In the massive document Maurice brought, only this small section was connected to that mysterious symbol—and the symbol was just an insignificant part of this small section. The author of the document didn't even use a single word to interpret the symbol and the surrounding relief patterns.

Duncan and Maurice could only analyze the details presented in the manuscript illustrations. They tentatively concluded that the broken cross surrounded by a hexagonal outline should be a religious symbol or academic emblem from the Ancient Kingdom period.

Duncan slowly closed the large book.

From a rational point of view, Maurice believed that the ascetics who visited the *Lost Country* a century ago could not be descendants of the Ancient Kingdom. The possibility of a group of hermits surviving for ten thousand years in the chaotic and dangerous Deep Sea Era was almost zero. From a rigorous academic perspective, he couldn't rashly make this assumption unless he found more evidence.

But Duncan still intuitively felt that the ascetics of that year must have had inextricable links with the Ancient Kingdom of Crete. They held that mysterious emblem and valued it extremely, which meant they knew what the emblem meant.

Of course, assumptions were just assumptions. Without evidence, everything was empty talk. As it stood, unless the ascetics of that year reappeared before Duncan, no one would know their origins.

"...How many well-preserved Cretan ruins are there still in the world?" Duncan suddenly looked up and asked.

"There are very few ruins that have been found, you can count them on one hand. As for well-preserved... it depends on what the standard of 'well-preserved' is," Alice said. "For people who study the Ancient Kingdom, finding a confirmed Cretan pit, finding a dozen meters of connected wall bricks, or even just finding a few stone doors lying on the ground can be considered well-preserved."

Speaking of this, the old scholar couldn't help but let out a soft sigh: "Under normal circumstances, the ruins left within the city-state's rule are unlikely to be preserved. We will try our best to leave textual and image data for them, record every detail, and then collect the relics that can be analyzed in the research facilities. Finally... the ruins themselves will be leveled, filled in, and become part of the city."

Duncan pondered for a moment, muttering to himself: "Land to stand on is as precious as gold."

Alice solemnly took the crystal pendant and expressed her thanks, but Duncan seemed to remember something again, thoughtfully muttering: "If he takes that pendant back, and still gets nagged by his daughter, this time his wife will join in. Wait a minute, let me find you something real, so you can appease your wife and children."

"An old lady said it when she left just now," Nina said with a smile. "She said that with another clerk in the store who's as good-looking as the young miss, the stuff on the shelves looks real..."

Nina was counting some banknotes behind the counter. Maurice looked curiously at the side, while Shirley had disappeared at some point, probably running out to play.

"Antiques," Maurice looked at the old gentleman in front of him with a serious expression. "I have a lot of real stuff in my shop, but this one is definitely authentic."

Maurice nodded happily, put on his hat, and clamped the big book under his arm, going downstairs with Duncan.

Alice looked at the cannonball, then at Duncan, his expression becoming more and more strange. For a moment, he didn't know whether going back with a cannonball or with a glass pendant would make his wife and daughter's blood pressure rise more rapidly. However, facing Mr. Duncan's enthusiastic smile, he finally swallowed all the words back and accepted this... "gift" calmly.

"This is..." The old gentleman was a little confused. As he spoke, he carried the "real thing" he had found back to the counter and put the thing on the counter with a "thump."

However, Duncan turned around at this time and started rummaging in the pile of sundries next to the counter, muttering as he rummaged: "No need to say more, I understand... Ah, found it."

Maurice nodded: "We study history, preserve history, and strive to remember these past things in the passage of time, but we cannot let the past things squeeze

Living space.

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

After a pleasant conversation, it was time for Alice to say goodbye and leave.

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

Experiencing wantonness when the city-states disintegrated, witnessing the shattering of two histories and the annihilation of one of them, and the protection from the amulet.

"Ah?" Alice was a little surprised. "This... I didn't have this plan when I went out..."

"Looks like a cannonball?"

Duncan was stunned when he heard this: "Is it related to Maurice?" Alice waved his hands repeatedly when he heard this: "No need, no need, you don't have to do this for me..."

Alice looked at the pendant in Duncan's hand, seeing the magnificent crystal representing modern industry swaying gently in the air, its surface reflecting a colorful luster, and the first thing he thought of was the incredible experience Heidi had mentioned to him after returning:

"That's right, I don't know why, business is very good today," Nina raised the banknotes in her hand happily to Duncan, "Is it related to Maurice?"

I silently looked at Maurice, while Maurice looked at him in confusion.

"I hope this amulet will continue to bring good luck to Big Sister Heidi," Maurice said with a smile. "Take it, you deserve it."

"I know a friend in Lunsa who specializes in the history of the Ancient Kingdom. He was a classmate of mine when I was studying at the Academy of Truth," Maurice nodded, pointing to the big book on the table, "That book was given to me by him many years ago. I remember I mentioned related literature at the time. He also wrote a letter, but I don't know when I will receive a response."

Afterwards, he discussed many things about the Ancient Kingdom of Crete with Alice—about these scattered discoveries, these ethereal and strange legends, these half-truths and half-lies, and even ancient scrolls of literature that were impossible to distinguish between reality and mythology.

"That's right, it's from the *Lost Country*, in very good condition. He can even fire it out if he finds a suitable muzzle-loading smoothbore cannon," Duncan patted the big iron ball on the counter happily, "More importantly, the shell still has the broken steel seal of the cannonball factory and the personal mark of the founder. To be honest, it's even rarer than the last dagger—it's a gift for you."

"Nearly two thousand years have passed since the New City-State Calendar. In the era when explorers were most active, new islands were often discovered, and unknown wildernesses and ancient ruins came into our sight, but in the last century or two, this kind of 'discovery' has become almost extinct.

Alice stared blankly at what Duncan had taken to the counter.

However, Miss Doll had no idea what was going on - she was still trying to remember what banknotes looked like and how to count money.

"He promised his wife to go home for lunch before he left," The old scholar had a smile on his face, "I'm afraid he'll be scolded by his wife and daughter for half a day if he goes back too late."

Duncan was silent for a long time, but still focused on the symbol and the original literature behind it: "You said just now that your friend in academia can find more information related to this symbol?"

When Duncan walked down the stairs, Nina was patiently teaching Maurice, who lacked common sense, about currency: "Look, this one with the golden emblem is not Sola, here is the denomination... These coins are 'peso', the number on the front is the denomination... Don't bite it, it's very dirty!"

Duncan: "...?"

"The original 'new islands' gradually became city-states one after another. There was only so much land on the endless sea to stand on. The remaining relics... are either on isolated islands where the environment is harsh and uninhabitable, or they are shrouded in extraordinary power, or located on the edge of dangerous anomalies, so that even the Church can only explore them and then seal them on the sea chart."

"No money, it's a thank you for your hard work in finding the literature," Duncan smiled, stepped to the counter, and took a crystal pendant from the shelf—exactly the same as the pendant he gave to Alice as a "free gift," because I had a box of those pendants in stock. "I remember he mentioned that his daughter's pendant was broken, so this one is for you."

"Very... Thank you for your kindness."

The sudden movement made Maurice next to him jump, and he quickly reached out to support his head.

This dagger worth eight thousand seven hundred Sola was just an insignificant gift, and the real treasure was almost covered in dust before his eyes.

Maurice couldn't help laughing: "Look at how much he's enjoying it."

Maurice breathed a sigh of relief: "Wait patiently, let it be."

"Looks like business is good today?" Duncan glanced at the money in Nina's hand and raised his eyebrows slightly, "It's usually not this much."