Chapter 143 — The Storm Gathers
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 4
Meitzen Bernia was an elegant woman. As a senior agent of the Mithril Vault, one who enjoyed a special standing within the organization, she had always dealt only with the lofty and the great, and no matter how overbearing such personages might be, how infamous their reputation, or how eccentric their temperaments, she could always preserve her own elegance—and in that elegance ensure that every transaction went through smoothly.
"How much for the Eternal Slate?"
"Gah-pff—"
You see? That was hardly elegant, now was it?
Meitzen's breath caught in her throat and she very nearly sprayed her veil right off her face, but she was, after all, a woman who had weathered great storms, and she steadied herself at once, calm of face and shocked at heart, staring at the utterly unruffled Gao Yang: "You... did you just say the Eternal Slate?"
"That's right," Gao Yang nodded. "Ah, of course, I don't mean a whole piece. Broken odds and ends will do."
"The way you put it... one would think you were buying cabbages. You have genuinely frightened me," Meitzen coughed lightly in embarrassment, having confirmed that Gao Yang did indeed mean fragments of the Eternal Slate. "You must know, there is no one in this world who would speak of those gifts of the gods in such a tone and manner."
Only then did Gao Yang realize his manner had perhaps been a touch off—but what could he do? Even having inherited the memories of Gao Yang Cecil, his personality remained his own. Emotionally he simply could not cast himself as a pure native of this world and muster any great reverence for the Eternal Slate. In his eyes those metal shards were nothing but a pile of research material—at most, the information stored within them was a little frightening...
And besides, even if the Gao Yang Cecil of those years were standing here, he likely would not have shown much reverence when speaking of the Eternal Slate either, for that Gao Yang Cecil had not been a believer, and as a mud-legged noble of the Second Pioneering Era, he had rarely held anything in awe.
"Ahem—a man who has died once tends to see things with a broader view," Gao Yang waved a hand to gloss over the awkwardness, then looked Meitzen in the eye. "Let's get back to it. Surely an organization like the Mithril Vault doesn't lack Eternal Slate fragments among its collections?"
"The fragments of the Eternal Slate are all in the hands of the great churches. They are their holy relics, and they would never hand them over to the Mithril Vault for safekeeping," Meitzen shook her head. "You should be well aware of this."
"But I am more aware of another point: what the churches hold are merely the large fragments. Of the fine, small pieces, many have scattered abroad, into the hands of kings and nobles and collectors—and there is no greater collector in the world than your Mithril Vault."
Meitzen's lovely brows knitted slightly, and only after a long while did she speak softly: "You are not wrong. The Mithril Vault does hold a few slate fragments, but most of our collection is kept merely on behalf of others—like those crystals you once entrusted to us. For such pieces the Vault strictly honors its agreements and will never let them leave its vaults. Unfortunately, every original owner of the Eternal Slate fragments currently in our possession is still alive, and none has shown any intention of relinquishing ownership. So forgive me, I cannot sell them—and without the original owner's permission, I cannot even show them to you."
From Meitzen's attitude, Gao Yang knew the matter was not open to negotiation.
The Mithril Vault's reputation was known to all—and so was the power by which they maintained it.
Yet after a few seconds of slightly awkward silence, Meitzen continued: "Of course, if you are willing to wait, there may be one or two slate fragments that could be discussed..."
"Oh?"