Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

"Surprise?"

Miss Sylvia's smile was full of meaning, but Shard couldn't guess it yet. Witches are mysticists, and Shard didn't investigate further, instead saying:

"Miss Sylvia, shall I go with you to meet Princess Margaret later? I'd like to meet her again before the Year-End Festival, as I plan to reveal my identity to her, there's no need to hide it anymore."

The Witch nodded in agreement. Miss Galina, knowing about this, teased Miss Aphrola by explaining:

"The young knight has enchanted another innocent princess. Our family's Little Lecia was deceived by him, and now even the Princess of Carsonrick has fallen for him."

"Why not stay for lunch before you leave? Consider it a celebration of the success of this mission,"

Miss Aphrola suggested with a smile. Seeing that no one objected, she stood up and approached Shard:

"There's about half an hour before lunch. As a reward for your performance at Pantanal Lake and for the knowledge you brought us, the three of us will teach you something new, to help you deal with those ancient witches in the Fifth Era."

Miss Sylvia blushed slightly but stood up as well. The three witches surrounded Shard, their golden eyes all looking at him.

"Half an hour... what are you going to teach me?"

The Outlander, holding little Mia, felt a bad premonition facing the three approaching shadows.

"The elegant Flower of Canberra," Miss Hevy Aurora stood in front of Shard, ran her fingers over her red lips, then lightly bit her lower lip; "the Duchess of Saradiel," Galina Cavendish, took Shard's left hand, while Princess's teacher, Miss Emma Sylvia, took his right hand.

"Kissing technique."

The witch with beautiful, wavy brown hair said with a smile. She took the cat from Shard's chest and set it aside, then cupped Shard's face:

"We can't let the ancient witches mock the modern witches."

Closer, she blinked her right eye:

"Isn't that right?"

In any case, Shard would probably never forget this half-hour before lunch at the manor... but fortunately, it was just kissing.

Miss Aphrola must have planned to use this lunch to celebrate the success of the Pantanal mission, as the prepared ingredients and dishes were top-notch.

The four of them ate and chatted at the table, discussing the follow-up to the Battle of Pantanal, the impact of this snowfall on next spring's farming, and even talked about the relationship between the United Kingdom of Carsonrick and the Draleon Kingdom after the destruction of the Evil Creatures of Pantanal.

"Obviously, after the most dangerous evil object underground in the Great Swamp was destroyed, plans to open the traffic trade route connecting the two Southern and Northern Countries via the swamp have begun to be mentioned again."

Miss Aphrola said, although her family were great sea merchants, it didn't mean they had no land trade:

"The core area of the Pantanal region is still not suitable for ordinary people to reach, but the outer area is already fine."

Shard, at the table, cut sausage for the cat while reminiscing about the map of the Old Continent. The Pantanal Swamp, sprawling in the central and western parts of the Old Continent, indeed obstructed the traffic trade route. But if the swamp became less dangerous, it would indeed be a great trade route.

"Due to the church's warnings, in recent years, neither Carsonrick nor Draleon have focused much effort on the Great Swamp, not even openly discussing the national boundary line that nominally exists in the swamp."

Miss Galina sat beside Shard, holding a spoon and sighing slightly:

"I hope this matter won't become the spark for the next total war."

"But the Evil Creatures of Pantanal, in essence, are resentment made up of decaying plants in the material world. It will revive sooner or later..."

Shard mentioned, but soon shook his head:

"However, that's something for many years from now. By then, Draleon and Carsonrick would probably be mere past in history."

The Battle of Pantanal didn't become the first bell toll in the prophesied apocalypse, but the battle, in any case, has already begun to affect the progress of civilization in the material world in another way. Just as of now, no one can clearly say whether this influence is good or bad.

After lunch, Shard officially went to visit the estate where the Princess was staying, along with Miss Sylvia and little Mia.

He had already informed the witches that he intended to reveal his identity to the Princess, which would also let Margaret know about the uniqueness of this "man" Shard. Miss Aphrola and Miss Galina actually trusted Miss Sylvia and believed she could manage her student well.

In the carriage, Shard sat opposite Miss Sylvia, the young Grand Witch inquired about the mathematical problem regarding prime numbers that Shard posed at the end of defeating Sir Plisha.

