Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 553 - Corpses and Wedding Dresses

Chapter 553: Chapter 553: Corpses and Wedding Dresses Chapter 553: Chapter 553: Corpses and Wedding Dresses “Do we need to conduct further investigations into this grave robbery case?”

Shard then asked Iluna. Their assigned task was merely to locate Mrs. Fennel’s body. Now that the body had been found, their mission was technically complete, and they could leave this remote, eerie place to spend the remaining hours of the day in the city.

“What time is it now?”

Iluna pondered and asked, to which Shard blinked and immediately came up with an answer:

“It’s three forty-five in the afternoon.”

Standing beside them, Detective Mario, who thought he was being asked, also pulled out his pocket watch. After checking the time, he was astonished to find that Shard’s answer was off by only two minutes:

“That’s incredibly accurate!”

Actually, his watch was slow.

“Then let’s head into the city and pay Mr. Julian a visit,”

Iluna sighed,

“Since we encountered this situation, and I still have two days off, we might as well try to clarify things. Detective, I’ll provide you with an additional investigation report afterward. If we can’t solve the issue, I’ll give you the investigation notes as well.”

“Alright.”

Detective Mario nodded and then directed the young people he had brought with him to clean up the area and notify the relatives of the two bodies that they had been found.

Shard and Iluna, after exchanging words with the old gravedigger who cursed the grave robbers, turned and left the cemetery:

“Calculating the time, we should be able to reach the north of the city around six. How about we dine together first? I know that the craftsmanship at the Three Cats Inn at Hymn Square is quite good.”

Shard suggested, walking shoulder to shoulder with the girl with long brown hair who smiled at his proposal:

“Certainly, but this time you can’t bring your cat; it will just be us… I mean, we still have others to visit, so having a pet with us would be very impolite.”

Before leaving the house, Shard always prepared cat food in advance for Mia, the cat. Although greedy, it had never overeaten, so Shard was not worried about it.

They boarded a carriage from the public cemetery in the eastern outskirts and proceeded toward the north of the city. Although it was still light when they set off, by the time Shard jumped down from the carriage and extended his hand to help Iluna down, it was already dusky in Hymn Square.

The time was six-oh-three, Shard’s estimation was very precise.

Although the municipal construction in the Lower District was far inferior to that near Saint Delan Square, Hymn Square at least had streetlights. Lights began to shine, and typically, this time meant that the vendors at Saint Delan Square would depart, leaving tranquility for the residents. However, in Hymn Square, it signaled the beginning of nightlife and the start of the evening market.

“I often come here; our team often handles tasks in the Lower District,”

Iluna said to Shard:

“Look at that blacksmith.”

As they walked across the square, she pointed to a blacksmith’s shop, conspicuous in the evening light due to the bright furnace, adorned with a sign labeled “Superior People”:

“The old blacksmith there is very skilled; our captain once helped him, so he charges us only the minimum price when we commission ironwork from him.”

“Doesn’t the Sun Cathedral have its own blacksmith?”

Curiously, Shard asked. Even though it was now the Steam Age, the profession of a blacksmith was still indispensable in city life.

“They do, but it’s expensive, and sometimes you have to wait in line.”

Iluna shrugged her shoulders and, looking past Shard’s shoulder, watched a group of children scattering across the road, a smile forming at the corner of her mouth:

“Big City is nice. When I was training with the Papacy, I also went on official business. Those small places rarely have Circle Sorcerers, and the black markets are disorganized, so even if you’re willing to spend money, sometimes you can’t find what you need.”

“Even though Tobesk is a big city, the black market trade in Coldwater Port is actually more flourishing than here.”

“I’ve never seen the sea before.”

The seventeen-year-old girl said melancholically, glancing at Shard, and together they walked into the Three Cats Inn. Since it was dinnertime, there were quite a few patrons on both the first and second floors.

A bard, playing the lute, sat on a raised platform against the wall, strumming softly. However, he was not the same one Shard had seen before; the previous time, it had been a female bard. Apparently, the Three Cats Inn employed many bards to perform in rotation, though this did not bring substantial revenue to the inn, it probably still helped attract customers.

Many people say that when night falls, one could find scantily clad Willow Warblers in this tavern, but at the current time, it looked no different from the daytime.

The buzzing sound symbolized the busyness of business, and Shard and Iluna chose a seat against the wall to sit down, the wooden table stained permanently by spilt drinks, which only seemed to add to the atmosphere of the place.

