Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic
Chapter 904 - 904: Raisins and Darts

The two princesses appeared in the courtyard because Lecia invited Princess Margaret to take a stroll and witness the splendor of the Draleon Kingdom's aristocratic banquet, which was also a way to demonstrate the kingdom's strength.

The princesses were naturally surrounded by young people who gathered for various purposes, but they did not approach while the princesses were talking with Mr. Smith and Baron Fuller.

After the two elderly gentlemen heard that Marquis Da Vinci, the Vice Minister of the Draleon Treasury Department, had arrived, they went together to visit him. Taking advantage of the fact that there were not many people around the princesses, Shard naturally said to Lecia:

"Your Highness, I heard you have a handwritten copy of the 'Summer Night Collection.' My companion, Miss Dorothy Louisa, is very interested in that book. I wonder if you could lend it to us for viewing."

"Of course."

Lecia understood this "code" and was delighted that Shard took the initiative to bring up this matter:

"I just happen to have that book with me, but I can't give it to you just yet. When the time is right, I will send a maid to find you."

She said with a serious expression, and Shard immediately nodded:

"Thank you for your generosity."

This conversation was to make the upcoming invitation less abrupt.

Princess Margaret, standing nearby, heard their conversation and was quite curious:

"A handwritten 'Summer Night Collection'? I've heard of this famous essay collection. Can I have a look too?"

Shard, touching the cat's head on his shoulder, turned his face to the other side. Lecia's expression changed instantly but quickly returned to normal:

"If you're interested, I'll send that book to you tomorrow as a thank you for the bottle of red wine."

After saying this, she glanced at Shard and found him turning his head as if interested in the champagne tower inside the tent. She slightly lifted her skirt with her left hand, revealing her high-heeled shoe in the dark, and lightly kicked Shard when no one was watching. But when Shard looked at Lecia again, Her Highness the Princess acted as if nothing had happened and invited Shard to rejoin the conversation.

Although it was a wedding banquet for a royal princess, neither the Kingdom nor Queen Diana was present; they only attended the wedding ceremony at the Peace Chapel in the afternoon. Therefore, theoretically, the highest-ranking person at the banquet was Duke Galina Cavendish. But Miss Galina was still on the third floor chatting with Miss Sylvia, so apart from the bride and groom, the princes and princesses of the House of Cavendish, along with Margaret Anjou, who had come to the city for a visit, were the true stars of the event.

After the two elderly gentlemen left, Shard hadn't talked much with the two princesses before the local young noblemen and ladies gathered around again.

"Mr. Hamilton, I remember you are Sir Smith's neighbor?"

Lecia feigned curiosity and asked, to which Shard nodded:

"Yes, we both live in Saint Delan Square, not far from Yordle Palace."

"Oh, I've also heard of Saint Delan Square,"

Princess Margaret smiled and said:

"It's said to be one of the most expensive places in all of Tobesk."

"Indeed, Your Highness. There's even a joke about Saint Delan Square."

A voice came from the crowd, and Shard looked over to see a familiar yet unknown gentleman in his twenties, wearing a red coat:

"It's said that the government officials of Tobesk like to retire in Saint Delan Square because only by living there can they possibly avoid continued surveillance by MI6."

"Why is that?"

Someone else asked, and the gentleman in the red coat replied:

"Because the land prices are too high for MI6 to afford a nearby house for long-term surveillance."

People laughed aloud, and Princess Margaret and Lecia both smiled in response.

Everyone enjoyed mocking house prices and land costs, even Shard smiled, but he immediately thought to himself:

"Yes, like my neighbor Mr. Smith, a high-ranking official who knows many of the kingdom's secrets, even after retirement, he should still be monitored. There might be MI6 agents occasionally appearing near his house... Where could they be?"

[Isn't it possible that it's you?]

"She" asked with a soft laugh.

Indeed, the temperature was a bit low tonight, and the princesses wouldn't stay long in the courtyard. But it was quite lively here, with the candles on the tables and the gas lamps in the courtyard making everything seem to glow. At the lively wedding banquet, everyone could find something of interest, and the group didn't linger by the long table for long before it was time to cut the cake.

Mr. and Mrs. Esberg held the silver dinner knife together amidst the cheers of the crowd, symbolically cutting into the five-tier cake, after which servants continued to cut the cake.

Mia, standing on Shard's shoulder, gazed intently at the cake, but for the sake of the cat's health, Shard didn't give it any food. The two princesses accepted Mr. Esberg's kind gesture and each took a small piece of cake, but Shard noticed they merely held the plates and did not eat.

After the cake cutting, an interesting party game was held at the long table in the courtyard.

The one that surprised Shard the most was the "Catch the Devil" game.

First, a shallow bowl was filled with raisins, and after soaking them in brandy, the brandy was lit. The cheerful blue flames quickly illuminated the faces of those around. Participants would take turns reaching into the flames to grab a burning raisin and eat it before their fingers and tongues were burned.

This was a quite dangerous activity, but people seemed accustomed to it and were very joyful. Even when someone got hurt and screamed in pain, it only made the surrounding guests laugh, and others continued to reach for the burning brandy.

Neither Lecia nor Margaret was surprised by this game, indicating it was a staple at wedding banquets.

