Brain bloom

The man pondered for a while, occasionally counting on his fingers and muttering to himself. After a long time, when all the important figures had pushed aside their tables and chairs and started playing music and dancing, the man finally made up his mind.

"How about a thousand gold coins? That's a very suitable number. When I complete the trial of the successor, this blueprint can also be used to arm the national army and fight against evil."

"Hmm... let me think."

He really was rich, which surprised Sen Shi. She hadn't expected such a big unexpected gain; the trip hadn't been in vain. Another piece of news astonished her even more: the Heir Trial... an organization that needed weapons... and this incredibly elegant man before her, whose generosity bordered on otherworldly.

The answer is obvious.

He was the secular heir to the throne of the Holy Coffin Kingdom, and his acquisition of weapons was precisely to incite a proper rebellion. Perhaps believing that the person introduced by Master Neil was discreet, he made no attempt to conceal his intentions.

As for Mori's answer, it has already been determined—

"Consider it a good deed I've done for the Holy Coffin Kingdom. This deal is done."

"Thank you for your contributions to the country. We are honored to have you escorted to your final resting place."

"Are you above me...?"

"Do you want this money in cash or the equivalent...?"

"Cash, give it to me as soon as you can." It's always more comfortable to have the money in your hands.

The heir went to find the city lord, whispered something to him, and then returned. He took Sen Shi away from the banquet and ran to the city lord's treasury, apparently borrowing money temporarily by relying on his own influence.

Along the way, perhaps finding it too quiet, the heir muttered, "This isn't a small amount of money. Where did you come from?"

"At least they are not your enemies."

"Once we're inside the vault, if you see any treasures you like, you can take them out and deduct them from these thousand coins. In fact, I really hope you'll do that..."

Sensing the barely suppressed urgency in his voice, Mori looked at him questioningly. After hesitating for a moment, he finally explained—

"It would be very embarrassing if we won the bid for that sacred relic but couldn't pay in cash and had to default on the payment. Although the city may take advantage of the rich, it doesn't keep its coffers full by subsidizing the poor."

"A sacred object..."

"The highlight of this auction! That's something we absolutely must bring back to our country."

The heir's expression suddenly hardened like iron, revealing a deep faith within him, and he spoke eloquently.

"That's a genuine relic that's been lost! Redemption after falling into murder...rebirth! What a magnificent theme! If you also believe in the Coffin Bearers, you should know its significance!"

"Wow, that's impressive." Mori said casually, thinking to himself, "Why hasn't the vault arrived yet?"

The heir rambled on about the fake for several minutes before they finally entered the third basement level and went into the treasury. It wasn't small, but it was heavily guarded outside and gleamed with light inside.

Sen Shi made up his mind to focus solely on making money.

They grabbed gold coins from the wooden crates and stuffed them into their bags, greedily enjoying the warmth brought by the cold gold coins.

"...Hey, there are lots of good stuff here! Look at this, it's a 'Portrait of the Contemporary Pope' that I drew when I was a kid. It was auctioned off for several hundred gold coins back then to raise money for disaster relief. It's incredibly valuable. Why don't you take it?"

"Oh."

"Alright, take a look at this one too. It's the wooden sword that the Guardian of Chaos used in his childhood. It's worth thousands of gold coins, but I'll give you a discount..."

"hehe."

"And this one? One of the legendary dream-grade rings, the Arctic Sonata."

She dismissed it, glanced at it hastily, and subconsciously wanted to chuckle to pay homage to a certain senior, while also mocking it with "What kind of garbage is this? Who made such a terrible thing that it deserves to be called a precious ring?" But then she suddenly choked.

It looks familiar...

Volume 1 #290 - I really miss the comment function

The deep silver gemstone with seven streaks of light gleaming on the ring before his eyes caught Sen Shi's attention.

It looks familiar...

But she didn't stop greedily grabbing at the gold coins; instead, she pretended to be nonchalant. Whether it was the treasure she knew or not, she couldn't show too much interest to avoid losing it.

But she made a casual remark before the young heir put down the ring and went looking for other treasures to sell.

"Could you introduce me?"

"Uh……"

"I heard it's one of the most precious treasures of Silver Ring City, but it doesn't seem that special. Is this the true foundation of Silver Ring City?"

In order not to let the ring slip away, Mori deliberately provoked the other by leaving a topic of conversation.

Fortunately, it was taken over by the heir, and the process went exceptionally smoothly.

“You’ve misjudged it. This ring has a history of at least a hundred years, but it has never faded or dulled. Although it is not as magnificent as other precious rings, it is the most practical. It came here through extremely complicated trade relations and has been treasured by the city lord ever since.”

"practical?"

Her tone remained indifferent, but her heart was itching as if the feathers were tickling it.

If I remember correctly...

There's a 90% chance it's the one she's thinking of.

"This Arctic Sonata was inscribed with a great magic by an unknown master whose skill was beyond compare. That is its value."

