"Your Highness," Elder Argo said.
She nodded. "It's been a while. Has your journey been difficult? I heard that your airship can't fly anymore."
"Nothing we can't manage. About the purpose of your visit… I take it that you have something interesting for us?" The bird seemed to smile, or whatever a bird could do.
"We do, but I'm curious how you knew."
"It wasn't a lucky guess," he chuckled. "I can sense the dense World Energy coming from the object your friend is holding. Although I haven't seen it yet, I would dare say it's a Noble Grade treasure."
Elizabeth then realized the strange presence she sensed from the rock earlier was probably due to World Energy. She explained, "We found something similar to the description of the Nebulous Star Root, except we're unsure. I would like your appraisal of it."
"Heh. Nebulous Star Root? She must be joking!" Elder Crus sneered. Since she was speaking in her native tongue, she did not bother to whisper.
"Nebulous Star Root is special, even amongst Noble Grade treasures, because it can't be refined. It can only be found in nature. That makes its market value several times higher than a normal Intermediate Noble Grade treasure. I find it hard to believe there is one in the human world." Elder Unvo, the sect's treasure expert, was right to be dismissive.
"Even with our sect's long history, we've only found two Nebulous Star Roots. It would be a miracle to find one here," Elder Ludin sighed.
"Alright, quiet down. Let's not be rude," Elder Terus chastised with a chuckle. Evidently, he thought Elizabeth was making a fool of herself too.
Elder Argo gave them a sideways glance. Speaking in the human tongue, he asked, "Can we see it then?"
Shirley pulled the rock from her bag and unveiled it to everyone. Elder Crus and Unvo had snappy remarks ready, when they abruptly froze. Everyone did. Shock and disbelief flashed through their eyes! They could not believe it!
"This…" Elder Argo stammered. "This is…"
"Is it not" a Nebulous Star Root?" Elizabeth looked at them weirdly.
"No, this is a-"
"Nebulous Star Core!" Elder Unvo sucked in a cold breath. "Black and white intertwined in a ten-pointed star! The color purity, the perfectly formed structure, and the crisp metallic sound! I'm sure of it! It must be a Nebulous Star Core!"
"But how did they find one?" Elder Crus was full of questions. "A star core is far rarer than a normal star root. I don't even know the last time one's been on the market."
"I remember. It was sold at the Luminous Central Origin's auction three hundred years ago!" Elder Terus stated angrily.
"The Luminous Central Origin…" Everyone's killing intent flared. They did not forget the people who nearly destroyed their sect two years ago. They would take revenge one day!
Despite their chattering, Elizabeth could not understand a word they were saying. She was getting annoyed. "So, what is this rock then?"
Elder Argo laughed awkwardly. "Sorry about that. As I was saying, this is a Nebulous Star Core. Although it belongs to the same category of 'Nebulous Star' treasures, a core is the highest and purest form. We can't use it to repair our ship, nor should we. It can be used in better ways."
"Such as… what?"
"We could use it to craft equipment like weapons or armors, but it would be a waste. It would be more useful as the main material of a Noble Grade artifact, or a supplementary material for a Monarch Grade artifact. For example, our Featherwind Pearl, a Lesser Monarch Grade artifact, required fifteen Superior Noble Grade treasures as supplementary materials to create. However, the benefits are more than worth it."
"There's no guarantee we can find more materials like this. We should find a use for it now."
"Wait! Let's not be hasty!"
"You are Elder Unvo?" Elizabeth looked at the panicking magpie bird.
"I am, but that isn't important. What's important is… where did you find this?"
Elizabeth was quick on the uptake. "I will ask for more details later."
He smiled. "Where there is smoke, there must be fire. There might be more treasures waiting to be discovered!"
During this time, Freon stepped out of a carriage, and looked up at the colossal Asaparagon Tree, where a golden dragon-shaped building curled around the trunk. This was the Celestial Court, the very heart of the capital and the Zino Kingdom. This was where the Conquestian, the Three Sages, and the Celestial Council acted from. More recently, it was also where Elizabeth, as the newest Royal Ambassador, worked from. However, despite its flamboyant and luxurious appearance, it did not appeal to Freon at all. In his eyes, it was a grim reminder of how foolishly the kingdom squandered their money. They could have helped so many more people, if they chose a plainer building. The fact they chose not to showed where their true feelings laid. He scoffed. How superficial! He would have never come here, had it not been unnecessary. Sadly, it was. He would formally apply to become a Ten Dawn today!
The Celestial Court was divided into thirty floors, except every floor was relatively small in area. This gave the building its characteristic 'dragon-like' appearance. There was no basement, and it began from entering the tail. This first floor was an open hall with long lines of people leading to a few manned desks. Unlike the Alzar Kingdom's Castle Reinhard or the Xingyuu Empire's Imperial Court, the Celestial Court was open to the public. It handled high-level requests, complaints, or problems that smaller districts could not otherwise handle, such as applying to be a Ten Dawn. The benefit was that it consolidated everything, but the drawback was the long wait. Although he could have skipped the line with his sister's help, he decided not to. He would not inconvenience her for something so minor. Resigned, he prepared to line up when he spotted someone standing near the entrance. He groaned and tried to sneak around, which only drew more attention to himself.
"Lord Freon?" a sweet voice asked.
"…"
"Are you ignoring me? Did I do anything wrong?" A cute girl stepped in his path. Her eyes fluttered with curiosity, as they stared at him.
"Lady Solis…" Freon addressed with a stiff smile. "I wasn't ignoring you. I just didn't hear you."
"Is that so…" She held a finger to her chin, seemingly in contemplation.
"Well, have a good day. I am quite busy, so I won't be in your way."
"Since you have business inside, why don't we go together? I also have some matters to handle," Lady Solis suggested.
"No, I wouldn't want to take up your time. I might be here for a while. You can go ahead."
"How would I go ahead?" she chuckled.
He shrugged. "You're an Engelsheft. You shouldn't have to wait in line."
"Hmm… Then, by that logic, you shouldn't need to either."
"I'm not an Engelsheft though."
"Yes, but Lord Freon, you are quite famous. Look around us."
Like she said, a crowd was starting to form around them. And Freon could tell it was not merely because Lady Solis, the young princess of the Welgen Family, was here. No, many people were curious about him too! After all, everyone had seen him, alongside Princess Elizabeth, in the opening of the victory celebrations. He was the only representative from the Zino Kingdom in that group of four, which made him the idol and hero of countless people. He did not like that.
Suppressing a scowl, he gave Lady Solis a not so friendly smile. "Why are you doing this? What are you trying to do?" he pressured.
"I'm not trying to do anything. I apologize if I troubled you, Lord Freon."
Freon exhaled. "Whatever. Do as you please." He walked past her into the Celestial Court.
She chuckled. "Thank you." And then, she followed right behind him!
"…" He was speechless. After everything he said, it should have been clear that she was unwelcome. However, she kept sticking to him like a sick dog. Well, at the very least, she was pretty to look at. This odd 'couple' walked into the Celestial Court together, and wherever they went, they managed to turn heads. Lady Solis was simply too glamorous. People would be awestruck whenever they saw her. This, in turn, gave Freon a strange sense of pride, as though he was worthy of her. She was not necessarily doing anything wrong anyways. Might as well let her be. Finally, they went and stood in line.