Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Shard stood up and gave a slight bow towards the half-open room door before following the black-haired maid named "Tifa" out of the room.

Miss Maid did not seem to want to engage in conversation with Shard, and in silence, the two found Mr. Nett waiting at the top of the second-floor staircase. The maid spoke directly to him:

"Give this gentleman 30 pounds, in cash."

After receiving an anxious reply from the man, the maid turned and headed back upstairs. Mr. Nett gave a slight bow and only straightened up after the maid had completely left the area. Shard wanted to ask him about what kind of noble "Miss Galina" actually was, but seeing his demeanor, he refrained from doing so. Your adventure continues at empire

Mr. Nett led Shard straight to the club's accounting office and personally knelt in front of the brass-colored safe. He rotated a total of three sets of eighteen tiny gears to open the safe and took out the money for Shard.

The amount was supposed to be 30 pounds, but Mr. Nett gave Shard 50 pounds. Although 20 was a small number, Shard, an outlander who had been in this world for two weeks, clearly understood the purchasing power of this money.

"There won't be a receipt for reimbursement this time."

Shard immediately reminded him, but the latter shook his head:

"Consider this a small token of the club's appreciation. You are welcome to come and go as you please in the club, and you will always be warmly received here."

He likely discerned something from the action of Miss Galina's personal maid leading Shard to get the money.

Shard asked curiously:

"I know that lady isn't the owner of this club and only comes by occasionally. So when you give her 50 pounds, is it like a loan?"

"A loan?"

Mr. Nett looked at Shard in amazement, as if he had heard something inconceivable:

"It is our honor that the lady deigns to visit our establishment. Her asking for money from us is akin to an angel bestowing blessings!"

"It must be nice to have the status of a noble."

Shard muttered to himself quietly.

After obtaining the substantial sum of money, he did not immediately return to his employer, Miss Iluna, but chatted with Mr. Nett for a while to kill some time, hoping her investigation would go smoothly.

When he returned to the specially prepared meeting room, about an hour and a half had passed since he left. As he pushed open the door, he was worried that the female sorcerer with brown hair had not returned yet, but thankfully she was already sitting at the coffee table with a book in her hand, drinking tea.

"Please, make yourself comfortable."

Mr. Nett said from outside the door, giving a slight bow before closing it.

Miss Beyas immediately put down her book and tried to speak, but the experienced and cautious detective raised his finger to signal her to keep silent. Carefully standing by the door listening for sounds outside, he relaxed only after making sure Mr. Nett had walked away.

"Hamilton Detective, you really are reliable. It was indeed the right choice to hire you for this task," Miss Beyas complimented, and Shard, looking somewhat tired, sat down on a single sofa by the side:

"I think you might have misunderstood something, but I am indeed reliable."

"I never expected you to have such impressive social connections. When I excused myself to the restroom earlier, everyone in the club bowed to me when they saw me."

The girl who came from the church was probably experiencing this kind of treatment for the first time.

"My social connections... speaking of which, do you know Miss Galina? She seems to be a very powerful grand noble."

Although Miss Beyas knew that Shard had gone to see "that lady," unlike Schneider and his companions, she did not know that "that lady" was a Circle Sorcerer, so she could divulge this matter.

"Miss Galina?"

Miss Iluna Beath thought for a moment:

"Galina is not an uncommon name, and if it's related to the nobility, there are many possibilities. While I was training at Blackstone Security Company, there was a course dedicated to introducing contemporary noble lineages, but without further details, it's difficult for me to know who this refers to."

Shard recalled the details just mentioned:

"A Grand Noble with considerable power, not over 30 years old. She said she admired me and that her influence was enough to affect the Church."

Immediately, Shard noticed a look of distrust in the girl's eyes across from him.

"I swear in God's name, I absolutely did not lie."

He said right away, and such an oath accorded with the habits of Church Ring Sorcerers:

"If that's the case..."

Miss Beath furrowed her brows, then looked at Shard with some surprise:

"Detective, then you truly have come into contact with a remarkable noble. There is only one who fits these criteria, the youngest sister of the former King of Draleon, Larus II, and the aunt of the current 'Fire Jumper' King Larus III, carrying the title 'Duke of Saradiel,' Galina Cavendish. Detective... I will definitely not increase the cost of this hiring because of your social connections."

Shard's mouth fell open slightly; he had read about this Duchess in the newspapers. Duke Galina Cavendish was a Duke with Real Power, and the County of Saradiel was her domain. The Duchess had only recently traveled from her domain here, purportedly to celebrate the King's birthday.

The "Tobesk Morning Post" and the "Kingdom Morning Post" had reported this event for several days in a row, and Shard, new to the world, had marveled at it for a long time.

King Larus III is 45 years old this year, and Miss Galina's age does not exceed 30; the generational relationships within the Royal Family are quite interesting indeed.

"Are you surprised? You surely can't be unaware of her, can you?"

Miss Beath asked, and Shard hurriedly shook his head:

"I forgot to ask you just now, how is your investigation going? Such a long time must not have passed without any leads, right?"

Miss Beath was successfully diverted by the Detective's change of topic, and she set down her teacup with a hint of sorrow:

"I've found a clue. An unusual event occurred in the third room on the left side of the first-floor staircase, but I can't get in; there are too many people on the first floor."

This clue was consistent with the one provided by Miss Galina. Since Miss Beath had also investigated it, Shard didn't need to mention it himself.

"I remember that room seems to also serve as a parlor, but because it's too close to the hall, it appears noisier and only entertains those unimportant guests."

He stood up, signaling that Miss Beath could follow him:

"I still have some... respect in this place, I believe we can go in and take a look."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Detective, I truly did not misjudge you."

The brunette Female Sorcerer smiled as she stood up:

"If there truly is a discovery this time, I will not be stingy with the reward."

Shard also smiled, placing a hand over his chest. Inside the pocket of his coat, there was an envelope; inside the envelope was 60 pounds in cash (note), enough for him to buy a nice small manor in the rural outskirts of Tobesk:

"As for the reward, we can discuss that later."