Melita Bonia was an elegant person. As a senior agent of the Mithril Vault, she enjoyed a special status in the organization. She had always dealt with those transcendent and great figures, and no matter how intimidating, infamous, or eccentric these great figures were, she could always maintain her elegance and ensure that every transaction went smoothly.
"How much is the Eternal Slate?"
"Gah —"
You see, that's not elegant enough, is it?
Melita almost spat out her veil, but she was a person who had been through a lot. She calmed down immediately. She looked at Gwen with a calm face, but she was shocked. "You … Did you just say the Eternal Slate?"
"Yes." Gwen nodded. "Ah, of course, I'm not talking about the whole piece. Bits and pieces will do too."
"You sound like you're buying cabbage. I'm scared." Melita coughed awkwardly, confirming that Gwen was indeed talking about the fragments of the Eternal Slate. "You know, no one in this world would talk about the gifts of the gods with such a tone and attitude."
Only then did Gawain realize that there was something wrong with his attitude. But there was nothing he could do about it. Even if he had inherited Gawain Cecil's memory, his personality was still his own. Emotionally, he could not put himself in the shoes of a native, nor did he have much respect for the Eternal Slate. In his mind, those metal pieces were just a pile of research materials. At most, the information stored in them was a little scary.
Furthermore, even if the Gawain Cecil from back then was here, he probably wouldn't show too much reverence when he mentioned the Eternal Slate. That was because that Gawain Cecil wasn't a believer. Furthermore, as a peasant nobleman from the Second Pioneer Era, he would rarely show reverence to anything.
"Ahem, I've died once, so I'm more open-minded." Gwen waved his hand casually to cover his embarrassment. He then looked into Melita's eyes. "Let's talk about the Eternal Slate. Don't organizations like the Mithril Vault have any fragments of the Eternal Slate in their collection?"
"The fragments of the Eternal Slate are in the hands of the major sects. They are their sacred objects, and they will not be handed over to the Mithril Vault for safekeeping." Melita shook her head. "You should know this very well."
"But I'm even more aware of one thing. What the major sects have in their hands are only large fragments. Many of the smaller fragments have wandered outside, falling into the hands of kings, nobles, and collectors. And there is no greater collector in the world than your Mithril Treasury."
Melita furrowed her beautiful eyebrows slightly. After a long while, she said softly, "You're right. The Mithril Treasury does have some fragments of the slate. However, most of our collections are kept on behalf of others. Just like the crystals that you handed over to us back then, the Treasury will strictly abide by the agreement and will not allow them to be leaked to the outside world. Unfortunately, the original owners of all the fragments of the Eternal Slate are still alive, and they have no intention of giving up the rights to the collection. So, please forgive me for not being able to sell them. Before I get permission from the original owner, I can't show them to you. "
Looking at Melita's attitude, Gwen knew that there was no room for discussion.
The reputation of the Mithril Vault was well known, and the strength they had to maintain their reputation was also well known.
But after a few seconds of awkward silence, Melita continued, "Of course, if you're willing to wait, maybe one or two fragments of the Eternal Slate can be discussed …"
"Oh?"
"I can't disclose the information of the original owner, but I can tell you that one of the customers made the wrong choice when fulfilling the contract. He violated the Mithril Vault irrationally, and we have reason to believe that he can't compensate us. So, the things he stored in the vault will soon be sold."
Even though Melita was smiling and saying these words in an elegant and gentle tone, Amber, who was standing behind Gwen, couldn't help but shiver as a chill ran down her spine.
"Eh … You guys are really scary when it comes to doing business." The half-elf couldn't help but mutter.
Gwen didn't ask who the mysterious violator was, nor did he care who the Mithril Vault was doing business with. He just nodded faintly and said, "Then I'll wait. But I still have to confirm something. How much is the Eternal Slate? "
It was necessary to find out the price. Otherwise, it would be awkward if he bragged too much and didn't have the money to buy it. It would be even more awkward than Melita's "pfft" just now. Although Gwen, who was sitting on the coffin of the kingdom, felt that he had some spare cash on hand, the value of the Eternal Slate couldn't be measured by money. Who knew how much the Mithril Vault would ask for?
Melita had already gotten used to Gwen's honesty. She smiled faintly and said, "The value of the Eternal Slate can't be measured by money, and the Mithril Vault doesn't need to sell it for money. So, we want something else. It's best if it's a rare treasure that's worth collecting, such as an ancient relic from the Gondor period. I believe you can get it. If you don't want to, the crystals you gave to the vault for safekeeping are also fine. Of course, it would be best if you have another fragment of the Eternal Slate on hand. That would be the most convenient, and we can exchange them directly. "
As Gwen listened, his heart suddenly skipped a beat. The crystals he gave to the Mithril Vault back then had the same value as the Eternal Slate in the eyes of the other party?
