Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Of course, Mia is probably the only unhappy creature. She doesn't like crowded places, so she hides inside Shard's coat, only sticking out a little kitten head to breathe, making it look like Shard has a cat growing from his chest.

The Prophet's Society is also bustling due to today's events, so the coachman, with Shard's consent, dropped him off two hundred meters from the entrance to the Society.

After paying the fare, Shard walked forward while watching the year-end festivities on Silver Cross Avenue. Suddenly, he felt the cat on his chest becoming hot, then realized it was his badge heating up.

Mia felt the warmth too, so while the kitten wriggled on Shard's chest, he turned to look behind him. Sure enough, he saw a familiar carriage approaching.

Even the Duchess's carriage could only move slowly through the crowded streets. Since it was hard to talk on such a busy street, Shard planned to greet Miss Galina through the window if she noticed him, as she was visiting Saint Delan Square this afternoon.

But after the carriage stopped, the "recently recovered" red-haired witch stepped out. Today, she wore a silver-white long dress Shard had never seen before, paired with a bright red lady's coat, which matched her hair color:

"Miss Galina, are you feeling better? I heard you've recovered, and I haven't had a chance to visit."

"A bit better, though my nose still feels a little uncomfortable."

The witch, supported by her personal maid Tifa, feigned weakness, though her eyes definitely carried a hint of amusement.

"Then you should get back into the carriage; it's really cold today."

Shard said earnestly, playing his part well. The Duchess of Saradiel nodded slightly, and then, right on the bustling street, without any concealment, kissed Shard on the cheek, the amusement in her eyes even more apparent:

"Well, a happy Year-End Festival, my... knight."

She turned and went back to the carriage. As Tifa helped her up, she winked at Shard, leaving him wondering what it meant. The carriage quickly departed, but Shard could already imagine how the news of the Duchess kissing her lover on the street would spread through the entire city.

"She definitely did that on purpose."

Shard touched his face, then requested:

"Help me see, is there a lipstick mark left on my face?"

"She" laughed softly by Shard's ear but still pointed out where he needed to wipe.

As soon as he entered the Prophet's Society, the loud discussions about the release of the first series of the Roder Cards next year, and the promotional posters on the notice board by the gate, bombarded Shard's ears and eyes.

In the new year, the Prophet's Society will be releasing the "Hibernate and Spring Awaken" series of cards around February to celebrate the Year-End Festival, sparking much discussion.

Those who recognized Shard loudly greeted him and asked if he was there for the noon finals.

"Oh, of course, I'm looking forward to seeing who will sit at the finals' table with me!"

Shard cheerfully greeted acquaintances in the society as Vice-President Mark came down from the third floor to lead Shard away from the bustling first-floor lobby:

"The card 'Natural Disaster: Blizzard' you asked the Society to fix is ready. I'll give it to you right away."

Mr. Mark led the way and lightly sighed:

"This year is finally ending. 1853 felt really fast, didn't it?"

"Fast?"

Shard curiously asked as they left the first floor, the hallway set with divination rooms on the second floor was much quieter.

The middle-aged man nodded and said with emotion:

"When I first met you, you didn't even understand Roder Cards and even planned to sell 'Genesis: Silver Moon.' Now you not only have almost a quarter deck of special rule cards but also won the Big City Player championship and acquired five 'Genesis' series cards. All this happened just from midsummer to now, just half a year. Isn't that fast?"

Shard smiled, admitting that, at least this time, his smile was one of self-satisfaction.

The noon's Roder Card match was unsurprising, with Viscount Chekhov from the Katten Rhodes Club reaching the final of the 1853 Year-End Festival Roder Card Tournament in the Tobesk region.

He wore a red coat and white knickerbockers, and to Shard, he wasn't unfamiliar. They had faced each other during the early winter wedding banquet Roder Card match at Lakeside Manor, and meeting Shard again, Viscount Chekhov maintained his vigorous fighting spirit and strong competitiveness.

The match used a best-of-three format, with each game consisting of five rounds, determining the win through points of win, draw, and blowout.

Ultimately, it was Shard who claimed victory, and Viscount Chekhov wasn't troubled at all. On the contrary, he warmly invited Shard to join him for a card game at the Katten Club whenever he had time.

In reality, these exclusive Roder card clubs for the nobility serve more for social and political purposes than merely playing cards.

