Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic
Chapter 1082: Return to Huntington City

Chapter 1082: Chapter 1082: Return to Huntington City

When Shard returned upstairs holding that beautiful ring, Luviya said excitedly to him:

"Oh, I saw that lady from the window! Thirteen Rings! Red Moon Witch! Miss Danester!"

Young women always admired powerful female sorcerers, and Miss Danester’s story and growth were indeed legendary in contemporary times.

"She is leaving Tobesk City too, it seems the ritual location isn’t here, it’s no longer a secret."

Shard said, handing the ring in his hand to Mia, whose tail was already adorned with the "Plague Doctor’s Ring" and "Vampire Ring." The latter sniffed it, showed no interest in alchemical items. Shard wasn’t surprised; he knew Mia liked Relic Rings.

"Looks like it’s really about to start, oh? What are you holding?"

Luviya asked curiously.

"My Year-End Festival gift; last time I gave Miss Danester some ’Water of Moonlight.’

Shard said, and explained to Luviya the significance of the ring. The purple-eyed girl was somewhat surprised by Shard’s relationship with Miss Danester. But considering how he always managed to get along well with all the female sorcerers around him, perhaps it wasn’t that surprising.

"Also, Miss Danester told me, the ’Yellow Moon’ requested by the bard is the Sage-Level Relic ’Source of Chaos.’

Shard frowned slightly, as if he had thought of something:

"A while ago, when I was preparing your Year-End Festival gift, I came across an introduction to that relic."

"You know where that relic is?"

Luviya asked.

Shard nodded:

"That item, if exposed to real moonlight for a long time, can directly cause collective chaotic symptoms. It was only after Miss Danester’s reminder that I realized some things."

He hugged Mia and looked towards the neighboring room No. 2, Luviya also thought of what Shard had mentioned before:

"Your house’s second floor room... the collective suicide incident?"

"It’s possible."

They went together to the empty neighboring room, and Shard directly looked at the wall where the "Prankster Boy" had sprayed ink last time:

"Although the Prankster Boy claimed to like pranks, he also mentioned giving me a gift, perhaps he really gave me a hint."

Shard hugged the cat with one hand and placed his palm on the wall:

"Is there a response?"

[On the first day you opened this room, you did the same, no elemental response (note).]

"Shard, just melt this wall!"

Luviya suggested, so Shard used "Feliana’s Witch Light," and in that golden glow, his hand went through the wall as if heated tongs through ice. But even when Shard’s entire arm was inside the wall, with his fingertips even breaching into Room 1, he touched nothing.

"No."

He shook his head while retracting his arm, restoring the wall with the Breath of Ages:

"That’s right, if it was simply buried inside the wall, the church surely wouldn’t fail to find it. Although the method of hiding the ’Source of Chaos’ isn’t as difficult to uncover as the hidden wall in the basement, it’s certainly not something that can be found by simply breaking a wall."

Luviya looked at the wall:

"But the possibility here is still very high."

"Why? Is your inspiration telling you?"

Shard asked curiously, Luviya smiled:

"Given the strange rumors about this house and the even stranger events that have happened since you moved in, anything is possible here."

Shard couldn’t argue with her reasoning:

"It’s a shame I don’t have any coins right now, otherwise I could tell you the answer directly."

"Even if you had coins, you can’t waste them here."

Shard looked regretfully at the wall:

"The current focus is still the incident in the Pantanal Region. Once that’s resolved, we’ll have plenty of time to ’unearth’ the relic."

"Meow~"

Mia, being held by Shard, was very curious about what he was doing. After all, from the cat’s perspective, it was daytime, and the moon hadn’t even come out yet.

Before departing for Midheathill Castle, Shard activated Miss Danester’s Red Moon Ring, allowing his "Red Moon" Spirit Rune to be bathed in the ring’s glow, but this couldn’t unseal the rune, proving that the power of the circle sorcerer’s alchemical items wasn’t considered ’high-level power of the same origin.’

Disappointed, he went to Midheathill Castle to find Sister Delphine, and then went with her through the mountain’s ruined tower to the White Valley Vineyard.

The "Serpent Heart Hospital" in Huntington City, which began planning in the autumn, was now in a semi-operational state. Although not fully staffed yet, it could already handle birthing.

The "Serpent Heart Hospital" is located in the outskirts of western Huntington City. The nun and Shard entered the hospital together, sitting in the director’s office on the third floor. A servant brought tea, and Shard looked out the window at the suburban scenery:

"It seems it’s snowing here lately too... Nun, the witches said they’ve found a way into the Great Swamp, will you join us?"

"I’ll act with the Church."

The nun sat on the sofa, but Shard knew she was "watching" him.

