Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

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"All right, I'll get back to you within a week. Since you're only looking for more well-known research groups, I think it won't even take a week."

The professor accepted the envelope of money without even looking to see how much was inside before putting it aside, then said somewhat embarrassed:

"Detective, actually I was planning to go see Luisa these next few days... I've had that kind of dream again."
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"What? How could this be?"

Shard was startled; it had been nearly a month since the 'Joyful Dream Pen' had gone out of control, and Miss Luisa had clearly confirmed that the professor's health was recovering quickly and that he had not suffered any further psychological impacts.

"How many times did you dream? When?"

"Once, just yesterday."

"Then give me your hand."

Shard grasped Professor Manning's right wrist, and with an expression of worry on the professor's face, he listened intently. After about ten seconds, he relaxed and let go of the professor's hand:

"You can rest assured, it's not that kind of problem, you are safe."

In the close contact, "she" didn't feel any trace of Whisper elements within the professor's body.

"Then why would I have that kind of dream?"

Professor Manning asked, still puzzled, having not fully recovered from a serious illness he had suffered not long ago.

"I'm not a scholar, so I can't explain the cause of dreams. But I suggest you see a friend of mine who is a psychologist."

Since Shard didn't have Dr. Schneider's business card on him, he took paper and pen to write down the address for the professor, saying as he wrote:

"My friend is just an ordinary human, very good at treating these kinds of psychological ailments, and he will be able to help you."

The professor's face flushed and he asked tentatively:

"So, my dream is..."

Shard nodded:

"Yes, at least this time, it was really just a dream of your own making. But rest assured, I don't believe in the unsubstantiated idea that 'whatever you think about during the day becomes a dream at night,' so I won't harbor any suspicions about you. In my opinion, it might be a deep psychological trauma left by the last incident."

After writing down the address and sensing it was time to leave, he politely stood up to take his leave. From Professor Manning's expression as he saw him downstairs, it was likely the professor would indeed go see Dr. Schneider.

After parting with the professor, Shard planned to spend the day at Coldwater Port City. It had been over a week since the Mermaid Statue incident, and there was no need to worry about such dangers affecting him anymore. Moreover, even if he couldn't find another Blood Coin in the seaside city, there was still Mr. Lemer's safety house discovered from the diary, waiting to be explored — Shard was looking forward to his findings.

Although the trip was convenient, it was also somewhat dangerous, so Shard decided not to bring his cat along for a seaside journey. And since he was concerned he might be stuck in Coldwater Port City and not return that night, after returning to Saint Delan Square, he took Mia out and found a homebound female writer on Feather Quill Street.

After the end of the examination week, she would begin serializing her detective story in the 'Steam Bird Daily'. The first story was adapted from a tale Shard heard from the two ghosts in the cemetery, so she wouldn't need to go out for research and Miss Luisa likely wouldn't be going far from home.

"You want me to look after Mia again? Oh, of course."

Miss Writer was easy to talk to, and she took the somewhat reluctant cat from Shard, then asked curiously:

"What are you up to this time? It's not something dangerous again, is it? I've said, that kind of..."

"No, no, although it's the same destination as last time, this time it's not dangerous."

Shard said, and Miss Luisa nodded in understanding:

"The same destination... All right then, I'll look after your cat since I have no plans to go out today anyway, but remember to come back early. And don't bring fish as a souvenir again."

"No problem, although the fish soup last time was really tasty."

Shard said with a smile, patted Mia's head, and amidst the cat's reluctant meows, bid farewell to the blonde writer and left.

Miss Luisa didn't see him downstairs but stood at the window, holding a sullen Mia and watching Shard appear on the street below, walking far down the road:

"Last time's place... Coldwater Port... Have a pleasant holiday."

Dorothy Louisa smiled, her lips curving upward (Note).

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After settling Mia, Shard could use the entire day for exploration. This time, he didn't need to go through the tedious preparation before the journey because he had stuffed his ordinary items into his luggage, then turned the luggage into a doll with cloth and hung it on his waist.

The only Relics he carried with him were the "Spear of Kindness," "The Twenty-Sided Die of Destiny," and "Pirate's Blood Money." These three items, along with the "Wind Vane Bluegrass Extract Diluent"—a Spellcasting Material that couldn't be turned into a toy, Alchemical Items for a disposable Sunlight Gun, and two Roder Cards from the Genesis Series, were all wrapped in waterproof canvas and carried with him.

Frog legs and Bone Powder could be turned into toys; neither of these items had any Supernatural Nature themselves.