The prize for the Year-End Festival Roder Card Game is not as generous as the "Big City Player," but the £200 prize is still quite appealing compared to other city-level competitions.

After receiving the prize and accepting congratulations from people, Shard didn't look for Luviya but instead spoke with Vice-President Mark for a while, then planned to go for lunch, as Mia was already impatiently waiting.

Just after leaving the Prophet's Society, Shard saw Director Anlos standing under a gas lamp opposite the society, holding a newspaper and looking at him. Hence, Shard adjusted his hat and walked over with his head lowered.

A carriage just happened to arrive and paused for ten seconds before starting again, at which point the two gentlemen had vanished.

"I knew you'd come to participate in the Roder Card Game, so I specially waited for you."

Removing his gloves, Director Anlos spoke at length from the carriage and directly handed Shard a note, handwritten in blue ink with the time for the next afternoon:

"His Majesty wants to see you tomorrow, which is the afternoon of the Year-End Festival, at one o'clock for about ten minutes."

He specifically emphasized the timing, and the Outlander frowned slightly. He had read in the newspaper that on the morning of the Year-End Festival, the King would deliver his annual speech at Yordle Palace, not engaging in public activities for the rest of the day. However, in reality, on the Year-End Festival, the King privately meets many individuals, and those who see His Majesty at the end of the year are either major figures in the political arena or people with extremely close royal connections.

Perhaps noticing Shard's confusion, Director Anlos added:

"It's regarding the commendation; you did well during Princess Margaret Anjou's visit. Although you couldn't capture the grey-headed eagle, at least you established a good relationship with the princess, which is very important for the Kingdom... The public awarding ceremony at the end of this year will likely be in mid or late January, and you'll receive your reward then. Besides that, tomorrow His Majesty will give you a special reward, as your task details cannot be publicized."

Shard nodded understandingly, and Director Anlos lowered his voice again to add:

"Moreover, His Majesty might give you a new task, to maintain long-term contact with Princess Margaret Anjou. When necessary, arrangements might be made for you to temporarily go on vacation in Velindale. Miss Galina is aware of this as well. I'm telling you in advance, you should prepare yourself."

Shard nodded again. The royal offspring of Carsonrick don't have as many siblings as Lecia. Among the two princesses and two princes, one is bound to inherit the throne. Princess Margaret, able to represent the Kingdom in a visit to Draleon, appears to have some hope on the surface, so "Fire Jumper" Larus III valued the relationship Shard established highly.

"I understand."

He nodded lightly, and Director Anlos handed him an envelope:

"MI6's year-end bonus."

"MI6 has year-end bonuses too?"

Shard asked with a surprised smile, but still reached out and took the envelope.

"Why can't MI6 have a year-end bonus? Are we some illegal department?"

Director Anlos found it rather odd, then explained:

"You've completed quite a few difficult tasks this year, so the bonus is relatively large. I approved the funds because we must spend the planned budget by the year's end... The bonus, along with your salary for this month, I'll give you all at once, so you don't have to go to the City Waste Management Center separately. Enjoy the festival."

Shard pinched the envelope, a smile appearing on his face. Although he wasn't sure of the exact amount, it was at least a few hundred pounds.

The Year-End Festival Roder Card Game prize, coupled with the MI6 year-end bonus, gave Shard some confidence after his savings had dwindled. Although neither Lecia nor Miss Galina would be stingy about giving Shard "pocket money," the Outlander still had quite a bit of self-respect.

Monday morning passed without Shard stopping, but after handling these matters and sending gifts to other friends in the city, he was basically free before the Year-End Festival.

After having lunch with Mia at noon, he planned to return home and await Miss Galina's afternoon visit. However, he had barely returned home when the bell downstairs rang. Shard thought it might be patrons or acquaintances like Baron Lavende visiting, but unexpectedly, a familiar face stood outside:

"Captain Lades?"

Dressed in a crisp Army Captain's uniform, with black boots and holding a bottle of red wine, the long unseen Captain Lades unexpectedly appeared at the door of No. 6, Saint Delan Square.

"Long time no see, Mr. Hamilton."

The former "Captain Eight-Guns" smiled and greeted Shard.

"Captain, aren't you stationed at the Red Water Camp on the Windy Path of Sicarl Mountain? Oh, please come in; I never expected to see you before the Year-End Festival."