Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 725 - Story and Time

Chapter 725 -725 Story and Time

“Indeed, exactly three seconds, not a second more or less.”

When Shard emerged from the white Mist Gate, Miss Galina’s voice immediately entered his ears.

Compared to when he left, nothing had changed here; the witch still maintained her air of danger, Tifa was still watching him, and even Mia’s pitiful gaze hadn’t shifted—in those three seconds, the cat probably hadn’t even blinked.

“What did you find this time? Shard, I’m looking forward to the story you’ll bring.”

Miss Galina asked, holding her teacup, which contained morning tea—a stimulant for noble ladies before breakfast.

“Before breakfast, may I ask you something?”

Shard first embraced the cat that ran to him, then hesitantly asked.

“Ask.”

He stood by the door:

“Regarding Saint Byrons, have you ever heard of the connection between the library of Saint Byrons Integrated Academy and the bygone God of Bygone Days, the Gray Robed Sage?

I’ve learned from the librarian that the ritual architecture at the bottom of the library was provided by the deity’s followers. Additionally, my friend in Coldwater Port also told me that after the Gray Robed Sage departed, his followers continued to work for Saint Byrons, and after the collapse of the Order of the Sixth Era, they even became a part of Saint Byrons directly.”

But from what I’ve experienced this time, the help the deity provided to the library was definitely not as simple as just the ritual architecture at the bottom. Otherwise, it won’t justify the story Shard has brought to this world once again.

“Yes, do you want to know something even more interesting?”

The red-haired witch set down her teacup and answered after pondering:

“It seems your experience was indeed unexpected. Yes, the connection between that deity and Saint Byrons certainly isn’t limited to that. Miss Danester wouldn’t tell you more about the deity because you are only of the Low Ring, and your friend in Coldwater Port probably doesn’t know the deepest secrets of Saint Byrons.”

“What?”

“Relic levels are divided into six levels: Poet, Scribe, Keeper of Secrets, Sage, Angel, and Ineffable. Among them, each Level Zero Relic held is the most powerful weapon for the Circle Sorcerer Organization, like the Sword of Diesel that appeared on the Night of God’s Descent, which can temporarily restrict a deity’s range of activity.” fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

“Are you saying…”

“The exact number of Level Zero Relics held by the Church of the Five Gods and the Three Great Magics Academies has always been a mystery, but the Council happens to know that Saint Byrons possesses a Level Zero Relic related to the old God, the Gray Robed Sage.”

“It’s the pipe!”

Shard’s eyes widened suddenly, but Miss Galina shook her head uncertainly:

“How could you think that? Does a pipe have anything to do with the library? Excessive smoking only muddles the brain.”

Shard wished he could share this insight with Priest Augustus.

There was a knock on the door, and Tifa hurried to it; a maid came to inform the master of the manor that breakfast was ready.

Miss Galina stood up, and Shard said:

“The gray pointed hat? No, no, it must be… a wooden long staff.”

The witch nodded:

“Yes, a Level Zero Relic, the ‘Staff of the Old Sage.’

Even as he sat at the dining table, served by the maid, and began to eat, Shard was still somewhat distracted.

A single wish, combined with his own story, had brought a Level Zero Relic with thousands of years of heritage to Saint Byrons. The feeling of influencing history and time itself had never been so jarring and real, and it was only at the end of Shard’s contemplation that a voice by his ear reminded him:

“So, do you now regret being so generous half an hour ago?”

“Of course not… um… if I had known the outcome in advance, I would certainly have hesitated, but I wouldn’t say I have any regrets.”

He looked at the bacon in front of him, which was reportedly shipped from Miss Galina’s land, worth a month’s feeding cost for Mia the cat for one meal.

“It’s just a sigh. Relics eventually become merely relics, but those people are long gone.”

“She” paid no heed to Shard’s sighs in the crisp autumn morning, leaving behind only her pleasant laughter.

While eating, Shard briefly recounted his experiences from the dozens of minutes before. Miss Galina indeed thought Shard’s actions were overly “generous”:

“Shard, even if you have taken a liking to witches from the past, you shouldn’t have done this. After all, they are all old women from the past. If you really fancy witches, it’s not like our era is without them.”

She complained to Shard, not hesitating to use the rather hurtful term “old women”:

“If you can add one Level 0 Relic to the Council’s collection, I think even the Grand Witches wouldn’t mind giving you some…”

Tifa coughed, her witch’s face bearing a smile, as she left the sentence unfinished.

Unlike last time, when he only needed to prepare living supplies for the Witches, Shard now needed to find three items related to the power of the sun in his era, and they could not be relics, and their power had to be sufficiently strong.

The “Sunlight Gun” brooch of Iluna would certainly qualify, but to save time, Shard entrusted the Duchess, who was aware of the situation, to help gather the other two items. The Witch readily agreed but warned Shard that alchemical items and even materials related to the sun were not rare, but items containing the power of the sun were scarce:

“You should also search through other means, but since we only need two more, there’s no reason we can’t find them.”

She seemed very optimistic about this mission.

