?"Books permit us to voyage through time, to tap the wisdom of our ancestors."

  — Carl Sagan, Cosmos

  ?It took another two weeks for Eren to return to Onkalo.

  ?What lay within the ruins wasn't just ancient texts or trinkets. Rows of massive jars, tall as a man, stretched endlessly into the darkness. Each one weighed a ton. There was no way two people could move them. Moving hundreds was physically impossible.

  ?Nor could they simply hire laborers. Onkalo was in a desolate wasteland. Just getting here required four resupply stops. Mobilizing a large workforce would mean building massive supply depots along the way. That meant money. A lot of money.

  ?But the biggest problem was security. This was an unprecedented discovery in excavation history. Until ownership was legally recognized, they needed a powerful backer to protect the artifacts from other power-hungry figures or bandits. Someone with wealth and influence comparable to the central nobility.

  ?Eren doubted such a person existed in this frontier, but since the two of them couldn't do it alone, he decided to look anyway.

  ?He returned to the tavern where he first heard the rumors of the ruins. Luck had started here; maybe it would strike again. Of course, taverns were hubs for all rumors, so it wasn't just wishful thinking.

  ?"So, you're saying every piece of leather in this region passes through his hands?"

  ?Eren grabbed an old man and asked, posing as a broke wanderer looking for the richest man in town. The old men argued for a bit before settling on one name.

  ?"That's right. He's a master of the leather trade. In the entire North, no one's purse is heavier than his."

  ?The old man spoke proudly, as if he possessed secret knowledge. In reality, he was just drunk on the victory of winning a trivial argument.

  ?"Yeah, heard he even has lines to the Capital... The leather quality around here is top-tier, after all. Even the nobles in the center order directly from him."

  ?Another old man chimed in, trying to recover from the embarrassment of suggesting the tavern owner earlier.

  ?"Oh, come on. Which noble buys raw, bloody hides directly? This old fool got lost ten years ago and his brain hasn't come back since."

  ?The first old man scoffed. Ironically, the man being mocked was the one who had originally told Eren about the ruins, but he was too drunk to recognize Eren, and months had passed.

  ?"Jeez! The leather merchant set up a tannery down the road! He controls everything from raw hides to processing! That's what you don't know!"

  ?The mocked old man retorted angrily.

  ?Having heard enough, Eren asked for the merchant's address.

  ?Eren visited the leather merchant's mansion. First, he scouted the perimeter to gauge his wealth.

  ?The house was a massive three-story building with plate glass windows everywhere. Although mass production methods had been discovered thanks to ancient ruins, plate glass required immense effort to heat to melting point, making it expensive. Using it for decoration in this freezing region meant sufficient heating was essential. And sufficient heating meant sustainable wealth.

  ?Looking closely, condensation had formed on the glass due to the temperature difference. The inside was warm. Servants coming out wore light clothing.

  ?He has enough money to keep a house this big warm.

  ?Eren watched the gates. No trade goods entered, but supplies did. Based on the shifts of the gatekeepers, he estimated at least twenty servants.

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  ?This is enough.

  ?Now, how to meet him? Walking in would get him treated like a madman. He watched for the owner's routine.

  ?Fortunately, it was a residence, and the owner commuted to work. Eren spent the night on the street, shaking off the cold, and returned to his inn.

  ?After changing clothes, he went to the merchant's workplace.

  ?Standing before the leather warehouse, he acted like an errand boy for a large trade deal.

  ?The clerk looked at the stranger asking for a bulk order and tilted his head, demanding a deposit.

  ?Eren shook his head.

  ?"Look here. Why should I trust you with the deposit? I need to secure my share too. Call the boss. I'll give it to him directly."

  ?The clerk scoffed.

  ?"You country bumpkin. I don't know where you rolled in from, but do you think our boss has time to meet someone like you?"

  ?The clerk tried to push him out. Eren held his ground.

  ?"Fine. I'll leave. But I need your name. When this deal falls through, your boss needs to know exactly whose fault it was."

  ?Intimidated by Eren’s boldness, the young clerk went inside and returned shortly.

  ?"If this is nonsense, expect a broken bone or two."

