Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 342 The Second Chosen One

"Speechwriter? I wrote it myself."

Upon hearing Shard’s request, Priest Augustus pointed to himself and asked with a puzzled tone:

"Is there an issue with the speech?"

"No, there’s no issue, it’s just... Priest, are you good at writing such things?"

Shard inquired further, and Priest Augustus nodded with a hint of pride:

"I’ve been in the church since my twenties, and most of that time I’ve been responsible for similar clerical work, writing speeches and public documents my whole life."

Shard looked at the elderly man in front of him with great admiration, thinking him even more talented than Dorothy, who often polished reports.

After the speech concluded, Shard’s work in the church was essentially complete. Bishop Owen took time out of his busy schedule to meet him, and not only did he give Shard 20 pounds for his speech, but he also encouraged him to visit the church often, suggesting the bishop thought this outlander had the potential to be a deeply devoted believer.

Rejed’s Hamilton joined Bishop Owen for an interview in the bishop’s office for the Tobesk Morning Newspaper. The old camera’s magnesium flash was bright, and the questions asked were all prepared in advance. Shard maintained a smile throughout, mostly letting Bishop Owen do the talking, needing only to praise the church’s arrangement for the day.

This money was embarrassingly easy to earn.

After the interview ended, Priest Augustus also presented Shard with the church donation vouchers he planned on getting reimbursed for in August.

By this time, it was already evening, and after a busy afternoon, Shard finally had the time to take his cat for a stroll around the celebration square.

The well-fed Mia honestly stayed by Shard’s side all afternoon. During the events, she quietly laid on Shard’s lap, either feigning sleep or fixated on her own tail. When Shard gave his speech, she lay beside the water cup near his right hand, so much so that once when reaching for the cup, Shard almost picked up the cat instead.

The cat, who was nervous about the unfamiliar festive surroundings at noon, was now almost fully acclimated. So, after saying goodbye to Bishop Owen, Shard thought of taking the cat outside for a look.

But they had scarcely left the bishop’s office with Priest Augustus when a tall middle-aged priest hurried over:

"Mr. Hamilton! Someone is looking for you."

"Do not run inside the church."

Priest Augustus spoke sternly to the priest, who apologized softly and mentioned that those outside looking for Shard were from Duchess Galina Cavendish’s retinue.

"Have you got another business to attend to?"

The priest asked with interest, and Shard himself did not know why the other party was seeking him. However, based on past experiences, whenever Miss Galina sought him out, it was surely for something important.

"Then I shall take my leave, priest. Please say goodbye to Bishop Owen for me."

"Let me see you out."

Saying this, the two bid farewell to the priest and walked out along the corridor. After rounding a corner and ensuring no one was behind them, the priest whispered to Shard:

"I remember you’re still 15 credits short; if you’re free this Thursday, come with me to a place. There’s a fifty-fifty chance it’s an evil spirit, or a relic that’s gotten out of control."

"Oh? Priest, will others be going with us?"

Shard whispered back.

He would certainly accept the invitation. Though he hoped Iluna from Tobesk would soon bring him new matters to tackle, he would not pass up an opportunity to handle a situation here if Priest Augustus had a problem needing resolution.

"Just the two of us. Two Second Ring Sorcerers should be enough, and we both know how to perform exorcism."

Priest Augustus explained. Just then, two young priests carrying documents passed by. Augustus paused to greet them and asked about the distribution of the promotional leaflets.

"Priest, I need to go to the train station to pick someone up on Thursday morning."

This was in reference to Iluna, who had been away for over a week from the Sun Church Papacy.

"How about we meet at the church entrance at ten?"

"No, not at the church. I’ll come to your place at ten on Thursday morning."

The priest suggested, then patted Shard on the shoulder:

"If it really is a relic that’s gotten out of control, you can take all the credit for it. I’ve calculated that the mercury vial you mentioned is worth about 4 or 5 credits, and if the problem this time is indeed a relic out of control, submitting a report and the dangerous relic would be worth at least 9 credits, which should be nearly enough for you."

Doctor managed only five credits for procuring a Keeper of Secrets Level Relic, a Forged Philosopher’s Stone, because the Academy had provided a lot of clues. Besides the credits, there was a private reward from the professor who posted the task. More importantly, the doctor only handed over the relic, whereas Shard might provide a containment report that could serve as a reference for future generations.

"Priest, how should I thank you?"

Shard felt a bit embarrassed.

"No need for thanks. It’s just a minor thing, and it might not even be a relic. If they had a chance, Doctor and the others would help you too. Remember our arrangement for Thursday; we’ll meet promptly at ten in Saint Delan Square. Also, I’ll bring you the Holy Prayer Day memento and the magic potion you asked me to appraise on Thursday."

"No problem, priest."

After leaving the church and bidding farewell to the priest at the top of the steps, Shard could easily spot Miss Galina’s carriage parked at the edge of the square.

Holding the cat, he hurried through the vendors in the square, glanced at the Divinity Academy students standing on stools and speaking loudly in hats, and passed a stall selling glittering souvenirs where the cat in his arms meowed, wanting to check it out, but Shard didn’t stop.

Upon approaching the carriage, he was immediately stopped by the police, but with a word from the coachman, Shard was allowed to approach the carriage.

The door on the side of the carriage was pushed open, and he bowed his head to enter. He had expected to see Miss Maid Tifa Servet inside, but was surprised to find both Miss Maid and Miss Galina present.

After more than a week, Duchess Galina, who had been injured during the Godfall event, seemed to have fully recovered. Holding a teacup, she greeted Shard with a smile, then asked him to sit down and talk.

