Ie, for once, was speechless, her jaw slightly agape as she stared at the glittering panorama. She knelt, almost reverently, touching a cascading pile of raw, uncut eralds, their facets catching the light. "It’s real," she breathed, her voice trembling. "All of it. Our ancestors... they truly were masters of this world."
Ilda, her eyes shining with a profound realization, turned to Richard, a slow, knowing smile gracing her lips. "What do you plan on doing with this treasury, your Highness?" The title, "your Highness," slipped out naturally, a recognition of his royal lineage that transcended re politeness.
Richard, caught off guard by the formal address, chuckled, a faint flush rising to his cheeks. "Please, don’t call that, Madam Ilda," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "We know that the world has evolved; the people may or may not need a monarchy anymore and to be honest I wouldn’t want to be one." He chuckled again, a genuine, slightly embarrassed sound.
Ilda’s smile softened. "You’re right, Mr. Santamo," she acknowledged, a twinkle in her eye. "But what will you do with all of this? This... imnse legacy?" She gestured around the glittering vault.
Richard’s gaze swept over the gold and gems, then settled on the rows of jade tablets and the glowing Knowledge Crystals. He clutched one of the Knowledge Crystals in his hand, its warmth reassuring.
"To be honest, I don’t really know yet," he admitted. "I think this isn’t a treasure owned by the royal family alone. I think it belongs to the people, to the world, in fact. All of this material wealth..." He held up a coin, its ancient craftsmanship still pristine.
"This is tangible currency. A paper bill will burn, a digital wallet will just go away. This," he ran his thumb over the coin, "has been here for thousands of years. In the future, if the world is truly free, perhaps we can give all of this to the world."
He then gestured towards the rows of jade tablets and the Knowledge Crystals beside the stasis pod. "But, all of this," he said, indicating the physical wealth, "is just a sign of monetary value. The real treasures here, are those." He pointed to the Jade tablets and his voice deepened, filled with conviction. "The real treasure is the truth. Our real, unfabricated, unfiltered history. Knowledge from the ancient Earth—that’s the real treasure."
Bongbong and Ie looked at each other, then back at Richard, a new layer of understanding dawning on their faces. "You couldn’t be more, Mr. Santamo," Ilda said, her eyes fixed on Richard, a profound admiration in her gaze. "You spoke like my late husband. He also spoke about what a real treasure is like: it’s not the gold, it’s the truth, the knowledge." She smiled, a rare, genuine warmth in her expression.
Richard felt a surge of validation. He then looked at the Knowledge Crystals. "I hate to break it to you, but I’ll be taking these crystals and other handheld crystals for study."
Ilda nodded without hesitation, her gaze still on the stasis pod. "You’re free to take what you like, Mr. Santamo. They are yours by right of lineage, and by discovery. We have guarded them for millennia; it is ti for their secrets to be fully revealed."
Richard’s excitent was palpable. "Don’t mind if I do," he said, a wide grin spreading across his face as he looked at the precious crystals.
Bongbong, though still trying to process the concept of universal history, finally grasped the true significance of Richard’s discovery. "These tablets... these crystals... they hold the answers to everything. The golden age... the downfall... the reason for our struggle." He looked at Richard, a newfound fire in his eyes.
"Mr. Santamo, the Marcos family stands with you. Whatever you need. Funds, political influence, legal bypasses, logistical support for your energy projects—consider it done. If the governnt requires a push, we will push."
Richard smiled, a strategic gleam entering his silver eyes. "Well, the matters I desperately need are fundantal changes in the governnt. If you were to run for presidency, Senator, that could push our agenda even further."
Bongbong considered this, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I can do that, Mr. Santamo," he replied, "but it’s still ultimately the people’s decision, as you well know."
"Don’t worry," Richard assured him, a confident glint in his eye. "I will support you. We will publicize my unequivocal support for your renewable energy project proposals. We need to overhaul the policies of the governnt; there are many loopholes and corruption among governnt officials. I’m not exactly a politician, but I am a taxpayer. For the past year, our governnt has received significant investnts and donations from other countries, and yet, there’s hardly any visible difference in progress, save for the reconstruction of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. The governnt corruption is on a high level."
Bongbong nodded slowly, a grim assessnt in his gaze. "Hmm. You’re not wrong, Mr. Santamo. However, the public is already recognizing Mayor Duterte’s party, and it’s quite certain he will run for president in the upcoming elections, two years from now, in 2016. He and I have been working closely together on so plans to renew the country. If you want a strong hand to change so policies in the governnt, to cut through the bureaucracy and corruption you ntioned, he’s the man for it. I can run later on, perhaps, to focus on rebuilding and modernizing our national infrastructures. That way, we can systematically modernize the renewable energy project throughout the entire country."
Richard’s eyes lit up. "That’s actually a much better idea, Senator. A very good strategy." He offered a rare, genuine smile. "Please, introduce to him later. I’d like to et him."
Bongbong chuckled, a knowing look on his face. "A heads-up though, Mr. Santamo. He can be quite a forward and brutally honest man. His manner can be... unconventional."
Richard’s smile didn’t waver. "That’s actually better," he replied, a new, determined glint in his silver eyes. "Much better. Directness will serve us well."
