"Ah, Young Master Ronald. It's always a pleasure to have you visit this establishment."
Ronald smiled haughtily at the compliment as he walked closer with his eyes keeping Helen's reactions to his actions in mind. "Young Master Jon, you know my friend here?"
Jon didn't miss the cringe on Neo's face or the tone in which Ronald spoke the word 'friend'.
"I'm interested in this young master's skill," Jon said carefully, avoiding any confirmation of friendship. He still needed a favor from Neo.
"You know what? Let's do it," Neo said suddenly. "Do you have somewhere private?"
"Where are you off to?" Helen spoke up, noticing Neo trying to ditch them for some reason.
"Uh... I just need to discuss a few things with this gentleman here," Neo said, mustering his most pleasant smile to hide his irritation at Ronald's presence. The kid was simply too much to be around.
"I don't care. I'm coming with," Helen replied adamantly, making it clear she wasn't leaving his side.
Neo glanced at Ronald before speaking again. "Okay, fine. But he's not coming. What we need to discuss is... private."
Ronald fumed at being dismissed like trash. He turned to Jon. "Surely, Master Jon, I can join in on whatever is happening."
Jon maintained his polite smile and glanced at Neo, whose expression made it clear he wouldn't budge. He bowed slightly to Ronald. "I hope the young master can understand. This matter is simply out of my hands."
Ronald's smile turned crooked as he looked toward Helen, whom he'd been trying to impress. She had already moved to Neo's side, chatting away as if Ronald didn't exist.
Jon, sensing the awkward tension, quickly directed the pair toward his office, leaving Ronald standing alone with a baffled, furious glare.
---
Jon's office was opulent yet moderately decorated. Three chairs and a sofa surrounded a low table—two chairs on one side, one on the other.
"Please, have a seat. I'll retrieve the artifact quickly."
"I'll be waiting," Neo said calmly before turning to Helen to answer her questions about why they were there.
Jon returned from the back room carrying a large black box. "Here it is, young master. You might want to protect yourself with spiritual energy before I unlock it."
Neo smiled wryly. "It's fine. Just open it." He couldn't explain that his training prohibited spiritual energy use—that conversation would take far too long.
"Very well. But if you have any problems, I'll use my spiritual energy to shield you."
Helen, incapable of such advanced energy manipulation, simply watched the exchange in silence with her spiritual energy protecting her body.
*Click.*
That was the first sound Neo heard before gears began whirring, followed by three more clicks as locks released. Unlike the oppressive aura from the Icy Crown, this artifact's elemental presence felt... damp, thick, and malevolent.
Jon turned the box toward Neo as the artifact came fully into view. It was a black cross with distinct carvings that glimmered without reflecting any light. The effect was almost eerie—it seemed to devour all light within inches of its form.
Neo quickly picked up a pen and paper, activating his True Sight as he scribbled furiously. He deliberately omitted certain details—the materials the artifact was made from, the energy patterns—keeping those to himself.
He slid the paper toward Jon as soon as he finished writing. Jon immediately locked the box, noticing how pale Neo had become from facing the brunt of that dark energy without protection, raising his brow at the sight.
Jon's eyes went wide as he read. "Is this—?"
Neo looked up, battling a throbbing headache. Rank 3 relics were apparently his absolute limit for appraisal with his current Rank. "What's wrong?"
Jon stood abruptly and bowed. "Young master, how would you like to become an official appraiser for this branch of Blue Merchant?"
Seeing Neo's complicated expression, he hurried to explain. "You may not understand, but an artifact appraisal is never this detailed. We might determine the element and special ability, but that's the extent of it without a far more powerful appraiser."
Jon was being completely honest, having already noticed the skepticism on Neo's face. He was likely to refuse if Jon wasn't forthcoming.
"Hmm," Neo responded noncommittally.
"Of course, your compensation would reflect that of a master appraiser, if that encourages you."
Neo chuckled. All he'd written were a few words, and he was receiving treatment like this. "Better compensation helps. But I care more about privacy. I'm sure you can tell from our appearance."
Jon nodded. "I can promise this matter will remain a private deal between us. Not even my subordinates will know of this matter."
