As a result of yesterday's encounter, Levi delayed his part-time job and did not get his salary, and had to face a debt crisis from his landlord, Cooper, Sr.

After leaving the Bachelor's House, he hurried across the Mariana Stone Bridge to the antique shop near Red Maple Park.

The owner of [the Antler Antique Collection] is a bold old man named Zenok. It is said that when he was young, he was involved in the arms business, met some high-society figures, and also wandered the Burning Plains and the Woods of Shamel, so he saw many strange things.

Levi's work in the antique shop has lasted six years, longer than he has been in the Kingdom Academy. The owner, Zenok, appreciates his well-read and eye-catching vision, whether it's telling customers about the origin of the goods, explaining the art style, or even identifying the age and authenticity of antiques.

Walking into the antique shop in the middle of the Red Maple Forest Street, Levi was called to the back of the shop by the boss before he could say hello to the guy.

Passing through the crowded containers, Levi carefully moved away from the wooden shelves where vases were placed and into a small room deep in the store.

The owner, Zenok, has a very diverse aesthetic, his wooden table is a standard Audrick antique mahogany table, but the wall above his head hangs the horns of a reindeer in the style of northern Gole, and look at the floral carpet from the desert tribe at his feet and the Chamel specialty wine jug on the table...... I have to say that it really brings together the east, the west, the north and the south.

"Where did you go yesterday, Levi?" Zenok was a small old man, and he poked his head out from behind his desk and beckoned Levi to come closer, "I sold a lot of valuable goods, but unfortunately I didn't have you there, otherwise the price could have been higher!" ”

Levi apologized, "Something happened on the way, I'm very sorry, Mr. Zenock." ”

Zenok was fiddling with a rough claw pipe, and he said, "Guess what it is?" ”

Levi took a closer look and exclaimed, "Good thing, it's Gole, right?" ”

"Good eye, this is a gift from the guest yesterday." Zenok smacked his pipe triumphantly, "He bought a lot of furniture, and it is said that he has also made some new gadgets from other colleagues, he must be a rich man from the north." ”

Levi nodded and said, "It's good, but did you just call me here to show off your new collection?" ”

"Of course—no!" Zenock put the pipe into the box and carefully sealed it, "The guest had a request, he wanted the appraiser in the store to appreciate the new purchase for him, and I immediately recommended you to him. ”

Levi said helplessly: "Except for you, I'm the only appraiser in the store, right?" ”

Zenok smiled and said, "His residence is in a large manor on the outskirts, I don't want to run that far, and I believe in your ability." ”

"Okay." Levi nodded, "When are you going?" ”

"Now!" Zenok said.

Levi raised an eyebrow and said, "What about the carriage, won't it let me walk?" ”

"The shop pays for the car, you door-slamming guy."

"I can't help it, I'm really struggling to make ends meet." Levi smiled and said, "Also, can I get this month's salary, boss?" ”

Zenok blew his beard and glared, and shouted: "Don't delay the guests, take the money and hurry up!" ”

"No problem, I'll go." Levi said.

It was midday, and Levi hired a horse-drawn carriage in the lively streets of Red Maple Grove and drove along the Northern Expedition Avenue to the North City Gate.

During the Northern Expedition a hundred years ago, the first wave of soldiers from the kingdom went out of the city through this road to embark on the crusade against the Gole Empire, so the grandfather of the current king, Welsh XVIII, announced that this road would be renamed the Northern Expedition Road, and this name has been used to this day.

Peace has lasted for nearly 100 years...... Levi leaned against the window of the carriage, his hand on his cheek. After leaving the city gates, the carriage drove onto a country dirt road, surrounded by pleasant golden fields...... By the time the carriage arrived at the manor at its destination, the sun had already set.

"Please wait for me here." Levi stepped out of the carriage and shoved five copper coins into the coachman's hand.

He stood outside the iron gate of the manor, and found that there were quite a few carriages around, and it seemed that the owner of the manor had welcomed many guests. Levi rang the bell at the door, and looked at it with some curiosity: a gravel road passed through the vast meadow to the three-story mansion in the center of the manor, behind which was a dense forest of considerable size, and a clear stream flowed into the manor through the stone gate of the wall, and bypassed the small bridge in front of the house, and ran into the forest.

"Welcome to [Kingdom Mansion], is it an appraiser from the capital?" A butler came to the iron gate and greeted Levi.

"That's right, I'm Levi Davy of the Antlers Antique Shop." Levi introduced himself.

"The master has been waiting for a long time, please come in." The butler opened the iron door and stretched out his arm to point in the direction of the house.

Levi nodded and walked towards the mansion. There was only one manor in the north of Slom, so he didn't know the name of this place beforehand, and when he heard the word "Kingdom Mansion", he instantly had a lot of thoughts.

In Slom, the palace of the kingdom to receive foreign envoys is set up in the city, located in the south of the city on the Elm Hill Street, called [Slom Mansion], very close to the south gate of the palace, convenient for the envoys to meet the king, but the north of the city is the first time to hear of the manor called the Kingdom Mansion.

"It's very lively here." Levi glanced at the butler who was half a step behind him, and said quietly.

