Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

During their recent conversation, Shard had been thinking, pondering matters concerning witches. In the end, he concluded that he couldn't simply pretend he was unaware; he, at least, had to probe the other party's true stance.

He coughed to catch the attention of the maid, who had already reached the doorway, asking her to wait a moment, then turned to the Duchess behind the desk:

"Miss Galina, there's actually something else I wanted to discuss. I recently came across some curious historical stories at the library in Saint Byrons."

"About what?"

"About... witches."

Out of the corner of his eye, Shard saw the maid, Tifa, standing before the door, completely blocking the entrance. This moment made Shard doubt whether it was right to discuss the matter now, but he prefered to clarify things from the start rather than continue a relationship of mutual suspicion until an inevitable conflict arose.

After all, now protected by Divinity, if anyone truly intended to complicate matters, it certainly wouldn't be Shard who suffered.

"Witches... Detective, what do you want to discuss?"

She looked toward Shard.

"From the books, I learned a common fact about the witches of the Fifth Era... While they gained immense power, they also were stricken with a curse."

The black-haired maid furrowed her brow and looked at Shard, then somewhat helplessly glanced at Miss Galina.

The Duchess, however, maintained a calm expression:

"Is that so? Go on,"

she said quietly.

Shard also looked at the Grand Witch of the Witch Council, gauging her expression as he spoke:

"The witches couldn't bear children and had an indescribable aversion to men; direct physical contact would intensify this aversion dramatically. This could explain why there are no records of the Witch Empresses having any descendants..."

He paused briefly to ensure her demeanor stayed normal, then continued:

"I also learned a little trick; the witches would grasp a man's wrist to determine their true gender."

The person on the sofa and the one behind the desk exchanged looks, with ambiguous meanings in the witch's eyes:

"Indeed that's true, which is why some believe the Council's witches to be 'handkerchief enthusiasts.' It's really just unavoidable for them. So Detective, what are you getting at?"

At this critical moment of the conversation, both sides were gauging the current atmosphere. Shard leaned slightly forward:

"I want to know... Since you can discern gender, and I clearly don't trigger your curse, then... Miss Galina, what exactly do you want from me?"

He asked earnestly, but did not immediately receive an answer.

The room fell quiet, making Shard think that even if Mia suddenly appeared and stepped on the soft carpet, it would make a loud noise.

Just as Shard was entertaining wild thoughts, the red-haired Duchess laughed aloud:

"Seeing your expression just now, I thought you wanted to inquire about something important like the 'Whispering Verses.' Oh, did I mention Whispering Verses? Pretend you didn't hear that. But just this question? It's quite simple, really very simple."

From this response, it was apparent that the conversation had been successful.

Suddenly, the witch rose from her chair, and Shard also stood up. As the Duchess quickly approached, he instinctively dodged, but she effortlessly grabbed his wrist.

In that moment, Shard remained highly alert, ready to employ the powers of his soul and Ring of Fate at any time.

"You are not a woman."

Miss Galina said.

"Of course, the makeup box you asked me to fetch has already proven that, hasn't it? Moreover, my body's physiological reactions and appearance are indeed not those of a woman."

Shard answered, trying to break free his hand as he had done last time, but he couldn't free himself completely. He examined the red-haired woman in front of him, who looked back at him unflinchingly.

The two were very close; this proximity allowed Shard to easily smell the scent of makeup on her.

"You are not a woman, you are a man,"

she said again.

"Of course, didn't your magic potion test that?"

Shard replied, locking gazes with her dark golden eyes:

"Or are you suggesting... you want to verify it in some other way?"

He deliberately spoke in a suggestive manner, hoping to make her let go, but the Duchess didn't care; she just kept staring at Shard's expression:

"Whether I see you from close-up or touch you directly, it doesn't cause me any discomfort. I've investigated your past, and you are indeed human, but you don't conform to the conventional knowledge I have. You are a man; there shouldn't be any doubt about that..."

Her gaze shifted downward but only lingered at a subtle angle for a second before she looked away:

"If you don't mind verifying it in another way, I could help you find some high-class companions."

The maid watching this scene coughed out loud beside them, presumably really choked.

Shard gazed into her eyes:

"Miss Galina, what exactly are you trying to do?"

