Chapter 1060: Chapter 1060: The Anchor of Civilization

“Don’t return to Draleon anymore.”

Shard stood by the wooden ladder leading to the ship and spoke to the two in the darkness, but did not refuse their gesture of offering payment; it was what he deserved:

“I originally thought of charging you a total of 100 pounds, but 60 will do. You both need to find new jobs and continue learning art, you’ll need the money for many things.”

“Sir, I really don’t know how to thank you.”

Mr. Felinga said in the dark, finally handing the sewer map to Shard. He would never return, and these maps were of no use to him anymore.

“Sir… I don’t presume to ask for forgiveness… truly… loyal…”

Though speaking to Shard, Miss Brown was actually looking at Princess Margaret behind Shard, standing in the shadow even the ship’s lights couldn’t illuminate.

Miss Brown spoke with a slight sob, unable to continue, and seeing this, Shard urged:

“Go quickly, go quickly, it’s hard to get here, don’t…”

Suddenly, a large cluster of lights appeared in the distance; Shard turned sharply and saw a group of people approaching with kerosene lamps, led seemingly by Director Anlos.

Others on the pier also looked towards the people approaching along the riverside street.

“MI6! Leading seems…”

The maid behind the princess whispered, and Princess Margaret instinctively looked at Shard, her beautiful face peeking out from beneath the cloak.

“Don’t worry.”

Shard said in a deep voice, then quickly urged:

“Miss Brown, Mr. Felinga, you board the ship first.”

He then turned to approach the incoming group:

“Your Highness, stay here and don’t move, leave everything to me.”

He removed his hat and jogged away from the pier. Mr. Felinga immediately boarded the ship with his luggage, while Miss Brown, standing behind, turned to look once more at the silent princess:

“I’m sorry.”

Margaret Anjou lowered her head, saying nothing at all. Miss Brown bit her lip and was eventually pulled up the ladder by Mr. Felinga.

Meanwhile, Shard had already approached the approaching group. Leading indeed was Director Anlos; those behind him wanted to raise their guns but were stopped by Director Anlos, who recognized Shard:

“Oh, what are you doing here?”

He didn’t call out Shard’s name, and Shard waved at his superior, then walked two steps alone with him to talk personally.

Shard lowered his voice and pointed to the figure of the princess on the pier:

“Mr. Anlos, has something happened?”

Not waiting for Director Anlos to explain, Shard continued:

“Over there, that’s Margaret Anjou. I accompanied her out for some leisure. We… um… she invited me.”

The middle-aged man suspiciously looked at Shard, who smiled awkwardly:

“Alright, she has a batch of smuggled goods she needs to verify one last time—local tobacco. Coming out with me for a walk was incidental.”

“Looks like you’ve completed the King’s task well.”

Director Anlos looked at the hooded figure on the pier from a distance. With Shard’s hint, he recognized it was Princess Margaret. Of course, the best choice was to pretend he hadn’t seen it at all:

“Nothing much tonight, a defector agent returned to Tobesk, we’re suspecting contact with Grey Glove.”

He didn’t suspect Shard or Princess Margaret would aid the former maid; the former had nothing to do with the matter, the latter was even a victim:

“Don’t stay out too long tonight.”

Director Anlos said:

“I’m leading a search along the riverbank; it’s unlikely she’d leave by train.”

“Why would you personally lead the capture?”

Shard curiously asked; Director Anlos was an MI6 senior officer and rarely participated in direct action.

“It’s the end of the year, Six has to undergo the King’s assessments and year-end bonus evaluations.”

He sighed, looking like a middle-aged man striving for livelihood:

“So I have to perform well; the King is still watching from Yordle Palace.”

Shard understandingly nodded:

“It’s not easy.”

Director Anlos patted Shard’s shoulder:

“Princess Margaret will leave next week, your task is for one more week, hope that cursed grey-headed eagle will appear.”

He waved to others behind him:

“Next dock.”

The team thus turned, continuing to search other ships downstream.

After bidding farewell to Director Anlos, Shard returned to the pier beside the princess in the darkness once confirming the group had walked far away:

“All clear now.”

He whispered. Princess Margaret, though curious about how Shard managed to persuade MI6’s people to leave, didn’t ask further.

After loading the last two passengers, black smoke billowed from the ship’s chimney, the whistle sounded long, and the cargo ship slowly left the dock, sailing downriver into the darkness.

Princess Margaret remained silent throughout, until the ship sailed far away, then asked Shard quietly while standing on the pier:

“Detective, aren’t you surprised I’m here?”

“Why surprised? I think you wanted to see her leave personally, as a farewell to your unpleasant past.”

Shard said, finally breathing a sigh of relief. The day’s hustle was so exhausting he’d gained nothing but a map and sixty pounds, yet felt somewhat content inside:

“Seeing Miss Brown board the ship and leave, don’t you feel happy?”

