Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 1763 - 1762: A Temporary Departure

Although she said this, Miss Higgins vaguely felt that the man before her would definitely not follow them away. She couldn’t explain the source of this inspiration, only feeling that this person was completely incompatible with them, with this place, and even with this world, like a foreigner entering their dream.

"Will it be this simple?"

Shard thought skeptically, but this time there was no time, all problems could only be solved next time.

Having wasted too much time in the Black Mist Camp, his adventure this time was left with only three minutes. While the witch rested to recover stamina, he sat by the campfire and asked the boy who was stealthily wiping a dagger:

"Can you tell me about your purpose here? The lady over there said your country was destroyed, so you want to reverse this event?"

The boy carefully hid the dagger back into his waist, glanced at the witch across the campfire, and nodded slightly, lowering his voice:

"My father was the King, I am the Kingdom’s youngest Prince. Because of the disaster, the entire country is gone, all the nobles, officials, people, livestock, and land are gone. I want to reverse time and change this event."

This wish of his is harder to realize than Mrs. Miles’s wish, but since the Tree Father let Shard handle this, he can only find a way. But in this way, the boy’s coins might not be enough. Shard could not think of a way that could reverse Space-Time, but fortunately, what the Tree Father requested was to "help complete the trade," rather than ensuring specific trade completion.

"What disaster destroyed your country?"

He asked again. The boy stiffened, stammered a little, then said:

"A meteor, a meteor hit my country, yes, that’s it. My country didn’t have the Witch Empress’s protection, it was just a city-state, all destroyed."

Shard skeptically looked at him, then glanced at the witch. The latter, although resting, also listened to the conversation here. She shook her head slightly, clearly understanding Shard’s meaning. She hadn’t heard of any recent news of a meteor destroying a country.

But the witch had no intention of dealing with this boy, Shard didn’t have enough time left this time, nor had time to use wordplay to persuade the boy to speak the truth.

When Miss Higgins finished resting, she took out the two relics from the cloth package. In the Black Mist Camp, due to the suppression from the power of the entire world, they couldn’t even compare the element fluctuations of the two items, but by the campfire, they could find that the Whisper Element of the cheaper Broken Sword was actually stronger than the Conch.

The witch temporarily couldn’t figure out how to summon spirits with a broken sword, so she reached out and picked up the conch, jokingly said to Shard:

"Look, another conch. Besides the Conch of Longing, I heard of a kind of conch that could tell the listener the answers to all questions she wants to know."

"Are you sure it’s not the Whisper of some evil object?"

Shard retorted, then actually saw the red-haired witch very, very carefully put the conch to her ear, making a listening posture, just like before at the market. But this time nothing happened, she then confusedly shook the conch, seemed to want to confirm whether the thing was broken. However, no blood, screws, or other things fell out. So she handed the conch to Mrs. Miles:

"Ma’am, please try calling your lover’s name into the conch. If you feel any discomfort, please throw the conch to me immediately."

The elderly woman, still not in good spirits, thus forced herself to perk up and took the conch.

Shard and the witch both stood up, standing behind Mrs. Miles, the boy also cautiously looked toward this side.

Mrs. Miles took several deep breaths to calm her excited and sad emotions, then with a very stable and clear voice said:

"Richard Knight Jackman."

Shard’s first reaction was that he definitely hadn’t heard of this name, then he tensely looked around. The witch, Miss Higgins, was focused on the conch.

Nothing happened, at least the few by the campfire did not find any strange occurrences.

So for safety, the witch took back the conch from Mrs. Miles and sat down sullenly.

The silver-haired elderly woman comforted her, the face covered with wrinkles showed no emotion of loss:

"It’s alright, we can keep trying. To be honest, if I met him this easily, I wouldn’t be prepared. Even in stories where miracles happen, one has to complete multiple tests. Finding someone who hasn’t returned home can’t be this easy. I am patient, we can keep trying until I can no longer walk."

"But we just took such a big risk..."

Miss Higgins knows that Mrs. Miles makes sense and then looked at the Broken Sword, probably thinking of trying it next.

But before she could move, she saw Shard standing up.

"Is your rest over? No, please don’t go to the camp alone. It’s very dangerous."

The witch kindly reminded, but Shard shook his head:

"I’m going to that side."

He pointed in the direction he came from:

"This is hard to explain, basically... I need to leave temporarily, not too long before I return."

