Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 430: Sanctuary 13

"Right, this is truly remarkable. Although this book is dangerous and could potentially cause loss of control if read excessively, disassembling several chapters to compile a new book that might allow Circle Sorcerers to obtain Spirit Runes is entirely feasible. Look, here is the story of ancient mermaids, the ancient wars between mermaids and mermen, the merging and antagonizing of the three main beliefs at Coldwater Port..." Find more adventures on novelbuddy

The old man flipped through the pages casually, every page seeming to bring him new insights:

"Thus, my 'Coldwater Port Tri-Mystic Examination' can finally be completed with the last part."

A smile appeared on his face, then he looked up at Shard:

"As I said before, all material gains are yours to keep, while the intellectual ones we share. This one you've brought..."

He patted the book:

"Is worth much more than the information I provided to you. I shall take ownership of this book, and you can make additional requests, as the Guiding Light Hermitage won't take advantage of you."

Shard thought for a moment:

"Mr. Edmund, I would like to be able to consult this book whenever I need to."

The old man nodded:

"That's a reasonable request; you can come at any time."

He said:

"Additionally, I also need the knowledge from this book, hence I would like to receive the valuable notes you compile from it. Of course, I will also assist you in translating its contents, as I've learned some aquatic species' languages from a friend."

Confronted with "Desire," Shard was compelled to peruse the book. Under normal circumstances, he would not look at a book that chronicled secrets of the Evil God, especially since this book lacked both a table of contents and summaries; he would not know when he would find what he needed if he searched on his own.

"That's simple enough, but you have to come here yourself; I won't bother sending letters to Tobesk."

Mr. Edmund nodded again.

"For now, those are my only requests. If you feel like you've gained the upper hand, perhaps you could give me a discount the next time I shop here."

Shard, holding a cat, said this, as Mr. Edmund's cat now lay at Shard's feet, which greatly displeased Mia.

"Trading with you is much better than trading with John. If it were him, he wouldn't let me go without squeezing every last bit of value from this book."

The old man said with a laugh, just as the kettle on the stove began to whistle. He stood up to get the hot water and poured Shard a cup of tea.

"By the way, Mr. Edmund, is it now the Sixth Era?"

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Shard asked again.

"Of course it is, what kind of question is that?"

The old man asked back in surprise, while Shard just shook his head;

"I had a bit of an issue recently that caused some confusion in my sense of time."

"That could be a precursor to losing control."

Mr. Edmund cautioned, and Shard nodded without further explanation:

"Additionally, I wanted to inquire about something. I remember you mentioned that there was a rumor, that a Level 0 Relic appeared in Coldwater Port in modern times?"

He did not directly mention the name "Desire."

"Yes, but I also don't know much about it. I settled in Coldwater Port only thirty years ago, and there were rumors among the local Circle Sorcerers even then, but no one could provide proof. Later, the rumors died down, and now, there are probably few who still remember it."

Shard nodded; just before coming to the lighthouse, he had swum to the underground chamber at Aphrola Manor. Unsurprisingly, just like the Witch had said last night, there was nothing left in the chamber. The Level 0 Relic had broken free from its seal and could now be anywhere.

He suddenly asked:

"So, are all Level 0 Relics dangerous?"

Mr. Edmund considered for a moment:

"Not necessarily dangerous, but definitely mysterious. Most Level 0 Relics possess the ability to directly cause Circle Sorcerers to lose control, so records about them are very scarce, and the Church and the Three Major Academies strictly control information about them."

Shard nodded and said no more. The entity that called itself "Desire" had been remarkably helpful to him, but he had no desire to encounter it again.

He planned to inform the local church about this matter later, signing as "God Summoner," even though the local district wouldn't be able to catch the entity, but at least it would alert the church that a troublesome Level 0 Relic was active once again in the material world.

This was, in a way, Shard's modest contribution to world peace and stability.

Shard did hope that one day, he might find information about "Desire" in the Saint Byrons Library, but even if his relationship with Miss Danester was friendly, the librarian would not grant a low ring sorcerer access to information about Level 0 Relics.

Mr. Edmund invited Shard to stay for lunch, which consisted of the fish he had caught. Since there was still plenty of time before Miss Galina expected him, Shard agreed to the invitation.

They processed the fish together and set up a grill outside the lighthouse. During the meal, Shard also shared a bone-picked piece of fish with Mia, and the cat ate happily.

