Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Upon closer consideration, the entrance to the ruins was located very close to where the statue was hidden, an easy connection to make.

"Even if one is hesitant to hide something as dangerous as the Old God Statue, which is even more hazardous than a Relic, at their own base, fearing that any problem could doom everyone, they wouldn't hide it far from the base either,"

This was Shard's opinion.

The "Nock Printing House," with a yard and a three-story building, was the location of the underground ruins entrance. Blood of Mercury had purchased the nearly bankrupt printing house last winter and secretly began the excavation work there. And the agent who bought the printing house was Mr. Ponton, whose entire family had been murdered tonight.

The Silver-Eyed One wanted to kill him, not only because this ordinary man was overreaching, but probably also to eliminate someone who knew too much.

Thus was the information the doctor had extracted from his dreams. However, the doctor had no interest whatsoever in the God's Gift Box, a Sage Level Relic that posed such a high risk; high-level Relics were not his target.

On this rainy night, he stood beside the bodies and made his stance clear. Then he looked toward Miss Luisa, who also shook her head:

"I'm not keen to risk venturing into ancient ruins, but the news itself is valuable. Once the doctor obtains the Forged Philosopher's Stone, it might be worth considering handing over the news to the Academy."

Shard understood her meaning; this was to avoid alarming the Silver-Eyed One.

The doctor and Miss Luisa both looked at Shard, and Shard nodded, adding:

"Don't worry, I'm just a First Ring Sorcerer, where would I get the courage to venture into the ruins alone? I agree it's better to sell this information for a high price once everything is settled. I do need Gold Pounds to repair the third floor of my house."

"No, your situation is unpredictable, especially after what you mentioned about Lakeside Manor and the fish scale..."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The doctor sighed softly:

"However, you're usually cautious. Remember, don't let greed cloud your judgment; it's not worth it."

After they took care of the traces left in the house, the trio parted ways at the street corner near Mr. Ponton's neighborhood. The rain washed away their footprints, leaving no trace for the True God Church to find.

The doctor hastened away in his carriage, apparently having discovered crucial clues about the Forged Philosopher's Stone.

Meanwhile, Shard and Miss Luisa shared a carriage home. Halfway through, though, the blonde girl had the carriage detour, intending to pick up some objects from Old Man John's Pawnshop.

Shard also didn't want to bring a cursed eyeball home, so he went along to sell the Demon Eye.

"But isn't it eleven o'clock now? Is Old Man John's place even open?" Continue your journey on empire

He wondered.

"The Pawnshop closes at midnight and opens at seven in the morning. After all, people like to go at night when they carry out shady transactions,"

Miss Luisa said, tilting her head to look out at the rainy streets of Tobesk. Shard thought about it; whether he was visiting the Pawnshop or the Black Raven Library, he had always gone during the day.

"Indeed, still not cautious enough."

The Outlander chastised himself, his internal female voice giggling.

Visiting such a place where Circle Sorcerers traded could lead to encounters with other sorcerers, but perhaps due to the poor weather that night, even Circle Sorcerers were reluctant to travel, so when the two entered the Pawnshop illuminated by gaslight, only the owner was there.

Entering the warm, dry interior from the wet outside and shutting out the sound of rain was the best pleasure on a rainy day. Out of courtesy, they wiped their shoes on the doormat at the entrance before greeting the store owner, Old John.

The elderly man, who seemed quite old, clipped his fountain pen between the pages of an account book:

"Oh, Luisa, and the Detective, I didn't expect anyone tonight and had started balancing the books,"

He shoved the account book back into the counter, and as Shard greeted him, he asked:

"Any news about the Relic I was asking for?"

Although Miss Galina had promised to deliver the Relic within a week, Shard had made other preparations just in case.

"Yes, there's news. A friend of mine in the countryside has something similar, a live leech. I'll let you know more specific details once the item is in hand,"

Old John said, handing Shard a black and white photo. The photo showed a wooden jar from a bird's eye view, with a black leech inside. The leech was similar in size to its common counterparts, but its body was covered in dense, fly-like compound eyes, making it look extremely disgusting.

The thought that even an eyeball could be a Relic didn't surprise Shard if the leech turned out to be a Relic too.

"You all do have a taste for bizarre items; Annette had an even stranger request,"

The old man muttered as he put away the photo.

"What did Luviya want to buy?"

Miss Luisa asked curiously. The store owner was supposed to keep secrets for the customers, but Old John, knowing the good relations among the group, slightly disclosed:

"It's also a Relic, brought back from the ruins of the New World. It's roughly a cubic box, inside which is a rattle bell, said to have caused disasters in ancient times. It's not in my collection but was marketed on the black market; Annette asked me to contact the seller... Oh, it's not important, it's so late already, so, what would you folks like?"

