Vaulting Anyone?

"Still looking?" Tal asked in her usual emotionless tone. However, Mike got the distinct impression that she wasn't trying to rush him. Given her personality, he assumed that she merely wanted to prompt him into sharing his thoughts on the matter at hand.

"I am. I know it seems a bit odd, but I can't shake the feeling there is something important down here." He replied distractedly while continuing to use Appraise. It was difficult to get a good look at everything from the narrow strip of safety set aside for visitors, so he had to pace back and forth to alter his perspective.

After spending close to ten minutes this way, he'd determined that the vast majority of the room didn't contain anything of interest. So far, he hadn't even spotted anything higher ranked than Tier 1, Rank 2, and that was merely due to the material in question being a bit rare.

On top of that, while the few fragmented descriptions he'd been able to wring out of the System did give him a small degree of insight into the culture and Technology of the High Elven civilization, they lacked any specific information that might be useful to him. Besides learning that the ancient race had manufacturing capabilities that rivaled or even surpassed those of his previous world, it looked like visiting this particular storage was a waste.

[I think there might be something behind that plate of sheet metal, but I can't get a good enough look to know for certain.]

"I don't suppose you can get the Caretakers to move a few things around?" He asked Torthan, who'd been idly reviewing a few documents he'd been carrying with him.

The Minister hesitated before speaking, as if he needed time to select the right words, "Under ordinary circumstances I could potentially get them to rearrange the contents of a storage room, but we are currently operating with a somewhat limited entry permit. With the exception of guiding us and the selection of items for your reward, the Caretakers will not listen to any requests we might put forward. It's meant to be a security measure, I believe."

"That sounds a bit extreme." Sera commented with a frown.

"I certainly agree, but it only comes into play when a non-vetted individual is escorted into the vault. The founder likely wanted to prevent possible intruders from interfering with operations, but it does cause us some headache from time to time. In any event, I could have the Caretakers rearrange things in this room during my next scheduled visit, but I'm afraid that won't take place until next month."

Mike sighed. "Let me guess, there is a limitation on the number of times or frequency with which you can visit the vault, right?"

"That is regrettably correct. After we leave here today, I will be unable to return for at least thirty days. I would have my secretary escort you again, but he was tasked with depositing an item in the Isolation Chamber yesterday. Unfortunately, there are only three people who can maintain entry permits at any given time, and the third is currently on mission in the Ateshi Commonwealth."

"Isolation Chamber?"

Torthan nodded, "It's where we keep the most dangerous or sensitive items. The room is encased in powerful enchantments that prevent its contents from influencing the rest of the vault. I'm afraid I cannot take you there, since it is restricted to all but the three individuals with entry permits."

"That's alright, I was just curious about it." Mike replied soothingly.

He briefly considered trying to surreptitiously use magic to get the steel plate moved, but was concerned about triggering the defensive mechanisms of the vault. Judging by the mana he felt stored in the walls, he would likely be able to escape without too much difficulty, but the others would be in danger. Finally, he shrugged. "Alright, nothing to be done about it, then. If you'd be so kind, please take me to the Utility Magic Item Storage."

"Of course." The minister replied with a nod before instructing their guide puppet.

As the group left the room, Mike couldn't help but feel that he was missing something important. Resolving himself to coming back here at some point in the future, he concentrated on deciding his final pick.

The Magic Item storage room had the same sort of layout as every other chamber they'd visited so far, with items of all sorts of shapes and sizes resting on a variety of shelves, display cases, and pedestals. After a brief look around, he quickly determined that there were only a few things here that might actually benefit him. Between the items he'd already picked up over the course of his travels and the things he'd developed the ability to create, he quickly realized that there wasn't much he actually needed.

This was not to say that nothing of interest or value could be found here, and in fact there were several items that might be worth picking up in the short term, but he wanted to make this choice worthwhile. After all, he now had enough money to simply buy most of these, assuming he could find a seller.

Mike considered trying one of the other rooms, perhaps one that stored magical materials. While it seemed like a bit of waste, he could probably make something pretty useful with the sorts of things being stored here. However, just as he was about to give up on the room, he caught sight of a tarnished brass doorknob, barely visible from underneath a stack of magical cloaks. It seemed so out of place among the various treasures, that he felt compelled to use Appraise on it.

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Doorknob of Sanctuary

Magic Item (Tier 3, Rank 5)

One of thirteen identical devices crafted by a now forgotten artificer, the Doorknob of Sanctuary provides weary travelers a place to rest in the midst of their journey. By affixing the knob to any vertical surface, the Owner can create a temporary door that allows access to a unique demi-realm, specific to the knob itself. The portal remains active for ten hours, during which time only creatures designated by the owner of the knob can make use of the door. At the end of its duration, any living beings still within the demi-realm are ejected along with their personal possessions, but everything else will remain behind until the doorknob is used again. May only be used once per day.

This doorknob currently has no owner, and requires attunement to function. By placing a drop of blood in the designated receptacle, a new owner can be assigned. Attunement will remain in effect until death or voluntary cancellation.

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At first glance, it seemed to merely be a way of providing shelter to travelers during long journeys, but he quickly picked up on the subtext.

[I could potentially use it to make a mobile base of operations. Depending on how much space is available, it could even double as backup storage if I ever manage to fill up the interdimensional sack...Hmm, now that I think about it, I believe I'm supposed to give that back at some point. Maybe I can get the University to let me keep it...]

He pulled Tal and Sera to one side to ask their opinion while Torthan politely moved to the far corner of the safe zone. After summarizing the knob's effects, the two were quick to give their feedback.

"Take it." Tal answered simply.

"Definitely, that's the one." Sera added.

"Are you sure? There are a lot of other items in this room."

