Early the next morning, Liang En and Fan Meng appeared in a small valley on the outskirts of the city. While Liang En had gone to Bath University for academic exchange the previous day, Fan Meng had obtained permission from the municipal government as instructed by Liang En.
With this permission in hand, Liang En and his team were now able to engage in treasure-hunting activities on non-private wastelands just beyond the city.
"How did you deduce the presence of ruins from this place?" As soon as they got out of the car, Fan Meng looked at the valley in front of him, which appeared much like the surrounding terrain, and turned to ask, "To me, it doesn't seem much different from those mounds around."
"I can't be certain about the existence of ruins here," Liang En shrugged and said, "But based on the information I gathered earlier, the possibility of ancient ruins being here is not negligible."
In the Viking-era map Liang En had obtained, this valley was considered a crucial navigational point. It held remnants from even earlier times, which could aid the Vikings in finding the right path through the hilly terrain.
However, over a thousand years had passed since the Viking era, and most of those ancient remnants had vanished, leaving only a patch of withered grass in their place.
This was precisely why Fan Meng found it intriguing. After all, there was no trace of human intervention in the entire area now, making it hard to imagine anything significant being buried here.
"Let's get to work." Liang En retrieved two metal detectors from the back of a small truck and handed one to Fan Meng. He then proceeded to walk towards the center of the basin.
Once in the center of the basin, Liang En and Fan Meng stood back-to-back and began rotating clockwise, carefully sweeping their metal detectors over the ground beneath them.
After about five or six cautious minutes, Fan Meng's metal detector emitted a rapid buzz. He stood still and used the metal detector to trace a circular pattern, attempting to pinpoint the exact location of the buried object.
"A promising sign." Upon hearing the noise from Fan Meng's side, Liang En took out a small flag from his pocket and planted it where he was standing. Holding his metal detector, he walked over to Fan Meng.
Subsequently, Liang En and Fan Meng used their metal detectors to scan the withered grass leaves. Unexpectedly, they found that there were more metal reactions in the area than just the initial location.
With each confirmed metal reaction, Liang En and Fan Meng expanded their search area. Finally, after more than ten minutes, they determined the approximate extent of the metal-reactive soil.
After completing the detection process, they set aside the metal detectors they had used and took out shovels. They marked out a circle on the ground to outline the digging area and then began carefully excavating the withered grassy land.
It's worth noting that metal detectors played an irreplaceable role in this kind of wilderness excavation. After all, in that era, metals were valuable and not casually discarded like modern cans, bottle caps, nails, or pieces of iron.
Hence, once they used the metal detectors to outline a rough area underground where the metal reactions occurred, the subsequent digging work could more accurately define the general area.
The items they were looking for weren't buried too shallow, and given their concerns about potentially damaging any antiques buried there, it wasn't until half an hour later that they uncovered some man-made artifacts at a depth of nearly 1 meter.
"This isn't metal, but it's obviously a man-made object." Looking at an object similar to a chopstick emerging from the bottom of the pit, Liang En let out a sigh of relief, then proceeded to carefully remove the surrounding soil.
Soon, a small statue emerged from the other end of the bone tag. It depicted a woman holding a small basin filled with various treasures in one hand, and a steering oar in the other.
"This is a bone hairpin from the Roman era, featuring a statue of the goddess of wealth." After cleaning the entire object, Liang En quickly identified what it was.
As the excavation continued, more objects appeared before Liang En and his team. However, contrary to their expectations, the metal detector reactions were not caused by precious metal artifacts, but rather by pieces of lead and tin.
These lead and tin pieces were all thin, coiled into tight rolls, and some even had iron nails affixed to them. Due to the passage of time, these items had turned into unassuming lumps of metal.
"I think I've seen this before." After unearthing seven or eight of these metal lumps from the pit, Fan Meng suddenly spoke up, "I think I came across something similar in a travel guide about Bath yesterday."
"I remember now." After a brief pause, Fan Meng snapped his fingers. "This seems to be called a cursed lead plate. It's something that the ancient Romans would toss into a pool to pray for divine curses upon their enemies."
"In other words, this is most likely from a pool or well of ancient Romans." As a professional, Liang En inferred what it was after hearing Fan Meng's explanation.
"No, wait. This can't be a well." Soon, Liang En refuted his previous speculation. "If it were a well, these items wouldn't be buried so shallow, and the distribution area wouldn't be this extensive."
Since almost all the metal reactions were concentrated within a circular area with a diameter of about seven meters, and considering the burial depth ranged from 50 to 80 cm, by nightfall, they had managed to excavate all the metal items.
"33 rolled lead plates, a bone hairpin, 17 copper coins, and 3 silver coins." Looking at the loot spread out on a plastic sheet, Liang En's face broke into a smile. "Of course, that's not the most important thing."
Saying that, Liang En shifted his gaze towards the uneven and pitted land behind them. A hole with a diameter of 1.5 meters appeared at the edge of the circular range they had outlined earlier. At the bottom of the hole was a bas-relief of a person's face with an open mouth.
"What we've found is likely a pool from ancient times." After taking a brief break, Liang En approached the edge of the large pit and looked down at the stone carving. "The stone carving down there is likely the outlet of the pool."
"I know about this." Fan Meng pointed at the stone carving of the face. "When I was wandering around Bath's city area yesterday, I saw several very old fountains with similar features. Were the ancient Romans particularly fond of these face carvings?"
"To be more precise, the entire Europe appreciates this type of relief design. So, from ancient Greek times up to the Renaissance and even today, these face carvings have remained popular, often used for decorative purposes in water engineering projects." Liang En explained to his friend.
"If I'm not mistaken, this place likely started as a natural spring, which the ancient Romans later turned into a pool. It would have been used to provide water for travelers or livestock passing by."
"Ah, I see." Fan Meng nodded earnestly and then asked, "But I feel like we might not make much money from this find. After all, these items don't seem to be worth much, do they?"
"That depends on the buyer." Liang En chuckled and said to Fan Meng, "Let's work one more day tomorrow, and then you'll see how I manage to fetch a good price for these items."
On this evening, Liang En and Fan Meng decided to set up a tent by their car to watch over their findings. They spent the night there, and the next morning, after a quick freshening up, they continued their excavation with shovels.
Given that the previous day's relief sculpture was embedded in a curved stone low wall, Liang En and Fan Meng quickly deduced the general shape of the original water pool and pinpointed its center based on that curve.
Sure enough, after careful digging for over an hour, a slightly damaged cylindrical stone pillar appeared at the bottom of the pit they had excavated.
"You're right, this is indeed a structure built by ancient Romans." Liang En pointed to the small pit in the center of the stone after clearing away the dirt from above it.
"Look, we can clearly see that the outlet at the center of this stone is surrounded by a circle of lead. This indicates that the users at the time employed lead pipes, which was a standard Roman architectural feature."
"This sculpture looks impressive indeed." Fan Meng commented, looking at the carvings around the stone pillar. "How much do you think this thing could fetch?"
"If we were to take it away from here, this stone carving could probably be sold for around two thousand pounds. But we would also be violating the Treasure Act by doing so," Liang En shrugged.
"But honestly, we really don't need to bother with such a laborious and thankless task. As far as I know, we have a much easier way to make more money—"
Half an hour later, two off-road vehicles approached from the direction of the city. Seven or eight individuals got out of the vehicles. Evidently, Liang En had chosen to call the local cultural heritage department.
