Chapter 94: Vice Admiral Iceberg’s Collection Room

Chapter 94: Vice Admiral Iceberg’s Collection Room

Is she suspecting something? Klein looked straight into Edwina’s eyes without moving away, flickering, or dodging.

After learning that Danitz had revealed to Vice Admiral Iceberg that he had once made a sacrifice to Kalvetua shortly before the sea serpent’s death, Klein had already prepared for the corresponding situation. If he were sitting on a sofa rather than standing at the ship’s side, he would certainly have crossed his right leg, leaned back, and answered with calm composure.

A smile appeared little by little on his face. He raised his left palm and, in a relaxed tone, introduced, “My glove is called Creeping Hunger.”

Klein believed that Danitz, who had witnessed him fight, must already have described the specific details to his captain. Therefore, Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina, who had been mentioned in the same breath as Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos, would not find it hard to guess that he had obtained Creeping Hunger. Since that was the case, proactively revealing it would allow him to seize more psychological initiative than being exposed by the other party.

His sudden mention of this matter contained two intentions. First, it was an indirect message: behind him stood an organization—an organization capable of killing Vice Admiral Hurricane, directing Kalvetua’s fall, and replacing it in responding to believers. Second, it was a warning to Edwina not to investigate or probe too deeply. Otherwise, Vice Admiral Hurricane being instantly slain would serve as an example.

Even in this moment, Klein still took into account the persona of Gehrman Sparrow. He did not issue a direct threat, nor did he stubbornly deny everything. Instead, in a plain statement laced with madness, he gave a simple response.

Edwina Edwards gave a light nod and suddenly changed the topic.

“I intend to provide some aid to the rebels in the Rorsted Archipelago, mainly food and cloth.”

Aid? Is the force behind her hostile toward Loen, or does it simply want to disgust the Church of Storms? Klein restrained his smile and calmly answered, “That has nothing to do with me.”

I will not leave behind even the slightest handle… he silently added.

Edwina tilted her head, raised an arm, and pointed at Blazing Danitz, who was drinking while secretly glancing in their direction.

“I will entrust him to handle everything, including contacting the rebels, confirming the timing, and arranging private harbors. I hope you can provide a certain degree of protection.”

Pfft… Golden beer sprayed from Danitz’s mouth like a waterfall.

Hahaha, pfft, bang, bang, bang! The two pirates seated beside him bent over laughing, pounding the deck and spitting out the beer they had just drunk.

One had very dark skin, as though covered with a layer of iron, while the other had a rather thick waist. Although he was not fat overall, he had no lines to speak of.

Edwina withdrew her gaze from that direction and, before Klein could speak, added at a steady pace, “You are an adventurer. I believe you will not reject employment at a good price.”

What an excellent excuse she has found for me… Klein smiled in reply.

“Of course.”

He did not ask exactly how much the payment would be, and Edwina seemed to have forgotten to mention it.

After a period of silence, the intellectual and beautiful pirate admiral said, “Senor sent word that he is willing to pay five thousand pounds for the giant’s key I previously discovered.”

She was referring to the enormous black-iron key that had been advertised as Death’s Key and had nearly caused Danitz to lose his life in Bayam. Klein suspected that it not only came from the dark Second Epoch, but was also related to the Giant King’s Court in some way.

Is she implying that I should make an offer? Klein was first stunned, then suddenly understood, unable to stop himself from muttering inwardly:

“Five thousand pounds? I do not even know whether that key can be used, or whether it really involves the Giant King’s Court! If it cannot, can I return the goods?

“And there is no prerequisite information for this matter at all. Even if I take it above the gray fog and divinate it, I will not be able to obtain any effective revelation.

“Mm. A simple line of reasoning is that if it does not involve the Giant King’s Court and instead concerns another treasure I know nothing about, then even if I buy it, I cannot use it. The only benefit would be ruining Admiral of Blood’s plan, harming him without helping myself. If it does involve the Giant King’s Court, then even if Admiral of Blood buys it, he most likely will not be able to find the destination, because that place is in the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Moreover, my plan is to hunt him. When the time comes, I can take the key without spending any money. That would be equivalent to him buying it for me and keeping it safe for a while.

“Although that thinking is rather idealized, it is not impossible…”

After a few seconds of deliberation, Klein said, “It may hide a great secret.”

He deliberately mentioned that, making Vice Admiral Iceberg reluctant to sell the enormous black-iron key to Admiral of Blood Senor. Otherwise, if the first possibility proved true and Senor obtained a treasure, rapidly strengthened, and stepped into the demigod level, it would bring no small disaster.

Edwina listened quietly and did not continue that topic. She half turned and pointed toward the cabin entrance.

“Breakfast has been prepared for you.”

“Thank you.” Klein removed his hat and gave a bow.

Following Vice Admiral Iceberg toward the cabin, he swiftly reviewed their earlier conversation, searching for the true purpose behind Edwina inviting him here for a meeting.

“From the problem with Gehrman Sparrow’s identity, to the mystical item suspected to be Creeping Hunger, then to the sacrifice made to Kalvetua, and the fact that Sea God, who should have fallen, is still responding to believers—when these things are connected, it is indeed easy to think that behind me lies a secret organization with unknown goals.

