Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic
Chapter 1066: Each Their Own Invitation

Chapter 1066: Chapter 1066: Each Their Own Invitation

Sir Lakin Prisia and Princess Margaret arrived promptly at three o’clock in the afternoon.

Miss Danester used Arcane Technique to alter her appearance and greeted the two alongside Shard. She appeared as Shard’s friend and explained that she needed three moonlight auras through a simple lie.

With Princess Margaret’s guarantee and the decent relations between Sir Prisia and Shard, the gentleman agreed directly.

The following matters became much simpler, with Princess Margaret holding Mia behind Shard, the three seated on different sofas, and the secret-laden Black Book of the Silvermoon Library placed on the central coffee table.

As Miss Danester first displayed the Core Spirit Rune of the Red Moon, both Shard and Sir Prisia revealed their spiritual light. The three only showed their Core Spirit Runes, not the complete Rings of Fate, so neither the knight nor the princess noticed the exact level of Shard’s "friend".

Three brass-colored spiritual lights illuminated the open, blank pages of the black book. Under the lights of the three, faint ink stains gradually appeared on the blank pages, connecting complex blurry runes, which then slowly became clear.

Just when Shard thought they were about to succeed, and Miss Danester’s face showed a smile, the process of the blurry ink becoming clear suddenly halted.

"Hmm?"

The ink indeed became much clearer with the addition of Sir Prisia’s light compared to the illumination by Shard and Miss Danester, but still not clear enough for anyone to decipher the book’s contents.

In other words, the Guiding Moon, though having an effect, is still insufficient to represent the true Yellow Moon. To learn the book’s contents, the Core Spirit Rune of the Yellow Moon is still needed, along with the Red Moon and Silvermoon shining together.

The librarian’s face showed a startled expression. After a few seconds of silence, waiting to see if anything else would happen, she lightly sighed and accepted reality.

The Thirteen Rings Sorceress quickly adjusted her mood:

"Looks like we failed. Indeed, such high-level alchemical items are beyond my reach as Six Rings Warlock. Thank you for your help; it seems I’ve wasted everyone’s time."

She shook her head in disappointment but still paid Sir Prisia the reward.

"Shard, I’ll be leaving first; this matter has hit me quite hard."

Saying this, she stood up, and since Sir Prisia and Her Highness had things to discuss with Shard, Shard rose to escort Miss Danester downstairs first.

The disappointment expressed in Miss Danester’s words was definitely genuine. She maintained immense patience for this day’s action, waiting for a full three months but ultimately yielded nothing. Fortunately, it wasn’t her first time failing to explore the Black Book’s contents; she did not forget to thank Shard for his help in the downstairs foyer:

"I can accept this outcome... I think I’ll need to go back and carefully plan before contacting you with a next step idea."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath:

"Once I have a new idea, I will contact you again. It’s been hard on you during this time."

"Please wait a moment, Miss Danester."

Shard called out to the lady and motioned to the upstairs:

"Please come by again around eight tonight; I might have some ideas."

He hesitated for a moment:

"Yes, perhaps we can use other methods rather than solely relying on Core Spirit Runes. However, I need some preparation first."

"You have a way... no problem. After all, the Academy sent me to Tobesk, and I can’t leave immediately. I hope your method is useful."

Though she said so, Miss Danester didn’t seem very hopeful:

"Then see you tonight. Speaking of which, this visit, I didn’t bring you any gifts."

After bidding Shard farewell, she opened the door and walked out, vanishing directly into the air, as if the pedestrians in Saint Delan Square hadn’t witnessed this scene.

When Shard returned to the second floor with Mia, Princess Margaret and Sir Prisia showed expressions indicating they had matters to discuss with Shard.

Of course, ladies first, so Margaret spoke in the hallway with Shard about things:

"I’ll be departing next Wednesday."

She stood in the hallway looking at Shard:

"I hope you’ll attend the banquet on Tuesday evening."

"Leaving so soon? Got it, I’ll attend the banquet."

Shard nodded, and the princess touched the cat held in Shard’s arms and bit her lip:

"Then do you have anything to say to me?"

"Well... Bon voyage?"

Shard blinked, and before the blonde girl opposite him showed a gloomy expression, he smiled and said:

"Hope you enjoy this visit to Tobesk. Margaret, I’m glad to have met you in this world."

He took the princess’s soft white hand and gently kissed the back of her hand.

"Knight, the hand-kissing courtesy should be on the finger back."

