Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 688 - Soon to be Reunited Twins

“I don’t know anything. Probably to prepare for the worst-case scenario.”

Priest Augustus nodded cautiously, joining Shard in looking at the blaze before them:

“But Detective, everyone is very cautious about this matter, very cautious indeed. I have seen what will happen once death breaks out and the day of Ultimate Death arrives.”

The campfire crackled. Shard squinted his eyes:

“What will happen?”

“It’s too terrifying. The Black Sun descends, the white mist of the Interstice turns into a black fog that shrouds this region. The world of the Living and the world of the Deceased will completely merge, even time and space will become confused. Everything will fall into an eternal cycle of Ultimate Death, and the map of the Old Continent may well be missing a piece from then on.”

Priest Augustus likewise had his own matters to attend to at this charity banquet, so he did not chat with Shard for long before departing.

After saying a temporary goodbye to Shard, the time was already approaching eight-thirty. Clusters of bonfires danced in the courtyard of the Academy, people were gathering in the distance, seeming like the grand Autumn Night Banquet was officially about to commence, with the representatives of the commerce guilds sponsoring this Fire Worship Festival’s banquet and local City Hall officials giving speeches.

The ambiance of the banquet was very good, but Shard didn’t join the crowd to listen to the speeches. Estimating that the witches might also soon arrive, he temporarily gave up his plans to play Roder Card and instead tidied up his clothes before slowly walking toward the entrance of Milestone Mechanical Academy Castle facing the courtyard, to meet up with Granny Cassandra and Miss Aphrola first.

Due to their characteristic loathing for men, the two witches would not actively integrate into the banquet but planned to use this banquet as an opportunity to finalize some partnership articles with business collaborators.

The three met in a separate rest room next to the grand hall on the first floor of the castle’s east side. Miss Aphrola, who they hadn’t seen for over a month, remained as elegant and beautiful as ever. The witch with curly brown hair was also very delighted to see Shard, and after making him sit on the sofa, she ordered the maid accompanying her to pour some tea and bring some pastries from the kitchen.

“I haven’t been to Midshire Fort in several years either, the autumn here is quite nice, especially the leaf-falling season. I still remember the last time I went hunting in the mountains here, seeing the ground covered with withered leaves and the swirling, falling yellow leaves; it was quite poetic.”

The gas light in the room was very bright. The servants of Miss Aphrola and Granny Cassandra stood behind the two witches respectively. Outside the window, clusters of bonfires burned in the courtyard. Although it was relatively quiet in the room, the atmosphere of the Fire Worship Festival’s banquet could still be felt.

Shard suddenly thought of the Fire Bearer nun and wondered whether the Fire Worship Festival had any special significance for her.

“Miss Aphrola, you already know about the passageway up on the mountainside, don’t you?”

“I do, you did quite well.”

She had also guessed that Shard provided the information for Miss Galina:

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

“Granny Cassandra and I will check it out tomorrow. You don’t need to come with us, but if you want to know the progress, you can find us the day after tomorrow.”

“No problem,”

Shard nodded:

“Such a dangerous matter, I don’t need to accompany you. But now that the passage is in the Interstice, after you inspect the real mountainside cave, how do you plan to enter the Interstice? Are you looking for randomly appearing entrances and then using a ritual to stabilize them?”

“That’s a method for Circle Sorcerers.”

Granny Cassandra shook her head:

“Witches have their own ways. We will first enter the Dreamscape and then from the Dreamscape directly into the Interstice.”

“Dreamscape” refers to the strange world where reality interweaves with dreams and illusions. However, like the Interstice, it’s not a world that truly exists. At the end of last summer’s Lakeside Manor night banquet, Luviya went into the Dreamscape, observing the manor from the perspective of the Dreamscape and eradicated the most crucial node of the God Summoning Ritual.

“If possible, I’d like you to take me with you when you enter the Dreamscape. I have experience going there and could help out a bit. Plus, I’d like to visit the Interstice again; someone commissioned me to collect some plants.”

This was “the big deal” of Mr. Copus from Tobesk.

“No problem, Galina has praised you before, and your last trip into the Interstice will indeed be of help to us.”