Neo nodded calmly and turned to Helen. "Is there a way to ensure that?"
"This is a fantasy world I stepped into less than a week ago," his expression seemed to say.
"You can use oath contracts," Helen offered. "They're not as binding as blood or soul contracts, but they're quite useful."
"There's no consequence to breaking the agreements of an oath contract, but you can sense if the other party breaks the terms of the contract in any way at all."
Neo tilted his head at Jon in silent inquiry.
Jon smiled in acceptance. An oath contract was a small thing in return for appraisals that were on par with those of Master appraisers. The benefits of proper appraisals meant they could set prices for artifacts more effectively and even entice buyers with more detailed information on artifacts before purchase.
"I'll draw up a contract. Should we specify a time period for the agreement that would make you comfortable?" He took out a scroll and began drafting terms with precise energy manipulation.
Neo thought for a moment. "Two years?
"Yes, two years should be fine for now..."
"I have two questions," Neo mentioned right after, as Jon lifted his head from the contract he was drafting for a moment.
"Does the Blue Merchant have means of procuring special spiritual and elemental materials, and how often do new artifacts arrive?"
"Mm... to your second question, if we're lucky, we receive one artifact per month. As for elemental and spiritual treasures, while not part of our standard services, I can personally secure a source if you need them."
Neo nodded, contemplating. "Alright then. I'd appreciate that."
Jon finished drafting the terms, signed, and handed the scroll to Neo for confirmation. Neo reviewed every detail carefully, ensuring no loopholes—even his payment was clearly specified. He channeled a wisp of spiritual energy and signed with the System's assistance. Using precise, small amounts of spiritual energy was acceptable as long as he didn't employ any skills requiring full output.
The moment he signed, he felt a thread of spiritual energy binding him to the contract within his core. He nodded in approval.
Jon produced a bag of spirit stones. "Here, young master. Thirty spirit stones, as agreed."
Neo's expression didn't change dramatically—after seeing the mountain of stones used to awaken Pandora, a few dozen barely registered. Beside him, however, Helen's eyes widened considerably.
Neo pushed the stones back toward Jon and picked up another piece of paper, listing various Rank 1 and Rank 2 elemental and spiritual materials. "Here's the first list. I doubt the spirit stones will cover everything, so I won't take future payments either.
I'll just add materials after each appraisal session."
Jon scanned the list. The materials weren't exceptionally rare, but acquiring them all at once with the current amount would be difficult. "Thank you, young master...?"
Neo glanced at Helen, silently asking if revealing his name was acceptable. She nodded.
"Neo," he said calmly, omitting his surname to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to the Tasher household.
Jon smiled and turned to Helen. "And you are?"
"Helen Tasher," she said happily, ruining the mystery Neo was keeping.
Jon was taken aback in surprise and bowed politely. "My apologies for my lack of manners, if you're the Young mistress of the Tasher family. Is he—?" He gestured toward Neo.
Helen smiled innocently, clearly very excited to say this sentence. "Yes, he's my little brother."
Jon's expression shifted to surprise. Information had reached him that the Head of the Tasher family had returned to the capital with his granddaughter, but no one mentioned a grandson among the direct line.
"Young Master Tasher, it's a pleasure to have you visit our establishment."
Neo smiled wryly at Helen's miscommunication but didn't correct it. "The pleasure is mine..
Unfortunately, my sister and I need to return now."
Jon nodded, genuine respect evident in his demeanor. "Then please allow me to escort you both out. It would be an honor."
As a Peak Rank 4 ascendant without a noble background, Jon's reputation came solely from his position as head of this branch—a headquarters located within Tasher territory. Neo didn't refuse the escort, and neither did Helen. They drew some attention as they left, but paid it no mind as they stepped into their carriage and headed back to the family mansion.
Ronald, thankfully, hadn't waited for them to leave Jon's office, making their exit peaceful.
Not that Helen noticed. She immediately launched into full chatter mode, recounting everything with boundless enthusiasm. Neo barely paid attention, instead surveying the System's information as he processed everything he'd learned about artifacts—those strange, ownerless relics that continued to fascinate him.