Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 483 - Mistake

The warm yellow light illuminated Shard's face, bathing his entire body in its glow. At that moment, Shard could even imagine the light brightening the street, the city, the entire world.

The arrival of nightfall is the fear of all civilizations, but the light of civilization drives away this darkness:

"This is civilization, this is... light. The light of civilization..."

In an instant, faint steam seemed to appear behind him, and within his soul, the Spirit and elements surged wildly:

"No, this won't do!"

But the stirring of this moment calmed down just as quickly, and Shard did not obtain the Enlightenment Spirit Rune.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and when he opened his eyes to exhale, his gaze faintly reflected the bright lights.

Because he had seen more, understood more, and knew more, the Outlander realized that civilization was definitely not so simple. It was also because he was aware of the weight of civilization that he could not simply use this moment's touch to obtain that burdensome Spirit Rune.

"The firelight of civilization ignites at this moment, but civilization is definitely more than just this moment's shine."

Shard closed his eyes again, trying to imprint the tingling sensation of that instant deep into his memory.

He did not regret that he had not condensed the touch of "light" and "civilization" into a Spirit Rune. If he had used civilization here, it would have been too wasteful... He wanted more.

"Oh!"

Unexpectedly, while his eyes were closed, someone bumped into him. Startled, Shard completely broke free from the illusion that he had seen through the entirety of civilization at a glance.

He hurriedly reached out to check his wallet and personal belongings, but everything was still there; it seemed the person truly just bumped into him.

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Standing at the mouth of the alleyway, looking towards the left side of Silver Cross Avenue, it was impossible to discern in the bustling crowd who had just bumped into him.

Shard was about to ask the voice in his mind to confirm the attire of the person who bumped into him when he discovered a crumpled newspaper on the ground at his feet, as if it were trash.

"Was there something here just now?"

With suspicion, he picked up the newspaper from the ground. It was a copy of tonight's Terael River Evening Post. The rest of the paper was normal, but on the edge of the second page, a series of numbers was lightly penciled in.

"That was dropped by the person who bumped into you."

The timely voice sounded in his ear.

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

Shard wondered, looking around for the person who had dropped the newspaper:

"Could it be that the way I meet with Lecia has changed, and this is the new code to connect? But just numbers, without a cipher, it's useless. Besides, it's just a meeting; why make it look like a spy encounter?"

As he thought, suddenly the light dimmed before him, for a four-wheeled carriage had stopped at the alley entrance, blocking the gas streetlamp light from Silver Cross Avenue.

The coachman, who tightened the reins, tipped his hat and pursed his lips at Shard, and Shard saw the magnificent falcon crest on the carriage door. From the decorations on the outside of the crest, it looked like it belonged to some marquis. It seemed the carriage was borrowed by Lecia.

Shard immediately dove into the carriage as Dorothy had instructed, and almost without hesitation, the carriage moved forward again.

"Wait a moment."

Inside the coach, Shard settled onto the cushion beneath him and frowned at the newspaper in his hands:

"If Lecia's carriage arrived on time, then what was this newspaper... just trash? Am I overthinking it?"

Shard then thought of the divination President Stan had performed not long ago:

"My attire just now, it couldn't have been a coincidence that the person who bumped into me mistook me for someone else, right?"

Shard pursed his lips and folded the newspaper, stuffing it into his pocket. Regardless of whether the paper was trash or something else, it was not the focus of tonight.

Tonight was about welcoming Lecia back to Tobesk.

Throughout the journey, the coachman and Shard did not exchange a single word. After leaving Silver Cross Avenue, the carriage first headed east, then turned south, eventually stopping at the entrance to Hummingbird Walk on the edge of the University District and Tobesk Southern District.

After the carriage stopped, Shard quickly alighted. But before he could thank the coachman, the coachman turned the carriage around and headed back the way they came.

"Truly professional."

Shard muttered softly and looked around before walking to his left.

The "Red Flame Restaurant" Dorothy mentioned was on Hummingbird Walk. Shard saw the sign as soon as he got off the carriage. However, as she had asked him to take a couple of turns around the area to kill time, waiting until seven forty before entering the restaurant, Shard didn't head straight there but instead slipped his hands into his pockets, planning to stroll along the walking street.

The nobles of Tobesk usually reside in the southern part of the city, and being close to the University District, the area is quite bustling. Now that night had completely fallen, the shops lining the streets were still open for business.

Shard looked around, spending fifteen minutes walking from one end of the walking street to the other, most of which was spent in a shop specializing in steam pipes where he discussed some issues regarding pipe models with the proprietor.

