Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 847: After Modification: Huntington City

Chapter 847: After Modification -847 Huntington City

“No, no, I didn’t intend to fire the gun.”

Seeing the elderly vampire and the vampire dressed as a coachman both showing looks of panic, Shard quickly explained, which made the elderly gentleman even more alarmed:

“You really are carrying a gun!”

As they spoke, a third person walked in from outside. Wearing brown leather boots, a neatly pressed suit, and a cylinder hat adorned with golden trim, he looked like a very high-class gentleman. He frowned as he appeared at the doorway, surveying the situation in the warehouse corridor:

“A thief? What are you here to steal?”

Then he saw Shard, who was wearing a mask and clearly didn’t look like an ordinary person, and immediately drew out a black handgun from his waist:

“Don’t move!”

The glaring muzzle of the gun was pointed at Shard. Standing in the autumn morning sunlight, the man caused Shard, whose eyes had not yet adjusted to the light, to fail to see his face clearly at first glance.

“Oh, you’ve got some nerve! This is a vineyard of the royal family. Do you know whose property you’re stealing?”

The middle-aged man in a black coat, who was dressed very dignifiedly, reprimanded:

“Surrender quickly, otherwise…”

Shard’s eyes gradually adjusted to the light outside the door, and he saw who was holding the gun. He was stunned, not expecting to encounter someone he knew here:

“Mr. Benhart?”

“You know who I am? Then quickly raise your hands and hand over your weapon, sir, let’s keep it dignified! None of us want a conflict.”

“I am…”

As Shard spoke, he intended to raise his hand to remove his mask, but Armand Bernhardt misunderstood the action and immediately said:

“Don’t move! You now have the right to defend everything you have done, but whatever you say…”

“I am…”

“Daring to covet the royal family’s property, you really are bold. Now, immediately raise your hands… Honestly, there’s actually nothing here. What exactly are you here to steal?”

Seeing that he ignored his explanation, Shard, who had prepared spellcasting materials in advance, took a light step forward. Then the three vampires in the corridor simultaneously discovered, to their astonishment, that Shard had disappeared.

“It’s me, Mr. Benhart.”

Shard’s helpless voice came from the corridor entrance. Mr. Benhart turned his head and saw the stranger leaning against the door, standing in the sunlight.

Shard removed the mask from his face. Though he had put on the Witch’s eyeshadow, it did not affect those who knew him well:

“It’s me.”

The high-class gentleman with a small bat emblem floating above his head squinted his eyes. Seeing Shard’s face clearly in the sunlight, his mouth opened in surprise, and he immediately lowered his gun, slipping it back into the leather holster at his waist:

“Hammi… Mr. Watson? Long time no see, you seem to have become even more handsome!”

His surprised expression turned into a smile, and he waved to signal his companions not to be cautious. Then he walked up to Shard and gave him a warm hug:

“Before I left Midshire Fort, I left a message for you at that auction house, inviting you to visit me. I didn’t expect we would meet within just half a month! What brings you here? Oh, no need to explain, surely you have some matters to attend to.”

The Viscount, who had been saved by Shard more than once, was very excited.

The White Valley Vineyard indeed belongs to the royal family of Carsonrick, specifically the Anjou Family. However, the royal family has numerous properties within the United Kingdom and cannot personally manage each one. The Benhart Family, distant relatives of the royal family, own vineyards in Huntington City, and Mr. Benhart also oversees the vineyards for the royal family.

The elderly man who had just walked out of the warehouse was a caretaker sent by Mr. Benhart, and the coachman was Mr. Benhart’s own driver. Surrounding the Benhart Family is a small vampire clan, and these people are Mr. Benhart’s trusted aides.

The Anjou Royal Family entrusts the vineyard to Mr. Benhart, paying him an annual fee, while the produce from the vineyard is directly shipped to the Royal Capital Velindale.

As a relative of the royal family, Mr. Benhart certainly wouldn’t take the grapes and wine produced here for his own use, though pocketing a small benefit was permissible. What Shard had just stumbled upon was Mr. Benhart storing fresh meat for overwintering in his estate, intending to keep it in the vineyard’s warehouse.

In order to prevent Shard from doubting him, he specially invited Shard to the warehouse to take a look, and sure enough, there were fresh dead cows and dead sheep:

“This is not me taking advantage, but the warehouse is empty and has no other use, right? Moreover, extracting blood at home is very troublesome, but in the Royal Vineyard, no one would suspect anything.”

Mr. Benhart explained earnestly, not wanting to lose face in front of his friend. For a dignified person like him, this was more unacceptable than having a gun pointed at him.

