svetikya Page 38
Page 38
He approached the guest table, at the far end of which was a bright window offering a wide view.
Arthur first put down the two packages containing the corpses of third-tier one-eyed wolves, and then sat down.
Gao Wen followed behind him and sat down beside him.
Merlin was the last to sit down, opposite Arthur and Gawain.
After sitting down, Merlin turned his head to look out the window:
"Isn't my living environment nice?"
Upon hearing this question, Arthur and Gawain both looked out the window.
Suddenly, a magnificent picture unfolded before my eyes.
Half of it is a clear and tranquil lake surface, its shimmering waves like calm jade, reflecting the sky and clouds.
Half of the area is a field of blooming flowers, with bright and colorful blossoms creating a vibrant tapestry.
At the boundary between the two, Arthur's steed Nightshade and Merlin's magical beast Lulu stand quietly side by side, becoming the finishing touch to this picture.
As if they shared some kind of telepathy, the two magical beasts simultaneously stretched out their necks, their heads rising and falling in almost the same direction, bending down to drink water from the lake to quench their thirst. Their tacit understanding created the tranquility and serenity of this scene.
Soon, everyone looked away.
Arthur opened the package on the guest table and laid out the dismembered corpse of a third-tier one-eyed wolf in front of everyone.
Then, Arthur got straight to the point and explained his purpose:
"Mr. Merlin, as you guessed before, I do indeed want to ask you to help me refine an elemental essence."
So, please take a look at the condition of this Tier 3 One-Eyed Wolf corpse. If I want to extract it, what kind of payment do I need to make?
Merlin raised a hand and gently stroked the corpse of the third-tier one-eyed wolf on the table, then gave his assessment:
"My lord, the corpse of this third-tier wind-type magical beast you brought has a short time since its death, has little loss of magic power, and is in excellent condition."
If I were to refine it, I should be able to extract 10 exquisite gemstones the size of goose eggs.
Generally, alchemists pay 20% of the refined gemstone as a reward for their refining commissions.
but."
Merlin paused deliberately at this point.
He first gestured the number "2" to Arthur, then changed it to the number "0":
"I had previously accepted an alchemy commission, and to complete the final step, I needed a large amount of wind elemental essence."
Therefore, I am willing to give up 20% of the reward to express my sincerity, and then use something of equal value to acquire the refined wind element essence.
This is also a special offer to facilitate our first collaboration.
After hearing this, Arthur fell into deep thought.
He had previously heard Lawson, the Thunder Badger Knight, say that the essence of wind had two main uses:
First, it increases his temporary combat strength;
Secondly, it was used as a high-value currency in transactions with alchemists.
Lawson also told Arthur that the essence of wind element was not compatible with his aura attribute, and that the amplification effect after activating it with aura power might not be good.
Therefore, the best way to use it is to trade it with alchemists for things of equal value.
So, what Arthur was thinking about at that moment was what he could trade for what he needed from this alchemist.
As Arthur pondered this, his gaze unconsciously drifted to Gawain beside him.
Suddenly, he had an idea about the transaction.
Arthur stared intently at Merlin:
"Is anything of equal value acceptable?"
"Haha, it seems that the lord has made up his mind."
Merlin understood Arthur's expression. He chuckled kindly, then regained his composure and continued, "..."
"Then why don't you tell me first, and I'll decide if we can exchange them?"
"I need information about a dry well in Qingfeng Village that is closely related to the Shadow Monster disaster."
When he heard that Arthur wanted to exchange information about the Shadow Monster, Gawain, who was standing next to him, sat up straight.
Gawain's gaze toward Merlin also turned serious.
"Qingfeng Village? The Shadow Monster Disaster? A Dry Well?"
Merlin rested his chin on his hand in deep thought, extracting the key information Arthur needed.
After a while.
Merlin opened his eyes as if suddenly enlightened, and then picked up the staff that he had placed aside when he sat down.
He waved his staff, and soon an ancient book covered in dust and with thick pages floated in front of them.
Merlin put down his staff and picked up the ancient book floating in the air.
He didn't rush to open it, but instead looked at the person who proposed the deal, Arthur:
Are you sure you want to trade this information?
"Judging from Mr. Merlin's expression, he must have found the information I need."
Arthur understood Merlin's unspoken meaning, smiled knowingly, and mimicked Merlin's previous questioning style:
"Then tell me first, how many Wind Elemental Essence Gems is this intelligence worth?"
Merlin answered calmly:
Five.
Chapter 43 The Holy War Three Hundred Years Ago
Are you asking for an exorbitant amount?
