Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 1398: With Miss Danester

Seeing that story, Shard finally understood a little:

"Your current mother is your stepmother?"

He returned the book to the little girl, who pursed her lips and nodded, but did not explain further. Shard could naturally guess the general story, but as an outsider, he couldn’t say much:

"Thank you for answering my question. So, would you like to see me perform a magic trick?"

Shard said as he stood up. While the little girl looked up at him curiously, he reached into his pocket and quickly pulled out a red apple:

"Look, I made an apple appear!"

"I knew it! The apple was in your pocket all along!"

The girl said with a laugh.

"You guessed right, so it’s yours now."

Shard then handed the apple to the girl on the sickbed, and she softly thanked him as she took it. Just as Shard was about to leave, she asked:

"Sir, do you think the prince in the story who can change the girl’s life really exists?"

This was not an easy question to answer. After thinking for a moment, Shard asked:

"Well then, do you believe the fairy who turns the girl into a princess really exists?"

The girl shook her head without hesitation:

"Of course not. If fairy tales were real, she would have been punished a long time ago."

She did not explain who "she" referred to, and Shard did not ask. He smiled and praised her:

"You’re very smart. Since fairies don’t exist, why would princes exist either?"

Before the girl could respond, Shard continued:

"I know what you want to ask isn’t about the prince, but whether someone will take you away from this home in the future."

The girl widened her eyes and looked at Shard, who went on to say:

"Of course someone will, just like your mother met your father. Perhaps I shouldn’t be the one to say this, but when you do meet this person, your judgment of whether he is good or bad shouldn’t be according to the prince’s ’wealth and handsomeness,’ but according to the Fairy Godmother."

"What kind of person is the Fairy Godmother? Does she perform magic? But isn’t such a requirement too high?"

The girl asked, somewhat perplexed. Shard laughed:

"No, no, no, the requirement isn’t that high. It’s desiring to offer a helping hand to the weak; and honesty, once she promised to help the poor girl, she truly fulfilled the girl’s wish."

Saying so, he waved goodbye, as he was really leaving this time:

"Of course, besides those, there’s one more important thing."

"What’s the most important thing?"

The girl looked up at him, and Shard said seriously:

"The prince values the Princess in fine attire arriving in a Pumpkin Carriage wearing Crystal Shoes; but the fairy values Cinderella, who might not stand out in appearance but is hardworking and honest."

The girl blinked and suddenly smiled. She waved goodbye to Shard, watching him leave from the staircase.

That morning, Shard had not yet found Miss Danester but unexpectedly heard the rumor that Margaret was visiting patients. Finding Miss Danester was even easier than he thought. While wandering around the street where the Sun Cathedral was located, not daring to enter directly, he glanced from over a hundred meters at the busy interior of the majestic Sun Cathedral before turning into the nearby alley.

This alley was right next to the church, so although narrow like most alleys in the city, it was not dirty at all. Shard intended to check out the street behind the church, but as soon as he entered the alley, he encountered Miss Danester coming through with two High Ring professors, whispering as they walked.

At that moment, Shard felt an urge to step back, but remembering the Big Tail Dragon Lady waiting for him to return in the city of Eternal Night in the previous Era, he resolutely moved forward.

At this time, Shard was in a state of disguise with the Witch’s eyeshadow. In this state, those who were intimately familiar with him still saw Shard’s face, while those slightly less familiar saw a different appearance.

As they met in the alley, Shard looked up at Miss Danester, and the Thirteen-Ring Sorceress merely glanced at him, nodding slightly like greeting a stranger, before passing by with the two professors.

Shard continued walking forward and reached the exit on the other side of the alley but didn’t leave. Instead, he turned back into the alley and stopped under a notice posted by the church.

The notice was about the winter distribution of relief food, dated Frostfall Moon of 1853, which is November. The gist of the notice was that with the weather turning cold and the first snow approaching, the Sun Cathedral’s weekend relief food distribution time was extended from six o’clock to seven-thirty. At the same time, the poor receiving relief food in winter could also get some outdated old newspapers if needed.

These old newspapers were not to be taken home and burned for warmth, but to be stuffed into clothes for insulation. The beggars on the street would use this method to keep warm during winter.

"What are you looking at?"

