Chapter 1792: Unexpected Interest
"Valyr. Valyr Zeihardt."
Though the Overseer’s name made him inwardly raise his eyebrow, the young man did not show any hint of this on the outside as he returned the former’s handshake.
"I’m the Guardian of the Mystic Plane," he said to him, a faint smile also adorning his face. "Also, though it may not seem like it, I’m also a Lesser Elder of Veldanyr’s Blacksmith Guild... if that means anything to you, anyway."
Listening to Valyr introduce himself as the Guardian of the Mystic Plane, Xervei continued to look at the young man before him with a faint smile.
Even the young man’s mention of him being part of the Blacksmith Guild did not cause the expression on his face to change.
However, when he heard the surname that came out of Valyr’s mouth, it was only then did Xervei make a reaction.
"Zeihardt?" Xervei raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "You’re a Zeihardt?"
"Yes?" Although Valyr nodded at the question without hesitation, he could not help but wonder why the man in front of him had shown interest towards his surname all of a sudden.
"What’s your position within the Zeihardt Clan?" asked Xervei after getting Valyr’s confirmation, a look of expectation gradually becoming apparent on his face.
"...Are you a part of the Primordial Zeihardt clan by any chance?"
At those words, the young man quickly shook his head as he gave the man an honest answer. "Not at all. If anything, I’m just a member of one of its numerous Royal clans."
"I see." In response, Xervei’s slightly expectant expression disappeared in an instant. "Never mind, then."
Seeing the man’s expression undergo an abrupt change just from two of his answers, Valyr decided to reveal some of his earlier curiosity towards the matter with his next question.
"If you don’t mind me asking... is there a reason behind your inquiry?"
"There is." Letting out a soft exhale on the side, Xervei responded to the young man’s question with a slight nod. "However, since you’re just from a Royal Zeihardt clan, it’s highly unlikely that you’d be able to give me an answer even if I tell you about it."
"I wouldn’t know if I can answer it or not if you don’t tell me, Sir Xervei," answered Valyr with a slight shrug as he came up with his greeting for the Overseer on the spot.
Though hearing the young man call him by his first name caught him somewhat off guard, Xervei pushed the thought to the back of his head for the meantime as he gave the young man’s words a bit more thought.
’Well, even if he doesn’t know who I’m talking about, I’d only be wasting a bit of time anyway,’ he thought after some time, seeing that there was a lot to gain and not a lot to lose if he were to tell Valyr the reason behind his inquiry.
Plus, who knows? Perhaps the young man in front of him knew who he was talking about.
And so, after giving the young man a nod of agreement, Xervei went ahead and asked Valyr a follow-up question.
"Do you know the Ancestor of the Zeihardt Clan?"
"The Ancestor of the Zeihardt Clan?" The latter raised his eyebrow at those words.
Although he came up with a number of possible reasons behind Xervei’s earlier inquiry, the actual reason behind the clan’s ancestor was definitely a possibility he hadn’t taken into consideration.
"I guess you don’t, huh?" Seeing the confusion that appeared on Valyr’s face in response to his question, the man immediately assumed that the young man didn’t know who he was.
Then again, how would he know that the confusion on Valyr’s face was because his question came out of left field?
"Otto Zeihardt, right?" said Valyr after regaining his bearings, causing Xervei to pause as he looked at him with his mouth slightly agape. "I’ve heard of the Ancestor, yeah."
"You... you’ve really heard of him?" Taking a bit of time to compose himself, the man asked for confirmation. "You know who he is?"
"The founder of the Zeihardt Clan, no?" said Valyr in return, noticing that Xervei’s expectant gaze from earlier had returned. "As far as I know, he’s the one that allowed the humans of Veldanyr to get back on their feet."
"Exactly the one I was talking about!" replied Xervei, his tone and his expression now beginning to show hints of excitement. "Though this might be a shot in the dark, do you perhaps have a way to contact him?"
"Er..." Hearing that question, Valyr did not respond to it outright.
Though he could only use the talisman Vaughn gave him one last time to call for his help in an emergency, the talisman would still allow him to communicate with the man even after that last opportunity was used up.
Out of all the people that had connections with the Zeihardt clan on Veldanyr, perhaps he was the only one in the entire planet that had the easiest method to contact him.
However, whether or not Xervei’s motives in contacting Vaughn had any malicious intent were still unknown.
With that, Valyr decided to be a bit vague with his answer.
"Let’s say that I do have a way," said the young man with a slight shrug. "What message would you like me to pass onto him?"
"If possible, I would like you to tell him that the Nightingales have upheld their part of the promise," answered Xervei without hesitation, already believing that the young man in front of him had a means of contact.
"All that’s left for him to do now is to open the curtains of the new era."
"...The Nightingales have upheld their part of the promise... all that’s left is to open the curtains of the new era."
Repeating the man’s words in his head a couple of times, the young man eventually gave Xervei a nod of acknowledgment after he was sure that he wouldn’t forget it any time soon.
’I should give Vaughn a call after I leave the Shadow Plane,’ thought Valyr after that, getting the feeling that the message wasn’t as simple as Xervei made it out to be.
"Since Xervei has decided to introduce himself to you, it would be rude if I were to still keep you in the dark about my identity."
Seeing that their conversation had come to an end, the Serpent Maiden took it upon herself to make her presence known as she gave Valyr a slight smile.
"Just like Xervei here, I am also a Nightingale," she said, causing the young man’s eyes to widen in surprise.
"The name’s Florentine. Florentine Nightingale."
After that, she extended her hand out for a handshake, to which Valyr returned without hesitation.
Though, not long after letting go, the young man looked at the two for a bit before asking the first question that came to mind.
"Er... if you don’t mind me asking... how are the two of you related?"
At those words, both Xervei and Florentine looked at each other for a bit before turning to look back at Valyr with a hint of amusement.
"He’s the great-grandson of my 3rd nephew," said Florentine as she pointed at Xervei.
"And she’s my 3rd great-grandaunt," said the latter not long after as he pointed back at Florentine.
