Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 1512: Shattering and Visits

"Even though the distortion has disappeared, the scars remain. The lost parts cannot be restored. The pure earth will inevitably experience distortion once again. Since that banquet, the earth has officially entered a period of turmoil, and earthquakes will occur more frequently than ever before. Moreover, there is a chance for ’Crazy Earth’ and resurrected fossil creatures to appear around the world, though they are not as intense as in the Randall Valley and can be dealt with by ordinary means."

This can be considered a "sequel," but it also indicates that the earth’s distortion has only been cured once, with a possibility of "relapse." It’s not that Shard didn’t handle the matter well; the earth’s distortion is linked to changes in the world itself. Unless he can directly change the world and stop the "ultimate apocalypse" that has yet to reveal the right time, any plan would be futile.

The magma bubbled in his ears, and while the inhuman Guardian might be accustomed to such an environment, Shard was already feeling a bit warm. The firelight illuminated his slightly furrowed face:

"Since other regions have possibilities for Crazy Earth and fossil creatures to appear, shouldn’t these creatures appear more frequently in the Randall Valley region?"

Shard asked, and the Guardian nodded:

"The local church can handle these problems, and I will help, too, but it’s no longer the same as before."

This point did not surprise Shard at all, as it was always like this.

Coldwater Port is still under attack by Mermen, Sicarl Mountain is haunted by Evil Spirits, and the lingering power of Pantanal Evil Creatures causes strange plant monsters to sporadically appear in the Great Swamp. Compared to this, the fossil creatures and Fallen Giant Spirits in the Randall Valley region are nothing of consequence, and even provide Shard with more opportunities to practice his spellcasting ability and swordsmanship.

Moreover, an increase in monsters also means an increased probability of special materials and rare herbal medicine appearing; things always have two sides.

"Such a result is better than the entire earth being corrupted; this is already the best outcome we could achieve."

Shard was quite satisfied with this and reached out to the Guardian:

"Although we previously discussed this topic formally, would you be willing to ally with us?"

"Who are the allies?"

The Guardian asked.

"Me, Miss Luviya Annette, Chosen of Balance - Miss Iluna Beath, and Chosen of Death - Sister Delphine. By the way, Chosen of Darkness and Chosen of Knowledge and Wisdom were both resolved by me."

He felt it unnecessary to tell the soul in front of him what was sealed within the [Aikenora - Arrow of the Chosen].

The silent Iluna and the nun both slightly nodded towards this Chosen of the Earth, indicating that Shard could represent them.

"As your ally, what specifically needs to be done?"

The soul asked calmly.

"Sometimes your help might be needed, but most importantly, when the Thirteen Pages of the Chosen’s story reach the end, and the legendary ’gate’ appears, I hope that whatever happens when pushing open the gate, you can follow my, or Luviya’s, arrangements. Of course, we promise not to harm the earth, as you know me well."

Shard was speaking as Iluna and Sister Delphine’s Ring of Fate appeared behind them, then transformed into a dark golden balance and a scythe respectively.

The Guardian’s Thirteen Rings also appeared behind him, then transformed into a dark golden Holy Grail in the light. The style of the Holy Grail was identical to the former Soil Holy Grail.

He did not hesitate:

"All my understanding of the Whispering Verses comes from you and the Church. But the spirit of the earth has enlightened me — helping you cannot be wrong."

He reached out and shook hands with Shard:

"I think there’s no problem; I am willing to help you, just as you have helped me before."

Although the Guardian was a spiritual body, Shard could still feel its touch. And after shaking hands, though there was no explicit contract, Shard knew the partnership had been established, so he smiled, as they both valued commitments:

"I heard from Iluna that you can’t leave the Randall Valley region?"

"Yes, although I am not completely unable to leave, unless necessary, I must remain here to guard, and cannot easily let the main body appear on the surface."

The Guardian did not hide this point; the damage to the Heart of the Earth was more severe than Shard had thought:

"Although everything seems to have ended, in truth, everything is just beginning. The prelude to the apocalypse has been avoided, but there are still a series of other events ahead. I am both the Guardian of the Earth and the Chosen of the Earth. When I am needed, I will surely appear."

"I understand, then let’s go meet Miss Luviya Annette together. Actually, among us, she has always been the central figure. Although it may seem inappropriate to say, I am more like someone executing tasks. Regarding our collaboration, Luviya can discuss it with you in detail."