Since it was quite busy, the waiters hadn’t noticed them yet, so Shard asked Iluna what she preferred to eat and went to the counter himself to order.

“Oh, isn’t this the Hamilton Detective?”

The inn’s owner, Mrs. Sangmi, greeted him enthusiastically, the gaslight on the wall beside the counter casting a soft glow amidst the mingled smells of alcohol and food as he turned slightly to look in the direction from which Shard had come:

“I noticed you the moment you entered, detective, and your lady friend is different from the last two times.”

She revealed a suggestive smile, obviously mistaking Shard for a playboy-type character:

“But I must admit, you do have quite the eye.”

Shard did not correct her assumption; instead, he turned towards Iluna, curiously surveying the surroundings, and Iluna gave him a smile.

“I’ll have the usual, while my companion would like something light, but like me, a serving of meat soup,” he requested.

“You’re in luck. We just got a freshly slaughtered cow this afternoon. What about drinks? When dining out with a lovely lady, one should have some wine, right? It makes everything else easier at night,” she kindly reminded as she took the order, but Shard shook his head:

“We have some matters to attend to later, so we won’t be drinking.”

“That’s too bad. However, since you’re here at this time, you might stay a bit longer. At seven, our famous local bard, Ashara, will perform,” she added.

Considering the time, Shard thought spending an hour here for a meal wouldn’t be much of a delay.

“Oh, by the way, do you recognize this person?”

He had almost turned to leave after ordering but then remembered something, so he pulled out a photograph from his notebook. The lady owner, after tearing the order sheet and hooking it on a nail at the counter for the waiter to take to the kitchen, leaned in to look upon hearing Shard’s query:

“Is your business always this good? You seem to always have clients,” she inquired.

The photo Shard took out was of Detective Mario’s missing brother, Mr. Toby Julian.

“I don’t know him; who is this?”

Mrs. Sangmi shook her head. Shard was disappointed, but it was reasonable. The Lower District was so large, it was impossible for the lady owner to know everyone.

“Toby Julian.”

“Oh, the brother of the girl who hanged herself?” Mrs. Sangmi asked with interest.

“You know him?”

“Of course. There aren’t many new stories in the Lower District. A girl who hangs herself for love isn’t something that happens every month. I haven’t seen them, but I’ve heard others talk about it,” she said with a smile, having nothing else to do at the moment and not minding a chat with Shard.

“I heard from our regulars here, talking about how the Julian siblings depended on each other from a young age. Many people knew how heartbroken Toby Julian was when he heard the news of his sister’s death.”

The authenticity of her information was uncertain, but since the siblings were close, Mr. Toby Julian might not mind cooperating with an investigation.

“Oh, I also heard that Mr. Julian seems to be getting married. Someone said he ordered a very expensive bridal gown last week, not rented, but bought. He must be quite wealthy,” she revealed.

“His sister just died, and he’s getting married?” Shard asked skeptically, placing two shillings on the counter, the cost of the meal which was quite reasonable in the Lower District without ordering drinks.

“I wouldn’t know about that, but one must always look forward,” the owner remarked, shaking her head as if to express pity.

“Mortals all die eventually; it’s better for the living to look forward than to be held back by the dead,” she sighed.

Seeing that Shard was still standing there, she swept the two coins into a box under the counter and asked:

“Detective, is there anything else? That’s all I know.”

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“You haven’t given me my change,” Shard pointed out.

“You want the five pence? Oh, Detective, consider it a fee for my storytelling,” she chuckled.

Iluna had no other plans for the evening, so when Shard suggested they stay a bit longer to wait for the famous bard, she happily agreed.

Thus, they spent an hour and a half at the Three Cats Inn, discussing their commission, their personal lives, Iluna’s plans to follow Miss Galina to learn the “Way of Balance,” and even talking about Luviya.

Iluna was quite envious of the color of Luviya’s eyes, believing those purple eyes to be more beautiful than any she had seen before.

But when Shard, smiling, asked if the seventeen-year-old would swap her magical left eye for Luviya’s, Iluna Beath swiftly refused:

“Of course not.”

It seemed Iluna was a pragmatist.

“Why not?” Shard asked as he stirred his meat soup with a spoon, feeling a different ambiance dining out compared to at home.

“Because…”

Iluna looked up at the young man smiling across from her under the lamplight, her gaze slightly blurred. For a moment, it seemed she saw golden streaks on Shard, but they vanished as quickly as they appeared.

With a raised eyebrow and a chuckle, the seventeen-year-old girl said:

“Because it was a gift from you.”