6kv Chapter 160 The Fantastic Nokia
Chapter 160 The Fantastic Nokia
Chapter 160 The Fantastic Nokia
"I'm very sorry to bother you so late." Geb bowed to Lady Stoneheart. "The thing is, I would like to ask you to help me communicate with a wizard I have never met."
The halfling felt he had given Lady Stoneheart enough information to gain her trust. The whole story, as Gebu recounted, was as follows:
Lady Stoneheart had already learned of the existence of the beastmen during the Dulin kidnapping incident.
Gebu defeated the beastmen and the manticore, successfully rescuing Dulin. During the process, Gebu discovered that someone was offering a high price for the manticore's stinger, so he decided to find this buyer.
Just then, Catwoman delivered herself to their doorstep.
So Geb wanted Lady Stoneheart to help him send a message to the "Golden Mask" to sell the Scorpion Tail Needle.
Everything above is true.
However, some crucial details were omitted, such as the fact that the stinger was used to make poison, the connection between the Golden Mask and the Gray Raven Society, and where Geb first heard the name Golden Mask—information that Stoneheart did not need to know.
Lady Stoneheart listened to Gebu's story without revealing her true feelings, and the dwarf's unfathomable gaze made Gebu feel slightly guilty.
She paused for a moment, then said, "I know about the magic you're talking about, the texting spell."
"That's wonderful!" Gebu exclaimed with delight, then suddenly realized he had been a bit presumptuous in the middle of the night. He quickly lowered his voice and continued, "Of course, it won't be free. I can pay the corresponding amount of gold in exchange."
"I think you misunderstand the nature of [Spiritual Path] magic," the dwarf said slowly. "My magic comes from my connection with the Stone Mother. I pray to her, asking the gods to grant me the ability to cast spells, something I can only do in meditation."
"Ah, is that so—you mean, the text messaging spell isn't ready right now? That's alright, I can come back tomorrow morning."
“No, that’s not what I meant.” The dwarf raised her eyes, her smile fading, replaced by seriousness. “I am a priestess serving the gods; my magic is not for sale—that’s a matter of principle. If you were a child of the Stone Mother, it would be perfectly natural for me to use magic to help you. But you are not.”
Hey, is this racism? Looking down on halflings?
Geb scratched his head. "You mean, if Dulin came to you for help, you'd agree?"
"No. Even so, I will not allow it," Lady Stoneheart said with a hint of coldness. "The relationship between this Golden Mask and the Beastman is unclear. He's in cahoots with a group of bandits, and I disdain to speak with such a person, let alone expose myself to him."
Hearing this, Gebu felt somewhat disappointed. There was nothing wrong with what Shi Xin said. She was a cautious person, and this wouldn't do her any good.
Seeing the halfling's disappointed expression, Stoneheart continued, "However, I won't stop you. You're a smart man; you should know that you have to be responsible for the consequences of your actions."
"If you don't help me, I can't really say I've done anything, let alone face any consequences," Gebu said in a low voice. "Is there really no other way? How about you sell me a scroll? I'll cast the spell myself, okay?"
"My magic is not for sale," the dwarf woman repeated.
"—I'm sorry, I was rude." Gebu knew that although Madam Stoneheart was calm and composed, her patience was not limitless.
Waking her up in the middle of the night to make demands was already going too far; if he insisted on it, he would be truly asking for trouble.
Gebu bowed to Lady Stoneheart to say goodbye and turned to leave, but Lady Stoneheart called him back.
"Gebu, please forgive my tendency to be a know-it-all, but I consider myself a bit older than you and have gone further on the path of wizardry. I would like to offer you some advice."
"Please go ahead." Gebu had just been turned away and wasn't really in the mood to listen to Shi Xin's lesson, but he still spoke politely.
"Some things can't be rushed, especially the path of a wizard. Shortcuts may be convenient, but they come at a price," Shi Xin said earnestly. "If you take the wrong shortcut, you'll end up on the wrong path."
Gebu thought for a moment, and realized that this must refer to his desire to get involved with the Golden Mask.
Although he didn't say it outright, it was obvious that a "customer" who could use text messaging was definitely a high-level wizard. Shi Xin probably guessed that his purpose wasn't just to make money.
"You're right, I was indeed impatient, that's just my personality," Gebu said, bowing his head.
Seeing the halfling in front of him so humble, Shi Xin nodded and smiled with satisfaction.
"However, I don't think it's a bad thing." Gebu suddenly looked up at Shi Xin, raised his voice slightly, and said seriously.
Shi Xin's smile disappeared. She wasn't angry, just a little curious.
