Capítulo 1121: Chapter 1119: The Stone in the Box
Early October.
The famous trade city located on the border between the Sika Kingdom and the Soma Alliance—Newcastle—welcod its annual gathering.
The gathering lasted five days, with the third day being the most bustling.
Not only rchants from Sika and Soma, but rchants from other regions, attracted by the scent of money, flocked here, striving to sell their sought-after goods for a hefty profit.
Besides the rchants selling goods, there were various opportunists with shrewd eyes, walking through the city’s major market, observing the quality of goods, considering the profits after acquisition, hesitating whether to make a move.
In the noise, the air of the entire city was tinged with the scent of profit.
A young lady with short hair just touching her ears—Miss Annie Pampou—was at this mont walking through the city’s streets with a furrowed brow.
She walked quickly, seeming to have so urgent matter, constantly squeezing through the crowd. After walking a certain distance, she would suddenly stop, pause for a few seconds, change direction, and proceed quickly again.
This was a thod she used to prevent being followed.
For Annie Pampou, she was well aware that she had made many enemies along the way. Although logically, these people couldn’t chase her all the way to Newcastle, it’s better to be cautious—the cautious approach had helped her escape several dangers in past experiences.
With that, Annie continued walking through the city for nearly half an hour, repeatedly confirming no one was tailing her, before feeling at ease.
“Hoo—”
Exhaling softly, she tidied her slightly damp bangs and looked ahead at a distinctive small market gathered with nurous single-type goods—this was part of Newcastle’s annual grand market.
Though called a small market, its scale was not small, occupying an entire street nearly a hundred ters long. The shops on both sides of the street and the stalls on the street were filled with goods—various kinds of ores.
This was precisely her purpose for coming to Newcastle.
I hope to make a discovery this ti… Annie thought to herself, her gaze simply sweeping over the goods on neighboring stalls, confirming they were all ordinary items, before stepping into the first shop beside her.
The shop’s floor was covered with a thick wool carpet that felt incredibly soft underfoot, and the decor was extrely elaborate.
Against the wall stood over a dozen red lacquered wooden racks, each divided into dozens of compartnts of varying sizes, filled with ores that were cut like artworks.
Clearly, these were sample exhibits, and if chosen, soone would naturally co to discuss large supply affairs.
Speaking of which, business related to ores involves significant amounts of money. After all, it’s hard to believe soone would travel miles to buy a ten-pound stone for a silver coin to take ho as a whetstone.
The profitability of the ore business is high, which makes shops dealing in ores extrely luxurious in decor, and the staff within extrely welcoming.
Thus, as soon as Annie walked in, a shop attendant approached her enthusiastically, inquiring, “Lady, may I ask what you’re looking for? Do you need recently mined Blue Gemstone ore, or sothing else…?”
As the shop attendant spoke, Annie quickly scanned all exhibits in the shop, already confirming there was nothing she wanted.
In the next mont, she unceremoniously interrupted the attendant’s words, coldly responding, “None of them are needed.”
Having said that, Annie turned and left, leaving the attendant standing there with an involuntary bewildered expression on his face.
“You… don’t need anything, so why did you co in!” After a few seconds, the attendant reacted and spoke.
But Annie didn’t hear, by this ti she had already stepped into the second shop.
The decor of the second shop was not much different from the first, equally extravagant, the attendants extrely enthusiastic, and the types of ores exhibited similar.
Predictably, soon after, Annie walked out again, entering the third shop.
Then the fourth shop, fifth shop…
After a dozen minutes, Annie had efficiently browsed through nearly half the street’s shops, her face becoming sowhat difficult.
Raising her thin eyebrows slightly, Annie stood on the street, pursing her lips, adjusted her mood, and stepped into another shop.
This shop was positioned towards the back of the street, and compared to the others, looked rather poor, seeming to be near bankruptcy due to poor managent, the decor extrely shabby, even could be terd—broken.
The carpet on the floor was washed to the point of whiteness, severely damaged at the edges, cracking like a child’s mouth.
The seven or eight racks near the wall were also shaky, red paint peeled, half the wooden compartnts empty, the rest filled with extrely coarse ores, so even unwashed, still carrying the earth from the extraction.
The shop owner—a white-haired old man—was sitting behind the counter with closed eyes, face showing a unique indifferent expression, seemingly resigned to the fate of the shop’s closure, unwilling to struggle further, even disinclined to greet custors. Annie walked in the door, and the white-haired old man rely opened his eyes to glance, then closed them again, utterly unwilling to expend more energy engaging.
Annie was glad of this, standing in the shop, earnestly examining the sparse number of ores in the compartnts.
Shaking her head.
Shaking her head.
Again shaking her head.
Inspecting one ore after another, Annie shook her head each ti, confirming none of them were her target.
Looks like this trip to Newcastle is destined to end in disappointnt… Annie sighed internally.
Lifting her leg, she was just about to leave when her eyes swept to a silver-gray lead box about twenty centiters square on the neighboring rack, looking sowhat like a display but too strange in appearance.
“Hey, old man, what’s this?” Annie asked, pointing at the lead box towards the shop owner.
The white-haired old man, disturbed, opened his eyes in displeasure, glanced at Annie, and grumbled, “Impolite girl, can’t you call more respectfully? You an that box, huh? Hmph, what could it be, is it supposed to be a jewelry box—this isn’t a jewelry shop, you should understand it’s a box for exhibiting ores unless you’re stupid.”
“Then why put ores in there?”
“How should I know!” The white-haired old man replied curtly, “It’s not mine; it’s consigned by others. Anyway, they’ve paid, they can do as they please. If you’re willing, give two Gold Coins, and you can also place such a box here. If the box is small, one Gold Coin will do.”
“Forget it.” Annie rejected the white-haired old man’s proposal, then asked, “Then I can open it, right?”
“Whatever.” The white-haired old man waved impatiently, “I’ve already said it’s not mine; it’s consigned. Paying the money only ans the goods can be placed here, whether stolen or robbed has nothing to do with .”
Annie: “…” Raising her eyebrows slightly, unable to hold back inner speechlessness, she had so realization of why the shop’s business was so dire. Just that her temper now was much improved compared to before, otherwise she would have already broken the white-haired old man’s neck, and other patrons entering this shop probably felt similarly.
“Hoo—huh—”
Taking a deep breath, Annie adjusted her mood, deciding not to pay attention to the white-haired old man, reaching out to open the lead box.
In her view, with a ninety-nine percent chance, the lead box held an ordinary grade of ore, and as soon as she opened it, her eyes narrowed.
The ore in the box was indeed ordinary in grade, just the commonplace Copper Ore, looking not very pure, still carrying residues of other ores, the quality below average.
But this ordinary Copper Ore emitted a faint Erosive Energy.
This energy was familiar yet exciting to her.
Because this was exactly what she was looking for.
Finally found it.
Annie tightened her fist.
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