Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic
Chapter 908 - 908 "Keeper of Secrets

The Roder card tournament at Lakeside Manor was one of the most important games of this banquet, especially since Shard, the Big City Player 1853 champion, had promised in advance that he would participate.

The Roder card tournament would take place at ten in the evening, so the three of them reading together in the room only lasted until around half-past nine.

Once everything was tidied up, the door that had been closed for over an hour was opened, and Dorothy, with a flushed face, was the first to leave the room with a book tucked under her arm.

She bumped into Tifa head-on, but because she was shyly walking with her head lowered, she didn't notice who was wearing the maid's dress.

Miss Writer brushed past Tifa in the hallway, and the black-haired Miss Maid curiously stopped to watch Dorothy's retreating figure. As she turned around, the just-closed door was opened again, and the spirited Lecia with skin as fair and glossy as milk also stepped out.

The maids waiting by the door nodded to Lecia, who adjusted the silver crown on her head and smiled to thank her personal maids. As she turned around, she saw Tifa looking this way, who greeted her respectfully:

"Good evening, Your Highness Lecia."

She noticed that Lecia's hairstyle had changed.

"Oh, it's Miss Servit, what are you doing? Didn't Miss Galina have you take a stroll around the banquet?"

It was evident that Lecia was in a good mood; she usually wouldn't speak to Tifa of her own accord.

"Your Highness, Miss sent me to find Mr. Hamilton, as there is something important to tell him."

Lecia smiled, pointing to the room she had just left:

"He's in there, you can go in directly..."

As she said this, she intended to leave the third floor with her maids but turned back to ask Tifa after two steps:

"How do I look now? Are my attire and expression normal?"

Tifa's expression remained unchanged:

"Your Highness, you look radiant and even without makeup, more charming than the ladies who do."

"Is that so?"

Lecia laughed, touching her face, and then truly left the third floor. Tifa stood there watching the princess depart, then entered the room.

"Meow~"

In Lecia's lounge, the shadow of a man fell over the black coat on the carpet, then a hand reached out, picked up the coat, gave it a little pat, and draped it over the chair.

Shard, wearing only a white shirt on his upper body, straightened his collar, then opened the closet door and let Mia out.

As soon as the closet door opened, the cat bounded out, meowing pitifully. Once picked up by Shard, it voiced its dissatisfaction.

But before Shard could console his cat, laughter came from the bedroom doorway.

Turning to look, the black-haired Miss Maid stood at the bedroom doorway with a smile. Although she was just a maid, she had put on light makeup to accompany her mistress to the banquet, and her painted lips were particularly full, with eyes smiling beneath black lashes.

With the bedroom window open, the night breeze blew over both of them as Tifa chuckled at the flustered Shard:

"Miss and Miss Sylvia are looking for you."

"Hmm... you met Lecia in the hallway?"

"Yes, Her Highness seemed to be in a good mood."

Tifa said with a smile, as if she hadn't thought much of it, but Shard couldn't believe she hadn't guessed anything:

"The three of us were just reading together."

"Yes, reading... quite tiring, right? Two female sorcerers..."

Tifa's smile grew wider, seeing Shard's embarrassed expression, she finally said:

"Miss and Miss Sylvia are waiting for you, don't worry, I won't say where I found you."

After speaking, she took out a thumb-sized metal bottle from her skirt pocket, still warm from being kept close to the body:

"Perfume. I think it's better for you to smell like my perfume than for Miss to catch a whiff of Her Highness Lecia's or another lady's perfume on you."

She handed the small bottle to Shard, brushing his palm as he took it.

Shard was at a loss for words:

"Tifa, you really..."

The maid suddenly reached out, pressing her right index finger to his lips, then swept aside the black strands of hair by her ear with her left hand, and winked her left eye at Shard. They were close enough that Shard could see the smile in her eyes and his own reflection:

"No need to thank me."

[Isn't she the most adept witch by your side?]

"She" always had a way of speaking at the perfect moments.

When Tifa knocked on the door and led Shard into Miss Galina's lounge, the two witches seated on the sofa were discussing the topic of the Chosen.

Miss Galina sat on the upholstered long sofa, and Miss Sylvia sat on the short sofa with her back to the window, so Shard sat opposite Miss Sylvia. The room was brightly lit, and Shard handed Mia to Tifa, then observed Miss Galina's expression.

The Duchess suddenly sniffed and then turned to look at her maid:

"Tifa, I asked you to find Shard, and it seems you've really made use of the time."

The black-haired maid kept her head down and silent, gently placing Mia on the back of the sofa, and then prepared a teacup for Shard and poured tea.

Miss Galina was only teasing, so she didn't pursue it. However, when Miss Sylvia looked at Shard, the young detective defended:

"Everyone is free to enjoy the party."

Tifa's hand shook as she poured the tea, and the elegant maid almost couldn't suppress the smile at the corner of her mouth.

