other."

She said no more, and Shard slightly bowed to express his gratitude for this free knowledge, then stepped out the door.

The maid outside was waiting for Shard, guiding him from the third floor to the stairs on the first floor. There, Shard regrouped with the dejected Little Franklin, and together they left the club.

Exiting the noisy interior back to the streets of summer night enshrouded by a thin mist eased the oppressive feelings significantly.

Shard was still immersed in the sequence of events he had just experienced, remembering the moment when his fingers glowed, pondering the details of the trade.

Accordingly, there wasn't much conversation between them as they followed the gas-lit streets, walking through the quiet night toward the apartment rented by the Franklin family.

It was just as they were about to reach their destination and Little Franklin stepped into the shadow of an antique shop's sign, where the gas-lit streetlights failed to reach, that he suddenly turned and ran. Prepared for this, Shard immediately gave chase, and they didn't even make it halfway down the street before Little Franklin was knocked down by a kick from the detective's boot:

"Who on Earth has your father hired this time? Have you been practicing sprinting? Going to compete in the Tobesk Youth Sports meet? What happened to the last detective?"

Panting and hoarse, he was pinned down by Shard from behind. While asking continuous questions, he no longer tried to break free, as the young man was not good at running.

"Still trying to run? Didn't the detective catch you last time, too? Uncle Sparrow is dead, I've taken over his work, but I haven't trained in sprinting."

Shard felt the strength in his body, not just as a Circle Sorcerer; the physical quality of the body itself was quite impressive. It was a mystery how Detective Sparrow had transformed a vagrant into this in just a few months.

As for impersonating someone else's nephew, it wasn't really a big deal, after all, Shard had truly inherited all of the detective's relics.

"Dead? That guy who pointed a gun at my head and told me to leave the gambling table is dead?"

Little Franklin was somewhat surprised, but his tone was filled with joy:

"Such a bad person, it's not a bad thing that he's dead."

However, according to the records of commissions left by the detective that Shard had found, both times he had taken Little Franklin away from the slums' underground gambling dens and clubs, it was through the power of words that Detective Sparrow Hamilton had portrayed himself as someone charismatic and particularly skilled at persuading others.

"It seems his records can't be completely trusted... But he did have a gun... Thrown away? Or hidden but I didn't find it?"

"Speaking of which, how about you let me go? If I win at gambling, I'll give you more gold pounds."

Little Franklin was still trying to break free.

"I really feel sorry for your father."

"Come on, you're only after me for the money."

The young gambler scoffed, expecting a verbal counter from the detective, but to his surprise, the detective simply nodded:

"Yes, gold pounds are certainly important. Otherwise, why would I leave my house on a foggy night, not staying in to tend to my adorable cat by gaslight, to come and catch you?"

Although he encountered an unexpected situation at the club, the process of submitting the commission and receiving payment went smoothly. Mr. and Mrs. Franklin didn't give their son a hard time, and Shard just got half a pound as a reward at the door, and the two pounds of gambling debt paid in advance, and then he left straight away.

When leaving, he also saw Little Franklin inside the house, making malicious gestures at him. Shard wasn't angry, but he did genuinely feel a bit of compassion for Mr. Franklin.

"Every era, every family has its own stories, I should better take care of my own matters first."

With his hands in his pockets, he walked into the long night, saying goodbye to his first official employer.

It was late at night, and the detective, who was short on cash, still didn't take a carriage but walked home. He had to gather 10 pounds within a month, even if he could pawn the inherited relics from home, but he also needed to develop the habit of being frugal.

Therefore, by the time he got home, it was well past midnight, and he felt exceptionally lonely and forlorn climbing the dim staircase after leaving the hazy fog outside. Upon entering, he was worried that the orange cat "Mia" might have been defecating everywhere, but thankfully, she had dutifully used the pile of sand Shard had prepared on the balcony before he left to leave her "mark."

As for the cat itself, it had rushed over as soon as the tired detective opened the door, clawing at his pant leg, wanting to be held, and was unusually excited about Shard's return. This made Shard, who had walked for hours alone at night, feel particularly moved and warmth in his heart.

"Even if your owner doesn't come for you, I'll take you in."

"Meow~"

He said after picking up the well-behaved cat, and Mia, the orange cat, rubbed her soft little head against Shard's chest to express her affection. The detective then made a temporary little nest for Mia on the desk in his bedroom using a blanket.

It was late at night, and he did not continue to research the [Vampire Ring], but even though he slept very late that night, he still woke up on time at just after six the next morning and didn't feel tired in the slightest.

The ordered sheep's milk and cow's milk, along with the newspaper, were delivered together, and Shard had breakfast for the first time in this house with the well-behaved orange cat Mia, planning his schedule for the day.

Today was Tuesday, he didn't need to see Dr. Schneider until the next day, but he would definitely have to visit the doctor because of the note left yesterday.

Completing two commissions in one day yesterday gave Shard a great boost of confidence in running the detective agency's business.

But today, he didn't plan to handle cases left by the former detective. After coming back from the doctor, he intended to thoroughly check his home for the pistol and to continue reading the doctor's notes and past commission records, studying his own spirit runes.

It was still Mia who stayed behind to watch the house, and Shard carried the relic [Vampire Ring] with him, passing through the city in the thin fog.

Walking from Tobesk City Center to the doctor's clinic located in the eastern part of the city took up several hours of his morning, but the unique scenery of the unfamiliar Steam Age and the European architectural style intrigued Shard.

Walking down the beautiful Rontgen Avenue in the affluent district and seeing the four-wheeled carriage parked outside the psychological clinic and the gentleman with the black top hat getting off the carriage, Shard was still worried about whether Dr. Schneider was back.

Fortunately, the hours-long journey was not in vain, as the blue-eyed doctor had returned, though he looked quite troubled while receiving Shard.

Shard remembered Miss Luisa saying that his luck was usually quite poor, and this time he had encountered a troubling matter:

"That's why I hate dealing with nobility. If they can be treated, they take psychological issues lightly; if they can't, they assume it's because of my incompetence.

This gluttony problem is quite tricky; that lady must have hidden some secrets she's unwilling to reveal. People always distrust doctors... Shard, if you ever get commissions from nobility, you'll surely understand what I mean... Please take a seat; I've seen your note, but what exactly do you need?"