Arthur remained outwardly calm after hearing the price of the information, but inwardly he was cursing.
Even Gao Wen, who was sitting next to him, frowned immediately upon hearing this number.
From the conversation just now, we can learn that:
Wind element essence gems are very valuable, and even with the corpse of a Tier 3 One-Eyed Wolf that Arthur brought this time, he could only extract ten of them.
At the same time, the alchemist Merlin also stated that the essence of wind element is a required item, and also has certain additional value.
Nevertheless, Merlin still quoted a price for intelligence that required careful consideration.
So, is Arthur willing to pay such a high price for this intelligence?
With this thought in mind, Gawain looked at Arthur.
The Shadow Monster disaster is a knot in his heart that he can't untie and wants to untie.
But for Arthur, he was just an outsider who was accidentally dragged into this incident.
Thinking of this, Gao Wen's eyes couldn't help but reveal a complex emotion, a mixture of tension, unease, and hope.
A few moments passed.
Arthur finally spoke:
"I believe the price Mr. Merlin quoted for the intelligence."
I am willing to accept and pay the reward of five Wind Elemental Essence Gems.
Arthur's answer undoubtedly thrilled Gawain.
"Lord Lord..."
But soon, an indescribable sorrow welled up in Gao Wen's heart.
He wanted to persuade Arthur not to pay such a high price for him, but at the same time he didn't want to give up the information to solve the Shadow Monster disaster, so he hesitated to speak.
Arthur sensed Gawain's inner struggle and tried to ease his worries:
"Gao Wen, I've already said that."
As a knight, since I promised to resolve this shadow monster disaster, I will do my utmost to do so.
"Thank you, my lord."
Arthur's words encouraged Gawain, who stood up and solemnly knighted Arthur, his left hand pressed against his right breast.
Merlin, seeing that the first deal with Arthur had been made, also smiled with pleasure.
"Rest assured, my lord, this information on the Shadow Monster disaster is definitely worth more than its price."
Arthur first raised his hand to signal Gawain to calm his agitated emotions, then looked intently at Merlin and continued:
"Oh! Then please tell us in detail, Mr. Merlin."
Just as the conversation was about to continue...
The clay doll butler that Merlin had just commanded reappeared.
It carried two plates of dessert and tea in its hands and walked with seemingly clumsy but steady steps to their table.
Next, the doll butler placed the two plates containing desserts and tea on the guest table.
Then, it tilted its head slightly playfully toward Arthur and Gawain, as if using body language to tell the two of them—please enjoy the desserts and tea it had carefully prepared.
After doing so, the puppet butler retreated to Merlin's side, lowered his head, and entered standby mode.
At this moment, Arthur's attention was focused on a pot of tea on the table.
Because he could smell a familiar, long-lost aroma – it was black tea.
So Arthur took out a porcelain teacup and poured himself a cup of his familiar dark brown black tea.
He gently blew away the floating tea leaves, which swirled gracefully around the cup.
He then raised his teacup, preparing to take a small sip.
The moment the porcelain cup touched my lips, the steam from it brushed against my nose.
Suddenly, a familiar yet unfamiliar fragrance wafted over me.
Arthur closed his eyes and took the first sip.
When he tasted the bitter tea, it stirred up memories of his past life that had been buried deep in his heart.
Soon, the bitterness turned sweet in his throat, giving rise to a precious emotion called homesickness in his heart.
But Arthur did not dwell too much on the past. After savoring the taste of homesickness, he quickly calmed down.
He opened his eyes, and his sapphire-like eyes were already filled with a deep longing for home.
Arthur put down his teacup and praised:
“Good tea!”
"I'm glad you're happy, my lord."
Merlin smiled and greeted him.
Hearing Arthur's comments, Gawain, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but become curious about the taste of the unfamiliar dark brown liquid, so he poured himself a cup of black tea.
Then, imitating Arthur, he raised his teacup and drank the black tea.
But after tasting the rich bitterness of the black tea, Gao Wen suddenly felt nauseous and uncomfortable, and almost choked on the black tea that had reached his throat.
Seeing that Gawain had made a fool of himself, Merlin pushed a plate of white sugar in front of him, reminding him:
"My lord knight, I didn't like the taste of black tea when I first drank it either. You can try adding some sugar."
Arthur looked at Merlin:
"Mr. Merlin, as far as I know, there shouldn't be a market for tea of this quality on the Grand Continent."
So, how did you obtain it?
"It seems that this is also the first time the lord has tried black tea, and he has unexpectedly come to like it."
Merlin's voice was languid, his gaze drifting to the window, as if he were reminiscing: