Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic
Chapter 930 - 930 [Thief Jack]

"The Sage-Level Relic [Thief Jack], only appears in human settlements with populations exceeding thirty thousand, committing random thefts mostly at night. Even if encountered, it will just hasten its escape; generally, it does not harm people. The items it steals must possess special value, as it becomes stronger with stronger adversaries. Even Circle Sorcerers, if they lack special anti-theft measures at home, will find Jack uses ordinary methods to steal. But if exaggerated Angel-Level (Level 1) relics are employed for secrecy, then 'Thief Jack', rated as Sage-Level (Level 2), can exhibit powers surpassing the Angel-Level."

Iluna explained:

"'Jack' is not its name, merely a common male name attributed to it, meaning the relic hides among countless ordinary people."

"I understand, just like 'Mary' is one of the most common female names. This sounds intriguing, stronger against strength... Does it have other traits?"

Shard asked with great interest.

"Of course. The true negative trait is that the personality of those stolen by [Thief Jack] might slightly change. Initially manifesting as frustration over not guarding their property well, this frustration ferments into regret over the loss until it evolves into a desire to steal from others to make up for their loss."

"Assimilated by [Thief Jack]?"

Shard asked, Iluna cautiously nodded:

"It's not just kleptomania as a bad habit; their internal structure gradually changes, pervading their soul with the Whisper element. Thief Jack is itself just a thief, but relic derivatives infected by its kleptomania become madmen full of mysticism."

Seeing Shard listening earnestly, Iluna smiled awkwardly:

"The documents explain it quite clearly, but I couldn't memorize it all; I can only detail this much."

"That's already quite detailed. At the Lakeside Manor banquet on Tuesday, Miss Galina mentioned this matter. So, did Professor Manning lose something?"

He asked again, and the officially listed policewoman immediately nodded:

"Three days ago, which was Monday this week, someone broke in at night and stole an antique vase from Professor Tiris Manning's collection. Our team was assigned the task of visiting the theft victims, using Divine Items prepared by the church to verify whether the theft has caused a kleptomania infection."

Iluna showed Shard the iron ring on her finger, Shard's eyes could see the sun pattern on the ring.

"Look, it's this. The first step is using this ring to contact the professor, the second step is assessing the professor's psychological state through simple questions. Recently, theft cases have been frequent in the city, the captain assigned me to visit university district victims."

Such tasks were perfectly suitable for Iluna, providing a chance for this immature girl to grow. She took off the ring and handed it to Shard, who put it on while sighing over Professor Manning's bad luck.

A carriage passed through the thick fog behind Iluna, the dense mist allowing them only to see the carriage's silhouette. They paused their conversation under the low sky, Shard craned his neck to look at the street scene behind Iluna at Cat Tail Alley, while Iluna pretended to scrutinize Shard casually.

"I spoke to Luviya about the Lakeside Manor affair on Wednesday night, is there any progress with the Vynars trial on the church side?"

After the carriage passed, Shard brought up the matter again, Iluna nodded:

"The 'Invisible Person' might refer to many things, possibly even [Thief Jack], the church is still investigating. The Three Great Magic Academies have involved themselves in this matter, the first trial likely concluding soon. Even if unseen, the church, academies, and Truth Society will find a way to locate it."

"Luviya is still verifying the identity of the fourth Chosen One. But what I am more concerned about is, Apna Library and Truth Society exchanging information, hasn't the True God Church penalized them?"

Shard asked this question, Iluna showed a dissatisfied expression:

"The True God Church collaborates with circle sorcerer groups like the Prophet's Society, but not hierarchically; generally, as long as they don't overdo and can compensate for their errors, the church won't impose penalties."

"Did they overdo it this time?"

"Yes, holding fragments of Poem Chapter, but not sharing them with the church immediately. Oh Shard, I'm not saying the church is the most reliable, but clearly, they had private motives to share this with the Truth Society. Apna Library admitted wrongdoing on Tuesday night, and submitted all information on the Poem Chapter fragments to the church, but we're still dissatisfied and will issue warnings."

"I don't understand, why does Apna Library do this? Do they intend to invest in the Chosen One?"

Shard found it incredible, given the size and nature of Apna Library, they lack such capability.

