Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

"Although this matter has ended, I do not believe that the failure of the Crimson Cult was due to inadequate preparation," Shard suddenly said.

"What was it due to, then?"

The witch, continuing with her meal, asked.

"They chose the wrong time. Had it not been during Daknis's stay at Coldwater Port, had it not been after the Godfall event at Tobesk, the Church and the Academy surely would not have committed such tremendous forces to deal with them," Shard answered, his dinner knife separating the fish flesh from its skeleton on the plate.

The witch pondered for a moment:

"But regardless, this time, just like in Tobesk, it is the Church, the face of righteousness, that has triumphed... And that God Summoner, she now has the qualifications to become a legendary figure in stories centuries from now... She might even be printed on Roder Cards."

More than worrying about his reputation, Shard looked forward to the possibility of becoming one of the faces on the Roder Cards.

After dinner, neither Shard nor Miss Aphrola attended the banquet. Driven by curiosity, Shard ended up following the witch to the beach behind the manor to see the mermaids.

The maids of Miss Aphrola, carrying golden candelabras, followed behind Shard and the lady of the manor, passing through the garden to the sandy beach. Then, under the moonlight, young girls took off their shoes and walked into the water, forming two vertical lines stretching from the sea to the shore of the beach.

Miss Aphrola stood with Shard at the end of the Head Maid's line, watching the flickering candlelight penetrate deep into the sea. The sea breeze fluttered the maids' skirts and long hair, and caused the candlelight to drag short streaks from the wick toward the shore. This moonlit scene appeared quite mystical.

The witch took off the small conch pendant hanging from her chest and bent down to dip it into the seawater below, whereupon the pendant squirmed and expanded. As the witch blew into the conch, the prolonged and ethereal sound of the seashell resonated from the shore to the seabed.

That sound made Shard feel as if he were hearing the waves of the deep sea, as though the seawater was moistening his own skin. It was this very sound that Shard had heard after Miss Aphrola pursued Daknis and leapt into the Temple's underground cavity.

Mermen do exist among the merfolk, but they are rare. And because of the witch's curse, Miss Aphrola also preferred the company of female mermaid girls.

They too were highly intelligent creatures, yet unless special magic potions, sorcery, arcane techniques, or relics were used, individual members of the mermaid race could not turn their tails into beautiful legs as in the stories.

Thus, beneath the harbor behind Aphrola Manor, there were specially constructed temporary dwellings for them. And as Miss Aphrola blew the conch, the mermaids underneath the water gradually moved towards the surface, then popped their heads out in the shallows.

Guided by the long line of candlelight, they drew closer to the shallow shore, but to avoid getting stranded, they could only swim around the end of the light. Miss Aphrola also took off her high heels and stepped into the water. Shard looked down at her feet entering the relatively clear moonlit seawater and realized it was rude of him.

Thereupon, Shard followed suit, stepping onto the shallow beach path between the rows of maids.

Due to their cultural habits and lifestyle, mermaids are quite timid, similar to Mia. At first, even with Miss Aphrola there, they were reluctant to approach Shard, but as they gradually trusted him, they dared to swim up to the shallows to greet him.

Most of them understood the common language of Draleon but preferred to converse in their racial language. Shard, of course, also understood this language, which was very similar to that of the merman, and he heard the mermaid girls complimenting him, saying he was good-looking, smelled nice, and the moonlight on his fingertips was beautiful.

Miss Aphrola and the mermaids believed Shard couldn't understand their words, but Shard actually understood them, and in that situation, he couldn't say that he understood.

These beings living in the water liked to use shells and seaweeds as clothing, so as Shard got closer to them, he even had to move the silver moonlight away from his fingertips to avoid seeing things he shouldn't.

Although this wasn't the first time Shard had encountered exotic creatures in this world, the contact with an unfamiliar intelligent race still felt novel to him.

The main reason for Shard's visit to the mermaids, besides satisfying his curiosity, was also to inquire about matters related to "Desire." The intelligent Level 0 Relic, which outwardly resembled a mermaid, might not be a coincidence. The ancient exotic species might have some clues.

"In the past, the mermaid race was a symbol of desire. Sailors rumored that they would seduce ships into the heart of storms or off safe routes with their singing."

There was no news about that Relic among the mermaid race. However, after Shard briefly mentioned the symbolic aspect of mermaids in mysticism, Miss Aphrola provided some explanations.

"Perhaps the resemblance of "Desire" to mermaids is a result of such rumors. People's thoughts and culture are also influencing "Desire," which claims to be born from desire itself."

That was Shard's thought.

Although indeed there were mermaid girls who were very interested in Shard, he did not linger long in Coldwater Port. After meeting with the mermaids, he talked with the Witch about the follow-up news regarding the shadow of Coldwater Port and then took his leave.

