Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

The other party didn't even give Shard a chance to refuse; they just pushed the revolver into his hands:

"Sir, if you are not satisfied with this compensation, I'll leave you an address. Captain Lades is currently staying there. You can go to his apartment tomorrow and exchange this gun for more compensation."

Shard couldn't refuse and had to accept the gun. As he looked down at the gun in his hands, his fingers unexpectedly felt the raised, barely noticeable pattern on the surface of the barrel, which he interpreted as the words "Spear of Kindness."

It took him a while to nod, not understanding what was happening with his luck tonight.

He then received the address of Captain Lades, shared a moment with a group of people appreciating the topics of courage and loyalty, and continued searching for Miss Luisa. Of course, he couldn't wear formal attire anymore, but being in a white shirt wasn't particularly disrespectful:

"But what exactly is the purpose of this gun? Does it definitely not hit its mark?"

He wrapped the revolver in his coat, which was missing a sleeve, and continued on his way, thinking. But, since it was a free acquisition, Shard appreciated such cost-free items and planned to inquire at the Saint Byrons Library next Saturday.

Earlier, while Shard was playing Roder Card under the vine trellis in the garden, the host of this summer's outdoor party, who was none other than the younger son of the Earl of Crown, had already made an appearance in the courtyard.

Now that night had fallen deeply, the atmosphere of the party was still pleasant. People gathered in groups of three or five, while young men and women would pair up amid their companions' laughter to stroll to the garden. Even if one didn't like the atmosphere here, one could still stand alone with a wine glass and enjoy the night view.

The Lakeside Manor was indeed too large; Shard walked around and couldn't spot Miss Luisa. But while leaning against a table and gazing at the grand manor house, worried about Dr. Schneider and Priest Augustus, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a girl with golden hair dashing near the stable on the side of the courtyard.

The stable located at a corner of the courtyard was not part of the party venue, thus no candles were lit there, and the gas lamps were off. The area was enveloped in darkness, an unlikely spot for regular guests unless they wanted to engage in some undisturbed, private activities.

Golden-haired girls were not unique to Miss Luisa alone, but Shard thought the silhouette he saw resembled that of the writer, so he followed after, avoiding nearby onlookers.

The manor itself was connected to the Earl's horse grounds, and the stables inside the manor were primarily used for the manor's guest carriages. Once he left the area illuminated by candlelight and gas lamps, darkness enveloped Shard, giving him an uncomfortable feeling of creepiness.

But that feeling quickly dissipated as he was choked by the pungent smell of the stables:

"So that's why the stables are built against the wall, purposely away from the courtyard."

His eyes were almost teary, and as a young Outlander who had never been exposed to stables, he hadn't anticipated this. Listening to the laughter of women in his head, he leaned against the innermost wall of the courtyard, tears blurring his vision, unsure if he should get any closer.

With no lights, the courtyard was already dim and with unstoppable tears, even if someone was standing ten steps away, Shard probably couldn't see them:

"This is terrible; this body seems to have night blindness."

He couldn't help but think, looking towards the distant outdoor banquet area, he could only see a blur of yellow lights. Looking towards the nearby stable, although he didn't believe that a lady like Miss Luisa would approach such a place, he still cautiously took a few steps forward.

Although this body had night blindness, his hearing was quite good. Standing beside the exterior wall of the stable and holding his breath, he then truly heard voices inside—a man and a woman talking, but clearly not Miss Luisa.

Since Shard had come, he wanted to listen to what they were talking about. Of course, it wasn't out of a malicious interest in eavesdropping on a couple's conversation; after all, it wouldn't be a dating spot with such a smell, nor was this a remote place without options. The densely bushed gardens of Lakeside Manor or the boats moored by Lake Schluch were far better 'open-air beds' for lovers.

"Jenny, are you sure 'the Council' really has someone in Tobesk?"

It was a man's voice, sounding roughly the same age as Dr. Schneider. His voice was dull, as if his throat had been injured, and he didn't speak with a Tobesk local accent.

"The Council? Political schemes?"

Shard thought to himself.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Whether it was the northern Draleon Kingdom or the southern United Kingdom of Carsonrick, with the push of the Steam Industry Revolution, they had completely moved away from feudalism and even slavery. The political system here was similar to that of the western countries in Shard's world; although the Royal Family still held absolute power, the nobility had already formed a council.

"Yes, there is definitely a Grand Witch from the 'Witch Council' in Tobesk City, and even the True God Church has not realized this. This is information I almost died obtaining, absolutely..."

Shard didn't continue to listen, instead, he carefully covered his own mouth and left.

The term "Witch" used by Miss Jenny had a specific usage in the Draleon language, solely referring to the female spellcasters of the Fifth Era.

The Fifth Era was the era of the witches, when only women could become spellcasters, and each Witch Empress ruled her own territory. With the mysterious end of the Fifth Era, the most powerful thirteen Witch Empresses all died, and thus the Sixth Era officially began.

Shard had never heard Dr. Schneider and others mention the organization "Witch Council," but he understood that an organization daring enough to name itself in this manner might either be ignorant of everything or genuinely related to the spellcasters of the Fifth Era.

Therefore, Shard decided to slip away immediately. He knew from experience that such matters usually involved great trouble, and the young detective yearned for a peaceful life. Besides, he had a temporary responsibility to take care of Mia, the orange cat at home; he couldn't afford to die carelessly.

"However, such large open-air parties are indeed dangerous, and any type of person might appear."

As Shard returned once more to the long banquet table at Lakeside Manor, he thought to himself, but he did not reach for any food; instead, he cautiously sniffed the sleeve of his shirt, feeling that it too might have picked up the scent of horse manure.

After circling near the manor again, he still found no sign of Miss Luisa. Instead, he had a brief meeting with Viscount Lavende and his party, but Shard did not join their discussion about the card game under the grapevines.

Owing to Priest Augustus's instructions, Shard also dared not easily enter the main house of Lakeside Manor. Therefore, he thought of returning to the garden to try his luck once more.

The night had grown deeper, but only a few of the guests had left. The garden area, much larger than Saint Delan Square, seemed even quieter than when Shard had left it.

He slowed his footsteps a little after entering the garden and did not dare to push aside the bushes or shrubs for fear of disturbing others.

Unintentionally, he found himself back under that same grapevine-covered area, only this time, the stone table, where people had been playing cards, was now occupied by a young poet with a wine glass, weeping. Shard had seen him earlier, before sunset, by the banquet table in the courtyard, where the poet was attempting to make conversation with a young lady who was alone.