  ?With a scowl and a threat, the clerk led Eren deep into the warehouse.

  ?As Eren entered the room, the clerk slammed the door shut behind him. Thud.

  ?Eren felt the threat but steadied his breathing, putting weight on his toes. Ready to react. He scanned the room.

  ?It looked like a taxidermy exhibition. Stuffed animals stood like trophies, or perhaps product samples. Behind them, men as large as bears stood mixed with the taxidermy. A layout designed to confuse the line of sight when attacking the person in the center.

  ?Behind the wall hung a shield and sword decorated with gold—flashy enough to be a royal gift. The ornaments showed traces of trying to appear cultured, though not elegant. The owner clearly had a bad habit of over-gilding everything.

  ?And in front of Eren sat a desk polished to a shine, large enough to butcher a bear on. Behind piles of documents sat the richest man in the North.

  ?"Alright. You got the meeting you wanted. Now show me the deposit. Or you'll get what you were promised at the door."

  ?As soon as he finished speaking, two of the men behind the taxidermy cracked their necks and stepped forward.

  ?Eren ignored the threat and rushed straight to the desk. The giants flinched and lunged at him. But Eren pulled something from his coat and slammed it onto the desk. Bang.

  ?Before they could drag him away, he whispered quickly in front of the merchant. Loud enough for the merchant to hear, quiet enough for the others to miss.

  ?"It's the goods. ...But for your safety, you should look at this alone."

  ?The leather merchant flinched at Eren’s sudden approach, but upon hearing the words, he raised a hand to stop his men. He leaned back slightly, grabbing Eren's wrist and applying pressure, signaling him to remove his hand.

  ?Eren slowly lifted only one hand to avoid suspicion of assassination.

  ?The moment the merchant saw what was under Eren’s palm, a mix of emotions crossed his face. He ordered everyone else out of the room.

  ?"Your name?"

  ?"Eren Kai Liro. You are Kadan Erdenei, correct?"

  ?Eren answered, face flushed from the adrenaline.

  ?"A grandiose name for a commoner. Where did you get this? It's impressive for stolen goods."

  ?Kadan asked.

  ?"My name is from my hometown style, quite different from the North. It's going to be a long story. May I sit?"

  ?Eren pulled up a nearby chair with a grin before Kadan could object.

  ?He briefly explained the location of the ruins and the artifacts.

  ?But Kadan sneered in disbelief.

  ?"You found ruins in the Frozen Land? Are you trying to scam me? I've been in this business for thirty years. You think there's information I don't know?"

  ?At his arrogant attitude, Eren silently pointed to the small metal piece on the desk again.

  ?Kadan picked it up and held it to the candlelight. Ancient characters etched on the surface glinted. It had clearly withstood ages, yet strangely, there was no rust or corrosion. An iron part that wasn't precious metal, yet remained this pristine—that was the strongest proof of it being an ancient artifact. This scrap was worth more than its weight in gold.

  ?The sneer in Kadan's eyes instantly turned to greed.

  ?Kadan remained silent for a long time.

  ?"If this... is truly an ancient artifact..."

  ?He muttered, looking at the ceiling. Countless calculations seemed to race through his mind.

  ?"Do you know exactly where this is?"

  ?"Yes."

  ?"Quantity?"

  ?"Countless."

  ?"What do you mean, countless?"

  ?"We don't know yet. The important thing is... they still work."

  ?Kadan’s eyes flashed.

  ?"Good. I'll call three witnesses and a notary. As you know, security is life until ownership is confirmed. And I have the power to control the information that leaves my mouth. So, there is only one person you need to worry about."

  ?He pointed to the stuffed bear.

  ?"Run your mouth, and you'll end up like that. Lie to me, same result."

  ?Kadan called a servant and wrote a note. Half a day later, supplies, a reluctant notary, three witnesses, and an overseer appeared in front of the warehouse.

  ?Eren sighed and set off on the expedition again with the witnesses.

  ?Days later, arriving at the ruins, the notary and witnesses couldn't close their mouths in shock.

  ?"This... it was true."

  ?The smoothly cut granite walls. The perfectly circular tunnel. Everything matched Eren's testimony exactly. The notary drafted the ownership document on the spot without hesitation.