"Ah, Dr. Smith, it's a pleasure to see you again." As soon as they got out of the car, Liang En quickly recognized the identity of the elderly gentleman leading the group.
This gentleman was the director of the University of Bath's Centre for Heritage Conservation, who had previously invited Liang En to the university for academic exchange. Liang En hadn't expected that stumbling upon a fountain would attract the attention of this esteemed expert.
"Lawrence, I never expected you'd be able to find an ancient relic in such a short time," Smith walked up to Liang En and said, "I now believe you are an explorer."
In fact, when Liang En had previously claimed to be a treasure hunter, these people had found it hard to believe. In their view, the person who could decipher the secrets of ancient Egypt should be a professional scholar, not the kind of antique dealer they often dismissed.
"Yes, I believe I have talents in both areas," Liang En chuckled and then guided the respected scholar to see everything they had discovered the day before.
"Very impressive, very impressive," Smith nodded in satisfaction as he watched his assistants begin to clean up the water pool. He then turned to Liang En and said, "This should be the most valuable historical site found in the local area since the beginning of this year."
"Not just that, Dr. Smith," Liang En said as he walked to the other side. Because in his memory, about five or six steps away from this well should be an old road that had been there for years.
According to the markings on the Viking map, this location had a road that was very suitable for their activities, with parts of it paved with stones.
Considering the era in which those Vikings lived, it could be inferred that the people who lived along such roads were likely ancient Romans. During that time, only the ancient Romans would construct roads of this kind.
"Please take a look here." Leading Professor Smith, Liang En came to the grassy area beside the large pit and pointed to a spot. "I believe there's something beneath this place, otherwise there wouldn't be a path without large trees."
"There's indeed something amiss here." As a professional, Professor Smith quickly noticed the situation. After Liang En and Fan Meng did a simple excavation, concrete ground appeared about twenty centimeters below the surface of the soil.
"Another important discovery." Bending over to examine the heavily weathered road surface, Professor Smith promptly retrieved some spare tools from his car and began his study. Meanwhile, he continued speaking.
"Based on the information we've gathered before, during the ancient Roman era, there was only one major road that passed through Bath, connecting Plymouth and London. The rest were just minor paths."
"But looking at this paved road now, it turns out our traditional understanding was incorrect. This city was more prosperous during the ancient Roman times than we had imagined, perhaps even having two or more Roman roads—"
Professor Smith continued speaking at length, but Liang En's attention had shifted to the several new cards he had just obtained. Right after excavating the ancient Roman road and confirming its existence, three cards appeared in his mind.
Upon closer inspection, Liang En realized that apart from a common 【Detection (N)】 card, the remaining two cards were identical and entirely new to him.
【Legendary Power (N): Much of history has transitioned from fact to story, story to legend, and legend to myth. Along the way, many things have become tainted with information that doesn't align with the real world.
You, a young historical explorer, have gained power from beyond this world. Thus, you can convert this information into real power.
Skill card (One-time use): Consume this card to increase the upper limit of Legendary Power by one point.】
"Could this be the Legendary Power everyone talks about?" Liang En suddenly realized. He understood that if he were to learn and train all the skills he had previously possessed, they might not be extraordinary abilities at all.
After the 【Historical Explorer (Intermediate) (UR)】 card upgraded to 【Historical Explorer (Advanced) (UR)】, he theoretically should have gained true extraordinary abilities, which naturally required extraordinary power to manifest.
Realizing this, while pretending to listen to Professor Smith's discourse, Liang En quickly used the two 【Legendary Power (N)】 cards.
He had expected that using these cards might give him a unique sensation, but in reality, they simply turned into two points of light after being used, then merged into the 【Historical Explorer (Advanced) (UR)】 card.
Upon careful inspection, he noticed that the bottom right corner of the 【Historical Explorer (Advanced) (UR)】 card now had a blue circle with a gold Arabic numeral 2 above it.
"This is a bit like the blue bar in Diablo, isn't it?" Liang En mused, observing the change in the card. But this matter ended there; after all, he currently didn't possess any abilities of this kind.
"—So, this road holds significant implications for reevaluating Bath's history. It can prove that Bath held a higher urban status during the ancient Roman era," at this point, Professor Smith's explanation was drawing to a close.
"Yes, I believe this is a very important historical discovery." Liang En quickly nodded in agreement, saying, "Especially the lead lining in the water pool, which indicates this place used to be quite vibrant."
Naturally, once the local cultural heritage department took over, Liang En and his team no longer needed to be involved in the archaeology of this site. As a treasure hunter, it was now time for him to tally up the gains from this treasure hunt.
"To be honest, these lead pieces don't hold much economic value if considered purely for their material worth. Even adding the sculptures doesn't give them a significant advantage," a middle-aged man, the head of the local cultural heritage department, told Liang En.
Upon hearing these words, Liang En maintained a polite smile. After all, even though the initial impression of the statement might have been disappointing, it contained some important information.
"However, due to your proactive involvement this time, the preservation of this cultural relic site is remarkably intact. Therefore, we've decided to award you £25,000 as compensation for your treasure hunting efforts."
Observing Liang En's courteous demeanor, the official from the English Cultural Heritage Department nodded with a smile and announced the decision they had reached.
"These artifacts will be taken to the University of Bath's Cultural Preservation Center for a brief cleaning and maintenance. Afterward, they will be publicly exhibited in the Bath Museum."
"You're right, Bath has indeed yielded quite a harvest," Fang Meng remarked while soaking in the hot springs that afternoon. "I never thought we'd be able to uncover such treasures from that barren valley."
"Actually, it involves a lot of information gathering," Liang En explained from the other side of the hot spring pool. "For instance, that road can be seen on satellite maps, and clues about the fountain itself can be found in local construction documents—"
"Yes, yes, not everyone can do that," Fang Meng interrupted, shaking his head. "At least I'm certain I can't sift through so much data and extract what I need. So, I'll stick to providing the physical labor."
After their hot spring session, Liang En and the group headed to a bar near the hotel. For the British, a pub was the most essential social hub in the community, without a doubt.
The bar had an air of antiquity, and the interior decor was quite appealing. Upon entering, one could see many black-and-white or color photos adorning the wooden walls.
"It seems quite a few celebrities have been here," Liang En remarked. Despite the aging of some of the photos, they could still recognize a few individuals they had encountered in certain references or even textbooks.
For instance, in one corner, they spotted Churchill raising a glass of wine, smiling at the camera alongside five or six others.
Perhaps because they arrived during a time of less crowding, the bar was occupied by fewer than ten people. Consequently, after they settled in, a waiter quickly approached them with enthusiasm.
Thus, Liang En and his companion ordered two beers and some appetizers. Soon, everything was delivered to their table.
"Ancient artifacts are quite fascinating, like the lead pieces we found today, something I had never even considered before," Liang En commented as he noticed Fang Meng's interest in the items they had unearthed in the past two days.
As a student studying archaeology in the West, Latin naturally became a mandatory subject for Liang En. After undergoing prior intensive training, his proficiency in this ancient language had reached that of a native speaker.
Therefore, upon receiving those lead pieces, Liang En swiftly deciphered a substantial amount of content inscribed on them—content that consisted of curses cast by ancient individuals against others.
"For instance, on one of these lead pieces, it's written that the writer cursed a wretched thief, hoping that the thief would lose his hands. This thief had stolen the writer's woolen outer robe while he was bathing," Liang En explained.
