Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Chapter 886: Chapter 886 The Witch of Time

Miss Galina spoke of the relationships between the Council Witches, then suddenly smiled:

“If nothing unexpected happens, Lecia should be by Queen Diana’s side today, you probably don’t have many chances to meet her, right?”

She teased Shard.

“Yes.”

Shard nodded.

Although face-to-face meetings were rare, it was much easier to meet using Dorothy’s body.

“When I usually see Lecia, I often see Princess Angelina by her side as well. Miss Galina, what do you think of Angelina?”

Shard asked curiously again, and the Duchess, putting down the newspaper she had just picked up from the coffee table, thought for a moment, instead asking Shard:

“What do you think of Angelina?”

“A very young lady, not very mature, innocent and carefree, still harbors fantasies about life, trying to escape Larus III’s control through Lecia, yet afraid to directly defy her father’s authority.”

Shard summarized, thanking Tifa for the tea, the black-haired Maid smiling at him.

“It’s more like, she not only wants her current free and adored life but also wants to maintain her freedom in the future, able to control her own life. Now relying on Lecia, is merely because she realizes, no matter what, she cannot be more outstanding than this sister.”

Miss Galina said, she knew quite well about the current generation of Cavendish offspring:

“Not just them, you’ll find that every young person of Cavendish Royalty has their own ambitions. Remember Sax Cavendish, who was executed for treason last summer? He wasn’t the most ambitious, but he definitely was the unluckiest, and the most foolish.”

The witch never avoided discussing her opinions on the kingdom’s heirs in front of Shard:

“Rushing into Yordle Palace with a gun, do you really think it was just because of foolishness? Even now, I can’t fully see through what happened last summer, but the truth certainly involves more people; my nephew, His Majesty the King of Draleon, simply believes that as it stands is sufficient.”

After speaking, she looked at Shard’s expression, but found that Shard was not surprised in the least, and even nodded:

“I knew it would be like this.”

“You always exhibit qualities that ordinary people shouldn’t have.”

The witch said with a smile:

“Times really are different now, it’s not a dull era, rather a time of change and development. The kingdom’s heirs all have their own ambitions, which, although leads to national political instability, from some perspectives, is actually a good thing, otherwise, how could they lead the people?”

“So do you favor any particular heir?”

Shard curiously inquired, but this time Miss Galina slightly shook her head:

“I don’t involve myself in such matters, I’m content managing my County of Saradiel. What benefit would involving myself in the throne’s contention bring me? Common power, though not worthless, doesn’t hold much temptation for me.”

“So, between Lecia and your succession rank, which is higher?”

Shard asked while holding a teacup, and the witch glanced at Tifa, and the Maid answered softly:

“According to royal succession laws, Miss’s succession rank is far below the direct descendants of the current king. Moreover, King Larus III has quite a few siblings still alive, and Miss, as an ‘elder,’ is ranked behind them.”

“Elder?”

Miss Galina felt a twinge of dissatisfaction at the preciseness of the term and gave a playful glance at her maid and apprentice, Tifa lowered her face slightly, but Shard distinctly saw her give him a cheeky wink.

“So that’s about it, generally I don’t stay in Tobesk for long. If not for the matters of Godfall and the Poem Chapter this year, I should have returned to the County of Saradiel after the end of summer.”

Taking advantage of the time this morning, Shard also mentioned his experience yesterday, which was the opening of the key from the year 3177 of the Fifth Era.

Throughout autumn, the Witch Council had been investigating the sealing on the mountainside of Sicarl Mountain within the Interstice, so of course, Miss Galina knew about the matter concerning Miss Witch Empress Violetta.

Shard knew that Miss Galina was in pursuit of power beyond the Witch’s Thirteenth Rank, but unfortunately informed her that although Miss Violetta, like Miss Feliana, was a Thirteenth Rank witch, at least at the point of time in the year 5177 of the Fifth Era, she did not possess the power that wasn’t held by mortals, as Miss Feliana did.

“So, did the Witch Empress go to visit the deity to seek greater power?”

Miss Galina asked, Shard shook his head:

“She wants to pursue eternal beauty.”

He repeated Miss Violet’s views on appearance, power, and authority.

Miss Galina snorted, saying with considerable displeasure:

“That truly fits the behavior of those women.

By the late Fifth Era, civilization was still developing, yet the upper echelon of witches had already become decadent. From the Council’s records, by the end of the Fifth Era, conflicts finally erupted, leading to wars among the Witch Empresses. This was the main reason for the era’s change. But it’s just as well; who knows what would have happened had the Fifth Era continued to develop.”

