Chapter 263 – Captain Duncan’s Gift
Chapter 263 – Captain Duncan’s Gift
In the large book of literature that Maurice had brought, there was only a small section that could be linked to that mysterious symbol – and that symbol was only an extremely insignificant part of this small section of information, the author of the literature did not even use a single ink to decipher this symbol and the relief patterns around it.
Duncan and Morris could only analyze the details presented in the manuscript illustrations, and tentatively concluded that the broken cross surrounded by a hexagonal outline was a religious symbol, or academic symbol, from the time of the Ancient Kingdom.
Duncan slowly closed the large book.
Judging from a rational point of view, Maurice thought that those ascetics who visited the Lost Country ship a century ago could not be descendants of the Ancient Kingdom – the possibility of a group of hermits passing down their legacy for 10,000 years in the chaotic and dangerous Deep Sea Era without being broken was almost zero, and from the perspective of rigorous academics he could not make this assumption hastily unless more evidence was found.
However, Duncan still intuitively believed that the group of ascetics back then must have been inextricably linked to the ancient kingdom of Crete, and the fact that they held that mysterious emblem and attached great importance to it meant that they were aware of what the significance of that emblem was.
Of course, assumptions are assumptions, without evidence, everything is empty talk, at this stage, unless that group of ascetics back then appeared in front of Duncan again, otherwise no one can figure out their origins.
“…… How many other Cretan ruins have been found and are well preserved in the world now?” Duncan asked, suddenly looking up.
“There are very, very few ruins that have been found, you can count them on one hand, and as for the better preserved ones …… that depends on what the criteria for that ‘better’ is,” Morris said. “For those who study the ancient kingdoms, it would be considered better preserved to find a large pit identified as being related to Crete, a dozen or so meters of wall bricks joined together, or even just a couple of stone doors that have fallen to the ground.”
Speaking of this, the old scholar couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh, “Under normal circumstances, it’s unlikely that any of the ruins left within the city-state’s dominion would be preserved, we’d leave them with as much textual and graphic information as possible, record every ounce of their detailed descriptions as much as we could, and then collect the relics that could be analyzed in a research facility, and finally …… the remains themselves will be bulldozed, filled in, and made part of the city.”
Duncan thought for a moment and muttered to himself, “A foothold is as valuable as gold.”
Maurice nodded, “We study history, we preserve it, we try to remember that which passes as the years pass, but we must not allow the past to squeeze out of existence.
“It has been nearly two thousand years since the New City-State calendar, and in the days when explorers were at their most active, there were still new islands discovered from time to time, uncharted wildernesses and ancient ruins that came into our view, but in the last century or two such ‘discoveries’ have been on the verge of extinction.
“The ‘new islands’ that were there gradually became city-states after city-states, and there is only so much land on the infinite sea on which to base oneself, and those ruins that are barely left …… are either on isolated islands where the environment is treacherous and unviable, or are themselves shrouded by transcendent power, or located on the edge of dangerous visions, so much so that even the Church of the Four Gods can only probe them a bit before sealing them on the charts.”
Duncan was silent for a long time, but still focused on the symbol and the original documents behind it, “You just said that your friends in the academic world could find more information related to this symbol?”
“I know a friend in Lunsar who specializes in the history of the ancient kingdoms, he used to be a fellow student of mine when I was furthering my studies at the Academy of Truth,” Maurice nodded, pointing his finger at the large book on the table, “This is the book that he gave to me all those years ago, and I remember that at that time, he also mentioned something about the related documents. I have written, but I don’t know when I will receive a response.”
Duncan exhaled, “Be patient, it all comes with the territory.”
He then discussed many more things with Maurice about the ancient kingdom of Crete – about the sporadic discoveries, the nebulous and eccentric legends, the ancient scrolls of documents that were so mixed in their truth and falsehood that one could not even tell if they were reality or myth.
After a good conversation, it was time for Maurice to take his leave.
“I promised my wife to come home for lunch when I was leaving,” the old scholar had a smile on his face, “I’m afraid that if I go back too late, I’ll be counted down for half a day by my wife and daughter together.”
Duncan couldn’t help but smile as well, “I see you’re enjoying yourself.”
Maurice nodded cheerfully, put on his hat, and tucked the large book under his arm, and went downstairs with Duncan.