"You are a dwarven priestess, your soul as steadfast as a mountain, your body as enduring as the earth," Geb said politely, refuting the dwarf's words without any intention of offense. "You have ample time and patience to pursue the most conservative, safest, and tried-and-tested path. I believe the Stone Mother greatly admires your composure."
"But my situation is different. Compared to dwarves, my lifespan is short, and my time is limited. I have no clan or society to support my growth—every step I take forward is traversing unknown rapids with my bare feet. Yes, I am impatient and eager for quick success. But please believe me, all the choices I make are well-considered."
"This scorpion stinger only has value when sold to the right person at the right time. If you miss that opportunity, it's worthless." Gebu took the stinger out of the dimensional belt, held it in his hand, and said to the female dwarf, "Many people have lost their lives for this thing, and my companions and I almost perished as well. Now that it's in my hands, I must make the most of it and absolutely not waste it."
"That's why I'm in such a hurry. Call me stingy or impatient if you will—I'm not trying to argue with you, and I know you mean well."
I just hope you can understand my motivation.
After saying this, Gebu's face flushed slightly. He bowed again to the dwarf woman as a sign of goodwill. Stoneheart was Gebu's benefactor; he absolutely could not afford to offend her.
Of course, the female dwarf isn't easily angered.
She smoothed her braided beard and a slight smile appeared on her lips.
"I see."
"That's great," Geb said. "Long live understanding. I also understand why you were unwilling to help me. You did the right thing; it's a matter of principle."
"However, there's one thing you're wrong about," Stoneheart said with a smile. "In my clan, I'm definitely not considered a conservative person."
Putting aside my decision to leave the temple and travel despite everyone's objections, just recently I took a huge risk, betting on an extremely uncertain factor.
"What do you mean?"
"That uncertainty was you, Gebu," Shi Xin laughed. "Luckily, I bet on it right. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know how I would have ended up like this."
Upon hearing this, Gebu was initially at a loss, but the clever man quickly understood what Shi Xin meant. This was a compliment, referring to his unexpected solution to the scorpion problem that had plagued the caravan for so long.
Gebu was rarely praised, especially by those in power—his previous leaders, like the old shaman and Xiong Laoda, were of terrible character and didn't feel happy when praised.
There's also the creepy uncle who always says he admires himself, but it just makes people feel uneasy, like being followed and constantly praised for being sexy—just thinking about it makes me uncomfortable.
The halfling felt a warmth in his heart. It wasn't just because Lady Stoneheart had approved of him, but also because he had stood by his beliefs and earned the dwarf's respect.
After speaking, Madam Stoneheart took out a strangely shaped piece of pottery from under the table.
This palm-sized pottery piece is carved with an abstract human face. It has no eyes or nose, only the outline of the face, one ear, and one mouth.
"While I cannot help you with my magic, long-distance communication isn't limited to just short messages," Lady Stoneheart said, placing the pottery on the table. "This magical item is called a communication stone. These stones usually come in pairs, allowing you to send a 25-character message to each other once a day, with the same effect as short messages. However, the communication stones of the Salt and Iron Merchant Guild are specially enchanted, enabling them to connect with any communication stone on the continent, as long as you know who the stone's owner is."
"If the golden mask you mentioned has a similar communication stone, you can use it to send him a message—if he doesn't, then you're just unlucky."
"Can I use this?!" Gebu rushed forward, grabbed the communication stone, looked at the treasure, and happily spun around three times before realizing his lapse in composure. He quickly put the stone down and thanked the stone repeatedly.
"This is the property of the Chamber of Commerce, so I can't just give it to you for free," Shi Xin said. "If you want it, I can sell it to you for 500 gold coins."
"Great! Absolutely great!"
500 gold coins is expensive, but this is a magical item, a communication stone, and a special super communication stone at that. Looking at how solid the stone looks, it can be used to crack walnuts. A word from a distant memory entered Gebu's mind.
Nokia.
Is it expensive to buy a fantasy Nokia for 500 gold coins?
It's so inexpensive! Even if I don't need it now, I'm sure I'll use it in the future!
After the investment in the company was completed, Gebu still had about 1000 gold coins in cash. However, he didn't spend his own money; instead, he directly deposited 500 gold coins into Gebu's company account. Including the initial investment of 500, the company now has 6500 gold coins in its account.
If Mikoto and Durin hadn't noticed, this matter would have been over.
If it's discovered, then fix it.
Hey, we can use public funds for a day's expenses too!
Gebu happily bid farewell to Lady Stoneheart, clutching his newly acquired communication stone, and ran back to his tent. "It's so late at night; they might be sleeping over there, so I won't use it for now."
The goblin wizard planned to try it out first thing tomorrow morning. He was so excited that he couldn't sleep for half the night. It wasn't until late at night that he finally fell asleep quietly, clutching the communication stone.