Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Chapter 310 "Chance Encounter

"Just now..."

[The woman who gave you something is a Circle Sorcerer.]

"Hmm..."

Shard glanced in the direction where the police had vanished, then looked at the paper bag that had been forcibly stuffed into his hands, which resembled one from a bakery:

"Is there anything dangerous inside this?"

[There are no traces of elements or spirits, you can look inside to see what it is.]

Shard thought for a moment, looked again toward the direction where the young girl and the police had disappeared, then turned and walked into the alley they had just run out of.

The alley was flanked on both sides by two-story buildings, so the lighting was not very good. After making sure there was no one else around, Shard peeked into the heavy paper bag. It contained nothing but books and documents.

"I didn't expect to encounter such a thing."

Shard didn't want to get involved in any trouble in the strange city and had little curiosity about the paper bag that had been thrust upon him. Since he confirmed that the contents were neither a relic nor a bomb, he thought of paying some money to the clothing store at the entrance of the alley to keep the bag temporarily so that the lady could collect it later when she came looking for it.

But upon closer examination of the exterior of the paper bag, he discovered a small mark of blue ink in the upper right corner of the bag.

The mark was circular, with a vine bordering the inner edge, and the ancient rune representing "word" at the center.

The design was simple, yet it made Shard furrow his brows subconsciously:

"The school badge of Zaras Literary Academy?"

The Zaras Literary Academy, also known as Zaras Academy of Sorcery, along with Saint Byrons Integrated Academy and Xerxes Higher Medical Academy, are collectively known as the Three Great Magics Academies of the Sixth Era. Saint Byrons specializes in relic containment, Zaras Literary Academy excels at arcane technique and sorcery development, and Xerxes Higher Medical Academy has made significant contributions in magic potions and alchemy.

Not long ago, when he and the doctor had barged into the residence of a mistress kept by an official at Riddlevitch Field in Tobesk City, they met a Correspondence Circle Mage from Zaras Literary Academy. However, Shard had not spoken with him and was not acquainted with students from other magic academies.

"The girl just now, could she be a Correspondence Circle Mage from Zaras Literary Academy, in Coldwater Port City?"

With this thought, he looked down at the paper bag he was holding in his hands again, hesitated for a moment, and then started to go through the documents inside, eventually pulling out one of them.

At the very top, the school badge of Zaras Literary Academy was printed, and the heading read [Academy Bounty Notice]. He quickly glanced over the contents of the bounty order, which essentially stated that a Sage-Level Relic called "Mermaid's Dream" had appeared locally, and a bounty mission was being issued to Correspondence Circle Mages in Coldwater Port City and the surrounding area, hoping to provide the academy with relevant clues.

"If this bag wasn't stolen by her, then she is most likely a Correspondence Circle Mage from Zaras Literary Academy."

Watching her retreating figure, Shard hesitated but decided to call out to her:

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"Sorry, miss, I forgot to ask your name."

The young lady immediately turned around:

"No, you're better off not knowing my name, otherwise, it will cause you trouble. Sir, when striking up a conversation with a strange lady, one must always beware if the other party is a dangerous person."

She spoke with a laugh as if she were advising an infatuated suitor to be cautious of dangers.

"You're absolutely right."

Shard replied, then asked softly:

"Just, would you satisfy my curiosity? I noticed that this paper bag contains only books, and I wondered which school a lady like yourself might attend?"

"Me? You saw my books?"

She raised an eyebrow:

"I can't tell you that, sir, it's a secret."

At this point, although there was still a chance of misjudgment, Shard was almost certain that the other party was a Correspondence Circle Mage from Zaras Literary Academy.

From the simple conversation, he could tell that she was someone he could talk to. Shard's questions also raised her guard, which was exactly what he wanted. He decided to continue probing as he couldn't always find a Correspondence Circle Mage from the Three Great Magics Academies.

"Sir, you didn't go through my things, did you?"

The young lady asked with a frown.

"Of course not."

"That's good, after all, inside is..."

To his surprise, she suddenly looked up and locked eyes with Shard:

"Who are you?"