"The preliminary investigation of the Pantanal Region has yielded some clues. To be precise, the entire Great Swamp Area is part of a seal, and what we call the ’Evil Creatures of Pantanal’ is just the most powerful among the evil objects sealed in the Subspace. There’s too much underground here that we don’t know about."

"Where is the core of the seal located?"

"At the Heart Lake Island in the central area of the Great Swamp, beneath the lighthouse with the Primal Fire Spark at the top. That large lake is called ’Pantanal Lake.’

"Heart Lake Island..."

Shard was very sensitive to this kind of special terrain. After all, since late autumn, he had set foot on countless heart lake islands:

"So it’s probably there."

He sighed:

"Tomorrow, Miss Sylvia and Miss Galina will arrive locally, let’s welcome them together. If possible, I’d like to visit that Heart Lake Island first."

The spark of Primal Fire is part of the seal suppression and cannot be removed indiscriminately. Shard wanted to personally confirm on Heart Lake Island what the central seal was like. Perhaps there would be traces left by predecessors there.

"The Voodoo Society has probably already sealed off the interior of the swamp, so getting in early won’t be easy."

The nun’s words were always so cold:

"The Pantanal Voodoo Society has a method of signing contracts with evil objects to harness their powers. It has been confirmed that when the stars align in a certain position, the seal in the Great Swamp Area will be at its weakest point. They want to take this once-in-a-millennium opportunity to release the evil objects."

"We always encounter once-in-a-millennium, once-in-a-thousand-year events; this is the epic of the Sixth Era."

Shard said by the window:

"But that’s also good; if possible, this time let’s retrieve the Primal Fire Spark as well... Sister, under the premise of recovering the second spark of the split fire, could you defeat the Evil Creatures of Pantanal?"

He turned to ask, and Sister Delphine nodded:

"I myself possess the power of the Chosen by Death. The Evil Creatures of Pantanal are some kind of bizarre plant aggregate, restrained by flames. If we had assistance like the church did during the Battle of Midshire Fort, I’m confident I could burn it down."

This is quite an impressive promise; the Evil Creatures of Pantanal are far stronger than the Amputee Undead born in Milestone.

"But the problem is..."

"The evil objects sealed in the Pantanal Region are not limited to just that one."

Sister Delphine had other matters to handle locally, and since Shard had rarely come back to the area, he naturally wanted to meet with the vampire Mr. Benhart, whom he hadn’t seen in half a month. Perhaps he had new news about the Pantanal Voodoo Society.

Mr. Benhart was at the manor today and was preparing a magic potion when Shard visited. He asked Shard to wait in the reception room for a while and only emerged from the basement after a long time:

"I need to replace my cauldron. This winter’s temperature is lower than expected, and I’ve already burned out two."

He half-complained, dressed casually in a brown wool vest over a white shirt, the affluent Southern Nation’s Viscount didn’t worry about heating costs.

After sitting down, the middle-aged vampire waved the servants away and then smiled at Shard:

"It’s been over half a month, how have you been in Tobesk? Oh, if I’m not mistaken, Princess Margaret is due back here tomorrow. So, have you made any progress with the princess in Tobesk?"

He meant to tease Shard, but didn’t expect to see a conflicted expression on Shard’s face.

The vampire was slightly surprised:

"You aren’t..."

"Just some minor breakthroughs in our relationship... Please don’t tell anyone."

"Even if I did say it, would anyone believe it... How did you manage that... no, don’t answer that. I’m just a bit curious, but please don’t tell me."

Mr. Benhart waved his hand with a laugh, pleased with his friend’s visit:

"But the princess’s visit is coming to a successful end, did you come here to welcome Her Highness tomorrow?"

"It’s for another matter."

Shard pointed west:

"The Pantanal Voodoo Society seems to be planning something big; that’s why I’m here, and a few high-ring friends will come to help. This weekend or early next week, I’ll venture with them into the depths of the Great Swamp."

"That’s quite dangerous; the Pantanal Region has never been a place suitable for human activity."

Mr. Benhart remarked softly, contemplating whether he should go away for a while:

"However, the Pantanal Voodoo Society has indeed caused some commotion in the city lately, they’ve been collecting weapon-type relics extensively. Like the last time we met and mentioned the Aikenora-Arrow of Knowledge."

Mr. Benhart didn’t ask if Shard had obtained that arrow but continued:

"This has something to do with my kind. If you’re interested, you can come out with me later. We might encounter people from the Pantanal Voodoo Society."

"Of course, that’s fine."

Shard nodded:

"I have no plans today anyway... Oh, by the way, my friend has opened the Serpent Heart Hospital locally, yes, you’ve met at the Sin Mansion, it’s Sister Delphine. Mr. Benhart, maybe you could meet again if your schedule allows; perhaps the nun’s hospital might want to purchase red wine from you."

"Serpent Heart Hospital? The Spiritual Practice Order? Shard, you really have quite a wide range of friends."