Chapter 84: A Worthwhile Exchange

Chapter 84: Chapter 84: A Worthwhile Exchange

Soon, the hall became quiet.

Only Cornelius, Caelia and Damon remained.

Caelia finally let out a breath.

"I can’t believe you actually asked for the Birthground."

Damon glanced at her.

"You sound surprised."

"I am."

She shook her head.

"Even I wouldn’t have dared to ask Father for that."

Damon smiled.

"Then it’s a good thing I’m not you."

Caelia stared at him before laughing softly.

"You’re really confident."

"I know what I want."

That answer made her smile.

She was relieved too.

Before Damon arrived, she had been preparing herself to shoulder the family’s problems alone.

Now she didn’t have to.

Her father had already made Damon part of the investigation.

And Damon was someone she knew could fight.

She looked at him.

"I’m glad you’re coming."

Damon nodded.

"I’m interested too."

"Interested?"

"In the mystery."

His eyes brightened slightly.

"The passage, the Distorted Zone, the beasts attacking your mansion... none of it feels normal."

Caelia watched his expression.

He really was excited.

Most people would be terrified by everything happening around them.

Damon looked like someone had just handed him an interesting puzzle.

Before she could say anything, Cornelius suddenly spoke.

"You two seem rather close already."

Caelia froze.

"What?"

Cornelius smiled.

"You’ve only known each other for a short time."

"Dad."

"And yet you’re already planning an investigation together."

"Dad."

Damon chuckled awkwardly.

"I wouldn’t say we’re that close."

Caelia’s face became slightly red.

"Exactly."

Cornelius laughed.

"Alright, alright."

The teasing ended as quickly as it started.

His expression became serious.

"Damon."

Damon looked at him.

"I owe you an apology."

Damon’s expression changed slightly.

Cornelius leaned back.

"I’ve dragged you into a problem that wasn’t yours."

He sighed.

"But I’m the head of this family. My first responsibility is protecting my people."

His gaze hardened.

"If involving you is what it takes to give my family a chance, then I have to do it."

Damon nodded.

"I understand."

"I thought you would."

Cornelius lowered his voice.

"But you need to understand something else."

Damon listened carefully.

"People are already watching you."

His eyes narrowed.

"The reports from the battlefield have already spread further than I would have liked. They don’t know everything about you, but they know enough to become curious."

Damon remained silent.

"Some will want to know where you came from. Some will want to know how you have Spirit Elementals. Others will simply want your strength."

Cornelius paused.

"You should not assume everyone in this mansion can be trusted."

Damon’s eyes sharpened.

"We have enemies?"

"We have always had enemies."

Cornelius’s voice became quieter.

"But now that you have appeared beside Caelia and helped us survive, their attention may shift toward you."

Damon thought about it.

That explained why Cornelius had been so careful.

It wasn’t just about the Birthground.

It was also about what happened after Damon entered the Winterbourne family.

Someone had already been watching them.

Now they had another person worth watching.

Damon nodded.

"Thanks for the warning."

Cornelius studied him.

"You aren’t worried?"

Damon smiled.

"I’ll worry when I have something worth worrying about."

Caelia looked at him.

"That’s your answer?"

"For now."

Cornelius laughed quietly.

"Perhaps I made the right choice."

He stood.

"The Birthground will be ready soon."

He looked toward Caelia.

"Take him there when everything is prepared."

Caelia nodded.

"Understood."

Damon stood as well.

He had only come to this mansion because of a mysterious passage.

Now he had access to a Birthground, a new investigation, a potential new Spirit Elemental, and enemies he hadn’t even met yet.

It was becoming more interesting by the minute.

Caelia and Damon soon left the hall together.

They were already on their way to the Birthground when Caelia suddenly slowed down.

"Is there anything you need before we enter?"

Damon thought about it.

"Not really."

He already had most of what he needed. What mattered now was finding an Ice Core Spirit.

Still, there was one thing he had been putting off.

"I do have something to take care of first."

Caelia looked at him.

Damon tapped the storage bag at his side.

"I have a lot of things I can’t use right now. Beast materials, cores, treasures, and a few other things I picked up during my exploration."

He paused.

"Some of them are worth quite a bit."

Caelia understood immediately.

"You want to sell them?"

"Exactly."

He had collected too much during his time in the Distorted Zone. There were materials from the beasts in Tempest Hollow, treasures from the floating ruin, and even the remains of the guardians he had fought.

There were also the things he had, ehem, collected from the elemental users who attacked him in the ruin.

Those were definitely not going to waste.

Caelia smiled.

"I can arrange that."

She quickly gave a few instructions to people she trusted, asking them to find merchants who could handle the exchange.

"You can trust them. They’ll give you a fair price."

Damon gave her a doubtful look.

"Fair?"

"Yes."

"I’ll remember you said that."

Caelia almost laughed.

"You’re already suspicious."

"I’ve learned that trusting people with valuable things isn’t always smart."

That answer made Caelia look at him for a moment.

She had already noticed that Damon rarely accepted anything blindly.

He was polite, but he always seemed to think carefully about what he was getting in return.

Soon, several merchants arrived.

They were confident when they first came in.

That confidence disappeared after Damon began taking things out.

One pile became two.

Then three.

Beast cores, valuable parts of various beasts, crystals and treasures continued appearing from his storage.

The merchants stared.

Caelia did too.

She had expected a decent amount.

She hadn’t expected this.

Damon watched their expressions.

"What?"

One of the merchants quickly shook his head.

"Nothing, sir."

Damon nodded.

"Good. Keep calculating."

Caelia covered her mouth to hide a small smile.

They eventually separated the items into several groups.

Some materials were too valuable to sell cheaply, especially those from the higher ranking beasts.