He believed that the Mithril Vault wouldn't speak carelessly in this regard. The vault's ability to appraise treasures was well-known, and they never made a losing deal. Then … could it be that they knew the origin of the crystals? Or at least knew their value?
However, Gwen wasn't sure if he could directly ask this question to Melita. After careful consideration, he decided to use a natural attitude to answer the question. "It seems that the crystals are very valuable in your eyes?"
"According to the classification of the Mithril Vault, there are three types of treasures other than natural products. The first type is treasures that are man-made and can be reproduced. Most of the so-called precious gems belong to this category. The second type is treasures that are man-made but can no longer be reproduced. For example, the ancient relic from the Kingdom of Gondor or even older treasures belong to this category. The third type is extraordinary items. They … are not man-made."
As Melita spoke, her eyes curved slightly as she looked at Gwen with a smile. "Those crystals and the fragments of the Eternal Slate are not man-made."
… …
Boundless and temperamental. Sometimes it was calm, sometimes it could devour the world. When it was furious, it could destroy the sturdiest ships and reefs. When it was calm, it was like a cradle — but hidden under the cradle was another dark and deep world.
This was the ocean.
Humans had conquered the entire land, but they could not conquer the ocean. Beyond the Loren Continent, there was the water of impermanence, which was far more vast than the continent. However, in the past 700 years, the furthest humans had ventured into the ocean was not beyond the range of the coastal lighthouse. Beyond the light of the lighthouse, the sea was far more turbulent than it looked. The fragile wooden ships built by humans could not withstand the storm at the distant sea. The thick fog and the chaotic magic environment at sea would make even the most experienced captain lose his way.
Before the Church of the Lord of Storms turned into a dark sect, the priests of the Lord of Storms were the only shelter and guide for humans when they sailed outside the range of the lighthouse. Those priests who were blessed by God could find the right way to return to the harbor in the chaos and darkness. However, after the Church of the Lord of Storms broke with all the orthodox churches and became a dark sect, all the ocean routes came to an end. People had to stay away from the sea in fear. The captains and sailors who dared to go to the distant sea to hunt for wealth had become cowards who only dared to sail along the coastline. The priests and priests of the Lord of Storms left the continent and the world's sight. They walked on the waves into the distant sea and changed their name to the Children of Storms.
They no longer believed and worshipped the Lord of Storms. Instead, they worshipped the storm itself. They believed that the tide would destroy the whole world — whether it was through the rising tide or the ebb tide.
In the depths of the Eastern Endless Sea, on a nameless large island reef, the Children of Storms were nervously repairing the fortifications, repairing the totems, and setting up temporary barriers. The dark clouds in the sky were like an inverted whirlpool. Wind and thunder were brewing in the whirlpool. Torrential rain continued to pour from the sky, blurring the boundary between the sky and the sea. It even gave people a feeling that the sea was about to turn upside down.
Even on the Endless Sea where storms were frequent, such a terrible weather phenomenon rarely appeared. It only meant one thing: the sirens were coming again.
A Storm priest stood on the observation deck in the storm. His black robe fluttered in the wind. The rain did not seem to affect his vision. He just stared at the increasingly violent sea as if he was looking at an abyss.
The Endless Sea. It enveloped the world with impermanent water, deeply hiding the truth that was enough to drive people crazy. It also left the mortals with the illusion that it was as gentle as water. And those foolish mortals — what little rationality and wisdom they had left — instinctively made them revere the Endless Sea and stay away from the deepest part of it in reverence.
This weakness may be the best gift that the Creator left for human beings. But unfortunately, the Children of Storms, who once faced the truth, had lost the happiness of escaping.
The dark clouds in the sky dropped a little more. The terrifying sound of wind and thunder kept pouring into the ears of the Storm Priest. The Storm Priest looked up and saw abnormal waves rolling on the distant sea level. Some vague things were emerging from the sea. They were terrifying, ferocious deep-sea beasts that were dozens or even hundreds of times larger than normal creatures. And among them, there were some small female figures.
At first sight, ordinary people would think that the "witches" were controlling the giant beasts. But the Storm Priest, who had dealt with the sirens many times, knew very well that the giant beasts were not controlled monsters at all. They were the same as the female figures among them. They were all sirens.
"They" were of the same race, but they had infinite terrifying incarnations.
The Sea Spirit Horn was blown. The Children of Storms rushed to the battle position. The voice of the Storm Priest penetrated the storm and resounded throughout the island reef.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
