“Your apprentice?”
Shader looked at the other party in surprise.
“But I am not a woman.”
“But you can use the power of a witch, you are proficient in space and mathematics, and Miss Galina has praised your outstanding abilities, saying that she feels very at ease with your work. I cannot think of anyone more suitable to be my apprentice than you.”
Miss Sylvia listed Shader's strengths one by one.
What she said was indeed reasonable, but Shader felt that being a correspondence student of Saint Byron was sufficient for now; he was still eyeing the position of librarian at the academy. Not to mention, if he actually dared to agree to Miss Sylvia, he didn't even want to imagine what Miss Galina would do.
“I am honored to be noticed by you, but I'm sorry, I have no intention of becoming a witch's apprentice.”
Miss Sylvia was not disappointed.
“You can consider it for a while. The Speaker said I am still somewhat immature and that my own talent has yet to be fully unearthed, therefore instructing me not to take on apprentices before reaching the Eleventh Ring. I can give you time to think. His Excellency the Speaker said that I have the talent to touch the Thirteenth Tier.”
As Miss Sylvia spoke, she didn't seem to be joking; she was truly considering letting Shader be her apprentice.
“If I am not mistaken, that Princess Margaret is very eager to become your apprentice.”
Shader pointed this out. The witch shook her head slightly while holding her teacup.
“I told her last night that the girl has no talent. I don't mean she is stupid; her talent as a Ring Caster is quite good, and she is very hardworking. But she is not suited to be my apprentice. The girls of the Anjou family have great ambition, but they are truly poor at academia. Moreover, the mysteries of space are completely beyond her reach. This world only grants special talents to a small number of people, such as you and me.”
The lady was quite proud of her own talent.
Shader fully understood her meaning.
“Did you tell her this?”
“Yes, I told her explicitly, but she refused to give up. In truth, even if she doesn't become my apprentice, I am very willing to guide her to go further on the path of a Ring Caster, but a lack of talent is a lack of talent; that cannot be changed.”
“Is that why we are meeting here, rather than at the Rothschild Manor where the Princess is staying?”
“Yes. An existence like yours should avoid being seen by too many people. I have very few followers; some are allowed to see you, but Margaret is not among them. I suspect Miss Galina also does not let all of her followers know of your existence.”
This meant that Shader could not rely on the witch's connections to approach the Princess using his identity as Shader Hamilton. As for the matters regarding the "Moon of Guidance" and the "Grey Owl," he would have to find a way himself.
“Also, take this.”
The witch picked up an invitation from the side and handed it to Shader.
“Tomorrow evening, a farewell party will be held at the Rothschild Manor. The great nobles of Huntington City will all be invited; I hope you can come as well.”
“Is there a special mission in inviting me?”
“No mission. Yesterday, I handed over Magis of the Poison Vine from the Pantanal Voodoo Society to the Church, but it is currently unknown why they targeted a Count. I do not believe they have the courage to move against a Princess of the Kingdom, but it is better to be safe. If you can come, my pressure will be less. But do not take it too seriously; the Church of this diocese will also send people to tomorrow night's banquet, and I will certainly be present. You only need to appear at the party and keep an eye out for any strange occurrences.”
Shader took the invitation.
“No problem. Saturday night? Alright, I'll postpone my original plans.”
Subsequently, he asked for advice
“May I ask what your view is on the legend of the 'Lady of the Lake' around Huntington City?”
Miss Sylvia thought for a moment and shook her head slightly.
“I have only heard of the legend, but I do not know the specific details. My followers' influence is primarily active in Willowdale. My teacher, during her lifetime, also did not spend a long period of time active in the Huntington City region.”
Although it was a bit disappointing, Shader knew it was impossible for everyone to provide information.
“I will consider the matter of the apprenticeship, but please do not have too high an expectation. Also, my friend here—yes, that vampire Mr. Bernhardt—also mentioned the influence of the Pantanal Voodoo Society. I do not believe such a loosely structured organization would dare attack a Count of the Kingdom. Is it possible there are other possibilities? For example, were they hired?”
“Before handing over that fellow with the high bounty, I did interrogate him, but he was steadfast and said nothing; potions didn't work on him either. However, looking at the current situation, the duchies surrounding the Pantanal region seem to be acting dishonestly, though it cannot be fully confirmed to be them. After all, once it is discovered that a secular government hired an illegal Ring Caster group...”
Miss Sylvia put down her teacup.
“The Inquisition of the Holy Church is no place to joke about. Especially in the modern era where the epics of the Verses are unfolding, even if the mists of steam shroud our civilization, the Inquisition remains the most terrifying institution.”
“I hope this isn't the prelude to some grand conspiracy.”