"Keep praising it, calling it great... It's just a high-level spell."

"Alright...you're right, there is indeed a high-level magic."

But the comment "exquisite to the extreme" pleased Mori Toki greatly. The reason was simple: this ring was one she had made before.

I made this while I was still struggling to level up in the game.

The equipment is level 34, with unremarkable stats, adding a negligible amount to magic attack and agility. However, it possesses a rare special effect: it can hold a high-level spell, which can be used conditionally. Just as its name suggests, the spell poured into it is a high-level ice elemental spell—"Singing Death in the Frost of Winter."

Therefore, Sen Shi always reserved space for its luggage, just to commemorate that good fortune.

It was thrown away at the time too...

After weighing the options, Sen Shi decided to take it. This meant that she could master an additional high-level spell at her current level... and the value of good fortune and destiny was immeasurable.

"Since you don't like them, I'll introduce you to others..." the heir said, seeing that she remained unmoved.

"No thanks. The others? They're awful."

"From your perspective... that's how it is."

"But you seem genuinely eager to contribute to the country... and you're truly devout enough to desire that sacred relic?"

"Otherwise, I wouldn't have lowered myself to sell things here."

After mentally organizing his thoughts in a second, Mori used his omnipotent self as the opening line for the transaction.

"For the sake of the person who brought the coffin, I'll help you out. How about this one? It's been gathering dust here for years, and it looks like the city lord has completely forgotten about it. How many gold coins are you planning to use it to offset?"

"That's five, of course—"

"This number is too unfair," Mori interrupted helplessly. "I understand the value of the so-called precious ring. Although it has a great reputation and significant meaning, in front of a sacred object that symbolizes fall and rebirth, no gemstone can compare, can it?"

"Four... never mind, three hundred gold coins."

"That's really expensive."

"Should I pack up all the drawings I made when I was a child and give them to you?"

Mori glanced at the painting, his face immediately darkening: "If I were to buy it and burn it, three hundred gold coins would be a real bargain..."

The change of heir this time was filled with bitterness.

……

The transaction was successfully completed, and both of them gained something. They then prepared to go to the banquet to wait for their food.

Along the way, the heir glanced at the expansive seascape, and his expression suddenly changed drastically: "How big of a thunderstorm is this thundercloud worm planning to unleash... I'm afraid of thunder. Damn it, how did it end up in Silver Ring City?"

Upon hearing the name of this familiar species, Mori looked up and froze.

That thunderstorm cloud, isn't it just like the one over there at her house...?

Although clouds take many forms, their names remain constant. A level 100 Thunderstorm Cloud Bug, and an adult at that—this is likely the only one that fits this description. What does "chased after" mean? Could it be because Sen Shi and Dandelion aren't home?

But chasing after it wouldn't be a big problem, as long as that so-called true god's shovel still seals it away, it won't pose a danger.

He waved to her, and Mori and the heir slowly walked back to the banquet hall.

The dance was over, and most people had taken their seats, waiting for the appetizers. Mori was the only one sitting alone at a table, and although it was a little awkward, it didn't stop her from listening to the conversations at other tables to pass the time.

"I've received some information. Are you interested?"

"Stop keeping me in suspense."

"The ominous fog that had been plaguing our country has dissipated."

"Was it the Guardian of Chaos Blade who led the operation? They should have dealt with this a long time ago. They always said the Evil Mist was endless, really... By the way, which Evil Mist is it? There's quite a lot of it around here."

"All."

"……all?"

"Yes, all of them. They all disappeared overnight. Isn't that bizarre?"

"...I just don't feel like this is a good thing."

Mori agreed with what the people at that table said; if it were true, it might not be a good thing. But she didn't have enough information to deduce much. She simply decided to ask Melia after the banquet and then make contact with the Ancient Demon King to discuss these matters.

……

The belief in the sea god is not widespread; however, the followers are not particularly devout, as it is largely ineffective and has a high mortality rate. Even a mother and son praying incessantly at home for their husbands who have gone out to sea to fish may still receive devastating news.

Each church dedicated to Poseidon, while offering holy water and other aids, relied on methods typical of rural doctors and could not save many lives.

However, the prayer money used to flatter the sea god was always the largest amount collected.

An unnamed fishing village, the temple of the sea god is dilapidated. The sea wind and scorching sun are cruel, not to mention that this is the territory of those who bring coffins. It was only built out of respect for the beliefs of the visiting fishermen, so naturally no one is guarding it.

In the past, very few people came to pray.

Today, however, we have four guests, and they are no ordinary guests—four members of the famous adventure group "King of Crimson".

"I need to borrow a gold coin from you..." Morey whispered to his companions as he stepped across the threshold, "My own money... I don't even have any..."

The companions looked at each other, each took out a coin, and then added another coin, thus collecting everyone's prayer money.

This was a rare and substantial fortune, which made the worshipper responsible for guarding the temple's eyes light up. He certainly wouldn't use it to repair the temple; he would use it to repair his own wallet.