Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 1675 - 1674: Blood Relations
Capítulo 1675: Chapter 1674: Blood Relations
While diverting the attack simultaneously, the two brothers quickly retreated and dropped their umbrellas. They stretched out their empty left and right hands, forming a right angle with their thumbs and index fingers, then swept around.
Even though they didn’t see the two individuals, Megan felt as if she was being locked onto. Fortunately, the Shard Cat in her arms could also cast spells:
“Spatial Stabilization Aura.”
Although it was unclear what the opponents wanted to do, it was certainly spatial abilities. The spellcasting effect in cat form was weakened, but it was enough to block the attack through the rain and a door.
The sense of space lock was dispelled; the two brothers failed to counterattack but retreated to a safe zone. Thus, the three and a cat, separated by a frosted glass door, looked at the figures on the other side. The witch softly reminded Shard:
“I felt the connection of the bloodline; it’s the pair of eight-ring twins from the [Mirror Association].”
Audrey and Megan could feel it, and the brothers outside in the rain could feel it too. They exchanged a glance, understanding each other’s intentions without speaking:
“It’s that man and the cat from the island last week!”
The witch hesitated to act first against the two eight-rings, and the men outside hesitated because Shard had received praise from the [Mirror Keeper]. The three and a cat silently watched the phantom of light and shadow on the other side of the glass, listening to the rain pouring down.
Everyone knew the other’s plans, but also knew each was hesitant about whether to really make a move here. On this rainy morning, the last of the Edwards Family bloodline reunited in this gang turf of the slums, but without the familial bond from the year they left Green Lake Central Island.
After a long time, the two outside, soaked because their umbrellas were destroyed, spoke:
“We wonder how we should address you. Cousin, cousin-in-law, or aunt and uncle?”
Megan smiled; she realized they clearly sensed the presence of relatives here and misunderstood Shard’s identity, but she didn’t correct them:
“If you truly are Hohenheim uncle’s grandchildren, then you should call me ‘aunt’ and him ‘uncle.’ We’re also twins, it seems the family bloodline is indeed magical.”
The Shard Cat also understood the witch’s intentions, and he felt the disguise was excellent.
“We wonder if you are descendants of Grandpa Edward, Grandpa Alphonse, or Grandma Maria?”
The men outside asked again, indicating their lack of understanding of any other “relatives’ ” situation.
This time, the witch didn’t answer but asked her own question:
“Although I’m unclear about the family’s situation, I don’t think joining an illegal Ring Mage Group was what the Edwards ancestors hoped for us.”
“Aunt, arrogance is the original sin. Please don’t speculate on us based on your thoughts; you don’t understand our growth trajectory or what our grandfather and father have experienced.”
As they spoke, the brothers, each blind in one eye, exchanged another glance, and thick steam mist appeared in the rain. The high-temperature steam partially vaporized the cold rainwater, causing the steam mist in the narrow alley to grow even thicker.
Two rings of eight-ring Ring of Fate appeared behind them, then, as before, the rings intersected and rotated, almost forming a three-dimensional sphere.
So, the phantom on the frosted glass in front of Shard and Audrey began to wriggle, and the glass instantly transformed into a mirror, reflecting clearly the image of one person and a cat. In the mirror, the figures of the two brothers stepped into the mirroring intent, attempting to step out into the room.
However, the witch who was already prepared slashed forward, and Shard heard a sound like a zipper closing—zippers didn’t exist yet in this era. The glass door that turned into a mirror shattered entirely, and the figures of the brothers in the mirror disappeared.
This was not simply the destruction of the mirror; the witch seemed to use some force to forcibly close the opened space. And this power was entirely unlike the Witch’s Secret Arts or a magician’s abilities.
[Yes, suspected to be the Chosen’s talent.]
The shattered glass door let the cold outdoor wind, mixed with raindrops, pour indoors. The beautiful lady with brown shoulder-length hair took a step forward holding the silver-white cat, arriving at the doorway, then saw the twins retreating awkwardly to their previous spot.
Without using the ability to avoid rain, they were completely drenched, making them appear even more embarrassed.
Without the obstruction of glass, the three and a cat could observe each other clearly. The man and cat transformed into a woman and cat, although unexpected, upon deeper thought, wasn’t unusual.
After all, the species and quantity remained the same.
“The family’s prophecy states that all Edwards will eventually reunite at the family’s old place. You are indeed strong, but clearly not strong enough. Also, what’s with your eyes? Are you coming to find Rot-Eye Barry to share insights on one-eyed living?”
