Chapter 144 - Magic… Capacitor (1/2)
When Melita left, she had also taken away the ring left behind by the evil cult follower. As a way to thank Gawain’s help in returning this ring on this transaction, Melita represented the Mithril Vault and gave a promise:
In the future, as long as there were any discovery of Eternal Stone Slate’s shards on the outside or any similar ‘inhuman artifacts’, they would prioritize informing Gawain.
To Gawain, this promise was far more valuable than the ring.
However, a certain half-elf didn’t seem to think the same way. Amber laid down on Gawain’s table, planting her face on the surface of the table, and flipped over like a salted fish while muttering, “A single glance and I know that thing is very expensive… And it is taken away just like that… Not even for a single copper coin… The people from the Mithril Vault are simply misers… Furthermore, they even had a meal before leaving…”
Gawain looked at Amber with slanted eyes and said, “Don’t you think it is more valuable for them to help in the collection of information regarding the Eternal Stone Slate and similar things?”
“Those things cannot be used as money to spend. Furthermore, that woman with the veil said it so easily, but who knows when they will be able to find a new shard? That is the Eternal Stone Slate, you know?! It is not some rock on the sidewalk.” Amber continued to lay down and said, “Ah, if they cannot find any after a century, are you going to wait another century?”
Gawain didn’t utter a word and allowed Amber to continue blabbing, “Ah, that’s right, you have a special skill right? If you aren’t patient enough to wait anymore, you can just die again. When the Mithril Vault finds the shards, you can just ask your descendants to burn the information at your grave before you crawl back out again…”
“Genuinely speaking, even if you are truly chosen by the Goddess of Shadow, it is truly a miracle that you are able to survive until now.” Gawain’s brows jolted before he looked at Amber and said, “Enough of your nonsense. Go and help me open up that chest. Take the bag at the top and bring it to me.”
Amber then crawled up from the table like salted fish and staggered towards the chest while nagging, “Isn’t Betty doing such things for you normally? Why is it my turn today…? Then again, where did that little maid go to? I didn’t see her all this time…”
“I gave her half a day off and asked her to bring along Pea to familiarize her with the place. Pea is afraid of strangers, and she cannot speak too. She is easily frightened by the people on the territory but is getting along with Betty surprisingly well. The two of them might become friends.”
When Amber brought that bag of things to Gawain, she was all smiles while she leaned over and said, “Let me tell you, I truly admire you now. In the beginning, I thought your amiable personality was a pretense, but it seems like it is actually real. Unless a person is genuine and actually cares, it is impossible to make such arrangements.”
“Then I have to thank you for your admiration.” As Gawain said so half-heartedly, he pulled Amber’s head to the side before pouring out the things inside the bag.
It was a pile of dull-looking crystals that were grayish. The average size of the crystals was only the size of a thumb, and the surface had a dense color. The crystals had a mysterious aura that magic-guided materials tended to have, but be it the condition or the quality, they didn’t look like high-grade things.
“What are these things?” Amber stayed quiet by the side for less than two seconds, and when she noticed that they should be able to fetch some money, she immediately leaned over and asked, “Crystals? But the quality seems very inferior…”
“These are magic storage crystals transported from Tanzan Town and should be considered the first batch of goods. Have you forgotten? I made a massive and long-term order with Viscount Andrew.”
“Magic storage crystals? These things?!” Amber looked at these grayish crystals for a moment before exclaiming, “That Viscount Andrew shouldn’t be scamming you like this, right?! We rescued his life, and he uses these things to fool us? If these crystals were placed beside slightly higher-grade ores, they would be treated as scrap ores and thrown away!”
Gawain was a little surprised to see this half-elf getting so angry as he never thought that the person who never put her heart into the territory previously would actually feel so angry because the territory suffered losses. But he merely laughed and said, “Don’t exaggerate so much. These things are relatively better than scrap ores. Furthermore, the Viscount didn’t defraud us. These crystals are sold to us at three cecil silver coins for one taka (weight unit). Where are you going to find such a price?”
“Three silver coins…” Amber quickly thought about the size of the newly forged cecil silver coins, and her expression turned better. “It is truly cheap… But why are you buying so many inferior magic-storage crystals for? Crystals of these conditions… are probably used by the most fundamental Mage apprentices to practice, right? Slightly wealthier Mage apprentices might not even be willing to use them.”
Gawain laughed and asked, “Do you know what is the greatest problem with such inferior magic storage crystals?”
“The magic-storage capability is only half of the same-sized superior crystals. Moreover, the energy dissipation is extremely severe. It is especially the second problem that cuts it off from normal usage.” Amber was obviously knowledgeable about such common sense questions. After all, it involved whether it could be sold or not. “Man-made magic-storage crystals aren’t popular mainly because of this reason.”