Shard extended the invitation, and the Guardian calmly raised his question:

"On the night of the banquet, I learned of your power, so please allow me to ask: why do you follow her arrangements?"

"It’s probably like... a formal game, there always needs to be a host, right?"

Shard had no idea what the guardian’s hundreds of thoughts conjured up at that moment, but the Guardian did not linger on the topic:

"Besides, I’ve spoken with Miss Beyas, and I heard you’re very interested in those spatial relics left by the Ancient Gods?"

"Yes."

Shard raised an eyebrow, and so the Guardian handed him a square, polished stone. Apart from lacking points, it was almost like a pitch-black die.

"Using the power of the Chosen, I made a door. By throwing this stone at a location that fulfills the requirements of a ’Heart of the Earth Furnace’, you can permanently solidify the door."

"That’s wonderful, even skipping the ritual."

The so-called ’fulfillment of conditions’ means that the location for solidifying the door should be below the horizon, have sufficient geothermal heat, be a place enriched with the Spirit of the Earth, and the location for setting the door must never have been polluted by any force.

These are the basic conditions. Besides that, the requirements in terms of orientation and space must meet the demands of mysticism. Even if all these conditions are met, there’s still a chance that the door cannot be set, which is a matter of luck.

Shard wasn’t sure if his basement met the conditions, but he planned to give it a try with Iluna once she returned to Tobesk. After all, throwing the stone wasn’t a laborious task.

Thus, under the Guardian’s arrangement, the three of them simultaneously touched the stone pillar located at the center of the Heart of the Earth.

As a burst of white light flashed before their eyes, the glow of the dark red magma vanished. When they could see their surroundings clearly again, they had arrived in the snow-covered courtyard of Benanis Estate. This kind of shift using Earth Power was a convenience brought about by the dual identity of "Guardian" and "Chosen."

Since Shard mentioned earlier that there might be an invitation for the Guardian to visit the estate, the girls at the estate weren’t surprised by the Guardian’s appearance.

The Spiritual Body didn’t need to eat, so there was no need to invite the Guardian to stay for dinner in the evening. Shard, along with the three Chosen ones, found Luviya in the study on the third floor and let them converse with her. Regarding the Whispering Verses, Luviya knew far more than Shard, and she could handle the relationships with the Chosen ones.

As for Shard, he informed Tifa, who was staying at the estate, about the Guardian. Although Shard didn’t explicitly state it, the witches wouldn’t miss the chance to contact the "Chosen of the Earth," thus, the gains of this council’s operation weren’t merely in altering the Church of the Five Gods’ view of them significantly.

Even from the witches’ perspective, a soul amalgamation composed of hundreds of noble souls is still considered male and would trigger a witch’s curse, so the council couldn’t have a relationship with the Guardian the same way Sister Delphine could. But at least making contact could establish a basic friendship.

Shard didn’t participate in the conversation between the Chosen ones and Luviya, not because he wanted to stay out of it, but because another "date" awaited him that night.

Miss Danester must have been very busy these past two days, but even so, she surely wouldn’t forget the meeting with Shard.

And although Shard acted relaxed at the dining table with the witches, as if he had everything under control, in reality, as the time to set off approached, he felt a bit uneasy. Therefore, he specifically brought Mia along, hoping the cat could ease the atmosphere a bit.

The meeting place was a manor where professors from Saint Byrons Integrated Academy resided locally, and since it wasn’t a short journey, Shard rode a carriage there. Just as he was leaving the Benanis Estate, Tifa caught up from behind and handed him a finely wrapped, butterfly-tied, long red gift box:

"Visiting your teacher without bringing a gift?"

The black-haired maid smiled in the snow, and as Shard was about to thank her, she added:

"This was prepared in advance by the lady; she anticipated that you wouldn’t think of this. Also, the lady doesn’t need your thanks."

As a look of bewilderment appeared on Shard’s face, she urged him not to be late, and then saw Shard off at the manor gates, watching him ride the carriage away.

Shard intentionally avoided dinner time, arriving at the professors’ residence after dinner.

When he met Miss Danester with the gift, the red-haired female sorcerer was in the study talking to the elf girl. The fireplace in the study was jumping with a cheerful flame, and the pure white little creature lay quietly on the carpet in front of the fireplace, its fur illuminated by the firelight—the pose identical to Mia in winter.

But the unicorn’s pleasant mood was quickly interrupted by the sound of a cat meowing.