Granny Cassandra nodded her head, while Miss Aphrola raised an eyebrow, unaware of what Shard had done in this city before.

“Additionally, the sword sheath is here. You can take it when the banquet is about to end, along with the information on Sin Mansion.”

The Old Witch handed a few pages of paper to Shard through the Maid standing behind her:

“Location-based Relics are usually Sage Level (Level 2) or higher, but the Sin Mansion is a rare Keeper of Secrets Level (Level 3) Relic. It’s more like a trading venue; you’ll understand once you look at the information. The Sin Mansion appears randomly in the material world every 66 years, drawing in sinners. However, since everyone possesses original sin, theoretically, any intelligent being could be its target.”

Shard looked down at the papers:

“The Sin Mansion, a place to atone for one’s sins? The severity of one’s transgressions determines their experiences within the Relic. The greater the sin borne, the easier it is to die inside, but the greater the sin, the more one can exchange their stripped-away sins for the power of Sin Mansion…”

“As long as you haven’t done too many wrong things, the Sin Mansion won’t be dangerous for you. Moreover, it’s safer to enter alone than with a group, because you can’t be sure of what your companions might have done.”

Granny Cassandra explained.

“Is this a Relic that appeared in the Sicarl Mountain area?”

Miss Aphrola asked curiously, her right index finger twirling a curl by her ear.

“Yes, due to the Interstice’s agitation causing elemental chaos in the nearby regions, the number of Relics in the Sicarl Mountain Region and this city has greatly increased recently.”

The Old Witch nodded.

“I will venture in alone tomorrow to see for myself. If it’s only Keeper of Secrets Level, I think I can handle it.”

Shard put away the documents, and neither Granny Cassandra nor Miss Aphrola stopped him.

Shard thought for a moment, then asked:

“Speaking of which, Granny, you mentioned some time ago about inviting me to your teacher’s ritual, the one that occurs every twenty-two years. I still don’t know the name of your teacher.”

He purposely asked in front of Miss Aphrola, as the witches probably all knew this information.

“My teacher’s name, ah, she goes by two commonly used names.”

Granny Cassandra didn’t seem surprised by Shard’s question:

“Helen Black, and Grace White.”

“It really is them…”

Shard’s mouth twitched, as the images of the twin girls almost instantly appeared before his eyes.

“Also, the reason I commissioned you to come to this castle to look for the missing Bronze Jar was also arranged by my teacher.”

Granny Cassandra continued:

“My teacher is a lecturer in the history department at the Academy; she wanted to meet you quietly, so she had me arrange for you to come to the Academy.”

The witches’ tasks always carried ulterior motives. Miss Aphrola frowned slightly; she was unaware of Shard’s story with the twins, only knowing that Shard had gotten involved with another beautiful “young” lady.

“Then, may I have the honor of meeting Miss Black right now?”

Shard asked, and the Old Witch smiled and shook her head:

“The teacher is busy with that crucial ritual, which cannot afford any mistakes. However, if you wish to meet her, follow me up the mountain next Monday. The ritual is about to take place.”

Shard said nothing more, simply feeling that after a long passage of time, he was finally going to see them again.

“Back then, they were only 14 years old.”

“She” reminded him softly.

“I know… What do you take me for?”

Shard immediately retorted in his mind:

“I’m just thinking that, whether it was Helen or Grace who commissioned Detective Sparrow, they must have seen me before ‘awakening’ since they coincidentally chose Hamilton Detective Agency. I don’t believe neither of them has met ‘pre-awakened’ me.”

“So, you think…”

“I want to know what kind of person the admittedly abnormal Shard of the past was in the twins’ eyes. Saint Byrons says there’s no issue with the original owner of this body’s past, but I always feel the history isn’t that simple.”

“Is that so?”

She chuckled softly, as if a breeze was caressing his ear. For some reason, Shard was reminded again of the vast wilderness in his dreams, with a huge Moon Disk overhead.

Holy and beautiful, it held secrets and was mesmerizingly alluring.

“Are you talking about the moon, or me?”

Shard didn’t answer, but they both knew the answer.