"Is a woolen robe worth such a vicious curse?" Fang Meng's eyes widened, and his expression showed his perplexity. "Of course, stealing is wrong, but it's just a woolen robe—"
"The woolen robes of that era can't be described as 'just' anything," Liang En raised his glass for a sip before continuing.
"For many commoners in ancient Rome, a woolen robe served both as their outerwear and their blanket at night. It might even have been their only possession. In such a situation, losing something like that could have felt as dire as us losing a car today."
In ancient times, especially during the Roman era, people owned significantly fewer personal belongings compared to today. After all, the production capacity of that period was limited. For someone of modest means, a sturdy woolen robe might have constituted a significant portion of their belongings.
"In other words, if I were to travel back in time, I could get rich just by bringing along a cartload of woolen fabric," Fang Meng quipped after hearing Liang En's explanation.
"That's an interesting thought. After all, in both the Western and Eastern worlds of that era, textiles were a form of hard currency, sometimes even used as money," Liang En explained.
"Of course, the naturally colored wool felt that's popular now might not have been as well-received in that era. Instead, fabrics dyed with vibrant colors would have been in demand."
"I know, I read about this in history books," Fang Meng raised his glass and clinked it against Liang En's, then continued. "For instance, during the time when the Gothic leader Alaric besieged Rome, he demanded 3,000 pieces of red fabric as part of the ransom."
"Yes, dyed fabrics during that era could have been priced several times higher than undyed ones. Especially those fabrics dyed with chemicals that we don't particularly favor today would have been more popular in ancient times."
"Because those fabrics were not only colorful but also resistant to fading. In those times, the potential harm of chemical dyes to health wasn't a concern."
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Liang, the renowned scholar in deciphering Ancient Egyptian?" While the two were enjoying their appetizers and drinks, a young woman suddenly approached. She had been circling around them and finally addressed Liang En.
"I am the person who deciphers Ancient Egyptian, but I wouldn't yet claim the title of 'renowned scholar.' May I know who you are?" Confusion flashed across Liang En's face as he looked at the young woman. She seemed like a student, but Liang En had no recollection of knowing her.
"Oh, I'm Diana Black, a student at the University of Bath. I've seen you speak before," the young woman quickly introduced herself upon noticing Liang En's puzzled expression. She then explained the reason for her approach.
As it turned out, Diana was not only a student at the University of Bath but also a long-term resident of Bath, spanning several generations. Due to recent circumstances, she was in urgent need of money.
Having heard Liang En introduce himself as a treasure hunter during his lecture, Diana had come over to the bar hoping to invite him to her place for a treasure hunt.
"If your family has indeed lived here since the Victorian era, as you've mentioned, then there's a possibility that your home might contain items of value," Liang En addressed the short-haired girl in front of him.
"However, I must remind you that the purchase price I offer you would definitely be lower than the selling price of these items elsewhere. If you're agreeable to this condition, we can visit your home later."
Due to having consumed some alcohol earlier, even though both Liang En and Fan Meng's minds were still clear, Liang En chose to take public transportation to a certain small road in the city center.
Honestly, the experience of riding the bus was not pleasant at all. Especially with the large bag on Fan Meng's back and the metal detector on Liang En's back, they drew quite a bit of attention from people around.
Their destination was a very narrow-looking path, barely wide enough for two cars to pass each other. Lining the sidewalks on both sides were lush lime trees, and a few shops that appeared to have been around for quite some time were scattered among the buildings along the street.
Diana's house was on this road, a three-story building made of red bricks. Judging from the weathered marks on the surface bricks and the wear on the stone-paved road, it was indeed an aged structure.
"I feel like people living in this place probably wouldn't have poor economic conditions," Fan Meng quickly concluded as he looked around the surroundings. "After all, this place is quite close to the wealthy area, and I just saw a police patrol car pass by."
"This should be where those early wealthy industrialists, ship owners, or major shareholders from the Victorian era lived," Liang En explained, recalling the information he had previously read.
"You know, Bath is an ancient spa resort city. So, those nobles and people of high status had already occupied all the good places around here."
"So, after the Industrial Revolution, those newly rich classes that suddenly emerged found that they couldn't find a place of their own in this city. Therefore, they simply constructed their own residential area."
"Of course, with the passage of time, the nature of these residential areas in the city has undergone significant changes. The places that were once exclusive to the nobles have been filled with all sorts of wealthy individuals, while these areas have turned into residential zones for the affluent middle class."
After the explanation, the two arrived at the doorstep of Miss Diana's residence. After knocking on the door, Miss Diana welcomed them into the house.
This building was a typical Victorian-style structure. The interior structure didn't differ much from the old rooms Liang En had seen before, except that this house was inhabited, so it looked more modern overall.
Even so, some fundamental issues with these old houses hadn't been completely resolved. For instance, the rooms were quite dim, requiring them to keep the lights on even during the day.
"Miss Black, if I may ask, do you happen to know who the previous owner of this house was before your grandfather moved in?" After they entered the living room and sat down on the sofa, Liang En asked Diana.
"I'm sorry, I really don't know that," Diana, sitting across the coffee table, said, "When my grandfather gave me this house, he didn't mention anything like that. All I know is that the earliest owner here seemed to be a colonial officer of the British Indian government."
"If it was a colonial officer of the British Indian government, then there's a possibility that he might have left behind some valuable items in the rooms," Liang En nodded thoughtfully, "But the prerequisite is that you haven't done major renovations on this building before."
"Of course, we haven't done any major renovations," Diana shook her head and explained, "My grandfather's father bought this house because he liked its style. Naturally, he wouldn't conduct extensive renovations like some people do."
"If that's the case, then there might indeed be some valuable items left inside the house," Liang En observed the antique and somewhat dim decorations in the room and suggested, "By the way, how much money do you need right now?"
"It's not about prying into your privacy, but rather about planning what items you might need to sell as reasonably as possible. To help you sell as few items as possible to cover the tax."
Liang En quickly clarified after asking that question, knowing that asking strangers about money-related matters, especially after only a few meetings, could be considered impolite.
"It's not something taboo." Diana smiled after hearing Liang En's explanation, then continued, "You see, this kind of house incurs quite a substantial property tax every year. So, I need £5000 to cover the tax."
"This house used to belong to my grandfather, and he gifted it to me on my 20th birthday last year. I'm really glad to have received this special gift from my grandfather. However, raising the property tax amount is quite a daunting task."
"In other words, as long as we find something worth £5000, it'll do," Liang En nodded. In reality, property taxes in Europe and America are not cheap, and for a student with limited income, it's not so easy to manage.
Miss Black, it seemed, was quite a determined individual who preferred to bear the burden of the property tax herself, rather than seeking help from her family.
With permission granted, Liang En and Fan Meng began exploring the house. For this type of search, the less disturbance created, the better the chances of finding valuable items. So, their first step was to head to the attic.
"Why don't we check the basement?" Once they were upstairs, Fan Meng, who noticed that the lady hadn't followed them, whispered to Liang En, "Also, isn't she a bit too trusting to just let us come up like this—"
"Don't forget, this is Bath, and the water table is quite high. Basements that haven't been managed for a long time have a high chance of water seepage or leaks. Even if there's something valuable, it's unlikely to have survived," Liang En shook his head, explaining.
"As for trust, it's not that she's too trusting. It's more because she believes that with my current position, I wouldn't stoop to stealing or deceiving her within her own house."