"What?"

The witch skeptically blinked her pretty golden eyes. Shard didn’t continue explaining:

"I’ll try to figure out the exact function of that conch and that broken sword. During the time I’m gone, it’s best if you all don’t act rashly. I promise I’ll be back."

Saying this, he threw his one and only coin to her:

"Help me keep an eye on this."

He got up to leave the campfire; twenty minutes was short, and the white mist had already appeared.

Miss Higgins stood up, trying to grab his sleeve:

"Wait, what do you mean? You can leave here?"

"I’m running out of time."

Shard waved to them with a smile, and the boy and Old Lady Miles also stood up to bid him farewell:

"In any case, I’m here to help you this time, please believe that. Also..."

He walked backward into the black mist from where he came:

"Don’t carelessly spend those black coins you have; they’re very peculiar. I’ll bring you new information next time I return."

As he spoke, his voice completely faded into the black mist. The witch even took the risk to walk over with a torch to take a look but did not find any trace of the strange man.

"What on earth is he?"

As she sat back down by the campfire, she muttered softly, while Old Lady Miles was not worried at all, her eyes shining as she looked at the firelight in front of her:

"Perhaps he truly is someone sent by the deities to help us."

"Then why is it not a pretty girl, but a strange man instead?"

As she spoke, she glanced at the boy who was trying to minimize his presence.

The silver-haired old lady did not answer; she smiled as she gazed at the firelight in front of her, seeming to see the lover she parted from more than fifty years ago.

That separation also seemed to happen at a crossroads covered with wild grass and flowers, near a bustling market.

(Mia running...)

Upon returning from the past, Mia immediately came over to Shard, meowing around him. After picking up Mia, Shard quickly went downstairs. Sure enough, within a few minutes, he saw Luviya hurrying over:

"Oh, Shard, just now..."

"It was me."

That being said, the one who spoke with Shard earlier was indeed Luviya from this moment. Although the "signal" of the Conch of Longing was poor in the chaotic place of space-time, it unexpectedly connected to the person Shard longed for.

Since she was already there, Luviya listened as Shard recounted the brief twenty-minute experience. She wasn’t very interested in the market or Shard’s companions this time, but she was very intrigued by the Conch of Longing:

"I know of such a relic; it’s also present in our current era. However, it’s not easy to obtain. I might figure out a way, maybe even communicate with different times again."

She looked at Shard excitedly:

"If every time we need help, we can have the Witch Empresses appear like the last battle of Pantanal, you won’t have to work so hard in the future."

Luviya came in a hurry and left just as quickly. As for Mia, who was sticking to Shard, when Shard asked if she wanted to go out with him, the cat also ran away.

After preparing lunch for Mia in advance, Shard went from the basement to Green Lake City. Although he had informed the innkeepers of his identity, Shard still chose to leave the inn through the kitchen’s back door.

When he went out, Little John, the garbage boy from the back alley, happened to be heading out with his puppy as well. They greeted each other and then walked in different directions.

Shard did not immediately go to Mikaela Ironworks City on the South Shore of Green Lake to find the followers of the God of Love; instead, he went to the Royal Postal Street to the Kingfisher Tailor Shop to find Granny Natalie.

Granny Natalie, like Mr. Edmund and Old John, who ran an antique shop, was a member of the Guiding Light Hermitage. Shard happened to have some questions to ask, and he avoided the lighthouse in Coldwater Port and the antique shop in Tobesk because both places were too far away.

"Good morning, Granny Natalie."

"Good morning, Mr. Watson. I saw Megan a few days ago; it seems your relationship with her has improved. You see, I introduced her to you to answer your questions about Central Island of Green Lake and the Edwards Family. I was right, wasn’t I?"

When Shard first came, Granny Natalie said she and Megan were old friends. She likely knew Megan was a witch because she once reminded Shard not to mind if Megan seemed cold to him.

Shard nodded with a smile:

"Your recommendation was indeed very good, I didn’t expect to meet such a... friend."

The High Ring elderly lady gave him a meaningful look but did not delve into what kind of relationship Shard had with Megan:

"You’re not here because Edmund wants to buy fish bones again, are you?"

"No, no, I want to inquire about two relics. Oh, and a strange coin, but the coin is not a relic. I don’t know the purpose of all three items."