"Yes, a young gentleman and a trysting maid. If you had spread the perfume a bit more evenly, I might have actually believed it."

Miss Galina shook her head at Shard with a smile, very satisfied to see the surprised expression on his face. She did not satisfy Miss Sylvia's curiosity at that moment and instead said to Shard:

"Back to the main topic. Just now, Sylvia and I contacted the Council to inquire if there's a reasonable explanation for the unusual phenomena at Lakeside Manor tonight. The situation is very interesting, His Excellency the Speaker performed a divination and believed that it is related to the Apna Library."

"Apna Library" is a small Circle Sorcerer group on good terms with the Church of the Five Gods, but they are on poor terms with the Three Major Academies due to mutual suspicion about each other's collection of knowledge. Shard had heard of them at the Nature Chapel in the Interstice during the Battle of Midshire Fort and suspected that a third of the "Time Perception" stone tablet, divided into three parts, might be in their possession.

"What does this have to do with the Apna Library?"

Shard asked suspiciously.

By then, most of the maids had left the room, leaving only Tifa and Miss Sylvia's servant.

Miss Galina chose her words carefully:

"His Excellency the Speaker confirmed through some special means that the Apna Library holds a Fragment of Poem Chapter regarding 'Knowledge and Wisdom' relevant to The Chosen, and it is quite an important fragment. Tonight's events are related to some kind of ritual corresponding to the Fragment of Poem Chapter."

"The Chosen One Ceremony?"

Shard's eyes suddenly widened, surprised that before he even encountered The Chosen, someone had already reached the final step.

"Of course, it's not the final ceremony. What's about to happen tonight is related to the 'Keeper of Secrets,' who gives five trials as recorded in 'Immortal Mystique.'" Miss Sylvia said.

Shard frowned slightly, unable to imagine how the wedding banquet at Lakeside Manor would be connected to such matters.

"The Council's current understanding of the situation is only this. His Excellency the Speaker has left the next course of action up to us."

Miss Galina also said, having grown up in Tobesk and being quite familiar with the area:

"There is no Heart Lake Island in Lake Schluch, but I imagine there will be soon. Since it's related to The Chosen, once the relic officially appears at the heart of the lake, Sylvia and I will go there personally to take a look."

"Has the Apna Library shared the intelligence with the Church? They are merely a small Circle Sorcerer group. Could they want to control The Chosen themselves?"

"Apna Library's actions this time definitely were not previously disclosed to the Church of the Five Gods."

Miss Sylvia was very certain:

"So far, even though there are Church Ring Sorcerer squads at Lakeside Manor, they came to protect Margaret, and only two are High Ring. If the Church knew an event related to The Chosen was going to take place, there would surely be more people. But since His Excellency the Speaker managed to gain the current intelligence, it's possible that others might have received intel about this event. I suspect many dangerous individuals have already infiltrated the party."

Shard suppressed the urge to nod because Dr. Schneider clearly belongs to the "dangerous individuals":

"What do I need to do?"

"This matter doesn't concern you. Just enjoy the party."

Miss Galina said, then pointed to Miss Sylvia:

"With Emma and I here, there's no reason to make you handle everything. You don't need to do anything, just ensure your own safety."

"Really, there's nothing for me to do?"

Shard confirmed again, and the witch nodded:

"In most past events, you handled everything. Sometimes I feel I've been too hard on you. I will let you know about what happens at the center of the lake. Just wait in the manor."

Then she looked at Tifa again:

"Tifa, play Roder Card with the knight. He was right just now; everyone can enjoy the party. Don't say I'm too hard on you either. Don't refuse; Sylvia and I will head to the center of Lake Schluch soon to investigate, and I don't need you to follow."

Tifa hesitated briefly and then nodded:

"Yes, miss."

Shard then stood up to leave, taking Tifa with him.

As the door closed, Miss Sylvia asked:

"Judging by what you said, Mr. Hamilton has played a significant role in past events related to The Chosen?"

"Significant?"

Miss Galina raised an eyebrow.

During the Battle of Midshire Fort, after meeting Luviya at No. 6, Saint Delan Square, she learned that when Iluna was performing the ritual to kill the 'Silver-Eyed One,' Shard was fighting the Vampire Kind with a Moonlight Greatsword; when Chosen of Darkness Daknis broke into the Dark Realm, Galina personally witnessed Shard charging from the city into the relic, finally somehow summoning a demigod-level Grand Witch from a previous era; last month's Battle of Midshire Fort saw Shard slicing open the Death door, facing the Chosen Joey Barton under the Nether Moon.

"His stories... "

Even the Grand Witch finds these stories unbelievable whenever she thinks of them. After all, when she first met Shard at the Lucky Southern Cross Club on a midsummer night, he was a bona fide First Ring Sorcerer.