Megan deliberately asked, the twin brothers, each blind in one eye, probably long accustomed to such provocation, did not make any impulsive moves:
“The man is the power to stabilize space, while you are the talent to close space. Indeed, all family bloodlines have magical powers different from those of the Circle Sorcerers. The power of twins is also complementary.”
They probably misunderstood Shard’s “Spatial Stabilization Aura” again.
“I don’t know if your fathers are still alive, but you obviously lack the upbringing to respect your elders. Please call me aunt, my nephews.”
She stood smiling at the edge of the indoor doorway, while the serious-faced one-eyed men looked more cautiously at this woman holding a cat, hesitating as the Witch continued:
“Why are you looking for Rot-Eye Barry? If possible, we could exchange some information. After all, relatives should look out for each other.” 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
Although all three people and a cat here knew the latter part of the sentence was a lie, the existence of kinship indeed prevented them from fighting like normal enemies. The twin men exchanged glances again, that almost telepathic power letting them know each other’s intentions:
“We are looking for Rot-Eye Barry because he is connected to that island. Yes, the island is not uninhabited. The honorable Mirror Keeper believes that an ancestor of the family is certainly still on the island; it’s just not known who.”
The Witch pinched Shard Cat’s leg to signal him to speak, she was not the kind of person good at communication, as Granny Cassandra and Miss Swift had said back in Midshire Fort.
“We are looking for Rot-Eye Barry because of the Water Ghosts. He raised Water Ghosts in Green Lake, which caused conflict with us.”
The silver cat said, and the twins frowned together, it was something they didn’t know:
“Rot-Eye Barry came to this area more than twenty years ago, and has been transporting all kinds of goods to the island ever since. There were investigations into this matter, but everyone disappeared. There’s no trace of a large storage of goods on the island, it’s believed that his ship sails to the family territory, but not to that island.”
This news was also unknown to Shard and the Witch, or rather, Megan seemed to know something, but she only truly confirmed it after hearing the twins’ words.
The silver cat continued:
“Rot-Eye Barry is a believer of the Evil God, the God of the Deep Sea Drowned. If you investigated him, you should know he was formerly a Coldwater Port Resident on the Draleon West Coast.”
“Drowning Cult?”
The expressions on the brothers’ faces grew more surprised. Although the Mirror Association had made a move because of the issue of the Chosen One, until the spring of this year, the Mirror Association had no influence locally, so their understanding of Rot-Eye Barry probably wasn’t as deep as Shard’s right now.
“Rot-Eye Barry is linked to the strange ‘Unifier’ rumors in the local lakeside villages. It’s believed he is spreading such messages — that the world will eventually return to a singularity, and the Unifier will lead everyone to survive.”
This rumor Shard heard while searching for Rot-Eye Barry in the tavern of Puhov Village. At the time, it seemed strange, he didn’t expect it to indeed be related to the Edwards Family:
“That’s not right. I know this rumor too, but local villagers say it has existed at least since his grandfather’s generation. Yet Rot-Eye Barry has only been in Green Lake City for a little over twenty years.”
The silver cat said, but the brothers also didn’t know why that was.
The Witch pinched the cat’s leg again to signal him, and so Shard shared the last piece of information he knew:
“Rot-Eye Barry is Three Rings, very close to Four Rings. He is a Circle Sorcerer proficient in undead studies; the third floor is his laboratory.”
The brothers nodded because their appearances were exactly the same, so Shard could only distinguish them by their differently blind eyes. The man with the right eye blinded asked again:
“You see, the exchange of information like this is not good? Why not share with us the data you found on the third floor. Aunt, uncle, the family bloodline is bound to be reunited. If you’ve heard the recent prophecies circulating from the Prophet’s Society, you know what predicament we face — the ancestors have been planning for so long, it’s not going to let us go. You and we probably won’t believe that the ancestor simply wants to invite us for a meal and a few drinks.”
This time it was the Witch who spoke:
“Such an exchange of information is quite enough. We never thought of collaborating with the Mirror Association. Moreover, with the Mirror Keeper now locally, are you really here just to resolve family matters? Do you think we are unaware of the Chosen One’s epic? Nephews, lying is not good.”
She pierced through this brief deceptive peace and then asked another question:
“I am willing to talk to you here because I want to wait for some people. But you standing in the rain, what are you waiting for?”
While speaking, on the rooftops of the narrow alleys on both sides, dozens of Female Sorcerers appeared in the rain. The distance was a bit too far, so Shard couldn’t discern what level those ladies were, but even if they were all Inner Ring, combined with Shard and Megan, this number would be sufficient to form an advantage over two Eight Rings Sorcerers.
