For Thousands of Years, My Weakest Brother Has Become a Demon King

  Chapter 31 Pendants and Ambush

   is already the sixth enchanting shop.

   Liliana thought.

  Because of the development of the source quality silver industry, the city of thorns can be said to be the most prosperous city in the enchantment industry in the entire Vic Continent, except for the imperial capital Platinum City and the Austrian capital of the law ring.

   However, even though she visited six of the most famous enchanting shops in a row, she still couldn't figure out the origin of the primitive sunbird pendant.

   Even in the old enchanting shop that claimed to have a two-hundred-year history, the shopkeeper went to the basement for a long time to rummage through the boxes, only to find some fragmentary clues from a moldy ancient book.

   "Fei...Fenix, the Dusk Kingdom, the phoenix of the ancient belief in the present-day Quicksand Province, symbolizes the sun and the sky."

  The shopkeeper pointed to the ancient text on the book and said to her.

"I can only confirm that the shape of this pendant should be the belief totem of the ancient Twilight Kingdom. As for the inscribed runes and enchanting attributes, I have no idea at all. But I can be sure that the enchanting circuit above is not the same as the current enchanting system. A set of operating logic, even the charging interface is not compatible."

  The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment after speaking, and then asked her in a low voice.

   "Where did your pendant come from? I doubt whether it is powered by the human soul..."

There are generally only three ways for magic singers to obtain magic power in this world: the astral world, the moon state and the soul itself. After the law of the stars was established, the astral world became the only legal way for magic singers to obtain magic power. . Any mage who uses the lunar realm and the soul itself as a way to obtain magic power is regarded as a heresy.

   If it wasn't for the shop owner seeing the two people entering the shop wearing the uniforms of Offa University, I'm afraid he would have immediately notified the church to catch heretics.

  …

  In this way, with the sixth enchantment shop still not getting anything, Liliana decided to go to an enchantment shop to try her luck at last.

   However, fellow senior Rod Wilson gave her another suggestion.

   "Liliana, since the shopkeeper said that this pendant may rely on the human soul to replenish its magical power, why don't you go to some less formal places to ask? Maybe people there will understand better."

   After Liliana was released from the confinement room at home, she found this friend in the Enchanting Department of Offa University, hoping that he could help identify the pendant given to her by the man who claimed to be William Kane.

   However, after fiddling around for a while, he didn't identify any useful information except for using up all the magic power stored in the pendant, and he didn't even know how to recharge it.

  Fortunately, Rod Wilson’s family is engaged in the refining of Elemental Silver, so he is very familiar with the distribution of enchanting shops in the City of Thorns, so he offered to take Liliana to several enchanting shops that can provide high-quality appraisal services for appraisal.

   And after hitting a wall six times in a row, he made a new proposal.

   "Black market?"

   Hearing the words of the senior, Liliana frowned.

   If it was a few weeks ago, she must have been looking forward to that place. However, after going through the previous series of events, she didn't have a good impression of the black market.

   But if she wants to find out the true face of the magic caster who calls herself William Kane alone, it seems that she has only this clue to investigate.

"All right."

  …

   The footsteps of the two of them echoed in the damp tunnel, and occasionally the sound of bats flapping their wings and the rustling of mice came from the corners.

  Lord-senpai led the way with a lit spell matchmaker, while Liliana followed closely behind.

  According to Senior Rhodes, this black market opened in the depths of the tunnels of Thorns City.

   There used to be the meeting place of the Thieves Guild, but after Duke Simon came to power, in order to combat the smuggling of Elemental Silver, the entire Thieves Guild was swept out of the Blackwater Province by him.

   "Then, the smuggling channel of Elemental Silver in the City of Thorns is now almost monopolized by the Duke himself."

  Senior Rhodes said as he walked.

   This tunnel is deep and winding, but terribly quiet. Perhaps because she was a little scared, Liliana, who had no interest in such topics at first, raised her voice and asked.

   "Since the entire Origin Silver industry in the entire City of Thorns is the Duke's property, why do you have to smuggle it yourself?"

   "Because the smuggled source silver doesn't have to pay the imperial trade tax."

  Senior Rhodes turned back and smiled at her. Maybe it was because of the dim light in the tunnel. His genial smile, which looked no different from the past, made Liliana feel a little bit nervous.

"The source quality silver on the black market has a high premium, and those thieves pay a protection fee to the law enforcement officers of the City of Thorns when mining, and the duke has to draw a profit when exporting. Taken together, smuggling It's almost the same as what you earn from regular channels, and all this is under the control of the Duke, so you don't need to look at the face of the royal family."

   Liliana nodded in understanding.

   After walking through the labyrinthine tunnels for a few minutes, Liliana remembered something, she asked.

   "Senior Rhodes, I remember that your family is also engaged in the refining business of Origin Silver, so does this kind of smuggling affect your family?"

   "Regardless of smuggling or formal channels, it is actually for the benefit of the Duke. Do you know which mine provided the Wilson family with raw ore?"

   "Which one?"

   "Silver Stream Mine."

   "Uh...I don't know, is there anything special about this mine?"

   "It's okay, he'll be clear."

  Senior Rhodes stopped suddenly.

   Liliana almost collided with his back.

   Now they reached a slightly wider fork in the tunnel.

   "Senior Rhodes, you can say who is clear?"

   The other party suddenly stopped, making Liliana a little flustered, she asked quickly.

   And Senior Rhodes turned his head 180 degrees and said face to face with her.

   "The one who's been following us since the beginning, no, or should I say two?"

   When he spoke, he still had a warm smile on his face.

   Liliana finally understood the reason why she felt agitated when she saw his expression earlier.

  Senior Rhodes, or the thing that looks like Senior Rhodes, the smile had been frozen before, as if something was talking in Rhodes' face.

   Liliana didn't know if she screamed, only that she was sitting on the dirty floor after she woke up.

   And between him and Rhodes, a tall man wearing a black cloak and holding a huge sword like a door was standing.

   It seems that this person should have rescued her earlier.

   "Are you suggesting that the monsters under the Silver Stream Mine have something to do with the Duke?"

   that man asked in a voice that suppressed his anger.

   And "Rod" just laughed.

   "Hello, Cas Durant, and that little pet on you. Last time we let you run away was our dereliction of duty, but this time we won't give you a chance."

"us?"

   Cass glanced around cautiously.

  Seven or eight skeletons in half-armor and covered in mist walked out from several forks in the tunnel.

  The weapons in their hands change color with the mist.

   "This time I promise to send you to reunite with your friends."

   (end of this chapter)