"Nothing much, just wanting you to stay by my side. This secret is enough for me to know alone."

Seeing her smile up close, he could clearly see the short, fine hairs on her pale skin next to her lipstick-covered lips.

"You want to study me?"

He furrowed his brows.

"Study? No, the generations of powerful Witch Empresses of the Fifth Era researched the curse for an entire era and came up with nothing. I'm much weaker than they are, and I'm not the kind of genius researcher. Why waste time on such matters? Therefore, keeping you by my side, enjoying this secret alone, that is enough. You might understand it as...

I'm collecting you."
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This statement made Shard very uncomfortable.

"Collecting me?"

"That phrase may not be quite right, but you can think of it as, I want to watch the only man the witches can touch grow stronger. It's like watching an ordinary, dirty antique gradually transform into a powerful Relic. This process is a rare joy in life. Helping you is not a difficult thing for me.

Moreover, I'm curious to see if you can discover the reason for your anomaly yourself as you grow stronger, which might be able to help us."

Golden eyes reflecting Shard's figure, Shard believed that his eyes must also be reflecting the woman close at hand. He had thought that this conversation would certainly spark some conflict, but he didn't expect to get such a result. Yet this outcome wasn't bad; the other party had no hidden agenda, and of course, he was happy:

"If it's just that, Miss Galina, I'm pleased to have piqued your interest, and I'm also happy to maintain our... collaborative relationship."

"I'm also very willing to always help you, not only because you are the only man I can touch, but also because I genuinely admire you. Shard Suren Hamilton, it's been a long time since I've met someone as intriguing as you, you're different from anyone else. Of course..."

Her smile once again exhibited a charm that clearly transcended that of normal humans, which was not normal:

"If you could make me happy, I wouldn't mind being with you..."

The maid at the door coughed again, but this time it seemed intentional, a reminder for the Duchess she served to maintain her decorum.

"I still mind, though."

He steadied his heart, relying mainly on the sound of the woman's light laughter near his ear:

"So, everything between us remains the same, only... what does this have to do with you grabbing my wrist?"

She laughed, releasing Shard's hand, but avoided continuing the conversation that would provoke further coughing from the maid:

"I can't guarantee how the other Witches in the Council will treat you, after all, there are quite a few madmen among them. If other Witches come here, I will inform you in advance, and you should not provoke them on your own."

She turned to her maid:

"Tifa, quickly take this curious gentleman to learn some etiquette, we're short on time. On your way back, remember to get some water for yourself; I noticed you've been coughing, it seems like your throat is uncomfortable."

"Please wait, Miss Galina, I still have many things I want to ask."

Before Miss Maid could speak, Shard spoke first, but the recently "enthusiastic" Duchess no longer seemed inclined to continue the conversation. She shook her head regretfully at Shard:

"Next time, Sir Knight, but I will allow you one more question."

"Is she a Witch?"

Shard pointed to Miss Tifa Servet. He actually had many questions, but the key to this question was not about the maid's identity, but about how many true Witches existed in the Witch Council of the Sixth Era today.

The answer to this question could clarify many things for Shard.

The black-haired maid answered him:

"Only the most powerful thirteen Grand Witches in the Council are true Witches. The others, although they possess some of Witch's powers, basically only have powers equivalent to those borrowed from Relics and can only be considered candidates for Witch. After one of the thirteen Grand Witches dies, a candidate may compete for the empty seat in the Council. So, Mr. Hamilton, I am not a Witch."

"So what exactly is going on with me? Why do your Witch's Curse not work on me, and... "

Shard wanted to ask more questions, such as whether the Grand Witch had inherited the Witch's power or truly possessed both supernatural systems of the Fifth Era's "Witch" and the Sixth Era's "Circle Sorcerer."

"One question is over, Detective, see you later. If you still doubt you are a man, go find a prostitute in the alley, and if you find the answer, let me know. If you want to know more secrets, Transmutation Ring, or if you have reached the High Ring."

Miss Galina said with a laugh, and then nodded to her maid, Miss Servet calmly opened the door to the study. Thus, even though Shard confirmed that Grand Witch Miss Galina had no malice towards him, what he considered a "showdown" talk ended too easily.

There was no expected conflict nor any deliberate denial. Galina Cavendish directly acknowledged the facts Shard had learned and left him with even more questions.

