Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic
Chapter 926 - 926: Professor Drake's Clues

"This is my friend, Sister Delphine."

Shard needs to complete the four trials of the Lake Goddess to obtain divinity, so his own affairs are temporarily concluded. However, the "Lake Goddess" promised that after Shard completes the first three trials, he can receive a gift, or allow his friends to ask some questions. Thus, Shard introduced Sister Delphine at this time.

The nun nodded again, her demeanor somewhat resembling the white-robed lady with the staff before her.

Sister Delphine did not plan to speak on her own, so Shard spoke on her behalf to articulate her request:

"Lady, Sister Delphine is a nun who guards the Fire of the Primordial. She wants to gather the scattered Primal Fire to ensure the fire of civilization burns eternally. We have obtained some clues, suggesting that the splitting of the Primordial Fire has something to do with your legend, so we wish to know the whereabouts of those scattered flames."

After Shard finished speaking, Sister Delphine raised her hands in a supporting gesture, and a slender red flame appeared. This not only attracted the attention of Shard and the white-robed lady, but also made Mia, who had been glancing around, widen her eyes to look.

It was its first time seeing this flame.

"Yes, the splitting of the Primal Fire is indeed related to me, but I cannot tell you what happened at that time."

The white-robed lady spoke softly:

"Someone once made a wish; I will not use your wish to break someone else's wish. But I can tell you the whereabouts of one of the splintered Primal Fire flames."

"Thank you for your generosity."

The nun said softly.

"In the central lake of the Pantanal Swamp, there is a small island perpetually shrouded in clouds and mist. A wisp of the Primal Fire's flame is at the top of the old lighthouse in the center of the island."

The "Lake Goddess" provided the clue, and the location she pointed out was known to Shard. The Pantanal Swamp is filled with wetlands and lakes, with the central lake located on the border between two countries, and the island on it being a historical dispute area between Draleon and Carsonrick.

Around the year 700 of the Sixth Era, that island was purchased by a noble of the time, but something happened later, causing all living people stationed on the island to die. By now, though the island exists in dispute, neither Draleon nor Carsonrick has stationed people on the island.

The reason is simple; starting from any direction, getting through half of the Great Swamp Area to reach the heart island in the swamp lake is quite a difficult task. Even if a force were able to station there, supply issues would be tough to address. Plus, with miasmas and poisonous bugs, as well as the strange things inside the Great Swamp, that heart lake island, although famous, is currently uninhabited.

"But you must know, that wisp of Primal Fire is placed there to stabilize the balance of the Pantanal Swamp. If you wish to take it, you need to be prepared."

The lady in white robes reminded, the nun slightly nodded:

"I understand."

This implies that the flame might have "sealing" effects or the like. But this does not mean the nun can't touch it; methods like Shard's Maze Lock [Kiss of the Tree] can achieve a similar sealing effect. Once the Primal Fire is collected by the nun, the embers of the Primal Fire on Shard's body will also become stronger.

"Are you willing to become the Executor of Wisdom?"

Just as Shard was pondering, the white-robed lady suddenly said to Sister Delphine.

Shard looked at the two in surprise, then realized that Sister Delphine seemed to have been favored by the "Lake Goddess", a privilege he himself had not received.

Perhaps what Miss Pavo by Lake Schluch said the night before was right; his wisdom is not enough to compare with the top heroes of this era.

[Or, you have already been chosen by others.]

"Sorry, I have decided to dedicate my life to guarding the Primal Fire."

Sister Delphine shook her head in refusal, the silver-gray long hair swaying slightly with the shake. Initially, she became the Chosen of Death to help Shard touch the Primal Fire, so now, of course, she wouldn't inexplicably take on a new responsibility.

"That's truly a pity."

The white-robed lady said softly, then looked at Shard again:

"Then go forth, complete your second trial, and explore what happened in the past. I will be here awaiting you, waiting for you to complete your final trial. May wisdom bless you, Shard Hamilton, may knowledge be with you."

The scenery of the Lake Cherub's heart island gradually became blurred, everything around faded like a paint-soaked oil painting, then was recolored anew.

Upon returning to his senses, Shard and Sister Delphine were still standing on the lakeside path, and the two horses lowered their heads, seeking edible wild grass at the lake's edge. The distant lake surface was so calm that there were no ripples, and in a few weeks, this place would freeze and be covered by heavy snow; winter had indeed arrived.

