'I would much rather be the one inflicting pain than the one suffering it,' Alex thought with a resolute expression.
"I also don't like war," Freya sighed, "I would rather have my daughter grow up in a world devoid of war, but I'm not naive to think it's possible to achieve true peace. As long as people have different goals and wishes, war will always exist. The least we can do is try to protect ourselves from it and its consequences. And if we can profit from it, even just a little, as cruel as it sounds... I'm not against that."
"Mm, you're right," Alex nodded, agreeing with her perspective.
"Let's set this topic aside for now," Freya said, shifting the conversation. "Tell me, do you have any ideas on how to palliate the problem with the Tears of Knowledge?"
"The problem with the Tears of Knowledge?" Alex raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
As he mulled over her words, a light of understanding flashed in his eyes. "Are you referring to the fact that it's impossible to fully unleash the treasure's potential by using ordinary books?" he asked.
"Exactly," Freya nodded, pleased that he understood. "Unless someone has a method of absorbing knowledge without having to physically read it, it's practically impossible to bring out the Tears of Knowledge's true potential. Flipping through pages and searching for specific knowledge is a time-consuming process. Time that could be better spent actually learning. That's actually the reason why the tear of knowledge is deemed as a B- grade treasure and not B or B+."
Alex considered her words and then sighed. "Well, I suppose we don't have many options then, unless we find a way to directly insert knowledge into someone's head," he mused, shaking his head at the difficulty of the situation.
Freya's lips curled into a smile and she replied, "As a matter of fact, I can help you with that."
"Really?" Alex asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
"Yes," Freya confirmed. "If you recall, I mentioned earlier that the elders created a special library for Maya, right?"
Alex nodded, intrigued, encouraging her to go on.
"Well, the 'books' in that library function exactly the way you're describing," Freya explained. "They don't require the reader to physically go through each page. Instead, the knowledge is directly imprinted into the reader's mind. The elders knew that Maya's unique ability to never forget anything would make a regular library inefficient for her. That's why they created something more fitting."
'That makes sense,' Alex thought to himself. 'Now that I think about it, Maya's ability is very similar to the Tears of Knowledge.'
However, Alex quickly realized the distinction between Maya's ability and the Tears of Knowledge. While someone who consumed the Tears of Knowledge could acquire an immense amount of information all at once, Maya's ability didn't allow her to instantly absorb knowledge on such a scale. Her strength lay in her flawless memory retention, but she still had to learn things gradually. Overloading herself with too much knowledge at once would mentally exhaust her.
On the other hand, Maya had the advantage of having her ability active continuously, for her entire life. Those who consumed the Tears of Knowledge could only benefit from it for a limited time.
"Aside from Maya and the elders, very few people, even within the Drazen family, are allowed to step foot inside that library," Freya continued. "But I can convince the elders to make an exception for you."
She smiled confidently, as if the matter was already settled.
"Thanks, Lady Freya. I'll owe you one if you do that," Alex nodded gratefully. "But I need to clear something up: I won't be the one using the Tears of Knowledge."
"Oh?" Freya raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Who will, then?"
"My sister," Alex replied.
He had no real use for the Tears of Knowledge himself. After his mind had been enhanced by the black heart, he possessed something akin to a photographic memory. Reading through books posed no challenge for him, and he could retain vast amounts of information without much effort.
The real reason he sought the Tears of Knowledge was for Amelia. He wanted her to use them to deepen her understanding of human biology and medicine. If she could do that, her "Cell Master" ability would improve dramatically, enabling her to achieve things she couldn't before.
Giving Amelia the Tears of Knowledge wouldn't benefit only her, either. If her control over her abilities increased, she might finally be able to solve Alex's mana problems by transforming his heart into a sort of mana reservoir, effectively solving his biggest limitation.
"Hmm, I see," Freya nodded in understanding. "I already owe Lady Amelia for healing Maya's sight, so I'd be happy to help her in return," she added with a warm smile.
