Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Chapter 209 Night Visit to the Cemetery

Miss Luisa didn't search for a rental carriage at the street corner but walked two blocks with Shard before abruptly turning into a small, inconspicuous alleyway. After traversing some distance in the alley, she surprisingly pulled out a key and opened the door of one of the houses.

"Shard, we can't possibly have just one hiding place, can we?"

As she opened the door, she said to Shard with a smile:

"I bet Annette, Priest Augustus, and the doctor also have a similar second hideout for storing sensitive items that they don't often use."

The house, which served as a sort of "safe house," wasn't rented but was bought by Miss Luisa at a low price through her family connections. Although the price was reasonable, the living conditions were very poor, and Miss Luisa didn't consider it her home, using it merely as a temporary storage facility.

According to her, apart from herself, Shard was the second person to know this location.

"Should I feel honored?"

Upon entering the low house, Shard surveyed the interior, disguised as the dwelling of a common, impoverished family, while asking. Miss Luisa had already climbed through a trapdoor beneath the bed, entering a small basement underneath the house. Besides the trapdoor, the basement had a very small opening that one could crawl through to enter the city's sewage pipes, but she wouldn't use it lightly.

Not because she was worried about the passage being discovered, but because it was simply too foul-smelling to bear.

The voice coming from below sounded somewhat muffled:

"You've not only shared your secret with me but even lent me the precious 'Ever-Youth Leaf'. What is there that I couldn't tell you? As of now, aside from Lecia, Shard, you are the person I trust the most."

While speaking, she crawled out from beneath the trapdoor, handing Shard a very thick black robe and a mask:

"The place we're heading to might be dangerous, it's better to be cautious."

As she spoke, she too changed into a robe. She struggled to tuck her long golden hair into the hood, reaching up to tie it up.

There was no fog like in the city center, the cemetery next to the woodland was very clear in the Glimmer of March, and could even be described as somewhat mystical.

Miss Luisa slowed her pace a bit, walking shoulder to shoulder with Shard, whispering to him:

"The person we are visiting is usually known as Mr. Copus, the largest provider of corpse-related materials in the Tobesk Region. But this man is a Tomb Guardian with a very peculiar temperament. Whether you're a regular or not, any Circle Sorcerer who enters the cemetery he manages after the sun sets will receive his rather unfriendly treatment, yet he only receives visitors after sunset.

Follow closely behind me later, and don't use Silvermoon's Arcane Technique. I'll handle any danger."

"Is he involved in illegal activities?"

Shard inquired quietly, his shoes crunching on the twigs scattered on the gravel path echoing as if afar.

"Although a bit eccentric, he mostly hides in the cemetery engaged in his research, and none of the True God Church's wanted orders match with him. And his unfriendliness towards nighttime visitors is mostly just a warning."

The blonde girl answered.

"So where do these corpse materials come from? It couldn't be..."

Shard quietly pointed ahead.

"At least they're not dug up from this cemetery. No Tomb Guardian would be foolish enough to steal bodies from their own domain. As for where they come from... Detective, I can't answer that."

The use of "Detective" instead of "Shard" was because they were approaching the cemetery.

Shard closed his mouth and continued to follow Miss Luisa silently.

He understood the source of corpse-related materials could not be legal in an era where such order was established. Whether by theft, purchase, or some other means, he couldn't guess, and couldn't even begin to fathom, so he simply chose not to worry about it.