The butler bowed his head slightly, and said, "The host is holding a drinking party, and all the famous collectors of Slom are present, and you can enjoy the collection while tasting the wine." ”

"Sounds great." Levi said with a smile, retracting his gaze.

Judging from the butler's accent, it is a more orthodox Slom tone, and his manners are not flawed, but he is tall and has deep facial features, some of the characteristics of a Gregor.

Combined with the speculation of the owner of the land, Levi had to think a little more. Originally, he was working in a relaxed mood, but at this time, it seemed that the scene was too lively, and there was a faint feeling that it was not simple.

Walking across the small arched bridge, the two came to the front of the house, and the butler pushed open the door for Levi and respectfully invited him in.

"The host will come in a moment, you can take a look at it first, enjoy the wine and food."

Levi walked through the door and was greeted by a large and luxurious hall, with desserts on a long table in the center of the hall, several servants standing around with wine trays, and a group of well-dressed guests, numbering about a dozen. They were talking in twos and threes with their red wine glasses, and when they saw Levi walk in, they all cast a scrutinizing look.

Levi smiled politely and entered without hurry, taking in his surroundings.

In the crowd, he saw a familiar figure: Flora, a black marketeer, dressed in a classic black tunic dress, jewels around her neck, and an elegant black gauze hat pinned to her head, talking with a middle-aged man who looked like a gentleman.

Like the others, she looked at Levi, but Levi's gaze made brief contact with her and then swept in other directions as if nothing had happened. He had been a customer of hers, but when he roamed the black market, Levi would always wear a hood and a scarf that only showed his eyes, and would never have shown his true face, let alone a bachelor's robe.

So, Levi knew Flora, but Flora didn't know Levi.

At this moment, a man walked into the hall with the butler, he coughed clearly, and after getting everyone's attention, he took the wine glass and greeted slightly, and said: "Good day, I am the master of the Kingdom Mansion, you can call me Kelan, welcome to this reception." ”

He was tall and thin, with a very white complexion, even to the point of paleness, and an accent that did not resemble that of an Odryk. Looking at this guy who seemed to be a Goller, Levi remembered a rather ironic thing - the Oldlik people regard white as beauty, but the whitest race on the continent is the old enemy of Oldlik, the Goleb people who have lived in the northern snowfields for many years.

"All of you here are discerning collectors, and I am also a collector of antiquities, but I have only been here for a short time, and although I have acquired some collections, I don't know much about their value and origin." Curran said slowly, "At today's reception, I would like to invite you to enjoy my personal collection while tasting the fine wines, and if you are willing to share your opinions, I would like to welcome you." ”

After a brief speech, he raised his glass, and the door on the side of the hall opened, and servants with paintings, antiques, and small sculptures of all kinds entered, neatly arranged on all sides, for easy viewing.

"Please." Curran took a sip of his wine and motioned for everyone to watch as they pleased.

Everyone began to look at the collections they were interested in, and compared to these collectors who had usually looked at each other, Levi was just an appraiser working in a small shop, and he was at most half a peer with these people, and he couldn't talk very well, and he seemed a little alone for a while.

He squinted his eyes and took a cursory look at the collection present, and had a rough estimate in his heart. Most of these collections are valuable works of art, and they are definitely worthy of being the owner of such a luxurious mansion, but in his opinion, these collections are like some kind of disguise, like the stars and the moon, and there must be something of real value hidden in them.

He subconsciously looked at Flora, the graceful black marketeer who was looking at a crystal cup from the northwest of the kingdom, and she seemed to sense Levi's gaze and turned her head to look at him.

Levi's, who was unintentional, didn't expect Flora to be so keen, he didn't retract his gaze in a hurry, but looked at her for two seconds, and then calmly looked at the ancient painting beside him.

Flora didn't continue to look at Levi, smiled slightly, and continued to communicate with the collector next to her.

Undisturbed by this episode, Levi was thinking multiple times in his mind, on the one hand, he still had various speculations about Curran's identity, which helped him deduce the true intentions of the reception; On the other hand, he moved through each collection, hoping to find the most special one.

"Which collection do you think is the most valuable in the hall?" After a while, the owner Curran asked with a smile.

"Mr. Curran's collection is very rich, and the value of each piece is very valuable." A young gentleman spoke eagerly, and he seemed confident in his vision, "I think the most valuable of these items is this golden skull." ”

Following his words, the crowd looked at the tray in the hand of a servant, and on the cushion of the tray lay a small skull of beautiful color, a human skull that was originally a gloomy thing, but this skull made of gold shimmered with a magnificent brilliance, and it was indeed eye-catching.

"From the point of view of craftsmanship, this skull should be a product of the Western Golden Dynasty of the mainland, and it has a history of more than a thousand years." The young gentleman said, "No country on the whole continent dares to say that its gold craftsmanship can surpass that of the Golden Dynasty, and although their unique aesthetics and worship of gold and death are buried in the dust of history, every piece of gold that the dynasty has left behind can be sold for sky-high prices." ”

Levi shook his head quietly, the relics of the Golden Dynasty are indeed precious, but the skull that gentleman fancied was just a large piece of gold, judging from the shape of the skull's eye sockets and the size and number of teeth, it should be an imitation of Oderick, but the value is not small...... It's gold, after all.

