Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 1533: Green Lake and Misfortune Wool

Chapter 1533: Chapter 1533: Green Lake and Misfortune Wool

"The name of ’Green Lake City’ comes from the lake known as ’Green Lake.’ The lake is situated between Green Lake City and Mikayla Ironworks City, very close to the former. The founding of Green Lake City itself is due to the presence of that lake. As for the name ’Green Lake,’ it’s because the lake’s water intermittently turns completely green, which is said to be related to algae growth caused by underground water pollution."

Miss Galina said.

Shard wasn’t particularly interested in ’Green Lake City’ within Draleon, but he hadn’t forgotten that Haila Osenfort’s father, Old Watsont, mentioned that the tomb robbers who sold him those angel finger bones seemed to come from the City of Glass: Mikayla Ironworks City at the Carsonrick border.

Shard took note of this matter in his mind, and Luviya asked him:

"What are your plans once you recover from your illness?"

"I’m planning to visit a small town on the East Coast to see Miss Mia Gold."

Perhaps because it heard the word "Mia," the cat eating lunch with its head down looked up alertly at Shard.

Shard patted its little head:

"I lost some time because of my illness, otherwise, I might’ve been back by now."

He didn’t plan to stay there long, and starting from Midshire Fort on the steam locomotive, the journey wasn’t too far.

"You’d better postpone your departure. The Tobesk City Spring Equestrian Tournament will open later next week."

Dorothy said earnestly:

"I remember you promised Lecia to participate, and if your health allows, it’s best not to miss it."

"Of course."

Shard immediately said:

"Lecia also said that, when I declare my loyalty as part of the competition registration, I should do so in her name, oh!"

Before he finished speaking, he received a kick under the table. There were only four people at the table, so it was easy for him to figure out it was Dorothy.

It seemed Her Highness the Princess still didn’t want Shard to speak on this matter.

"Little Lecia, could she have been thinking about this since last year?"

The witch said, seemingly not particularly concerned.

The "Spring Equestrian Tournament" is the grandest activity of the season, continuing the traditions of the cold weapon knight era, so all the rules must follow ancient customs. Participants must choose an appropriate way to declare their loyalty during the competition.

One can use the family surname, the name of a lover, a metaphor symbolizing purity and loyalty, or even the name of an admirer.

And now, everyone knew what Lecia had in mind.

Shard realized he seemed to have said too much, so he tried to change the subject:

"Please allow me once again to thank you all for taking care of me these past days."

He spoke quite sincerely:

"Especially Luviya, every time I woke up with a headache late at night, I could see you, oh!"

Shard received another kick under the table - this time from the female diviner.

But this time, he didn’t understand what he had said wrong, so "she" gently reminded:

"Luviya Annette used demon coins for special divination to determine your treatment. At the same time, she used divination to determine your awakening times and entered your room accordingly. She hasn’t told anyone about this."

"How do I remember that Luviya’s special divination had no effect on me?"

"She" smiled gently:

"Even without memories from the Bygone Era: Sixth Era, she remains a remarkable girl."

After kicking Shard, Luviya’s face flushed slightly, and she didn’t plan to speak further. Dorothy found her demeanor quite interesting, while the witch said:

"Isn’t it our duty to take care of you? Once you’re better, why don’t I leave the maid for you? No one in the house preparing meals, running baths, or preparing tea could be quite inconvenient, could it?"

"No, no, I don’t need extra care from anyone."

Shard hurriedly refused, then turned to Tifa behind him:

"It’s not that these girls aren’t good at taking care of me, I’m just not used to it."

The black-haired Miss Maid smiled softly, and Miss Galina already knew he would say that:

"Let me know if you need anything, since we don’t have to be formal now. I know you don’t like me giving you things for no reason, but if you really need anything, don’t treat me as an outsider."

Those beautiful golden eyes glanced at Shard, and Shard nodded:

"Of course, ever since that night, oh!"

Under the table, Shard got nudged again, but this time he was genuinely a bit upset, or perhaps confused:

"I’m a patient!"

He emphasized, and as Luviya and Dorothy stifled their laughs, he bent down and grabbed something. When he straightened up, there was a red high-heeled shoe in his hand.

The witch’s mouth twitched slightly:

"Give it back to me."

"I’ll give it back to you after dinner. I don’t want to get nudged again!"