Shard did not mention the final story of “Sleeping Princess” to Miss Galina, since no matter how he looked at it, this situation seemed akin to Shard telling the story of the “Matchstick Girl” to the Creator of Innocence and the three children. And the Maze Lock associated with the “Matchstick Girl” is now almost bound to the Thirteen-Ring Sorcerer, the “God Summoner.”

After a hearty breakfast, Shard excused himself, claiming he had matters to attend to, and left.

Today, Tobesk was shrouded in fog, likely due to the full operation of the steam company in the deep autumn season.

He did not go home, but rather, with his sated cat in his arms, he arrived at Mary Jane’s Flower Shop on Silver Cross Avenue and had the Little Princess Angelina’s Maid convey a request for a meeting to Lecia in Yordle Palace.

Since it was Sunday and Lecia had few matters to attend to, she swiftly sent a letter scented with lily perfume, asking Shard to wait for her at Tobesk Grand Opera House that evening.

Thus, Shard spent the whole day in Tobesk, and that evening in the grand box on the third floor of the Opera House, he encountered Lecia in a flowing red dress, as well as Angelina in a blue, puffy princess dress. The latter’s red hair was tied with a golden ribbon, and unlike Lecia whose outfit was quite girlish, Angelina’s attire was always very… juvenile.

The box’s decor was lavish with thick red wool carpets on the floor and even crystal adornments on the gas lamps. As expected, Lecia greeted Shard with a very passionate kiss.

The sixteen-year-old princess seemed unperturbed, even instructing the Maids to guard the door, not to let anyone in without permission, and not to enter even if they heard strange noises.

These Maids were personal servants to both princesses, and some even had seen Shard in Coldwater Port; they were well aware of the man who, as Tobesk City rumors suggested, had a most unusual relationship with the “Duchess of Saradiel,” and maintained an intimate connection with the two princesses as well.

“The Difference Engine information you gave me half a month ago earned my father’s praise.

After the execution of Brother Sax Cavendish, the command of parts of the New World Frontier Legion that he vacated fell into my hands. Though it’s impossible for me as a Kingdom Princess to travel to the New World, it signifies that I finally have a place to meddle in the Kingdom’s military affairs.”

Lecia was very excited, her eyes seemed to sparkle as she spoke. She hadn’t told Shard this on Saturday night, probably because she wanted to use her own body to personally tell him.

“Very nice, meddling in military affairs…”

Shard found it hard to imagine what the princess he was holding, or rather, holding him, wanted to do. But Shard was ready to offer help whenever Lecia needed it.

“Shard, meeting you truly is my fortune.”

She gently kissed the corner of Shard’s lips, then gestured for him to sit down.

The cat that Shard was holding finally found an opportunity to “escape” from between the two of them. After agilely climbing onto the back of the sofa, Mia stood there, meowing unhappily at Shard, clearly expressing her dissatisfaction.

The Opera had already begun, with an excellent view from the box reserved for the Royal Family members, but no one was paying attention to what was actually being performed. Lecia had not used her own body to see Shard for a long time and wished to continue expressing her feelings with kisses, but Shard didn’t ask Her Highness the Princess out for that:

“Regarding your Low Fourth Ring Ascension Words ‘Sleeping Princess,’ I want to know its precise origin.”

“Why do you ask about this?”

There were undertones of reproach in her words, as if chiding Shard for being insensitive, and he smiled sheepishly, noting Lecia’s Red Butterfly Pendant at her waist. It was better crafted than the original Shard had made with Old John, but unfortunately, it still only allowed the soul-bound princess and writer to gaze at each other from afar.

Never being able to transcend that space between their intertwined souls was probably the furthest distance of all.

“The tale of ‘Sleeping Princess’ originated in the early or mid-Fifth Era, and this Ancient Fairy Tale is related to the founding of Zaras Literary Academy, and the initial manuscript of the story is in our Academy, hence my tutor recommended it to me.”

This was not surprising, Miss Orland giving the manuscript to Miss Samuel was probably an attempt to help the Zaras Academy provide assistance in establishing Saint Byrons.

“The early versions of the story are said to also be preserved in Saint Byrons, my teacher once wrote to the library there wanting to borrow it, but your librarians rejected it.”

Lecia mentioned, briefly pausing, and with slightly squinted eyes, she looked at Shard sitting beside her—she was a very clever girl:

“Shard, don’t tell me that another Spirit Rune has appeared on your Ring of Fate?”

“Of course not, not at least for now.”

Because Shard hadn’t finished the story yet, but he could clearly sense that since his return to this era, the Brass Aura symbolizing “Enlightenment” was increasingly concentrating on his Ring of Fate.

Time grants civilizations Enlightenment, and the stories are Sublimated within civilizations.

Even though the story from the Outlander’s homeland hadn’t reached its conclusion, Shard was fairly certain that once he returned to times past again, becoming the one who genuinely brought the tale of the princess, the slumber, and the kiss to this world, he would undoubtedly obtain the Enlightenment Spirit Rune “Sleeping Beauty.”

Just as the initial Enlightenment – “The Little Match Girl.”