Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 1521: Galina Cavendish’s Commission
Shard got off the carriage at the pawnshop entrance and walked in; in the usually quiet pawnshop, there was no one inside, not even Old John. Only the bronze censer on the counter was emitting bizarre-scented steam.
The pawnshop was still the same. It looked like a garbage heap in a landfill, but upon careful examination, every item in the shop had value. The east wall was covered with all kinds of clocks, and the display cabinet held boxed metal harmonicas and dancing music boxes.
The old-style steam engine that Shard saw on his first visit, one that could be placed in a museum, was still in the corner. However, the brass mechanical bird on the shelf, which transformed through gear mechanisms, caught his interest. He remembered Miss Galina had something similar in her study.
After he rang the bell on the counter, the old man wearing an apron came in through the back door:
"Oh, I thought it was a customer, but it’s you. Detective, wait for a moment, I’m in the back dealing with some magic potion materials. You know, if the Six-Leaf Coral Grass from the Pontar River Basin isn’t handled, the smell would ruin everyone’s lunch on the whole street."
"Am I not considered a customer?"
Shard murmured softly but still waited for a while.
"Here’s the framed painting you wanted."
Ten minutes later, when the old man returned from the back door, he placed a framed painting on the counter. The framed oil painting was a work by Haila Osenfort for Shard depicting the young detective standing in a desolate snowy backyard.
Shard had asked the old man to frame it last night when he and Luviya were taking their cat for a walk, and to process it with special means to extend the painting’s preservation. He didn’t expect it to be done so quickly.
"This painting is very well done. I bet it wasn’t painted by a human. The emotions and soul power embedded in it are enough for it to last until the next millennium, detective, you really found a good artist."
Old Man John, who had a keen eye for things, said this, and Shard nodded:
"I’ll pay the final payment later. The gold and jewelry I commissioned you to sell..."
It was the money he and Iluna found in the sewers of Randall Valley, collected as military funds by the rebels from the citizens before the unification of the United Kingdom of Carsonrick.
"It’s sold; such things are easy to sell. You don’t have to pay me the remaining amount for the frame, your treasure, as usual, I’ll deduct five percent as an intermediary fee. It’s quite a sum."
The old man said, and Shard naturally didn’t mind. However, just as he took the anonymous bill and the framed painting to leave, Old John called out to him again.
"So, having made this big transaction, are you trying to sell me some goods? I think the gas lamp stand on that shelf looks very nice. Can you give it to me?"
"Oh, detective, that was acquired for 5 shillings, it’s an old item from decades ago. I wanted to ask if you’ve heard about the Randall Valley incident?"
Shard paused as he put away his wallet, turning to glance at the door before nodding:
"Of course, with such a significant event, how could I not know? Speaking of which, does the Hermit Society have any intelligence to share?"
Old John raised an eyebrow:
"Of course, we have people there. Currently, it seems the church and the God Summoners together prevented the disaster from sweeping across the Earth and the entire world. But the Hermit’s observations are not optimistic; the inevitable apocalypse hasn’t disappeared. Even if the Earth’s filth has been cleared, it has become unstable. In recent years, strange natural disasters will frequently occur."
This matched the remarks Shard had heard from the Guardians; he didn’t expect the Hermit Society to know about this too.
"But all we, who live in this era, can do is everything in our power to change those destined tragedies. Even if we can’t succeed, at least we have to do something."
Shard said:
"This time, everyone in Randall Valley has done well enough."
Old John smiled and nodded:
"You’re indeed suitable for us. But why does your tone sound like you were involved in the Randall Valley incident too?"
"I wish I had participated, like a spectator in the opera house, watching the tragedy unfold on stage step by step, unable to change it and only waiting for the final end, it’s too awful."
Shard sighed, reflecting his true thoughts.
"But no one can merely be a spectator; we are born into this world and destined to be buried here too. The net of fate was woven into our soul as soon as we let out our first cry. We are all players on this stage."
Old John sighed, then promised Shard that if the Hermit Society had any firsthand information about the apocalypse and disasters, he would inform him.
When Shard returned to Saint Delan Square carrying the framed painting by carriage, he unexpectedly found Miss Galina’s carriage at his doorstep.
However, the carriage did not contain the red-haired Duchess but rather the black-haired Miss Maid.
"Please come in quickly, I apologize. I thought you would come a bit later. Oh, Tifa, doesn’t your place have a key to my house? Why are you waiting outside?"
