Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 1732 - 1731: Mermaid Oil Painting
"Of course it is, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t other meanings. The mingling of flesh and soul is extremely profound knowledge in the study of alchemy. You should know that our Rosicrucian Society focuses on alchemical skills, and when I read the documents and materials left by the Order, I saw that an alchemist from the Fifth Era had commented on this phrase."
Mrs. Hope spoke very slowly, so Shard listened very carefully:
"Emotion is the rope that connects two different individuals. Although emotion itself isn’t tangible, neither is the soul. A sufficiently profound emotion can allow two souls to form a bond across space, a connection that cannot be severed by distance."
"The soul, huh? I haven’t done much research on it. However, I do know that emotions certainly affect the effects of spellcasting."
Shard said, and Mrs. Hope nodded:
"That alchemy note even mentioned her research on how to create a harmless, temporary fusion of two souls, turning two individuals into one."
"What? Did she succeed?"
"Of course, she didn’t succeed. According to the Order’s records, that Fifth Era Master of Alchemical Studies created a terrifying fusion undead, and the disaster it caused was finally quelled by an intervention from one of the Witch Empresses at the time. Related records can still be found in the Papal Library of the Sun Church and Peace Church. Our Order left these dangerous documents as a warning to later generations not to interfere with souls recklessly. I think that’s also why in our era, the True God Church strictly prohibits any knowledge of soul selling and soul modification."
After gaining some knowledge about soul fusion from Mrs. Hope, Shard took her signed slip and went to find Mr. Upton.
This gentleman was described as eccentric by the Furen Brothers, Mrs. Hope, and Mr. Richard, so Shard prepared himself for potential trouble.
He adjusted his mood, presented a formal smile on his face, and then raised his hand to knock on the door. He waited quite a while before he heard footsteps from inside, and then the door was opened a crack, but the chain was not removed.
A man with messy hair, looking in his fifties with partially gray hair, asked impatiently from the door gap:
"Who is it?"
This tone was similar to Dorothy’s reaction upon being interrupted during writing.
"Friend of the Furen Brothers, I’m here to..."
"Leave."
"Wait!"
Shard hurriedly held the door that was about to close again. The man inside pulled hard, but found the door wouldn’t budge. Realizing Shard’s strength exceeded his own, he took a deep breath and asked:
"What did Eric and Charles want you to do?"
"Can we talk inside? I won’t take much time. It’s Mrs. Hope’s note. I want to purchase some knowledge."
Mr. Upton’s mouth twitched slightly as he assessed Shard up and down:
"Alright, but wait a moment, I’ll tidy up the room."
"No problem."
Shard let go of the door and allowed it to close. Mr. Upton’s footsteps were heard entering the room, but he returned in less than thirty seconds, this time unfastening the chain and fully opening the door.
The room was on the same floor as Mrs. Hope’s, so the internal structure was similarly laid out. Shard initially thought Mr. Upton’s unkempt appearance would mean a messy room, but it was actually very tidy.
The furniture placement and room’s atmosphere were quite normal. The only noteworthy item was the wooden easel in the living room. However, the painting on the easel was covered by a white cloth, so Shard couldn’t see what kind of oil painting it was. The tidying referred to earlier must have been about this painting.
Shard didn’t detect anything significant, so he paid no further mind, assuming it was Mr. Upton’s privacy.
After sitting down, Shard briefly explained his purpose. Despite Mr. Upton’s impatience, he listened to Shard attentively, inquiring seriously about Shard’s reasons for wanting to learn divine arts, and emphasized the taboos associated with using such arts:
"When your hand is held by another’s, you must maintain reverence for this emotion. Whether it’s love or another feeling, these are the most valuable forces that our mortal souls can generate. Never lightly forsake any lady willing to hold your hand. Young man, countless Circle Sorcerers who learned this divine art eventually found themselves regretfully watching that figure depart, having once experienced soul-to-soul contact through divine arts."
His expression was solemn:
"Are you sure you want to learn it?"
"No, I haven’t intended to learn it myself yet. I want to acquire this knowledge for a pair of... twin ladies."
Shard nodded affirmatively, and Mr. Upton finally approved:
"Then the risk is minimal. But you’ll need to sign an additional contract to ensure the knowledge doesn’t leak."
"Of course, that’s reasonable."
After Shard finished speaking, he curiously asked:
"Have you, like Mrs. Hope, researched knowledge about soul contact or fusion?"