But at least it confirmed to Shard that the Witch Council very likely knew the true nature of the transition between the Fifth Era and the Sixth Era, and knew many secrets of the thirteen Witch Empresses. Indeed, they might directly know the true meaning of the "Whispering Verses."

And all this, Shard would come to learn slowly from Miss Galina in the future.

"But at least I've found a direction, instead of letting those secrets come crashing into me."

These were Shard's thoughts as he followed the black-haired maid.

The Duchess had foreseen the need to teach Shard etiquette, so she had also prepared an etiquette teacher in advance, the same person from before the card game.

Probably because Shard was about to receive the title of "Knight", the middle-aged man wearing a white wig and old-fashioned court dress, seemed to behave somewhat differently towards Shard this time.

After the boring lesson, Shard wanted to talk to Miss Galina again, but Maid Tifa asked him to wait on the first floor, as the Duchess had other guests to see.

Shard was unsure whether it was true or false, but since the other party did not want to see him, he did not insist. As he descended the stairs, his mind pondered the attitude he should adopt when interacting with Miss Galina in the future.

His gaze shifted aimlessly from the steps beneath his feet to the floor below when suddenly his steps halted abruptly—he thought he saw Miss Beyas, dressed in a formal gown, flitting through the crowd in the banquet hall on the first floor.

"Hmm?"

His first reaction was not to ponder what she was planning to do but rather to reach into his pocket for the Relic.

Since it was "Sunday evening", which Shard was particularly cautious about, he was concealing almost all his possessions under his seemingly neat formal suit.

He hurried down the stairs, wanting to see what Miss Beyas was actually up to. While he had seen her figure from upstairs, back on the first floor he could only see gentlemen engaged in political discussions and ladies greeting each other and talking about their attire together.

"Did I see wrong?"

He stood amongst the crowd, thinking, then questioned in his mind:

"Did you just sense Miss Beyas's presence?"

[The distance is too far.]

"Alright then, if you spot her later, remember to remind me."

For the next twenty minutes, Shard continued to navigate the banquet hall, wondering if he could spot any other acquaintances, but there was no reason for the other four members of his group to be at such an event.

However, he did encounter Captain Lades, who, with face glowing, grabbed Shard and introduced him to his friends from the military.

The gentlemen in Royal Army uniforms who attended the banquet were all serving military officers. Captain Lades himself was an officer, and his friends naturally also held military ranks. Among them, the oldest-looking man with a brown beard turned out to be an active colonel in Draleon's Royal Army—an extremely notable identity.

Before the King appeared, Shard did not leave Captain Lades's side, instead listening to a group of military men sharing stories from the southern front. Captain Lades, due to the "Captain Eight-Guns" affair, had faced criticism recently but now had an opportunity to return to the front line, and his friends, who had teased him before, stopped bringing up that matter.

From Captain Lades, Shard learned that the young detective was also one of the stars of today's banquet, so naturally, he received a warm welcome from them. After accepting Shard's business card, Shard, curious, inquired these military men, who were most familiar with the front line, about the possibilities of Draleon and Carsonrick erupting into full-scale war again in recent decades.

This was a matter concerning his life. Once a full-scale war started, and peace gave way to conflict, no one would be unaffected.

Under the crystal chandeliers, the officers holding wine glasses exchanged glances. Captain Lades looked at the colonel, who cautiously nodded his head and replied to this question—having stayed too long on the southern front, his accent sounded a bit strange:

"Mr. Hamilton, you shouldn't ask us this question."

His left hand, not holding a wine glass, pointed towards himself:

"The decision is not up to us."

He pointed toward a group of middle-aged gentlemen discussing recent tax policies nearby:

"It's not up to you."

Finally, pointing to a higher floor:

"But them."

Shard understood the implication quite clearly and couldn't help shaking his head. The others showed similar expressions, and then Captain Lades took the initiative to raise his glass:

"To peace."

While the others did not speak, they too raised their glasses to clink with his.

The banquet hall was bustling with lively exchanges. Apart from those who benefitted from it, no one liked war. But most often, the start of a war was not decided by those who detested it.

Shard sincerely hoped that the peace between Draleon and Carsonrick would continue indefinitely, for the epic of the Sixth Era had already begun, and the world was chaotic enough.