Shard invited her inside. Miss Maid instructed the carriage to wait at the street corner, then followed him inside with a smile:
"That key was left to us for cleaning purposes. During non-cleaning times, we servants cannot enter the master’s room indiscriminately; it’s a rule of the maids."
"Actually, there’s no need to be so rigid, besides, I trust you very much."
He paused for a moment, then added:
"Our relationship is not..."
A fair hand covered Shard’s mouth. Shard looked back at those black eyes at the bottom of the stairs, filled with rather complex emotions:
"We can’t talk about this now, at least not today."
Shard slowly nodded, unsure why but still led Tifa upstairs, first putting down the painting frame, then preparing some tea:
"Miss Galina, what exactly do you want me to do? Didn’t she come?"
He also sat down and held Mia.
"The miss didn’t come, but it is indeed an important matter."
Miss Maid sat seriously on the sofa, a smile in her eyes, but her expression was somewhat solemn:
"Detective Shard Suren Hamilton from the Hamilton Detective Office, on behalf of Duke Galina Cavendish, I am here to deliver a commission invitation."
"A commission?"
Although he didn’t know what the witch wanted to do, Shard nodded like he was entertaining a client:
"What an honor. Speaking of which, I haven’t formally taken on a commission since the Randall Valley incident. So, Miss Maid, what kind of commission has the Duke asked you to bring?"
Tifa said:
"The Duke instructs that, Detective, by sunset today, using any method, you must find and deliver five legendary artifacts to the Duke."
"And what are these five legendary artifacts?"
Her pretty black eyes blinked:
"His Majesty the King’s crown, a fountain that gushes endless beautiful wine, the Philosopher’s Stone, symbolizing pricelessness, the Holy Grail used by ancient gods in distant eras, and your heart."
"Hmm..."
Shard tilted his head and thought about it, becoming more perplexed as to what the witch wanted to do. But fortunately, the task wasn’t difficult; besides the doctor, no one knew what Shard got from the demon:
"What does Miss Galina want these things for?"
He chose to ask directly, but Tifa shook her head:
"This is a commission from the Duchess, and also a trial from the Duchess for you. Detective, you just need to say whether you will accept it or not."
"Since it’s a commission, what’s the reward?"
Shard asked again, and Tifa was prepared, or rather, Miss Galina was prepared:
"The reward is a treasure you cannot refuse. If you can bring these items to the manor before sunset, the Duchess of Saradiel will not break her promise."
Shard thought for a moment:
"Then I’ll accept it. For Duke Galina, the Guardian of Saradiel, I will do my best to bring back those treasures... However, I wonder if this beautiful Miss Maid in front of me could give me some hints? After all, these treasures are really hard to obtain."
He asked tentatively.
"Are you trying to make me betray the Duke?"
The loyal maid asked suspiciously, so Shard took her hand and kissed the back of her pale white hand:
"This is not betrayal, but to allow me to prepare those treasures for the Duke."
Tifa let him hold her hand and laughed:
"Alright then, but hints aren’t free; mere sweet talk is not enough to move me. If I give you a hint, when you come to the manor in the evening, you must reward me."
"No problem."
"Among the five treasures, the easiest is actually the Holy Grail. The miss knows you no longer have the Holy Grail, but you can visit The Chosen of Randall Valley. He can detect the areas where the Crazy Earth appears, allowing you to create another Holy Grail."
"Hmm, makes sense."
Shard nodded slowly.
So Tifa continued:
"You will have to strive to obtain the other treasures yourself. But the truly difficult ones are the ’Fountain of Endless Beautiful Wine’ from fairy tales and the rumored Philosopher’s Stone."
Shard nodded again:
"Those two are indeed nearly impossible to obtain."
"As for the King’s crown, although stealing it out is very difficult, His Majesty the King wouldn’t wear it all day. Perhaps you can, through Princess Lecia, inquire about the occasions and frequency when the King wears the crown, and seize the opportunity to ’borrow’ it. You are a Six Rings Warlock, you have your skills."
Tifa said with a smile, but her expression was serious in the last sentence:
"As for ’your heart’, Shard, you’ll have to figure that out on your own."
"Got it."
Although Shard didn’t really understand what this commission was about, he still nodded:
"A day’s time is indeed a bit tight, but miracles always happen. I will take on this task, hoping Her Grace the Duchess will be satisfied."