In the "Catch the Devil" game, the person who could eat the most raisins would win a gilded badge as a prize. Shard was very grateful he only needed to prove "strength, wisdom, and charm" and didn't have to prove his "courage."

Therefore, to avoid looking foolish, he did not join this dangerous yet exciting game and was instead invited to play another game at the table with the princesses.

The outfits of the two princesses clearly indicated that they were not suitable for activities with large movements. The new game in the courtyard didn't require much exercise because it was a dart game.

This was not the common type you'd find in a tavern, where a spiked dart is thrown at a small target in front of a crowd. Instead, it was very creatively designed with a human-shaped target standing as tall as a person, featuring red circles on the forehead, heart, and kidneys on both sides, representing the targets. Apart from these four targets, other parts of the human-shaped target were separated by black dashed lines, with small tasks written in each section. Tasks like reciting poetry or praising the moon had to be carried out if those spots were hit.

Shard truly couldn't understand why people would enjoy such a human-shaped target, but nevertheless, he was invited to join the game.

Because the two princesses were present, Mr. Randolph Iceberg, having finished cutting the cake, did not leave but instead took over as the host of the game from his old butler.

The dart game here would last all night. Guests who wanted to have a go at it only needed to hit any one of the four circles to receive a gilded dart-shaped brooch.

Princess Margaret looked very enthusiastic and discussed with Lecia who among them should go first.

The human-shaped target was set up beside the long table, and it was Lecia who finally stood on the path about five or six steps away on the sideway. Amidst the lively discussions of the crowd, she picked up the dart first:

"I hope my luck is good enough."

Her Highness the Princess said with a smile, then gently threw the dart. It wobbled as it flew toward the target but didn't hit any of the four circles and instead struck the right leg of the target.

On the right leg, in red ink, it read "Praise the Moon," so Lecia genuinely recited a short poem.

Next was Princess Margaret, who performed similarly to Lecia. Although her dart finally stuck firmly into the target, it only pierced the right eye.

She complained with a smile to Lecia that the four red circles were too small, then called for a servant to bring wine, took a gentle sip, as it was required for the "Drink Red Wine" task.

Since the two princesses were here, people who wanted to make a good impression on them also joined in the game. After Princess Margaret, the brother of the groom, an acne-faced Macca Iceberg, was the first to step up.

He also played the game of unpacking gifts on the other side of the long table, sporting a strange headband that looked like an antenna. He practiced with the dart twice, and then suddenly flung it, but the dart didn't even hit the target, instead flying straight into the bushes on the other side, causing the crowd to burst into laughter.

Flushed, young Iceberg stepped down, and Shard came forward. But first, he needed to find someone to take care of his cat, however, the cat preemptively stretched out its front paws towards Lecia from Shard's arms.

Shard almost broke out in a cold sweat at that moment, but fortunately, Lecia praised Mia for being so clever and naturally took the cat.

Feeling relieved, Shard, holding a dart, stepped across the horizontal line on the ground, aimed at the target, and even amidst the bustling noises of the crowd, the voice in his ear was still clear.

[Down a bit.]

Even though his eyes could see the target, he still needed help.

"I wonder if other people's 'another self' can assist with aiming like this?"

Shard thought curiously, his eyes fixed on the target:

"After all, apart from arcane techniques like Sunlight Ray that attack in a straight line, most spirit and energy emission techniques still require aiming."

"She" merely chuckled without answering, and Shard didn't mind. After confirming he'd adjusted his strength, he deftly threw the dart in his hand. With everyone watching, the dart accurately hit the heart of the target, and a smile appeared on Shard's lips. But he didn't step down immediately; instead, he requested another dart and lightly tossed it, hitting the target's forehead.

"Quite impressive."

Lecia, who knew Shard's target for tonight, praised him.

"Mr. Hamilton, are you very good at this game?"

Princess Margaret curiously asked, and Shard nodded:

"Yes, Your Highness, my profession is detective. Due to my job, I have mastered skills such as tracking, boxing, Roder card, and darts."

He spoke softly, thinking that was enough, as saying more might make him seem too boastful. Unexpectedly, Lecia smiled and asked:

"Knight, since you are so good at darts and there are two targets left on the board, how about trying with a blindfold?"

Then she looked at Princess Margaret, who also smiled and nodded:

"Yes, but there's no need for too much pressure. It's just a party game."

"Of course, Your Highness, it would be an honor to perform for you."

Shard said, feeling very thankful that Lecia was so cooperative.

The interest of the crowd was high, and people discussed how Shard and Princess Angelina had just won first place in the horse race.

Mr. Iceberg quickly had a servant bring out a black cloth, and even with his eyes covered, Shard still managed to beautifully hit the remaining two targets on the board with the pointed dart.

As he removed the black blindfold, people around applauded. Lecia, holding Mia, smiled, and Princess Margaret softly praised:

"In Huntington City, I once met a Draleon gentleman who could throw three coins into an empty wine glass while blindfolded; perhaps I should introduce you."

"What's this gentleman's name?"

Shard feigned curiosity and asked.

"Sherlock Holmes."

Princess Margaret said, reaching to touch Mia in Lecia's arms, but the cat blocked her with its paw.

"Sorry, Your Highness."

Shard apologized quickly, then took back the cat. Princess Margaret slightly shook her head but seemed more intrigued by the person in front of her, rumored to be Tobesk's "socialite".