The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 189: The Queen’s Eyes (1)

Chapter 189: The Queen’s Eyes (1)

"When did you arrive, Sterling?"

Hex didn’t hide his dislike for the Silver Serpent’s heir. At the same time, he eyed the silver-haired man cautiously.

Even now he hadn’t forgotten the rumors flying about Sterling, all underlining the ability of this young man to profiteer from every situation.

’If he is here, then he is after something. And it should be something he can profit from immensely.’

Sterling seemed to have noticed Hex’s cautious attitude. "See, like I told you. This guy is always vigilant but at the same time unwilling to back away from risks."

"I agree. He doesn’t trust either of us but still stands in the middle of our house without intending to retreat."

’These two are cousins alright,’ Hex thought exasperatedly and took a seat on the sofa. Usually, one sat after being invited to do so but Hex wasn’t one to bother with propriety, and neither did the cousins seem to mind.

"Should I be wary?" He asked, impolitely picking up a biscuit from the plate on the silver tray. The tea set beside the plate glowed softly, radiating its heat.

"Of course not," Sterling said, pouring tea in three cups. "We are all friends here."

’That’s stretching it,’ Hex thought but didn’t say anything. Instead of continuing his banter with Sterling, Hex turned toward Quid and stated the reason for his visit, even though the man claimed to be aware of it.

"I am here to check if you have another of those tools you used during our attack on the gate."

"Not only do we have it, we have even other versions of it," Quid said with a smile and turned to the side of the sofa where a small gong stood. As soon as the gong sounded, a side door opened through which two people entered the study.

’Knights,’ Hex sighed at the sight of the two expressionless middle-aged men carrying a wooden box into the study. ’In our little town, a Knight received respect and wealth but here they are just servants of large families and factions.

The men placed the box gently on the table and retreated. As far as Hex could tell, the men didn’t look even once at the people present in the study.

"We have very clear instructions for our helpers," Sterling explained, seemingly understanding Hex’s gaze. "They know not to see what isn’t to be seen, they don’t listen to what isn’t to be heard, and they think what isn’t to be thought."

Hex rolled his eyes at the cryptic way of speaking and directed his gaze at the box before him. Quid lifted the lid, displaying three pieces of equipment, all looking similar to the one Hex destroyed.

Quid took the first one out. It looked identical to the one he brought to the battle that day. "This is our first version of the Crystal Canon called GoBoom." He sniggered at the name and winked at Hex. "I guess you know why it’s named as such."

"Aptly named," Hex nodded with a chuckle. The equipment helped him survive against a Calamity and even gave him a pleasant surprise.

"This equipment or weapon is easy to use and has devasting power. Although I have to say," he added slowly as Hex saw Quid and Sterling look at him, "never did we encounter a situation where the equipment blasted into smithereens. It requires a lot of power to destroy these toys."

Hex looked at him without saying anything. The nature of the black swirl was a trump card which he wasn’t willing to divulge to others. Seeing his silence, Quid cleared his throat and continued.

"Despite his tremendous output, it has one glaring downside. This thing weighs quite a bit and isn’t suited for stealth and scouting missions. It is also only able to release one shot with a relatively long cooldown period."

"Hmm," Hex hummed and nodded. Even with his superior physical strength, he had been required to mount it before using it.

"This one is the second version," Quid said, picking up the second equipment out of the box. "It’s lighter and unleashes two shots before going on cooldown." Hex noticed the double barrel and the smaller build of the equipment. But it was still not handy when scouting areas he expected to encounter on this trip.

"Is this one named DoubeBoom?" Hex asked jokingly.

"Yes."

Unexpectedly, Quid and Sterling nodded cheerfully. Hex nearly facepalmed.

"As you can see it’s still not applicable for stealth operations and has a low flexibility during ambushes. That’s where the third model comes in handy." Quid picked the third one in the box. It was small enough to fit in his robe but had a single barrel.

"I present SilentBoom," Quid said proudly, admiring the small equipment in his hand. "Unlike the previous models, this one is deadly in close combat, easy to carry, easy to control, and inspired by you we have installed a detonate option, increasing its damage in a crucial moment."

’This one can come in handy.’ With such a weapon Hex would have an additional way to deal damage. The high number of Heartless in the ruin provided enough crystals so he wouldn’t have to worry about running out. The only thing he hoped to acquire was more of that black swirl.

"What is its price?" Hex asked cautiously. He didn’t think these two cousins would offer him something without expecting some benefits.

As expected, he noticed Quid glance at Sterling, who had been sipping his tea in silence all this time.

Sensing Quid’s and Hex’s eyes on him, Sterling put his cup on the table.

"These things aren’t for sale. Even members of the Silver Serpents aren’t trusted with them." Sterling spoke slowly and calmly.

"Then why show me these?" Hex asked confused. Were they so bored they wished to show off their stuff to a stranger?

"Because I want to make an exception but in return I want you to retrieve something from the Temple."

"And what is that?" Hex wasn’t surprised Sterling knew the task assigned to him. He was more interested in knowing what attracted the attention of Silver Serpent’s heir.

"The Queen’s Eye."

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