Chapter 7: Gia

"History carries knowledge and civilization. Thus, as nobles, understanding history is indispensable. Antiques embody traces of history, and to truly grasp history, one must first appreciate and understand antiques."

"A noble should be learned, graceful, and wise. A true noble appreciates and is knowledgeable about antiques. Can anyone tell me about the background of this ring?"

Gia held up the ring in her hand. Under the sunlight, it lacked the sparkle of a gemstone, suggesting it was crafted from a unique material.

Merlin knew nothing about antiques, but Anson beside him was an enthusiast, often collecting interesting pieces. Hearing Gia's question, Anson immediately stood up.

"Ms. Gia, may I have a closer look at the ring?"

Gia nodded, handing it to Anson, who carefully examined the patterns on its surface. Confidently, he said, "This ring's unique material seems to be carved from jade. Jade rings were fashionable only during the era of the mysterious Morta Empire, around 3,600 years ago. The ring's design matches the style from that period, so this is undoubtedly an antique from the Morta Empire."

Gia's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise at Anson's analysis. She nodded, "Impressive. What's your name?"

Anson was delighted. "My name is Anson."

Gia nodded again and continued, "Well done, Anson. Your analysis was spot on. Clearly, you're well-versed in noble etiquette's fundamentals—every noble should be well-educated. Now, for those who may not yet know antiques, don't worry. I'll spend ample time teaching you the basics. Take a look at this ring, feel its material, and observe its patterns. Experience the timelessness of an artifact that's 3,600 years old."

The ring was passed among the students in the front row, including Merlin. Though he wasn't particularly interested in antiques, he found the Morta Empire intriguing.

Merlin vaguely recalled the Morta Empire from his fragmented memories. It was undoubtedly a great and mysterious empire from 3,600 years ago.

The empire was considered great because, at its peak, it unified the entire continent, unlike the current era of dozens of smaller kingdoms.

It was mysterious because of its sudden collapse. Practically overnight, the entire Morta Empire disintegrated without any apparent cause. The empire had existed for less than a century, and even today, no one had a definitive explanation for its abrupt end.

How could such a vast empire collapse in a single night? Merlin was skeptical, thinking it was more likely that the true reasons were lost to history and buried in the layers of time.

As the ring was passed toward the back of the room, Gia followed it, moving among the students. Merlin noticed that Anson, who had been brimming with excitement, now looked troubled.

"Anson, what's wrong?" Merlin asked softly.

Anson cast a complex glance at Gia and sighed, "Getting close to Gia is probably impossible now. I originally thought she was like the other women who come here to charm noble sons. But after seeing that ring, I doubt it. Do you know how much that ring is worth?"

"Several dozen silver coins?" guessed Gut, who knew little about antiques. To him, gemstones were the real treasures, and he thought a jade ring might be worth a few silver coins at best.

Anson shook his head. "You couldn't buy it for dozens of gold coins. Ancient Morta Empire antiques are priceless these days, and this ring is exquisite, likely belonging to a noble of that era. If Gia can casually show us an antique worth tens of gold coins, she's not here for money."

Merlin pondered this. In this world, there were three currencies—gold, silver, and copper coins. A single gold coin was equivalent to roughly a thousand in his past life's currency, so an artifact worth dozens of gold coins was a small fortune. Someone capable of owning such an item likely wasn't here just to win the favor of noble heirs.

"You've got a point. Seems like this woman has a story of her own. But don't worry; there's no information I can't uncover. Give me a few days, and I'll have Gia's family tree," Gut said confidently.

Gia's first class ended shortly after. Since the students only had one lesson per day, they began to leave one by one.

Merlin joined Anson and Gut outside the building, where Moss was already waiting with the carriage. Just as Merlin was about to get in, Anson tugged on his coat and whispered, "Why head back so soon? Come with us somewhere."

Remembering May Snow's warning, Merlin shook his head. "No, I'd better go home. May Snow warned me to be back before dark."

Anson quickly replied, "Merlin, do you know where we're going? We're not just fooling around. I heard from a contact that a new batch of antiques arrived recently. Gut and I wanted to take a look."

"Just antiques?" Merlin asked, hesitating.

"Of course, just antiques. Come on!"

Finally, Merlin nodded and said, "Alright, let's take Moss's carriage."

Anson scoffed, "In that old cart? We'd be cramped. Let's take Gut's carriage."

Merlin looked up to see a luxurious, fur-lined carriage drawn by four horses approaching. With a wry smile, he nodded and instructed Moss, "Moss, go pick up May Snow from the church. It's getting cold, and she'll be more comfortable in the carriage."

"What about you, young master Merlin?"

Moss glanced at Anson and Gut with a worried look.

Gut waved dismissively. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he gets home safely."

Moss nodded, then, without further protest, directed his carriage toward the church. Merlin, Anson, and Gut climbed into the extravagant coach, settling in as it rolled away into the city.