"Of course, it's not about investing in The Chosen One; it's for the Keeper of Secrets."

"Keeper of Secrets?"

Shard still didn't understand, so Iluna prompted:

"With the appearance of The Chosen One, the Keeper of Secrets will frequently appear around him or her, offering trials and tribulations. Don't forget, no wishes must be made to obtain the [Sage's Glowstone]; but if one doesn't need the Glowstone, those 'Keepers of Secrets' that are relics or other beings can achieve a certain degree of 'wish fulfillment' ability. Especially wishes leaning towards wisdom and knowledge, which is exactly what the Apna Library desires."

"So that's how it is."

Shard nodded knowingly, but then thought of the three "wishers" he met in Huntington City. Professor Drake had to seek memories of the past due to his wish, the poet gained luck but bore a heavy burden, and only the old fisherman who loved fishing could accept his wish openly, not regretting even when his fishing rod broke later:

"The desire of this Chosen One to seize five pieces of Sage's Glowstone is itself a trial. But attempting to gain endless opportunities for wishes through this... wishing comes at a price. I hope everyone understands this."

Though Iluna enjoyed standing quietly on the street talking to Shard and hoped Professor Manning would be a bit late, not even The Chosen One could make Professor Manning late.

The energetic old professor returned promptly to Cat Tail Alley. Though the seventeen-year-old girl was somewhat disappointed, she understood the importance of work, so she approached alongside Shard.

"It's been weeks since we last met, Professor."

Shard greeted warmly, extending his ringed hand. Professor Manning, surprised and delighted at Shard's presence, naturally shook his hand.

The ring showed no reaction, indicating that Professor Manning likely wasn't influenced by any relic... Even with a relic like the [Joyful Dream Pen] that directly manipulates deep dreams, Shard didn't believe that [Thief Jack] could either. This well-experienced archaeologist and history professor had quite a resilient mind.

The professor and Shard were very good friends, so there was no need for excessive pleasantries. As for Iluna, since Riddlevitch Field had sent a meeting appointment letter in advance, there was no need to waste time at the door explaining the purpose of their visit.

Shard subtly returned the ring to the professor, who invited the two inside. Upon learning that Shard knew the Miss Detective from a previous investigative commission, the professor visibly relaxed.

Clearly, in this era, a police visit is not good news for anyone. Even if Professor Manning was the victim, and the visiting officer was a lady, the professor still felt uneasy.

Iluna was handling "official business," so Shard let Iluna address the theft case first.

Although she was nominally an officer, she had actually undergone police training. So after entering, she professionally questioned about the details of the Monday investigation, interspersing psychology questions into the interrogation. After confirming no details were missed in the report, Iluna invited Shard to investigate the scene with her.

The antique vase stolen from Professor Manning wasn't of high value but was a retirement gift from his students, something the professor cherished. The vase was originally placed in the corner of the first-floor living room, and Shard had seen it many times during his visits to the professor. Upon careful inspection, faint traces of Whisper Element were indeed found.

Shard couldn't rely on those element traces to track anything.

Based on Iluna's professional assessment of the traces, the thief opened the locked window late at night, directly intruded inside, and took the vase upon discovery, all within five minutes, appearing very professional.

"Look at this."

Iluna, wearing white gloves, pointed to the street-facing window. At the windowsill of Professor Manning's living room window, there was a groove, and the latch could be tightly locked down with a push. Iluna pointed out a metal friction mark at the window frame edge, and Shard thought carefully:

"An iron wire was inserted through the window gap, and it hooked the latch to lift it?"

"Yes, detective, it seems you're quite professional too."

Iluna nodded, noting down the detail, and Shard further understood the meaning of "common theft methods."

After confirming the intrusion method, Iluna used a small knife to collect some rust from the window and put it in a small paper bag. Professor Manning might not understand this behavior, thinking it was an advanced detective technique, but Shard knew it was to provide the church with materials for accurate divination.

After examining the scene, Iluna and Shard searched the living room together. The result, of course, was fruitless. Although well-known thieves in the Outlander's perception often leave a letter or their emblem at the crime scene, [Thief Jack] didn't have such a ridiculous habit.

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