The nun's boots were by her feet, Shard lowering his head to look at the boots before noticing Sister Delphine "looking" at him. Saying "Sorry" softly, he turned away:

"Nun, the exploration of the Pantanal Swamp still requires the Spiritual Practice Order and the Witch Council to address."

Shard said as he gazed at the distant lake surface, and Sister Delphine said from his back:

"This is a task that requires much time and manpower. I will also sound out the Church."

Such large-scale investigation activities away from human settlements are not Shard's forte, and besides, Shard has many tasks at hand, so he can only wait for the results. However, that's also fine, as he can't possibly solve all the encountered issues anyway.

At this point, the second trial of the "Lake Goddess" has officially begun.

Shard took the reins, first escorting Sister Delphine back to the White Valley Vineyard, then took Mia home, and had lunch in Tobesk. After lunch, he left the cat, who took its nap on schedule, at home and returned alone to Huntington City to visit the retired folklore professor, Kansas Drake, who lived in the old western district.

The sky over Huntington had been overcast all day, so the old professor, who had mobility issues, did not go out. When Shard rang the bell at the fence gate at two in the afternoon, the plump maid quickly opened the door for him.

Professor Drake was still in his wheelchair, and he greeted Shard in his study. He seemed to have anticipated Shard's visit, but when Shard mentioned that he had already met the Lake Goddess, the professor's hand shook slightly as he held the teacup:

"So..."

The professor looked at Shard with eager yet anxious eyes, hunched over like a prisoner awaiting a verdict on the dock.

"The lady informed me that if I wish to retrieve what I've lost, I must pass her trial."

"Yes, a price must be paid."

The professor immediately said, expecting an answer, yet feared the answer. Shard and the professor both understood that the memories the professor lost were likely voluntarily abandoned, and recovering them now might not yield the results he desires.

"The trial I must undergo is to figure out why you sought the Lake Goddess back then, what wish you made, and what price you paid."

Omitting that he had companions with him at the time, Shard briefly described his experiences that morning, and detailed how, when he saw Professor Drake on the water, he was reading a newspaper with the news that the Huntington City Wine Association was recruiting members to participate in the winter wine expo.

"This..."

The professor was taken aback, believing Shard's words, but did not expect such an outcome:

"I didn't expect our experiences to intertwine. But about those days, I really don't remember anything."

He took a sharp breath:

"I wish I could remember, it's the only regret I have in my life, but what exactly happened?"

"The trial itself actually contains information. Firstly, you must have encountered something significant to seek the Lake Goddess back then, not just academic research, otherwise my trial wouldn't make sense."

Shard analyzed, deducing the answer from the problem itself, something the Outlander was adept at.

Professor Drake nodded immediately. Despite his physical disabilities, his mind remained sharp:

"Yes, that's indeed the case. Moreover, it must have been an event related to the supernatural and mysticism, otherwise, there would be no point in it being a trial."

"Considering your profession, perhaps you encountered something terrifying while conducting folklore research."

Shard said, and considering that the professor's private collection before retirement included relic derivatives like a photo of the Swamp Witch, he must have encountered more than one dangerous thing in his career.

"Did you retire immediately after that incident?"

Shard asked, and Professor Drake's brow furrowed deeply, as he sighed while holding the teacup:

"Yes, I was already nearing retirement age. After my legs became like this, I was indeed dispirited for some time. The school didn't treat me badly; they continued paying me while I recuperated. Four months after that incident, I voluntarily applied for early retirement, living off my pension and the money sent by my son."

"Where are all your pre-retirement research materials now?"

Professor Drake understood what Shard meant:

"Most were left at the school, as they are school property, but those materials should be fine since nothing has happened at the school over the years; I could write and ask about them later. A small portion is at my home; you can feel free to search through them in my study if you're interested."

The professor, being advanced in age, understood that he didn't have many years left, hence his unusual obsession with uncovering the truth.

"What were you researching at the school before you set out to find the Lake Goddess?"

Shard asked again, but the old professor couldn't recall such distant memories.

"Were there any other significant events in Huntington City back then?"

Shard tried another approach, but the professor still shook his head:

"That was more than ten years ago, and although my memory has always been good, I never questioned my reason for going out back then, so I didn't pay attention to events of that time... Now that I think about it, maybe I lost more than just the memory of going to Lake Cherub."

Shard agreed with this point, but precisely because of this memory loss, he had no leads.

However, after finding the right direction, Shard and Professor Drake spent an afternoon searching through the professor's old materials for clues, finally yielding some findings.

The findings could be summarized into three items: a diary, letters, and an old book.