The princess softly reminded, withdrawing her hand from Shard’s grasp, her eyes meeting his:

"I’m also very glad to have met you, truly, very glad..."

For a moment, Shard thought she would reach out to embrace him, but she didn’t:

"Regarding the sorceress living alone, if no findings emerge, then do not investigate further."

After a pause, she continued:

"Tuesday evening, I hope you’ll definitely be there."

"Yes, definitely."

Shard nodded, then escorted the princess downstairs where her carriage was waiting for her. Looking back at Shard from the carriage, the emotions in Margaret’s eyes felt as though they couldn’t be captured on a single sheet of paper.

[Sins profound...]

"A man steeped in sin, I know."

Shard responded to "her" in his heart, standing on his steps, watching the princess’s carriage depart.

Regarding Sir Lakin Prisia, Shard’s thoughts were indeed complex. He wasn’t as thoroughly bad as Ivan Daknis, nor did he have the outright wrong ideas like Joey Barton, but neither was he as purely good as Iluna.

He certainly wasn’t a good person, but he wasn’t completely bad either. While such people make up the majority of the world, it also means Luviya still hasn’t decided on the right attitude to take towards him.

When he returned to the second floor with the cat, Sir Prisia was standing by the fireplace, looking up at the knight’s ceremonial sword Shard had hung on the wall.

Upon seeing Shard, he smiled and said,

"When Her Highness mentioned that you were also a Circle Sorcerer, I was truly surprised."

"Let’s reintroduce ourselves, Saint Byrons, Four Rings."

Shard extended his hand to the knight, their hands clasped together:

"Xerxes, Five Rings."

Sir Prisia introduced himself. Shard gestured for him to sit down, but the knight shook his head:

"No need to sit, I’m leaving soon. In fact, I have some matters I’d like to ask your help with."

"Please, go ahead."

"Next Wednesday, I’ll be returning to Carsonrick with the visiting group. But before that, I have some unfinished business in this city concerning... a relic. It’s a Scribe Level (Level 4) book that is still uncontained. My friends here are currently busy entertaining guests from the south..."

Shard interpreted this as the local Circle Sorcerers from the Apna Library being busy collaborating with the Pantanal Voodoo Society.

"So it’s hard for me to find suitable help. Knight, are you free on Monday? I’d like to invite you to help me contain that book. The book will be mine, and I’ll pay you a reward."

To act together with Sir Prisia and have the chance to talk with him seemed like a great opportunity to Shard:

"Of course, no problem. Should I bring other friends along? I have many friends around here."

He wanted to invite Luviya.

"Just the two of us will be sufficient, Your Highness has praised you, saying you’re truly reliable."

The gentleman from the southern nation smiled and said,

"Mr. Hamilton, it seems the relationship between you and Her Highness is quite good?"

"Well..."

"It’s alright, you don’t have to answer me."

The knight shook his head, but his gaze was earnest:

"Though we’re only distant relatives, I’ve known Her Highness since she was a child and later she became a Circle Sorcerer in the same group. She’s a wonderful young lady, princesses need to have a calm demeanor to protect themselves in the court life. But I know her psychological age is far below... I shouldn’t mention a lady’s age."

He was ready to take his leave:

"I don’t like to comment on others’ lives, but Knight, if Her Highness truly likes you, regardless of your own feelings, please, at least don’t hurt her."

Shard escorted the knight downstairs, also standing at the door to see him off. Sir Prisia had other matters nearby, so he didn’t take a carriage.

"So, does this make him a good person or a bad person?"

[You yourself have said there’s no absolute good or bad person.]

"She" reminded softly.

Shard nodded:

"On Monday, I can talk more in depth with him during the relic containment."

He was about to close the door when he noticed a girl with purple eyes walking towards him, wrapped in a beautiful red scarf against the winter sunset, coming from the opposite direction of Lakin Prisia.

"Was that just Lakin Prisia?"

With her back to the sunset, those purple eyes seemed to slightly glow. Although Luviya’s appearance couldn’t match those unique witches, the charm of those eyes surpassed any witch’s.

"Yes."

Seeing Luviya, Shard inexplicably felt much more relaxed. He crossed his arms and leaned against his own door frame. Luviya eyed his pose, and upon climbing the steps, playfully poked his chin:

"Oh, handsome young man, care to join me for dinner?"

"Of course."

Shard replied with a smile, inviting Luviya inside.