Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic
Chapter 927 - 927: Night Visit to the Vampire

Shard actually keeps a diary, but he doesn't write a real diary. Instead, after inheriting the detective's diary from the previous generation, he fills it with useless sentences like "No clients today, savings decreased," or "Mia ate too much, consider asking Miss Gawder for money," five or six days a week.

Unlike Shard, Professor Drake has the good habit of recording his daily life. His diary is well-preserved, and entries from before and after an adventure over a decade ago are all there. Although at first glance the diary's content seems very normal, Shard discovered that a few days before the professor set out for Lake Cherub, he complained in the diary about his eyes being somewhat red and swollen, and seeing double.

Perhaps, to ordinary people, this would seem like a minor issue. But for a Circle Sorcerer like Shard, if anyone involved in an abnormal case has eye problems, it generally indicates that the individual has other issues as well.

As for the letters, they show that before Professor Drake went to Lake Cherub, he was in dense correspondence with friends and academic colleagues from outside the area, discussing various issues. The letters themselves covered minor matters like paper publication, invitations to give lectures, and inquiries about recommended students. Yet they made Shard wonder if Professor Drake had encountered something strange before going to Lake Cherub, and perhaps he had written to other history and folklore professors for advice.

Therefore, Shard could inquire with Professor Drake's old acquaintances to find out whether Drake had asked any unusual questions decades ago. He had this idea because, among the stack of yellowing old letters, he found a familiar name:

"Professor Tiris Manning of Tobesk?"

He passed an old letter to Professor Drake at his desk. In the letter, the two were discussing the topic of feline worship and its connection to primitive moon worship, and believed there might still be very ancient moon-worshipping traditions in the Karas Mountain region. They agreed to find time to see it together.

"Oh, Professor Manning, yes, we haven't been in touch for many years."

Professor Drake reminisced as he flipped through the past letters:

"Why, Mr. Watson, do you know him?"

"As you know, I'm Draleon. While in Tobesk City, I visited Professor Manning regarding the connection between cats and dreams."

Shard said with a peculiar expression, recalling the Joyful Dream Pen incident. He also thought about how widely connected Professor Manning was, with impressive connections in the academic circles of history and folklore. The folklore scholars—both normal and eccentric—Shard met in different cities seemed to have links to Professor Manning.

"Professor Manning should be about three or four years younger than me. How is he doing now?"

Professor Drake inquired.

"The professor is in very good health."

After the loss of control during the Joyful Dream Pen incident, Professor Manning's health recovered swiftly, which is something even indulgent young people can't achieve.

"I have some connection with Professor Manning, I will write to him. He might have some clues."

Shard said, and Professor Drake nodded, holding the letter as if he was recalling past times.

"Diaries" and "letters" were relatively apparent clues, but the third lead was somewhat ambiguous.

It was the professor's old book "Theory of Folk Development," which seemed to be an old textbook. When Shard touched the book, "she" informed him that it contained extremely faint elemental traces, almost as if there were none.

Upon opening the book, Shard found a line of strange characters written slantwise on the side of the last page's illustration. The characters looked like a string of tadpoles and were clearly not from contemporary script. Using his literacy skills, Shard tilted his head and translated the line's meaning:

"Knowledge is power."

"Professor, what language is this?"

Shard passed the book to Professor Drake, who was at the desk reading a stack of old papers. The professor strained to take the book, but after a glance, he shook his head:

"I've never seen it either."

"Did you not write this?"

The professor hesitated for a moment:

"At least I don't remember this."

Shard decided to take the book temporarily as a third clue. Perhaps it was another distraction like the "Swamp Witch," entirely unrelated to his investigation. But these were all the clues he had, and he couldn't overlook any details.

Shard spent the entire Thursday afternoon at Professor Drake's home. By the time he organized the materials, the western sky was already showing the evening glow. Seeing that the professor looked weary, Shard took his leave, promising to sort through the materials quickly and contact the professor immediately with any new clues.

After hastily eating a few bites in town, Shard did not return to the White Valley Vineyard but headed instead to Mr. Bernhardt's estate in the city's east.

The Benhart Family is one of the oldest families in the area, with a vineyard, farmland, and land holdings of unimaginable size to the outlander. Despite only holding the title of Viscount, Mr. Armand Bernhardt leads an exceedingly luxurious life, and with his own high-ranking Circle Sorcerer level, he is almost considered the foremost leader among the local Vampire Kind clans.

