Witch Troupe and the Undead

"Then it shouldn't be worth anything?"

"It's hard to say... I can't give an appraisal. I'm not familiar with the Empire's collectibles market or the history of the Kingdom of Gulush. I can only offer some professional assessments."

After all, the basic principle is the same: the main point of collectibles is to highlight their rarity, and then their artistic and historical value. This is also the identification method used by tomb raiders.

Archaeology, on the other hand, prioritizes historical value, in other words, whether there are written records or whether they are related to any major historical events. Then it considers artistic value, such as stone carvings, engravings, and statues. Finally, it considers quantity and whether the artifacts were mass-produced.

The most obvious example is ancient coins. For collectors, rare error coins have very high collection value. However, for archaeologists... whether there are inscriptions on the coin, which era it was minted, and who minted it are more important. As for whether there is any difference between error coins and normal versions, there is not much difference.

“This…” Roach picked up the next item. It was a small ornament, a metal statue about 20 centimeters tall, depicting a young hunter wearing a feathered hat and hunting clothes. Due to the passage of time, many details had become blurred due to rust and corrosion, but one could still vaguely see the fox fur hanging from his belt and the falcon he held in his hand.

It was exquisitely crafted; the folds of the clothing and the fur of the fox hanging from the belt were all meticulously carved, but…

“Something’s not right…” Roach propped the thing up and examined it thoroughly for a while. “The weight is off, it’s a bit too heavy. There’s probably something else inside. I have to break it open…”

Roach examined the base and found a seam. He then handed the small statue to Livia, because there might really be a curse or something in this other world.

"Hmm~" The little witch took the statue, closed her eyes and focused for a few seconds, then tossed it back to Roach, "The curse is lifted."

"Really!?"

"Hmm! Hmm!" Although it was just a small curse, it really did exist.

"Knife~" Roach took the knife Leslie handed him, pried open the base along the seam, and pulled out a parchment strip and an oval gem wrapped in it.

"Isn't this a pure white gemstone?" The gemstone has a unique milky white color, as if it is radiating a holy light, or like solidified pure milk.

"Very valuable?"

“Extremely valuable!” Pure white gemstones are a material that is compatible with the power of grace. Simply put, the Church’s high-level sacred artifacts require this material. To put it more directly, it is the only designated inlay on the scepter of the high-ranking bishop of the Holy Lord of Light.

The enhancement efficiency of the Holy Light Lord's grace spells is as high as 38% or more, and after special processing by the Church, it can even reach an enhancement efficiency of about 50%.

"1500 gold coins each, there's no market for them. You can sell them at the church. However, the church's price is much cheaper than on the black market. In fact, if you really go to the black market auction, 2000 gold coins wouldn't be a bad deal."

"Or equivalent to two Coldstream Heavy Warhorses, and possibly even more horse tack." Coldstream Heavy Warhorses are the standard warhorses of the Holy Knights of the Church of Light. Holy Knights are among the knights with the lowest, but also the highest, economic pressure.

The economic pressure was low because their equipment and warhorses were paid for by the church, while the economic pressure was high because they had to strictly abide by the precepts and could not have any private property—of course, the last rule was not strictly enforced, but it also meant that most of the time, they didn't have much money on them.

The Coldstream Heavy Warhorse comes from Coldstream Town, where the church headquarters is located. It is characterized by its tall stature and thick, white, waterproof coat on all four hooves, which allows it to wade through water and run wildly in relatively rough terrain without being harmed by sharp bushes. These warhorses typically weigh between 750 kilograms and 1.5 tons. On Earth, they would probably be considered a separate species of odd-toed ungulates. In short, Roach thought that apart from looking somewhat like a horse, this thing should belong to some other species in the order Odd-toed ungulates.

"Of course, if these two warhorses were sold, they would probably fetch over 2500 to 3000 gold coins. However, I doubt anyone would dare to buy them, and no one would be foolish enough to do so."

Trading these warhorses is also quite troublesome. For ordinary adventurers who aren't professional horse dealers, the risks are quite high. After all, only nobles and knights need such things, and the cost of raising heavy warhorses is not low.

So, if you really choose to exchange the gems for warhorses and then sell them, you can indeed get more than 500 gold coins more. However, during the time you find a buyer, the cost of raising them will be a problem, and it will be difficult to find a buyer.