After speaking, she complained with obvious disdain:

“They found a way to visit the Benevolent God and even had the opportunity to ask questions, yet they did not cherish it. In this current era, such opportunities are impossible to find.”

In modern times of the Sixth Era, apart from the five True Gods, there are no Benevolent Gods. Opportunities unvalued by the Witch Empresses are something that Miss Galina deeply longs for but cannot obtain.

Shard continued recounting his experience at Lost Lake, and only after he finished and stepped out of the Obsidian Tower did Miss Galina, curious, ask:

“So, are you planning to write a mathematical paper yourself?”

“Of course, I can’t exactly create a Philosopher’s Stone or other top-notch alchemical items on the spot.”

But Shard wasn’t troubled, as he said while playing with Mia’s paws:

“The two witches from the Fifth Era are also working on a solution. My paper is just intended as a final safeguard. When Miss Sylvia arrives, I plan to ask for her help; Miss Sylvia is very skilled in mathematics.”

The truth is, Shard needs a mathematician familiar with this world’s mathematical development to help him adjust the paper’s formatting and specialized symbols. Otherwise, a week is not enough for him to complete the paper:

“But, Miss Sylvia won’t charge me, will she?”

He asked worriedly, and Miss Galina shook her head with a smile:

“Although she’s short on money, she’s not after your coins. But it’s good for you to interact with her more; she’s quite proficient in the power of space, and she’s an excellent teacher.”

“The Space Witch… Speaking of which, who in the Council corresponds to the power of time?”

Shard asked this question again, expecting Miss Galina to refuse with a reason like “protecting the witch’s privacy,” but instead, she thought for a moment and then spoke:

“Of course, it’s the Speaker of the Council, who is also the strongest Circle Sorcerer in this material world at present.”

“One of the strongest?”

Shard probed, but Miss Galina smiled at him, watching as his expression gradually turned to surprise, and only then said satisfactorily:

“Though I haven’t met all the aged Thirteen-Ring Sorcerers of the True God Church, I’ve always believed that His Excellency the Speaker is the strongest in this material world of this era.”

Holding the cat, Shard showed a look of surprise, his curiosity about the Speaker growing even stronger.

They didn’t wait long before, at half past nine, a servant from Yordle Palace knocked on the door of No. 6, Saint Delan Square, informing Duchess Galina that the Steam Hover Zeppelin had successfully landed at 9:03, and the visiting group would take a brief rest before boarding the special train, expected to arrive at Tobesk Train Station in another twenty minutes.

Thus, everyone immediately sprang into action. Shard had already changed into formal attire, forcibly bringing along the reluctant-to-leave Mia, and accompanied Miss Galina into the carriage. At that time, the convoy from Yordle Palace had just left Silver Cross Street, and Miss Galina’s convoy quickly caught up to them.

After merging, they proceeded according to the original plan to Tobesk Train Station. The City Hall and Kingdom’s Rail Department had done advance planning, as Queen Diana had been shot at outside the station in summer, prompting the clearing of all people near the station and adjusting the schedule of trains arriving at Tobesk Train Station this morning.

In summary, security measures were at the highest level. When Shard and Miss Galina arrived at the entrance of Tobesk Station, they saw the local nobles’ carriages almost filling the street, while the Royal Army in uniform stood at even intervals on the street in front of Tobesk Train Station.

Shard even spotted his superior, Director Anlos, dressed in a police uniform, hurriedly walking past the station entrance with the Riddlevitch Field commissaries.

At 9:51, after getting off at the station entrance, Miss Galina waived the queue for Shard and, after bidding farewell to him, took Tifa to meet the Queen, as they were the main attractions of this welcoming ceremony.

Shard, holding Mia, glanced back at the crowd waiting to be searched before entering the station, then proceeded inside.

At 9:57, Shard entered the interior of Tobesk Train Station, walking in with those already searched, elegantly dressed gentlemen, and stylishly dressed ladies. Today’s Tobesk Train Station was exceptionally clean, visibly tidied in advance.

Besides local nobles, the Church of the Five Gods also sent representatives to participate in the welcoming ceremony, with Priest Augustus, as a highly respected clergy member of this parish, naturally present at the station.

It wasn’t Shard who spotted the priest, but the priest who found Shard among the crowd on the platform. He conferred with Father Nicholas, who was leading the group, and then sent someone to invite Shard to join them. Shard, considered a well-known and seasoned believer of the Dawn Church in this parish, made his presence felt at such gatherings to demonstrate the influence of believers to other churches.