"Not bad, not bad." Curran laughed and said that the young gentleman was becoming more and more proud at his compliment, and was about to give his name when a sneering voice interrupted him.

"The Golden Dynasty? The kingdom of the ancient barbarians. An old man shook his head and said, "It seems to me that this clay statue of Chamel has a value that no other collection can match." ”

Dressed in a robe-encrusted with precious stones, the old man was clearly a wealthy collector, and beside him, a half-meter-tall clay statue of a woman half a meter tall rested on a tray in the hand of a naked and curvy goddess, who, though her figure was primitive and wild, revealed a mysterious elegance.

"Do you see this woman's breasts, waist, and thighs? Every line, every curvature strictly follows the highest standards of aesthetics, and then look at her face, this eyes, this nose...... It is clearly the hostess of the famous jade silk painting "Lotus in the Mist"! As he spoke, the old man became a little agitated, "This must be the work of Master Mart of Chamer!" ”

It's kind of interesting, but this sculpture is a little familiar, could it be that you saw it when you were a child? I remember that the original product had been broken by itself...... Levi thought silently.

However, most of the people who were able to make the imitation of this sculpture were craftsmen from a hundred years ago, because the jadeite silk had not welcomed any guests for nearly a hundred years...... Thinking of this, Levi couldn't help but smile self-deprecatingly.

Before Curran could make an assessment, another shrewd merchant-collector objected, fancy an alchemical weapon studded with diamonds, supposedly a relic of a warrior of the Origins.

Levi was no longer interested in listening, and if he had to choose the most valuable collection, he already had a goal. Before coming to an ancient painting that no one cared about, Levi was just about to take a closer look, but unexpectedly noticed another person who noticed the work.

Flora looked at Levi, smiled lightly, and said, "Are you interested in this painting too?" ”

After thinking about it for a while, Levi didn't want to hide it completely, and whispered: "It's not that I think it's precious, I just like the beauty it presents." ”

"Coincidentally, so did I." Flora took a sip of red wine, "The art style of Saladin's era, the extreme realism, even the flaws of the portrait must be retained in the painting. ”

It is rare to have a confidant, Levi said, "It is very likely that the person in the painting is Terella, the first wife of King Saladin, Queen of the Shadow Country...... Her identity can be roughly confirmed from the specifications of the painting, the blue skin of the person in the painting, and the bright red pupils. ”

Flora, who had a cold temperament, suddenly laughed, and she said: "You are really not honest, since you have judged that this is a portrait of Cleopatra, then the author of the painting is at least a court painter, how can such a work not be precious?" ”

Levi also smiled and said, "Aren't you the same?" Since he judged that it was from the Saladin era, he did not recommend it to his master, but came to make small talk with me. ”

Flora raised her chin, shook the red wine in her glass slightly, and said, "Have I seen you somewhere?" ”

She looked into Levi's eyes, not knowing whether they were meaningful or pretentious.

"I'm an appraiser at the Antler Antique Shop, are you?" Levi asked, puzzled.

"If my instincts are right, you know who I am." Flora still looked Levi's eyes, "In my shop, you usually only see the eyes of customers, so I'm quite careful with my eyes, maybe it's a professional habit?" ”

Levi didn't avoid her gaze or turn his face away, but asked with interest, "What kind of store is that?" ”

"You're such a boring, acting man." Flora turned her head and took a sip of her wine, "It's certainly not the first time you've met, although I can't remember...... Speaking of which, looking into your eyes up close, I have made some new discoveries. ”

Not caring that she was full of traps, Levi touched his chin and said, "What? ”

"Your eyes are beautiful, the eyes of the noble." "People of ordinary origin don't have such eyes. ”

"The way people look at their eyes is natural."

"I'm not just talking about looks."

Levi narrowed his eyes and said helplessly, "I also wish I was of noble birth, but this is not the case. ”

Flora did not answer, she smiled at Levi's, turned around, and said in a voice that was audible to all, "Mr. Curran, this friend of mine has some valuable comments on this painting. ”

Levi raised an eyebrow and almost threw the cup away.

Curran looked interested, he looked at Levi's, and asked, "Sir, can you tell me what you think?" ”

Levi glanced at Flora, and the woman looked as usual, without the slightest sense of guilt. No longer dwelling on this matter, Levi slowly turned around and said to Curran and the people who were watching him, "Opinion......

"I think this painting is the work of Saladin, the only overlord who has ever unified the continent, the most powerful warrior in the history of the Terrans, and the king of kings in the Dome, the King of Inferno."

The words were like thunder, resounding in people's hearts.

("There have been many kings on the continent, but there is only one king of kings.") —The First Year of the General History of the Mainland)

("The kingdom of Audric is located in the eastern part of the continent, and the Goller empire is located at the northern tip of the continent, and countless wars have broken out between these two behemoths.") Oddly enough, no matter what kind of disputes took place on the mainland, the southern kingdom of Chamel never got involved. —"General History of the Continent: The Middle Ages" )