Deep Sea Embers

Chapter 263 Captain Duncan's Gift

In the voluminous document that Morris brought, there is only such a small section that can be connected with the mysterious symbol—and the symbol is only an extremely inconspicuous part of this small section of information. The author didn't even spend a penny to decipher the symbol and the relief patterns around it.

Duncan and Morris could only analyze the details presented in the manuscript illustrations, and preliminarily determined that the broken cross surrounded by a hexagonal outline should be a religious or academic symbol in the Old Kingdom.

Duncan slowly closed the big book.

Judging from a rational point of view, Morris believed that the ascetics who visited the Lost Home a century ago could not be descendants of the ancient kingdom-the possibility that a group of hermits would pass on for 1 years in the chaotic and dangerous deep-sea age was almost impossible. Zero, from a rigorous academic point of view, he can't make this assumption rashly, unless he finds more evidence.

But Duncan still intuitively believed that those ascetics must be inextricably linked with the ancient Kingdom of Crete. They held that mysterious emblem and attached great importance to it, which showed that they knew that the emblem had something to do with it. What's the point.

Of course, hypotheses are hypotheses. Without evidence, everything is empty talk. At this stage, unless those ascetics appear in front of Duncan again, no one will be able to figure out their origin.

"...How many well-preserved Cretan ruins are there in the world?" Duncan suddenly raised his head and asked.

"There are very few relics that have been found, and you can count them on one hand. As for the well-preserved ones...it depends on what the standard of 'better' is," Morris said. As far as the people of the kingdom are concerned, if they can find a large pit that is confirmed to be related to Crete, if they can find wall bricks that are more than ten meters long connected together, or even just find a few stone doors that have fallen on the ground, it can be regarded as a relatively good preservation. gone."

Speaking of this, the old scholar couldn't help but let out a sigh: "Under normal circumstances, the relics left within the rule of the city-state are unlikely to be preserved. We will try to leave text and image materials on them as much as possible, and keep them Every trace of their description was recorded, and then the relics available for analysis were stored in research facilities, and finally... the relics themselves will be bulldozed, buried, and become part of the city."

Duncan thought for a moment, and said to himself: "The place where you stand is as expensive as gold."

Morris nodded: "We study history, preserve history, and try to remember those past things as the years go by, but we can't let past things squeeze the living space.

"The new city-state calendar has been nearly 2000 years. In the age when explorers were most active, new islands were discovered from time to time, and unknown wildernesses and ancient ruins entered our field of vision. However, in the last century or two Here, this 'discovery' is on the brink of extinction.

"The original 'New Island' has gradually turned into one city-state after another. There is only so much land in the boundless sea to stand on. The remaining relics... are either on isolated islands where the environment is dangerous and cannot survive, or they are themselves destroyed. Extraordinary power is shrouded, or located on the edge of dangerous visions, so that even the Church of the Four Gods can only investigate it and seal it on the sea chart."

Duncan remained silent for a long time, but still focused on the symbol and the original documents behind it: "You just said that your friends in the academic world can find more information about this symbol?"

"I know a friend in Rensa who specializes in the history of the ancient kingdom. He was my classmate when I was studying at the Institute of Truth." Morris nodded, pointing to the big book on the table. It was sent to me, I remember that he also mentioned related documents at that time. I have already written a letter, but I don’t know when I will receive a response.”

Duncan exhaled: "Just wait patiently, everything depends on fate."

Afterwards, he discussed with Morris many things about the ancient kingdom of Crete—about those sporadic discoveries, those vague and weird legends, those half-truths, which made it impossible to tell whether it was reality or myth. Literature scrolls.

After a pleasant chat between the host and the guest, it was time for Morris to say goodbye and leave.

"Before I left, I promised my wife to go home for lunch," the old scholar said with a smile on his face, "If I go back too late, my wife and daughter will scold me for a long time."

Duncan couldn't help laughing too: "I think you enjoy it."

Morris nodded cheerfully, put on his hat, put the big book under his arm again, and went downstairs with Duncan.

