Chapter 59: Chapter 59: More Treasures

“Thank you, thank you, children. You have returned my cow to me. I’m very glad.”

The old woman, Martha, expressed her gratitude with tears in her eyes.

A man, known to be the rape victim’s father, cried tears of vengeance.

“You have made her soul happy, young sir. Those bandits deserved their death.”

“Thank you for returning our gold to us, Masters.”

“We’ll eternally be grateful for your judgment.”

One by one, the villagers who had suffered at the bandits’ hands expressed their utmost respect and gratitude.

Mariana showed smiles to the villagers, while Adonis looked at them indifferently.

To be honest, he didn’t feel quite suited to the atmosphere.

Their thanks, their tears, their gratitude felt hollow.

Maybe he wasn’t kind. That’s why it felt like that.

He had always been like this. Never caring about anyone’s opinions or feelings.

Even in his past life, he smiled perfunctorily with everyone, whether colleagues, friends, or relatives.

Work had always been his life.

Even now, it remained the same.

Today was no different. He had done a job. A job well done, that’s all.

The village chief of Flocky Village came forward, presenting a pendant of emerald green colour.

“I have something for you, children, ” she said, showing the pendant to Adonis.

“I found this inside a cave when I was young, back when my legs still carried me far. It was glowing like a star in the dark. I took it, thinking it might bring luck to our village. But all these years, I could never uncover its mysteries. It just sat there, waiting for someone.”

She then pressed the pendant into Adonis’s palm.

“I’m too old for secrets now. Maybe you, someone young, strong, touched by world force, can finally reveal what it hides. Keep it for yourself, child. Consider it our deepest thanks.”

Adonis looked down at the pendant. The emerald stone at its center pulsed faintly, almost alive.

A system prompt appeared in his vision:

[ Spatial Pendant Detected (Bound) ]

[ Sealed Artifact – Requires blood binding to unseal ]

Vexa’s voice chimed immediately in his mind, bright with curiosity.

<Master, this is no ordinary trinket. The seal is old. royal-grade at minimum. Should I unseal it for you?>

Adonis closed his fingers around the pendant.

“Do it.”

Immediately after his approval, a tiny prick his fingertip broke skin without him even feeling pain.

From ir, a single blood drop came up and touched the emerald stone.

The stone drank the blood drop instantly.

And then, the pendant glowed bright green.

It was so bright that the entire village square felt bathed by its radiance.

Villagers gasped and shielded their eyes.

When the glow faded, the pendant now hung open like a locket, revealing a small spatial pocket inside.

Adonis looked in and saw: Hunndreds of Ether Cores, ranging from grade F to shimmering violet of S-grade, floating in perfect order.

Beside them: neatly bound scrolls.

[ Starfall Judgment ] [ Flower Queen Style ] [ Space Sealing Style ]

All of Royal Sword Arts.

These techniques only taught within the highest noble houses and the royal family itself.

And at the very center, suspended in a halo of golden light—

The Crown of King Bahamut.

[ Grade: SS ]

[ Condition: 30% damaged ]

[ Effects: All stats buff by 100% for 5 minute ]

It was Ancient. Majestic.

A circlet of black orichalcum studded with dragon-scale fragments and a single massive ruby that beated like a heart.

An aura like no other radiated from it.

Mariana leaned over his shoulder, eyes widened when she recognised it.

She quietly whispered to his ears,

“Adonis… that’s… the Crown of Bahamut. The legendary regalia of our founder, King Bahamut. It’s been lost for centuries. You can use it to negotiate our marriage with my father.”

Adonis nodded, but didn’t say nothing on thay matter.

He closed the pendant gently, then looked at old woman.

“Everything here is too valuable. Are you sure you want to give this to me”.

The old woman nodded slowly.

“Yes. I have no regrets. It has no value to me, child.”

Adonis didn’t bother with courtesy.

But since she had gifted him, he will gladly take it.

But of course, he quietly made a vow to repay her family in near future.

He slipped the pendant around his neck.

Adonis turned to Mariana.

“We need to leave, Maria. The Academy won’t wait forever, and neither will the Dragon Kingdom.”

Mariana nodded, her eyes still on the pendant.

“You’re right, darling. I almost forgot about them. But I think we need to go that mountain once more…”

He understood what she meant by that.

Since they now had a spatial artifact, they didn’t need to hide those golds in that cave.

They bid farewell to the villagers, then headed to the volcanic mountain again.

The air now smelled of iron and decay. The dead pile of dead bodies already started to rot.

Ignoring the grueling sight, they went inside, quickly stored the gold inside the spatial pocket, also noting there were about 70,000 gold coins in total.

Mariana refused her share, saying since she was going to be his, there was no need for the wealth.

Although, she had a lot of gold to splurge on.

Adonis decided to give her some Ether Cores later.

For now, they departed for the Royal Academy.

Once they reached there, they wouldn’t be just freshmen anymore.

They would be something else.

The journey back was on foot, and it took them several hours just to find a caravan on the road.

The caravan rolled forward to sent them to the Capital City quickly.

Seated atop the wooden carriage, he leaned slightly against the side, he enjoyed the passing scenery.

Fields stretched endlessly on both sides, painted in soft shades of green and gold. Farmers worked under the fading sun, their silhouettes moving slowly like part of the land itself. Occasionally, a gust of wind would sweep across the plains, causing waves to ripple through the crops like a living ocean.

The road curved through small clusters of trees, their leaves whispering as the caravan passed.

He rested his chin lightly on his hand, watching as the sky gradually changed colors. Orange melted into crimson, and crimson into a deepening violet.

It was quiet. Peaceful. Strangely so.

He didn’t realize when was the last time he had allowed himself to simply observe the world without calculating, without thinking ahead.

Even Mariana remained silent beside him, letting the moment breathe.

They reached the inside city by evening,

And the Academy by night.

However, this time Mariana was not disguised as Monster Minos.

Instead, she entered as Princess Mariana, the figure of desire for countless young men and envy for noble women.

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