"Your explanation seems to be true, but How do I believe you are not a pawn in a big scheme against me?" Wenrys asked after hearing Alex's explanation.
"Prince Wenrys, I would need to prove my explanation to be true if I wanted to become acquainted with you, but the problem is I don't," Alex replied.
Alex replied honestly, as he would love to get some benefits from Wenrys, but he understood that there are no free things in the world, and owing a favor to a prince was not worth for small benefits that he could acquire from his future knowledge.
"HAHAHAHAHA...."
"Wenrys, Mr.One, don't care about your status. How do you feel about it?" Lady Esmeralda started laughing after hearing Alex reply.
"Prince Wenrys, If you want to, I can prove my explanation to be true using a truth crystal," Alex said to clear his intention as he didn't want his reply to make it seem like he didn't respect the Wenrys.
'Royals are all too proud of their status, and I don't want them messing with my life.' Alex thought, looking at Wenrys.
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'Melriel, Did he lie about anything until now.' Wenrys telepathically asked.
'Prince, This adventurer didn't lie, but he is hiding some truth, but his intentions are pure, as I don't feel any malice in his words.' A beautiful female elf standing right behind Wenrys replied.
'Raegel, Do you find any abnormalities or traps around the Blood Basilisk?' Wenrys asked the person he called the shadow.
'Prince, I checked the whole valley and found no traps.'
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"Mr.One, I trust the information you gave me, and I hope you are not offended by my previous question," Wenrys said to Alex with a bright smile.
"I understand as a prince. You must be wary of unknown people trying to get acquainted with you." Alex said, happy that things didn't get escalated.
"Now that the questioning is done, let's discuss the reward for the valuable information you have provided us." Duke Harold's words gained Alex's full attention.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt'Done be cheap and offer me something good.' Alex thought, waiting for the Duke to offer him some reward.
"Mr. One, What do you think about choosing an item from my collection vault?" Duke Harold said with a bright smile, but Alex didn't like what he offered.
'One item was the reward for finding clues. I gave you the exact location, and you still want to offer me just one item.' Alex thought, looking at Duke Harold, who was acting as if he had just offered him to choose an item from the Royal treasury.
"Mr. One, Don't be disappointed. My father's collection vault had a couple of Unique quality items, with two items being Peak Unique quality, and there is also a fragment Legendary item stored in the vault." Lady Esmeralda said, seeing Alex having a dull look on his face.
'What?'
'Duke Harold vault have a fragment Legendary item?'
"Kid Emerald is telling the truth. There is a fragment Legendary axe inside my vault, but it's of no value to you because you wouldn't be able to use it." Duke Harold said.
'I would still take it.' Alex thought instinctively.
"Sir. Harold, When are we leaving for the vault?" Alex asked, happy with selecting just one item from the vault.
"We can leave right now." Duke Harold said.
"Mr. One, Take this small gift for helping me find the basilisk," Wenrys said as he threw a badge toward Alex.
'I was hoping he would give me something valuable, but this is just incredible.' Alex thought after he checked the golden badge.
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Name: Guest Noble Badge
Quality: Unique (Low Unique)
Rank: Unranked
Bound: ???
•①-Effects: Give the Player Noble Authority Equal to Earl in all three Human kingdoms.
•②-Effects: Give the Player Noble Authority Equal Viscount in White Flame Empire.
Description: A Special Badge given to people considered worthy of holding a Noble Position in the White flame Empire.
[The Badge Holder doesn't need to complete any mandatory Noble responsibilities.]
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The Guest Noble Badge was forged in the shape of a raging flame by using a red ruby-like material giving it a simple but incredible appearance.
"Prince Wenrys, Thanks for your generosity," Alex said, feeling very happy about getting such a valuable item.
'I don't need to worry about attending the private auction or anything that would need me to be Noble.' Alex thought about the benefits he would get as a Noble on the whole human continent.
"Kid, Follow me to get you your real reward." Duke Harold said, seeing Alex lost in thought, looking at the Noble Badge.
After seeing Duke Harold leaving the room, Alex quickly said goodbye to Wenrys and Lady Esmeralda and left the room to get his reward.
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'I should properly check all the items in the vault and choose an item that could give me the best short-term benefits.' Alex thought, following behind Duke Harold.
Alex's main purpose was to acquire the darkness legacy as fast as possible, as after he acquired the legacy gaining high-quality items would be of little problem to him.
After going through many hidden areas of the mansion and traveling through old tunnels that lead underground, Alex and Duke Harold reached a giant stone door at the end of a long tunnel.
'This place doesn't look like a treasure vault.' Alex thought, seeing a normal-looking stone gate with no guard outside on duty to protect the treasure inside.
"You are Thinking, Why are there no guards to protect my beloved collection?" Duke Harold asked, walking toward the stone door.
"This is not an ordinary door made from regular stone but a Legendary treasure forged using the Dwarven Diamond Rock by a Dwarf Blacksmith King."
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"This Door is a big space Ring with a small Stabilized space pocket inside that no one other than me could open, and it could easily take attacks from a Seventh Rank Warrior." Duke Harold explained.
'This is Legendary Grade Space Treasure?' Alex was speechless after hearing the explanation.
After explaining about his treasure, Duke Harold walked toward the stone door, placed his hand on it, and started releasing a large amount of mana, and within seconds a big change started to happen on the door.
After a few seconds, the door started to twist and turn, and a space portal like a dungeon began to manifest on the door, and within moments it reached, it covered the entirety of the giant stone door.
"The Portal will close when I enter, so you need to go inside first." Duke Harold said to Alex, who was staring at the space portal.
Alex didn't waste any time and entered the revolving portal, and after a moment of darkness, he was inside a giant hall.
'This is unexpected.' Alex thought, standing in a giant luxury hall.
The hall was giant, with luxury stands with different items on top covering the whole floor, neatly looking like a work of art.
"Mr. One, You like my little Collection?" Duke Harold asked.
'You are a cheap noble hoarding this much treasure and only offering me a single item as a reward.' Alex thought, looking at Duke Harold's face, who had a proud smile.
'I would choose an item that would make you regret losing it for your whole life.' Alex was furious at Duke Harold for showing off this many good items and only allowing him to choose one as his reward.
"Duke Harold, Thanks for the generous reward," Alex said and walked toward the collection of items to Find the item with the most value in the entire hall.
'Immortal Adventurers are all greedy when it comes to valuable items.' Duke Harold thought as he sat down in meditation, knowing Alex would take some time to select his reward.
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'Let's skip the Epic Items and search these Unique Grade items.' Alex thought as he started checking items one after the other.
After checking items for more than an hour, Alex selected the best items that could give him many benefits even after he reached a higher level.
'There are three items I could choose from, but Duke wouldn't regret losing any of them.'
Alex was in a dilemma as he wanted to take an item that Duke would regret losing but after finding three excellent Unique items, he also didn't want to waste this opportunity to take some petty revenge.
Alex also checked the Fragment Legendary axe, but it was of no use to him even in the future because of the crazy strength needed to wield it.
'Let's search these unknown items and then decide which Item I want to choose as the reward.' Alex thought, walking toward the item section completely separated from all the other items, not because those items were more valuable but because those items were not weapons or armor.
'There are some valuable things in this section big guilds would spend a lot of money to acquire.' Alex thought after seeing items that could provide the big guilds with way more value than one or Unique Grade items.