After all, Liang En could now be seen as a rising star in the archaeology field. As long as his mind remained sane, he wouldn't do anything lacking integrity to ruin his own prospects.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the two climbed an aluminum ladder and entered the attic. After shining a flashlight around, Liang En had a general idea.
From the varying styles of furniture containers and the noticeable differences in thickness of dust, it was clear that the clutter piled here had been gradually accumulated over a long period.
"As usual, let's search these containers first, then the surrounding walls," Liang En suggested after glancing at the structure of the room.
After a quick comparison of the size of the roof and the space inside, he suspected that this room might hold secrets that Miss Black wasn't aware of.
Once the decision was made, Liang En and Fan Meng, wearing gas masks and gloves, began searching the boxes and cabinets in the attic.
About half of the containers that seemed more recent were empty, while the other half held things that, in their eyes, were practically worthless. For instance, items like plastic toys or literacy cards.
"This box could probably fetch around £15 to £20 if sold at a second-hand store," Liang En inspected a box and lightly kicked it, saying, "But the labor cost for someone to move it would be at least £10."
"I'm in the same boat," Fan Meng tossed a tattered doll into a box and said, "This box is just filled with some combustible trash."
After spending over an hour, Liang En and his group had thoroughly searched through the attic. However, apart from two wooden boxes dating back to the Victorian era that might be worth something, the rest of the items failed to arouse their purchasing interest.
"These two boxes, I can offer you a maximum of 80 pounds. Even if I sold them for 150 pounds, that would be pushing it," Liang En explained to Miss Blake after bringing down the two boxes from the attic.
"A fair price," Miss Blake nodded in understanding. As a student in archaeology, she comprehended such items and agreed, "Besides these, have you found anything else that caught your eye?"
"Everything else is essentially junk," Liang En candidly stated, "They might fetch around 50 or 60 pounds if sold to a scrapyard, but for us, it's not worth buying."
"Alright!" Miss Blake sighed, then looked up at Liang En, "Have you thoroughly searched the attic?"
"No, not completely," Liang En shook his head and proceeded to explain the unusual discovery he had made on the attic roof to Miss Blake.
"I understand," as an astute person, Miss Blake grasped Liang En's intentions and said, "You can dismantle the wooden panels on the attic, but I'd like to accompany you in this venture."
Soon, the three of them returned to the attic, armed with a metal detector. As they searched the inner wall of the roof with no windows, the metal detector quickly gave a noticeable response.
"Let's pry this open," Liang En turned to Fan Meng and instructed. Fan Meng nodded immediately and set to work using a handsaw and crowbar on the wooden wall. Five minutes later, a cabinet door appeared before them.
Using a pocket-sized screwdriver he had with him, Liang En removed the locks on the cabinet door's hinges. Inside, several canvas bags of varying sizes and shapes immediately grabbed everyone's attention.
"These are definitely something valuable," Fan Meng exclaimed excitedly upon seeing the outlines of these packages. He cautiously reached out and began to remove the canvas bags.
Liang En and Miss Blake next to him agreed with his assessment, as the shapes of these packages were unmistakable – they were firearms.
"Congratulations, I believe your property taxes are sorted now," Liang En grinned and said to Miss Blake beside him. He then used a rope he carried to lower the bags from the attic entrance.
After emptying the hidden firearms from the concealed cupboard, Liang En habitually inspected the cupboard itself, checking for any hidden compartments.
As he had suspected, upon a thorough examination, he found a movable partition at the back of the cupboard. From behind this partition, he retrieved a small box.
Spending another half an hour inspecting the attic thoroughly, Liang En and his group brought the pile of items they had just found to the living room on the ground floor. Bathed in the sunlight streaming in through the windows, they examined their newfound spoils.
The first bags to be opened were those completely faded canvas ones. Undoing the rope from the first bag revealed a single-shot breech-loading rifle with a traditional design and a hexagonal barrel, sparked by a percussion cap.
This rifle was an old-style muzzleloader, using black powder as its propellant, thus boasting an immense 0.67-inch caliber.
Engravings adorned the metal below the rifle, indicating that this weapon was crafted by the renowned manufacturer Kurimola Company, a royal supplier to the Maharaja of Lanka in India, and was intended as a gift for a British Army lieutenant colonel surnamed Potter.
"This matches perfectly," Miss Blake clapped her hands together. "This exactly fits the information my grandfather mentioned. He had told me that the entire property previously belonged to a British army officer stationed in India and his descendants."
Due to production constraints, this rifle had always been expensive; even in its moderately preserved condition, it could fetch around £3,500 on the market.
In addition to this, they also found a Wilkinson centerfire sporting rifle produced in 1870 and a Richards centerfire rifle from 1872.
These two rifles, with larger production volumes, were priced around £1,500. However, in contrast to the canvas bags containing the long rifles, the three smaller canvas bags held an even greater surprise for them.
Two of these bags each contained a double-barreled breech-loading pistol with intricate precious metal inlay patterns and shallow reliefs on the frame and grip. Merely from their decorative appearance, it was evident that these pistols weren't cheap.
"I doubt these were meant for self-defense. Even in the era of black powder firearms, the caliber is unusually large, surpassing the norm," Fan Meng confirmed after ensuring the firearms were unloaded, carefully examining the pistol's muzzle.
"Moreover, the overall size of the pistol is rather significant. I find it hard to believe that ordinary individuals could carry such a large pistol conveniently like they would with a standard handgun."
"But if intended for hunting, this wouldn't serve the purpose effectively. The barrel is too short, and the range is too limited. If facing a wild beast, using this pistol would be like gambling with your life."
"Could these be defensive handguns?" Miss Blake inquired, "Both my grandfather and father enjoyed hunting in Canada. They often carried a high-caliber handgun to safeguard against close encounters with large carnivores."
"Your suggestion sounds plausible, but the reality is somewhat different," Liang En smiled, pointing at the exquisite relief carvings on the pistols, "Those who used these pistols were individuals of stature, so they usually had sufficient protection to deal with such situations."
"Alright, don't keep us in suspense," Fan Meng carefully inspected the elaborately carved wooden grips of the pistols and urged, "Tell us what these double-barreled pistols were actually used for."
"These are howdah pistols, often used by riders on the backs of elephants," Liang En picked up another pistol and explained, "When British hunters engaged in hunting in India, they would sit in a box on the back of an elephant, and this box was called a 'howdah'."
"Actually, this is a traditional hunting practice among Indian nobility, which the British embraced after their arrival. Especially for hunting large and fierce animals."
"The participants in these hunts were usually British military officers and administrative officials serving in India. They possessed high-quality military-grade weapons and were skilled in their usage."
"The reason for being perched on an elephant's back is that trained elephants can drive the prey out of hiding into open spaces, giving the hunters a significant advantage. Moreover, standing on the back of an elephant provided safety to these hunters."
"These hunters could easily take close-range shots at ferocious animals, particularly when a tiger attacked the elephant. In such situations, these large-caliber double-barreled pistols had their justified use."
"If that's the case, indeed, these firearms suit that kind of scenario," Fan Meng's expression cleared up after hearing Liang En's explanation.
"Though aiming a high-caliber pistol is challenging, I suppose using this type of pistol to shoot a mostly stationary target like a tiger just one or two meters away shouldn't be much of a problem."
Compared to the previous rifles, this pair of 1875 William Moore-Gray centerfire flintlock pistols, which fired 0.577-inch round-nosed bullets, manufactured in London, featured a plethora of decorations on their original design.