A voice came from behind. Shard looked up at the wheat ear–adorned borders of the notice, the large sun pattern at the top, and the cat-shaped design in the corner, and he sighed softly:

"Recalling the past. Before becoming a Circle Sorcerer, I was once so destitute that I had to go to the church for relief food to get by."

"Once" referred to roughly about eight hours, because on his way home that night, he stumbled upon Old John’s pawnshop, and discovered he actually had some assets.

"Oh, you had that experience? Was it during the time after your awakening?"

The woman’s voice asked with a laugh, and Shard turned around to see the Thirteen-Ring Sorceress standing behind him:

"Good morning, Miss Danester."

"Good morning, Shard."

The beautiful red-haired lady slightly shook her head:

"I find it surprising that I’m not curious at all about your sudden appearance in Randall Valley."

Shard had some experience observing the moods of ladies, so he knew that the smile on her face was genuine.

"Actually, I’ve been here for a while; this time I have something to ask you about, so I came to see you."

"I hope you took such a big risk to see me in Randall Valley not to ask about the role of daffodil roots in brewing ’cough water.’

She still spoke with a smile and, like Shard just now, looked up at the already yellowing notice:

"I have to admit, the stability of the Material World in the Sixth Era owes a lot to the True God Church. The Witch Empresses of the Fifth Era also played a similar role, but the Witch Empresses not only took responsibility but were also keen on gaining more power themselves. Comparatively speaking, the True God Church of the Sixth Era is much better."

Shard nodded:

"The so-called five True Gods have become the most orthodox faith nowadays. Maybe the high-end combat strength of the Church of the Five Gods can’t defeat the Witch Empresses of the Fifth Era, but their spirit of dedication is far beyond... Do you have something to do this morning? Perhaps I should schedule a time to visit you again."

"So, Shard, do you have anything to do this morning?"

Miss Danester asked back, not intending to ask Shard how he showed up there.

"No, I don’t."

"In that case, come with me into the church and take a look. Your disguise is quite good now; I’ll cast another Illusion Technique on you. Stay by my side, and no one will question your identity. Since you’re here, I’ll take you along to see the situation. As a teacher, it’s what I should do to show my students more of the world."

The two High Ring professors from earlier were waiting for them outside the alley. Just as Miss Danester said, the professors didn’t ask who Shard was, as if he had been part of their group from the beginning.

Their destination was the Sun Cathedral that Shard hadn’t entered earlier, and to show respect for the Thirteen-Ring Sorcerer, Mr. Pierre Granger, the local Thirteen Mage of the Sun Church known as "Earth Shaker," specifically came to the entrance to greet them.

This Mr. Granger was evidently acquainted with Miss Danester. During the introduction, Shard learned that the two professors accompanying Miss Danester were the gray-haired elder, Professor Lemar from the Divinity Academy, and the slender woman in her forties, Professor Mason from the Academy of Ancient Literature.

When introducing Shard, Miss Danester simply said he was her assistant, so the people from the Sun Church who came to greet them didn’t ask many questions.

Mr. Pierre Granger escorted the group into the church, past the main hall, and into the right corridor. They then went up the stairs to a tower on the right side of the church that was not open to ordinary believers.

In the highest room of the side tower, visible from most parts of the city, the group saw the Soil Holy Grail floating above a stone altar. Shard was familiar with this Holy Grail; it was the "Sweet Chalice" used by the Witch to make the "Universal Earth Elixir."

At that moment, the Holy Grail was filled with a clear liquid, and as the altar with a strong Miracle Element emitted a thick, earthy glow, the liquid in the Holy Grail dripped down one drop at a time.

On the surface of the altar, there were circular grooves, and each droplet would fall into the grooves, then flow along the grooves to the edge of the altar, where it was collected from a small outlet.

"This is it."

Mr. Pierre Granger introduced, he appeared about the same age as Earl Granger, only taller and more robust:

"This is currently the most effective means of treating the Petrified Plague. In fact, the liquid in this Holy Grail, when used entirely, is enough to treat any petrification patient who hasn’t died. Even if they directly touch the filth of the Earth, they can be healed. But to save more people, it must be used with the church’s Divine Ritual to catalyze the efficacy of the elixir, dilute it, and then distribute it."