Chapter 455 - 454: Young Squidward

Chapter 455: Chapter 454: Young Squidward

"I was so scared, I came right back to report to you, My Lady!"

Gray frowned, his three eyes all fixed on the ring. He raised a tentacle and scratched his bald head.

"This... My Lady, I really did take the ring with me just now, right?"

He was genuinely starting to doubt himself.

’I clearly took it with my own hands, so how did it just vanish the moment I put it in my pocket?’

Seeing him like this, Seraphina Sinclair, on the other hand, grew calm.

If she were the only one with doubts, it might have been that she misremembered, or that the ring had come back on its own.

But since Gray was also unsure, it definitely wasn’t a case of misremembering!

"In this world, are there items that can seek out their owners on their own?"

Seraphina Sinclair felt her own question was a bit abrupt, but she couldn’t think of any other explanation.

Gray froze for a second, all three of his eyes blinking at once.

"Seek out their owners..." he murmured, then looked down at the ring, his brow furrowing even tighter. "My Lady, I’ve heard of items like that, but they’re all low-level trinkets. Things like daggers that bind to their owner, or boomerangs that fly back to their master’s hand. At best, they’re C-level. But this thing..."

He paused, his voice firm with conviction. "It has to be an S-Class item, at the very least."

Gray swallowed hard and added, "My Lady, didn’t you say you could only see question marks? Plus, this thing was sealed before, and you’ve already succeeded in breaking that seal. If the seal is gone and you can still only see question marks, then there’s only one possibility: the item’s grade is too high for you to inspect at your current level."

’Too high a grade?’

’Could it be higher than SSS-level? Why isn’t the Door Key’s Description just "???" then?’

Seraphina Sinclair thought this and voiced the question aloud.

Gray pondered for a moment. "The Door Key is different. It doesn’t follow that rule. The people who can obtain it are all special, but it doesn’t show you much information either, does it?"

’True enough,’ she thought, ’it’s like dealing with a riddler.’

Seraphina Sinclair nodded, accepting his explanation.

’In that case...’

"Should I go with you to get it appraised?"

Seraphina Sinclair asked, pinching the ring and looking up at Gray.

Gray, who had been quite at ease, tensed up the moment he heard her question.

He flapped his tentacles, a troubled look on his face. "My Lady, you can’t visit the restaurant as a guest just yet."

Seraphina Sinclair wasn’t surprised at all.

After all, given how enthusiastic Gray was, if she had the authority to go to the restaurant, he would have invited her with immense eagerness, right?

’This is the same Squidward who could deliver fifty meals at once, after all!’

’It’s just...’

"Then we can’t get it appraised."

Seraphina Sinclair couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

She’d had this thing for so long, and it had cost Auric Young his life to obtain it. In the beginning, it was sealed, so she couldn’t see its Description.

Now that she’d finally broken the seal, she still couldn’t see the Description.

It felt like checking for a result over and over, full of hope, only to be met with disappointment every single time.

Gray blinked his eyes slowly, his tentacles drooping. "My Lady..."

"It’s fine." Seraphina Sinclair shook her head, consoling him. "Don’t blame yourself. This isn’t your fault."

A look of vexation appeared on Gray’s face. He wrung his long fingers together and opened his mouth to say something, but a look from Seraphina Sinclair stopped him. ℯℓ.

"Alright," Seraphina Sinclair said, putting the ring away. "You should head back for now. We’ll talk about it again when we find a solution."

Gray stood his ground, staring at Seraphina Sinclair for a few seconds before suddenly speaking up. "My Lady, there is actually one other way."

Seraphina Sinclair raised an eyebrow.

Gray leaned in closer and said in a low, mysterious whisper, "We can call someone for help. I know an expert appraiser. They’ve been around a lot longer than me and have seen more strange and curious things than we’ve had hot meals. They should have a way."

Seraphina Sinclair was silent for a moment, then gave Gray a skeptical look. "Lived longer than you?"

"My Lady, to be honest, among us old-timers, I’m the youngest one."

’You really can’t tell,’ she thought, ’but if Gray says so, I guess it’s true.’

Seeing that Seraphina Sinclair didn’t object, Gray continued, "That old fellow... when I first met them, they’d already lived for who knows how many ’rounds’. Anyway... way, way longer than me."

Seraphina Sinclair’s brow twitched slightly when she heard the word "rounds".

"Are they also a Traveling Merchant?"

Gray shook his head. "No. They specialize in appraisals and have their own little shop that just floats between the different zones. They don’t normally serve survivors, so finding them takes a bit of luck. But we’re old acquaintances. If I ask, they’ll definitely agree!"

"Doesn’t serve survivors?" Seraphina Sinclair repeated. "Then can they enter my mobile cabin?"

Gray must have thought this through carefully before suggesting it.

’My Lady is already disappointed about not being able to appraise the ring. If I were to suggest another plan that couldn’t be carried out, disappointing her even more, wouldn’t that be a crime worthy of a thousand deaths?’

Gray slapped his chest with a tentacle and assured Seraphina Sinclair, "Don’t you worry, My Lady, none of that will be a problem! I’ll go back and contact them right away. I guarantee I’ll help you get this ring appraised today!"

Looking at Gray’s earnest and determined expression, Seraphina Sinclair was once again struck by his attitude. His dedication to getting things done was impeccable; he was definitely her most capable subordinate!

"Alright," she said. "I’ll leave it to you, then."

Gray’s tentacles waved in the air, a wide smile spreading across his face. "You’re too kind, My Lady! It’s my duty!"

As he spoke, he turned to dive into the Lightgate. Halfway through, he stopped and looked back at Seraphina Sinclair.

"My Lady, when the old fellow arrives, please don’t be frightened by them." He paused, a peculiar expression on his face. "They... look a bit... unique."

Seraphina Sinclair raised an eyebrow. "How unique?"

Gray thought for a moment, then finally managed to squeeze out, "Much more unique than this shell of mine."

With that, he dove headfirst into the Lightgate.

Seraphina Sinclair was baffled, staring blankly at the spot where Gray had disappeared.

’How unique is "unique"?’

Seraphina Sinclair had seen her fair share of bizarre creatures. Gray was one, the pyramid-headed thing was another, and so was the ball of flesh that entered the cabin yesterday...

’Maybe today I’ll get to broaden my horizons and see a new kind of being?’

As she thought about it, Seraphina Sinclair collected the sunshine released by the Sunflower and glanced at 001, who had just finished washing up.

"How did the sales pitch go yesterday?"

Hearing her question, 001 immediately turned its head, its eyes sparkling with a hint of pride as it replied, "My Lady, just you wait! I’ll definitely have a big surprise for you at the settlement!"

Hearing this gave Seraphina Sinclair peace of mind.

Of course, Seraphina Sinclair wasn’t just asking about its progress out of idle curiosity. Her philosophy was to trust those she employed and not employ those she didn’t trust. The question was merely an opening line.