Nina was counting a few banknotes behind the counter, Alice was watching curiously, and Shirley had disappeared at some point, maybe she ran out to play.

When Duncan walked down the stairs, Nina was patiently teaching Alice, who lacked common sense, about currency: "Look, this one with the golden horn is Sora, here is the face value...these coins are' Pesos', the number on the front is face value...can't bite, it's dirty!"

"It seems that business is okay today?" Duncan glanced at the money in Nina's hand, raised his eyebrows slightly, "It's usually not so much."

"Yes, I don't know why, business is very good today," Nina happily raised the money in her hand with Duncan, "It seems to be related to Alice?"

Duncan was taken aback when he heard that: "Is it related to Alice?"

"Just now, an old lady said when she left," Nina said with a smile, "She said that there is an extra clerk in the store who looks like a young lady, and the pile of things on the shelf seems to be real..."

Duncan: "...?"

He looked at Alice silently, and Alice looked at him dumbfounded.

Miss Doll, however, has no idea what's going on - she's still trying to remember what the banknotes look like and learn how to count them.

"I didn't expect Alice to be able to play such a role here." After a long time, Duncan sighed thoughtfully, and then suddenly turned to Morris, "Do you want to bring something when you go back?"

"Huh?" Morris was a little surprised, "This... I didn't have this plan when I went out..."

"No charge, it's a thank you for your hard work in finding documents," Duncan smiled, stepped to the counter, reached out and took down a crystal pendant from the shelf - the same pendant that was given to Morris as a "gift" before. They were exactly the same, because he bought this kind of pendant in a box, "I remember you mentioned that your daughter's pendant was damaged, so I will give this to you."

Morris looked at the pendant in Duncan's hand, and saw the magnificent crystal representing modern industry swaying gently in mid-air, reflecting the brilliance on the surface. The first thing he thought of was the unbelievable things that Heidi mentioned to him after returning. experience:
The experience of being awake when the city-state fell apart, witnessing the division of two histories and the annihilation of one, and the protection of amulets.

It was only at this time that he realized belatedly that Captain Duncan had shown his kindness so early on.

The dagger worth [-] sola was just an insignificant gift, but the real treasure was almost covered in dust.

"I hope this talisman will continue to bring good luck to Miss Heidi," Duncan said with a smile, "Take it, you deserve it."

Maurice solemnly reached out to take the crystal pendant and expressed his thanks, but Duncan seemed to think of something again, and muttered thoughtfully: "If you want to take this pendant back, you must be killed by your daughter." Nian Nian, I have to add your wife this time. Wait a minute, I will find you another real thing, and go back so that you can deal with your wife and children."

When Morris heard it, he waved his hands again and again: "No need, you don't have to do this for me..."

However, Duncan had already turned around and rummaged in the pile of sundries next to the counter, muttering without raising his head while searching: "Needless to say, I understand... Ah, I found it."

While talking, he returned to the counter with the "real thing" he found, and put the thing on the counter with a "bang".

The sudden movement made Alice next to her startled, and quickly reached out to support her head.

Morris watched dumbfounded as Duncan took what was on the counter.

"This is..." The old man was a little confused.

"Antiques," Duncan looked at the old man in front of him solemnly, "I don't have many real things in this shop, but this one is absolutely authentic."

"Looks like a cannonball?"

"Yes, the ones on the Lost Homelander are in very good condition. You can even fire them with a muzzle-loading smoothbore gun of the right caliber." Duncan happily patted the big iron ball on the counter. There are still the complete steel seal of the cannonball foundry and the personal mark of the foundry on the body, to be honest, it is rarer than the dagger last time—it is given to you.”

Morris looked at the cannonball, then at Duncan, with an increasingly weird expression on his face. For a moment, he didn't know which one would raise his wife and daughter's blood pressure better, holding a cannonball or going back with a glass pendant. Facing the warm smile on Mr. Duncan's face, he finally swallowed all his words and accepted this..."gift" frankly.

"Thank you very much for your kindness."

(End of this chapter)