Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Because he had gone to bed so late, by the time Shard woke up from bed again, it was already nine o'clock on Saturday morning. A full six hours of sleep had revitalized him. However, the cat, having only eaten the cat food prepared by Shard before bedtime without getting to drink any goat milk, was quite unhappy with "slothful" Shard. So much so that during the trip to the photo studio to retrieve the pictures taken last time, and then to the post office to send them to Miss Gawder, the cat was completely indifferent to Shard. But as soon as Shard took it into a restaurant, Mia seemed to instantly forget about her displeasure with that morning's breakfast. When Shard brought her to Dr. Schneider's Clinic, the cat returned to its usual self, energetically perching on Shard's shoulder and looking around inquisitively. Despite having gone to bed late the night before, Priest Augustus looked just as spirited as Mia. In contrast, Dr. Schneider appeared to be tired, yawning continuously while waiting for all the group members to arrive. Priest Augustus teased the doctor about his rich nightlife while cleaning his pipe, but the doctor was not out for pleasure: "In a few weeks, I have to attend a psychological academic conference, so I need to write a speech. The demand for psychologists has grown significantly these past years, and the field is flourishing. There are plans to establish an international association of psychologists, and it is rumored that it will be proposed during the conference." Dr. Schneider complained about these matters that interested him very little, then asked Shard why he hadn't rested well. There was nothing that couldn't be talked about regarding the previous night, so Shard and the priest disclosed last night's events before Luviya and Dorothy arrived. The doctor had also heard of the Truth Society and was well aware of their bold research. Learning that members of the organization had shown up in Tobesk caused him particular concern: "It's not common for members of the Truth Society to act alone; they usually work in groups of three to five, gathering materials or conducting experiments. Later, I will inform the Academy, so they can alert the correspondence circle mages in our city to be cautious about their safety." He yawned again, indicating that he really had stayed up late writing his speech the night before. When all five people had arrived, the weekly study group began on time. Shard, who had spent most of the week at Coldwater Port, didn't have anything new to share. Instead, Priest Augustus took the initiative to discuss Coldwater Port. He had obtained a lot of information from the church and was able to describe in detail what had happened there. Although for the mages of Coldwater Port, the summer incident of 1853 could be discussed for many years, for the people of Tobesk, it was just news from afar, so the group's discussion on the matter did not go too deeply. If not for the involvement of the "God Summoner" and the "Blood Spirit School" with them, the priest probably wouldn't have brought it up for others to comment on. Everyone had issues to handle with the Academy. Shard submitted his course paper on "Sealed Space" and applied to borrow a paper that would enhance his perception of time. He then received a new Time Key, personally selected for him by Professor Garcia. The Time Keys provided by the History Academy to investigators were not free, except for the first one, but the fee was very low, almost like a gift. Professor Garcia wrote Shard a lengthy letter, describing how safe the key, corresponding to the year 1784 of the Fifth Era, was. The professor detailed the major historical events of that year in the letter and speculated about the situations Shard might face, hoping that Shard would submit his investigation report as soon as he completed it. Shard read the letter carefully, but he didn't pay much attention to the professor's investigation. What mattered to him was the time corresponding to the key. ``` In the Year 1784 of the Fifth Era, more than seven hundred years had passed since the incident where three children stumbled into Hope Town's "Creator of Innocence" in the year-1068, the boy who sought growth had long since turned to dust, the boy who craved a fairytale had also left behind a complete life's trajectory, and even the witch who longed for power must have departed long ago; and the event in the year-3002, where Miss Feliana and Miss Orland trespassed into the Forest of Thousand Trees' "Blazar Gate," was nearly thirteen centuries away from occurring, and when Shard met those two ladies, they would be no older than forty years old. So, in the Year 1784 of the Fifth Era, Shard had no acquaintances. With this thought, he felt a sense of loss. Aside from Shard, other members of the group also went through the process of book borrowing requests, report submissions, and academic credit inquiries. When Dr. Schneider relayed the news from the Truth Society to the Academy, surprisingly, they even paid him 5 pounds for the information. This was an unexpected joy, and so Shard and Priest Augustus decided to split the money evenly between them. Just as Shard was looking at the Academy's bounties and thinking of taking advantage of the idle half-month before Daknis's arrival in Tobesk to earn some practical credits, new news came from the Academy. The Librarian, Miss Danester, the Red Moon Witch, wanted to see Shard. This time, it was not to send Shard through the perilous method of spatial movement to the Far North's Saint Byrons but to use a projection ritual to project him into the Academy Library. "Could it be that Miss Danester has found the owner of the 'Yellow Moon' Core Spirit Rune? Will we be able to locate Silvermoon Library? Can I search for demonic information from the library?" Shard was initially delighted, then became fearful: "Or, has Miss Danester discovered my dealings with Miss Feliana