After all, nobles' money doesn't grow on trees, so they'll most likely buy on credit. Whether you can get the full amount from them is a matter of opinion. Considering the risk costs, time costs, and especially the costs of raising and maintaining a large animal, it's actually less profitable than auctioning it off on the black market.

In particular, raising warhorses is a specialized skill. If you don't know how, their value will plummet if they lose weight, get sick, or are injured. Without a dedicated stable and skilled caregiver, these delicate creatures might become two corpses by the end of winter, leaving you only the option of selling them for horse meat. [Even with immense wealth, this doesn't apply to horses with their coats.]

"The note is written in Gurustatian, Livia, could you please translate it?"

"Hmm~" The little witch tapped the note, and the ink and words on it quickly stood up, rapidly transforming and dancing to change their positions. When it lay down again, it had turned into normal modern Luster language.

“A will…” The note contained a will, written by an old man named William, who divided his two shops among his two sons, while this gem was to be given to his nephew.

As for the last two pieces of jewelry, they are just two normal platinum wedding rings, without any demonic transformation or hidden secrets, with the couple's names engraved on the inside.

Chapter 145 Can't Think of a Title

The northern entrance to Tallinn. Two indistinct rock statues, level with the city wall, overlook every entrant. The statues are quite crude, barely resembling human figures. Between the statues' feet is a typical small market at the city gate, with various stalls selling snacks and adventure supplies, as well as buying and selling Black Forest products.

Several hunters were hanging their captured prey one by one on a wooden frame. A price tag was clipped to the prey's ear with a wooden clip, and the price was generally between one and three silver coins.

Two guards dressed in light leather armor instinctively became wary of Alessina, who was carrying the Greatsword of Unrivaled. Fortunately, Roach was wearing the Alchemist's badge, which prevented a possible conflict and interrogation.

For the guards of Tallinn, who live in a region near the Northern Plateau, the approach of a beastman would indeed make them involuntarily tense, and neither beastmen nor beastmen would easily approach the major cities of the Empire.

Passing through the city gate, walk straight to the stone pillar in the center of the city and then turn left to reach Tallinn's affluent residential area and upscale commercial district. Unlike other imperial cities, Tallinn does not have a strict distinction between inner and outer cities. The stone pillar in the central square serves as the dividing line. To the south is the ordinary commercial district, as it connects to the main imperial road to the south, attracting many merchants and travelers.

They were scattered throughout various shops, trading posts, inns, and hotels, mostly catering to the lower and middle classes, such as caravan workers and laborers.

To the west, near the stone mountain where the quarry is located, there are many workshops, forming the Workshop Street. Occasionally, adventurers will appear here for quests. As for the northern streets, they mainly serve the adventurers, filled with equipment shops, taverns, and various guilds. The city's Arcane Tower and Alchemy Society are also located in this area.

The eastern part is the standard affluent area, where theaters, high-end jewelry stores, upscale restaurants, and antique shops—shops that require a certain economic foundation—are located. It is divided into four distinct districts by a cross-shaped main road.

The northeastern part of the town hall, churches, parks, and aristocratic residences are located in the area just across the street, where the elegant houses and courtyards of wealthy merchants and middle-class families are situated. It also includes small meeting places and sophisticated public facilities such as church schools.

The northwest is an area inhabited by ordinary people, mainly serving workshops, adventurers, and the like. As for the southwest, it's a typical slum, rife with gangs and predominantly shantytowns. Driven by strong northeasterly winds, large amounts of pollution and dust drift into this area, and very few locals live past 35. Roach is heading to the upscale commercial district, or wealthy area, in the east.

The ancient Rock Tower Clan calendar is inscribed on the stone pillars, which are at least thirty meters high. The braziers at the four corners are burning fiercely, and the air is filled with a strange smell of incense. Just across the road, which is less than 10 meters wide, are huddled together the poor people of the Empire, who look like living skeletons.

These are all unemployed poor people who have no jobs and can only rely on begging around the square to make a living. However, these people dare not cross the street to enter the bustling world on the other side, as if there is an invisible barrier between the two worlds.

Roach didn't quite understand why this was happening, or why these people were so "self-disciplined"—they were so extreme that they didn't even dare to cross the street. But he soon found out why.

