Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 1734 - 1733: A Dangerous Plan

"We have no other choice. In this era, there are fewer than ten true believers of our Lord left, and the three of us are the strongest. This is not the Fifth Era, and the Order has long been destroyed."

The phrase "not the Fifth Era" led the three present to fall into endless thoughts, and Mr. Richard sighed:

"The information passed down about it can only be viewed by devout believers like us, but even so, I, the strongest, can only view a small portion. We inherit these secrets, but we have already lost the ability to fully comprehend them. Perhaps in a few more generations, we might not even find new believers. By that time, handing those materials to the True God Church might be the only option."

For now, they had no intention of letting the Church handle this matter.

Shard understood this; if there was any other option, no one would willingly give away knowledge and power passed down for millennia by their ancestors. The Order of the Creator of Innocence was struggling to survive, leading to the establishment of those underground ruins in Tobesk City, but the Believers of the God of Love managed to continue existing thanks to the Rosicrucian Society.

"Mr. Watson, maybe we could exchange information. What documents did you get your understanding from?"

After Mr. Richard introduced, Mrs. Hope asked cautiously, and Shard shook his head:

"I also thought of understanding it through documents, but unfortunately, I couldn’t find such documents."

"Then how did you come to understand it..."

"I have seen it."

Clatter~

The cup slipped from Mr. Richard’s hand and fell to the ground, spilling the drink everywhere. He and Mrs. Hope quickly stood up and took a step back but sat back down when they saw Shard didn’t suddenly transform into something strange.

The few other patrons in the rural tavern heard the commotion but assumed they had accidentally knocked over a cup. So, a servant came and tidied up, and the three did not continue their conversation. Once the spilled drink was cleaned up, Mr. Richard and Mrs. Hope fixed their nervous gazes on Shard, who continued:

"I saw it last year, yes, the original form. It hasn’t shown itself for a long time, has it? Because it was sealed with divine power by the followers of an Evil God. But unfortunately, the seal has reached its limit, and it has gained freedom. I was once forced to gaze into her eyes and saw my own desires within them."

Mrs. Hope and Mr. Richard noted that Shard had changed the pronoun for "it" to "her."

Mrs. Hope’s hand trembled, and she shook her head vigorously:

"It’s truly hard to believe."

"Yes, it’s hard to believe, but I survived it and thus have formed some... connection with her. No, no, don’t be nervous; I am still a normal person. She set her sights on my soul, tempting me to become one with her, and I’ve been resisting all along."

Shard reassured the two and revealed as much information as he could provide. It took Mr. Richard and Mrs. Hope a good deal of time to accept everything, and they both showed expressions of reverence:

"You are truly remarkable; you’ve been resisting it, have you? The Order’s records state that only legendary heroes can achieve such a feat. It seems that in any era, evil always meets its nemesis."

They probably imagined Shard to be one of those brave individuals investigating information alone, only to attain the freedom of his soul; Shard did not correct this perception and expressed his plan:

"I originally planned to report it to the Church, but since I’ve encountered you, I think it’s best to keep it contained. I want to retrieve it from Mr. Upton. For such a dangerous item, I’ll find a way to store it securely."

This meant putting it inside the God’s Gift Box.

Mr. Richard and Mrs. Hope both nodded in agreement:

"We will help you; this has always been our hope. But how will you proceed? If you forcefully snatch it, Upton, who has formed a connection with the painting, could immediately cause that relic derivative to go out of control."

Referring to the painting as a "relic derivative" was not incorrect; derivatives, unlike the "Empty Bottle Fruit" and "Metal Disc," are not necessarily from the relic itself but can be indirectly born from the relic’s power.

Shard clenched his right hand:

"Therefore, I must make Mr. Upton willingly hand over the painting to me. I need you to provide as much information as you can about it."

Mr. Richard nodded:

"No problem, but there is a problem."

"What do you mean? Didn’t you bring the material to Green Lake City?"

Shard asked with some concern, and Mrs. Hope shook her head:

"Its information cannot be documented on ordinary mediums, or else there is a risk of mutation; it is, after all, a level zero. It is carried with us, and if you want to see it, we can show it to you now; that’s the part without issues."

"And what is the problematic part?"

Shard asked again, and Mr. Richard took out a silver pendant from his chest, resembling a pocket watch. But when the lid opened, it revealed the God of Love’s Holy Emblem inside.

