NOVEL NEXT Chapter 131: The Ring of Wealth
CLANG!
The sound of a pickaxe meeting stone is undoubtedly the most stereotypical way of showing hard labour that Justinian could think of.
CLANG!
Swinging a pickaxe wasn't that much different from swinging a sword; the only difference was the target, and a stationary object was far easier to hit than a moving target that also wanted to kill you.
This was, in Justinian's opinion, a really easy trial.
CLANG!
But for Maria, it was the complete opposite; contrary to Justinian's expectations, she didn't whine or even complain once while mining; it seemed like she meant every single word of her speech to the tribesmen.
She genuinely will offer her work, faith, and effort in this task.
And if they wanted Mithral's attention, there was no better bait than the literal gods' favourite golden girl working in the mines with sheer focus and effort.
'This won't be a problem, after all.'
Justinian smiled, redoubling his efforts.
***
Gold.
Plenty of them.
All coincidentally all located in the exact spot they were mining...
That was certainly a miracle, and not in a metaphorical sense; it was a literal and genuine blessing itself.
And if there was any proof that it was an actual miracle, then look no further than Maria's amulet, which was now glowing like a torch.
It hadn't even been four hours until their efforts had finally been acknowledged; it would have been stranger if it hadn't.
Justinian had the gods cautious of his existence, while Maria was a conduit.
It was the only obvious outcome.
"I-Is that...?"
A tribesman who was mining just behind them widened their eyes in sheer shock, dropping his pickaxe. It had been years since they last saw Mithral's blessing; other than the cave itself, Mithral had mostly been silent.
This... this was a complete divergence of their usual daily lives.
The tribesmen immediately went off, and a minute later, entered the same two tribesmen who allowed Justinian and Maria to mine.
And their reaction was just as extravagant as the one who witnessed them.
"You... you two pass."
***
Justinian and Maria were allowed to keep their haul, two full sacks worth of the most expensive gold in the entire continent.
But while that itself was a great reward, Justinian was now about to gain something far, far better.
He dropped the sack just in front of the statue, grabbing a handful of raw gold as he placed it in front of the statue.
To the merchants, pilgrims, and tribesmen who were praying and minding their own business in the camp, it looked like just any normal offering to a god.
"Are you... Finally going to use the ring?"
Maria hovered behind Justinian as he placed the gold.
"Yes."
Justinian said with a voice more excited than usual.
And with two of the three preparations done, the last was now really easy, the blood of an arcanist.
Which was easily fulfilled when Justinian bit into his own thumb and let it bleed onto the raw gold itself.
"What's he doing...?"
A pilgrim who was on his knees praying just beside them murmured, confused at the odd way the two worshipped Mithral.
But he also felt a sliver of respect, not everyone would offer blood and gold just for an offering, to him, it looked like the two were just very... very avid worshippers of Mithral.
"And for the final piece..."
Justinian took off the ring of wealth from his fingers, holding it above his offering.
And if every step was correct...
Then...
RUMBLE!
Something will happen.
'Bingo.'
The ground trembled, not violently, not destructively.
But rhythmically.
Like a heartbeat.
The pilgrims paused mid-prayer. The merchants went silent. Even the tribesmen, hardened, weathered, accustomed to harsh winters and harsher lives, slowly turned to face the statue.
The ring did not glow.
The gold did not float.
There were no beams of divine light.
Instead…
The stone began to breathe.
A fine layer of snow and dust slid from the statue's surface, revealing something unseen for decades, metallic veins running across Mithral's form, gleaming faintly under the winter sky.
Not gold.
Not silver.
But something older. Heavier. Worked. Tempered.
Like a blacksmith's iron.
Maria's breath caught.
She had never seen a god respond without theatrics, no flames, no thunder, no celestial chorus.
Just labour.
The statue's hand twitched.
And then… with the sound of grinding earth, a single finger lifted.
Not raised high.
Not beckoning followers.
Just resting on Justinian's offering.
Almost like a craftsman assessing raw material.
A tribesman dropped to his knees.
Another followed.
RUMBLE!
The earth shook once again, and this time, the ground just in the middle of the camp had begun to descend, the pilgrims and merchants who were talking and lounging immediately evacuating the area as circular stairs began to form.
The ring of wealth had now been activated.
And just like its name, it had now opened a treasury of unimaginable wealth, but not just any wealth, an armoury filled with enough artifacts to turn a mortal into an immortal.
The same artifacts that Julius wore in his final battle against everything, in a battle that decided the fate of the world, with Maria by his side.
And now Justinian had taken it for himself.
"And with this... I no longer have to stress as much anymore..."
Justinian laughed, much crazier than he had expected, from just wanting to be a powerful duke, now becoming a literal demigod with artifacts of a god.
He wasn't sure if he should be concerned or relieved.
But before he could spiral even more, a simple kick on his back was enough to snap him out of it.
"...You should save that... ominous laughing when we're not surrounded by people."
Maria tilted her head, clearly embarrassed for him as the two were literally the center of attention.
"Ah... right."
Maria chuckled, grabbing Justinian by his arm and dragging him towards the circular stairs that led down to the newly opened armoury.
She was far more excited than Justinian was.