"Actually, I don't know the answer either. This problem is merely a conjecture. Well, although I can't prove it, I must admit that if we test it with every prime number, at least those we can manually calculate conform to the conditions of this conjecture."

Shard said, holding little Mia, then joked with a smile:

"This conjecture to me is like proving Mia has supernatural power. I clearly know it's true, but I can't prove it, which is really annoying... This cat, sometimes, is excessively smart."

The orange and white cat was enjoying its nap at the moment, and rather than sleeping on the windowsill basking in the sun at home, it evidently preferred being held by Shard while asleep.

"Just a conjecture? But it is indeed interesting. I even think I could use this conjecture to publish a few decent quality papers."

Miss Sylvia looked at Shard with a hint of intensity in her eyes. She got up in the moving carriage and sat beside Shard. Her golden eyes gazed at Shard, who hesitated for a moment before reaching out to embrace her.

Miss Sylvia slightly tilted her head to lean on him:

"When you meet Margaret later, do as I instructed. Although I won't oppose your relationship, it's also necessary to let the young girl know that a teacher is always a teacher."

In fact, Miss Sylvia is younger than Margaret. Margaret and Lecia were born the same year, while Miss Sylvia is even younger than the Outlander's current body.

According to the itinerary, Princess Margaret and her entourage were scheduled to depart for Velindale City by steam train tonight. And on this snowy afternoon, Her Highness the Princess was alone in the study on the second floor of the royal estate located in the center of Huntington City.

She wasn't sitting behind the desk but on the sofa, holding the report to present to her father, the current King, known as "Lion Ryan," upon returning to Velindale.

The tea table was adorned with tea and snacks, creating a warm and comfortable indoor environment, such that even the scent of incense was just right. Yet, the young Princess still felt somewhat sullen.

Even though she held the report in her hands, her eyes looked at the page without registering the dense black letters, instead envisioning Shard's face on the paper.

There was, of course, no photo of Shard on that paper. The photo of Shard that the Princess asked for before leaving was now tucked in a book in her luggage.

She was merely in a state of longing, longing for the young knight living in the distant City of Steam. Although it had only been a week since their parting, the thought that they may not see each other for months and that the Foreign Princess might be having afternoon tea with the knight made her feel a sense of blockage, stifling her chest.

Seeing that she couldn't focus on the report at all, she simply put the paper down, stood up, and walked to the window. She placed the sleeves of her white dress on the windowsill, resting her delicate face on her hands, looking out at the snow-draped garden:

"It's truly... lonely."

The garden style of Carsonrick's noble estate is significantly different from that of Draleon, yet in deep winter, it shared a similar silvery aspect. This easily reminded her of the Canary Estate where she stayed in Tobesk City, thinking of that young knight who went to "study foreign languages."

If they could establish their relationship earlier, they might have more time alone together, not just the snowy walk the night they parted.

"I wonder what the teacher is doing these days. She wouldn't explain the anomaly in the Pantanal Swamp on Wednesday night either."

Quietly pondering in her heart, she suddenly saw a shadowy figure in a black coat moving cautiously through the garden. From her high vantage point, she saw the figure carefully avoiding the sight of the estate's servants, stealthily using the garden's fountain, leafless trees, and winter-evergreen hedges to conceal themselves.

"An intruder?"

Frowning in thought, she saw the figure getting closer to the mansion. But suddenly, her eyes widened because the man in the black coat looked up to survey the windows, searching for his destination, revealing his handsome face.

"Shard?"

She immediately opened the window, disregarding the cold wind that ruffled the hair on her forehead. Shard also saw the window, stood in the garden smiling, and waved at Margaret at the window.

He looked around, confirming that the steward in the garden, leading a team of maids, had gone to the warehouse at the back, so he placed little Mia on his head and covered the cat with his hat. Taking a few steps for momentum, he leaped up, using the power of sorcery to reach the second-floor level directly. With considerable skill, he clung to the window ledge, and by the time Shard was trying to pull himself up, Margaret had already incredulously reached out her hand, and her voice came through the cold wind:

"Shard, is that really you? Why would you..."

Margaret is not some frail princess. As a Five-Ring Sorceress, she easily pulled Shard up with one hand using just her strength. The warmth transmitted through Shard's palm was enough to prove that the detective from the Northern Country indeed arrived in Huntington City in this snowy, slightly lonely afternoon, standing in front of the Princess.