Timeline Player

"This appraisal is really simple, unpretentious, and boring; it's perfect for dealing with all sorts of fancy tricks," Chi Que thought to himself.

He then put down the Holy Grail and commented in a flat tone, "Hmm, the craftsmanship is good, and it has a sense of history."

The businessman's smile froze for a moment.

Could it be that the two prized items he spent a fortune and painstakingly acquired were really just things that this mysterious shopkeeper of unknown origin didn't care about?

This was a huge setback in his career.

"There's one more thing, would you like to take another look?" He awkwardly closed the box, his tone no longer as confident as it had been at the beginning.

"Hmm, let's see," Chi Que said, though he didn't have much expectation in his heart.

After all, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that finding valuable items in a traveling merchant's collection is simply a pipe dream.

Just then, the last wooden box was opened.

Inside the box lay a round mirror, about the size of a palm, its surface hazy and worn, seemingly due to its age.

"Your Excellency, this is the last item." Vincent continued to promote it relentlessly: "It comes from the ruins of an ancient theocracy and has been displayed with great care; it must be a precious item."

Reid watched for a long time but still couldn't figure it out: "This... doesn't seem to be a ritual item from the ancient religious kingdom. Could it be an everyday item from the inhabitants back then?"

Vincent was a little embarrassed. He had arranged the boxes according to their value, and this item from the common people was placed first. He just didn't expect the shopkeeper to do the opposite.

Chi Que picked it up and examined it closely.

【Ancient Relic Mirror - Pale】

Rank: Bronze

Humans sometimes see indescribable things in mirrors, but this mirror doesn't have that problem.

Chi Que was taken aback.

Bronze-level item?

The first two items were made of black iron, but this mirror... and the description of it always makes one feel that it has something else in mind.

"I'll take this one," he said immediately to the merchant.

"Sir, is it really possible?" Vincent was also stunned. He had been prepared to return empty-handed, but he actually managed to sell an antique.

"Name your price," Chi Que said bluntly.

"No, no, no, how can I take your money? It's nothing precious. If you like it, just take it." Vincent waved his hands repeatedly, saying that this was absolutely unacceptable.

Chi Que didn't take this seriously. He took out a small bag from the Food Seeker's warehouse and handed it to the merchant: "Here, take this as payment for the mirror."

Vincent opened it and was instantly stunned; it was filled with a whole bag of fine salt!

In this era, although salt was not as precious as spices, it was still a rare commodity, and he had never seen such white salt before. It was more than enough to exchange for such an antique mirror.

"You are truly generous." After careful consideration, the merchant finally put the bag of salt away and exclaimed sincerely.

This purity of refined salt was so coveted that even nobles would flock to it; it was an extremely rare commodity.

"Perfect timing, I have something I'd like to ask you for help with," Chi Que said with a smile.

"Just tell me what you want!" The merchant readily agreed before even hearing any further requests.

"Alright." Chi Que nodded in satisfaction. "Mr. Vincent, you should be quite familiar with that job market, right?"

Vincent's expression changed slightly: "Are you referring to that market where livestock are traded, and other businesses also operate?"

Chi Que nodded and looked directly at the other person: "I'm new here, and the shop is short-staffed. I'd like to go check it out over there. Since you know the way, why don't you come with me?"

"The job market?" Reed asked, his face full of curiosity.

Neither of them elaborated further; it was best not to let him know about this.

The merchant hesitated for a moment, thinking of the shopkeeper's mysterious background, and finally gritted his teeth: "Of course! I'm quite familiar with the area and know a few reliable intermediaries."

"Okay, I'll go now." Chi Que said succinctly, glancing at the bewildered Reid, and nodded to him: "The shop is fine for now, you can go back too, and thank the bishop for me."

Although the novice priest vaguely sensed that the conversation was somewhat subtle, seeing that Chi Que already had plans for the afternoon, he respectfully took his leave, not forgetting to add, "Lord Isaac asked me to give you my regards."

"I understand." Chi Que nodded, knowing that Isaac was hinting to him not to forget their meeting at the church.

"I'll go to church after I get back from the slave market," he decided.

The reason it wasn't the other way around was because going to the church first and then the slave market would seem odd.

But if you go to church afterwards, God will forgive your sins.

The main point is not to leave sins until the next day.

"Speaking of which, what kind of person is the local lord?" Chi Que asked casually on the way.

In the future, Vincent became a vampire, which means that his connection with the local community was deeper than he had imagined.

Since the future Vincent could not provide him with information, he decided to do the opposite.

Upon hearing this, Vincent paused almost imperceptibly.

He glanced quickly to the left and right before lowering his voice and saying, "Speaking of that Duchess, she is truly a household name in this land."

"When I was young, I first came to this duchy, and the duchess was already the most famous beauty in the area." Vincent narrowed his eyes slightly, reminiscing about the past.

Chi Que, so this isn't your first time here, is it?

"She had a head of dazzling golden hair, ruby-like eyes, and was so beautiful that people dared not look directly at her. Countless nobles were captivated by her, and countless poets sang of her beauty," Vincent exclaimed.

"And then?" Chi Que asked, following his words.

"And then?" Vincent shook his head. "She married the duke at the time and became the duchess. The extravagance of that wedding was truly the envy of countless people... Unfortunately, it didn't last long."

He sighed and said with a sigh, "The Duke was in poor health and passed away more than ten years ago, leaving behind only her and her three daughters. According to the law and tradition, the Duchess inherited the title and became the current lord."

"As for now," the merchant said with a click of his tongue in amazement, "what people talk about most is naturally the Duchess's ageless appearance. Even though more than twenty years have passed, she is still as beautiful as a young girl."

At that moment, Vincent suddenly remembered something: "The Duchess's two daughters also inherited her looks. The elder daughter is already married, but the younger daughter is still by her side."

"I wonder who will be lucky enough to marry such a beautiful lady." Vincent suddenly became very interested when he talked about this. It just goes to show that being a gossip lover is a universal thing, no matter what world you're in.

"Wait, didn't you say she had three daughters?" Chi Que suddenly noticed the omission in the other person's words.

Vincent paused for a moment before cautiously saying, "That little daughter was still an infant when His Majesty the Duke passed away. The territory was in chaos at the time, and she contracted a disease and died soon after."

He lowered his voice and looked around warily: "However, there is another rumor that cannot be made public."