"What? He said two million?"
"Damn it! How much money does he have?"
"Maybe he's cheating?"
Everyone was shocked by Ern's statement. Two million was a large sum even for those on the fringe of the Third Chronicle.
'What? Didn't he only have a million four hundred thousand? Is Ern cheating, or has he cheated us?' Wain wondered. Even with the five hundred thousand received for the sword, Ern didn't have enough money since he still spent some on the map.
"Two million, sold!" Artur stated, and his assistant brought the scythe to Ern.
"Here are your weapons." The aide said.
"Of course." Ern took the scythe, and the ring on his finger glowed. Two fingernail-sized crystals appeared in his hand, the equivalent of two million Void Souls.
"Great, the final lot exceeded even my wildest expectations." Artur stated, "In that case, the auction is over, and I have an important message for you."
"After the Merger of Worlds here, a passageway to the Spirit Temple portion has opened up. The Spirits and Demons in the city of Nord, will work together, that is all." Artur left the stage, and part of the Spirits instantly disappeared.
"Ern, I wonder if you ever tell the truth." Wain asked.
"Huh, I don't really like to brag about my wealth, and in fact, it was costly even for me." Ern shrugged.
"What were those crystals?"
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"They're an improved version of Void Coins, each crystal is equivalent to one million Void Souls." Ern looked at the scythe, "It was expensive, but it's the best gift I've ever made."
"A gift?" Erza wondered.
"Yes, Alice, this scythe is yours now." Ern handed the weapon to Alice.
"What...? Are you sure? That scythe is worth an incredible amount... you've already bought a lot for me."
"Don't worry. It's an investment." Ern smiled.
"Hmm? What's the point of that? She is in the Primary Chronicle, and this Third Chronicle scythe, she won't be able to use it. The energy would either not flow or she would be torn apart."
"Yes, that would be a problem, but I know how to fix it." Ern smiled, and his ring glowed. A metal gauntlets with unusual engraving appeared in his hands.
"What is it?" Wain asked.
"These are special gloves that will contain the energy flows so that Alice can use this scythe even while in Primary Chronicle. However, they're not ready, I made them, but I need Runecrafter's help."
"Runecrafter? Who's that?"
"They create and customize runes that enhance equipment or give it unique properties. The problem is that not all gear can be runecraftered, only special ones like these gloves I created specifically for it. I have an acquaintance, so that won't be a problem."
"Sounds like a pretty rare profession."
"Yeah, there are even fewer of them than blacksmiths and alchemists, okay, we should get out of here." Ern took Alice's hand and stood up.
"Where shall we go?" Erza mouthed.
"To my house. We need to explore the map."
The hall quickly emptied, and only the seven Master Spirits remained. They were pondering something.
"This girl, she has the blood of the Ancient Queen, but why does my gut tell me that the guy she's in love with is even more unique than she is?" Blue-Eyed Spirit muttered.
"White-Eyed, you fought him, and they were tested in your portal. Did you sense something?"
"Yes... Something... strange majestic energy, but also incomplete and very ancient. I don't know how to explain it."
...
"And your house isn't bad." Erza looked at the massive building on the edge of town.
"Nothing remarkable." Ern shrugged, "Let's go into the hall. We'll discuss everything there."
Ern opened the doors, and they went inside.
Although Ern was very wealthy, the interior looked ordinary, and the house was even a little empty. Dust covered all the furniture, and even there were webs on the ceiling.
"You have so much money, and you can't hire a maid?" Erza frowned. She didn't understand how anyone could live in such a mess.
"Hmm? Why would I need a maid? I don't like strangers walking around my house, and I'm fine with it. If that's the way you want it, you can clean the place, I'll even pay you."
"Fuck off!" Erza said angrily.
"Don't make any noise." Ern waved his hand and collapsed on the couch. A cloud of dust rose, and Alice started coughing.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"This place definitely needs to be cleaned up..." Alice covered her mouth with the palm of her hand.
"Do you want to do it?"
"I don't mind... It's the least I can do to thank you..."
"Okay, that's enough. Get the map out." Wain said and sat down in the wooden chair.
"Sure." Ern nodded, and a piece of paper appeared in his hands.
He put it on the table, and Wain and Erza touched the map.
"Alice, come along with us."
"Okay..." Alice nodded.
"Let's go."
They poured some energy into it, and the card glowed blue. Four energy streams burst out of the map and rushed to their eyes.
"What's going on...?!" Alice said anxiously.
"Don't worry, it's okay, the main thing is to keep your hand."
Whooooooosh.
The currents intensified, and many images appeared in their minds. It was a ruined city covered in flames, then they saw a forest covered in mist with bright flames burning behind it and then ruins.
"Is it just me, or was this map not supposed to be worth that much? How can we even figure out where it is? Heck, we only have three images, two of which are almost completely covered in fog!" Wain was not happy with the result. Finding the Forgotten Forest was critical to him, but the only clue yielded no results.
"Well... It's not what I expected, but I have informants and scouts I know, I'm sure if we wait for a little while, we'll find somewhere." Ern suggested.
"What if this town is at the edge of the world? Do we have to wait months then?!" Erza shouted.
"Wait..." Alice muttered, "I think I know where it is..."