Shader sighed, frowning as he looked out the window. The clouds of war had left the Old Continent decades ago; only an era of peace could foster the prosperity of the Steam Revolution. In the summer, a rebellion occurred within the Cavendish family, Queen Diana suffered a mysterious assassination attempt in the street, and now, the death of the Count of Carsonrick was linked to a strange Ring Caster organization. It seemed some were unwilling to live in an era of peace. Whether the smoke of war would ignite the Old Continent once more was something even an outsider couldn't figure out.
For the entire Friday morning, Shader remained in the Owl Library chatting with Miss Sylvia. This young witch with black shoulder-length hair had made significant contributions to contemporary mathematical research, even publishing several papers as the first author, and held a high reputation in the ordinary academic world. This was also the reason she could be hired by the royal family as a tutor for the princesses.
When discussing the topic of spatial oddities, Miss Sylvia possessed profound insight and knowledge that exceeded Shader's horizons. Her attainment in spatial oddities was quite high; a simple conversation allowed her to point out many of Shader's misunderstandings regarding the application of spatial power.
Of course, she couldn't figure out why Shader's "Lagrange Leap" had a longer effect than that of an ordinary Ring Caster, but as for the "Spatial Stability Aura," she immediately pointed out the key
“Rather than an oddity, this is actually more like some wonderful divine art. I suspect it comes from the Ancient Gods; perhaps after researching the records, we can find its origin.”
Although Shader had declined the proposal to become Miss Sylvia's apprentice, he was very happy to exchange ideas with this Great Witch. She was eager to share knowledge with Shader and even promised that once their group reached Tobesk, she could temporarily act as Shader's teacher and teach him some knowledge related to the power of witches.
Compared to Miss Galina and Miss Aurora, Miss Sylvia indeed seemed more like a scholar. She spoke and acted with extreme efficiency. Her appreciation for Shader did not stem from his uniqueness, but from her belief that Shader's logical thinking was simply like that of a rigorously trained scholar and mechanical engineer.
“If you had not become a Ring Caster and had spent your life as an ordinary person, you would definitely have been able to contribute to the scientific development of this era.”
This was an extremely high evaluation.
Near noon, Miss Sylvia treated Shader to lunch at the Owl Library's club, after which the two formally bid farewell. The morning's time also convinced Shader that this Great Witch harbored no hostility toward him and even had a high level of favorability; thus, he could be at ease.
After leaving the Owl Club, Shader formally began his exploration of the "Lady of the Lake" legend.
According to intelligence provided by Mr. Edmund of the Hermetic Order and the vampire Mr. Bernhardt, sightings of the "Lady of the Lake" did not appear beside one specific lake, but appeared randomly around the numerous lakes between Huntington City and the Pantanal Swamp region.
Because it was adjacent to the Pantanal region, the western part of Huntington City had many lakes of various sizes, in stark contrast to the eastern part's low hills and plains covered in vineyards. The city could not expand toward the western swamp region, which resulted in the old West District of Huntington City failing to catch the train of the Steam Age, but consequently preserved the urban style of the old era.
Steam pipes ran through here, but ancient buildings also showcased the glory of Huntington City in the old era. Tobesk was a true metropolis of the Steam Age, Coldwater Port was a paradise for adventurers, Midhill Castle was a mountain city, and Huntington was a city standing on the boundary of eras, a mixture of vineyards, swamps, and steam.
Shader's first stop was not to rush directly to the lakes outside the city to try his luck. Mr. Bernhardt had contacted a local folklore professor researching the "Lady of the Lake" legend; furthermore, the party claimed to have actually encountered the so-called "Lady of the Lake."
In fact, the witnesses Mr. Bernhardt contacted were more than one, but only this one was proficient in Delarion. Shader had no other choice; his Carsonrick language was not yet sufficient to allow him to have long, professional conversations with locals. One must remember that Miss Sylvia had been using Delarion the entire time.
“It seems every time I arrive in a new city, my first stop is always to find folklore professors.”
Shader thought as he sat in the carriage.
Professor Kansas Drake, introduced to Shader by Mr. Bernhardt, was an old professor who had already retired from the local university. His children all worked in Willowdale City, so he lived alone in a detached house in the old urban area of western Huntington City. It was not the street-side apartment common in this era, but a courtyard-style building with a yard, a garden, and an independent warehouse, located in a dedicated residential district. Although the total land area could not compare to the plot of Number 6 St. Delan Square, it was sufficient for an elderly man living alone.
Unlike the folklore professors Shader had met before—who were clearly old yet still bursting with vitality—Professor Kansas Drake, who had once worked at the Huntington Vocational School, was disabled in both legs due to an accident and could now only move in a wheelchair.
Therefore, when Shader held the business card, found the door of Number 21 on Green Algae Street in the West District of Huntington City, and rang the bell outside the fence, the person who opened the door for Shader was a plump maid wearing an apron.
Inside the fence were shrubs trimmed like cubes, and behind the shrubs was a flat lawn. Although Professor Drake's legs were disabled, it seemed his life remained comfortable and cozy.
(End of Chapter)