Chapter 273: A Heroic Inheritance (1/2)
”When you say Artifacts, what exactly do you mean?” Mike asked, curious about the description. Back on Earth, the term could mean a number of things, varying from broken pottery shards to sarcophagi made of solid gold.
Torthan nodded, ”It is something of a blanket term used for items that have been recovered from ruins dating back to the 2nd or early 3rd ages. Before you get your hopes up however, you should know that the vast majority of our Artifact collection is composed of salvaged bits and pieces. While they hold a fair amount of academic value, I doubt they'd be of interest to you.”
[Still might be worth looking into, but I suppose I should start with the basics.]
”Can you take me to where the gemstones are located? I think I'd like to begin with an item of monetary value.”
The minister smiled softly. ”Very well. Caretaker, please take us to the Gem Storage.”
The puppet bowed politely and began leading the way down one of the tunnels. It moved with a strange grace that might have been appealing if it didn't seem quite so unnatural. Although it had probably been made to resemble a humanoid creature, its creator evidently wasn't able to completely mimic the motions of an organic being.
The group continued in this manner for another few minutes, demonstrating just how vast the vault was. As they walked, Mike could tell that the building design and even materials used in the walls changed periodically, giving the whole complex a slightly haphazard feeling. Occasionally, he could even see bits of stonework that were reminiscent of concrete.
[Despite not being verified, it's pretty obvious that this place was built on some kind of ruins. Considering that the Spire is not too far away, it's not really a stretch to believe that they may even be High Elven.]
After a few minutes of walking, the tunnel split into two passages, and the Caretaker led them to the right without any hesitation. This one quickly ended in a solid stone door with some kind of symbol carved into. Evidently, it wasn't any kind of written language, since his Communication Magic didn't translate it.
The puppet stepped in front of the door and held still. After a few moments, a seam appeared in the stone slab, and the two sides gradually slid apart without a sound. The chamber beyond filled with a sudden burst of light as the magical illumination devices within it activated.
The room was large and lined with stone shelves vertibably covered with a wide variety of crystalline objects. While the majority of them were more mundane gemstones like emeralds, rubys, diamonds and the like, several sections seemed devoted to more exotic items. There were glowing gems, gems that seemed to absorb light, gems that looked like they were slowly expanding and contracting like some kind of living thing, and even gems that had to be kept inside of a mesh cage lest they float away.
Despite all that, it was the center of the room that stole his attention though. There, a mix of large basins filled with red, orange, and yellow mana cores of varying sizes occupied most of the space. Between them were a few pedestals that bore a handful of green ones. The centerpiece of the display, however, was an indigo core nearly a meter in diameter, resting on an elaborate dais. Mike could tell at a glance that it held more latent power than all the other cores he had in the room combined. Just seeing it made him want to try crafting something out of it.
[What could I do with something like that? Or rather, what couldn't I make out of that?]
”I see the Heart of Fironis has caught your attention.” Torthan commented with some obvious amusement. ”That's to be expected, of course, since it's the most valuable item in this room by far. Supposedly, it was pulled from the corpse of the Titan Fironis in the chaos following the close of the Second Age. Whether or not there is any truth to those rumors, it nevertheless remains one of the largest and most powerful mana cores ever discovered.”
Mike nodded absently before using Appraise to confirm the man's words.
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High Grade Mana Core
Magical Material (Tier 4, Rank 3)
A High-Grade Mana Core.
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[...I should have known.]
Sera whispered in his ear again. ”Whatever you're thinking, don't do it. That is definitely something that could be classified as a national treasure, so it would be best to look elsewhere.”
”I'm not that dumb.” He shot back, feeling a little annoyed that he couldn't even satisfy his curiosity anymore without being accused of something.
Scanning the room for a few moments, he decided to avoid picking up anything that he didn't fully understand, and therefore settled on a fist size ruby that had been carved into the shape of a draconic claw clutching an orb.
”I would like my first item to be that one, but I want to donate it to the country and have the proceeds be used to help those affected most by the invasions.”
Torthan nodded. ”Of course, I'll see to it.” He turned to a second Caretaker that had been passively standing in one corner of the room, practically looking like furniture. ”Our guest has selected his first item. Please bring it to the Entrance Hall.”
The puppet bowed and carefully moved to the indicated shelf and removed the gem before disappearing back into the corridor.
”Now, where would you like to go next?”
After a moment of thought, Mike replied ”I'd like to see the weapons.”
”Very well.”
As they left the room, he took one last glance back at the powerful mana core. He decided that he would definitely need to find one for himself at some point.
The next trip didn't take quite as long, and within a few minutes they were standing in front of another stone barrier, which slid open in much the same way as the first.
This chamber was filled with a variety of weapons racks and display cases, carrying all manner of lethal implements. Mike saw everything from massive battle axes to wickedly curved daggers, and everything in between. Taking a few minutes to scan the room with Appraise, he eventually settled on an item that fit what he was looking for.
”I'll take that one over there, and if you don't mind, I'd like to hold on to it.”
Torthan blinked. ”That one? Are you sure you want a...Nevermind, that is perfectly acceptable.”
With a few quick commands, he had another of the stationary Caretakers go and retrieve the item in question and bring it back to him. It was a slender length of some kind of off-white material, seemingly polished marble, but with the flexibility of wood. With the exception of a simple grip at its midpoint, virtually every inch of it was covered with tiny, but immensely complicated, scrollwork.
Mike took the weapon in his hands, carefully inspecting it for a few moments before passing it over to Sera. ”Here you go. This is for you.”
”Eh?” She murmured while absently accepting the elaborately carved bowstave. After a few seconds she began to bluster. ”Wa-wa-wait! This is too much! It's supposed to be your reward!.”
He chuckled at her flustered face. ”I'm aware, but I've been thinking for awhile now that we need to upgrade your equipment. When I saw that bow, I knew it was the perfect time to do so.”
Using Appraise one more time, he confirmed his gut instinct that it was a suitable weapon for the Oracle.