Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 1433: Watchtower

"You’re in a good mood, does it have anything to do with Margaret?"

Shard still didn’t understand, so the girl with flaxen hair said, slightly embarrassed:

"I used to always lack confidence. After all, among all the Grand Witch apprentices, I was the last to join and the one with the poorest talent. But now, with Margaret Anjou appearing..."

She didn’t continue, to avoid insulting Her Highness the Princess, then she stood on tiptoe and gave Shard a kiss:

"I can’t help you directly like other ladies, I can only do some logistical work in the city. Before you leave, Granny told me that if you need anything from the local auction house, you can take it. Shard, I wish you success in your actions."

Saying this, she put her hands behind her back, and in quite a good mood, bid farewell to Shard, heading downstairs.

Shard felt he might never understand the thoughts of young girls.

After lunch, Margaret hurried to the manor, not missing the witches’ "lunch gathering." However, she still had a private conversation with Shard.

Her Highness the Princess seemed to be in a good mood today, unaffected by being petrified a few days earlier.

She also gave Shard something, but it wasn’t a gemstone, it was an invitation letter:

"Remember I mentioned it? I need a banquet that invites most of the nobles and celebrities of this city, to publicly reconcile with the Stonemason Guild at that event."

"The time is... tomorrow, Thursday night?"

Shard asked hesitantly:

"Why so urgent? Besides, Ston Osenfort’s business just started being investigated, it takes time to liquidate, right? And what about the compensation with the Stonemason Guild?"

"Plans can’t keep up with changes."

Margaret shook her head, threw the newspaper onto the study’s coffee table:

"The matter of William and me going to Stonemason Street in the old town for negotiations with the Stonemason Guild, and then getting attacked by cultists, has become the headline news across the Kingdom these past days.

Now the entire Kingdom is praising and concerned about us. I want to seize this momentum and finalize the negotiation with the Stonemason Guild in one go, even if it’s just an initial agreement. Although this will give my brother some credit, I’ll gain even more. Besides, he’s got big trouble waiting for him when he returns to Velindale because of dealings with Osenfort."

"Are you forcing the Stonemason Guild to agree to peace talks?"

"No, no, I wouldn’t use the word ’forcing’. I should say... going with the flow? After all, I’m not going to propose any harsh conditions; my bottom line for compensation is quite high."

She gestured a number to Shard:

"But compensation has never been the key. Father disagrees with a public apology, and insists the Stonemason Guild should fix the tomb that hasn’t been restored yet. Therefore, there are other important issues to discuss at the banquet. But I am confident in resolving this matter; otherwise, how could I become a witch’s apprentice."

She smiled and winked at Shard:

"Sorry, I know you’re quite busy lately, and your tasks are much more important than my trivial ones. But on Thursday night, could you find some time..."

"No problem, I’m not doing my stuff until Friday. It’s good to relax at a banquet before tackling big things."

Shard asked again:

"Are there any other participants?"

"I’ve invited everyone except Miss Galina, who can’t make an appearance. I’m still waiting for responses."

"Then we’ll see each other at the banquet, hope everything goes smoothly."

Shard put away the invitation, and Margaret asked again:

"If the final negotiation doesn’t go well, I might use the gold mine as a bargaining chip. The one you and Miss Benanis found at the Night Shrine."

"But we didn’t really find it... never mind, go ahead and use it as a chip."

Shard said.

"I won’t forget your share."

She smiled sweetly, looked towards the study door, then affectionately wrapped her arms around Shard’s neck:

"Now both Teacher Sylvia and Teacher Benanis are downstairs... Knight, do you want to try something exciting?"

Immediately after speaking, without giving Shard a chance to respond, she enthusiastically kissed him.

This Wednesday, Shard did have something to do. Before the final battle began, he had only one last thing to confirm, which was the rumors about the location where a demon was once sealed, obtained from Mr. Sean Asmon last night.

He himself was skeptical of this clue, but since he had time and no more important matters to attend to, there was no harm in taking a look.

Since everyone had their own affairs, Shard did not invite anyone and set off alone. However, because Margaret "delayed" him for some time, it was already 3 PM by the time he departed from the city.

The location provided by Mr. Asmon was outside the city, not in the mountainous region to the east of the city, but to the west, downstream of the Elon River, away from the valley.

It actually wasn’t far from the city. Once he reached the edge of the city, he entered the nearby town. Following a country path towards the village cemetery, he passed the cemetery and continued for less than ten minutes until he saw the distant lake shrouded in mist.

This lake is called "Nedlan Lake." Though not nearly as large as the Elderon Lake upstream of the Elon River, it is still important for inland river shipping.

On the eastern shore of the lake stands a watchtower of unknown age. During wartime, it was an important vantage point, but now it generally serves as a lighthouse. Shard’s destination was that old watchtower.

Originally, he thought he would make a quick circuit and conclude this brief outing. However, while passing through the small village, he observed many tracks on the muddy country road. When passing by the cemetery, he spoke with the old gravedigger doing maintenance and learned that a carriage from the Dawn Church had passed through earlier that morning.

By the time Shard saw the watchtower in the distance, he indeed found traces of reconnaissance arcane techniques being used by the Church’s Circle Sorcerers nearby.

Initially, he was surprised, but he then realized that if even an ordinary person like Mr. Sean Asmon could find the lead, then the local True God Church, already fully aware of the demon’s presence, could naturally uncover it too.

Fortunately, like Shard, the Church apparently did not place much importance on this clue. Based on the villagers’ descriptions and traces nearby, it seemed the local Dawn Chapel had only dispatched a full team of Circle Sorcerers for reconnaissance.

The team had arrived in the morning, so by the time Shard appeared near the watchtower at dusk, their search mission was likely nearing its end, with no results.

Otherwise, there wouldn’t just be a few people here.

Shard had no intention of meeting the Church’s Circle Sorcerers, so upon confirming that people were in the tower, he planned to wander around in the nearby woodland. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"But if the demon was truly suppressed beneath this tower, why didn’t it bring the tower down when breaking free of the seal?"

Shard pondered, standing by the lake and watching the splendid sunset, while "She" softly asked:

[Why does the tower have to fall?]

"I know a story from my hometown: A white snake, adept at human transfiguration, brought down a tower when it broke free from the seal beneath it."

[Another fairy tale?]

Shard immediately denied:

"This is no fairy tale, it’s a very adult story.

Did you know? In that story, a doctor who ran a hospital actually got the white snake pregnant... Tsk tsk, this story is probably more suitable for Mr. Lyman and Professor Manning... I wonder if Professor Manning helped me publish that article... The Mr. Elfote who gave me that article has already passed away, but he left his pocket watch with me. Although he allowed me to handle it as I wish, I must find time to deliver it to his fiancée in Velindale City... I wonder how that tiger is doing; is it starving now..."

His thoughts diverged boundlessly.

As the yellow sunset turned the surface of Nedlan Lake, already beginning to thaw, into a brilliant gold, the Circle Sorcerer team from the tower finally departed by carriage.

Shard watched them leave, waited a while to ensure they wouldn’t return, and then finally approached the tower.

Although it now served as a lighthouse, no Tower Keeper was stationed here during winter. The door at the base of the tower was casually locked by the previous team, but a simple lock could not deter Shard.

Only, this watchtower was too small, much smaller than the old lighthouse in Coldwater Port City guarded by Mr. Edmund, the city lighthouse in Tobesk City used for the "Time Perception Enhancement Ceremony" with the doctor’s help, and the lighthouse on Pantanal Lake Heart Island from last year’s final battle.

The tower had no basement and consisted of four floors. Apart from the earthen floor on the first level, the other three levels used wooden boards. Due to its small size, each floor was connected by a basic wooden ladder, making climbing up and down quite troublesome.

Shard didn’t take the lazy approach of transforming into a butterfly to fly up, but instead climbed from the bottom to the top floor. He saw traces of the Church’s various inspections and the broken quilts and daily necessities left by the Tower Keeper who departed in early winter.

Reaching the top level, there was only a tall fire basin in the center. Surprisingly, the fire basin still retained some warmth, likely an attempt by the Circle Sorcerers to see if lighting it might yield different results.

"I knew it was a complete waste of time."

Shard muttered, standing at the top of the watchtower, hands in his pockets, gazing at the lake’s scenery.

Far from the city, it was truly peaceful here, as if the disaster in Randall Valley hadn’t yet touched this place. The sunset turned the cracked ice surface golden, and the evening wind brushed against the woodland at the lake’s edge, making the forest emit a rhythmical, natural sound.