"Uhm," Silak interrupted gently, "Mister Dwalin, are you okay?"
The dwarf, who had been completely lost in a trance of pure, unadulterated joy, started as if woken from a dream. He looked at Silak, then at the glittering piles on the floor, and back to Silak, his face flushing a deep red beneath his beard. He took a few deep, steadying breaths.
"My apologies, lad," he said, his voice still thick with emotion. "I was lost in my excitement. These materials… they are truly wondrous." He picked up a shard of what looked like obsidian but seemed to drink the light from the room. "For most people, these are just monster parts. Strange, perhaps dangerous, but ultimately useless. But for a blacksmith, an appraiser, an alchemist? Lad, these are treasures beyond measure!"
He emphasized the word, understanding that Silak's youth and isolated upbringing meant he likely had no real concept of the value of the hoard he'd been sitting on. Seeing the dwarf's earnest, serious face, Silak chuckled. "It's fine, Mister Dwalin. Treasures or not, I trust your judgment. We are business partners, after all."
"By the way," Silak added, remembering Gahumdagat's timely advice. "As you check the items, the senior who gave these treasures to me had a request. He wished for us to set aside the very best pieces to be forged into weapons and armor for my own use. What do you think?"
Dwalin's eyes lit up, a smith's fire rekindling within them. "No problem at all, lad! An excellent idea!" he boomed. "Truth be told, the thought of selling all this raw potential without getting to work it myself was breaking my heart! My plan was always to forge the best materials before selling the finished equipment. That way, I improve my skills and the inherent value of these treasures increases tenfold. This works out perfectly!"
"Alright, then. Let's plan which ones to set aside after you're done sorting," Silak said, settling into a lotus position on a clear patch of floor. He closed his eyes to meditate on the Cosmic Meridian Flow, deciding to use the waiting time productively.
Dwalin spent the next few hours meticulously sorting through the contents of the four satchels. It was a slow, reverent process. He would pull out an item, his breath catching in his throat as he identified it, his hands trembling slightly as he examined its quality. He'd hold a beast core up to the light, marveling at the pure, swirling energy within, or run a calloused thumb over a strange, metallic hide, already imagining the magnificent shield it would become. He mumbled to himself constantly, his shaking beard tickling his chest as he worked.
Several hours later, the room was neatly organized into dozens of small piles based on type and quality. "Lad," Dwalin called out, his voice raspy from hours of excited muttering. "I'm done."
Silak slowly opened his eyes, the flow of Qi within him returning to a calm state. Dwalin was now sitting at the table with two cups of fresh tea, his earlier giddiness replaced by a calm, serious composure. The face of a master craftsman assessing a monumental task.
Silak stood up and moved to the chair opposite him. "So," he said with a knowing chuckle, "how was my surprise, Mister Dwalin?"
"It was shocking, lad. Truly shocking," Dwalin admitted, taking a long sip of tea. "Do you have any idea what you brought me? These materials… they are all from demonic beasts of at least the Qi Gathering stage, and many are from beasts far stronger than that." He set his cup down, his expression grim. "And you must understand, demonic beasts are naturally stronger than humans. Their bodies are weapons. It would normally take a whole party of seasoned hunters to bring down a single Qi Gathering beast of these species. An average human cultivator at the same level stands almost no chance in a one-on-one fight."
He looked at Silak intently. "Your senior… he must be an incredibly powerful individual to have accumulated such a hoard."
A bolt of lightning shot through Silak's mind. Qi Gathering stage and above… Dwalin wasn't just describing random monsters. He was describing the "corrupted beasts" that Gahumdagat had been "cleaning up." This entire mountain of treasure… it was the spoils of a secret, lonely war fought for centuries at the foot of the Seal. The sheer scale of it, the quiet, relentless violence it represented, was staggering. His respect for the ancient guardian deepened into a profound, solemn awe.
"My senior is indeed strong," Silak replied carefully, his voice betraying none of his inner turmoil. "And he is my benefactor." He decided it was better to let Dwalin assume his benefactor was a reclusive human expert. Revealing Gahumdagat's existence was a risk he could not afford, not with the followers of the Evil God potentially listening for any whispers related to the Seal's protectors.
"Anyway," Silak deftly changed the topic, "we can discuss the materials and my commission later. What about the other matter? The information we requested?" He leaned forward, his focus shifting entirely. "Was the coin from my other materials enough to pay the Gilded Thorn?"
"Aye, it was," Dwalin said, a smile returning to his face. He reached into his vest and produced a slim, leather-bound dossier, sealed with a black wax stamp bearing the emblem of a gilded thorn. "It didn't cost as much as I feared. Your goods fetched a very handsome price." He slid the dossier and a small, heavy bag of coins across the table to Silak. "This is what remains. Now… shall we see what secrets your coin has bought?"