Chapter 18: The Forged Philosopher's Stone

The Whispering Verses

The piece of paper that caught Shade’s attention resembled parchment. One corner was pressed down by the book Psychology and Abnormal Psychology, but it only covered the signature and didn’t obscure the main content:

[Academy Bounty Notice]

The illegal organization [Blood of Mercury] has been spotted in Tobesk City and its surrounding areas, carrying the [Secret-Keeper grade] relic [Counterfeit Philosopher's Stone]. All correspondence Ring Warlocks of the Academy in the area are called upon to monitor the movements of [Blood of Mercury]. Submitting the [Counterfeit Philosopher's Stone] to the Academy will waive five practical credits for the academic year and automatically upgrade the semester’s academic assessment rating to "Excellent." Additional rewards will be discussed with Professor Rogers of the School of Mechanics.

Notes:

1. This task is extremely dangerous. Students at or below the third ring are strongly discouraged from engaging with [Blood of Mercury] in any form.
2. For specific information about the relic [Counterfeit Philosopher's Stone], consult the Academy.
3. The True God Church has already obtained this information. If you wish to undertake this task, take care not to reveal your identity to the Church.

The signature, partly obscured, appeared to be a joint notice issued by the Public Affairs Office and the School of Mechanics at St. Byrons Comprehensive College.

"What would happen if it’s exposed to the True God Church?" Shade mused, realizing he had forgotten to ask the doctor earlier. He set the folder on the table and returned to the sofa.

Until now, no one knew the secret of his ability to read all sorts of strange languages, so it seemed unlikely this document was forged by the doctor. On the contrary, the appearance of this Academy bounty notice seemed to corroborate the doctor’s claims.

"Credits, academic assessments... truly terrifying words. I never imagined I’d encounter something like this in the Steam Era."

Shade thought to himself, recalling his life in his homeland. This strengthened his resolve to delve into the mysteries and find a way back.

Who would have thought that even in another world, he’d have to study and take exams? And possibly even write papers?

"Where there’s a will, there’s a way," he consoled himself, patiently awaiting the doctor’s return.

Although they had eaten lunch at the Goose Meat Restaurant earlier, Shade hadn’t had much appetite after the horrifying scene that morning. Now that he had a clearer plan and felt better, hunger crept in. While the doctor was away, he requested some snacks from Mrs. Kara for afternoon tea.

The doctor must have instructed that Shade was a valued guest because when the middle-aged maid, wearing a floral apron, knocked and entered, she was carrying a porcelain platter.

"This is part of Dr. Schneider’s collection," the maid said with a smile. She appeared to be in her forties, slightly older than the blue-eyed doctor, with a full figure that matched Shade’s mental image of a typical middle-aged woman in this era.

Though this world lacked an Eastern powerhouse, porcelain still existed and remained a luxury. Only specific regions with unique soils and techniques could produce such fine pieces.

Shade thanked Mrs. Kara but didn’t pay much attention to the platter. His focus was on the delicate yellow sponge cakes and the shiny red cherry atop each one. He unconsciously swallowed.

"Shade, don’t embarrass yourself as an outsider!" he scolded himself internally. Unsurprisingly, the woman’s pleasant laughter echoed in his mind again.

The doctor was scheduled to meet him at two but didn’t arrive until two-thirty. By then, Shade had even explored the washroom and confirmed there was no one stopping him from wandering around.

Dr. Schneider entered wearing a black coat and immediately began apologizing:

"Terribly sorry. Something completely unexpected happened. I had ordered some sensitive medicine on the black market—not for my clinic patients, don’t give me that look. I don’t do that kind of thing. It’s for my research on arcane arts, but there were issues during the handoff. Truly bad luck."

As he spoke, he sat down. The maid followed, bringing in a fresh pot of red tea for the two men.

"So, have you decided?" the doctor asked seriously, his blue eyes locking onto Shade’s deep brown ones. Shade had checked in the mirror earlier; his eyes remained the same deep brown, almost black, as before.

"I’ve decided," Shade replied, sitting upright. He returned the doctor’s earnest gaze and said firmly:

"I want to try contacting the Poet-grade relic [Dream of St. Byrons Comprehensive College]."

The doctor beamed with delight:

"Even with today’s bad luck, I’ve noticed that anything involving you, Hamilton, seems to go extraordinarily well."

As one of the Three Grand Arcane Academies, St. Byrons had the capability to deliver relics remotely. However, since Shade wasn’t a formal Ring Warlock yet, the doctor didn’t disclose how this worked.

After waiting alone in the room for over ten minutes, the doctor returned with a black paper box.

It was entirely black, without any visible seams at first glance.

"The [Dream of St. Byrons Comprehensive College] is a relic from the previous epoch, the Fifth Epoch. The Academy’s legendary founder, 13-ring warlock Mana Feliana, received it during a summer nap. The relic must be contained in a black space, which makes its containment relatively simple."

"The Academy was only established in the Fifth Epoch?" Shade asked, surprised. He had assumed it was an organization spanning several epochs.

"In truth, the [Five True God Churches] and the [Three Grand Arcane Academies] all emerged in the Fifth Epoch. Keep this in mind: the Fourth Epoch was an era of darkness and chaos, overrun by evil and distortion. The Fifth Epoch was the witches’ era, where only women could cast spells. Powerful witch emperors ruled fractured city-states, and civilization stagnated, primitive yet terrifying. The Sixth Epoch finally saw the rise of ordinary human-driven progress."

The doctor didn’t elaborate on earlier epochs, and Shade didn’t ask. As the two sat on the sofa, Dr. Schneider opened the box.

Inside, straw cushioned a finely crafted cloisonné snuff bottle. About the size of a palm, it was a deep blue with bright yellow sunflowers connected by gold lines, evoking a joyful summer day.