Such embellishments were not uncommon in civilian weapons, especially for individuals of noble status or considerable wealth. Naturally, they desired their weapons to stand out, and thus, they were willing to spend extra money to adorn their firearms.
Due to these decorative enhancements, the value of the double-barreled flintlock pistols Liang En and his companions currently beheld surpassed that of the standard version by a considerable margin, rendering them even more valuable.
"If these were mass-produced, these two pistols combined would cost around £2,500. However, given the intricate sculptural work on these pistols, the price is not cheap. If there are no issues, they could probably be sold for around £4,000," Liang En promptly provided an appraisal.
"Meaning that just these firearms here are worth over £10,000," Miss Blake exclaimed excitedly upon hearing Liang En's valuation.
"Yes, but that's the market value, not my acquisition cost," Liang En chuckled. "After all, by tradition, I have the right to claim 40% of it, so if I were to purchase them, I could only offer £6,000."
"Of course, Mr. Liang, that's only fair," Miss Blake smiled and nodded, then continued, "However, we believe it would be best to make a decision after we've examined the contents of the last box."
The box Miss Blake referred to was the one Liang En had previously found in the hidden compartment behind the cabinet, wrapped in a thick layer of wax.
Liang En had encountered this preservation method several times before, typically employed to safeguard various precious items. Thus, facing this box nestled in the compartment, curiosity naturally welled up within everyone.
"Inside is a book and a necklace." After retrieving tools from his bag, removing the wax from the box's exterior, and opening it up, Liang En revealed the contents within.
The necklace was a simple silver chain, its design quite unassuming, seemingly composed of metal rings interlocked in a straightforward pattern. However, the necklace bore an unusually distinctive pendant.
"What kind of animal's tooth is this?" Observing the pendant on the necklace within the box, Miss Blake's expression turned intrigued. The centerpiece of the necklace was a pair of massive teeth, half embedded in a silver base.
"It should be a tiger's fang," after a brief examination, Liang En remarked. "Considering the shape of the tooth, it likely comes from a species of felid carnivore. Among these animals, only tigers possess such large teeth."
Given that the person who left behind the firearms was evidently a colonial-era officer who frequently hunted in India, it was quite reasonable for them to fashion a piece of jewelry from their trophy.
"This tooth is quite large," as Liang En explained, his companion Fan Meng pulled out a small tape measure and began taking measurements. He quickly determined the dimensions of the tooth. "16.6 cm. Seems like that tiger from back then was quite a beast."
"Let me have a look—" prompted by Fan Meng's remark, their client, Miss Blake, also became intrigued and immediately pulled out her phone to search. Swiftly, she found content related to Indian tigers.
"You're right, it definitely is a big one," Miss Blake recited aloud from her phone, "In India, people usually hunt Bengal tigers, and the canines of a Bengal tiger are generally around 136 millimeters. But this canine is obviously much larger."
"Additionally, the largest tigers are Siberian tigers, but those animals are mainly found in Siberia in Russia, the Korean Peninsula, and the northeastern part of China. So, it's impossible for this British officer stationed in India to have encountered this type of tiger."
"It seems we can understand it this way," Liang En said, looking at the necklace with the tiger fang pendant. "Clearly, Lieutenant Potter hunted a tiger that was larger than the average ones. Hence, he took the tiger's tooth as a decoration."
"Considering that tigers are protected animals globally now, and also due to the fact that this fang is much larger than typical tiger teeth, I believe that with the right buyer, this necklace could fetch around £3,500 to £3,700."
After removing the silver necklace, Liang En put on white silk gloves and carefully took the book from the box, then proceeded to examine its contents.
It wasn't a typical published work; it was a journal. After flipping through several pages, Liang En realized it was Lieutenant Potter's diary, chronicling his experiences as a British officer stationed in India.
"If all of these items were bundled together for sale, I think they could fetch around £35,000," after examining everything, Liang En provided a straightforward estimate.
"Of course, I mean bundling these items together. Since there's a connection between these pieces, they can be seen as a unified collection and sold for a better price."
"Uh, I think it would be more useful for me to keep this stuff," Miss Blake said after a moment of thought. "I could gift them to my grandfather, and that way, I could resolve my property tax issue."
Evidently, for this wealthy young lady, it was entirely feasible to offer such a gift to her elder family member. It was indeed the most appropriate course of action for her. However, the problem was that, in doing so, she would owe Liang En £14,000.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have the cash right now," Miss Blake naturally realized that, given her current circumstances, it wouldn't be suitable for her to go into debt. So, she quickly presented a solution. "However, if you're willing, I can offer something else as payment."
"Sure, you can name your price for everything, but we retain the right to choose," after a brief conversation in Chinese with Fan Meng, Liang En outlined the conclusion they had reached.
Since both of them believed that this young lady with means might offer handbags or jewelry as items to settle the account, even though these objects might be secondhand and have some wear, they were easy to sell and could be quickly turned into cash.
The outcome that surprised them, however, was that after waiting downstairs for 15 minutes, Miss Blake not only brought down a variety of luxury items but also a collection of evidently antique items.
"These are things I bought before. If you're interested in any of them, you can take them," Miss Blake said, simultaneously opening the boxes one by one.
"This is—" just as the other party opened a wooden box that originally held wine, Liang En's gaze suddenly intensified. That was because he saw a bicolored brown and green statue inside the box.
This statue depicted a bare-chested, smiling monk, with a benevolent expression, a warm smile, and an air of tranquility. In the statue's left hand, there was a strand of prayer beads, while the right hand held a cloth bag.
The entire sculpture employed the technique of "revealed porcelain," using a reddish-brown color achieved through "revealed porcelain" firing to depict the skin's texture. Additionally, the facial features and expressions were meticulously carved. As for the clothing, it utilized thick, glossy celadon porcelain to convey a smooth and supple texture.
In summary, the statue emanated an immediate sense of inner peace upon a first glance. This aspect aptly demonstrated just how valuable an art piece it truly was.
"Liang En and Fan Meng were not completely westernized ABCs, so they immediately recognized the identity of this statue. At the same time, Miss Blake also began to explain the origin of this statue.
"I bought this ceramic figurine at a flea market in London for just 20 pounds," Miss Blake said as she placed the figurine in front of Liang En and his companions.
"But after my appraisal, this should be an ancient Buddha statue from your Huaxia, with a history of over 300 years. So, if you're interested, this statue would be priced at 5,000 pounds."
"Miss Blake, it seems a bit too profitable for you to ask for 5,000 pounds for something you bought for 20 pounds," Liang En responded. As soon as Miss Blake mentioned the price, the business-minded side of Liang En activated, and he engaged in a half-serious, half-playful negotiation.
"No, no, Mr. Liang, you could say that my eye for value is just particularly keen," Miss Blake replied, wearing a proud expression.
"So, this item is now priced at 5,000 pounds. If you find it suitable, you can take it, but if you don't, we can find another one."
Clearly, from Liang En and Fan Meng's reactions earlier, Miss Blake discerned their fondness for the Buddha statue. So, she firmly held onto the price of 5,000 pounds without a penny's reduction.
Because the price they were asking for was high, coupled with the fact that this Buddha statue did indeed exude a special feeling, Liang En used the skill [Appraisal (N)] on the statue. Soon, two lines of text appeared before his eyes.
"[Laughing Buddha, also known as Qie Chi, is said to be the transformed incarnation of Maitreya Bodhisattva or Buddha. With a plump body, furrowed eyebrows, and a big belly, his speech is unpredictable, and he rests and sleeps anywhere. Due to his humorous and witty nature, kindness towards others, and optimistic and tolerant outlook, he is deeply respected and loved by people.]"