"No, no, my research direction isn’t that. I study..."
The somewhat unkempt man glanced unintentionally at the covered oil painting:
"I study the interaction and connections between flesh and flesh under the influence of love."
Shard blinked, finding the statement odd and doubting his own guesses:
"You’re not referring to..."
"Yes, you’ve heard of the Book of Pink, right? That’s the kind of knowledge I’m researching. Love is more than just a spiritual exchange, and as a young person, you should understand this better than I do."
Mr. Upton said, shrugging at Shard:
"But under common social norms, studying this kind of knowledge isn’t something you can share with everyone. So I act eccentric to keep people from bothering me. It may tarnish my reputation, but at least it prevents it from getting worse."
Shard nodded to show his understanding. He had studied the Book of Pink and knew that the book was filled with profound knowledge, but wasn’t suitable for discussion with too many people.
Since Mr. Upton had agreed to his study of Divine Arts, he was ready to take his leave, pay Mrs. Hope, and then go upstairs to see Old Mr. Richard to obtain the Arcane Technique learning ritual.
However, as Shard stood up, Mr. Upton motioned for him not to leave just yet.
"Regarding the proverb you mentioned, I have some of my own interpretations."
Mr. Upton said, and then asked Shard a question:
"Do you believe that two different bodies can merge into one person?"
Shard thought for a moment and nodded decisively:
"Of course, I believe it. For example, two girls aged fifteen or sixteen might merge and become eighteen."
Mr. Upton nodded in surprise:
"I thought you would say that this doesn’t align with the Circle Sorcerer System theory. But it’s fine, you seem to have some talent. My research isn’t about soul fusion; rather, I’m using the Book of Pink system to study the complex interactions between flesh during moments of emotional outburst and physical pleasure."
He took a deep breath:
"In my view, the ultimate goal of this research is to achieve, on a material level, the transformation of two people into one."
Shard frowned slightly and hesitantly said:
"I’m not sure if you’re aware, but necrology can stitch together multiple corpses to create something like an ’Undead Stitching Monster.’
He felt something was off with the person in front of him, as if the man was too excited. Therefore, Shard was worried he might end up creating some unspeakable monstrosity.
"No, no. You misunderstood me. I am studying the living, not corpses, which is entirely different. Corpses have no emotions and cannot feel pleasure; they’re meaningless."
Mr. Upton shook his head:
"Besides, I won’t immediately start experimenting with humans. My current progress is only an attempt to gain the strength of animals through close contact, a secret technique in ancient Druids attained after becoming intimate with their animal companions."
"That doesn’t sound too strange."
Shard commented with a smile, and Mr. Upton finally showed a smile:
"I knew someone out there would understand me."
He looked again at the painting covered by the white cloth, seeming to make a decision:
"In fact, a year ago, I acquired a very peculiar painting. It made me certain that my ideas are correct. The purest emotions and the most extreme charm will erupt with great power through the fusion of flesh. I’d like to invite you to view this painting, so you may also understand what I truly wish to research."
He pointed to the cloth, prompting Shard to ask:
"Who created this painting? From which era does it come?"
"It was probably from the early Sixth Era, painted by a seafaring artist. One morning in the fog, he vaguely glimpsed an incredibly beautiful woman in the water. Inspired by that moment of beauty, he painted this piece. However, the artist later went mad, and many others who saw this painting also went mad. I suspect he glimpsed some sort of exotic species, perhaps a mermaid."
As he spoke, he stood up and gave a gentle pull, causing the cloth to slide off. Shard instinctively looked over, and his first impression was that it was an incredibly vivid oil painting.
Although depicting an underwater scene, the woman occupying the main part of the painting had flowing orange-red hair and skin so fair it almost glowed, lending a brightness to the underwater scene. She faced away from the canvas, her eyes slightly narrowed, with a charming yet languid expression.
Surrounding the woman, various shells and fish made up the background, while the water currents were depicted with abstract lines, enriching the painting’s details with compact complexity.
"It’s truly beautiful."
This was Shard’s immediate thought, which he then expressed aloud.
He smiled at the painting, admiring the underwater lady’s beauty. She seemed to belong completely to the underwater world, as if she was always meant to exist there. Her perfect form was captured in that instant, but her beauty and charm were immortalized.
"It’s truly beautiful indeed."
Shard marveled again, eyes fixed on the painting, reluctant to look away. He even felt that the woman in the painting was more beautiful than the witches he knew...
