Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Miss Danester chatted with Shard about many things, so it wasn't until 10:30 that Shard ended the projection and returned to the guest room in Miss Galina's mansion.

The small ginger cat lying on the soft bed had long been waiting impatiently and jumped onto the carpet, meowing. Shard bent down to pick up the cat, initially thinking Mia wanted to play with him for a while, but then realizing the cat most likely wanted a late-night snack.

The Outlander had heard terrifying rumors about the weight of ginger cats both in his hometown and this world, so he always exercised caution when feeding the cat. But ever since he adopted this cat in the summer, not only did its weight not increase, but even its physique showed almost no change. Sometimes Shard envied Mia's metabolism, but then he remembered that even Gluttony could not affect him, and he too would never gain weight no matter what he ate.

He opened the door to leave the room, intending to prepare some late-night snacks and check if Lecia and Miss Galina had finished their conversation. Just as he followed the maid around the corner of the corridor, he saw Lecia leading a group of maids towards him, with Tifa guiding them in front.

The night had grown late, and Miss Galina had to head into the city to attend a council report in the morning. Considering her skin care routine, it was also time for her to rest. The Witch was now going to take a bath, and Tifa was leading Lecia to meet Shard.

Lecia then realized that the so-called guest room where Shard was staying was right next to the Witch's large bedroom.

She stared at the Detective holding the cat for a while, then snorted without saying anything.

Afterward, they went to the dining room together. Of course, Her Highness the Princess would not eat so late; it was not only out of good habits but also to maintain her figure.

Tifa had to go back to Miss Galina's side, so she soon took her leave but left the estate's old butler behind.

Lecia sat beside Shard, watching him eat and feed the cat while inquiring about what happened at Midshire Fort on Wednesday night. But Shard did not recount his experiences; instead, he asked:

"I have two stories here. One is about love and death, and the other is about family spanning two eras. Do you want to hear a story, Lecia?"

Lecia smiled and asked:

"Is it a true story?"

"Of course it's true. Maybe I'll appear in the story, but I'm just a passerby who offered insignificant help to the protagonists."

Lecia nodded slightly, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, then resting her right arm on the table and propping her cheek with her hand:

"Alright, you may begin."

Holding a teacup, Shard first spoke of Joey Barton's life and the events that transpired in death. He omitted many unimportant details, especially the battle scenes, and focused on Joey Barton's love and his obsessive pursuit.

When she heard that Barton wanted to resurrect the deceased and break the balance of life and death, Lecia shook her head repeatedly; when she heard that Barton abandoned his own body to enter the waters of death with his soul, Lecia was moved but still thought he was wrong. And when she heard that Barton, after being defeated, curled up on the water's surface, sobbing loudly, then looked up to see his beloved whom he longed for day and night, Lecia suddenly turned to look out the window, not letting Shard see her expression:

"Don't mind me. Continue with the story; it's very interesting. Dorothy would love it."

Even Shard understood that this phrase should be interpreted as "I love it." Though she and Dorothy both disliked tragedies, moving love stories still captivated them.

The events following Marilyn Handel's appearance left a profound impression. The departing soul wanted to leave with the curse, leaving only indelible memories and longing for the living. But the living voluntarily offered their bones, flesh, and souls, ultimately allowing the two to walk out of death together, bearing the curse of death to repay their sins.

The life of the Person of Reverse Life was a reverse narrative, but when he finally reached the end of his life, he obtained the chance to live again with his beloved. Everything has its Ultimate Death, but at least he truly changed the course of life.

Even though he experienced the story as a spectator, retelling it left Shard with endless melancholy:

"So, humans are very complicated. It's hard to define a purely good person or a purely bad person. Joey Barton is a perfect example of this. Lecia, Mr. Barton's actions were undoubtedly wrong, but as far as the story is concerned, do you think the ending was a tragedy or a comedy?"

Lecia still gazed at the starry sky outside the window. The suburban air was excellent, and the late autumn night featured a vast star river overhead:

"It's hard to judge, but... it was indeed a good story. When Dorothy learns about this story, it could be included in the Hamilton Detective Stories as a long serial or written in a special edition of the published book to attract readers... So, what about the second story?"

Her voice was soft, influenced by the story.

"The second story is related to the Red Butterfly I've mentioned before. Do you remember the banquet from the Fifth Era? The one where the nursery rhyme about the Red Butterfly originated? I've told the first half of that story before, but forgive me, I have to start from that banquet again..."

Grace and Helen's story, though spanning a long time, was less complex than the previous one.

