Chapter 561: People with Many Secrets
Since returning from the impact crater on the southern foothills of the Dark Mountains, Gawain had been busy gathering and reorganizing all known information about the mysterious organization called the Mithril Vault.
This secretive group was possibly connected to dragons, and dragons seemed to be tied to the continent’s overall situation—the magical storms, the enigmatic “Black Trap” phenomenon. On the other hand, the original owner of this body, Gawain Cecil, also had some ties to the Mithril Vault… All these threads intertwined, forcing him to raise his guard toward this shadowy organization.
As he dug deeper, Gawain discovered there was far more information about the Mithril Vault than he had imagined. In fact, the data was practically overwhelming.
The Mithril Vault was indeed ancient and mysterious, but it was never an isolated group. On the contrary, it operated actively across nearly every known land inhabited by humans, even extending into elemental and high-tier magical creature territories. It collected, safeguarded, and lent out resources, trading with any nation or race—as long as they met the Vault’s “trade standards,” an agent would appear before them. In this sense, the Vault was surprisingly “open.”
They even maintained fixed contact points in major cities, staffed with permanent liaisons who established effective and stable official channels with local powers. In Luan City, Hosman, and the old city of Peipo, there were seven “branches” of the Mithril Vault, each run by a dozen or so low-level agents, all still operating normally.
Each was a century-old establishment.
They conducted business much like a paid vault and lending service—legally, with complete documentation. After the southern territories unified, they promptly registered with the local government offices. One branch was even named Hosman’s Outstanding Merchant of the Year, and the agent’s award ceremony photo appeared in the local newspaper…
But beyond these surface details, the deeper secrets of the Mithril Vault were much harder to uncover.
The grassroots branches seemed to hold no secrets; their low-level agents were just ordinary people. Gawain had investigated some of these agents and confirmed they were all locals with clean backgrounds and clear identification. These low-level agents reported to higher “regional agents,” whose identities also seemed legitimate—at least, Cecil’s government office found no issues.
So where, exactly, did the Vault’s agents connect with the dragons?
Gawain still had no clue. But the Vault’s organizational structure reminded him of Cecil’s own commercial intelligence network—a highly secretive system built on multi-tiered business organizations, with intelligence officers as key nodes. He suspected the Vault’s agent system was something similar.
The silver ring on his finger warmed slightly as he infused it with magic. A faintly hoarse, mature voice sounded in his ear, breaking his train of thought: “Greetings, Duke Gawain Cecil. How may I assist you today?”
“My Little Pony,” Gawain steadied himself and replied calmly, “I have some questions about the Mithril Vault I’d like to discuss in person.”
After extensive investigation, he had decided to make direct contact and test the waters. Since Miss Melita was already a “senior agent,” Gawain had reason to believe she held some high-level secrets. If the attempt succeeded, he’d gain valuable intelligence; if not, no great loss.
There was a noticeable pause on the other end before the voice responded, “An in-person consultation… Is this a matter of great importance?”
“Very important,” Gawain said evenly. “Is that a problem?”
“No, no problem. The Mithril Vault always honors its contracts faithfully,” Melita Pernia’s voice came through. “I will visit you shortly—I happen to be near Cecil City.”
The warmth from the silver ring faded, but Gawain frowned slightly.
Melita just happened to be near Cecil City? Coincidence, or by design? And why volunteer that information?
Theoretically, very few “clients” could speak directly with a senior Vault agent. In Cecil’s lands, he was probably the only one. Melita’s presence nearby couldn’t be for other clients… So was she actually waiting for his contact all along?
Gawain shook his head, thinking he might be overanalyzing. But given the dragons’ involvement, it was better to stay cautious.
With no other appointments that day, Gawain patiently waited in his lordly manor for the senior agent’s visit—and he didn’t have to wait long.
As the great sun began to tilt westward, Betty burst into the study, bowing deeply. “Master! Someone’s here to see you! She says her name is—”
“Show her in,” Gawain interrupted. “Also, prepare some tea and bring it to the study.”
“Yes, sir!”
Gawain tidied the papers on his desk. Minutes later, footsteps echoed down the corridor.
The study door opened, and a young woman in a flowing purple chiffon dress, her face veiled in pale lavender, entered gracefully, exuding an air of mystery. It was the Mithril Vault’s senior agent.
After Betty led the guest inside, she quietly withdrew. Gawain glanced at Melita without revealing any emotion, nodding calmly. “Long time no see, Agent.”
