Chapter 104 - 104 – Within the Book Lies a Beauty as Jade
“What is this?” Levis picked up the Black Pearl and weighed it in his hand, “Is there Magic Power inside? It feels like there’s Water Attribute Magic Power.”
“Indeed, there is Magic Power, it is a pearl.”
“A pearl?” Levis shook his head, “Don’t think I haven’t seen pearls before. I have handled numerous pearl decorations that have passed through my hands. I once took a boat trip over Tranquil Lake on Blue Dragon Island and even personally dug out pearls from Pearl Oysters. Those were white and not nearly this big.”
“This is a Black Pearl, excavated from another kind of shell, the Tridacna.”
“Tridacna? Is it also a product of Fresh Flower Town?” Levis caught on to the key point, the produce from Fresh Flower Town was just too abundant.
“Actually, it was a giant Squid carcass that the Sea Waves brought in, and inside the carcass, there was a Tridacna, and inside the Tridacna, the Black Pearl was found. Brother, whether it is a pearl or not, what do you think of its value? A Water Attribute Magical treasure, it is more precious than White Pearls.”
“Are you giving it to me?”
“Don’t be so greedy, I have already given you your birthday gift. This Black Pearl is a personal treasure that I carry with me, it helps me calm my restless emotions—the effect is tens of times that of White Pearls. I want to know if you’re interested in buying it. You know, I am of Fire Attribute Dou Qi, whereas you are of Water Attribute Dou Qi.”
“That is true, compared to White Pearls, the sensation of this Black Pearl is much more comfortable to me. How much are you planning to sell it for? A White Pearl of the same size on the market would go for a few Gold Coins. I’ll give you ten Gold Coins for it, how’s that?”
“Ten is too few.”
“It’s not few, Liszt. No matter how much it calms the emotions, it’s still just a decoration.”
“Perhaps Magicians could craft it into Magic Equipment. It has outstanding Magic Power storage, suitable for crafting Magic Equipment. My Fresh Flower Town doesn’t have any Magicians, but I’m sure you have contacts with some. Why not have a Magician craft a piece of Magic Equipment for you?”
Levis shook his head: “If its Magic Power were richer, it could indeed be crafted into Magic Equipment, but it doesn’t have enough Magic Power, and it would be difficult to craft into effective Magic Equipment.”
“Cough, in fact…”
Liszt finally revealed his true intentions, gesturing with his hand the size of a Sea Bowl: “I have another Black Pearl this big, and it is filled with rich Magic Power, absolutely suitable for crafting Magic Equipment. Water Attribute Magic Power naturally suits you, brother.”
“A larger Black Pearl? That big?” Levis was no longer passive.
A fist-sized Black Pearl was indeed a rarity, at most an interesting decoration, but a Sea Bowl-sized Black Pearl was a different story. If there really was a pearl that big, plus it was filled with dense Magic Power, it would definitely be excellent material for Magic Equipment. Those Magicians, craving for such rarity, would pay a high price for the chance to study it.
“Five hundred Gold Coins, I’ll sell you the Black Pearl.”
“I need to see the Black Pearl first.”
“Fine.”
Liszt called Servant Thomas to fetch the Sea Bowl-sized Black Pearl that Marcus had brought. Moments later, the slightly irregularly shaped colossal Black Pearl was laid on the desk in the study.
Running his hands over the massive Black Pearl.
Levis’s eyes shone continuously.
More knowledgeable than Liszt, he understood the value of such a treasure, so he made his offer: “One hundred Gold Coins, I’ll take it. This novelty, despite having dense Magic Power, can’t guarantee real developmental value. I can’t risk buying something unusable.”
His reasoning was sound.
Liszt himself could not be sure that the Black Pearl could really be crafted into Magic Equipment.
But some haggling was still in order, and after several back-and-forths, the Black Pearl was sold at the price of two hundred eighty Gold Coins. Additionally, the fist-sized Black Pearl that he also had with him was included as part of the deal.
After the trade.
Counting the Gold Coins with satisfaction, Liszt said with a smile: “Brother, once you have crafted the Magic Equipment, let me know. I would like to see what uses it has… This is also my first encounter with a Black Pearl.” Once its uses are confirmed, the remaining Black Pearls could be appropriately valued.
“No problem.”
As he was preparing to leave the study,
Liszt suddenly remembered something and asked, “By the way, brother, has Tulip Castle acquired any new books recently?”
“Not at all. When did you start to like reading so much? I’d rather drink until dawn than stay in that study, looking at all those dizzying words.”
“There’s a lot of interesting knowledge hidden in books.”
“Knowledge?” Levis scoffed, “Liszt, are you thinking of switching careers to become a magician? That’s not a good idea. I deal with those magicians often, and they’re all a bunch of bizarrely behaving maniacs, always talking about knowledge and exploration. The knight’s honor is only ever taken on horseback!”
Liszt hastened out of the study.
There’s a golden house in the book, there are beauties in the books. As a cultured man, he didn’t want to stoop to the other’s level.
The collaboration was confirmed.
Liszt took leave of Levis and left Tulip Castle.
However, he didn’t head straight back, but took the path towards an independent castle next to Coral City—that was Lady Penelope’s residence, and during a trip to Coral City, he couldn’t fail to visit his grandmother.
The castle was covered with climbing ivy.
It added an ancient air to the castle, along with an inexplicably eerie touch.
There was a platform on the second floor of the castle, filled with various flowers and plants. Besides socializing with nobility, Lady Penelope’s life revolved mostly around these flowers and plants.
Watering the plants while chatting, “You came out from the castle so soon. Didn’t Levis keep you for dinner to continue celebrating?”
“I declined. There are many matters in Fresh Flower Town that cannot do without me.”
“A competent landlord always keeps himself busy. As long as a person is busy, he will feel fulfilled, effectively preventing a fall into degeneracy. Your father has been busy alongside your grandfather since he was a child, which is why he was able to become an earl before turning thirty.”
Lady Penelope turned around and continued watering the flowers, “It’s just too bad that since marrying two troublesome daughters-in-law, he has never been able to advance further… I just wish your brother would be a bit clearer in his mind, but that little rascal is also muddled. The youngest daughter of Marquis Roderick is quite a handful.”
Marquis Roderick, one of the seven marquises of the Grand Duchy, served in the Blueblood Knight Order, deputy commander.
No wonder Levis is still unmarried; it turns out he has set his sights on a marquis’s daughter.
“Cousin Meioubao is deeply in love with the Little Princess, and brother harbors affection for Marquis Roderick’s daughter. It seems they both have quite the intentions.”
“You’re the same.”
“Me?”
“Don’t think that because I’m old, I can’t hear news about you, Asina Salmon, right? Li Vera told me, she’s a very cute girl, utterly admiring you, and yet you rejected her. She is a viscount’s daughter. Although selling fish might be rather crude, having gold coins can just as well buy white bread, can’t it?”
“Heh heh.”
Liszt didn’t want to say much.
Lady Penelope continued to ramble on about “young people not understanding things,” but soon she shifted her attention to one of her flowers.
“Oh, heavens have mercy, my Dragon Hollyhock is really going to die!”