Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic
Chapter 878 - 878: Shard's Value

"Madam, I have no intention of questioning your motives; the pursuit of beauty is everyone's right... I noticed you can understand my native language as well. Is that also the power of the deity?"

"Yes."

The Witch Empress seemed very approachable:

"Where the God of the Lake, the Undefined Sage, appears, people's wisdom and knowledge will enhance, and there will be no communication barriers. However, due to the heavy mist of the Lost Lake, the enhancement of wisdom gets suppressed; hence, only Linguistic Comprehension works."

The appearance of a deity always changes some rules within the region. That God of the Lake sounded more like the 'God of Wisdom.' If, according to the hypothesis, the power of the Old Gods all comes from the Ancient Gods, then the power of the 'God of the Lake' undoubtedly comes from the Secret-Keeping Mentor.

"I think that God will not answer our questions merely because we reach Him."

Shard carefully pointed at the tower:

"The evidence lies in that you set up camp here instead of heading directly to the tower. Thus, God should provide a test, and only by passing it can we learn those secrets."

Miss Violet Marshall nodded in surprise:

"Yes, you are wiser than those foolish men I know."

Shard had experienced too many similar situations.

"What I want to express is that since the wisdom we seek comes in three parts, why don't we first pass God's test together, and then consider who can obtain that precious opportunity?"

He glanced at Miss Schultz Teresa, a tenth-grade student of Xerxes, and said softly:

"Mrs. Violet Marshall, you are the strongest here, you don't need to worry about us playing tricks."

This Grand Witch of the Fifth Era smiled and shook her head gently:

"But the problem is, why should I cooperate with you? I don't think you hold any value for me. Sir, simply having a special gender is not enough for me to generously share this opportunity with you."

She wanted Shard to show his value.

"I understand."

Shard nodded, reached into his pocket, and under the astonished gaze of the witches, "took out" a heavy cloth bag.

The cloth bag was placed on the ground, making a clinking sound of glass bottles colliding. The Maid opened the backpack and found it was indeed filled with glass bottles.

She took out one, uncorked it, and handed it to her master. Miss Violet Marshall poured the liquid into her palm and rubbed it evenly before looking up at Shard:

"Holy Water No. 4?"

"Yes."

Shard said reservedly:

"This entire bag is filled with undiluted Holy Water Essence No. 4."

This was what Shard had bought from Priest Augustus; turning these Holy Water Essences into toys consumed a considerable amount of spirit.

He thought it should be sufficient as his "ticket" to participate in this matter, but Miss Teresa subtly shook her head at him.

Shard blinked in confusion and then heard Miss Violet Marshall say:

"Indeed, good stuff. I often use Holy Water No. 4 for facial cleansing. During the last attack, my clumsy maid lost my makeup bag, and this serves as a timely supplement."

She said this while looking at Shard with a smile.

"Oh, I actually forgot about the wealth of the Witch Empresses..."

Shard sighed inwardly, realizing that the supplies he had prepared for the adventure probably did not impress the other party. Although history held little record of Miss Violet Marshall's lifestyle, the Witch Empresses of this era were known for their luxurious behaviors, such as paving roads with gold.

Since ordinary materials meant little to her, Shard thought for a moment and then said:

"I actually possess some special powers. Over the years, I have visited deities to uncover my secrets."

"Special powers? Please demonstrate."

Miss Violet Marshall made a gesture of invitation, as did the equally curious Miss Teresa sitting by the campfire.

Shard nodded, refraining from revealing his Ring of Fate, but the casting of a large Arcane Technique had already begun to rapidly consume his spirit.

He sat there with a stern face, but nothing happened for a long while. Just as Miss Teresa was wondering, she saw the Witch Empress suddenly look up at the sky.

Snow, flurries of snowflakes falling without warning from the dense mist above. The maids, who were repairing the damaged warning ritual, noticed the falling snow around them and curiously reached out to touch the flakes, then quietly observed the man by the campfire.

The snowflakes did not melt near the fire and only melted into transparent water when they fell into Miss Violet's palm.

"This is..."

Miss Teresa pondered for a long time before asking in disbelief:

"Maze Lock?"

