Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

"I won't go upstairs."

Captain Lades followed Shard into the foyer, but didn't even close the door, leaving the bustling Saint Delan Square outside.

As the Year-End Festival approached, while there were no noisy circus performances, there were noticeably more vendors in the city's central square.

The captain smiled as he handed over a gift, a bottle of red wine, to Shard before mentioning in the foyer that he had returned to Tobesk due to a military commendation:

"During late autumn, that battle which blocked off Sicarl Mountain."

The resolute-looking middle-aged captain winked at Shard. At that time, Shard had sent him an amulet, which played a significant role when he led his team to guard the outpost amid the thick fog of that night. It also made this ordinary man speculate that perhaps magic truly existed in this world:

"I was credited for that, and the church along with my old friends in the city helped operate a bit, so I got the opportunity to return to Tobesk for the commendation."

He laughed, showing no trace of the embarrassment he had when Shard first met him in summer.

"That's really good news. So, will you return to Midshire Fort in the future? Or perhaps, find a position in Tobesk?"

As Shard congratulated him, the captain regretfully shook his head:

"Staying in Tobesk isn't that simple; it requires not only luck but also..."

He pointed upward, and both he and Shard shared a knowing look:

"Let's try our luck. If I can't move up, I'll be retiring in a few years."

He again laughed and shook his head:

"Regardless of what happens next, I need to enjoy this Year-End Festival. Who can keep a frown on such an important holiday?"

The middle-aged captain, impeccably dressed in his uniform, extended his hand to Shard, who also took it:

"Happy Year-End Festival, Mr. Hamilton."

"Happy Year-End Festival, Captain Lades."

The captain nodded with a smile, then took his leave. Shard stood at the doorway, watching the captain disappear down the cleared path in the snow, feeling a sense of reflection in his heart.

The arrival of the Outlander had changed many fates, with Captain Lades being one of the most memorable to him.

Turning around, he returned inside and closed the door, only then noticing his cat on the shoe cabinet, sniffing the bottle of wine brought by the captain as a gift.

"Cats can't drink wine."

Shard picked it up, and another thought crossed his mind:

"Since 1853 is coming to an end, should I take this Year-End Festival as an opportunity to give Mia a bath?"

"Meow~"

As if understanding what Shard was thinking, the cat leaped out of Shard's arms and, after jumping onto the shoe cabinet, ran towards the stairs.

Shard smiled as he watched Mia's agile figure, then raised his right hand.

[Did you say that on purpose for this outcome?]

Amidst "her" laughter, Shard's fist passed through a drawn silver circle of light:

"Binding Aura!"

Five halos flew towards the cat jumping on the stairs. One bound the cat's front paws, another its hind paws, one around its neck, one around its body, and the last inexplicably around its tail that bore the Transmutation Ring and the Plague Doctor's Ring, making it look like the cat's tail had gained a ring of silver spots.

"Meow~"

Shard walked up the stairs and "picked up" the immobile cat. After canceling the spellcasting, he held it again. This time, the cat's claws didn't attack Shard, and it wasn't even angry. When Shard looked at it, the kitten slightly raised its head, its amber eyes looking pitifully at Shard, which instead gave Shard a peculiar sense of guilt, as if he had done something gravely wrong.

"Last night, Luviya said I have a natural 'Allure Spell', but I think Mia has a natural 'Human Charm'."

He muttered softly, deciding to go to the kitchen to find something for the cat as compensation for what had just happened.

"She" chuckled softly in Shard's ear as the soft cat contently closed its eyes, resting in Shard's arms, looking perfectly satisfied.

Miss Galina's visit was later than Shard expected, with only three minutes left before three in the afternoon. Mia was comfortably lounging on the windowsill in the study, napping in the sunlight, while Shard was engrossed in reading the 'Immortality Magic', hoping to learn some useful arcane techniques.

The heat from the pendant on his chest heralded the witch's arrival. Upon going downstairs and opening the door, the Duchess, dressed in a red gown with her head adorned with a sparkling diamond headpiece, frowned and half-complained:

"Tomorrow is the Year-End Festival. Doesn't your home have any decorations? At the very least, hang a mistletoe wreath at the door."

This is the custom of the Year-End Festival, symbolizing a wish for safety and fortune in the coming year. It's said that the origin of this custom is related to the Church of Nature within the Church of the Five Gods and the Old God the White Holy Tree, though there are other explanations as well.

"Tifa, arrange for someone to decorate No. 6, Saint Delan Square tomorrow. It doesn't have to be too fancy, but at least it should have a festive atmosphere."

