MMORPG: Rise of the Primordial Godsmith

Chapter 1552: The Empire’s Request (2)

”I...”

”I don’t think so...?”

Pondering over the sudden question Norggif asked him, Valyr eventually looked back at the old man with a slight confusion, unsure if his answer was actually correct.

After all, he had come to the empire because Byron asked him if he wanted to work on the request related to the blueprint he made. Since he said yes to it, that meant that he formally accepted the request, right?

”Seeing as you’re unsure, it seems you haven’t.” However, contrary to his train of thought, the old man shook his head at his response, only to let out a sigh soon after. ”Had a feeling that would be the case.”

Hearing those words, the young man only felt his confusion intensify. ”Pardon me for asking, but if I did accept it formally, how would I go about proving it to you?”

”If you had accepted the request formally, you would’ve obtained a writ that would’ve contained everything you needed to know about the request, as well as the rewards that would’ve been given to you the moment you completed it,” said Norggif in response.

”In other words, there would’ve been no purpose in you coming here to meet me. All of the information you needed would’ve been written down on the writ.”

”I... see.” Closing his eyes for a bit to process what he’d just heard, the young man took in a calming breath before looking back at the old man, trying his best not to show the puzzlement he felt.

Taking a bit more time to compose himself, Valyr eventually let out a low sigh as he asked Norggif what he felt was the most important follow-up question. ”How would I go about accepting the request formally, then?”

”Multiple steps,” explained Norggif, his expression solemn. ”First, you’d have to request an audience with the council. Then, during that meeting, you’d have to obtain recognition from the council that you have accepted the empire’s request.”

”After that, you’d have to request an audience with one of the empire’s Imperial clans, only to then do the same thing afterward.”

”Then, once you’ve obtained the recognition from both the council and one of the empire’s Imperial clans, only then would you have the right to request an audience with the emperor himself, who would give you the writ that would contain your request.”

”...And there’s no other way to accept it formally?” asked Valyr, feeling like the entire process meant he would have to go through a ton of hoops just to do it. ”That aside, is there a reason as to why I should accept the request formally?”

As these words left his mouth, Valyr briefly thought about how Byron and Julian mentioned nothing about a writ containing the request they accepted or anything about the steps needed to formally accept the request.

If that was the case, then didn’t that mean they didn’t accept the request formally either?

”Rewards-wise, there’s only a slight difference in quality when you accept it formally,” said the old man as he gave Valyr a solemn look. ”However, that part of the formal request isn’t important.”

”What’s important about accepting it formally is the ability to still keep the rights over the final product once the request is finished.”

Hearing those words, Valyr went silent as the gears in his mind started to turn for a bit.

Then, as if he finally realized what the old man was talking about, he looked back at Norggif with a slightly grim expression as he asked, ”So, if I don’t accept the request formally...?”

”Then, 9 times out of 10, the empire would hound you to hell and back if you ever decide to make another copy of the equipment you crafted for the request,” answered the old man as if it was something he’d seen multiple times already.

Unsurprisingly, those words caused Valyr to inwardly shudder.

After all, the last time he had done something similar, he eventually got in good terms with the Imperial Production Guild, allowing both sides to benefit out of it.

Yet, he was being told that the empire was something who would do the opposite of that?

’...’

’...Breathe.’

Letting out a long exhale to calm himself down, Valyr went over the conversation he had with the old man thus far before looking back at Norggif with a hint of doubt. ”How could I be certain that you aren’t just deceiving me with your words?”

In response, the old man flared out his aura all of a sudden, causing the former to briefly think that Norggif was now out to silence him.

Though, once he heard the next few words that came out of the old man’s mouth, Valyr was left looking at the man with a dumbfounded expression.

”Under the witness of the omnipotent and omniscient mana, as well as the everlasting and indefatigable truths of the universe, I, Norggif Mahar Avaritas, hereby declare that all of the information I’ve given to the young man in front of me have been nothing but the exact truth and only the exact truth.”

”If any of the statements and words I have given to this young man throughout our conversation thus far have any falsehood or deception within them, may the heavens strike down its punishment at me right this very moment.”

Rumble...

At the very moment the old man was finished saying those words, Valyr briefly heard the skies rumble for a bit as it gradually took on a dark tone.

Then, a few seconds later, the skies turned back to normal as if the sight from before was just a hallucination of sorts.

Just as Valyr was trying to wrap his head around why the old man before him decided that a veridical oath was the best way to prove his innocence, Norggif looked at the dumbfounded young man with a hint of amusement.

”Surely a veridical oath is enough to dispel any doubt you have?”

Though still at a loss for words at the old man’s decisiveness, Valyr faintly nodded in response to the question, causing the former to let out a slight chuckle soon after.

”Huu...”

Forcefully exhaling the air in his body to dispel the immense shock and disbelief he felt, the gears in Valyr’s mind turned once more as he began to look at the old man in a different light.

After all, who would go out of their way to swear a veridical oath just to prove their innocence to someone they just met for the first time?

”Er...” Realizing that the old man hadn’t one of his questions during their conversation, the young man decided to bring up the question once more. ”I asked this earlier, but you didn’t answer.”

”Is there any other way to accept the request formally?”

”There is,” replied Norggif, giving Valyr a faint nod. ”However, it will cost you.”

”I don’t mind,” said Valyr in return, his expression now resolute.

”I can handle the cost.”