"I'm glad to hear that," Alex smiled, the sincerity of his expression making Freya's heart skip a beat.
They continued their conversation for a few more minutes, before the carriage finally came to a stop.
As Alex's swirling mask of smoke slipped back into place, he opened the carriage door and stepped outside.
The moment he set foot on the ground, he was hit by a barrage of loud sounds—shouts, conversations, and the general hum of a bustling crowd.
During their journey here, Freya had shared with him that the carriage had been enchanted with a sound-cancelling barrier by a witch, designed to prevent anyone outside from eavesdropping on the conversation inside. Paradoxically, it also blocked most external noise from reaching them, which was why the sudden clamor now seemed almost overwhelming after the quiet ride.
When Alex's eyes adjusted to his surroundings, he was taken aback by the sight of a large crowd gathered around. The sheer number of people was astonishing, far more than he had ever seen in the city since his arrival. The streets were packed, with people shoulder to shoulder, filling every available space.
All around him, several raised platforms had been erected. From atop these platforms, auctioneers bellowed and shouted, their voices rising above the din as they beckoned potential buyers. Each platform featured different items up for auction, and the atmosphere was filled with anticipation and excitement as bidders competed to outbid each other, their voices mingling with the auctioneer's rhythmic calls.
"There are a lot of people here, huh?" Freya remarked, her eyes scanning the bustling marketplace.
"Yes," Alex replied absentmindedly as he extended a hand to help Freya down from the carriage, his gaze still surveying the crowd.
"This place is known as the Auction Market," Freya explained, gesturing toward the sprawling scene before them.
"I thought the Drazen family auction was supposed to take place the day after tomorrow?" Alex inquired.
"That's correct. Our auction hasn't started yet," Freya confirmed. "You see, due to the fame of our family's annual auction, many people approach us throughout the year, hoping to have their items included on our list of treasures. However, we only accept the very best. Most of those who come to us leave disappointed, with their items rejected."
"Instead of simply leaving, though," she continued, "many of these individuals rent stalls and spaces around the auction house to display their goods as the time for our annual auction approaches. Since we only deal in the finest treasures, most people can't afford what we offer at the official auction. As a result, a great number of people come here not for the actual Drazen family auction but for this auction market."
"I understand," Alex nodded as he glanced at a couple of raised platforms where auctioneers were presenting various items.
"I may have said that we only accept the best of treasures, but that doesn't mean the items auctioned here in this market are inferior," Freya added thoughtfully. "In fact, I personally think many of the things sold here are quite remarkable. It's just that they don't meet our family's strict criteria. If you're looking for unique treasures or rare items, I suggest you explore more of the market. You might stumble upon something truly special," she said with a slight smile.
Alex was about to respond when he heard the distinct sound of footsteps approaching. Turning in the direction of the noise, he saw a group of about a dozen people heading toward them. Most of them were armored men bearing the Drazen family insignia on their chests and shoulders. Their movements were disciplined, and they radiated an air of authority.
Leading the group was a striking woman with fiery orange hair and eyes that seemed to flicker like flames. Despite the biting cold, she wore a light dress that clung to her figure, revealing a generous portion of her chest. The only protection she had against the weather was the orange fur scarf draped elegantly over her shoulders.
This woman was none other than Frieda, the one who had earlier refused to allow Alex and Amelia to enter Drisidd without first removing their masks. A few moments later, she and the soldiers stopped a few feet away from Alex and Freya.
"You're late, Freya," Frieda remarked coolly. "The elders have been waiting for you for quite some time."
Freya barely acknowledged the comment before turning to Alex. "I'll be going to meet the elders now. In the meantime, feel free to wait here or take a tour around the auction market. I won't be long," she said with a reassuring nod.
"That's for the elders to decide, whether you'll be long or not," Frieda interjected.
Freya glanced briefly at Frieda before turning back to Alex with a smile. "I won't be long."