Passing through the small flowerbeds in the plaza surrounding the stone pillars, you arrive at the entrance to Aquarius Street on the east side. At the entrance, a beautiful marble goddess holds aloft a water jug, and clear water falls into the pool below. The bottom of the pool is covered with small coins of various colors. Two bards are already spreading out their red cloths, preparing to start their performance.

Before they could even take down their instruments, several burly men carrying double-edged axes came over and started arguing with the two poets. In the blink of an eye, the two sides were completely fighting. Then, the burly men gave a whistle, and seven or eight men carrying knives and swords came running over from the slums.

Outnumbered, the bard had to fight his way out and was quickly driven away. The burly man who was leading him wiped the blood off his face, then glared at Roche, who had stopped to watch the show. After seeing the golden alchemist's badge on Roche's chest, his expression changed from arrogant to obsequious in an instant. He quickly waved away his underlings and came over.

"Your Excellency, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Oh, no, I was just curious. Now I think I understand."

Now I understand why those poor people dare not cross the line. These gang members are truly unafraid to kill entire families. Of course, they also know clearly who they can afford to offend and who they cannot. Alchemists are the most untouchable people below the nobility, at least for these gang members.

It's not just that they need the potions and equipment from alchemists; they also need money from them to sell the illegally smuggled or black market materials they collect, such as human body materials, for a good price. Of course, if that's all there is to it, alchemists aren't necessarily more troublesome than real combat spellcasters like arcane mages and church combat priests.

The real reason is that poisons and poisonous gases are a major branch of alchemy and potion-making. If you offend these psychopathic bastards who are locked up in their labs all day, one of your subordinates might suddenly have some good stuff that will leave you half-paralyzed in bed. These are ruthless poisoners that no one dares to mess with. Who knows if there's some powerful stuff in one of their fragile little bottles that could kill an entire neighborhood?

Even without them, the various narcotics and addictive potions produced by these alchemists who dabble in poison are still the main means of making money and the economic pillar of these gangs. Alchemists, who have the triple identities of big spenders, ruthless characters and suppliers, are naturally the second most troublesome on the gangs' list. Well, the first place is obviously the nobles who are even more valuable.

"It's nothing. These rats are always trying to get in there. The gentlemen can't stand it, especially those kind-hearted ladies and wives with pure hearts." The burly man rubbed the bruises on his face and said, "If these stinking things get in, it'll be impossible to walk in there soon." "Oh, I see. It seems you're still maintaining order."

Roach was being sarcastic. Why? Because when they said "kind lady," he knew why these gangs spontaneously maintained order. It was because the foolish sons and daughters of noble families, as well as their stupid, spendthrift mothers, might actually take pity on them and give them something. And the little bit of oil that leaked from these nobles and wealthy merchants was unimaginable to the poor.

Therefore, begging is a profession monopolized by gangs. Beggar gangs have existed throughout history and across the world. So, when these gangs claim to be maintaining order, they are actually protecting their gang's monopoly on the privilege and interests of praying and performing in wealthy areas.

Those two adventurers and bards from out of town have overstepped their bounds. Of course, it depends on the situation. For example, if Leslie were here, those big men might not dare to chase them away.

Although this useless mermaid's individual combat strength wasn't much, the magic bow and magic arrows that Roach made for her were obviously very valuable. She was a girl adorned with high-level magical equipment and rare accessories made by the little witch...

Even if she doesn't become a powerful dragon crossing the river, she should at least be considered a noble lady who's just dabbling in the arts—who wouldn't worry about eight guardian knights suddenly jumping out from the side? Especially since Leslie, this mermaid, may be a bit stupid, but there are no ugly mermaids. Her looks are among the best of the noble ladies. It's an underestimation that eight guardian knights might suddenly jump out from the side.

"That's for sure. If it weren't for our Blood Fang Gang, these bugs would be crawling everywhere, and those gentlemen would be furious!" Roach rolled his eyes. Did these guys really not realize he was being sarcastic?

Of course, it's also possible that he figured it out and was just pretending to be stupid. In this line of work, a stupid, reckless person who can't play dumb or read the room is either a pure thug or cannon fodder, or he's already been packaged into a zip file, stuffed into a black opaque bag, and thrown down the drain.

