In the morning, after treating Tristan, and visiting Teacher Hene’s laboratory at noon, Yuric often headed to the library.
His steps were aimless as he was intoxicated by the thick scent of books from the overwhelming number of volumes. Lately, his hobby had become randomly picking up any book that caught his eye and reading it.
As a result, he had come across books on all sorts of topics.
Books like “The Lifestyle of Modern Nobles,” or “The Truth Behind the Ghost Princess,” or even “The Cursed Cities.”
One day, while mindlessly engrossed in reading a randomly picked book, someone rushed to find him. It was an employee working in the Mage Tower’s administrative department.
“Mr. Yuric, I found you here. Quickly, follow me!”
“What’s the matter?”
“The elders are looking for you!”
Yuric hurriedly closed the book and stood up, thinking there must be some urgent matter. Rushing to Elder Diocles’ office, he was surprised to find an unexpected person there.
“Oh, Teacher. Long time no see.”
Golden Hand Niruin got up from where he was having tea with the elders and greeted Yuric upon his arrival.
“Oh, Your Grace Schlippen! How have you been?”
Golden Hand Niruin warmly shook hands with Yuric as if meeting a close friend. The elders looked curiously at the two, clearly intrigued by their relationship, which seemed more than casual.
“How have you been?”
“Yes, I’ve been well.”
“I heard you’re treating the former Mage Tower Master. Ha ha. Mr. Yuric, you’re truly remarkable.”
Yuric modestly waved his hand, denying the praise. Golden Hand Niruin smiled contentedly before excusing himself to return to the elders. They politely bid him farewell.
The two walked side by side down the corridor towards the elevator.
“I heard you’re going to publicly release the Mana Blockage Disease treatment method.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“May I ask why you chose to do so?”
“Everything I have achieved stems from the contributions of my ancestors. I believe it should be shared with everyone.”
Golden Hand Niruin nodded slightly with a mysterious smile, as if confirming his intuition was correct.
Indeed, this young man was becoming increasingly charming.
They took the elevator down and left the Mage Tower. Instead of boarding the carriage at the station, they headed to the underground area. Two of Golden Hand Niruin’s trusted followers closely followed them.
“Are we certain the clue is here?”
“Yes, I found it by chance.”
“Heh heh, what a curious turn of events. It feels as though the treasure is calling out to you, Teacher.”
After walking through the underground market street for a while, they arrived at a statue shaped like a finger. Yuric pointed to the ground and suggested lying down. Niruin willingly lay down on the ground with childlike curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
Yuric shone a light behind the statue. The shadow cast by the statue merged with the pattern on the ceiling, forming the map of the treasure. Yuric lay beside Niruin and pointed to the ceiling.
“Do you see that?”
“Oh, yes, I see it! … Truly remarkable. How did you find this, Teacher? Even considering lying on the ground like this.”
“Haha, it was just luck. Would you like to lie down and look too?”
His two trusted followers declined, but Niruin urged them to try. In the end, they all lay on the ground to look at the ceiling.
It was amusing to see four adults lying on the ground, and passersby glanced at them curiously.
“Thanks to the Treasure Mage and Teacher, we get such unique experiences!”
Niruin chuckled heartily, amused by the spectacle.
Having confirmed the clue, they left the underground area and boarded the carriage waiting at the station.
The carriage headed to Niruin’s mansion, built on land he had obtained by donating a large sum to the Mage Tower long ago.
Even now, a considerable amount of money still flowed into the Mage Tower under Niruin’s name, supporting his ongoing research.
Niruin’s mansion wasn’t as grand as his main residence, but it was impressive enough for anyone to recognize it instantly. Yuric had visited it several times.
As they stepped out of the carriage, someone greeted them politely. It was Niruin’s grandson, Relodian, who had accompanied Niruin from the main residence.
However, he didn’t enter the guest room with them. Only Niruin, his two trusted followers, and Yuric could enter that room.
Standing around a table with a map spread out, Niruin spoke first.