The Oracle, not bothering to even look back at the rest, continued. "You won't find another borderline Tier 4 item in this room, or at least you shouldn't. Judging purely by the way they're handling it, I'm guessing the staff here aren't even aware of how potent of an item it is. As such, they should not have any problem with you selecting it."

"Useful features. Very necessary." Tal weighed in.

"That's right. Just think of all the time, money, and resources we'll be saving if we don't have to worry about staying in inns or camping as we travel. Not to mention security, since it would be functionally impossible for someone to steal anything we have stored inside it."

[Then we'd just have to worry about the knob itself getting taken, I guess.] He thought to himself, but he could already tell that they'd made up their minds.

Signalling Torthan, he indicated the knob and said. "I would like to pick that doorknob as my final selection."

The minister followed his pointing finger and stared at the item in question for a few moments before looking back. "While I appreciate the gesture, Sir Dragonknight, it is not necessary to take a worthless item for your third choice as compensation for the Hero Relic you selected as your second. Please feel free to take anything in this room. I can assure you that the treasures of true value, or at least those that we are aware of, are stored elsewhere."

"With all due respect, I've already made my choice."

Torthan shrugged. "Very well."

It didn't take long before the tarnished knob was delivered into Mike's waiting hand. After taking a few moments to feel its surprising weight, he slipped it into a pocket for safe keeping. He planned on experimenting with it once they got back to the dorms.

Once he'd finished inspecting the item, the minister announced, "With the three selections made, this concludes our trip here. Caretaker, guide us back to the Entrance Hall now."

It took them about fifteen minutes of walking before they were back where they started. As they rounded the corner, Mike caught sight of Barkas with his back turned towards them. The secretary was seemingly looking at something in his hand.

"I see you made it in time, Barkas." Torthan commented loudly as they approached, causing the other man to jump and swiftly stuff whatever it was he was holding into a pocket.

"Yes, sir. I was able to isolate the issue. Apparently there were some slight mana fluctuations in the defense grid. It didn't take long to fix." The secretary replied, a little nervously.

Torthan frowned. "What have I told you about fiddling with the defense grid? You know how dangerous that is to do without a trained artificer present. You could have activated the vault's lockdown procedures and trapped us all here for the next few weeks, and that's only if you didn't get us all killed in the process."

"I was careful. Like I said, it was only a minor glitch."

Sighing, the minister glanced over at the other three. "We will continue this conversation in my office. Regardless, I have one last task before we depart."

He motioned to one of the Caretakers who were currently standing along the edge of the room. The puppet walked over and handed him a small, wrapped package before that he promptly passed on to Tal. "Please accept this small token of the nation's appreciation for your efforts on our behalf. We have been holding this particular item for quite some time, and the council thought now would be an excellent time to return it to your people."

The elf calmly accepted the package with a simple thank you.

The minister nodded back, "Then, without further ado, we should make our departure."

To reinforce that statement, he promptly began climbing the ramp leading back to the vault's entrance. The rest of the group fell in behind him.

As they were walking, Barkas gave Mike a slightly unnerving smile. "So, Sir Dragonknight, did you find what you were looking for? Any more hidden gems lying buried beneath accumulated dross?"

Finding himself wishing that the strange man would stop talking to him, Mike replied. "I made my final selection, and I am quite happy with it, if that's what you are asking."

"Oh! Of course. I couldn't imagine it any other way. Would you perhaps be willing to show me what you ended up choosing, and maybe tell me why you did so?"

"You forget yourself, Barkas!" Torthan broke in sharply. "As custodians of the vault, we do not question our visitors or the choices they make. It seems that once we are done here, we will need to have a serious conversation concerning your behavior."

"It's alright. No harm done." Mike commented amiably, trying to avoid getting caught in the middle of an argument. The secretary had gone quiet, seemingly chastised, but there was something tense about his posture which made him appear ready to snap.

"That's gracious of you, sir." The minister replied, voice still cold with professional distaste. "Please rest assured that I will make sure that such a breach of etiquette is not repeated."

The rest of the trip was spent in silence, which only ended once they were back out in the foyer with the Royal Guardsmen. Once they'd arrived, Torthan turned to the trio and explained, "This is where I take my leave. I will have a clerk guide you to the administrative offices to receive your monetary reward in Miss Talitha's case, and finalize the paperwork for your line of credit, Sir Dragonknight. I once again thank you for all that you have done for our country. I will pray for your safe travels."

After saying their goodbyes, the three of them followed a young male clerk out of the room. Before leaving, Mike glanced back at Torthan and his secretary as they moved towards a different passage. Although he couldn't determine the content of their conversation, he could guess by the minister's dark expression and rigid body posture that he was giving Barkas a serious talking to.

The secretary for his part appeared to be sullenly accepting his superior's words, at least superficially. However, just as they were rounding the corner into the passageway, Mike caught a glimpse of the man's face and noted the look of pure hatred twisting his features as he glared at Torthan's back.

He also noticed that Barkas's hand was surreptitiously resting on his hip, where his robes might have a pocket. Almost as if he were protecting something, or reassuring himself that it was still there.

For a brief moment, Mike considered getting involved. Based on what he'd seen, it was very probable that the secretary was up to no good, but the exact nature of the situation largely eluded him. If he took his suspicions to the palace authorities, they would likely move to investigate based on his clout alone.

However, the last thing he wanted to do was tie himself into some kind of embezzlement scandal just as he was trying to leave the country. He could already anticipate the kind of rumors that might start circulating as a result. Besides, it wasn't as if he owed this kingdom anything at this point.

[Eh, whatever. If the guy wants to steal a few things to get back at his boss, I can't really be bothered. Based on what Torthan explained, I doubt he could do any real harm during this trip.]

Despite that line of thinking, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that he needed to do something, at least.

[Maybe an anonymous tip wouldn't hurt…]