"I need to go to the Temple of Light. Which way do I go?" Roach didn't ask for the location of the antique shop and the auction house. It's one thing that these city swindlers wouldn't offend an alchemist, but it doesn't mean they wouldn't rip him off and take him to places with high kickbacks. After all, those who dare to do this kind of business aren't afraid of retaliation from someone like Roach.

Moreover, as a spellcaster, being scammed in this kind of situation would be shameful for anyone in the academic community—it's like being a highly educated intellectual, a professional professor, being brutally killed by an outsider or even a street thug in your field of expertise. So, no one would come out to retaliate or make a big fuss about it, which would be even more shameful.

Like the ancient capital of Luster, Tallinn Cathedral was built on an artificial earthen platform. The platform, at least ten meters high, raised the entire cathedral complex above the city walls. From a religious perspective, this was a necessary practice, as a tall and magnificent temple is actually very conducive to enhancing cohesion.

Below the church's platform, a large number of shops of all kinds gathered. Since this was a noble residential area, these shops were not as chaotic as those on the main road. Instead, they were neat wooden and earthen houses with blue stone tiles. There were bakeries and general stores selling various religious and ritual items. The air was filled with the aroma of wheat and various incense.

At the church entrance, two nuns in white habited clothes were guarding a donation box. Judging from the text on the banner, it seemed to be for the cost of opening a relief center to help the poor get through the winter. As for how much of it actually went to the recipients, that was a matter of opinion.

The church buildings are all located on a terrace. Unlike the style of Christian churches on Earth, they are more similar to the style of Islam. They are square stone buildings surrounded by gardens, and inside there is a cloister surrounding a central pool.

The hemispherical dome, constructed of a steel mesh framework and glass, concentrates sunlight in the center of the pool, which is then diffused throughout the building's interior by the water ripples and the exquisitely laid crystal reflective decorations on the pool's bottom.

The face of the statue standing in the center of the pool was thus shrouded in a dazzling light, its appearance constantly shifting and changing with the flow of the water.

"We do not welcome beastmen here, please leave!" The paladin in silver armor raised his hand to block Alessina from entering the church, then glanced at the alchemist's badge on Roach's body, nodded slightly, indicating that he could go in.

"Your Excellency, you would be better off leaving your pet outside and keeping her on a leash. Don't let these filthy beasts roam around and desecrate the Lord's holy land."

The Church of the Holy Lord of Light has several branches, and the sects in the Empire, especially in the northern part of the Empire, practice "purificationism." Simply put, they believe that all races other than the original seven races are filthy and demonic products that do not conform to the doctrine, and the beastmen are one of them.

Conversely, pure orcs, being one of the seven original races, are considered a divinely created race and are not included in this exclusion list. Even though there is now considerable evidence suggesting that orcs may be the purely artificial race, and that some characteristics of beast-like beings may be the result of natural evolution, the Church still insists on its doctrinal position.

"Jar, if you dare to speak so disrespectfully again, I'll smash your jar head into your stomach!" Alessina bared her fangs, glaring menacingly at the paladin. "Beastman" was an insulting term for the beastmen, as a true beastman referred to something like someone infected with the wolfsbane virus who had completely lost their mind.

This is roughly equivalent to calling someone from Nanjing in 1945 a bastard of the Japanese—if the other person doesn't grab whatever's at hand and smash your head, then it means they really are a bastard!

"Oh? Is that so?" The paladin gripped the Morning Star Hammer at his waist and held the kite-shaped shield in front of him, clearly ready to call his comrades and kill Alessina right at the church's entrance the moment she made a move.

"..."

“So, jar, come on~” Alessina drew the Wupeng Sword from her back. Anyone who knows even a little about the culture of beastmen knows that once the other party utters the word “beastman,” unless she is truly a slave bought by Roch that has had her self-esteem and personality completely destroyed, this matter will never be resolved peacefully, and no amount of reasoning will help.

As mentioned earlier, the severity of this situation is such that even if Roach were to put himself in the speaker's shoes, he would feel that he would need to smash the speaker's head to understand what was going on—but now is really not the time to take action!

"Is this how your god taught you?" As Roach reached for the alchemical bomb in his small satchel, a female voice sounded behind him. A priestess, leaning on a pure white scepter, stepped onto the last step. Her dark yellow coarse cloth robe reached down to her calves, revealing white trousers and a pair of bare feet covered in mud.

