Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 658 - Agents Reward
Chapter 658: Chapter 658: Agent’s Reward
Chapter 658: Chapter 658: Agent’s Reward
The carriage was extremely quiet, and with Shard’s superior physical condition coupled with the enhanced hearing from the “Echo of the Past” in a Divine Afterglow State, he faintly heard a few words in Carsonrick, although not very clearly:
“What are they saying?”
Maid said: Your Highness, MI6 agents have been spotted around the station.
“Hmm? How can you hear that?”
Murmurs continued beside his ear:
When you can see a direction unseen by others, is it that impossible to hear sounds others fail to perceive?
“She” made a fair point, and since Shard had heard part of the voice himself, it made sense that the “other me” with a stronger perception could hear even more:
“However, MI6 is actually…wait? Your Highness?”
His eyes widened slightly, though his expression did not change as he said:
“Your Highness, you need not use formal language with me just now.”
Then he followed up with a question:
“Also, has something happened?”
“A person who serves their country as you do deserves formal speech.”
The lady behind the screen spoke a little faster than before, clearly not expecting MI6 to be here.
But Shard could understand; although Director Anlos hadn’t found out the specific pick-up location from Shard, he knew it was related to “Midshire Fort.” If they had conducted a detailed investigation and stumbled upon an issue with this train, it was indeed a possibility.
“Mr. Gray Hawk, you should leave first.”
“Your Highness, do you have a contingency plan? And why are you here for the pick-up?”
Shard’s thoughts flowed more smoothly. “Your Highness” was a term exclusive to Carsonrick, not one to be used lightly. Therefore, although he was also surprised, the woman behind the screen must be a Princess from the Southern Nation.
Shard wasn’t sure which one, but regardless, none should be here casually—it was absolutely against protocol, even ludicrous to consider.
Thus the only explanation was that she was taking a risk and acting on her own, using the Grey Glove system to see the contents of the box prematurely:
“Why are the princesses of this world so daring.”
Shard slightly narrowed his eyes and said deliberately:
“Your Highness, your being here, wouldn’t be a personal…”
“That is none of your business!”
Shard smiled and switched to the common language of Draleon:
“Your Highness, since the MI6 agents have already been detected by you, this means they will soon search this place. MI6 won’t ignore this carriage, and I think you probably have a way to escape, but it would be quite troublesome. Let me help you solve this problem.”
Shard offering to help the Southern Nation’s Princess was intended to make her fully believe he was “Mr. Gray Hawk” and therefore trust the information in the briefcase.
“Then I’ll trouble you with it.”
Shard nodded, saying nothing superfluous. He turned to leave but was stopped once more. The sound of writing came from behind the screen, and soon after, a note and a silver brooch bearing the crest of the Anjou Royal Family were handed out:
“Mr. Gray Hawk, I believe, you may be of greater value in Tobesk. I also have my people in Tobesk, and you might want to take a look here.”
Shard did not reach out for the items the Maid was holding:
“Your Highness, you should know that a person like me cannot be swayed by any party; I am only loyal to the Gray Glove itself,”
The Princess behind the screen seemed to want to co-opt Mr. Gray Hawk, the ace agent, but the problem now was that Mr. Gray Hawk had died this summer.
“But no one can evade the turmoil of political struggles, not even you,” Mr. Gray Hawk continued, “one day you too will be forced to take a stand, won’t you?”
A gentle laugh emerged from behind the screen, but Shard still shook his head; he had no intention of getting entangled with agents from neighboring countries again.
Before he could refuse once more, another maid, with a First or Second Ring Level, emerged, carrying a thick envelope.
“Since Professor Higgins has unfortunately passed away, the reward for this mission will go to you, 200 Krone. Additionally, as a token of our friendship, if you are willing to visit the address on the note, you can receive an extra 1,000 Gold Pounds as my personal sponsorship for your winter firewood in Tobesk City. I know it’s not much, but… there will always be opportunities for cooperation in the future, won’t there?”
At the current exchange rate, 11 to 12 Gold Pounds can be exchanged for 1 Krone, which means that just the envelope alone contained over two thousand pounds.
This envelope no longer allowed Shard the option to refuse:
“She gave too much.”
Shard pretended to hesitate for a moment before taking both the brooch and the reassuring envelope and slipping them into his pocket. He then glanced at the note and burned it on the spot with a match:
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“Please do not disclose my whereabouts in Midshire Fort, I have received a secret mission, and if headquarters were to find out, I would be punished.”
“Of course, Mr. Gray Hawk. And thank you for your loyalty to the family,” said the Princess behind the screen, her voice filled with quiet admiration. Shard said nothing more and turned to leave.
He had “spent” 200 Gold Pounds to obtain this briefcase, earning Lecia’s goodwill and a reward of three thousand pounds. From the “wait for a letter” mission that he had received when he first came to this world as an outlander to now, this nearly four-month-long chain of missions had finally come to a complete end.
Though it had spawned potentially related incidents involving “Mr. Gray Hawk” and the “Difference Engine,” at least there was profit to be made.
“Detective Sparrow really is a good person,” he thought, stepping out of the carriage with fond recollections of the detective:
“After the events at Midshire Fort conclude, perhaps I’ll visit the detective’s grave again—may he rest in peace.”
With Lagre’s Leap and the [Corpse-Hiding Mirror], it was easy for Shard to lead a group of ordinary people astray, giving those in the first carriage time to hide.
He spent the entire morning near the station until lunchtime, when he returned to the Cassandra Auction House and found Granny Cassandra checking the accounts.
The old witch had many capable hands around her, but she did not like to remain idle. Thus, she sometimes reviewed the accounts or personally participated in auctions.
Seeing Shard arrived, she put down her ledger and left the study with him to go to the parlor. Shard returned the [Identity Card of the Unknown Name]—a Keeper of Secrets Level Relic—and after a brief chat with the very sociable old witch about the recent earthquake, he casually asked:
“Since there’s a Grand Witch among the members of the Draleon Royal Family, is there a Grand Witch in the Anjou Royal Family of Carsonrick as well?”
“You’re not mistaking the Council for a secret organization that controls the world from behind the scenes, are you?”
Granny Cassandra laughed, shaking her head:
“No, at least there are no Grand Witches among the direct members of the Anjou Royal Family. The most powerful Grand Witch with secular authority in the current Council is Miss Galina.”
The identities of the Grand Witches are a secret of the Witch Council, and each member is obligated to maintain that secrecy. So unless Shard was likely to come into contact with those Grand Witches, even Miss Galina herself would not reveal the identities of the other witches to him.
“Have you encountered some trouble?”
The centenarian easily detected something in Shard’s words.
Shard hesitated for a moment before deciding to share some truth:
“I encountered an incident a few days ago and heard from a friend about rumors of a witch in Velindale City, the capital of Carsonrick, related to the Royal Family. Of course, it’s just a rumor without evidence. It’s like when Miss Galina arrived in Tobesk this summer, I heard about witchcraft rumors at a social event.”