"[Therefore, people in later generations often depict him in statues as a reminder of the value of tolerance. For example, this statue of the Laughing Buddha with exposed belly, crafted in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties using celadon glaze from Longquan Kiln, is one such representation.]"
"Alright, 5,000 pounds it is. But if this item happens to be worth more—" Liang En began to speak, realizing the value of the figurine, but Miss Blake cut him off.
"Don't worry, the transactions for these items will be documented in a contract. After all, this involves a transaction worth over 10,000 pounds, so I will certainly take measures to ensure the safety of our deal."
With the price of the Buddha statue settled, Liang En and his companions quickly turned their attention to other items. Unfortunately, this Miss Blake had set high prices for all antiques, especially Eastern ones.
For instance, an ordinary late Qing dynasty blue-and-white porcelain plate was priced at a staggering 800 pounds—triple its regular price.
As a result, they soon abandoned the idea of finding another treasure from this antique enthusiast and turned their focus to luxury items.
Unlike antiques, these secondhand luxury items had very transparent prices. Therefore, the group quickly made their selections in a short span of time.
In the end, Liang En and his companions chose two Chanel handbags, one Louis Vuitton wallet, and a matching brand brooch as their gains from this venture.
These gently used secondhand luxury items, which appear to be at least 90% new, can probably be sold for around 9,200 pounds. Of course, the condition is finding the right buyers. Fortunately, Liang En happens to know a very good client.
"Pleasure doing business." After signing the contract, Liang En and Fan Meng bid farewell to Miss Blake with their spoils. They then left the old building.
As they were on their way to the bus station, Fan Meng suddenly turned to Liang En and asked, "Boss, do you plan to sell that Buddha statue we just got?"
"Why would I sell such a treasure when I'm not in need of money?" Liang En chuckled. "Besides, Miss Blake was mistaken. This statue isn't from the mid-Ming dynasty as she thought. It's actually from the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, created at the Longquan Kiln."
"Judging from its style and size, this should be a masterpiece of the Longquan Kiln from that era. If it were to be sold, the price would likely be between 50,000 to 55,000 pounds."
"Given what you just said, this Buddha statue is indeed a masterpiece." Fan Meng widened his eyes in surprise and then smiled. "So, when we go back, we can properly enshrine this statue and pray for the prosperity of our business—"
Due to the Laughing Buddha's statues typically featuring a smiling face and holding a cloth bag, they are often associated with joy and wealth, being regarded as a deity of prosperity.
Fan Meng happened to be of Southeast Asian Chinese descent and had been influenced by his father, who ran a restaurant. So, upon seeing the statue, his immediate thought was to enshrine it.
"Great idea. We can set up a shrine at home and place the Buddha statue inside." After hearing Fan Meng's suggestion, Liang En realized that directly enshrining the statue was a more suitable approach compared to keeping it in a safe.
Upon returning to their apartment in London, Liang En immediately checked a card that appeared in his mind after obtaining the Buddha statue. It was a card he had never seen before.
"[Restoration (N): Time is the most corrosive force in the world. Anything tangible, after enduring the passage of time, will incur some degree of damage.
However, this damage is not irreversible. To be precise, as a historical explorer with beginner-level extraordinary powers, he has the ability to restore this damage.
Skill card (one-time use): After consuming the corresponding Legendary Power and casting materials based on the target, the caster can restore the target, provided the overall volume loss does not exceed 30%."
"This is truly amazing." After reading the text on the card, Liang En's face displayed a look of astonishment. He quickly retrieved the clay tablet he brought back from Egypt the last time, which he had only pieced together and stored in a box without restoration. Repairing such an item required special skills, and he lacked proficiency in that area.
After his consciousness connected with the [Restoration (N)] card, he noticed a red dot in his field of vision. Placing this red dot on any object revealed the required Legendary Power and casting materials.
For instance, when he placed it on a cabinet, it displayed a need for 15 cubic centimeters of pine wood and a bit of Legendary Power. Placing it on a pair of shoes required ten grams of rubber, two grams of synthetic leather, and a bit of Legendary Power.
"Damn, I got duped!" After seeing the second analysis, Liang En's face revealed a frustrated expression. He recalled how the shopkeeper had emphatically assured him that the shoes were made of sheepskin.
Regrettably, it was a temporary sale, so even if he knew the shoes were problematic, he had no way to hold the crafty merchant accountable.
"Alright, now it's time to get down to business." After curiously inspecting everything in the house, Liang En redirected his focus to the box of clay tablets on the table. "Hope the restoration work goes smoothly."
"15 grams of soil, a disposable lighter, and 1 point of legendary power. It seems that making this thing is simpler than imagined." Looking at the text next to the red dot, Liang En nodded and prepared to cast the spell.
He first went to the downstairs supermarket to buy a disposable lighter and dug a piece of soil from the lawn. Then he placed these items together with the pile of clay fragments.
And just as everything was ready, Liang En's gaze once again fell on the clay fragments, only to find that the original red dot had turned green.
"Interesting, is this the indication that all preparations are complete?" Smiling at the changing light dot in his field of vision, Liang En then used the card labeled 【Repair (N)】.
In the instant the card was consumed, the clump of soil placed on the side transformed into a tan-colored light that flowed into the plastic box containing the clay fragments. It then enveloped the entire clump of fragments.
As the light completely wrapped around the fragments, the lighter beside it turned into a ball of flames and flew into the tan light. Then, the tan light pulsed like a heartbeat.
With each pulse of light, the clump of light gradually shrank. Two minutes later, the light disappeared completely, leaving behind a mostly intact clay tablet.
"Is achieving this level possible with just an ordinary repair?!" After taking out the now whole clay tablet from the box and inspecting it, Liang En exclaimed softly.
He had thought that this kind of repair would be similar to how some auction houses fix artifacts – sticking the broken pieces back together and using similar materials to fill in missing parts.
But now it seemed that the result was much better than this assumption. The whole clay tablet looked as if it had never been damaged, with only slight traces of repair visible under careful examination through a magnifying glass. It was hard to believe that it was once an inconspicuous pile of fragments.
After the spell was completed, Liang En noticed that the blue circular pattern in the bottom right corner of his card labeled 【History Explorer (Intermediate) (NR)】 had only half of its blue color left.
At the same time, the Arabic numeral 2 had turned into 1. "Huh, it seems this point value isn't purely consumed." Observing the change in the card, Liang En began pondering. "The question now is how to restore this point value."
Contemplating this, Liang En placed the repaired clay tablet back into the safe, intending to proceed to Pearce's side to sell the pile of luxury goods he had acquired through his channels. However, before he could leave, he received a call from the butler of Count Bosite's household.
In the call, the butler informed Liang En that they had finished organizing all the items from the previous transaction. Therefore, they were ready to provide him with the agreed-upon compensation.
But regarding the nature of the compensation, the butler presented two options to Liang En. One option was £1 million in cash, and the other was a 60-square-meter apartment in the center of London.
This was indeed a rather difficult choice, so Liang En felt a bit embarrassed as he told the butler that he needed some time to consider.
Fortunately, the butler understood that such decisions were important for Liang En, so he politely stated that Liang En could take all the time he needed, as long as he communicated his choice within three days.
