Chapter 1267: Chapter 1267: Heart of the Earth
“This suggests that the Guardian’s mission is related to some extremely terrifying secrets… What is the Heart of the Earth?”
Shard suddenly asked.
“Rumor has it that the Randall Valley is the center of the Earth’s Material World, and the Heart of the Earth lies beneath the Randall Valley, represented by the active golden rock in the cave at the valley’s center. Some far-fetched rumors mention that whoever controls the Heart of the Earth can control earthquakes, soil fertility, and even changes to the world’s entire terrain… Could the secret they are guarding be this?”
Miss Benanis wondered suspiciously, but the others couldn’t guess it either, and Shard believed that such a powerful ‘Heart of the Earth’ couldn’t exist. It was likely an exaggerated description, but he didn’t rule out the ‘Heart of the Earth’ having similar functions.
“However, the golden rock…”
Perhaps the divinity he perceived referred to this. The source of pollution from Crazy Earth came from what was called the ‘Heart of the Earth.’
“The notebook says the successor Guardians take over in the form of souls. They’ve been secretly guarding the land of the Randall Valley, battling the spreading pollution in its deepest parts, rarely appearing in person, unless a surface issue arises that can’t be solved conventionally, like last night… Interesting, the previous Guardian, Thomas Granger, is still around, and now the current Guardian, Mr. Lathis, has appeared. Thus, it’s reasonable to believe that the so-called ‘Guardian’ group likely consists of more than just the two of them.”
“A group of undead silently guarding the secrets of the soil and rocks deep within the Earth – what a dramatic notion.”
Luviya commented, thinking that this involved Miss Lathis’s father, she added:
“I mean, if all this is true, they are truly great.”
“I feel something’s amiss, leaving clues but not revealing everything, leading people step by step to the end, then dying to become Guardians, it seems like a conman’s trick… I’m not doubting them, just expressing some doubts.”
Miss Benanis was especially cautious:
“Regardless, we must find them. Shard, what’s the next clue?”
The witch asked, and Shard flipped through the book in his hand again:
“I haven’t found the next clue, could it be hidden text?”
He handed the notebook to the witch, asking her to research it later, then turned to Miss Lathis:
“Did your father say anything to you before he went missing? Something that seemed ordinary at the time but seems suspicious now. Or did he mention going to some special place?”
It was more than ten years ago, yet Miss Lathis had a very deep memory, as the Golden Dawn, being the cult of the Old God the Forgotten Old Man, had unique methods for preserving memories:
“Earlier in the notebook, it mentioned the Heart of the Earth… Two months before my father disappeared, he said that the local auction house was auctioning an artifact potentially related to the rumored ‘Heart of the Earth.’ He didn’t say he was going to buy it, just asked me to sort out the Order’s accounts to see how much surplus was available. The matter was then dropped.”
“Auction house? Which local auction house?”
“The Cassandra Auction House, I remember it clearly.”
Miss Benanis immediately looked at Shard, knowing the Cassandra Auction House was managed by the Old Witch. As the most famous auction house across the Old Continent, it naturally had a branch in such an important city as Randall Valley.
Shard nodded:
“I’ll go ask, Granny Cassandra gave me her business card and a special membership badge; no Cassandra Auction House would turn me away. Miss Lathis, please tell me approximately when that auction took place, I’ll check the accounts to find out.”
Miss Benanis looked at him strangely:
“Granny Cassandra is so kind to you? I know that kind of membership badge, not even apprentices under her might get it… Although you say your relationship with Granny is good, but…”
“Don’t misunderstand, my relationship with Granny Cassandra is different from that with Miss Galina.”
Shard quickly clarified.
The Blonde Witch shook her head:
“There’s a Council meeting tonight, I’ll ask if anyone knows about the ‘Heart of the Earth.’ Later, I won’t accompany you to the auction house, I’ll go with Ciris to her old family house to see if there are any other things.”
“Shard, I’m not going with you either. The local Prophet’s Society might have records about the Guardians or the Heart of the Earth, I’ll check those.”
Luviya said, each lady acting decisively and efficiently.
“Okay, tomorrow, which is Tuesday afternoon, we’ll meet up again at Wilder’s theater to consolidate our clues.”
Shard felt that working together on the investigation was really wonderful.
The witch group continued their investigation at the Church of the Forgotten, while Shard and Luviya left together. The auction house, sure to be in a bustling area, wasn’t far from the Prophet’s Society, so they could share a carriage.