and thus speculated that I can truly traverse time?" "Shard, what's with that expression, looking like you want to laugh and cry at the same time? Sit down quickly, Miss Danester is already waiting for you." Dr. Schneider urged him on after putting down the Academy's notice, and the others did not seem to sense anything amiss with the situation. The others left the room while Shard placed the cat, which was napping, onto the sofa. He mixed bone powder into a basin of water, stirred clockwise three times, dripped in blood, and submerged the parchment into the bloody water. Once ice-blue flames ignited in the basin, Shard sat down in the chair. The scenery in Dr. Schneider's drawing-room became blurred like an oil painting touched by water. Then the colors reassembled, and the inside of the Academy Library materialized before Shard. Above him was the grand dome, and everything was extremely quiet; candlelight and gas lamps illuminated the surroundings, with the high and low bookshelves encircling the library's round space, where the metal sheen coexisted with the wooden bookshelves. In front of Shard, sitting on a sofa, was Miss Danester, flanked by two students positioned to the east and west for the ritual. After Shard's appearance, the students politely bade farewell to Miss Danester before leaving. "Good afternoon, Miss Danester." ``` Shard greeted the woman respectfully, and by the look on the face of the Thirteen-Ring Sorcerer dressed in a long robe, her mood seemed quite good. "Good afternoon, Mr. Hamilton." The red-haired lady waved at Shard, and a teacup gently flew toward him through the air. It was a cup of black tea, at just the right temperature: "I'm sorry to bother you again, it's still the matter from last time." After the pleasantries, Miss Danester got straight to the point with Shard: "I haven't found the owner of the 'Yellow Moon' Core Spirit Rune, but I did find a Correspondence Circle Mage who owns a 'Guiding Moon' Spirit Rune at Xerxes Higher Medical Academy." The yellow moon itself, in the study of mysticism, epitomizes "guidance," so the "Guiding Moon" is, in a sense, the "Yellow Moon." Shard was pleasantly surprised: "The person is also a Correspondence Circle Mage? So, will he come to Saint Byrons to try it out?" "Of course not, we can't let outsiders know about the affairs of Silvermoon Library." Miss Danester elegantly shook her head, her ear adorned with feather pen-shaped earrings that caught Shard's attention. She continued to Shard: "That's why I need your help. I've used some minor tricks to have that Four Rings Sorcerer sent by Xerxes Higher Medical Academy to the Tobesk Region on business. You need to meet with him, then collect the glimmers of his Core Spirit Rune, and send them to me on parchment for experimental purposes. This is a new idea I came up with after our last meeting. Although it might not reveal the clues in that book, it could still elicit some reactions. To collect the Spiritual Light of a Spirit Rune, you must rely on a special Alchemical Item that I've created. I'll send it to you on your paper when you need it, but remember, this is a secret mission; don't let anyone know what you're doing." "Does this mean that even the 'Guiding Moon' has no idea about this?" Shard sought confirmation. "Yes, it's best if they never find out." Miss Danester nodded: "I won't have you work for nothing. I'll handle this through other channels and offer it to you as a bounty from the Academy. 10 pounds in profit, 10 practice credits, and the privilege to pick my private elective classes later. Besides, if we manage to open up Silvermoon Library, I can make you a promise." "What promise?" Shard asked, curious. "There's an unwritten rule in the library of Saint Byrons Academy; it's best if every generation's librarian is a devotee of the 'moon.' This not only makes it convenient for the successor to use the Arcane Knowledge left by previous librarians but also facilitates the successor in learning the Magic Maze Lock that only those in the librarian position can study. If we succeed in opening Silvermoon Library..." She tapped the back of the sofa with her slender finger, deliberately pausing to ensure Shard paid close attention to what followed: "I will put you on the shortlist for the next librarian. Once you officially enter Saint Byrons and ascend to the High Ring, you can be evaluated for the position." "So how many people are on this list right now?" Shard didn't show much excitement but instead continued to inquire. Miss Danester gave Shard a meaningful smile: "Mr. Hamilton, to be honest, there is not a single one yet, and there won't be for decades. I haven't encountered any suitable students... do you understand?" Shard raised his eyebrows slightly, but his face betrayed no particular expression: "You mean to say... yes, I will complete this commission." If he had not achieved deification before formally entering the Academy, then taking up the position of librarian in Saint Byrons as a High Ring Sorcerer would be very helpful in his continued search for divinity. "There's no need to rush; finishing it in two months will be fine. The 'Guiding Moon' hasn't reached Tobesk yet; after all, they are a student of Xerxes, and discreetly dispatching him is not simple. This time, I'm just notifying you about the matter. When the person reaches your city, I'll give you the details. Mr. Hamilton, this commission is very important, both for you and for me." She hesitated, then added in a very low voice: "As long as you don't expose your identity or reveal anything about Silvermoon Library, you can use any means. Yes, any means to collect the Spiritual Light of the Spirit Rune. I won't mind if you use unconventional methods." Shard looked at her in astonishment, but Miss Danester just held her teacup, displaying a façade as if she had said nothing. He nodded slowly: "I understand it all, Miss Danester, everything for the moon." "Exactly, Mr. Hamilton, everything, for the moon."