The front of the robe was embroidered with a uniquely shaped tree in silver thread. It had no roots, and both ends were covered with lush canopies, with crescent-shaped fruits and flowers with five leaves hanging down from them.

Roach, who lacked religious knowledge, couldn't identify which church the priest was from. It was Alessina who recognized him. "Good day, handmaid of the Moon Mother~" Alessina barely managed to suppress her anger and lowered her head slightly.

The Moon Goddess is one of the three aspects of the Moon God. The Moon God is a legitimate deity in the Empire, the Kingdom of Rada, and the Island of Alesia. In the Island of Alesia, the Moon Goddess is the mainstream deity, and is known as the Moon Goddess, the Flower Goddess, and the Lord of All Spirits, representing fertility, abundance, and the spirituality of all things, respectively.

The Moon Goddess is more commonly seen in the human world, while the Flower Goddess is more commonly seen in the Kingdom of Rada and the World of Forest Spirits, because the human world has its own harvest god and earth goddess. As for the appearance of the Lord of All Spirits, only beastmen and beastman shamans believe in it, and there is no systematic church.

After listening to Alessina's whispered explanation, Roach could roughly understand that this belief was roughly equivalent to the status of Mazu in the hearts of people along the coast of Guangdong and Guangxi when the Moon Mother attendant (an honorific title for the Moon Goddess priest) appeared. Even the furious Alessina had to barely restrain his anger and stop confronting the paladin.

Of course, this also means that if a result that is barely acceptable to both sides cannot be obtained next, then it will really happen that "the fox girl throws the Holy Grail under the statue of the Moon Goddess", and then rushes into the Holy Lord Church with the most powerful Roche-made crossbow and nine high-powered ammunition made by the little witch.

Of course, it's also possible that she might steal a horse, stuff it with Roach's high-grade bombs, and then set the horse's tail on fire, performing a traditional Middle Eastern art for the local church.

“Child of the Moon Mother, there’s no need to be so nervous,” the Moon God Priest nodded with a smile, then turned to the paladin in front of her. “She is not just a simple beast-human, but also a child of the Moon Mother. Is this how your god teaches you to speak arrogantly to believers of other churches? Apologize! Otherwise, I will discuss with His Excellency the Bishop whether your behavior today is disgracing your god.”

The Moon Goddess Church is also a legitimate church; however, because both churches' clerical symbols contain the meaning of light, the relationship between the two churches is actually very bad.

The Church of the Moon Goddess takes a lower-class approach. Its doctrine requires clergy to regard all people as children of the Moon Goddess and to treat them as children. Of course, while this is the doctrine, it is very difficult to implement in practice. Therefore, the Church of the Moon Goddess compromises by regarding all children, regardless of their social status, as children of the Moon Goddess.

Therefore, the Moon Mother Church also has the honorific title of "protector of children and pregnant women," and enjoys great prestige among the lower and middle classes, especially the urban class. The Empire was also forced to recognize them as a legitimate church. Otherwise, don't think that otherworldly beings can't create a scene of "the world is established," especially if they really have divine power.

Even though the relationship was extremely bad, the two churches had to show a superficial mutual respect in public. At the same time, it was precisely because the relationship was bad that the Moon Goddess Priest's attitude was particularly tough, as neither side wanted a religious war that would result in the Imperial authorities beating both of them.

In the end, after struggling for a long time, the paladin had no choice but to bow his head and apologize. However, the sincerity of his apology was very limited. But this was the most he could do. If he continued to make trouble, the Church of the Moon would be in a very difficult position. Moreover, Roach's side might not actually be able to defeat these church paladins.

"It's alright, we can just rip him out later~" Roach gave Alessina a look, and the latter took a deep breath and finally reluctantly accepted the Moon Goddess Priest's mediation.

However, after this commotion, Roach and his group's attempt to sell the pure white gemstone fell through. Fortunately, although this gemstone, which is associated with the grace of light, is the only designated scepter inlay of the Church of the Holy Light, it is not a magical gemstone exclusively for the clergy of the Holy Light. In fact, any god with a symbol of light, including priests of evil gods, can use it.

[PS]

The churches in this world are just like those on Earth. The same church has many factions and branches, and the differences between them may be greater than those between people and dogs. Therefore, it is not that the Church of the Holy Light is purely the villain, but rather that the current branch in the North follows this style, and this is an inevitable result for border cities where various races live together.