Miss Galina said to the black-haired maid following her as she stepped down from the carriage, and the latter nodded slightly. Shard thought about it and didn't oppose. He originally planned to buy some ribbons to decorate the windows after dinner. The outlander is interested in the world's festivals but not particularly invested.

Miss Galina's visit this time was about the Ice Crystal that Shard brought back from the winter of Year 903 of the Fifth Era. Before this, she and Tifa had heard Shard recount his two adventures in 903, and the most crucial third adventure happened by the Pantanal Lake. Therefore, when he took out the Ice Crystal, and Miss Galina cast a spell to imbue it with freezing effects, Shard narrated the last leg of the journey on the Snow Mountain.

Regarding the part about the Old God [Winter Maiden], because stories of deities have a significant impact on mortals, Shard spoke relatively briefly but still accounted for most of the events. To prevent errors in details that might affect Miss Galina's subsequent research, Shard even mentioned that the Ice Crystal was spat out by him after a kiss.

Hearing this, the Duchess raised an eyebrow in some surprise, while Tifa wore a faint smile.

"That's about it."

After finishing, Shard held the dozing cat with half-closed eyes and picked up his teacup:

"The Ice Crystal has been worn down by time, causing very little of the outer ice layer to vanish, but it doesn't affect the letters inside the ice layer. I tried looking at the contents under light. The characters are very small and not in any language I know... luckily, I can understand them."

"But I can't understand them."

The gas lights were already turned on, and Miss Galina held the Ice Crystal up to the light, observing its sparkling glow:

"I've never seen this kind of text. I think it predates the Fifth Era."

"The meaning of these ancient runes is very rich; one rune can represent many things. When different runes are connected, they form new meanings. I can confirm that what is documented here is indeed about Miss Chloe's demigod path. But the problem is, it doesn't detail specific rituals. It merely points out how she refined her soul and ascended the Silver Mountains under divine guidance."

In a time when modern-day True Gods are absent, aside from the Five True Gods, repeating this process is quite difficult.

"It doesn't matter because even after I hold the promotion ceremony post-Year-End Festival, I'll only be at the Twelve Rings, far from reaching Thirteen Rings. The contents here are enough as reference. Shard, you might not understand, but compared to specific rituals, what the witch offered you is the most critical information."

Golden eyes gazed at Shard, with a sigh like singing opera:

"Ah, Knight beloved by the witches~"

"I'm here, oh, beautiful Duchess, what can I do for you?"

Shard replied with a smile, and Miss Galina was quite satisfied with it:

"Find time to transcribe these runes and give me a translated version."

"It's very simple, after the Year-End Festival then."

Shard nodded, and Miss Galina showed a teasing smile again:

"Keep the Ice Crystal yourself. Don't let anyone else touch it, since it's from a lady who's quite fond of you."

The Ice Crystal floated over to Shard. The drowsy cat instantly sat up, trying to touch it. Shard then gently placed his teacup on the cat's head, ensuring the weight was primarily supported by his fingers.

"Meow!"

With the Ice Crystal in hand, Shard playfully put it on Mia's chest, surprisingly, the cat merely gave a complaining cry, without much other reaction.

"I've processed it. As long as it doesn't get placed in the fire or kept in high temperatures for extended periods, it shouldn't melt over time. Besides, I'll teach you a very simple spell - Galina's Ice Spell. I've improved the original [Ice Trick]; it's now like this."

With red lips slightly parted, an icy chill emanated as she exhaled.

The learning ritual for this spell is quite simple, it just requires first mastering Basic Sorcery [Water Summoning]. Shard, blessed by the winter deity, found no difficulties learning similar spells.

After mastering the spell, he demonstrated to Miss Galina:

"Look."

Gently blowing on the teacup in his hand, as Ice Crystals formed in the red tea, an Ice Crystal Flower floated on the tea surface.

"Such control is impressive..."

She complimented Shard. Actually, Shard combined [Ice Spell] with [Flying Blossom Spell], and the red tea contained petals. He picked the Ice Crystal Flower and turned it into a toy, tucking it into his pocket for future use—excellent spellcasting materials.

Meanwhile, the Duchess waved behind her to Tifa, who took a slender black paper box from her maid skirt pocket and handed it to the Duchess:

"Shard, I quite liked the gift you gave me. This is for you."

It was a pull-out paper box, and upon opening it, it was unexpectedly a necktie.

Shard looked surprised at the red-haired witch, who looked at him with a smile:

"Happy Year-End Festival, my knight."

A necktie, though not extremely valuable, is not a gift to be given lightly.