Chapter 143 — The Storm Gathers

Meitzen Bernia was an elegant woman. As a senior agent of the Mithril Vault, one who enjoyed a special standing within the organization, she had always dealt only with the lofty and the great, and no matter how overbearing such personages might be, how infamous their reputation, or how eccentric their temperaments, she could always preserve her own elegance—and in that elegance ensure that every transaction went through smoothly.

"How much for the Eternal Slate?"

"Gah-pff—"

You see? That was hardly elegant, now was it?

Meitzen's breath caught in her throat and she very nearly sprayed her veil right off her face, but she was, after all, a woman who had weathered great storms, and she steadied herself at once, calm of face and shocked at heart, staring at the utterly unruffled Gao Yang: "You... did you just say the Eternal Slate?"

"That's right," Gao Yang nodded. "Ah, of course, I don't mean a whole piece. Broken odds and ends will do."

"The way you put it... one would think you were buying cabbages. You have genuinely frightened me," Meitzen coughed lightly in embarrassment, having confirmed that Gao Yang did indeed mean fragments of the Eternal Slate. "You must know, there is no one in this world who would speak of those gifts of the gods in such a tone and manner."

Only then did Gao Yang realize his manner had perhaps been a touch off—but what could he do? Even having inherited the memories of Gao Yang Cecil, his personality remained his own. Emotionally he simply could not cast himself as a pure native of this world and muster any great reverence for the Eternal Slate. In his eyes those metal shards were nothing but a pile of research material—at most, the information stored within them was a little frightening...

And besides, even if the Gao Yang Cecil of those years were standing here, he likely would not have shown much reverence when speaking of the Eternal Slate either, for that Gao Yang Cecil had not been a believer, and as a mud-legged noble of the Second Pioneering Era, he had rarely held anything in awe.

"Ahem—a man who has died once tends to see things with a broader view," Gao Yang waved a hand to gloss over the awkwardness, then looked Meitzen in the eye. "Let's get back to it. Surely an organization like the Mithril Vault doesn't lack Eternal Slate fragments among its collections?"

"The fragments of the Eternal Slate are all in the hands of the great churches. They are their holy relics, and they would never hand them over to the Mithril Vault for safekeeping," Meitzen shook her head. "You should be well aware of this."

"But I am more aware of another point: what the churches hold are merely the large fragments. Of the fine, small pieces, many have scattered abroad, into the hands of kings and nobles and collectors—and there is no greater collector in the world than your Mithril Vault."

Meitzen's lovely brows knitted slightly, and only after a long while did she speak softly: "You are not wrong. The Mithril Vault does hold a few slate fragments, but most of our collection is kept merely on behalf of others—like those crystals you once entrusted to us. For such pieces the Vault strictly honors its agreements and will never let them leave its vaults. Unfortunately, every original owner of the Eternal Slate fragments currently in our possession is still alive, and none has shown any intention of relinquishing ownership. So forgive me, I cannot sell them—and without the original owner's permission, I cannot even show them to you."

From Meitzen's attitude, Gao Yang knew the matter was not open to negotiation.

The Mithril Vault's reputation was known to all—and so was the power by which they maintained it.

Yet after a few seconds of slightly awkward silence, Meitzen continued: "Of course, if you are willing to wait, there may be one or two slate fragments that could be discussed..."

"Oh?"

"I cannot disclose information about the original owner, but I can tell you this: one client made a wrong choice while fulfilling a contract and defaulted on the Mithril Vault in an extremely irrational manner. We have reason to believe he will be unable to make compensation, and so the items he has deposited in the Vault will soon be put up for sale."

Though Meitzen was smiling, and spoke these words in an elegant and gentle tone, Amber, standing behind Gao Yang, could not help but shudder, a chill rising from head to toe.

"Ugh, you people in business are truly terrifying," the half-elf young lady could not help but mutter.

Gao Yang did not press her on who this mysterious defaulter was, nor did he care whom the Mithril Vault did business with. He merely nodded lightly: "Then I'll wait. But I still must confirm—how much for the Eternal Slate?"

It was absolutely necessary to pin down the price. Otherwise, having boasted too grandly, he might find himself unable to pay and be put in an awkward spot—perhaps even more awkward than Meitzen's earlier "gah-pff." Though Gao Yang, sitting on the kingdom's coffin-funds, felt he had a fair bit of idle money on hand, the value of something like the Eternal Slate simply could not be measured in coin. Who knew what price the Mithril Vault would name?

By now Meitzen had adapted to Gao Yang's bluntness. She smiled faintly: "The value of the Eternal Slate cannot be measured in money, nor does the Mithril Vault need to sell it for coin. So we would ask for something else—rare treasures, preferably. Ancient relics of the Gondor period, for instance. I believe you could produce such things. If you are unwilling, those crystals you once entrusted to the Vault would also do. Of course, the best would be if you happen to hold another fragment of the Eternal Slate—that would be the simplest. We could trade directly."

Listening, Gao Yang felt a sudden stir in his heart: the crystals he had once entrusted to the Mithril Vault—in their eyes, were they of the same value as the Eternal Slate?

He trusted that the Mithril Vault would not speak carelessly on such a matter; their ability to appraise treasures was known the world over, and they never made a losing deal. So then... did they know the origin of those crystals? Or at least know their value?

But Gao Yang was not certain whether he could raise this question directly with Meitzen. After careful deliberation, he decided to probe it as naturally as possible: "It seems that in your eyes, those crystals are quite valuable?"

"According to the Mithril Vault's classification, treasures other than natural products fall into three kinds. The first are treasures made by human hands that can still be reproduced—most of the so-called jewels and rarities belong to this kind. The second are treasures made by human hands that can no longer be reproduced, such as the ancient relics of the Gondor Empire or still older treasures. The third are transcendent marvels, which... are not made by human hands."

As she spoke, Meitzen's eyes curved slightly, and she looked at Gao Yang with a smile: "Those crystals, and the fragments of the Eternal Slate—they are not made by human hands."

...

Boundless and ill-tempered, sometimes calm and still, sometimes swallowing sky and devouring earth. In its fury it can shatter the stoutest ships and reefs; in its calm it is like a cradle—yet beneath that cradle lies hidden another world, dark and deep.

Such is the ocean.

Humanity has conquered the whole of the land, yet it cannot conquer the sea. Beyond the continent of Loren lies the fickle water, far vaster than any land. But in the past seven hundred years, the furthest step humanity has taken toward the great sea does not exceed the reach of the coastal lighthouses' beams, for beyond that light the ocean is far more savage than it appears. The fragile wooden ships men build cannot withstand the storms of the open sea, and the fog and disordered magical fields that arise there from time to time will rob even the most experienced captain of his bearings.