With the badge given by the Old Witch, Shard smoothly obtained the right to inspect the account books at Cassandra Auction House. Unfortunately, they were records from decades ago, and during this period, the local auction house had experienced a fire, a relocation, the person in charge being taken out by Granny Cassandra for embezzlement, and revisions and several repairs to the account books. Therefore, Shard couldn’t see the original records for the rest of the day.
However, President Kimberley of the local auction house wiped the sweat off his forehead and assured Shard that he could definitely see the account books tomorrow morning and personally took Shard to the warehouse where they were stored to check the condition.
Although the Outlander wasn’t a professional accountant in his Homeland, as soon as he saw those mountains of stacked documents and the labels and records that were nowhere to be seen, he understood approximately what was meant by the “poor bookkeeping habits”.
“Alright, I’ll come back tomorrow morning; I must have the account books then.”
“Yes, yes.”
Mr. Kimberley personally escorted Shard to the auction house’s entrance and gave him an envelope containing tonight’s tickets to the Wilder Opera House as an apology. But when Shard opened it on the carriage, he found that inside the envelope, besides the tickets, was a bank draft worth 50 Krone.
“Ha, does he think I’m a special agent sent by Granny Cassandra to audit the accounts?”
He thought about it, put away the bank draft, and planned to donate it to the Church when he found time or buy some gifts for the Old Witch, Miss Swift, and the Red Butterfly Maiden when he visited Milestone next time.
(Mia running…)
Monday, ten o’clock at night, Witch Council.
As Mrs. Isabella, the Speaker, announced the end of the meeting, thirteen council members either chatted with their companions or elegantly rose to say goodbye to the Speaker.
Miss Vanessa Benanis, the “Grand Witch of the Earth,” organized the documents about “Crazy Earth” beside her and put her gold fountain pen into her pocket, hesitating to get up immediately, wanting to discuss the apprentice issue with the “Grand Witch of Space.”
Unexpectedly, besides Miss Sylvia, Miss Galina Cavendish, the “Balanced Great Witch,” didn’t leave immediately either.
The three waited until everyone else departed before starting their conversation. The Duchess of Draleon asked Miss Benanis:
“What’s Shard been up to recently? Has he been involved in anything dangerous in Randall Valley? I’m about to return to Tobesk, and I do miss him.”
“He… is engaging in his own adventure; I’ve already mentioned the Crazy Earth matter in the Council. As for safety, please don’t worry, since I’m by Shard’s side, naturally, I wouldn’t let anything happen to him.”
Miss Benanis said, and the Duchess glanced at her:
“I noticed you used Shard’s first name to address him…”
She smirked and said to Miss Sylvia, who was browsing the contract in her hand:
“See, over half a month, Shard and Benanis are getting along well. Last month, we were worried that he would clash with Benanis; how laughable.”
Miss Benanis felt she was being teased, but she always walked the right path—at least for now—and didn’t feel the need to be ashamed of it.
“With Vanessa around him, we don’t have to worry.”
Miss Sylvia put the contract in her hand aside:
“I’ve been incredibly busy lately; the factory’s establishment is more complicated than I thought. Thankfully, with the Anjou Royal Family’s connections, otherwise, the expensive city gas emission fees alone would be enough to give me a headache.”
“What kind of business are you planning? Earlier, I saw you getting the Speaker to sign, letting her invest in your factory, but you didn’t say what it’s for.”
Miss Galina asked curiously, and Miss Sylvia showed a “waiting for you to ask” expression:
“Shard gave me the idea and rough plan, and later, during the battle in Pantanal, I got a more detailed concept from Enlightenment. It took a month of trials to produce the finished product. The best finished product currently requires the participation of Supernatural Power to make. But the more inferior products can be produced once the steam factory is established… However, for full market entry, it will have to wait until autumn or winter.”
This speed is already fast enough.
“Mysterious indeed, in one month’s time, what could you invent?”
Miss Galina asked lazily, not really interested in the question.
In a time swept by the steam wave, new inventions appeared every day, and the newspapers were full of inventors seeking investment; they were countless. Even though Miss Sylvia had a sharp eye, Miss Galina didn’t think she could invent anything revolutionary.
“Moreover, how many shares do you plan to give Shard? I heard from Lecia that after giving you an investment of 5000 pounds, he even had to consider expenses for decorating his home. Really, I left money for him at the manor, yet he doesn’t use it…”
“It’s not about how much I want to give him, but how much he wants.”
Miss Sylvia blinked:
“If he wants… I can give him all. Do you want to see the finished product I’ve made?”