Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic
Chapter 866 - 866: Income Issues

"I haven't gotten hold of the 'Immortality Magic' yet, but I have already seen the contents you mentioned."

In the separate lounge on the first floor of the Rothschild Estate, the young witch, elegantly dressed but not intending to attend the banquet, cut straight to the chase as soon as Shard entered the room.

The room was quite spacious, with a group of sofas positioned near the window. Outside the window was the thick night atmosphere of the estate, and the light from the courtyard's floor-standing gas lamps appeared so faint.

Miss Sylvia's silhouette was reflected on the glass. The young Grand Witch was wearing a black long dress today, with dark purple lace trim at the hem, topped with a large, exaggerated wide-brimmed hat adorned with a ring of petals.

She had light makeup on her face, and the color of the lipstick on her lips was indistinguishable to Shard. After Shard sat down, he clearly smelled the parfum "Witch's Scent."

"Don't look at me with strange eyes. Although I don't intend to attend the banquet, since I'm here, I naturally can't dress too casually."

Miss Sylvia explained.

"Are you certain that the 'Immortality Magic' contains fragments of the Poem Chapter?"

Shard did not engage in any extra pleasantries and asked straightforwardly. Seeing this, the witch knew he was definitely not new to these matters. Based on the large volume of Chosen One intelligence Galina Cavendish had somehow obtained this year, Miss Sylvia felt she had probably guessed the source:

"Yes."

The witch nodded slightly, with a frown on her face. But this did not affect her beauty. Among all the Grand Witches of the Sixth Era that Shard had seen, she was the youngest. A girl of this age is in the most beautiful period of her life, and coupled with the witch's transcendent charm, any expression she made was beautiful:

"This information was provided by you. As agreed, I tell you the relevant contents. I'll inform the Council a bit later. The content on the pages you provided seems unremarkable, but through a special method, decoding and sorting the letters according to the Council's seating order revealed some interesting information."

She even helped Shard skip the decryption process:

"There are two sentences in total. The first one—The heir of the Sage must solve the riddle of wisdom."

"Sage? Does this refer to the Ancient God 'Secret-Keeping Mentor,' the Ancient God of Wisdom and Knowledge?"

Shard asked. This name of the Ancient God had been mentioned to him by the Old God 'White-robed Sage' during his last visit to the Gadis Library. And the aspect of 'Impermanence: Knowledge' corresponding to this Ancient God was in the hands of the Prophet's Society.

"Yes, the fragment of the Poem Chapter recorded in 'Immortality Magic' most likely points to the Chosen One of Wisdom and Knowledge."

Miss Sylvia nodded gently, somewhat surprised at Shard:

"You surely know a lot. I always thought it was that Duchess helping you. Now it seems, perhaps it's actually you who have been helping Duke Galina all along?"

"We have always been helping each other... What is the second sentence?"

"The second sentence—When fate arrives, the Keeper of Secrets holding the riddles will await the Chosen One's arrival. It is a trial of five challenges."

The witch continued, then looked at Shard:

"What do you think this means?"

Shard pondered:

"It doesn't sound absurd that the Deity of Wisdom and Knowledge would test the Chosen One with riddles. But it seems the Chosen One Ceremony somehow involves solving five riddles? And the riddles are held by the so-called 'Keeper of Secrets.' I'm not sure if 'Keeper of Secrets' refers to a real individual or something else."

Miss Sylvia nodded as well:

"Yes, there are just two sentences, which seem somewhat cryptic. But at least it is now clear that this information is related to the Chosen One of Knowledge. Judging from the events of the past six months, once a Chosen One appears, the corresponding fragment of the Poem Chapter is likely to be discovered. So following Death, the next would be Wisdom and Knowledge."

The witch sighed:

"Knowledge is power. Wisdom is the most precious wealth. This Chosen One should be quite remarkable."

Then, changing the topic, her beautiful eyes gazed at Shard:

"Mr. Hamilton, I was able to find this thanks to the intelligence you provided. I have contributed to the Council, and I will not forget to repay you. Is there anything you need?"

Miss Sylvia, unlike Miss Galina, did not have a free assistance relationship with Shard, and Shard clearly understood this:

"I don't need anything for the time being, but we can talk about it when you arrive in Tobesk."

The Grand Witch nodded, seemingly relieved, and then smiled:

"How is the banquet? Are you accustomed to Carsonrick's noble banquets? I hope you are pleased with the hospitality here."

"Madam, I have no special requirements for banquets. In Tobesk, I am merely the lowest of the nobles."

"But I heard from Miss Galina that you have close ties with the Draleon Royal Family and even receive a salary from the Draleon Royal Army."

At this, Shard laughed:

"I'm probably just a salary thief, taking a portion of the taxpayers' money without actually doing any work."

But on second thought, Shard's contributions to MI6 completely justified his salary.

"Did Miss Galina arrange this work for you?"

Miss Sylvia asked curiously. Shard did not mind discussing this:

"Yes, the current weekly salary is five pounds."

He opened his palm.

"That's the treatment of a major."

Miss Sylvia nodded, well aware:

"That's quite good. My annual salary, after deducting laundry expenses, as a family tutor and private doctor for the Royal Family, is around 235 pounds in gold pounds."

This is a high salary for a family tutor, most of it presumably for her role as a private doctor. From what Shard knew, female tutors of this era did not earn much money. Dorothy, when she had just moved out, had been a tutor for a few months, but soon gave it up due to the low income and interference with her writing time.

"I'm very curious, what is your main source of income? Oh, forgive me if this question seems intrusive."

Miss Sylvia did not seem to mind the question:

"My teacher left me an inheritance, mostly real estate and antique jewelry. The only steady income comes from a wool textile steam factory and a few spice shops and bookstores in downtown Velindale City. These incomes aren't particularly large compared to the expenses."

She half-complained to Shard:

"Studying mathematics doesn't just require paper and pen. Attending academic conferences and publishing articles each year costs money. And let's not even mention Mysticism research—any research related to space is never cheap. So, I'm always looking for additional income sources. The witches in the Council are willing to help me, but..."

She cautiously shook her head, and Shard understood:

"Ultimately, one must rely on oneself."

"Indeed."

Miss Sylvia, somewhat surprised, nodded to Shard, who was also surprised that he ended up discussing income issues with a Ten Rings Female Sorcerer.

But on reflection, it was normal. Living in a civilized society requires finding legitimate income sources for oneself. Illegal Circle Sorcerer Organizations seek noble cooperation. People like Sister Delphine worry about taxes and government funding for the Serpent Heart Hospital, and cultists are even more meticulous in laundering their income.

It's a very realistic world, so the Outlander must bother about life's trivialities, and even the Ten Rings Grand Witch couldn't change the societal rules.

Shard currently had a considerable amount of money. Since there were no expenditure plans at the moment, he planned to invest it. If Miss Sylvia, also seeking income sources, had a good project, he would be happy to collaborate with the witch.