CHAPTER 116: THE BANNER OF TRIUMPH; VOID RESEARCH NOTES

Wang Yu, following behind the Minister of Finance, was unaware of the king's cold, decisive order to exterminate the Moriartys. However, he wasn't surprised by their inevitable downfall.

The kingdom was never short of prominent families. Eliminating a traitor within the ranks was far more beneficial than maintaining yet another influential family. The sanctions against nobles who didn't pull their weight, which Avia's uncle had taken advantage of to oppress her, had in many cases served to curb the parasitic nobility whom the king viewed with disdain.

Charles, Hugin, and Sieg's rewards were relatively straightforward. Charles received a royal decree bearing the imperial seal.

This decree essentially mandated that Charles would be the next head of the family, regardless of anyone else's wishes. The royal family had spoken: its will would be done. The consequences of defying the decree were for Charles' father to weigh on his own.

Wang Yu couldn't help but feel amused by Charles' conflicted expression. He had often claimed to have severed ties with his family.

During the academy banquet, Daniel had also mentioned that Charles' family had officially disowned him. To Wang Yu, this didn't necessarily seem to be true.

It was likely that Charles had had a fallout with his family and left in a fit of rebellion. The Ryder family, with their peculiar prophetic abilities, tended to have some eccentric or abnormal traits.

Charles's father was considered one of the more "normal" members of the family. As for Charles himself, aside from being a bit hyperactive, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with him. His talent was exceptional, and Wang Yu doubted the family would truly give up on such an "outstanding heir."

As for Hugin and Sieg, their new insignias of authority elevated their status and power significantly. While they might not officially outrank Fang, the Church of Light's archbishop in Aleisterre, they now bore comparable influence.

This upgrade in status would likely bring benefits not just to Wang Yu but also to the other Nightblades under their command.

Lastly, it was Wang Yu's turn. The medal confirming his transition from a commoner to a titled noble was now tucked safely in his pocket. This medal served only as identification. The truly meaningful record, the rolls of nobility, were securely stored in a confidential archive by royal officials.

That document certified Wang Yu's transformation from a lowly commoner to a landless noble within Aleisterre. Though it was merely a nominal change, it marked a monumental shift in his life.

The reason Wang Yu's reward had been saved for last was due to the "Chronostasis Hourglass," the extraordinary curio he had retrieved, which earned him an additional reward: a non-strategic-class curio.

Curios were inherently valuable due to their ability to break the standard laws of physics. As a result, these curios were stored in a location that required the highest level of clearance to enter.

Charles, Sieg, and Hugin agreed to wait for Wang Yu at the palace gates by their carriage. Wang Yu, in turn, followed the rather corpulent Minister of Finance to the curio storage facility.

Wang Yu wasn't inclined to initiate conversation during the journey, mainly because he didn't know what to say. However, the rotund minister broke the silence in the hallway.

"Lord Wang Yu, did you know about the effects of the 'Chronostasis Hourglass'? I would have been tempted to keep it for myself rather than to submit it to the crown."

The minister, leading Wang Yu down a somewhat secluded corridor of the palace, suddenly turned to him with a tone tinged with amusement and intrigue.

"I didn't know it was a strategic-level curio, nor that she was in possession of it. I had a personal grudge against her. Even if she hadn't possessed the curio, I would still have killed her."

Wang Yu, unfazed by the minister's probing, calmly told the truth after a moment of thought. He wasn't sure what the minister was scheming, but being forthright would surely leave no room for scrutiny.

"Oh? So you were unaware of the Chronostasis Hourglass's abilities or even its existence? Quite a coincidence, then."

The minister stroked his beard thoughtfully.

Regardless, Wang Yu understood one thing: keeping the curio wasn't an option. He had been granted the rewards for relinquishing it to the crown's possession, whether he wanted to or not.

"Allow me to introduce you to its effects. It may not matter much now, but wouldn't you like to learn about the curio you recovered?"

