Chapter 8: The Relief

Inside the carriage, the plush fur padding on the wooden seats provided warmth against the cold weather. Merlin, although unfamiliar with the world's currency, could tell that the luxurious animal hide beneath him was extraordinarily valuable.

Even as a noble, he couldn't help but marvel at the extravagance. Despite their high status, nobles like the Wilson family relied mostly on tax revenue, and in terms of wealth, they couldn't compare to the Dougran family.

Riding in this luxurious carriage was indeed an enjoyable experience. Before long, they arrived at their destination, and the carriage gradually came to a halt.

"All right, let's get out!" Anson urged eagerly, clearly impatient.

They entered a modest, unassuming shop. The shelves held only a few decorative items, giving the place a somewhat empty appearance.

Merlin, unfamiliar with the surroundings, quietly followed Anson and Gut. The two seemed to know their way and walked directly to the counter, where a scantily dressed young woman greeted them with a smile.

"Master Anson, Master Gut," she said warmly, clearly recognizing the two.

"Enough with the greetings. Let us in already. I heard your boss got some new items in stock?" Anson asked, rubbing his hands excitedly.

"Yes, indeed. Our boss just received a new batch of goods, including some rare pieces. I'm sure you'll be satisfied," the young woman replied, pressing something beneath the counter. Suddenly, a wall began to rotate, revealing a dimly lit passage behind it.

"Hey, little Lin, have you grown since last time?" Gut sidled up to the girl, slipping a chubby hand into her bodice and giving her a bold squeeze.

"Move along, Gut!" Anson called from ahead.

"Heh, coming!" Gut tossed a glittering gold coin into her hand and followed Anson into the dark passage.

The passage was dim at first, but as they continued, they could see candlelight. Candles lined the walls, illuminating the way.

Merlin squinted ahead, noticing that the passage sloped downward, reaching about seven or eight meters underground. It was surprisingly deep.

After walking roughly a hundred meters, sounds began to reach them, interspersed with exclamations. Anson quickened his pace, clearly excited to reach the end of the tunnel.

The passage opened into a vast underground hall, approximately the size of two soccer fields. Inside, small groups of people stood around, discussing the displayed antiques.

This was clearly the place Anson and Gut had been eager to visit.

A man in black approached Anson and Gut with a respectful nod. "Master Anson, Master Gut, you're a bit late today."

Anson's face changed slightly. "Mr. Nason, don't tell me all the good items have been sold?"

Nason gave a slight smile. "Not quite, but they're going fast. Follow me—Miss Kailis is admiring some of the new arrivals."

"Kailis is here too?" Gut's chubby face lit up.

"She just arrived," Nason replied, leading Merlin, Anson, and Gut into a secluded room. Inside, five or six young men and women were quietly examining the antiques displayed on the shelves.

"Hey, Miss Kailis, you got here fast!" Anson greeted a woman in a green dress with short, wavy golden hair.

Gut moved quickly to her side, staring at her with obvious interest.

Kailis raised her brow slightly but managed a polite smile at Anson. "Anson, just in time. This new batch is impressive; the quality is remarkable."

Kailis's gaze swept over Merlin before she returned to examining the antiques, clearly engrossed in her study of the pieces.

Anson hurried over to the shelf, eyes bright as he took in the collection of jade antiques.

Merlin noticed a strange piece on one shelf—a nearly hand-sized white jade carving shaped like a human with a fish's head, spouting water from its mouth. Other sculptures depicted fearsome creatures with spiked bodies and menacing expressions, wielding iron chains and tormenting variously dressed figures. Even Merlin, an outsider to antique art, felt a sense of unease at the eerie designs.

"These are all from the Morta Empire era," Anson observed, his voice filled with admiration.

Kailis was holding a slightly yellowed jade carving in the shape of a mythical beast. She looked at Anson and asked, "Anson, these pieces are quite unique. The designs are unlike anything I've seen before. But judging by the material and style, they're undoubtedly from the Morta Empire."

Anson frowned, equally perplexed.

Nason chimed in, "This batch was sourced from a Morta Empire ruin. The items found there were all unusual, but I assure you, they're authentic Morta Empire antiques."

Merlin, glancing at the shelves, felt out of place, given his lack of knowledge about antiques. The strange designs seemed to lack beauty and only left him with an uncomfortable feeling.

Most of the items on display were jade, consistent with the style of the Morta Empire. As Merlin continued to browse, he noticed a small, broken relief carving tucked away in an inconspicuous corner of the bottom shelf.

It was a hand-sized relief, clearly pried off a larger structure. The carving depicted a naked man seated in an oddly twisted pose on the ground.

Merlin picked up the relief and focused on the intricate patterns carved into it.

Suddenly, he felt his vision blur. It seemed as though the carving came to life—the man depicted on the relief began moving in a strange, slow manner, going through a bizarre sequence of poses.

"Whoosh…"

Startled, Merlin blinked, and the illusion vanished. He still held the same eerie relief in his hands, perfectly still.

"Was I seeing things? A hallucination?" Merlin muttered, rubbing his eyes. He scrutinized the relief again, particularly the patterns, and soon, the vision reappeared. The carving seemed to "come to life," as the man on the relief moved through his unusual postures.

"Merlin, are you all right?"

Merlin felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find Anson looking at him with concern.

The others in the room were watching Merlin with strange expressions. They'd noticed him holding the relief, his face changing as if in a trance, his body swaying as though he were about to faint.

"This relief... take a look at it," Merlin said, quickly handing the carving to Anson. After experiencing the vision twice, he was convinced there was something unusual about it.

Anson turned the relief over in his hands and examined it. He nodded, saying, "The carving is quite detailed and, indeed, another Morta Empire piece. It's broken, though, and appears to be part of a larger series. Why? Do you like it?"

Merlin observed Anson closely but saw no sign of any reaction. He asked in a low voice, "Did you notice anything strange about it?"

"Strange?" Anson inspected it again before shaking his head. "Nothing, aside from the unique design. I only like jade pieces from the Morta Empire. This relief doesn't really appeal to me."

With that, Anson returned the relief to Merlin.

Now calm after the initial surprise, Merlin was certain it hadn't been a mere hallucination. But from what he could tell, no one else seemed to perceive anything unusual about the relief.

"Could it be that only I can see these illusions?" Merlin pondered, continuing to turn the relief over in his hands. Though he had no idea what caused the visions, he was now convinced that there was something strange about the relief.

"How much for this relief, Mr. Nason?" Merlin asked, intending to purchase it for further study.

Nason glanced at Anson, then smiled politely. "Master Anson, who is this gentleman?"

Before Anson could reply, Gut patted Merlin on the back, grinning. "Heh, Mr. Nason, this is Wilson Merlin."

Nason's eyes lit up. Though he hadn't met Merlin before, the Wilson name was well-known in Blackwater City, where nobles were few and far between. Of course, he recognized the name.

"Ah, young master Merlin! Since you're interested, I'll give you a good deal—only ten gold coins for the relief."

Anson leaned over to Merlin and whispered, "That's quite fair. If you really like the relief, it's worth buying."

Trusting Anson's judgment, Merlin nodded. He took out ten gold coins and purchased the mysterious relief, eager to unravel its secrets later.