The document that had caught Shade's attention seemed to be made of parchment. One corner of it was weighed down by a book titled Psychology and Abnormal Psychology, covering only the signature while leaving the main content visible:
Academy Bounty Notice
An illegal organization known as Mercury's Blood has appeared in Tobesk City and its surrounding areas, carrying a Secret Keeper-level relic known as the Forged Philosopher's Stone. The Academy is offering a reward to all local Academy-affiliated Warlocks to closely monitor the movements of Mercury's Blood. Submission of the Forged Philosopher's Stone to the Academy will result in 5 practical credits being deducted from this academic year, and the semester's final assessment will be upgraded to 'Excellent'. Further rewards will be discussed in person with Professor Roggs of the Mechanical Academy.
Note 1: This task is extremely dangerous. Students below the 3rd Circle are strongly advised not to engage Mercury's Blood in any form.
Note 2: For more detailed information regarding the relic Forged Philosopher's Stone, please contact the Academy.
Note 3: The Church of the True Gods has received this information. If you intend to complete this task, be cautious not to reveal your identity to the Church.
The signature beneath was obscured, though it seemed to be a joint notice issued by the Public Affairs Office of St. Byrons Comprehensive Academy and the Mechanical Academy.
"If the Church finds out, what then? I forgot to ask the doctor earlier," Shade thought as he placed the document folder back on the table and seated himself on the sofa.
So far, no one knew his secret—that he could understand various bizarre languages. Therefore, it was highly unlikely that the doctor had forged this document. In fact, the appearance of the bounty notice only reinforced the doctor's earlier claims as more probable.
"Credits, academic assessments... terrifying words. Who would've thought that even in an era of steam civilization, I'd still have to deal with things like this?"
Shade mused silently, recalling his life back in his homeland. This made him more determined to delve into the mysteries and find a way back.
What he hadn't expected was that even in this otherworldly realm, he'd still have to study, take exams, and possibly even write papers.
"There's always a way," he thought, patiently awaiting the doctor's return.
Although the doctor had treated him to lunch at the Goose Tavern earlier, the horrific scene they'd witnessed that morning still lingered in Shade's mind, and he hadn't eaten much. Now that he had a clearer sense of his plans for the future, his mood lifted, and with it came hunger. Taking advantage of the doctor's absence, he asked Mrs. Carla for some snacks, claiming it was for afternoon tea.
It seemed the doctor had told Mrs. Carla that Shade was a distinguished guest, because when the maid—wearing a floral apron—knocked and entered the room, she was holding a porcelain plate.
"This is part of Mr. Schneider's collection," the middle-aged maid smiled. She appeared to be in her forties, slightly older than the blue-eyed doctor. With her ample figure, she perfectly fit Shade's image of an average middle-aged woman of this era.
Though there was no great eastern empire in this world, porcelain still existed and was as precious as ever. Only certain regions with special soils and techniques could produce such exquisite pieces.
Shade thanked Mrs. Carla, though he wasn't particularly interested in the porcelain plate. What did catch his eye were the delicate, fluffy yellow cakes on the plate, topped with glistening red cherries. He couldn't help but swallow.
"Shade, don't embarrass yourself as an otherworlder!"
The foreigner in this land scolded himself inwardly, only to once again hear the pleasant laughter of the woman in his mind.
The doctor had set the meeting time for 2 p.m., but as the hour passed with no sign of him, Shade began to grow suspicious. If not for the fact that he had freely roamed the house and found no one stopping him, he might have wondered if he had walked into some kind of trap.
As this was someone else's home, once he had confirmed he could leave at any time, Shade returned to the original room to wait. He didn't have the habit of rummaging through others' belongings, and he was cautious not to accidentally stumble upon any sensitive documents again. Thus, he sat idly on the sofa, scrutinizing the room's decor.
Having spent close to 40 hours in this world, Shade had gained a deeper understanding of the level of development in the country where he now found himself. The characteristics of the steam age were evident in every aspect of life, from gas lamps and steam pipes to the ingenious mechanical clasps found on various pieces of furniture. The bookshelf, with its pulley system and gear-driven lift, was something Shade had never encountered in his previous world.
He had never imagined he would find himself in such a place. Despite his aimless wanderings, he tried to figure out how he might leverage his knowledge to earn some money. Unfortunately, he didn't know much, and he certainly didn't possess an exceptional photographic memory. His future remained fraught with uncertainty.
It was 2:30 p.m. when Dr. Schneider finally appeared, having changed into a black coat.
"I deeply apologize," he said as he entered, "Something entirely unexpected came up. I had ordered a batch of sensitive drugs from the black market—no, don't give me that look. They're not for my patients, I don't do that sort of thing. These are for my own research into mysticism. Unfortunately, there was a mishap when I went to pick them up. Bad luck, really."
He took a seat as the maid followed him in, bringing a fresh pot of tea for the two men.
"So, have you made up your mind?" the doctor asked, his blue eyes meeting Shade's with a serious expression.
Shade, having checked his reflection in the mirror earlier, knew his eyes still retained their deep brown, almost black color—just as they had been in his previous life.
"I have," Shade replied, sitting up straight and nodding firmly. "I want to try and get close to the Poet-level relic: The Dream of St. Byrons Comprehensive Academy."
A broad smile spread across the doctor's face. "Even with today's bad luck, Hamilton Detective, I've noticed that when it comes to matters involving you, things always seem to turn out quite well."
St. Byrons Comprehensive Academy, being one of the three great institutions of mysticism, had the ability to remotely deliver relics. But as Shade was not yet an official Warlock, Dr. Schneider naturally wouldn't reveal the means by which this was accomplished.
After another ten minutes of waiting alone in the room, the doctor returned, carrying a black paper box.
The box was truly black—so black that Shade didn't immediately notice its seams.
"The Dream of St. Byrons Comprehensive Academy is an artifact from the previous epoch—specifically from the Fifth Epoch," Dr. Schneider explained as he opened the box. "At the time, the Academy had just been founded, and its legendary founder, Thirteen-Ring Sorceress Mana Ferriana, received this relic after an afternoon nap during one summer. The relic must be contained within a black space, which makes its containment relatively simple."
"The Academy was only founded in the previous epoch?" Shade asked in surprise, having assumed it was a much older institution.
"In fact, both the Five Great Churches of the True Gods and the Three Grand Academies of Mysticism only emerged during the Fifth Epoch. Remember this: the Fourth Epoch was an era of darkness and chaos, where evil and corruption ruled the world. The Fifth Epoch, on the other hand, was the epoch of the witches, where only women had the ability to perform magic. The powerful witch emperors ruled fragmented lands, and cities constantly warred with one another. Despite this, civilization remained stagnant. It was a wild and primal era, but no less terrifying. It wasn't until the Sixth Epoch, where the supernatural receded, that humanity's civilization advanced in the hands of ordinary people, leading to the age we live in now."
The doctor didn't delve further into older epochs, and Shade didn't press for more information. Instead, they both focused their attention on the box.
Inside the black paper box, nestled in straw, lay an exquisitely enamelled snuff bottle, about the size of a palm. The bottle was predominantly a rich, cobalt blue, adorned with bright yellow sunflowers connected by golden lines, evoking the pleasant warmth of summer.