The Second Round
"I hope you can appreciate the significance of this act," said Berholm, leading Noah through the palace corridors while carrying a stool. It was the evening after the first round of tournament fights, and a deal had to be honored.
"Yes, I appreciate and understand. You needn't worry about me."
"Between your crimes against this country and Valon's thievery, you're lucky to even be allowed in the palace."
"Yes, yes, you keep reminding me. Do you expect me to change my mind about this? To suddenly decide I'm not worthy of such a high honor? You're a man of your word, so stop acting like you're considering betraying me, unless, of course, you want me to never trust you."
Berholm grunted in response. "We're here."
They entered a corridor flanked by guards, all standing at the ready. At the end of the passage was a large metal door like the entrance to a bank vault. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of a different material from the brick and stone corridors of the castle. It was seamless and solid, resembling obsidian glass, and it strangely reflected sound and energy.
"Sir Berholm, who is this?" one guard asked.
"A fellow knight, here to examine the relics, under my supervision, of course."
"This is highly unorthodox."
"I understand, but he has received permission. Now, all of you, leave us."
The guards departed, and Berholm faced the door. An incomplete line of runes ran down the middle, with several dials on either side like safe tumblers, etched with more runes rather than numbers.
"Turn away, if you would," said Berholm. Noah obliged, or his clone did. Noah didn't want to miss the process.
Getting up on the stool, Berholm began turning the dials, each adding a rune to the sequence. It was similar to a math problem, full of variables that had to be solved. Finally, the runes lit up, and several gears and mechanics could be heard activating inside, opening the door.
"We're standing in Enochian ruins, I presume?"
"Yes, the castle was built atop it. Little remains of the original structure, but whatever great cataclysm happened here before, how fitting that a vault would survive and be left behind? Now, let's be quick about this."
The vault was split into two halves, one side lined with shelves and display cases holding numerous artifacts. The relics included gem-encrusted weapons and magic tools, vases and art pieces, numerous scrolls and books, and various other trinkets made with bizarre materials and enchanted with spells. The other side of the vault hosted a stack of gold bars, a few chests full of coins, and various gems and metals. Valon was responsible for several missing relics, but it was the tumultuous events of the past few years that resulted in this modest treasury.
"These are some of the oldest and most sacred items in the country, far too valuable to be put on display in the palace. Unfortunately, Valon left with the most important pieces."
"He did the same thing in Sylphtoria, but I created replacement pieces to rectify the theft. If you supply me with materials, I will fill these open spaces with treasures of similar value."
"I'll consider it. For now, just do what you came here to do."
Berholm was short on patience, so Noah wasted no time and went to work. He picked the most interesting relic and pulled out a deck of spell cards, laying them out as if playing a game.
"Chemical Analysis."
It was the same technique he used when he studied the Pack's technology in Welindar. A magical circle appeared, displaying a list of the elements and compounds written in runic form. Noah took out a notebook and scribbled down the key points. Just like the Pack tech, what drew his attention were the exotic materials that existed beyond the field of chemistry. All matter conducted mana in some form or fashion, but two samples of the same material could have drastically different levels depending on their origins. A wand made from an Utheric tree would pale in comparison to a wand from a Sylphtorian tree. Magical radiation or residue, whatever it could be called, clung to materials and determined how powerful they were.
He also studied the runic formulations and their syntax. Runes were the same in every country, but different cultures discovered different ways of making them interconnect. The whole time Noah worked, Berholm never looked away, not for a moment, but watching Noah fulfill his task eventually dulled the daggers shooting from his eyes. That said, any time Noah made a sudden or unpredicted move, he'd tense up, ready to jump into battle, such as when Noah paused his work to examine a small chandelier. It was adorned with various jewels of different types and colors.
"This piece here, would you consider selling it to me?"
"What are you talking about? This is the royal vault, not a shop."
"Name any price, and I'll pay it."
"Why that piece?"