Instead of immediately heading home, he swam in the sea for a full hour, evading the Church's patrol boats. With his strong memory guided by the voice in his heart, he found the Soul Fishing Rod planted in the seabed of Coldwater Bay. Only then did he swim to the cave beneath the cliffs and through a hidden wall to return to his own home.

Dripping wet, Shard went from the basement to the first floor. Although he had only been away from home for a single day, breathing in the air of his house, he truly missed it immensely.

Perhaps it was the sound of his footsteps that startled the person upstairs; before Shard could approach the stairs and turn on the gas lamp in the entrance hall, he heard rapid, loud footsteps coming from above, getting closer and closer.

"Shard!" Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire

First, Mia Cat darted over, but it wasn't the one speaking; the blonde girl behind the cat nearly charged at him.

She opened her arms, not minding that Shard was completely soaked, and hugged him tightly. Before he could react, she kissed him on the lips.

"Mmm~"

Shard made this sound with his nose as the cat at his feet, waiting to be picked up, supported itself on two short legs, clinging to Shard's trousers. After waiting for quite some time without seeing Shard bend down, it resumed standing on all fours, looked up discontentedly, and then its amber eyes showed a curious expression.

The duration of this kiss was something beyond even Shard, who possessed the arcane technique of "Time Perception," to measure. It felt brief, yet also endlessly long.

When Dorothy finally released him, breathing heavily, he looked at the girl in front of him in astonishment:

"Wait, are you Dorothy or Lecia?"

"Does that question matter?"

The blond girl blushed, wiping her mouth, and Shard noticed that she had put on light makeup and even deliberately applied lipstick.

"Of course it matters, I at least need to know... whose soul was kissing me."

She laughed softly, her green eyes gazing closely at Shard:

"Then just think of it as both of us kissing you at the same time. Shard, thank you for saving Lecia Cavendish, and the princess didn't even have time to say goodbye to you. This kiss is a thank you and an apology... and also, you should take fewer risks in the future."

"At the same time? Can you even think that way?"

Shard asked in astonishment.

Dorothy didn't care what Shard thought, said it, and forcefully hugged him, attempting to kiss him again, but Shard pushed her away, looking seriously at the blond girl in his arms:

"Before that, you need to know something. The relic 'Scales of the Drowned Fisherman,' belonging to both of us, was destroyed by me."

Dorothy looked at Shard in shock:

"Now? At this time? Shard Hamilton, you really want to tell me this?"

"I need to compensate you for your loss."

"You... then consider this as compensation."

She then kissed him again, her grip on the back of his head so strong, Shard even thought his lips would bruise.

No. 6 Saint Delan Square's first floor was devoid of gas lamps, with only the light from the street gas lamps outside extending inside, casting their embracing shadows elongated on the wall as they stood in a square of light stretching from the window.

A carriage rolled past outside, rhythmically crunching the road, causing the shadows to waver on the wall as it passed by the window. The moonlight was beautiful, but Mia Cat was dissatisfied, meowing, as it had been waiting for a long time, and Shard hadn't yet come to hold it.

How long the girl's kiss lasted, no one knew, but when it ended, her face was slightly flushed as she looked at Shard, who looked back at her. Although still under the influence of the "Flesh of Desire," thinking of more things, he had the sense to not let the messy thoughts arising from the kiss turn into action.

That evening, the two of them talked until ten o'clock. They talked about Shard's experiences at Coldwater Port, mentioned his use of the Thirteen-Ring Sorcerer's power, which he had previously used at Lakeside Manor, and even that Shard had just seen a mermaid.

Dorothy laughed, complaining that even after a bath, Shard smelled faintly of fish and then jokingly called him "The Mermaid Fisher of Coldwater Port."

And until he put the blond girl onto a carriage at the corner of Saint Delan Square, Shard still couldn't be certain if the person he had been talking to tonight was Dorothy Louisa or Lecia Cavendish. Although she had made the motion of touching her ear, that could also have been feigned.

"Outlander, I'm a bit surprised you didn't invite her to stay the night."

"Why would I do that?"

Shard, with his hands in his pockets, stood under the dim yellow streetlight, watching the carriage head towards the University District.

"Given her mood tonight, she wouldn't have declined your invitation."

"Since when do you comment on my personal life?"

Shard said with a smile, turning to walk through the silent square towards his home, and kicked a pebble on his path. Mia Cat peered out nervously from behind the half-opened door, worried about Shard going out at night, but not daring to venture into the darkness alone.

"I know if I had invited her, she might have stayed."

He said to himself internally.

"So, why didn't you?"

"You said it yourself, it's because of her mood tonight, and that's not the kind of man I am."

"I understand then."

She chuckled softly in his ear.

Shard smiled as well, entering the doorway and taking hold of the doorknob to close the door from the inside. Then he suddenly turned around, sticking his head out to look at the moon hanging over Saint Delan Square.

Tonight's Silvermoon was so bright.