In the meantime, with the Serkar elders, Gulistan, Chimera, and Cat-Else by his side, Konrad stepped into the Infernal Cult's Merit Hall and walked toward the Stele that not only recorded Merit Reserves but enabled the exchange of merits for boons.
Following their sacrifice of one billion barbarian souls, the Serkars indeed used their overflowing Merit Reserves to exchange massive boons and resources, thereby filling their coffers to the brim. However, that was not the method they used to obtain Ashara's Seals. Through Berken's memories, Konrad realized that the thirteen seals were the result of a pact, and not a direct Merit Exchange.
Berken used some Merit to obtain the right to discuss with Ashara, then traded the Ancestral Records of house Serkar to obtain the thirteen seals. As for why Ashara wanted those records, though Berken himself couldn't say it with certainty, Konrad had already formed some hypotheses.