“And the force Vice Admiral Iceberg belongs to is very guarded against and very interested in this. Therefore, they had her test me face-to-face and see whether she could gain anything?

“For now, they are still relatively friendly. Providing aid to the rebels is one way of expressing that. They seem more inclined to cooperate with the organization behind me to a certain extent. Of course, the unknown always inspires fear. When they do not understand enough and lack certainty, the chance of Vice Admiral Iceberg and her group making a move is very, very low.

“Heh heh. If they knew that the secret organization behind me had only been established for a little more than half a year, and that even including The World and Miss Xio, who has established a connection but has never been pulled in, its members number fewer than ten, I wonder whether they would be so angry that they directly lost control…”

As his thoughts flashed, Klein entered the cabin and walked along a dim corridor, passing between one wooden door after another.

He followed Edwina up a stairway and arrived on the brighter second level.

Before entering the pirates’ dining room, they passed by a half-open room.

Klein glanced inside casually and discovered that the enormous black-iron key was simply lying on a wooden table.

“These are proofs of the treasures we have found over the years. Some are merely commemorative, while others have not yet shown their value and remain to be studied,” Edwina explained in a seemingly cool tone, yet in great detail, carrying the spirit of someone afraid the listener would not understand what was going on.

And when she mentioned the word “studied,” her light-blue eyes, clear as spring water, brightened slightly.

Proofs of their treasure hunts? Klein could not help glancing inside several more times.

At that moment, Edwina took the initiative to push the door farther open, walked in, and casually introduced, “This is a gold coin from the Fourth Epoch’s Solomon Empire.”

Klein’s gaze followed and landed on a coin placed inside a picture frame.

Overall, it was dark gold in color, as if formed by joining two differently sized semicircles, making it extremely asymmetrical. Its surface was engraved with a pointed crown very similar to the one worn by the King of the Five Seas, Nast.

Like a host who delighted in showing off her collection, Edwina introduced the objects in the room one by one. This made Klein think of an acquaintance: the elderly Eye of Wisdom, the great detective Isengard Stanton.

“In terms of showing off collections, they are quite alike… Does everyone with a rich collection have this kind of hobby? Wait. Mr. Stanton studied abroad in Lenburg for four years, and Vice Admiral Iceberg’s description also says Edwina Edwards from Lenburg… Lenburg’s capital is the headquarters of the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, and Mr. Stanton admitted that he converted to the God of Knowledge and Wisdom during his time studying abroad… Could the force behind Vice Admiral Iceberg be them?” Klein listened thoughtfully until Edwina stopped before the enormous iron-black key.

Just as he had seen in the dream before, the key was as large as a lyre. A normal human would have to hug it to carry it. It was dull and lusterless as a whole, with an ancient shape.

The patterns on its surface are similar to the City of Silver’s style and clearly possess traits of the giant race… Klein nodded slightly and was just about to withdraw his gaze when he heard Edwina speak.

“You may study it.”

Let me study it? You probably do not know how many latent problems I have set off before. If you let me study this freely, I am afraid I may soon no longer be able to see the Golden Dream… Klein roasted himself inwardly, then extended his right hand toward the black-iron key that belonged to giants.

He only felt an icy touch. No matter how he poured spirituality into it, there was no effect at all.

What a pity. I cannot take it directly above the gray fog to study… Klein withdrew his right hand and shook his head almost imperceptibly.

His gaze shifted, and he saw that on the same table lay a book bound from parchment. On the surface of its dark-brown cover was a line of ancient Feysac:

Groselle’s Travels.

“It came from an undersea shipwreck. It soaked there for one hundred and sixty-five years, yet was not damaged,” Edwina introduced. “It records a story inside. A giant named Groselle decides to go to the Land of Frost to hunt the King of the North, a powerful frost dragon. On the way, he meets one companion after another: a female elf, a devout ascetic, a noble from the Solomon Empire, a soldier from Loen. The story reaches the point where they are about to confront the King of the North, then suddenly stops. It is not that nothing follows, but that the final pages cannot be opened by any method. You may try.”

Not a travelogue-style notebook, but a novel? This novel is rather strange. It places characters from different epochs and different eras together. It should be a product of the modern age… Klein flipped through the book, letting the yellowish-brown pages slide past one after another.

The contents were not much different from Edwina’s description, but the plot seemed abrupt and full of gaps. It always made Klein suspect that he had missed a section somewhere. For example, after the main characters met, they suddenly went from strangers to familiar companions.

Soon, he browsed to the last several pages and discovered that they were indeed stuck together, impossible to separate no matter what.

This kind of effect should be manageable above the gray fog… I wonder what accident might happen… Klein turned his head to look at Vice Admiral Iceberg.

Edwina was silent for a moment, then said, “If you want it, I can sell it to you. I have studied it for many years and still gained nothing.

“However, I have one condition.”

“What condition?” Klein asked in return.

Edwina pursed her lips slightly and said, “If you discover anything, you must tell me the result and free me from this uncertainty.

“As long as you agree to that condition, I can sell it to you very cheaply.”

Klein suddenly became interested.

“How much?”

“Eight thousand pounds,” Edwina said with a calm expression.

“Mm…” Klein deliberately appeared to ponder, then nodded indifferently. “I will consider it.”

Consider how to pretend this never happened… he silently thought.