Chapter 173: Book and Bailon

Amon continued staring at the item in front of him, his expression slowly becoming more serious.

It was a small, ancient-looking book with a dark cover that appeared to have been made from some kind of hardened leather.

Strange markings covered its surface, and several faint traces of mana seemed to move beneath the material.

-----

[Curse of Bailon]

[Grade: Platinum]

[Price: 1,000,000 Gold Coins]

[Description: A mysterious book made from the skin of a Saint. It contains the remnants of Bailon’s curse and can be used to place powerful curses upon other beings.]

-----

Amon stared at the information for several seconds. ’...A book made from the skin of a Saint?’

His eyes slowly moved toward the merchant.

The old shopkeeper was sitting behind his counter with a bored expression, seemingly unaware of what was sitting directly in front of him.

Amon then looked at Seraphina as she was still staring at the book. "Why are you so interested in this?"

Seraphina blinked and looked at him.

"I’m not sure." She tilted her head slightly before looking back at the book. "I just felt something different from it."

Amon’s expression became thoughtful. ’So she sensed something.’

Perhaps there was something about the book that even his Merchant’s Divine Insight couldn’t properly explain.

He wanted to investigate it further and Seraphina suddenly smiled when she noticed his interest.

"If you want it, you can have it."

Amon looked at her. "You don’t want it?"

Seraphina shook her head. "I just thought it was strange. If you’re interested in it, you should take it."

Amon smiled.

"Thank you." He paused for a moment before adding casually. "In return, I’ll give you something else later."

Seraphina’s face immediately turned red.

The blush spread across her cheeks until they became almost beet red, and she quickly turned her face away from him.

Amon’s lips twitched. ’Lady, I wasn’t talking about sex.’

He decided not to clarify as he turned toward the shopkeeper.

"How much?"

The old merchant looked at the book before naming his price. "One hundred thousand Gold Coins."

Amon didn’t even bother negotiating.

"Alright."

He paid the amount and picked up the book.

The moment it entered his hands, he could feel a strange sensation spreading through his fingers.

It wasn’t painful. It was more like something was quietly observing him from inside the ancient object.

Amon narrowed his eyes slightly. ’This is going to be a good thing on understanding curses.’

He stored the book inside his space bracelet. Whatever secret this thing contained, he could investigate it later.

For now, he wanted to enjoy the day with Seraphina.

The two continued walking through the market for another hour.

They checked several stalls, looked through old weapons, examined magical accessories, and even stopped at a food stall for a few minutes.

However, nothing else managed to catch Amon’s attention.

Eventually, the crowded market began to thin out as the afternoon slowly approached evening.

Amon looked toward Seraphina. "Do you want to eat something?"

Seraphina immediately smiled. "I’d love to have some white juice."

Amon stopped walking as he slowly turned toward her.

"...White juice?"

Seraphina looked at him innocently. "Yes. Made by my dearest boyfriend."

Amon stared at her for a few seconds before understanding exactly what she meant.

He covered his face with one hand. "Are you always this horny?"

Seraphina shrugged without a shame on her face.

"I wasn’t this bad before." She looked at him with a small smile. "You’re the one who made me like this."

Amon’s expression immediately became offended. "You can’t just put the blame on me."

Seraphina chuckled. "If it wasn’t for you, I would’ve lived a completely normal life."

Amon looked at her suspiciously. "Really?"

"Yes."

He thought for a moment before asking. "Are you sure you’re the only horny one in your family?"

Seraphina stared at him before she sighed as though she was dealing with an idiot.

"You really don’t understand women, Mister Amon." She pointed a finger toward his chest. "Every woman is horny for the right man."

Amon chuckled softly. "Is that what you think about your mother?"

Seraphina immediately slapped his arm. "You’re a really bad person."

Amon rubbed his arm dramatically. "I already warned you about my nature."

Seraphina looked at him for a moment before her expression softened. "I still love you despite that."

Amon’s smile became slightly wider and for a brief moment, neither of them said anything.

Seraphina suddenly narrowed her eyes. "Are you blushing?"

Amon’s expression immediately changed.

"No."

"You are."

"I’m not."

"You definitely are."

Amon sighed before wrapping an arm around her neck and pulling her closer.

"Come on. Let’s go buy some ice cream."

Seraphina laughed as she allowed herself to be pulled along.

"You’re changing the subject."

"I am not."

"Aw, my baby is blushin--."

Amon clasped her mouth as they walked away.

The two continued down the street together, their conversation gradually disappearing into the noise of the busy city.

---

[Several hours later.]

A car slowly moved towards Marielle’s bungalow.

Marielle had picked them up from the city and driving them home, and by the time they arrived, the sun was still hanging above the horizon.

Amon stepped out of the car and looked toward the sky.

There was still plenty of daylight left. ’We came back earlier than I expected.’

The three entered the house together.

Marielle removed her shoes near the entrance before walking farther inside.

She looked toward Amon and Seraphina. "Are you two planning to go back home tomorrow?"

Amon blinked. "What?"

Marielle looked at him with a slightly amused expression.

"There’s a two-day holiday." She walked toward the living room and continued speaking. "You can return home for a while instead of staying here."

Seraphina’s eyes immediately lit up. "I want to go."

Marielle laughed softly. "I thought you might."

Seraphina nodded enthusiastically. "I’m already homesick."

Amon looked at her. "You’ve only been here for a day."

"That’s long enough."

Marielle shook her head with a smile. "Alright. I’ll activate the teleportation portal tomorrow."

Amon remained silent as his thoughts were already moving elsewhere.

After a few seconds, he looked toward Marielle.

"Marielle."

She stopped. "What happened?"

Amon didn’t answer as he reached toward his space bracelet.

A faint spatial ripple appeared beside his hand.

He pulled out a long cylindrical object and held it carefully in one hand.

The strange object was roughly the length of his sofa, with a dark metallic surface covered in several unfamiliar markings.

Marielle’s expression changed slightly when she saw it.

Amon looked directly at her. "I want you to take a look at something."