“Long time no see, Duke Cecil,” Melita returned the nod, then—somewhat unsteady—approached his desk. “This city changes every day. It’s quite astonishing.”
Gawain: “…”
Though Melita tried to maintain a composed and dignified posture, Gawain immediately noticed something—her leg seemed injured!
“What happened to your leg?!”
“…Life is full of surprises,” the agent said calmly, though Gawain thought he caught a flicker of irritation in her eyes. “It’s just a minor injury, nothing that affects my work.”
Naturally, Gawain was curious why a senior Vault agent—likely a high-tier supernatural being—would be hurt. But he wasn’t one to pry into others’ private matters, so he simply gestured to a nearby chair. “Sit down and let’s talk. If I’d known you were injured, I wouldn’t have called you here today.”
“The Mithril Vault’s reputation is paramount. We never compromise on client service—never have, for a thousand years,” Melita said as she sat. Before Gawain could start, she added casually, “And our conversation today will be very necessary, don’t you think?”
Gawain’s brow twitched slightly. “Oh?”
“Let’s be frank, Duke Cecil,” Melita sighed. “Not long ago, you led an expedition to the southern Dark Mountains, didn’t you?”
Gawain’s gaze momentarily froze, but beneath his calm exterior, his heart leapt.
Suppressing a flood of assumptions and guesses, he met the senior agent’s eyes steadily. “Do you know what we found there?”
“You found…” Melita whispered, then leaned forward, her face close to his—
Her enchanting pale purple eyes suddenly shifted into vertical slits. Fine scales shimmered faintly along the sides of her eyes. Amid a subtle surge of powerful aura, her voice reached Gawain’s ear:
“Dragon traces, yes?”
Gawain regarded Melita’s partially draconic features with quiet composure. After holding the form for two seconds, she quickly returned to normal and resumed her seat. At that moment, Betty’s voice came from outside the door: “Master! I’ve brought the tea!”
“Set it here,” Gawain said, the atmosphere instantly returning to normal. He nodded gently. “You should rest now. No visitors to the study for a while.”
“Yes, sir!”
Betty obediently closed the door behind her. After a brief silence, Melita chuckled softly, breaking the quiet. “I thought my eyes and scales might at least startle you a little.”
Gawain spread his hands. “Honestly—I have someone here with longer scales than you. She might even have more scales than you do. So I’m not easily surprised by unusual non-human traits.”
Melita was somewhat taken aback by his response, then sighed with a hint of helplessness. “…You mean the sea witch? Indeed, you have quite a collection of… fascinating people around you.”
Gawain maintained his calm, but his mind raced. The first thought that came to him was the dragon he had spotted from a satellite perspective—
Melita Pernia, the Mithril Vault’s senior agent, was probably that very dragon!
And her leg injury…
Could it be that this dragon’s way of shaking off satellite tracking was to crash-land?
Suddenly, all the clues seemed to connect. But Gawain guessed Melita didn’t know about his “satellite” abilities. She likely only knew he had led an expedition to the southern Dark Mountains and discovered the impact crater. That meant he couldn’t reveal the “crash” detail or show he already knew dragons were active there.
He carefully weighed the information gap and, judging from Melita’s voluntary identity reveal, tried to discern her motives. Then he cautiously spoke: “Fascinating, indeed… But to humans, sea witches and dragons are far more than just ‘fascinating.’ I’m fortunate to know members of both legendary races. I’m curious—what does a dragon, who also happens to be a ‘senior agent’ of the Mithril Vault, want in the human world?”
“No need to be so guarded. Dragons bear no ill will toward humans,” Melita said. “But before we continue, I’d like to retrieve something I accidentally lost—precious Vault property. I know it’s in your possession. I can sense its aura.”
After she revealed her identity, Gawain had expected her to mention the rings. He casually pulled out a box of Mithril Rings from a compartment under his desk and placed it on the table. “You mean these rings?”
“Yes. Could you return them to me?”
“Then we have much to discuss,” Gawain said, resting his hand on the box and leaning back in his chair. “Let’s start with the relationship between the Mithril Vault and dragons. Are you an exception among senior agents?”
Melita didn’t answer immediately but looked at Gawain with amused eyes. “You’re remarkably calm when facing a true dragon.”
“I’ve faced the most astonishing things since climbing out of my coffin,” Gawain smiled faintly. “Dragons don’t surprise me much anymore.”
(End of chapter)