Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

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The opened box mainly contained some clothes of decent fabric, with a few books tucked inside. On the side lay a silver mini liquor bottle, a pocket watch, and several black and white photos. The person in the photos was Jonathan Lemaire.

This was the first time Shard had seen a photo of the deceased sailor.

The lawyer explained:

"Mr. Lemer hoped that if he died of an illness and left a body behind, Mrs. Lemer, who inherited his estate, should arrange his funeral. If he died in a shipwreck without leaving a body, then Mrs. Lemer, who received his estate, needed to buy a local grave and bury the photographs, to make sure his spirit wouldn't get lost at sea."

This was a sailors' superstition; they believed that if a person didn't have a grave after death, their spirit would be eternally trapped at the bottom of the sea.

"No problem."

Mrs. Lemer's eyes were somewhat red, while Shard once again started to help check the Relic. He only glanced over the clothes, but what surprised him was that Jonathan Lemaire apparently kept a diary every now and then. There were five notebooks, each page densely packed, recording the trivial matters of life at sea.

"Jonathan Lemaire was surprisingly well-educated."

Shard said in a quiet voice of amazement. The handwriting in the diaries was much better than his own, very organized, with very few spelling errors.

"Uncle Lemer had been to school before, but after offending the local sheriff, he went to the seaside to make a living. He was a good man, who even read us storybooks when we were kids," Mrs. Lemer explained with some sobs.

"Indeed, for this deal, I've exchanged letters with the friend of Mr. Lemer who held the will. According to his description, Mr. Jonathan Lemaire was one of the few sailors who was very cultured. It was also because of this that in just ten years, as an outsider, he was able to accumulate so much wealth at Coldwater Port. His friend spoke very highly of him."

As the lawyer spoke, Shard had already opened the diaries. The most recent diary, detailing the last few months, went down to the sea bottom with Mr. Lemer. The latest one present here was from half a year ago.

While browsing, Shard found that in addition to the Draleon language, there were also Carsonrick words mixed in. Sometimes, there would even be some more obscure languages, even Ancient Languages.

After translating the words written in the crevices, the rough meaning was:

[Today marks the third month of becoming a Circle Sorcerer. I've decided to rent a small house in Coldwater Port to hide Spellcasting Materials and books…]

Shard closed the diary with a snap, his expression unchanged, but the hand holding the diary subconsciously tightened.

The fact that Lemer was a Circle Sorcerer was something he hadn't even disclosed to the warehouse dispatcher he was doing illegal business with, and among the inheritance in front of him, there was no sign of any items related to Circle Sorcerers.

The date he had just seen in the diary was two years before, the autumn of Common Era Calendar 1851. If the diary was genuine and Mr. Lemer's safe house was still in its original location, it meant that somewhere in Coldwater Port City, there were unclaimed Relics of a Circle Sorcerer.

The Circle Sorcerers must have an organization, but the chances are that the safe house for personal belongings would not be disclosed to others, meaning...

Shard now had another reason to go to Coldwater Port City.

"There's no problem with these either."

After steadying his emotions, Shard placed the diaries back in the box and nodded to Mrs. Lemer.

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"All the items to be transacted are listed here, please verify them once more, and if there are no issues, sign this document to confirm receipt of everything listed."

The lawyer passed over another document and then added:

"Of course, you can also make a thumbprint instead."

"I can write my own name."

The middle-aged woman said softly.

Shard helped read the document that required a signature; as he read, the lawyer explained any content that might cause misunderstanding. Once they were sure everything was correct, Mrs. Lemer took the fountain pen, holding it in an awkward position, and signed her name to confirm she had received all the inheritance.

She probably didn't write often; her letters were even less legible than Shard's.@@novelbin@@

"Lastly is the attorney fee, to be paid in the manner we have already discussed. Part of it will be paid directly to the Tobesk Bar Association, and the other part directly to me, 1 pound and 3 shillings... It helps with tax avoidance."

Lawyer Laurel nodded apologetically, and Mrs. Lemer took some banknotes from the pile in front of her and handed them to him.

Having looked over at Shard, who hadn't moved from his seat, the lawyer understood that this suddenly wealthy middle-aged woman must have promised a significant reward to ensure the detective's thorough commitment. Although he was curious about the detective's earnings from this case, he picked up his overcoat from the back of the chair and, with professional ethics, bid his farewell:

"Mrs. Lemer, you have my contact information. Detective, here is my business card; if you ever have legal needs in the future, you can come to me directly. Don't go through the Bar Association, those vampires take too much of a cut... Oh, this isn't me taking side jobs, of course."

He winked at Shard when saying the last part, and Shard nodded knowingly, aware that the local legal profession wasn't as free as the detective industry.

Afterward, Shard also handed out his own business card.

Lawyer Laurel took it, looked at it, and then looked up in surprise: Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire

"I knew it! Last time I saw the newspaper, I thought that photo looked familiar, and then there's the Hamilton surname, so you are the one from the paper..."

He laughed lightly, not finishing the title "Rejed's Hamilton":

"I see, Mrs. Lemer, you've made the right choice, this Hamilton Detective is indeed very dependable."

After saying this to the somewhat confused middle-aged woman, he tucked the business card neatly into the breast pocket of his white shirt:

"Hamilton Detective of Saint Delan Square, I'll keep your card. If I come across any troublesome clients, I might need your help. After all, detectives and lawyers have a quite high likelihood of cooperation."

Shaking hands with Shard and then politely bidding Mrs. Lemer goodbye, he picked up his briefcase, draped his overcoat over his arm, and left with a hint of flair. He looked nothing like a Roder Card Player the last time they met in the tavern.

People might become addicted to Roder Card, but there are also many who can control their desires effectively. In this noisy and frenetic era, not only Roder Card, alcohol, and cigarettes but perhaps there are even more things tempting people away from a normal life. Yet, even ordinary people can prevent the darkness from consuming them with good personal discipline and habits.

Perhaps, such individuals are the ones who deserve a decent and prosperous life.