"Fool, of course, you should go for the apartment." After Liang En informed his parents about these two options, his mother was the first to call and express their opinion. "Money is constantly losing value, but property in London keeps appreciating."
"And you've also mentioned that the other party is a Count, which means he surely cares about his reputation. He won't offer a property clearly worth less than £1 million to you. Otherwise, what's left of their noble pride?"
While Liang En felt his mother's words were a bit rough, they made sense. Compared to the money, a property located in the British capital clearly seemed to be a more worthwhile investment.
As for the inconvenience of not living there right now, it's certainly not a problem. If he's not mistaken, renting properties in the city center is always quite straightforward.
So, on that evening, Liang En called the butler and conveyed his choice of the property. They agreed to handle all the formalities the next noon.
And the following morning, Liang En also noticed that the blue circle in the bottom right corner of his card labeled 【History Explorer (Intermediate) (NR)】 had been completely refilled, and the number on top had reverted to 2.
"It seems gaining points of legendary power is equivalent to increasing the blue bar's limit, and the blue bar automatically recovers the day after using it." As a modern person, Liang En quickly grasped the concept from his experience playing video games.
With a cheerful mood, Liang En continued writing several pieces he planned to release in the future. After all, he had uncovered the Rosetta Stone in this world and openly proposed a method to decipher ancient Egyptian language.
So, if Liang En didn't promptly bring out the research he had done in that regard, he would undoubtedly lose a significant academic opportunity.
Thankfully, the version of himself in this world had loved anything related to history since childhood. So, nearly everyone believed he had been diligently researching this field for seven or eight years. Therefore, even if he consistently achieved success in this area, it wouldn't raise suspicions.
However, even so, Liang En would still need some time to publish new papers. Thus, he had enough time to gradually pull out several articles related to the study of ancient Egyptian writing from his mind.
But in order to avoid rushing like he did during summer vacations in his childhood, where he'd write a large amount of content right before they ended, after returning from Egypt, whenever Liang En had spare moments, he'd write a portion at his desk.
Time passed quickly when he was engrossed in writing. When the alarm on his phone rang at noon, Liang En quickly finished his writing, stood up from his desk, and left his room.
After greeting Fan Meng, who was exercising in his own room, Liang En left the apartment. Following the agreement from yesterday, the Count's butler would arrive in London on the plane departing at noon.
Traffic congestion was a common ailment of big cities, and London was no exception. So, when Liang En arrived at Heathrow Airport by taxi, he only had to wait a few minutes before the butler's plane landed.
After a brief exchange of greetings at the airport, the two of them took a taxi directly to the land transfer department. They were there to complete the transfer of ownership for the apartment.
Indeed, the luxurious apartment with only one living room, one bedroom, a small kitchen, and a tiny bathroom, totaling 60 square meters, was quite valuable. Its market value might even be a bit higher than £1 million.
The reason for the high price was straightforward – it was located in the super-affluent district of Drayton Gardens in Chelsea, right next to Hyde Park and just a stone's throw away from the Natural History Museum. It was situated in one of the best areas in London.
"His Lordship holds you in high regard. If it weren't for his poor health, he would definitely have come to London to meet you in person." After completing the registration procedures, the butler conveyed Mr. Count's request to Liang En.
"His Lordship has also requested me to extend an invitation to you. Whenever you have the opportunity to visit France, you can come directly to our place as his Lordship is keen on meeting young talents like yourself."
"Furthermore, he has a new commission related to the previous assignment that he'd like to entrust to you." The butler took out a brown notebook.
"Take a look at this first. It contains the belongings of Lord Dulis that we retrieved from Finland. It records some things."
Paying tribute to Grandpa Yuan Longping, may he rest in peace.
Taking the aged notebook handed over by the butler, Liang En flipped through it with curiosity. After a few pages, his attention was captivated by the black and white photographs within the album.
The photographs were of runic inscriptions on a stone monument. Due to having acquired the card labeled "Viking (SR)" earlier, Liang En quickly recognized what exactly the runic carvings on the stone monument depicted.
Carved on the monument was a short poem, narrating the tale of an explorer known as the "Red-Haired Son" who journeyed westward from Greenland and eventually discovered a new land named "Vendland."
However, the story adhered to the writing style of medieval epics, using extensive ink to describe the adventure's origin, the experiences in between, and the fertility and richness of the final destination. Nonetheless, it lacked many specifics.
For instance, a significant issue was that the poem dedicated one-third of its length to describing their ultimate destination, Vendland. Yet, from it, one could hardly discern where exactly Vendland was located.
Although the poem mentioned this place called Vendland, abundant with grapes suitable for winemaking and wood for constructing houses and ships, it wasn't a clear clue.
This was due to the fact that in ancient Viking poetry and legends, both wine and wood held special significance for the Vikings, sometimes even serving as symbolic elements.
For instance, the Vikings considered wine their most essential beverage, believing life to be incomplete without it. A life worth living was one that included the ability to drink wine.
Simultaneously, the Vikings required wood for crafting houses, ships, tools, utensils, and practically everything else. Wood was also crucial as fuel. Hence, wood was as essential to them as food, water, and air.
In a portion of Viking poetry, having ample wine and wood often depicted an individual's opulence or an area's abundance, much like the saying "streets paved with gold" in the Far East.
"The inscription on the stone monument is a poem about exploration," Liang En explained to the steward in front of him after reading the runic writings. "It tells the story of an explorer who set out on a westward journey by boat."
"You can understand runic script—well, since you can decipher ancient Egyptian texts, mastering a few more languages shouldn't be difficult," the steward acknowledged, clearly having been paying attention to Liang En and his recent academic achievements.
Seeing that Liang En could read the text on the photographs, the steward nodded in satisfaction. He then took out a tablet from his belongings and showed Liang En a series of photographed pages.
The content shown in the photographs was a few pages from a diary. Based on these pages, it seemed that the person writing the diary was also the one who took these pictures.
In the diary, this writer believed that Vendland truly existed, and they planned to lead an archaeological expedition from Greenland after the war's end to search for traces of what might have been the earliest European immigrants to the Americas.
"His Lordship, the Count, has a request related to these photographs." After Liang En finished looking at the pictures, the steward spoke, revealing the purpose of his commission.
"Please rest assured, this is an open-ended commission. The task at hand is for you to locate the whereabouts of the place described in this stone monument," the butler began.
Following that, the butler explained the origin of the matter. Since Liang En had previously discovered the remains of Master Dulis, the Count had dispatched his men to follow the traces left by Master Dulis and gather more information about his time in Finland.
Among these clues, the most crucial ones came from a key and a copper badge found on the remains. Following these items, they located this album and another notebook from a safe in a Finnish bank.
The album in question was the one Liang En was currently looking at, and the photographs he had seen on the tablet earlier were related records from that notebook.
Due to the Count's poor health, he wished to do something for his uncle, whom he had only met briefly when he was young, before he passed away. After reading the diary recorded in the notebook, the Count realized he could organize an expedition to prove his uncle's conjectures.
"The old master is in poor health and has no legitimate heir. Therefore, he hopes to accomplish this before his passing and leave his family's name in history," the butler vaguely explained the reason for this task.
Listening to the butler's words, Liang En felt he could understand the Count's motivation. After all, leaving a legacy behind was a common desire, as the saying goes, "A leopard cannot change its spots," and a person's reputation lives on after their death.
"I intend to take on this task, but before that, I have a few questions for you." After thinking for a few minutes, Liang En decided to accept the task. However, before doing so, he wished to gather more information about it.
