"But This Is!!!"
Shock was plainly visible not only on Adam's face but also on Carl's. Both men stared at the newly unveiled artifact as if it were an object straight out of legend.
For it was one, One that was long lost in time and only after such a huge skip of time has it finally been found and that too was not easy to do.
In Adam's hands was a longsword, still encased in its sheath. The sheath itself was a lustrous silver-white, adorned with the image of a dragon, its head sculpted at the sword's handle.
Adam looked at the sword and remained silent for a moment as he let the moment blend in with him and remain in him for eternity before giving out a sigh of relief.
He remained incredulous as he gazed at the sheathed sword, unsure of what to do with it. Turning to Nigel, he asked, "Why?"
Nigel's smile was one of amusement as he replied, "Because you bid for it fair and square, unlike some others. The sword was destined to be sold anyway, so why not give it to the person who played the game most honorably, right?"
"Besides you were about to pay for it anyway and the sword would inevitably gotten to your hands so why not make the process much easier."
"And you're just going to give this to us for free?" Carl inquired, his tone laced with suspicion. He couldn't believe that an item that was worth close to a trillion dollars was being given to them for free without any consequences.
"Yes."
While Adam grinned at the news, Carl remained skeptical, sensing something amiss. He pressed further, "Why? We're willing to pay for the sword; there's no need to gift it to us."
Nigel leaned back into the sofa and said, "If it's about money, you can see we already have plenty flowing in from every bid. It's not your money we're after. Well, not entirely." His last words were delivered with a sly smile that didn't escape the attention of either man.
Both men became curious at the strange man's odd smile as they felt something was amiss.
Adam, initially elated, regained his composure and asked, "If it's not the money, then what do you want?"
"Well, if it's not too much to ask, I want to—" Nigel chuckled lightly as he corrected himself, "My boss wants to meet with the Trust Family Head."
Adam and Carl exchanged a glance, then Carl asked, "Is that all?"
"Yes."
"Nothing more?"
Adam gave a peculiar smile as he replied, "Sure."
Suddenly, an employee approached Nigel and whispered, "Sir, there seems to be an issue with the... uh," the man glanced at Adam and Carl before subtly adding, "the Caged Items."
Nigel frowned as he turned to the duo. They said, "Go ahead. We're already near the door, so we can see ourselves out."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, don't worry about us. It sounds like something urgent requires your attention, so it's better if you handle it before things escalate." Carl said with a smile, making it seem as though he was genuinely speaking to a friend.
Nigel smiled back, "Thanks for understanding. May we meet again." Adam and Carl nodded as Nigel quickly headed in the opposite direction.
As soon as he was out of sight, Carl's expression shifted dramatically. He looked in the direction Nigel had gone with a look of disgust. "Ugh! That guy gives me the creeps."
Adam was taken aback by Carl's sudden change, "Whoa! What happened to you? You were just talking to the guy like he was an old friend."
"Of course, I had to act that way. I couldn't show my true feelings in front of him. But in reality, that guy gives me really strange vibes." Carl shuddered at the memory of Nigel's smile.
"Well, I have to admit, you really fooled me—and probably him too. I didn't see you break character even once," Adam remarked, genuinely impressed.
"Yeah, I know." Carl said, flicking his hair back. "I was in the drama club back in high school. I played the lead role in *Gomeo and Wholiet*."
"What character did you play? Wholiet?"
"Haha. But seriously, I was quite the actor back then."
"I even had offers to star in some well-known TV shows, you know."
Adam nodded before asking, "So why did you stop acting?" His tone was genuinely curious.
Carl sighed deeply before responding, "Well... as I was playing lead roles in many famous productions, one day I met the love of my life."
Carl fell silent, prompting Adam to ask, "And then?"
"What do you think? I married her. End of story."