Nina was counting a few bills behind the counter, Alice was curiously watching from the side, and Shirley had disappeared at some point, probably running out to play.
When Duncan walked down the stairs, Nina was patiently teaching Alice, who lacked common sense, about the knowledge of currency: “Look at you, this one with a golden corner mark is the sola, here is the face value …… These coins are ‘pesos’ , the numbers on the front are the face value …… can’t bite, it’s dirty!”
“Looks like business is okay today?” Duncan glanced at the money in Nina’s hand and raised his eyebrows slightly, “Not usually this much.”
“Yeah, I don’t know why, business is good today,” Nina happily raised the bills in her hand with Duncan, “Seems like it has something to do with Alice?”
Duncan froze at that, “Something to do with Alice?” “One of the old ladies said that when she left earlier,” Nina said with a smile, “She said that the store had an extra clerk like Missy, and that it looked like the pile of stuff on the shelves was real …… “
Duncan: “……?”
He looks silently at Alice, who looks at him in confusion.
Miss Mannequin, however, had no idea what was going on – she was still trying to memorize what the bills looked like, as well as learning how to count them.
“I can’t believe Alice still serves this purpose here,” Duncan sighed thoughtfully after a long time, before turning abruptly to Maurice, “Do you want to take something with you on the way back?”
“Huh?” Maurice was a little surprised, “That …… wasn’t my plan when I went out ……”
“No charge, it’s a token of my appreciation for your efforts in looking up the literature,” Duncan smiled, stepping over to the counter and reaching down to take a crystal pendant off the shelf – exactly the same as the one he had given to Maurice earlier as a ‘gift’. “I remember you mentioning that your daughter’s pendant was damaged, so this is for you.”
Maurice looked at the pendant in Duncan’s hand and saw the magnificent crystal representing modern industry gently swaying in mid-air with streams of light reflecting off its surface, the first thing that came to mind was the unbelievable experiences that Heidi had mentioned to herself after her return:
The experience of remaining awake while the city-state was falling apart, witnessing the division of two histories with the annihilation of one of them, and the blessing from the amulet.
It was only then that he reacted with hindsight to the fact that Captain Duncan had sent his goodwill so early on.
The dagger, worth three thousand four hundred solas, had been but a paltry gift, and the true treasure had narrowly escaped being dusted before his eyes.
“May this talisman continue to bring good fortune to Miss Heidi,” Duncan said with a smile, “Take it, you deserve it.”
Maurice solemnly reached for the crystal pendant and expressed his thanks, but Duncan seemed to remember something else and thoughtfully chimed in, “If you were to go back with just this pendant, you’d surely be read to again by your daughter, and this time by your wife. You wait, I’ll find you another real one, so you can go back to your wife and kids.”
Morris heard immediately waved his hands, “No need no need, you don’t have to be so for me ……”
However, Duncan at this time has already turned to go to the counter next to the miscellaneous pile of rummage up, while rummaging while not raising his head to read: “Do not need to say more, all understand …… ah, found it.”
While saying that, while holding the “real thing” he found back to the counter, “bang” sound put the thing on the countertop.
The sudden movement made the Alice beside him feel a jolt, and hurriedly reached out to hold her head.
Maurice watched in disbelief as Duncan got the thing on the counter.
“This is ……,” the old man said, a little confused.
“Antiques,” Duncan looked at the old man in front of him with a serious look, “I don’t have a lot of real stuff in this store, but this one is definitely authentic.”
“Looks like a cannonball?”
“Yes, from the Lost Country, in very good condition, you could find a front loading smoothbore gun of the right caliber and even shoot it,” Duncan patted the large iron ball on the counter pleasantly, “What’s more the shell still has the full steel stamp of the shell foundry and the personal mark of the foundryman, seriously, it’s even more rare than the last time that dagger was even rarer – it’s yours.”
Maurice looked at the shell and then at Duncan, his face became more and more odd, for a moment he didn’t know which would raise his wife’s and daughter’s blood pressure more easily, holding a shell or holding a glass pendant, but in the face of the enthusiastic smile on Mr. Duncan’s face, he finally swallowed all the words back down, and frankly accepted this… … “gift”.
“Thank you very …… much for your kind words.”
(End of chapter)