Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Even after Mr. Lavende lost cleanly to Shard, he was still thrilled. Unfortunately, it was his turn, and he regretfully stood up to leave, but not before solemnly pocketing Shard's business card.

After the card game ended, without the organizer, people were not interested in playing cards anymore. Shard, sitting there, was bewilderingly invited to join a discussion on royal gossip and was forced to give his opinion on the conflict between Prince Mogus Cavendish and Marquis Kalad, the commander of the Third Steam Equipment Division of the Navy, despite knowing nothing about it.

Thankfully, when his number was called, seeing he had an excuse to leave, he stood up quickly, and took the opportunity to hand out his business cards to those around him—it was an excellent chance to drum up business, as those who played Roder cards were wealthy.

He pushed open the side door of the room and entered, of course remembering to close it behind him. The previous Roder card collector had already left through the main door, and at that moment, only an elderly gentleman behind a desk, who yawned and beckoned Shard to sit down, was in the room.

The room was not very large, even somewhat cramped. The only decorations were some paintings on the walls, while the desk of the Roder card appraiser took up almost a quarter of the room.

As Shard took his seat, he noticed that on the desk, apart from several gas lamps and assorted lenses, there was a conspicuous black metal box containing destroyed Roder cards. At the top was the "Ace of Flowers" from the Draleon Hero Series that Mr. Lavende had shown off. It had no special effects, but it was very beautiful—sadly, it was also counterfeit.

"Do you know that counterfeit Roder cards must be torn up?" the old man in glasses asked. Seeing Shard nod, he gestured that Shard could present the card for appraisal.

Carefully opening his diary, Shard took out the "Three of Suns" [Genesis: Silver Moon] and placed it on the cushioned surface of the desk. The glove-wearing elderly man reached out, took the card, glanced at it, and frowned:

"A Genesis Silver Moon from the Genesis Series?"

He looked up at Shard as if he were looking at a lunatic, clearly not believing someone would come to have this appraised.

Still, he dutifully pulled the lotus-mouth gas lamp closer, turned the light to its brightest setting, and inspected the card details under the magnifying glass.

Shard, waiting like someone anticipating the results of a scratched lottery ticket, sat there and suddenly felt less nervous. However, the man on the other side of the table grew increasingly tense with time, and it was almost dozens of minutes later when he finally lifted his head and looked at Shard earnestly, sweat beading on the forehead hidden by his hair:

"A Genesis Silver Moon?"

The same question as when Shard sat down, but with a completely different tone.

Shard, having a rough understanding of the result, just shook his head:

"It seems so."

He spoke modestly, even if he prided himself on controlling his emotions, but he still couldn't suppress his joy at that moment.

"Oh, sir, please wait, please wait. I cannot authenticate this card. I need to call someone else."

The senior appraiser shakily handed the card back to Shard, removed his glasses, took a towel from a rack beside him to wipe his face, then made his way to the door:

"Sir, please don't run away, I'll be right back! Give me three minutes."

His voice trembled as he spoke.

"Why would I run?"

Shard thought to himself, watching the door close.

Then he looked down again at the [Genesis: Silver Moon] "Three of Suns," looking at the lady on the card cradling the silver moon in profile:

"Speaking of which, I do have a strange connection with Silvermoon."

The senior appraiser didn't take three minutes, not even one, before he hurriedly ran back. He leaned on the door frame, looking almost out of breath from the run:

"How wonderful, sir, you are still here."

"Why wouldn't I be here?"

As Shard pondered this, he picked up the card and stood up. Only then did he hear more running footsteps from behind the senior appraiser in the corridor, and soon a tall and thin middle-aged man in black leather shoes came running over. He was dressed in a black suit, with a chest pin bearing the Ouroboros symbol:

"Vice President Cyndia Mark from the Prophet's Society's Tobesk Branch."

The middle-aged man, still catching his breath, stepped past the senior appraiser and came forward to shake hands with Shard.

"You might want to catch your breath before speaking. I'm not going anywhere."

Shard said, then asked in a low voice:

"So, is this card real?"

Mr. Mark invited Shard to the Association's third-floor for a talk, this time in a very formal reception room, which even had servants hired by the Society to prepare tea for guests.

Shard took a seat on the reception room sofa and, once he saw Mr. Mark sit down as well, noticed two appraisers, apparently older than Priest Augustus, hurrying over:

"Regarding this Genesis Series Silvermoon, we need to conduct a more thorough appraisal, but right here, in front of you. Sir, could you please wait a little longer?"

Vice President Cyndia Mark said while wiping his sweat, and Shard keenly noted that the shirt collar under his suit was soaked with sweat.

"Of course, that's no problem, but about the appraisal fee..."

Shard deliberately hesitated.

"Of course, it's still five pence, you needn't pay any more."

Mr. Mark said, taking the business card Shard handed over, similar to Mr. Lavende's earlier reaction, astonished at the address "No. 6, Saint Delan Square".

He then asked:

"Mr. Hamilton, would you like any refreshments?"

"I think I'll pass for now."

Shard waved it off, for though the Prophet's Society was a very formal, global organization, where incidents like murder to steal a card would not happen, as a loner and foreigner with neither influence nor strength, it was better to be cautious when away from home.

He looked towards the three senior appraisers, who had been hastily summoned and were now at the other end of the reception room's long table, spreading out a dense array of tools and lenses, and turning on various oddly shaped lamps brought by the servants. The reception room's stately floor-to-ceiling windows were tightly closed, shutting out the foggy early morning silhouette of Yordle Palace:

"Regarding this Genesis Silver Moon... if it is genuine, I presume the Society wouldn't broadcast it everywhere."

Shard remarked without looking at Mr. Mark, as if he was stating an unconscious thought.

"Of course, the Society is absolutely impartial concerning Roder Cards and would not harm any collector's interests. That is our principle."

Mr. Cyndia Mark assured him, assuming by default that Shard, in possession of the card, was a collector.

With a side glance at Shard, who was decently dressed but did not appear wealthy and who possessed a very unique aura, Vice President Mark hesitated for a moment before asking:

"Could you possibly tell us how you came by this card? I mean no offense by asking; the last time the Society saw it was roughly about 127 years ago during the 'Big City Player' Roder Card tournament. That year, Baron Stilwell Byron made it to the finals with this card and became quite the sensation.

We'd like to trace the card's whereabouts over the past century, and it's truly beyond my expectations to have the fortune to see it."