The emblem’s main body was red, but golden threads outlined a series of heart-shaped patterns on it. Mr. Richard manipulated the golden threads, and with a click, the emblem popped open like the cover, revealing a thin black stone slab at the very bottom layer.

He placed the thin, square piece in his palm and brought it in front of Shard:

"This item, made from ’Withered Stone,’ needs to be submerged in water to reveal its information, and it must be in a lake or river of a certain size."

He frowned and looked at Shard:

"Sir, we are not as knowledgeable as you, and we have never truly seen it. But from your description, entering a lake or river to spy on its information is clearly not a good idea."

Shard nodded in agreement, hesitated for a moment, then suddenly asked:

"Could I temporarily borrow this? I’ll return it to you by tomorrow, Wednesday evening, or Thursday morning."

After speaking, he realized the value of the item and added:

"I know this is our first meeting, and you may not trust me, but I can provide collateral, or swear to the Deity that I won’t use it for wrongdoing."

Mr. Richard and Mrs. Hope exchanged a glance. The elderly gentleman then carefully placed the stone piece back behind the Holy Emblem, clipped the Emblem back in its original place, then took it off from his neck and handed it to Shard:

"Although our Lord has departed, we can still feel the Divine’s call. You may not be devoted, but perhaps you are loyal to love... This tainted knowledge is temporarily entrusted to you. May I ask, where do you plan to use it?"

Shard looked to the north:

"At Green Lake. Since danger is unavoidable, why not bring danger next to another danger."

Mr. Richard and Mrs. Hope were not quite sure what Shard intended, but they nodded in agreement.

Moreover, as Shard cautiously placed the Holy Emblem into his pocket, Mrs. Hope softly suggested:

"If you feel danger or confusion, softly pray to our Lord."

"I actually worship Mr. Dawn."

"But you also believe in love."

Mr. Richard said, looking into Shard’s eyes:

"We can see you’re very confused and guilt-ridden towards your loved one. If you truly don’t understand, then pray to our Lord. Based on my life experience, I can give you a personal suggestion."

"Please do."

"You feel you’ve done wrong, but you’re unwilling to let go, so ask yourself. What do those girls you care about think of this situation? Young man, love isn’t just about your one-sided feelings. Ask how the other party feels; you might get an unexpected answer."

After bidding farewell to Mr. Richard and Mrs. Hope, Shard set off back to Green Lake City, and then returned home from the Green Lake Hotel. He didn’t throw the Crystal Shoes back because he didn’t want to bring the dangerous knowledge from the God of Love’s Holy Emblem into his house. So upon reaching the hidden space in his basement, Shard placed the Holy Emblem directly into the God’s Gift Box.

Shard was quite aware of what it meant to seek this knowledge, but he didn’t disclose his intentions or plans to anyone. Before dinner, he went out to find Dorothy, sharing the Arcane Technique - [Heart Connection] with her and Lecia. But his worried demeanor still concerned Luviya, who arrived home in the evening:

"Are you worried about the Night of the Eclipse tomorrow?"

At night, she wrapped her arms around Shard’s neck, whispering affectionately in his ear. The curtains weren’t drawn, the bright moonlight illuminated Shard’s back, as well as Luviya’s face and her eyes glimmering with a purple halo.

Luviya Annette felt the warmth of Shard’s body embracing her, her eyes gazing towards the dim moonlight outside:

"Come home early tomorrow night, I’ll be waiting for you. Why not invite Dorothy or that Princess over? It would be fun."

"Hmm... Luviya, what kind of image am I in your heart?"

Shard softly complained, and Luviya laughed, closing her eyes as she snuggled under the covers, listening to Shard’s heartbeat:

"Tomorrow, when you and Megan Edwards go to the island, if you can’t leave before evening, don’t worry too much. The Guardian of the Earth and Sister Delphine didn’t mention that the eclipse would be very dangerous for you. No need to hide specially tomorrow night, just follow your own thoughts. But no matter what, remember, don’t take risks, Shard."

"I know... Do you resent me because there are more and more girls appearing around me?"

He suddenly asked, and then Luviya pinched his waist:

"Why ask that again? Didn’t we agree? I won’t mind whatever you do; I chose you, and all along, you’ve been proving that I’m the luckiest girl."

Shard wrapped his arms around her:

"Goodnight, Luviya."

"Goodnight... Do you need to let your cat out from the closet?"