Shard’s acquaintance with Mr. Benhart began this autumn. Although this gentleman sailed to Midshire Fort with a Godfall Pledge for the Vampire God, he himself did not know much about the matter.

On the evening of the Milestone battle, he, along with the high-ring vampires, forcibly broke into the Cassandra Auction House and was captured alive. If Shard had not visited unexpectedly that night, Miss Swift, the Witch’s apprentice, might not have let him live until dawn.

Mr. Benhart could not remember what questions Shard had asked him that night, but he still remembered that Shard had saved him in the Sin Mansion and the auction house. Unexpectedly reuniting here, this gentleman was extremely pleased:

“I didn’t have the chance to repay you in Milestone, Mr. Watson. Please, let me invite you to dinner now. But not here, this place is too undignified. Let’s go into the city, to Huntington City. I know a very nice club there, you will surely like the scenery of Carsonrick.”

He did not ask why Shard was here but instead extended a very enthusiastic invitation.

Shard was not familiar with this city, but hearing “Huntington City” made him feel at ease:

“Mr. Benhart, are you very familiar with this place?”

The two left together through the rundown warehouse corridor. The old man in charge of the estate locked the warehouse door, while the coachman went to prepare the carriage.

Leaving the corridor and formally entering early winter’s Carsonrick, Shard saw behind him a small estate that appeared already in decline. The corridor they were in just now was at the front of the estate. To enter the estate, they had to use the stairs on the left or right side.

“Of course, I’m familiar with this place. I spend eight months of the year here. I only return to Velindale in the height of summer, as Huntington’s summer is unbearably hot.”

Mr. Benhart enthusiastically introduced, seeing Shard observing the surroundings, he continued:

“Although the White Valley Vineyard belongs to the Royal Family, it has long since declined due to poor management by the previous caretaker. The annual output is barely… translated to Gold Pounds, it’s about 500 pounds, but the cost of hiring workers and maintaining the estate is over 400 pounds, and with other expenses, it actually loses money every year. But since the Anjou Family is willing to pay me to manage it, I have no reason to refuse.”

He shrugged:

“The Royal Family has lots of properties, such deficits don’t bother them.”

“Is there a possibility for me to buy this place?”

Shard asked, looking around in the sunshine. The weather was very favorable, with the small estate showcasing dilapidated houses, abandoned flower fields, and a small hill behind the house. Outside the estate were vast vineyards. The sky was bright blue, with large cotton-like clouds, the sunlight was blinding, but undoubtedly, it was a beautiful day.

“I can inquire for you, but it would be difficult without Carsonrick identity.”

Mr. Benhart gestured towards the carriage outside:

“This way, please.”

“It doesn’t matter if I can’t buy it. I’m just inquiring.”

Following Mr. Benhart across the uneven muddy land of the estate, Shard stood in front of the shabby wooden gate and realized that the White Valley Vineyard itself was on a relatively high hill.

Looking out as far as the eye could see, he saw the immense blue sky, the endless plains, and the city lying on the distant horizon. This was a sight the outlander had never seen before. In the Steam Age world, such pristine yet natural landscape was beyond his imagination.

Shard unconsciously smiled, his mood as bright as the sun overhead:

“The most important thing today is, I want to ask you some questions about this city.”

“No problem, we’ll talk when we get to the city. I do have some influence locally.”

Unlike the mountainous Midshire Fort, Huntington City was located on the central plains of the Old Continent, known for its grain and various cash crops, especially grapes. As they set out towards the city in Mr. Benhart’s carriage, Shard could see endless vineyards through the window. Women with headscarves worked by the beehives, and merchants with crates walked along country roads under the vast blue sky.

Though both were cities of the Old Continent, southern Huntington City was entirely different from Coldwater Port, Tobesk, and Midshire Fort in late autumn.

The girls around Shard always envied the vineyards of southern Carsonrick. Even Dr. Schneider, who had visited Carsonrick for academic conferences, praised the scenery highly. Though this wasn’t the best season like midsummer, the late autumn scenery had already made the outlander understand why people always commended the southern vineyards so much.

The White Valley Vineyard where Shard arrived was in the east of Huntington City, only a twenty-minute ride from the city. If riding alone, the journey could be even shorter.

In the carriage, Mr. Benhart enthusiastically introduced the city to Shard. As they gradually moved from the countryside closer to Huntington City’s downtown, the vast vineyard landscape disappeared, the blinding sunlight mellowed, and in its place appeared the familiar Steam Age big city views Shard knew so well.