Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic
Chapter 941 - 941: Transfer of the Cemetery

"Luviya, do you think the Prophet's Society would purchase a valuable relic like the Sage's Crystal?"

After Dr. Schneider finished his introduction, Shard turned to ask Miss Diviner, who thought for a moment and nodded:

"I think they would, but what are you planning to do with that question?"

"I know what he's planning to do."

The blonde Miss Writer said with a smile:

"A while ago, Shard mentioned he wanted to buy a card from the Prophet's Society's Genesis Series Roder, but was rejected. I think he's wondering if he could trade the Sage's Crystal for one of them."

"But even if the Prophet's Society agreed, it would mean your identity would be known by those diviners."

Dr. Schneider spoke wisely, then hesitated and asked Shard and Dorothy:

"Actually... at the banquet at Lakeside Manor this Tuesday, did you hear any strange sounds around ten thirty?"

"Yes, after those two claps of thunder, 'the other me' captured a message transmitted by the relic — Trial: Find the invisible person in the Tobesk region."

Shard nodded, and Dorothy joined in the conversation:

"Yes, I was also at Lakeside Manor at that time, and I heard it too."

"This should be related to the Sage's Crystal mentioned by the Academy. I don't believe two unrelated major events would occur simultaneously in this region."

Dr. Schneider said, then took out paper and pen to have Shard and Dorothy briefly describe the events of Tuesday night, and sent it with his letter through poetry paper to the Academy. The response was quite fast, with an envelope being delivered in just five minutes.

This was still a letter from the Student Affairs Office. The Academy confirmed the information provided by the three, granting each of them 1 credit and a reward of 3 pounds.

"It seems the Academy already knew about this matter."

Dr. Schneider distributed this unexpected gain to Shard and Dorothy, and seeing Priest Augustus deep in thought, he asked:

"Priest, what are you thinking about?"

"Speaking of which, the trial mentioned after those two claps of thunder at the Lakeside Manor, asking to find the 'invisible person', couldn't it be the thief who's been committing crimes recently in the Tobesk region?"

Priest Augustus asked with curiosity, while Luviya raised an eyebrow, and Shard, holding the napping soft cat, frowned:

"It could be possible... but as Priest Augustus just said, who could catch him?"

"I think the Xerxes Higher Medical Academy and Zaras Literary Academy would also have similar Academy rewards."

Dr. Schneider said, glancing at the other four, and cautiously gave a suggestion:

"Although the Sage-Level relic promised by the Academy is indeed tempting, safety is the most important. For the so-called Sage's Glowstone, since the Academy is able to issue a reward, other Circle Sorcerer groups will also come to join the fun. If any of us really has a clue, absolutely do not act alone. Our group of five can act together, and the one who discovers the clue will pay the reward."

"No problem."

Shard nodded, though he still did not believe the group of five could really catch that thief.

"Our main focus recently should be on the end-of-year exam week. We all performed pretty well this summer, didn't we? Oh, gentlemen, ladies, I hope we can pass the winter exams smoothly. I can't wait, just like last year, to have dinner together at my place after the exams are over."

The doctor said a bit nostalgically. He had no close family, and his best friends were the four in front of him. After a busy year, having dinner together was the thing he looked forward to the most.

Today's group study session lasted until four-thirty in the afternoon because there were just too many things to discuss.

Everyone dispersed as usual, and Dorothy left with Shard. Of course, Shard didn't forget that he promised Old John to help by retrieving materials from the Apna Library as a third party, so after dinner, he informed Lecia, who had already swapped bodies, that he might be out for a few hours tonight.

Although this would cut into their dating time, Lecia knew Shard had important things to do, so she let him attend to his business.

"I should be back before ten, hopefully the other party won't be late."

Shard fiddled with a fountain pen at the desk, where the draft of the novel Dorothy planned to publish next week was laid out. As a trade-off for giving up their date time, Lecia agreed to help proofread these manuscripts.

"Speaking of which, I have something good to show you."

Shard said with a smile, as the cat lying on the windowsill watched the scene with boredom, yawning, sensing it wouldn't be able to sleep next to the pillow tonight.

"I got my hands on a big glowing object; we can take a look together tonight."

This referred to the stone tablet with a silver horn corner, rumored to grant knowledge and Spirit Runes upon contact.

The blonde girl showed a sly smile:

"Shard, isn't this reason a bit too cliché? Even if you didn't say so, I wouldn't leave tonight. But since you mentioned 'looking' at something, can I understand that you want to be in... the study this time?"

