Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Chapter 125 The Unexpected Arrival

When they arrived at the club, it was already two in the afternoon, and now it was approaching dusk. In the misty haze, the carriage slowly set off. Shard was thinking about his spending and repayment plans, while Miss Beyas was probably pondering the rewards she would gain after reporting important information.

Thus, the two of them sat opposite each other in the carriage, though their conversation was sporadic.

Whenever they touched on certain sensitive topics, such as the earthquake in Lakeside Manor and the southern part of Tobesk, or the operation of the Detective Agency, Shard would immediately bring up the other's "honorary officer" status, forcing Miss Beyas to actively come up with new topics.

The detective, in a good mood, even planned to take Mia out for a big dinner tonight. He had never had so much money since coming to this world, and although he knew he needed to save, it was okay to celebrate occasionally.

"But I must not forget tomorrow night's 'receiving goods' task."

Shard thought to himself as he looked out of the carriage window. As he had recently memorized the map of Tobesk, he knew the major street they were passing was called Hammerhead Street.

From the way the streets were named, it was clear this was not a main street of the city; in fact, it bordered the slums of the Tobesk Eastern District, and even the coachmen were reluctant to travel this route at night.

The characteristics of the Steam Age were displayed right in front of Shard through the tiny window, the air tinged with a scent of scorching reminding him of this civilization's features.

On the relatively narrow street, metal pipes climbed the walls on either side. Shops along the street drew branches from these pipes into their buildings, while apartment buildings directly requested steam and gas from the main underground pipes.

Barefoot children played on the sidewalks, and disheveled beggars lay carelessly on straw mats against the wall, their wooden bowls empty.

An occasional middle-aged gentleman, clutching his nose and wearing a look of disgust, hurried past on the edge of the street. The coachman's shouting reminded people ahead to move aside, and the rhythmic sound of horse hooves hitting the uneven ground was particularly resonant.

Although the impact of this scene was not as shocking as when Shard first stepped out of his house and saw the era, it still gave him a different feeling.

"I've noticed you've been watching those children on the street,"

said Miss Beyas, who was utterly bored during the carriage ride. She pressed her hands against her skirt, sitting in a very ladylike manner.

"I just sometimes think that some people are born without having to worry about hunger, while others have to spend their entire lives..."

"Escaping hunger?"

asked Miss Beyas, but Shard's gaze did not move from the window:

In his dream, Shard once again stood under the starry sky on a rice path looking up at the silver moon, thinking about being in the "Creator of Innocence"'s illusionary realm where the night sky had only one moon. Just as he was about to express his thoughts in his dream, the voice that echoed beside him made him wake up:

"There is danger."

The "other self" of a Circle Sorcerer is the price of touching the mystic; another voice in their head is a mark that distinguishes them from ordinary people. This "other self" does not need to sleep, and it's difficult to define exactly what their existence is like, but most theories suggest it's another facet of the soul.

Nevertheless, Circle Sorcers need not worry about unexpected happenings in their sleep, for they always have "another pair of eyes" keeping watch.

Though the whispering in Shard's head was odd, it still possessed all the functions it should have. Therefore, when a warning of danger appeared in his ear and the soul's Ring of Fate began to turn, Shard shook off the strange drowsiness.

"Ha, I knew this outing was bound to encounter trouble!" he muttered.

Far from being surprised, he actually felt somewhat pleased that his suspicions had been confirmed.

Opening his eyes, he was still sitting in the carriage, except that Miss Beyas was gone, leaving only her lady's handbag on the seat. The four-wheeled carriage had stopped moving, and from the half-open window looking out, it seemed to be parked in a secluded alley. The dim light of dusk barely illuminated the narrow alley, and the pungent smell almost made him cry out.

Shard hadn't been asleep for very long.

"What happened?" he asked.

"You and your companion were affected by sorcery; about 10 seconds ago, she was taken away."

"What's going on now?"

The murmuring voice didn't respond, but instead, voices from outside the window did. It was a conversation between two men:

"They entered the club's room and conducted the search, right?"

The voice was gruff and strong, the accent clearly not local.

"Yes, I saw it with my Arcane Technique. The one in the car is an ordinary detective, this woman is a Circle Sorcerer from the True God Church; I saw her when I was at Lakeside Manor helping the Silver-Eyed One leave,"

This voice had a local accent, and it seemed to be the coachman's.