Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

"Shard Hamilton, currently a detective. Good evening, Miss, my respects to you."

Shard considered his words carefully, trying to make his speech more appropriate. It was wise to cooperate in conversation until he understood the other party's purpose. And he genuinely regretted the incident earlier, although it wasn't entirely his fault.

"Let me say it again, don't laugh. I know it was my carelessness, and I will learn from it,"

he said to himself.

"However, I just knew that understanding all languages is definitely not a good thing in this world. I must remember this lesson."

Shard thought, the woman quickly adjusted her mood and continued in a softer tone:

"Detective, it's nothing serious that I called you here so hastily. The Box of Darkness was just an accident, and what I want to know from you is the whereabouts of that statue."

"Sorry, what did you say? Statue?"

Startled internally at the memory of the recent event, Shard expressed confusion in his voice, genuinely believing that he had an excellent talent for acting.

"The statue of blood, or should I say... the statue of the Old God, Vampire Duke Lowell, do you know where it is?"

The woman's voice had regained its composure, as though she were discussing the evening weather with Shard, only her tone had grown chillier, and the pressure was no less than before:

"First Ring Sorcerer, there's no need to lie. The sorcery you used between the first and second floors earlier had such a strong smell of blood.

But you are clean, so I presume you are not a believer of that Old God, nor are you a member of the 'Blood of Mercury' organization holding the statue.

So, as a First Ring Sorcerer... True God Church? No, you don't seem like the believer of a deity... But your method of employment seems quite regular... Magic Academy? Since you were so careless just before, I suspect you might be a newly enrolled Correspondence Circle Mage of some school.

That's even better; Correspondence Circle Mages have no loyalty to the Academy."

She seemed to know a lot about Correspondence Circle Mages but didn't give Shard the opportunity to respond, rather saying softly:

"Actually, that's all irrelevant. I don't care about your identity, nor am I interested in probing whether you have any secrets. Now, Detective, please tell me, where is the statue of the Old God?"

Shard looked toward the slightly ajar door with some surprise, but he understood that he needed to stay calm more than ever:

"Madam, I'm not quite sure what you are referring to. You know I'm only a First Ring..."

Today's Tobesk was also foggy, and there was no way anyone could have seen him with the statue in the alley. He couldn't even fathom how anyone could sniff out the scent of blood from his encounter with the statue. To think, not even the 'Echo of Blood' could detect any trace on him.

This was supposed to be a straightforward commission, and in theory, the release of sorcery could only be perceived up close due to the fluctuations of the Spirit and the congregation of elements. No one had mentioned in the doctor's notebook that someone could accurately sniff out traces of a specific sorcery through two layers of ceiling.

Shard knew he had met someone extraordinary, but at least she wasn't from the 'Blood of Mercury'.

"Could she be a believer of a deity hostile to that blood-stained Old God?"

For the moment, that was his only guess.

"I possess special Spirit Runes, finely attuned to the power of Old Gods, so there's no need to panic. Detective, do I need to emphasize my question again?"

The room seemed to grow colder, and Shard shook his head, knowing that the person behind the door could see him through it, and so he said:

"No, no need. The statue of the Old God, Vampire Duke Lowell... I did indeed come into contact with it, just today."

"That's good to know. Even if you don't wish to disclose the location, I believe I can find out where you've been today. But we could save some time, couldn't we?"

asked the lady behind the door, her voice tinged with pleasure, as she awaited the detective's answer, confident that he wouldn't disappoint her.

Shard furrowed his brows and pondered for a moment:

"Then, madam, may I take this as... your commission for me, to find the statue containing the remnants of an Old God?"

This wasn't him indulging in a role-playing game as a detective; he was seeking clarification, wondering whether she intended to take without giving or to trade. Although he was apologetic about the uncontrollable relic, it didn't mean he was willing to hand over something valuable for nothing.

The situation turned out to be slightly better than Shard thought:

"You may certainly take it as a commission; I have always advocated for fair trade. Moreover, you hold no grudge against me... aside from the incident just now. If possible, I have no issue with conducting a trade. So, Detective, how much do you require for the commission? Please name your price.

And after this transaction, let's consider the incident with the uncontrollable relic as if it never occurred; I won't mind."

The possibility of sudden wealth was right before him; the lady inside did not seem to be joking. The labels of noblewoman and High Ring Sorcerer combined, were sufficient for Shard to imagine just how wealthy she might be.

Shard resisted the allure of money, stopping his mind from imagining counting a stack of coins in his study by the light of the desk lamp, with the gaslight turned off.

He had more pressing matters:

"The statue is in the alley diagonally across from the Silver Parrot Milk Delivery Company, to the right of the entrance is an old bookstore. At the end of the alley, in the dead space between the pipes and the wall, that's where the statue is hidden, but you need Spell Words, incanting a six-syllable spell to make the statue appear. This is my sincerity; I don't want money..."

Not wanting money was, of course, a lie but could also be considered the truth. As for revealing such crucial information so soon, it was a tactic; Shard believed she could find the location by tracking his movements, so revealing it early could play in his favor:

"I wish to trade the location and the incantation needed to reveal the statue for a power that I can use. It doesn't need to be an equivalent exchange; as long as I can use it, that will suffice."

The statue was certainly a lost cause, especially since Shard had no intention of holding onto such a dangerous item, nor did he have the capacity to take it with him. Therefore, a suitable compromise for greater benefit was the best strategy.

The lady behind the door got it right; trading the statue to the Academy or to her made no difference. Shard remembered the oft-repeated words of Doctor and Miss Writer—they were merely correspondence students, with no specific ties to the Academy.

Thus, he wouldn't consider trading the statue to someone else as a betrayal of the Academy. Besides, Shard wanted to make up for the incident with the relic a little, and it was beneficial for future dealings to be at a slight loss in a negotiation with someone reasonable and powerful.