Seeing that the time was almost right, Shard straightened his clothes and then approached the entrance of the Red Flame Restaurant. It was an upscale establishment, with a doorman at the entrance to welcome guests.

Upon seeing Shard approaching with a rose in hand, the doorman promptly greeted him:

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Hamilton?"

He asked in a hushed voice.

"Yes."

Shard also spoke quietly, as the middle-aged butler in uniform nodded and then led Shard from the first floor to the second, bending to gesture for him to enter as he pushed open the door at the end of the corridor. After Shard entered, the butler carefully closed the door behind him.

However, Lecia Cavendish was not in the room; instead, there were three maids. Shard had not seen two of them before, but the oldest of the middle-aged maids was a familiar face—it was Ms. Hers, whom Shard had met at Sophia's Mansion in Coldwater Port. She was a person highly trusted by Lecia.

"Mr. Hamilton."

Upon seeing Shard enter, Ms. Hers hurried over and whispered:

"I apologize, Her Highness has encountered some issues and may take a while to arrive."

"It's okay, is it a troublesome matter? Do you need my help?"

Shard inquired.

"It concerns Yordle Palace."

She hesitated before continuing:

"His Majesty and Prince Rondale Cavendish are arguing over the matter of the New World Kingdom's Vanguard Legion, so Her Highness is temporarily unable to leave."

"Oh, there's no need to rush. This is important."

Shard said, showing understanding.

The New World's Vanguard Legion was an expedition team organized by the Draleon Kingdom for exploring the New World. It was responsible for mapping, prospecting for minerals, collaborating with scholars and the church to explore Ancient Ruins, and establishing semi-permanent settlements along the coast of the New World to maintain order among adventurers.

It was one of the Kingdom's most important military actions, and some believed that the progress Draleon and Carsonrick made in developing the New World would determine the overall order of the Old Continent for the next five hundred years.

Thus, Shard dined alone that evening. When he finished his meal, Lecia still hadn't arrived, but someone sent a message indicating she needed more time.

Therefore, Shard had no choice but to accompany the three maids to the Opera House, where they waited in a box listening to an opera. Knowing Shard did not appreciate opera as an art form, Lecia had specifically chosen one with a stronger story, "Child of Light." The story told of ancient heroes who carried the light, overcoming fear and darkness to pass on courage and knowledge.

This was a fairly typical example of the old-style knightly opera.

Shard was not particularly interested in opera. Even the elaborately dressed female actors on stage failed to capture his interest. Instead, it was the opera's exploration of the concept of "light" that deeply engaged his thoughts.

After two months of reading "The Mad Light Chaser," Shard had a premonition that the related Enlightenment Spirit Rune was about to emerge. It could be the next moment, or it might be a few days away, but it wouldn't take too long.

"What, exactly, is light?"

This was the question Shard pondered. Unless he was lucky enough to directly receive the "Light" Spirit Rune, his understanding of its conceptual derivatives would influence the Spirit Rune's specific meaning.

"The bane of darkness, bond, the light of civilization, justice... oh, and moonlight, that's something I shouldn't forget."

Thinking about this, Shard went to the restroom in the middle of the performance. Leaving the restroom and walking back to his box, he moved through a corridor adorned with red carpets and portraits of famous singers while listening to a muffled operatic voice. On his way back, he encountered a Miss Maid coming from the opposite direction.

Since the formal maid uniforms generally looked similar, Shard, who was not very knowledgeable about women's clothing, thought her attire was the same as Lecia's maids.

And indeed, the maid had come looking for him:

"Mr. Hamilton, Her Highness sent me to find you."

"Has Lecia arrived?"

Shard felt a surge of happiness inside, yet he remained composed on the outside:

"Alright, let's go back then."

With that, the maid led the way, but as they walked, Shard sensed something amiss; the box he had been in earlier didn't seem to be in this direction:

"Ah, I see, we need to be cautious, so we're changing locations."

He thought to himself. And sure enough, the maid with the soft-spoken voice led him to a third-floor box.

After knocking, they immediately received permission to enter.

Shard straightened his collar before entering.

As he walked in, he saw the red-haired girl and was about to greet her when he realized she was not who he expected. She was indeed a Princess, and indeed a Cavendish, but not Lecia Cavendish; it was Angelina Cavendish.

The sixteen-year-old Princess noticed the astonishment on Shard's face and set down her ivory folding fan:

"Mr. Hamilton, you seem rather surprised to see me."

Dressed in a blue, fluffy long dress, Angelina Cavendish touched her face to ensure there was nothing on it:

"My maid saw you and reported back, so I had them fetch you. I've been looking forward to your attendance at my salon since we last met at the Prophet's Society, but I've received no letter from you. Good evening, Hamilton of Rejed."