As Shard prepared to bid farewell and leave, smiling that he might come to bother them from time to time, the old man suddenly asked:

"Are you interested in joining the Guiding Light Hermitage?"

From his expression, Mr. Edmund was not joking.

"This... would I need to shoulder any responsibilities?"

"Many responsibilities, the responsibility of carrying on civilization."

The old man's expression was serious, and Shard shook his head:

"If you have any tasks for me, you can entrust them to me, but carrying civilization is indeed too burdensome. I know you are involved in collecting information about civilizations, storing, safeguarding, and passing it on; I admire you, but I don't have the time right now. Ten years, in ten years, Mr. Edmund, if I'm not dead, even if I go to Saint Byrons to teach, then you can invite me again, and I will likely accept."

Far from being disappointed, the old man actually smiled:

"Besides the responsibilities you mentioned, we actually have much more to do, such as investigating and maintaining ancient seals, like the churches and academies, sheltering and managing relics, even since the year 1306 of the Sixth Era, we have been searching for the thirteen sanctuaries left by the Ancient Gods. The hermit society believes that these are the final protections prepared by the Ancient Gods for the lives of the world on the day of its end... so, we shall set it then, I'll write to you in ten years."

Shard was stunned; this was the first time he had heard of the thirteen sanctuaries. Recalling the parchment he saw behind the hidden wall in his own basement, it wasn't difficult to conjecture that the hermit society deemed the space behind the White Mist Gate left by the Thirteen Ancient Gods as sanctuaries.

"Sanctuaries?"

"I can't tell you this, even if you agree to join the hermit society immediately, it would still take at least ten years for you to gradually come into contact with these secrets."

The old man said, and Shard shook his head regretfully:

"Then it is settled, I look forward to your letter in ten years."

Holding the cat that began to feel sleepy after eating, he waved to the old man who watched the lighthouse alone, preparing to return home. Mr. Edmund stood under the lighthouse, watching his figure disappear into the distance, and couldn't help but sigh:

"As the light of civilization is about to extinguish, and more rumors about the world's end surface, will we who carry the last flame of heritage gain a new companion?"

(Mia is running...)

First going to the entrance of the Nature Chapel, Shard sought someone's help to deliver a letter labeled Level 0 Relic "Desire" to the church's priest. Afterward, he went to the Seven Brooms Tavern to inquire about selling coin-type relics, and knowing there was no use staying in Coldwater Port after hearing the disappointing news, he returned home to bathe before meeting the Witch.

Lecia was expected to return to Tobesk in about a week, so Shard did not need to stay long in Coldwater Port, and Dorothy didn't need to visit often to take care of the cat. However, the blonde girl was very interested in the detective records in the study and would occasionally come to disturb him in the future, so although Dorothy was not seen today, there would be plenty of time to meet her at Saint Delan Square later.

Miss Galina's carriage arrived on time at two o'clock in the afternoon downstairs, and naturally, it was Miss Tifa Servet, the maid, who came to pick up Shard.

When she saw Shard holding this morning's newspaper, and the carriage slowly started, she leaned slightly to look at the content of the newspaper:

"Is that 'Steam Bird Daily'?"

"Yes, I am reading a serialized novel by a friend."

Shard flipped through the newspaper and showed her the section of Dorothy's "Hamilton Detective Stories":

"You may not have heard of it; this is..."

"I have heard of it; it's currently the most popular detective story."

Miss Maid's comment surprised Shard, as Dorothy's novel had only been serialized for a week, and he did not expect it to gain attention so quickly.

"'Steam Bird Daily' already has significant circulation, and the newspaper specifically made a good space available for this detective story. Plus, the story itself is quite good... Is this written based on you?"

Miss Maid was curious.

"Yes, but the adaptation is extensive."

Shard reopened the newspaper, curious to see how Dorothy managed to depict that half-century of enmity without describing mysticism or ghosts:

"I thought people were still keen on ancient knight novels or contemporary court novels. Detective stories depicting contemporary life might not be accepted so quickly."

"It's not that people won't accept them, but that there aren't good stories to attract them. Most people's lives are quite dull, it's natural to seek some fun in stories."

The black-haired maid said with a smile, and Shard nodded. But for him, his life was much more interesting than the detective stories in the newspaper.

"Speaking of which... um... is Miss Galina angry?"

Hiding his face behind the newspaper, Shard finally asked the question he had been eager to ask.

"Angry? Sir, what did you do to make Miss angry?"

Shard stole a glance, and Miss Maid was smiling knowingly. She was not ignorant, but knowingly asking.