"Sure." Wang Yu, though unsure why the minister was showing such enthusiasm, saw no reason to refuse or be hostile.

"As its name suggests, this curio has control over time. The hourglass can store a fragment of someone's time—up to twenty minutes—once a month. When the target's time is stored, the target is left entirely defenseless: immobilized and unable to think.

"This stored time becomes the 'Sand of Time' in the upper chamber of the hourglass. When the user mentally inverts the hourglass, the stored time can accelerate their personal flow of time or even allow them to leap forward in time by up to twenty minutes, producing an effect similar to the forbidden spell of Temporal Stasis."

The minister studied Wang Yu's face as he explained, hoping to glean some reaction for him. Unfortunately, while Wang Yu wasn't skilled at acting, he was quite adept at maintaining a blank expression. Minister Bordeaux found no hint of emotion on Wang Yu's face.

"Impressive, but there must be limitations, or I wouldn't have been able to kill its wielder," Wang Yu remarked, raising a valid point. The curio's effects seemed terrifying, but if that were it, Hela should have been able to kill him hundreds of times over within twenty minutes.

"Indeed. Very astute of you. Using the hourglass's acceleration comes at a cost. If you accelerate the normal flow of time fivefold, you must endure five times the physical strain. Directly jumping twenty minutes ahead would be unbearable for most."

The minister nodded approvingly, satisfied with Wang Yu's reasoning.

"Even so, wouldn't this curio be terrifying in the hands of a grand knight?" Wang Yu mused.

Someone at that level could likely withstand the strain of fourfold or fivefold acceleration.

Although the curio could only store twenty minutes' worth of time each month, even five minutes of fivefold speed would be a massive advantage in battle.

Hela's failure to utilize it properly might have been due to her physical frailty or poor timing. Likewise, Wang Yu realized the curio wouldn't be particularly useful to him. But in the hands of the king's elite guards or close confidants, the potential was obvious.

"Is this one of the king's hidden trump cards? Or does he use it himself?" Wang Yu speculated, recalling that Hugin and Sieg had both remarked on King Donatien Charlemagne's extraordinary strength—though Wang Yu himself was unable to sense it.

"Precisely. You've grasped the essence of it, Lord Wang Yu. I'd like to make a long-term investment in you. Strictly speaking, I shouldn't be revealing details about these curios, but here's a list of the non-strategic-class curios you may choose from. I hope it proves useful to you."

Bordeaux was increasingly satisfied with Wang Yu's quick comprehension. Although his strength was somewhat lacking, Wang Yu had nevertheless managed to reclaim this strategically significant curio for the king. It would undoubtedly pave the way for his future advancement in ways that wouldn't be immediately apparent.

Most importantly, Wang Yu wasn't affiliated with any family or faction—he was a neutral party.

Investigations into this new member of the special ops team revealed that Wang Yu had no roots or ties within Aleisterre. This meant that if Wang Yu could achieve significant success, he could be a potential ally for any faction.

Both the military and the ministers had plans to gain advantages in the ongoing war with Selwyn. Investing in Wang Yu, a newcomer who had left a favorable impression on the king, was a low-cost, high-reward opportunity.

"Thank you." Wang Yu took the list from Bordeaux, which detailed the properties and effects of dozens of non-strategic curios.

"Right, how would this curio be classified?" Wang Yu asked casually. He showed Bordeaux the Endless Pages, the curio he had been using as a notebook, which was currently in a semi-virtualized state above his head.

"General Garcia's curio?" Bordeaux was momentarily stunned but raised his evaluation of Wang Yu further. Though Wang Yu himself was not well-known, his connections with several prominent figures spoke volumes.

"This type of curio is generally referred to as a ‘parlor trick.' While it does have the nature of a curio, its utility is quite limited, as I'm sure you're aware," Bordeaux explained.

"I see," Wang Yu replied. He still found his "parlor trick" quite handy, though it was clearly inferior to even the non-strategic curios listed on the sheet.

