A handful of antique gold coins in Fahal's pouch burned and became an offering to the heavens. Each coin was a treasure, preserved by the de Nuantra family for more than a century.
It had been given to Fahal so that he could demonstrate the glory of the technique to the promising youths of the family.
And demonstrate the technique he did.
I felt the entire castle tremble with his final three strikes. My eyes burned from the heat waves that reached me.
'It truly is refreshing to see this creation of mine,' I thought to myself as I ingrained the sword art into my memory. 'The Preserver's Offering. A ceremonial sword art that originally had no combat value. A sword art designed by the friend of a god.'
I would study it in the future.
"Haaah,"
Fahal breathed as his aura slowly died down. The turbulent sea of mana around him grew calm. His rank returned to its original D rank.
"Now, it's your turn," He spoke to his astonished students with a gleam in his eye.
...
After waiting for the loose crowd of guards to disperse from Fahal's demonstration, I moved away from my spot and continued deeper into the castle. Every time I noticed someone about to turn towards me, I froze in place and became one with my surroundings.
Anyone who looked in my direction would see nothing of note other than the different shrubs and bushes that decorated the garden. The path I had chosen for myself thus brought me through the garden, void of any incidents.
All was well, and I arrived before the de Nuantra castle's treasure hall.
The treasure hall was a large, church-like building within the castle. Spires pierced into the sky, and pillars rose to arched ceilings made completely out of stone and carved with abstract visages of the divine.
Tall, stained glass windows shone in the morning sun, painting a multi-coloured atmosphere within.
The de Nuantras had their own family religion, and it was based on their hoarder culture. The [ Collectors of All Things ] adhered to their main sword art with uncanny vigour.
'It's unfortunate that their god is asleep,' I chuckled to myself. The only ones responding to their prayers right now were their own ancestral spirits.
I glanced at the side of the two giant wooden doors.
There, a guard sat at the top of the stone steps leading into the treasure hall. Her eyelids were heavy and her head rocked back and forth as she fought her drowsiness with all her might. Her arms were crossed over her armoured chest, and a sword hung at her waist.
It was a lazy Saturday morning for her, it seemed. I couldn't help but sigh.
I quite missed my days of lazing about as a simple author on Earth. The privilege of peace was a wonderful reality for me back then, and it felt like such a long time had passed ever since.
'Time really flies,' I sighed again, feeling nostalgia squirm its way around my heart.
"Zzzzzz..."
As I was reminiscing, the guard conveniently fell asleep before my very eyes. I silently praised myself for creating her character, even if it was a rather brief mention.
See, the Treasure Hall, wasn't actually a hall of treasures. It was more like a hall of trash. This was where the de Nuantra family placed nearly every single item they felt was remotely valuable.
Exceptions included items like furniture—which were usually placed in the room that I had emerged from. Vehicles and other large objects were also kept somewhere else.
I remember that the de Nuantras even had a ship somewhere. There wasn't even an ocean within a few hundred kilometres. Only large lakes here and there.
Thus, the Treasure Hall wasn't a place people really visited or had their eyes on. The guard's job wasn't a stressful one at all. All she did was wait at the top of the stone steps and receive all the items that came flowing in.
She would then place the items she received in their designated regions.
'This makes things easier for me,' I gave myself a pat on the back and waltzed right into the hall.
The moment that I stepped into the colourful environment, I was greeted by a diverse set of smells that assaulted my senses.
The smell of so many different objects mingled and created a stench I hadn't explicitly stated in my book. If a library had the scent of books and paper, then this place had a myriad of fragrances, both pleasant and horrid, lingering in the air.
The chaotic scents, however, were a stark contrast to the visuals.
The guard, whose name was Thyl, was quite the unique one, after all. What I meant by 'placing in designated regions' meant sorting everything out based on their size, shape, colour, design, and aura.
Thus, the inside of the Treasure Hall was Thyl's own personal work of art.
'A recreation of Aelthrie using everyday objects...' I marvelled at the scene.
Every building and every street had its own corresponding item. As the city of Aelthrie grew, so did the diorama within the Treasure Hall. Thyl would update everything every now and then.
She would usually spend her breaks exploring the city, searching for any changes that she would have to respond to.
I sighed with admiration before walking towards the northern parts of the diorama. I swiftly found the item I was looking for and prepared to leave.
The item I had taken was supposedly an unadorned and irrelevant building in Aelthrie. Thus, the item itself was similar. It was a simple geometrical object, large enough for my hands to grip like I was holding the handle of a greatsword.
It was shaped like a long triangle. Similar to a famous chocolate brand on Earth that started with the letters T, O, and B. The one with the Matterhorn peak from the Alps as its logo.
I held it in my hand and regarded it for a moment.
It did not exude any mystical aura. Nothing about it screamed 'treasure!' nor did it hum with power.
'It isn't time for it to bloom just yet.' I thought to myself before pocketing the item.
I kept it secure as if I was carrying a raw egg. I was ginger with its handling.
'Later...' I recalled the details I gave to the item in my hand. 'When the sun sets and draws a set of mana programs using the clouds in the sky... That is when this item will bloom with all of its beauty.'
A coincidence that would occur only once in a thousand lifetimes was needed.
How grand, no?