Saying that, Shard placed the shoe on the table beside him. It was on the opposite side of Luviya, near little Mia. The cat disdainfully nudged its bowl with its head towards the center of the table.

However, Shard didn’t have to worry about hygiene issues. Witches have some magical physical traits. Simply put, part of fairy tales is actually true. He confirmed that thoroughly on the night before he got sick.

"You are really something..."

The witch pursed her lips and glanced at Tifa behind Shard, hoping she would retrieve the shoe, but Miss Maid kept her head down pretending not to see. So, Miss Galina had to temporarily give up, though she found it odd to have Shard dining next to her shoe.

Since Shard was hosting a meeting in the afternoon, Miss Galina, along with the maids, left after lunch. However, they would come by in the evening to check on Shard, continuing until he was fully recovered.

The meeting time at 1:30 PM was fast approaching, but Dorothy didn’t remain at Saint Delan Square. Instead, she went home to retrieve the ancient runes course paper she had forgotten to bring. She planned to submit it to the academy today.

Therefore, before 1:30, only Shard and Luviya were left at home, while the well-fed cat was taking its usual nap, relaxing on the sunlit windowsill in the living room, its favorite napping spot.

Shard wasn’t idle either. After obtaining Luviya’s "consent," he went to the basement to fetch the [God’s Gift Box], intending to retrieve this week’s gift while he was still clear-headed. It was already Saturday, and missing out on this free gift felt worse to him than losing money. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Luviya didn’t let Shard stay in the living room. Instead, she had him carry the box to the bedroom, sit on the bed, and cover himself with a blanket before retrieving the gift.

She herself sat on a chair by the bed. After returning from Randall Valley, she quickly resumed her normal life rhythm. Despite visiting Shard daily, the Prophet’s Society was conveniently close to Shard’s place, so it wasn’t too troublesome.

"Although you mentioned there would be side effects, you really looked terrifying those past few days."

Luviya said, wiping an apple she had washed with a cloth. Then, with a gentle swipe of her hand, the apple split in two. With another swipe, it turned into eight slices, which she placed on a plate by the bed, inserting toothpicks for Shard to eat later.

"Compared to what I’ve done, these side effects are totally acceptable... Luviya, could you give me some luck?"

Having already opened the box lid on the bed, Shard asked. The amber-eyed girl smiled, pulled his hand over, and kissed the back of it. Shard then reached into the box:

"This is... hmm?"

He pulled out a black, round ball of yarn, momentarily stunned, then looked towards the door:

"I don’t know how to knit... Is this for me to play with Mia?"

"Stop joking, can’t you feel the elemental traces? This is Eris Wool, also known as ’Misfortune Wool.’

Luviya took the yarn ball to examine it:

"Eris Unicorn Sheep, a dangerous and regulated exotic creature, mostly found in the southeastern region of the Old Continent. Our society also raises a batch. These sheep only come in black. Anyone touched by their horn on the palm will fall into temporary misfortune. They’re seen as walking misfortune; not just the horns, any part of their body can potentially spread misfortune. Once they die, the usable materials from their bodies are carefully preserved, while the unusable parts require a very specialized process, sometimes even needing relics for assistance."

"So what is this wool used for?"

Shard inquired.

"It’s used to make alchemical items related to curses. Honestly, I’ve never seen so much yarn; this kind of wool is very expensive."

"Then take it with you. If Mia plays with it here, that would be bad."

Shard waved his hand, wanting nothing to do with such strange materials:

"Fortunately, this week’s task is to wear a sweater when going out, which is easy to accomplish."

"I’ve always wondered, how does the deity who made this box perceive you? These tasks truly have a whimsical nature."

The purple-eyed girl shook her head, carefully storing the yarn that carried misfortune:

"Let’s get back to business. You fell ill so suddenly. Iluna, after returning to the area, hasn’t explained her changes to us yet. Also, the door given to you by the Guardian hasn’t been installed."

"On Monday, ask Iluna to come over so we can sort these things out."

Shard said, and Luviya nodded:

"I’ll write to Iluna. She’s been quite free recently, though she can’t visit you often, she writes daily to inquire about you."

Saying this, Luviya helped Shard move the gift box off the bed and placed it beside it. Then she picked up a toothpick and offered an apple slice to Shard’s mouth. Shard didn’t like being helped to eat, so the purple-eyed girl helplessly placed the apple in her own mouth and then kissed Shard.