“There’s some happiness, but it also feels like I’m saying goodbye to my childish self.”

She seems somewhat wistful.

Shard’s lips curve into a smile:

“Besides, you’ve successfully made Miss Brown carry a lifelong guilt. She will never forget what she did, much like you did for the past eight years.”

Hearing Shard say this, the face under the hood finally reveals a smile. Shard continues:

“As long as you’re happy, my day’s running around wasn’t in vain.”

He stretches lazily in front of the Princess:

“So, Your Highness, will you still mind eating purple cabbage in the future?”

The Princess looks at him reproachfully:

“Of course I mind, that kind of vegetable is just not good no matter how you cook it.”

She looks at Shard nearby, pauses, and then says softly:

“Thank you.”

“Why thank me?”

Shard asks back, then waves his hand:

“Your Highness, I actually have an agenda. Can you help me get in touch with Sir Plisha? Maybe Sunday afternoon, I’d like to meet with him at my place, and also a Circle Sorcerer friend of mine. Please tell him I’m a Circle Sorcerer, just say I’m looking for a Circle Sorcerer with Moon Power, and you recommended him.”

“No problem, but I’ll go with you, otherwise the Sir might not agree.”

She hesitates:

“There’s one more thing, Shard, you may call me by my name directly in the future.”

The Princess’s eyes look at Shard, and Shard hesitates, feeling the cold winter breeze against his cheek:

“Alright then… Margaret?”

The Princess smiles again:

“I’ll be returning home next week, didn’t expect to meet a friend like you during my visit to Tobesk. I think I understand why the Duchess is enamored with you.”

Shard makes no comment on this, gestures to invite, and together with the Princess and the Maid, leaves the pier heading towards the gas-lit street.

The full moon and sparse stars, the winter city is so serene. Princess Margaret seems unwilling to discuss Miss Brown with Shard. When Shard delivers the Princess to the carriage, she hesitantly asks him:

“Why are you really helping them? Don’t say it’s just for the 60 pounds. With your power, you could easily earn that money by doing anything else.”

“Why does helping others need a reason?”

Shard taps his chest, saying with determination:

“If I must give a reason, I’ve helped quite a few people in autumn, and they later helped me when I encountered danger in the mountains. This taught me that doing good deeds occasionally isn’t bad. And as a knight of Draleon, I actually adhere to some knightly ideals.”

“But your actions, are damaging Draleon’s interests.”

The Princess says softly, looking around to ensure no one notices before gently kissing Shard’s cheek:

“Then, Knight, this is your reward.”

With that, she gets into the carriage without even saying goodbye to Shard, instructing the driver to leave.

Only Shard, holding his cheek, stands at the street corner watching the carriage’s retreating figure:

“Do girls of this era all use kisses to express gratitude?”

[Maybe that’s just for you.]

“She” laughs softly in Shard’s ear.

“But she directly touched me, why didn’t she sense anything odd about me as a man?”

[Her Witch Power is less than expected. Seems Miss Sylvia never intended to connect her with the Witch Council from the start.]

Shard chuckles, puts his hands in his pockets, kicks a pebble at his feet into a nearby alley:

“I should get home too, Mia is waiting for me at home. I’ve been busy all day, I need to rest.”

Turns to walk in another direction, a certain lightness in his steps.

“She” whispers in his ear, the faint moonlight illuminating Shard’s path home:

[The Sixth Era, 1853, deep winter, Slumber Moon. The curtain of civilization unfolds slowly before you, standing on the lands of the Old Continent, you have learned about and familiarized yourself with the struggles between the two great kingdoms of human civilization. The Princess sings softly on stage, the King overlooks the Earth from his Throne, secret agents traverse the cities, the Duchess laughs still unaware. My dear Outlander, Desire weaves a vast net, Power forges the scepter, Money piles up bones, Fate writes the Poem Chapter. The Kingdom is in your hands, war and peace will be decided by you. This era is more interesting because of your presence. What kind of future do you anticipate?]

“Why say such things now? Have I completed any difficult achievements? All along, you only use such language when I’ve completed something significant.”

[You’ve formed ties with the princesses of two countries simultaneously. This is enough to affect the human civilization’s situation because they both have considerable ambition. Tonight, the anchor of civilization was touched by you.]

“She” answers warmly in Shard’s ear.

“Also, why do you make it sound like I’m a conspirator plotting behind the scenes of the kingdom to overturn the world?”

Shard softly complains in his heart, turning again to look at the distant carriage:

“According to your words, I seem to have casual influence over two kingdoms. When did I gain such power?”

“She” merely laughs, but upon Shard’s persistent questioning, poses a question back:

[Outlander, do you wish to possess such power?]

Shard looks up at the hazy moon in the sky:

“Pursuing power is too exhausting, I’d rather choose to pursue strength.”

[You’ve heard knowledge is power, but isn’t strength also power?]

Shard shakes his head, and heads in the direction of home.