Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

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"Detective, by sharing my identity with you, I have come to regard you as one of my people. Do you understand? I will provide you with appropriate shelter and assistance, and what you need to do is work for me. Of course, for the time being, it's just playing cards for me, after all... you can't do anything else."

It was a fair trade.

"Of course, madam, it is my honor. I look forward to our next collaboration,"

Shard replied with the etiquette he had learned that afternoon. To cooperate with a High Rank Ring Sorcerer who was so reasonable was indeed a wonderful opportunity.

This was what his hometown referred to as a "win-win" situation, and not the kind where one side wins twice, but where both parties come out ahead.

"You needn't worry about 'Genesis: Silver Moon'; no one will trouble you over that card."

Miss Galina said, pausing to ask Shard:

"Since you've helped me secure the victory and the two naval positions I sought, I will not renege on what I promised you. What Relic do you need? Describe it to me, and as long as it's not too exaggerated and is of a Keeper of Secrets Level (Level 3) or below, I believe I can find it."

This very statement was somewhat exaggerated itself, and Shard was curious about the stories and powers the Witch Council truly possessed. However, he had long decided on his choice of Relic:

"A function that can extract energy or similar essences, whether tangible or intangible, from living beings themselves and then channel it into the user's body. As long as it has that function, that's enough, regardless of whether it's the main function or whether there are serious consequences of use. These considerations can wait."

This was what Shard had once said to Old John, the pawnshop operator, as a guarantee for acquiring the next droplet of Divinity.

"Something similar to the 'Vampire Ring' I got last time? I think I know what to give you. I need to prepare a little. By end of next week, I'll have Tifa deliver it to you."

Miss Galina stated, and Shard breathed a sigh of relief. If she could have immediately handed over what he wanted, he would have been very concerned that she had completely seen through his secrets. With the new "Relic," next time he encountered the Evil God, he could...

The voice in his head laughed.

"Pah, why would I curse myself."

"About the part-time job I promised to introduce to you... Tifa, please bring Mr. Dark Anlos here."

The dark-haired Maid quietly walked out of the inner room of the study, and when she passed by Shard, she gave him an inexplicable look.

Soon enough, Mr. Dark Anlos followed the Miss Maid into the room. He was also a guest at tonight's Roder Card salon, with an ordinary stature, ordinary appearance, ordinary attire, everything about him was ordinary, and he was shorter than Shard. The only thing worth mentioning was his very spirited eyes, which made him seem exceptionally sharp-minded.

"Mr. Hamilton."

Mr. Anlos looked Shard up and down and reached out his hand first. After shaking hands, the former, with a practiced Tobesk accent, said with a smile:

"Very good, a strong grip, but no gun calluses. From the look of your palm, you must have done a lot of heavy labor in the past, but the way you exert force and the marks on your fingers suggest that you've often been holding a pen lately."

Seeing Shard's surprised expression, Mr. Anlos introduced himself:

"Tonight, it wasn't Old Duke Lucas who invited me, but Miss Galina who did. She said she wanted to introduce a fine young man to me, and indeed you are."

"Then you are...?"

Inside the door, Miss Galina also introduced:

"This is Mr. Dark Anlos, he has a job that does not require you to do work, yet allows for just compensation. Considering your profession and lifestyle habits, I believe you'll be satisfied with this job."

Mr. Anlos nodded:

"Can you guess what I do? Here's a hint: lurking in the shadows with a gun in hand..."

Shard raised an eyebrow, a very reasonable answer came to mind but, considering the identity he had inherited from an Outlander, such an answer seemed too much like a joke:

"You are military..."

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"...The current head of MI6, Mr. Dark Anros. Although I hold a title, you may simply address me as Mr. Anlos,"

Speaking of his profession, Mr. Anlos's expression became slightly more serious.

"Hmm... huh?"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Shard believed that his facial expression at the moment must be extraordinary, but he equally believed that if Detective Sparrow could see this scene alive, his expression would be even more remarkable.

"Detective, this is the job I've introduced to you. Anlos, no problems, right?"

Miss Galina said from inside the room, and the middle-aged man bowed slightly toward the direction of the inner door:

"Miss Galina, there's absolutely no problem at all. Guaranteed by you to be of good character, a detective by profession, and skilled with the Roder Card, he's the perfect agent for MI6."

He then gave Shard another look:

"It would be better if your appearance were a bit uglier, this student-like quality about you doesn't quite match the identity... no, actually, it's perfect, this mismatch of qualities, that's what's most real. Pity, you're just getting paid in name only."

He patted Shard's shoulder, seeing that Shard still had a weird expression on his face:

"Mr. Hamilton, is there a problem?"

"Problem... no, it's just... never mind."

He answered hesitantly, really not knowing what else to say, and Mr. Anlos proceeded to discuss the terms of employment:

"You were recommended by Miss Galina, so you'll skip the probationary period. You needn't do anything, just remember to write a report regularly, a weekly salary of 1 pound, tax-free..."

Not extremely high, but quite decent, equivalent to an annual salary of 52 pounds.

"A monthly expense allowance of 20 pounds."

Saying this, Mr. Anlos winked at Shard, who suddenly realized the main benefit was here. Calculating this way, his annual salary would approach 300 pounds.

If he weren't a Ring Sorcerer and didn't plan to save for the future, that amount of money was enough for him to lead a very carefree bachelor's life. Discover exclusive content at empire

"I will not assign you any tasks, you're just on the payroll in name. But remember to report in tomorrow to collect your firearm, identification, and firearm license, these formalities still have to be observed for bookkeeping purposes... Oh, we don't have a uniform, so there's no need to collect any."

As he spoke, he gave Shard a piece of paper, and after making sure he had seen the address clearly, he immediately snatched it back, then tore it up and ate it.

Ate it right in front of Shard.

After finishing these actions, Mr. Anlos waved his hand to him:

"You must understand, in our line of work, we have to be cautious. This address will be your contact point from now on, salary paid monthly. Even though you're not required to do any work, you're free to act in the name of MI6 externally, just remember not to go too far."

Mr. Anlos smiled, and only at that moment did Shard have the opportunity to speak:

"Yes, sir, of course."

His throat felt a bit hoarse.

"Remember to go directly to that address tomorrow, and when you write your reports, do it conscientiously, and remember to add at the end: 'Therefore, I suspect this matter is related to the southern spy case.'"

After saying that, he turned and left the room, not even giving Shard the chance to have a chat.

This ordinary-looking gentleman was very decisive and efficient, and his enthusiasm for Shard probably stemmed entirely from Miss Galina's relationship. An outsider wouldn't naively think that they could easily win favor with a seasoned intelligence officer of the Kingdom.

But these were already enough.

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