Shard narrated while eating his late-night snack, and Lecia's expression remained unchanged throughout. Even when Shard praised their course while introducing the Maze Lock of the Sleeping Princess at the end, noting that the Sleeping Princess's Trait and the Spirit Summoning Magic of the writer and princess were quite similar, Lecia's expression did not change.

Finally, the story reached a cliff top under the inverted star river. Shard watched the girls, seeing phantom red butterflies emerge from their bodies and fly along the path of shattered light into the quiet waters of the star ocean:

"It's a pity I'm not good at painting; otherwise, I would have painted that scene. It was truly beautiful, and I will remember it for many, many years."

Shard said with regret. Lecia finally spoke, her voice soft:

"So, you were indeed in that city during the Godfall on Wednesday night, right at the heart of the story... A spectator, witnessing all these scenes... Judging by your high spirits, I assume you eventually saved them, right? Was it because of a kiss?"

The topic was a bit awkward, but Shard nodded. Though he did not mention the deities, Lecia probably guessed that the appearance of the gods was related to the Red Butterfly Twins. However, Lecia would not ask for more details, knowing some matters she shouldn't know.

"It must have been the unknown Old God who saved them, and I just did a very small part to help them stay."

Raising his right hand, he pinched his thumb and forefinger together, leaving just a small gap:

"It's about this much."

"So early Thursday morning, you took a huge risk to return to Sicarl Mountain just to save them?"

Lecia then turned her head, her gaze shifting from the window to Shard's face.

"That's just one of the reasons."

Shard showed an excited expression:

"There's another more important reason, Lecia, this is a surprise for you, I saved it for last. Although I didn't expect to meet you here, I've always carried it with me."

Shard placed a heavy red metal pendant from his pocket onto the table. It was the assembled Red Butterfly Pendant. Although its surface showed no signs of rust, the ancient and weathered markings were unmistakable.

"This is..."

Her Highness the Princess hesitated, guessing the truth but unable to believe it fully.

"Grace and Helen can help you too, which is why I stubbornly went up the mountain that night... Of course, not wanting to see them die was also an important reason."

Shard said, pushing the pendant towards Lecia. Mia glanced at the pendant, uninterested.

"At the end of the Fifth Era banquet, the twins received this gift. Using this as proof, they obtained the help of the Twin Gods. Later, this pendant stayed with Grace and Helen, accompanying them through countless cycles, from the Fifth Era to the Sixth Era."

This was the complete story of the Red Butterflies. As Shard narrated, the Whisper Element on the pendant seemed to influence reality itself. Shard immediately stopped the story:

"Now, this belongs to you and Dorothy. I've named it the Sage-Level Relic - 'Crimson Butterfly.' With it, you and Dorothy can fully interact normally for one day every 21 days, without paying any price."

Shard's face showed a smile:

"Apart from that, there should be other effects, but you'll need to explore those yourselves. I participated in the story of the Red Butterflies not to gain a reward, but in the end, I received this gift. However, in your and Dorothy's hands, it is much more suitable."

Shard was genuinely happy, though it didn't completely solve the issues between Dorothy and Lecia, it was at least a good beginning:

"See, I said I'd help you, and I did."

Lecia looked down at the relic in front of her, then raised her head to look at Shard:

"Come here."

She said to Shard, and Shard leaned closer. Lecia embraced Shard, hugging him tightly.

Shard felt a bit embarrassed:

"You don't need to do this, it's what I should do."

"Shard..."

Shard felt his shoulder getting wet, knowing without needing to be told that Lecia was crying.

"But I suggest not going directly to Dorothy. You could give her a surprise. A dramatic ceremony would not waste the effort I took to bring this relic, a story spanning two eras."

Shard continued, the red-haired girl hugging him so tightly that Shard found it hard to breathe.

"Spanning two eras, just for....."

"Lecia, I thought of a good plan, very dramatic, but it needs your cooperation. Tomorrow is Saturday, after we leave Dr. Schneider's in the afternoon, I'll stall her for a bit, and you... oh, I'm really having trouble breathing."

Lecia loosened her arms slightly, then kissed Shard. The taste of tears in the kiss, though not the first time Shard tasted it, felt different every time.

"Ahem!"

Lecia kissed so earnestly that she didn't even hear Miss Galina, dressed in her nightgown, gently cough from the dining room doorway.

"Look, Rejed's Hamilton is amazing. You've only been gone for less than half an hour, and he's already fooled silly little Lecia."

The witch shook her head, speaking to the smiling Tifa.