The carriage slowly started moving, leaving Dawn Square, with bustling voices outside. Though only believers attended the celebration near the church, the excitement of the festival could not affect the entire city, but this was still the most lively event Shard had witnessed in this world.

"Good afternoon, detective."

The perfume known as "Witch’s Scent" filled the carriage with its strong aroma.

"Good afternoon, Miss Galina."

Shard replied, then asked with a puzzled look,

"Where are we going?"

"To take you home."

"Hmm?"

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"It just so happened that I was going to Yordle Palace today, and it occurred to me on the way back that there were some things I wanted to talk to you about. Knowing you would attend Holy Prayer Day, I came directly here to find you. Did I interrupt your holiday mood?"

She asked with a smile, while the Miss Maid quietly poured tea for Shard:

"No, you didn’t interrupt. I was planning to go home later anyway, as there are things for me to do tonight."

"That’s good. This time it’s not a mission, there are two important matters I need to discuss with you."

She looked at the black-haired maid, who carefully took an iron triangular object out of her pocket and dropped it on the floor, likely something similar to a "Silence Charm."

"First off, it’s been confirmed that the ’Whispering Verses’ are completely accurate. After the appearance of the first Chosen One, other witches from the Council have been more active recently. These people used to prefer staying at one place... So, Detective, you’d better not leave Tobesk casually. Not every witch is as friendly as I am."

Miss Galina warned.

"Yes, I understand."

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Shard nodded and asked,

"What’s the second matter?"

"There’s news about the second Chosen One."

"Hmm?"

The surprise on Shard’s face was akin to someone discovering Mia catching a mouse. Although it was a common occurrence, it was also uncommon.

"The True God Church, the Magic Academy, the Circle Sorcerers including the Council and other organizations, clashed fiercely in a Fifth Era Ruin newly unearthed in the New World, fighting over stone tablets inscribed with the contents of the ’Whispering Verses.’ I don’t know who ended up with the tablet, but almost everyone is now aware of the content on it. It’s likely to spread across the world within a few days."

Despite touching upon such an important topic, the red-haired Duchess spoke in a relaxed tone:

"Don’t worry, this time it has nothing to do with us. The tablet does not directly reveal the identity of the Chosen One, but narrows down a range."

"What exactly did it say?"

Shard hurriedly inquired, which made Miss Galina slightly puzzled:

"Are you very interested in the Chosen One? Oh, young sir, such impatience is hardly how to curry favor with the ladies."

She teased, and the Miss Maid also showed a smile.

"The tablet says that before Darkness Descends, The Chosen will encounter danger at sea. It is toward the direction of the setting sun, the seaport of the Old Continent’s olden days, and they will escape from the pirates on the ocean."

The "they" used here is a gender-neutral pronoun, denoting an uncertain gender.

Shard’s face tightened, his mouth involuntarily clamped shut as he thought of something:

"Hmm..."

"It’s quite a clear instruction. It probably means that before the true awakening of the Chosen One, they will encounter danger on the West Coast of the Old Continent. The danger involves pirates, but since it’s worthy of being mentioned in the ’Whispering Verses,’ these so-called pirates cannot be just any ordinary pirates."

"Hmm..."

Miss Galina summarized:

"Starting from the appearance of the first Chosen One six months ago until now, there must be one amongst the survivors of pirate-related incidents on the West Coast of the Old Continent who is the second Chosen One."

As she spoke, she nodded her head, and the Miss Maid said:

"The prophecies of the Witch Empresses are truly precise, predicting events thousands of years later with such accuracy."

Only Shard remained silent, holding the cat and keeping his mouth shut, with no one knowing what he was thinking.

There were more than a dozen Circle Sorcerers on the cruise ship the day before, and most people were still alive when they jumped ship to escape.

Now he finally understood why the cruise ship happened to encounter a Sage Level Relic. If he wasn’t mistaken, the ship the witches were referring to was likely the one they were on. The encounter with the Relic occurred because there was an unfully awakened Chosen One on the cruise ship.

But on second thought, the coastline of the West Coast of the Old Continent stretches so long, from south to north. Incidents related to pirates couldn’t only be happening this one time; perhaps Shard’s guess was not true.

"You should know that the ancient organizations have more or less obtained pieces of the ’Whispering Verses.’ Now that such important information has surfaced, combined with the clues in their own hands, the Church and the Academy have started comprehensive searches, and the Council is also acting in the shadows. I think, within a few days, it will be ascertained from which incident the Chosen One survived. The witches of the Council will rush there for investigation, much like how I came to Tobesk."

Miss Galina said again, and finally, Shard who was holding the cat spoke,

"In just a few days? Won’t that require a large-scale search? I thought it would take months."

The witch smiled slightly:

"Shard, although the world is dangerous, at least the civilized world is somewhat safer. The deep ocean is rife with bizarre incidents, but areas close to the coastline are relatively peaceful, or the kingdom’s nearshore fisheries would have long since collapsed. Counting from half a year ago, how many incidents do you think could have occurred near the shore? No, not many, actually. What’s more, the time period should not even begin half a year ago, but a few months ago, as the ’Whispering Verses’ points out the time ’just before the awakening.’

"Although the time span isn’t large, the West Coast of the Old Continent stretches quite long."

Shard murmured softly. Miss Galina shook her head once more and spoke in a teaching tone:

"Incidents involving pirates, you can imagine, definitely are not just about a static object. The Level of the relics from such events mostly exceeds that of a Keeper of Secrets. Think about it, Shard, what are the chances of incidents above the Keeper of Secrets Level happening? And consider, most such events occur far from the coast in the deep sea; how many could there possibly be near the coastline?"