Having packed everything, he locked the door and entered the Hidden Space behind the basement wall. After chanting Spell Words and touching the Ancient God Statue, he successfully arrived at the dark cave beneath the cliff outside Coldwater Port City.

Having traveled this route once before, it only took Shard twenty-three minutes to land on the secluded beach at the docks of Coldwater Port City.

Though the weather in Coldwater Port was somewhat overcast today, there was no rain. Soaking wet from his climb out of the sea, Shard could only dry his hair with a towel on the beach and then change into a dry coat and trousers before daring to enter the city.

He chose to stay again at the Golden Rose Inn on Hoglenz Avenue in the Dock Area, using the alias John Watson. By the time Shard had put down his luggage and begun to change into dry socks and underwear, it was 10:40 in the morning.

Choosing the same inn as last time also meant he wanted to confirm whether the events of his previous visit had drawn an investigation to him. But after waiting in the room for twenty minutes, he saw no suspicious police or Circle Sorcerer squads appear, which allowed Shard to relax quite a bit, knowing he could be a bit more casual in his activities today.

There were two purposes for coming to Coldwater Port City. Since the Blood Coin's detection required a visit to the entire city, Shard thought it best to first check Mr. Lemer's safe house.

In the estate he had purchased, there were three diaries in total. From the entries dated two years ago in the autumn, Shard found the exact location of the safe house, as well as Mr. Lemer's complaint about a nearby restaurant.

Like Miss Luisa, who rented the rundown house in a secluded lane, and Priest Augustus, who leased a basement-like space from a friend, the seafarer, who was often at sea, rented an attic in a three-story apartment building in the city. Even to prevent himself from staying in the New World for a long period, he would pay a year's rent at a time, so Shard didn't have to worry about the safe house being discovered by anyone.

The location of the safe house was also in the Dock Area of Coldwater Port City, specifically on New Danton Street, two blocks from Mermaid Lane, where the last incident occurred.

This street was dedicated to fish trade in the Dock Area. Whether it was local restaurant procurement or large transactions by foreign merchants, all were conducted here. The street was slippery, lined with fish shops, and even before turning into the street, one could smell the fishy odor.

The ground was paved with crushed stones, and the street was wide enough for four horse-drawn carriages to travel side by side. The shouts of hawkers, the rolling of wheels over the ground, and the noisy chatter mingled together, bringing the thick scent of life from the port city right into one's face.

Seagulls circled overhead while stray cats prowled the corners of the alleys intersecting with New Danton Street, eying their prey with ferocity or fighting with their kind over the ownership of a pile of trash.

Shard, with his hands in his pockets, lowered his head and walked from the grimy, damp alley into the street. The puddles underfoot had traces of blood, and the scent of fish wafting in the air made him slightly uncomfortable. On the right, fish shops had shallow metal fish tanks placed directly at the entrance, with large black sea fish swimming in the water, occasionally splashing droplets that added more wet traces to the ground.

Looking up to the right, number 41 New Danton Street was his destination. Shard glanced at the sun obscured by the accumulating clouds, then pressed down on his black hat before stepping forward.

Stepping up to the doorway, the rusted door made Shard hesitate briefly before knocking. He waited a full two minutes before someone opened the door.

The door was opened by a scrawny old man wearing a white wig and leaning on a cane. His eyes were deeply set in sockets, and his nose was large. The old man was probably slightly younger than Priest Augustus, with very apparent liver spots on his face:

"Who are you looking for? If you're a robber, go somewhere else, everyone living here is poor."

After glancing at Shard and realizing he was a stranger, the old man spat outside and then tried to close the door.

But Shard's hand held the door open. He said to the rude old man inside with a thick accent:

"Is George Anthony living here?"

This was Lemer's alias.

"Mr. Anthony is dead. His estate went to distant relatives, and I've come to clean up his belongings. Don't ask me for any proof of identity; he died at sea, and they didn't even find the body,"

Shard said.

The old man who opened the door looked at him suspiciously. Shard's face was half-hidden beneath his hat, appearing very suspicious:

"Dead? How do I know you're telling the truth? Even if he's dead, I won't let anyone take anything from here without seeing a will. This building is mine. Even if it was rented out to someone else, the things inside are mine. Oh, damn it, you even said you're not a robber. Quick, leave, or I'll call the police!"

Meaning he wanted to swallow Lemer's belongings.

But Shard, being confident to come here, was well-prepared. He had already known how terrible the landlord was from the diary:

"Take a look at what this is."

Saying so, he slightly opened his coat to reveal a handgun tucked at his waist. Then, he waved a small identification document in front of the old man:

"Can you read?"

"MI6!"