Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Indeed, even though the room on the first floor of the club, the third on the left side of the staircase, was currently in use, when Shard suggested switching to that room, the club staff agreed without a moment's hesitation.

The out-of-town wine merchant who was using the room for business was politely asked to move to a room on the second floor. Shard and Miss Beyas re-entered the room alone. The detective watched Miss Beyas excitedly walk into the room and then blinked, as the Wheel of Destiny within his soul spun at an extremely slow speed.

His right eye diffused with a hint of red, though it was hard to detect. The normally clear field of vision was now clearly haloed with the trace of blood, forming the trajectory of the victim's movements in the air—so apparent that it could easily be observed without even trying to capture it.

In the state of "Divine Afterglow," this sorcery became even more second nature.

While Shard was using his own arcane technique to observe the clues, Miss Beyas was also making an effort. Although Shard didn't know what abilities she had employed, it was clear that she had found some important clue in the room that even the True God Church's investigation team had not discovered.

In the blood-red vision of Shard's right eye, the largest puddle of blood was on the side of the sofa, in front of the cabinet with a vase on it. The entire cabinet had been splattered with blood, and there were more traces on the floor.

Miss Beyas had found this spot, too. Standing in front of the brown solid-wood three-drawer chest, she murmured nearly in a whisper,

"There are traces of a spirit lingering..."

"What?"

Shard purposefully asked, fearing she might say something inappropriate.

Indeed, the brunette realized what she had said and immediately turned to observe the detective's expression. Seeing his puzzled face, she relaxed a bit:

"At Blackstone Security Company where I trained, apart from women's martial arts, I also underwent special training. I believe something must have happened around here."

"The training at the security company is that impressive?"

Shard marveled, walking over to the cabinet.

Though he didn't know why the True God Church hadn't found this, following the principle that one should work for the Gold Pounds they take, Shard thoughtfully pulled out the drawers, moved the flower pot elsewhere, and tipped the cabinet over, conducting a thorough examination.

The cabinet had indeed been cleaned, but at the bottom, where the wooden floor met the wall, there were bloodstains that were nearly invisible to the naked eye.

If Shard hadn't observed it with an arcane technique, even if he intentionally searched, he might not have been able to find it:

"Miss Beyas, look here."

Shard stood up, turned up the gas light overhead, and then crouched down pointing at the bloodstain. The brunette also gathered her skirt and crouched down, following his finger to see the blood in the wall crack:

"It looks like this is it!"

She didn't doubt Shard's "keenness," and stood up happily:

"Detective, please step out for a moment, I need to use a special method to verify these bloodstains. Since it's a unique technique, you cannot see it."

That meant she was about to use arcane techniques that required spellcasting materials and spell words, which the ordinary detective couldn't witness.

"Of course."

Shard stood up nimbly, asked nothing more, and turned to leave the room. After a full ten minutes, Miss Beyas called him back. Even though Shard wasn't particularly adept at reading people's expressions, he could see that she was excited, as if her eyes were shining brightly:

"Detective, I think we have indeed made a significant discovery. By using special techniques, I have confirmed that this bloodstain is from the day Mr. Lawrence disappeared, and furthermore, I have found a way to track it, I..."

"We should inform Riddlevitch Field, then let a reliable official police team conduct the pursuit. After all, the cultists are extremely dangerous, and it would definitely be unwise to follow them alone."

Shard said, his inquisitive gaze fixed on Miss Beyas, who, upon being reminded, returned to her senses from her excitement:

"You're right, I'm just here to find clues, chasing after them on my own would indeed be foolish. So, I'll head back to Riddlevitch Field now."

This time, she didn't mistakenly refer to it as a cathedral.

"Hamilton Detective, you have played a very important role in this commission. I think if there is a chance, we can continue to cooperate."

She extended her hand to shake with Shard, who naturally wouldn't refuse, though his eyes paused momentarily at the golden ring on her finger:

"Then, about the commission fee..."

"Detective, please, name your price."

Shard nodded, recognizing that Miss Beyas, disguised as a nominal police officer and a wine merchant, might not understand the standard fees for detective work; in truth, Shard didn't know them either. After considering for a moment, realizing Miss Beyas' income probably wasn't high and that this investigation hadn't been very costly:

"How about 15 shillings? But you'll need to arrange for my return to Saint Delan Square."

Although temporarily in funds, Shard wasn't inclined to be extravagant.

"No problem, detective. That price is very fair. I believe we will definitely have more opportunities to cooperate in the future. It's been a pleasure working with you. I've had such bad luck these days, yet encountered no trouble at all while acting with you."

As Miss Beyas spoke, she reached into her handbag to take out the money, but Shard interjected:

"Also, madam, when you report this matter to Riddlevitch Field, could you perhaps downplay my role a little? Today's meeting with Miss Galina isn't convenient to disclose externally. You know, an unmarried duchess meeting a strange man..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the other party surely understood. The reason he knew Galina Cavendish was unmarried was because she was still using the surname of the Cavendish Royalty.

"Of course." Enjoy new tales from empire

Miss Beyas handed over some assorted banknotes to Shard, then took a small silver coin from her pocket, blew on it, and immediately held it to her ear to listen:

"This is a tip."

She handed over the silver coin, which bore a predeceased king's portrait and was not legal tender, but could still be used in transactions, with a value fluctuating between 8 and 10 shillings. Its nature lay somewhere between a commemorative coin and circulating currency, especially favored in certain special deals:

"Thank you, generous madam."

Shard waved his hat, his voice dripping with exaggeration, as Miss Beyas covered her mouth with a light laugh, both in a very good mood.

Miss Beyas also needed to return to the city center from the Lucky Southern Cross Club located in Tobesk Eastern District. The Sun Cathedral was a bit farther, and they could drop Shard off at the square along the way.

An empty carriage just happened to be waiting at the club's entrance, so the two of them took the carriage back, both very satisfied with their respective gains.