Ie, though still emotionally affected, straightened her shoulders. "And for the reclamation of our history. For the truth to be known. This changes everything for our people, Richard. It’s not just about energy, it’s about identity. We will help you in every way we can."
A few minutes later, Richard, Ilda, Bongbong, and Ie erged from the hidden passage, their footsteps echoing slightly on the polished marble floor of the mansion. The grand hall, which had seed so imposing monts before, now felt strangely ordinary, a stark contrast to the unimaginable treasures they had just witnessed. Bongbong and Ie still looked sowhat dazed.
Richard, carrying a large duffle bag over his shoulder – its seemingly ordinary fabric subtly shimring with a cloaking field to hide the invaluable Knowledge Crystals and the handful of ancient artifacts he had carefully selected – shook Bongbong’s hand firmly. "Senator, a truly enlightening visit. Thank you for your ti, and for your... understanding."
Bongbong, recovering his composure, offered a firm handshake in return. "The honor was all ours, Mr. Santamo. We are at your disposal, as discussed. Our commitnt to a new Philippines, built on a rediscovered truth, is unwavering."
Richard then turned to Ie, offering a polite nod. "Ie, it was a pleasure. Your insights into the political landscape will be invaluable."
Ie, her eyes still holding a profound, reflective gleam, simply nodded back, a genuine smile now on her face. "The pleasure was mine, Mr. Santamo. It seems the history we thought we knew was rely a whisper. I look forward to helping reveal the full story."
Finally, Richard faced Ilda. He took her hand, his silver eyes eting her piercing gaze. "Madam Ilda, your courage, and your family’s guardianship, are beyond words. This... this changes everything."
Ilda squeezed his hand, her grip surprisingly strong. Her eyes, filled with a mixture of reverence and fierce hope, lingered on him. "May the ancestors guide your path, Richard. The truth must rise."
As they concluded their goodbyes, a faint, almost imperceptible shimr caught their eyes from the corner of the room where the hidden door had been. The energy portal to the vault, which had remained open, now pulsed erratically. It crackled with a dying energy, the shimring colors within beginning to fade.
"Now , how the hell do we close that?" Bongbong muttered, a nervous edge to his voice. "We can’t just leave an open portal like that."
Ie’s brow furrowed in concern. "Perhaps it’s linked to Mr. Santamo’s presence, or maybe both of you still need to do sothing?"
Before Richard could respond, the spinning vortex within the portal intensified for a fleeting second, a final, violent shudder, then simply winked out of existence, leaving behind only the solid, unyielding stone door, seamless and unblemished, as if it had never been opened. The carvings of the eagle and lion, once vibrant with light, were now just ancient art.
They all stared, dumbfounded. "Well, that solves that," Richard said dryly, a wry chuckle escaping him. "It seems it closes itself."
Outside the mansion, Lina stood patiently beside a discreetly rented vehicle, its engine humming softly. Her perfect posture, her cyan eyes scanning the surroundings with subtle, rapid movents, betrayed no impatience. As Richard erged, carrying the duffle bag, her gaze imdiately assessed him. She noted the subtle shift in his aura, a deeper resonance of power, a faint, almost imperceptible flicker in his silver eyes. He was even more... himself.
"Sir, how did it go?" Lina asked, her voice calm and even.
Richard smiled wide, a genuine, exultant grin that stretched his lips. He lifted the duffle bag slightly. "Well, Lina," he said, his voice brimming with satisfaction, "I gained sothing incredibly useful. More than useful, actually. Sothing essential." He didn’t elaborate, knowing she would deduce the truth soon enough from the energetic signatures radiating from the bag.
They walked towards the rented car. Lina opened the passenger door for Richard, then slid into the back herself. "Currimao Beach, please," Lina instructed the driver, her voice clear.
The driver, a middle-aged man who had been patiently waiting, simply nodded. "Yes, ma’am. No problem." He pulled away from the mansion, the afternoon sun beginning its slow descent, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple.
The drive was quiet, filled with the unspoken weight of their recent discoveries and the enormity of the tasks ahead. The passing scenery of Ilocos Norte, the rice fields and coastal towns, felt like a blur, a distant dream, compared to the ancient civilizations they had glimpsed.
Later, as the last sliver of the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the sky in a fiery twilight, they arrived at Currimao Beach. The rhythmic whisper of the waves seed to call them. Richard stepped out, giving the driver a crisp 2000 peso note. "Keep the change, my friend," he said, his voice almost light with a sense of freedom.
The driver’s eyes widened at the unexpected generosity. "Thank you, sir! Thank you very much!"
Richard and Lina stepped towards the sea, the soft sand cool beneath their feet. A few hundred ters from the shoreline, a ripple disturbed the calm surface of the water, a shimring distortion that rapidly solidified into the sleek, black form of the CRVT - Richie. Its cloaking field disengaged with an almost silent hum, revealing its angular, li-green streaked hull. A section of its underside retracted, and a small, discreet ramp extended, touching the shallow water.
Without a word, Richard and Lina boarded the cloaked starship. As the ramp retracted, the water around the vessel rippled once more, and then, with a silent, powerful surge of its gravitic engines, the CRVT - Richie ascended. It rose swiftly, cutting through the twilight sky, becoming a silent, black arrow against the fading light. Their course was set, not just across an ocean, but towards their new ho, towards Brazil. The weight of ancient history and future battles now firmly in Richard’s grasp.
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