"The first question is, where is the original stone monument located?"
"The original stone monument has been destroyed," the butler said with a regretful expression.
"In fact, after we found this album, we immediately set out to locate the stone monument. However, we discovered that the stone monument was originally near Viborg in Finland and has been completely lost during the war."
"Well, it would indeed be more challenging without the stone monument," Liang En sighed in resignation. To be honest, the presence of such a monument in Finland was quite reasonable.
After all, the Vikings' activities spanned the entire Nordic region, and the southern part of Finland was one of the several strongholds of Viking presence. Thus, it wasn't strange for someone to record Viking sagas from other regions.
"Upon discovering this item, we also researched information about pre-Christian Vikings in Iceland," the butler suddenly seemed to recall another piece of information.
"Although numerous changes in religion on the island destroyed many ancient records, with our efforts, we managed to find fragments from several parchment documents."
Saying that, the butler opened another folder on the tablet, containing pictures of parchment fragments that appeared darkened.
Though the text on these fragments was limited and quite scattered, this didn't hinder Liang En from piecing together their content.
Just as the butler had mentioned, the text on these parchment fragments echoed the epic on the stone monument, with slight differences in phrasing and sentence structure.
In other words, the stone monument Liang En had seen in the photographs was not an isolated instance. Multiple pieces of evidence concurrently corroborated the existence of Vendland.
This cross-verification lent authenticity to Vendland's existence, transforming it from a mere cultural symbol akin to Shangri-La, which existed solely in poetry.
"I need some time to organize the existing evidence and make a final decision," Liang En concluded with the butler, while also requesting that the butler send the previous images, including the digitized album photos, to his email.
The Count's steward had plenty on his plate, so after completing the handover of the apartment and confirming that Liang En would accept the commission, the steward returned to France by plane.
After bidding farewell to the steward at the airport, Liang En first listed the apartment with an agency for rent. Then he headed straight to Pierce's shop to collect a few items he had previously ordered, and also to consign some luxury goods with him for sale.
Upon returning from Egypt, Liang En had called Pierce to ask for help in crafting a pendant box. This silver pendant box was custom-made for the silver ring he had obtained in the United States.
Following his professional advancement, Liang En had finally gleaned some information from the ring. Unfortunately, he couldn't unlock its full potential until he obtained 10 points of Legendary Power.
Realizing this, Liang En ordered a silver necklace with a pendant box from Pierce, intending to keep the ring with him at all times. He planned to accumulate enough Legendary Power to activate the ring's power.
Initially, he had considered keeping the ring at home, much like the bronze drum from Cardzan. However, after the upgrade, he discovered that the ring's power could only be triggered when worn.
To ensure he could activate the ring's power as soon as he accumulated enough Fate Power, Liang En decided to hang the ring in a pendant box around his neck.
The reason for not wearing it on his hand was simple—since the ring was designed for women and his fingers were a bit thick, it was impractical to wear the ring on his finger.
As for the task commissioned by the Count, Liang En intended to undertake it at a later time. He believed that in another world during the 1960s, Viking settlements had been found on the northern part of Newfoundland Island.
Considering the minimal differences between this world and the previous one, coupled with the fact that the Viking colony in this world was also abandoned within a short period, Liang En estimated that there wouldn't be much disparity between the Viking settlements in this world and the previous one.
Thus, finding this colony required a trip to northern Canada. However, considering the temperature and the issue of icy coastlines, going to such high latitudes at this time wouldn't be suitable. Therefore, he decided to wait a few months until the weather warmed up a bit before visiting.
"Good afternoon, Pierce," Liang En greeted as he entered the shop. He then placed the luxury items he had brought on the counter and continued, "I've acquired some luxury items recently. Do you need any of these?"
"Luxury items? Of course, we do," Pierce replied, his expression shifting from a wry smile as he stared at the computer screen. He got up, opened the bag Liang En had placed on the counter, and started taking out the leather bags and wallets one by one.
"These are quite good, really top-notch items," Pierce commented, nodding in satisfaction as he placed the items on the table. "You've brought some highly sought-after merchandise this time. They'll sell quickly and easily."
"Then I'll leave these items to you," Liang En nodded in agreement. Then he glanced at the computer behind Pierce. "By the way, what were you looking at just now? I noticed you were shaking your head."
"It's just a record of a colleague messing up a job," Pierce said, opening the counter's partition to let Liang En in, then pointing at the screen.
"He had an agreement with a church to search for treasures on church land, and they were supposed to split the findings evenly. But after he found the treasures, he simply made off with them."
"And now, even though he fled to a place like Australia, the church still pursued him and took him to court. Most of the wealth he gained probably ended up benefiting those lawyer vampires more than anything."
"That's why there should always be limits to making money, especially when dealing with powerful collaborators," Liang En shrugged, spreading his hands. "Sadly, most people find it difficult to control their greed."
After discussing the unlucky colleague, they started talking about matters related to their business. As a seasoned antique dealer, Pierce had recently found several new opportunities.
"Since you gained fame, I've received quite a few commissions, especially after our collaboration. About 70-80% of the commissions I received specifically mention the task with Panda Expedition Studio."
Pierce said as he clicked the mouse to open his email inbox, which contained a dozen or so emails. The subject lines indicated that these emails were from different places.
"These are all invitations for you. There are a total of 17. Mostly from nobles and wealthy individuals, they want you to attend their gatherings or help them find something."
"These invitations seem quite similar." After briefly looking through these emails, Liang En lifted his head from the computer and asked, "Do you have any recommendations among these invitations?"
"I recommend this one, from the Lewis couple." Pierce walked over and pointed at an email, saying, "Their commission is relatively straightforward. They want you to inspect their residence."
"More importantly, if you agree to do it, they will pay you £3,000. And if you find something valuable, they'll pay extra. I think, as long as luck is on your side, you could make at least £5,000 or £6,000."
As Pierce described it, Liang En's interest began to grow. Finding treasure didn't always yield results; sometimes the findings wouldn't cover the costs, which was quite normal for treasure hunters like them.
Despite having the 'Golden Finger,' he could only find more wealth compared to others; it didn't guarantee he'd return empty-handed every time. After all, the 'Golden Finger' couldn't magically create items out of thin air.
For Liang En, activities like this that promised a minimum fixed income were quite appealing. At least it ensured he wouldn't come back from an adventure with nothing.
"That does sound good—by the way, do you know anything about this client?" Compared to this commission, the others, which didn't even offer a base salary and were imbued with a certain arrogance in their tone, were quite irksome.
After all, as an ordinary person, sometimes it wasn't embarrassing to kneel down to earn money. But when there was an opportunity to make money standing up and one still chose to kneel, there really weren't many adjectives besides 'submissive' that fit the situation.
However, Liang En could also understand why some billionaires might issue commissions with such arrogance. Deciphering Ancient Egyptian scripts was a niche field, and the significance of it wasn't clear to the average person.
So, for many wealthy employers, Liang En was just a celebrity among treasure hunters—reliable in this field. In such cases, they naturally wouldn't hold much respect for the treasure hunter they hoped to hire.
Especially for some nouveau riche, they were excessively confident, almost overly so about their wealth. Hence, they always believed money could solve everything, and this often made interactions with them uncomfortable.
"I have some information. From what I know, the clients are important shareholders in an internet company." Pierce pulled up an image on his phone.
"Based on publicly available information, the Lewis couple are both Americans. They recently bought a residence in Cambridge, which is why they made this request."