Following Bordeaux, Wang Yu entered a corridor that became increasingly mechanized. The stone architecture of the palace had given way to metal at some point.

From the ripples in his vision, Wang Yu could see mechanical structures constantly shifting behind the walls. Although he and Bordeaux appeared to be walking straight forward, the entire corridor was in fact gradually descending.

After passing through a massive reinforced iron gate, Wang Yu and Bordeaux stepped into a storage chamber that had been constructed collaboratively by dwarves and gnomes.

"The Greenstone Ring slowly heals injuries, but full recovery takes a week. It doesn't work on curses, diseases, scars, or hidden wounds—it only accelerates the body's natural healing process.

"The Goldstone Wings grant the unconditional ability to glide for a brief period. It ignores gravity manipulation and any other effects that might interfere with the concept of ‘gliding' for ten seconds.

"The Third Eye, which creates an invisible, indestructible observation point akin to a magic eye. It provides a ten-meter radius of vision akin to an Eye of Truth but comes at the cost of the user's eyesight. It also requires an hour-long ritual to activate.

"When the Akaname Tongue is pressed against the underside of the tongue, it inflicts a random disease every thirty minutes. Due to its unpredictability, it's only kept as a storage piece for now.

"Wearing the Vampire Progenitor's Mask for a full day transforms the wearer into a low-level thrall, forcibly converting them into a vampire regardless of their original species."

Wang Yu browsed the curios, which varied wildly in nature but were all "absolute" in their effects. As long as their conditions were met, they would perform as described without fail.

However, many of them were either impractical or too conditional to be useful. Some curios even gave him a sense of déjà vu.

Overall, these curios were only slightly above the level of "parlor tricks" and didn't have much utility. It made sense—they weren't strategic-level curios, so they could be more freely given out as rewards.

The list Bordeaux provided was of immense value. Random choice would likely have yielded something useless, so this gesture was a significant favor.

"I'll take this one—the Banner of Triumph,"

Wang Yu finally decided, pointing at a red flag sealed inside a metallic display case.

Although the other curios had unique value of their own, Wang Yu decided to choose this particular curio that fit his circumstances best.

"Are you sure? The effect of this banner might not be as good as you think. Otherwise, it would have been classified as a strategic-level curio," Bordeaux cautioned.

"The other curios are either too limiting or useless. This one will do." Wang Yu confirmed his choice.

With a metallic click, Bordeaux unlocked the display case, revealing the vibrant red banner within. He handed it to Wang Yu.

Taking the banner, Wang Yu willed it into a semi-ethereal state, similar to the Endless Pages. It now floated above his head—a common property of many curios.

The Banner of Triumph's effect was simple: by killing a living being, the user could absorb its life force to recover their own vitality. The stronger the slain creature, the greater the life force gained.

Though it sounded powerful, the actual life force recovered was minimal. Moreover, in a real battle against an equally strong opponent, who had the time to kill other living beings just to heal?

Wang Yu planned to test the curio to see how its effect could be triggered. While he was sure the royal family had studied it thoroughly, there was always a chance he could find a loophole. Even if the effect wasn't great, having an additional recovery method was never a bad thing.

"These curios do seem a bit lackluster, don't they? Let me offer you something else as a personal gesture. Consider it a token of friendship. Here are a few books. None contain sensitive information, but they're rather difficult to acquire in general. Take a copy of one as a gift," Bordeaux said with a smile. He opened another door, revealing a library of metal shelves filled with books. Each book was a copy, with their titles labeled on the spines.

"Thank you," Wang Yu replied, not seeing any reason to refuse.

The library had a vast collection, but he wasn't sure just what to choose. After some thought, he decided to look for information on the void, as his understanding of it was still limited. He also wanted answers regarding the state of his soul.

Soon, his eyes landed on a slim manual titled Roland's Notes on Void Research. Wang Yu walked over and picked it up.

"I'll take this," he said.