Unlike the dark and terrifying castles vampire stories depict, Mr. Bernhardt's estate is bright and grand, and it is said that when it was completed more than three hundred years ago, a priest from the city performed a blessing.

Since it wasn't his first visit to the Benhart Estate, when Shard rode his horse to the estate gate under the cover of night and rang the bell, the servant who came to open the door immediately recognized him.

When Shard met Mr. Bernhardt, the latter was frowning as he perused a roll of parchment in his study. Seeing Shard enter, he asked,

"Shard, how's your proficiency in ancient scripts?"

"Which era's script?"

Even if he could understand any script, Shard still asked this question, not only to hide his secret but also to appear humble.

"Scripts from around the year 2500 of the Fifth Era, though I'm not sure of their origin."

He handed the parchment in his hand to Shard, and then instructed the servant to bring tea:

"I've systematically studied ancient scripts, but I'm not good at it... not because I'm naturally stupid, just not skilled."

The middle-aged Vampire Kind sighed, and Shard glanced at the content on the parchment:

"Oh, this, I learned about in my elective classes at Saint Byrons. What's written here is..."

He roughly scanned through those scripts, and although scripts containing strange knowledge could affect one's mind, at least the scripts on this parchment couldn't affect Shard:

"This is really peculiar, here 'emotions' are viewed as symbiotic parasites residing within the soul, describing the story of how these parasitic 'emotions' interact with people. But the content here seems incomplete, it's neither the beginning nor the end."

"Yes, yes."

Mr. Benhart appeared very pleased, standing up from behind his desk:

"The educational level at Saint Byrons is indeed excellent, worthy of being one of the renowned Three Great Magics Academies in the material world. This is an excerpt from the 'Seven Emotions Spellbook,' containing parts on 'Rage' and 'Jealousy.' A friend lent it to me, but neither of us understood the scripts on it."

"Please give me paper and pen, I'll help translate. Mr. Benhart, you are really in luck, I bet other local Correspondence Circle Mages might not even recognize these scripts."

Shard said, as there were only about 200 characters in total on the parchment.

"That would be great, Shard, I had no idea your academic level was so high too."

Mr. Benhart complimented without standing on ceremony with Shard.

By the time the servant brought the tea and snacks, Shard had almost finished translating the brief scripts. The two sat on the sofa to discuss matters, Shard raised the tea letting the steam warm his cheek, while Mr. Benhart joked:

"Princess Margaret visiting Tobesk is the big news recently, new updates from Tobesk come every day. I've heard some rumors, at the grand banquet in Lakeside Manor two nights ago — I hope I didn't get the place name wrong — Shard, have you gotten acquainted with Princess Margaret?"

"This news, has it already reached Carsonrick?"

Shard asked in astonishment while holding the teacup.

"Such interesting news always spreads quickly, ordinary people might not have heard, but I have special sources. Detective, people's ways of entertainment are limited, and among them, discussing royal rumors and news is favored even by Circle Sorcerers."

After speaking, he raised an eyebrow at Shard:

"Have you tried persuading Princess Margaret to sell you the Royal Family's White Valley Vineyard?"

Shard indeed had this in mind, after all, the only member of the Anjou Royal Family he knew was her:

"I'm not that familiar with Princess Margaret yet. However, the Princess invited me to a book club next week, and I think I should appropriately showcase myself again, the White Valley Vineyard is truly important to me."

He did not hide his intentions, and Mr. Benhart understood:

"Her Highness Margaret Anjou was already a difficult lady to deal with while in Velindale, and before this, I even heard she disliked dealing with men, leading to some not-so-good rumors."

This was because Her Highness still considers becoming Miss Sylvia's apprentice.

"Although Her Highness is proficient in social interactions, she's not an easily pleasing person. Shard, to what extent is your relationship with Her Highness now?"

Mr. Benhart asked with great interest, as he mentioned, in an era with scarce forms of entertainment, discussing royal news was one of the few national entertainments:

"Last week she asked me to help transport those smuggled... cough, cough, those tobaccos, considering we're distant relatives, otherwise how could Her Highness be so courteous with me."

Shard thought for a moment:

"Our relationship... we played a riddle game, and then she gave me her personal handkerchief."

The Vampire Kind showed a look of awe but felt it wasn't that extraordinary, vaguely remembering the young man before him had done more exaggerated things, yet feeling unable to recall what they were.