Her palm gently patted the desk, and when she looked at Shard, biting her lower lip, her face was slightly flushed, and her eyes seemed to be glowing.

Shard felt that Lecia might have misunderstood his meaning:

"There really is something glowing and flying to show you."

He emphasized.

Lecia showed a teasing smile and reached out to embrace Shard's neck:

"Yes, really a glowing object. Then I'll wait for you... remember to come back early."

The cat on the windowsill felt that it might be able to sleep in the bedroom tonight.

Taking advantage of Shard's departure, Lecia helped him take care of Mia at home and flipped through Professor Manning's letters, trying to find any unusual details. Shard kissed his beloved girl goodbye downstairs before venturing into the long, foggy night of Tobesk.

The agreed meeting place with Apna Library and the Guiding Light Hermitage was not in the city, but in the city public cemetery east of the city. In recent weeks, the city had been shrouded in fog, which lingered even at night.

When Shard arrived at the cemetery outside the city, the graveyard was enveloped in mist, like in a horror story, ready for unspeakable ghouls to leap out at any moment and attack the unlucky citizens visiting the cemetery at night.

Shard was wrapped in a black warm robe, the hood not worn, but a mask covering his face. The scheduled meeting time to deliver the goods was nine o'clock in the evening. Being concerned about being late, he set out relatively early, arriving at the cemetery with fifteen minutes to spare before nine.

As he gazed at the cemetery from afar, he was already missing the warm, cozy home, the soft, adorable cat, and the energetic girl.

Using [Lagre's Leap] to jump over the fence, his boots left no traces on the ground. The distant small church still had light, but the Gravekeeper's Cottage had already gone dark. There was a faint scorched smell in the mist, and the long-buried souls sighed silently in the quiet mist.

Though it seemed like a scene where a ghost story could unfold, no brazen spirits disturbed Shard tonight as he patiently waited under a pine tree at the northeast corner of the cemetery.

At exactly nine o'clock in the evening, another Circle Sorcerer dressed in a black robe emerged from the cemetery's fog. He carried a black briefcase, with a small brass lock hanging from it. Seeing Shard, standing under the withered tree and almost blending into the darkness, he didn't approach too closely but stopped on the cemetery path and softly inquired:

"What does a curly-haired baboon like to eat?"

This was the prearranged code phrase from Old John to avoid confusion during the exchange of information.

"Cavities."

Shard responded deeply.

"What happens if you walk barefoot?"

The stranger asked again. Though he deliberately altered his voice, Shard could discern that it was a man, and his Tobesk accent was impeccable. It wasn't an accent that could be mastered just by studying or linguistic talent; only years of mingling in taverns, interacting with the poor, and being surrounded by the language from childhood could produce such speech.

In the language of outlanders, he was an "Old Tobeskian." In foreign lands, this accent could even signify one's identity. It seemed that although Apna Library was small in influence, it maintained permanent personnel in Tobesk.

"You'd get a good kick in the butt from Lady Maria with her boot."

Shard replied, then posed the third question, particularly interesting riddles agreed upon by Old John and Apna Library for the meeting:

"Is the most despair-inducing thing for the citizens of Tobesk City the corruption and inefficiency of City Hall officials?"

"No."

The stranger shook his head firmly, replying through clenched teeth:

"It's the annually increasing housing prices."

This response came from the heart.

Shard sighed in relief and took a step forward:

"Yes, sir, it's the housing prices, damn the housing prices. Now, please place the case at your feet and step back five steps."

The stranger set down the briefcase and retreated five steps as instructed by Shard. Once the stranger stopped, Shard walked over and picked up the case.

There was a key already in the lock of the case. Shard opened it to inspect the documents inside. He needed to confirm that it wasn't just a stack of useless newspapers. Of course, he only symbolically checked the first two pages before closing the case:

"Very well, the transaction is complete, sir. I suppose you don't need me to write a receipt?"

He made a small joke, to which the other responded with a dry chuckle. They each watched the other, slowly retreating until a sufficient distance was achieved, before finally turning and departing:

"Honestly, making it so complex, like an illicit underground deal of some illegal organization."

Ensuring that the other had indeed left, Shard muttered to himself as he walked through the cemetery.

"Isn't it?"

As Shard stepped into the thick fog, "she" asked with a smile. Shard didn't answer but looked at the briefcase in his hand:

"Now the question is, should I take a peek before handing it over to Old Man John?"

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