“We have found two of the patterns now.”
One was in the magic-specialized city of Bemberg, and the other in the Mage Tower city of Ronadium.
Nero, one of Niruin’s trusted followers and personal mage, addressed Yuric.
“Both cities are known for being magic cities. So, the last one must also be related to them, right?”
Yuric agreed.
“I think so too. If the last city is also a magic city, it would be the western city of Eulmas.”
Eulmas, a western city where the Holy Magic Order has its base, is one of the three major magical groups on the continent.
Yuric drew a triangle connecting the three points on the map.
“If the last pattern is in Eulmas, then the treasure might be within this triangle. It could be hidden in the city, a dungeon, or some special location. However, I don’t know the exact location yet. I can only make educated guesses based on these three patterns.”
Yuric pointed to three patterns surrounding a partially closed eye in the map of Durale’s treasure map.
“At first, I thought the partially closed eye in the center represented sunset. But the clue found in Ronadium suggests it’s a place where the sun never shines. Strictly speaking, whether it’s day or night, there should be no shadows here.”
“Then the eye might have another meaning.”
“Yes, we need another interpretation. It could be a clue about the location of the treasure.”
Triangle. Sun. Partially closed eye.
“Of course, we need to confirm if the last pattern is really in Eulmas. Otherwise, we might completely miss the location.”
“You’re right, Teacher.”
Indeed, Niruin had made significant efforts to find the pattern clues. He had sent numerous treasure hunters and experts to many cities, offering substantial rewards, but none of them found the pattern, not even something similar.
Even months ago, he had dispatched experts to Ronadium, instructing them to search meticulously, paying hundreds of gold coins each month. Yet, nobody paid attention to the insignificant statue in the underground streets. Finding the clue required a combination of sharp intuition, observation, and understanding.
“Yuric, Teacher, you’ve endured much hardship.”
Certainly, Niruin didn’t want to part ways with Yuric, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time. He invited Yuric to the reception room to chat.
Unlike the cold and selfish evaluations of Tristan and others, Niruin felt like a kind grandfather. Yuric recounted his experiences since arriving in Ronadium to Niruin, who listened intently with a smile.
Niruin realized why he was so drawn to this young man while spending time with him.
At this moment, he felt a sense of mental peace and comfort, something money couldn’t buy.
“Are you comfortable living here? If you ever need a place, consider this your home. Treat it like your own residence.”
“No, I’m fine. I have a long-term accommodation. I’m comfortable there.”
“Still, I want to repay you somehow…”
This person had come seeking clues to the treasure, and without expecting anything in return!
Frankly, Yuric was beyond Niruin’s comprehension. This made him even more intrigued.
“Would you be able to help those suffering from Mana Blockage Disease? There aren’t many, but if you could support them with materials, it would be great.”
“Alright, I’ll do it.”
However, Niruin felt that merely providing material support was insufficient.
He donated a substantial sum to the Mage Tower, in both his and Yuric’s names, ensuring that anyone suffering from Mana Blockage Disease would receive free treatment.
Naturally, the Elders showered him with praise. Such social funds were rare.
When the Elders proposed making a statue in honor of Niruin, he refused.
“It’s all thanks to Yuric, Teacher.”
The mages never imagined Niruin would donate such a large sum. Known for his ruthless disregard for unprofitable ventures!
Many suspected some sort of deal between Niruin and Yuric… and in a way, they weren’t entirely wrong.
Thanks to Niruin’s efforts, mages suffering from Mana Blockage Disease came to his mansion to express their gratitude.
“Thank you, Your Grace. We will never forget this kindness.”
Niruin felt a strange emotion in response to their heartfelt gratitude.
Their words were sincere, not mere flattery.
It was genuine gratitude towards humanity.
After the mages left, Niruin gazed out the window with a wistful look.
“Nero.”
“Yes, Your Grace?”
“In life… there are things more important than money.”
Magic mage Nero smiled faintly.
“Is that so?”