"Yes, Maze Lock."

Miss Violet nodded, continuing to touch the snowflakes with a smile:

"Teresa, it seems that the level of higher education at Xerxes is still impressive since I graduated. Yes, Maze Lock, and it's a very special composite Maze Lock. It's rare for different Maze Locks to appear on one person, and even more incredible that the themes are almost identical, like... different chapters of the same story."

This time, it was Shard's turn to be surprised. It was the first time someone could discern the uniqueness of his three Maze Locks:

"Have you seen a similar situation before?"

"Of course not, but there are records of similar cases in the library of Saint Byrons Integrated Academy."

The witch nodded, and Shard asked again:

"So, am I qualified?"

"Yes, you are."

Miss Violet smiled, clapping her hands to shake off the snow water. Though she was the absolute ruler of her region, unlike Lecia's father Larus III whom Shard had met, Miss Violet was quite amiable:

"Interesting man... Perhaps you could try to curry favor with me, and maybe I'll let you have the chance to seek wisdom from the gods, so I can see how you overcome a witch's curse."

She looked at Shard with a peculiar expression, one he was quite familiar with, as Miss Galina had the same look when she considered him a collectible at first.

Of course, even if Miss Violet granted him the opportunity, Shard couldn't accept it.

They were currently in the Lost Lake, a place with the same chaotic time powers as Hope Town and the Night Manor that Shard had experienced before.

Although the group's quality of life seemed decent, the eight women had no idea how long they had been here. Their current decency was purely because they had brought ample supplies.

Apart from the occasional terrifying entities in the mist, the Heart Lake Island itself wasn't safe either. On this small island, easily visible at a glance, a deity who had briefly come to the material world resided in a black metallic tower, and the rest of the island was shrouded in the 'Mist of the Lost.'

Normally, contact with this mist would completely disorient a person. Even though the island was visible in its entirety, one could never reach the intended destination.

The longer one lingered in the mist, the more one would experience "misting," a form of unique erosion spreading from the skin to the surface. As thoughts ceased and senses dulled, staying here too long would lead to complete dissolution into the mist.

Miss Violet, Miss Teresa, and the six maids serving the Witch Empress could stay here thanks to the campfire before them. But unlike the flames used by the founders of Saint Byrons, flames imbued with the Sun's power, the fire before them was essentially the Witch Empress's Maze Lock "Sea of Heartfire."

The "Lost Lake" area heavily restricted space-related Arcane Techniques. Shard, who could summon the Silvermoon with his Maze Lock outside, could only summon snowflakes here, like a First Ring sorcerer. For a Thirteenth Rank Witch, the Maze Lock's extent became as small as the current fire.

With this fire, Witch Empress Violet Marshall and her six maids first arrived at Heart Lake Island, followed later by Miss Teresa for her graduation thesis, hence Miss Violet's remark when Shard appeared, "Here comes another."

"Ladies, have you seen that deity yet?"

Having agreed on cooperation, Shard inquired about their current situation.

"We were about to set off before you came. Though it seems unobstructed in front of us, the correct path to the deity's tower, that avoids getting lost, is only one and it constantly shifts. Even for me, finding its position takes a long time."

Miss Violet said:

"Moreover, visiting a Saint requires thorough preparation, even if the deity is a Benevolent God, their very presence affects us."

She gestured to her maids:

"Don't think I brought so many servants just to maintain my quality of life... though that's part of the reason. In any case, once we leave, someone needs to look after the campfire, ensuring we have a safe camp to return to. Originally, I planned to go see the deity with Teresa. So, sir, are you also coming? I need to remind you, no matter how remarkable you are, the power of a deity won't spare you just because you're special."

"I'll go with you."

Shard nodded, pressing his hand to his chest. Without divinity in him, he couldn't stand for long before a deity just with the residual light and Primal Fire. Fortunately, this time, he had the Witch Empress leading the way. Though Miss Violet Marshall was not as powerful as Miss Feliana during the Forest of Thousand Trees period, she surpassed Miss Orland from the Valley of Dead Silence period.

All three witches were Thirteenth Rank, but there was a difference between Thirteenth Ranks.