The old man yawned, turning to take a teacup from the small round table inside the counter, and began to make tea for himself.

Because of the previous discussion about "Enlightenment and Civilization," Shard was curious about this Pawnshop. A week later, there seemed to be no big changes, but the small steam engine that had been in a corner was gone, either donated to a museum or perhaps bought by a collector.

"Old Man John, the alchemical item I had ordered last time, the brush that can erase fountain pen ink, is it ready? I was supposed to pick it up the day after tomorrow, but since I was passing by, I thought I'd ask."

Miss Luisa asked, and Shard unexpectedly looked at the old man behind the counter, surprised that he had such skills.

Alchemy and magic potions both require talent, of course, not to mention gold pounds and time. Even in the developed Circle Sorcerer System of today, not many people are proficient in these crafts.

"It's ready, but I can only guarantee it will work for six months. After that, the effect will diminish."

Having said that, he searched the counter and then handed Miss Luisa a small brush with a black metal handle. Shard could see extremely delicate runes and symbolic symbols engraved on the handle of the brush. The bristles seemed alive, constantly wriggling, making Shard suspect they were actually worms.

"I didn't bring enough money for the night out, I'll pay the balance next time."

Miss Luisa said while observing the item under the gaslight, while Old John was unconcerned:

"Just settle the balance by the weekend, and by the way, are you ever going to write your new book? I've been waiting for a long time."

Said the old man, winking at Shard:

"I can consider myself her reader."

"Not until after the exam season."

Miss Luisa shook her head, sighing about her busy academic life which was giving her headaches. Old John sympathized with her, so he offered Shard and Miss Luisa a Poet-Level (Level 5) relic that could heal headaches. However, they were not interested because the side effect of the relic was sleeping for 22 hours a day.

After Miss Luisa's business was finished, Shard took out a bottle from his pocket and thudded it onto the table.

"Oh? A Demon Eye? That's quite a rare item, where did you get it from? And why is it still bloody? Oh, which unlucky fellow did you gouge an eye from?"

The old man immediately showed interest, chuckling as he leaned in to inspect it, though he didn't touch the bottle:

"However, I don't deal in this kind of item."

He shook his head.

"Why not?"

It was Miss Luisa who inquired.

"I never deal in Demon Eyes; they're too dangerous, and besides, the buyers are relatively limited."

"How come you never mentioned this rule before, that you have this kind of policy here?"

The female writer questioned further.

"Because you've never come to sell a Demon Eye before."

Old John stated matter-of-factly:

"Just like how I don't accept obviously stolen goods or dangerously cursed relics that are contagious. I have many more similar rules, of course, which I mention only when the situation arises."

"Old Man John, could you help me contact a buyer then? Although you don't deal in them, there must be Sorcerers in the city who need a Demon Eye."

Shard inquired, while Miss Luisa still seemed puzzled by Old John's rules.

"Write down the specific name, function, and negative traits of the relic."

The old man handed Shard paper and a pen, and added:

"The brokerage fee here isn't low."

"Considering that staff..."

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about that anymore. This time I'll take a 10% brokerage fee. Luisa, you know this is a very generous offer."

The old man folded his hands together and placed them on the table, Shard snorted and didn't respond, while a smile appeared on Miss Luisa's face:

"Old Man John, you never lose out."

When Shard got home, it was nearly half past eleven at night. Once the door was shut, the sound of rain and the dampness were blocked outside, making Shard feel especially at ease.

An excited orange cat ran down from upstairs to greet Shard, circling his boots and becoming calmer only after being picked up. This welcoming feeling on returning home was very comforting for an outsider.

The day's journey had been quite eventful, and the gains were not insignificant. For safety, the Keeper of Secrets Level Relics, "Earl's Left Eye" and "Witch's Reproduction Paper" were stored behind a secret wall in the basement before he went to sleep, ready for use when the time was right.

This place was truly an excellent "safe deposit box."

As he left the basement, he could not help but reflect. Although he yearned for a peaceful life as a Circle Sorcerer, it was true that only by getting involved in various events could he quickly accumulate power and wealth.

Miss Annette had said that The Chosen One would inevitably become a Thirteen-Ring Sorcerer as long as they did not die. Perhaps this was not so much the favor of destiny, but rather because trouble was constantly entwined around them.

As Shard was about to go to sleep, removing the cat from his pillow, he suddenly thought of Miss Beyas. Always encountering various accidents, she probably had more wealth and relics than Shard realized.