Chapter 146 I'll Put a Bag on You!

The Holy Site of the Moon Mother is located in a small garden near the eastern city wall. Although it is called the church, it is actually a stone circle with a statue in the center, the emblem of the twin trees engraved on the ground, and torches lit at the four corners.

Church members live in wooden huts some distance from the stone circle. Again, although the doctrine requires it, there are still many loopholes to exploit.

Aside from the fact that the house is indeed built of wood, it is actually more like a small wooden manor house than the kind of small cabin that the fundamentalists require, like a night watchman's hut.

Outside the holy site of the Moon Mother Church is their orphanage, which houses hundreds of orphans. As the saying goes, the doctrine requires them to help all children and treat them as their own, but in practice, they only help the orphans and children they encounter.

Of course, compared to other churches, at least the Moon Mother Church's orphanage genuinely cared for these children and did not treat them as slaves or some kind of "commodity." As for whether there were plays like "The Priest and the Little Boy," that was something outsiders like Roach could not know.

“Don’t be shy, just make yourself at home.” A mature woman with brown hair brought over three cups of hot tea and sat down in the chair opposite Roach and his companions. The reception room was not large, about 30 square meters. There was a stone fireplace, and exquisite works of art and oil paintings were placed around it. Near the door to the entrance, there was a display case containing some religious ritual implements.

"Thank you for your help today, Priestess Claycher." Roach picked up his tea. According to the teachings of the Moon Mother, apart from some bay leaves, no other spices or honey were added. However, the quality of the tea was definitely not that of cheap tea bricks, which greatly lowered his opinion of the church.

A church that takes a middle-to-lower level approach, whose doctrine requires believers and clergy to refrain from extravagance and to care for every believer like a loving mother, outwardly adheres to the doctrine of not using luxurious spices, yet indulges in lavish spending in areas not explicitly prohibited by the doctrine. This speaks volumes.

In a sense, Roach didn't have a better impression of the Church of Light. At least the latter openly stated "Don't come in if you don't have money," and their funding sources were visibly abundant, while the funding sources of the Moon Mother Church seemed somewhat obscure.

"No need to thank me. Everyone who is illuminated by the moonlight is a child of the Moon Lady. I was just speaking a few words of fairness." Priest Claycel's good attitude was also related to Roach's identity.

Roach, who is about to earn the title of "Explosive Alchemist," may not be very famous in the Church of Light, but he is quite well-known in the Moon Mother Church, which mainly targets the lower and middle classes, especially adventurers.

Moreover, as mentioned before, the two churches have a clear competitive relationship within the Stoll Empire. Taking this opportunity to bring this alchemist over is a very wise decision. Besides, even if they don't win over the target, they can still make their money back by annoying those guys in the Church of Light.

"I wonder what Master Roch is doing at the Church of the Holy Lord? Is it healing or cursing?" These two services are the Church of Light's main business, especially the latter, which is needed not only by nobles but also by adventurers.

After all, the items recovered from the ruins might have curses or negative magic on them, which would need to be removed by the Church of Light before they could be sold or kept for personal use.

“It’s to sell some of the spoils.” Roach took out the pure white gem and held it in his palm. Instantly, the rather large gem attracted almost all of Priest Claycher’s attention. “This white gem has at least 35 radiance. I think Bishop Thorf will regret missing out on this gem.”

The world, or rather the empire, does not evaluate magical gems based on weight alone, but rather on a unit called "radiance," which represents the energy level and enhancement effect of the magic contained within the gem.

Generally speaking, the larger the volume and the higher the purity, the higher the energy level. 35 radiance means that the enhancement efficiency of a specific magic power is about 70%. One point of radiance is about equal to a 2% enhancement effect. Of course, this is not absolute and depends on the subsequent processing skills.

"What's most remarkable is that this is still a raw gemstone." That is, a raw gemstone that has not undergone alchemical treatment or processing. Its uses are not so singular. It can be transformed into other equivalent creations through processing and alchemy, rather than being limited to simple setting.

"I wonder what Master Roach plans to do with this white gemstone?"

“It can be sold, or exchanged for equivalent alchemical materials.” Roach indicated that either gold coins or materials were acceptable. While the Moon Mother Church might not be able to afford large sums of gold coins to purchase this gem, they did have a considerable output in terms of material exchange, especially low- to mid-grade materials.