Workshop (8)
"Then what?"
Without the slightest hesitation, the instant Lady Yingzhu spoke, Fu Qian already had the glittering gold coin pinched between his fingers.
The smoothness and conviction of this no-nonsense gesture were so striking that, in an instant, it perfectly explained his earlier statement.
Oz's increasingly serious gaze made that clear.
"What do you think of the design on it?"
Lady Yingzhu was worthy of being an official examiner. Though her expression was equally grave, she answered without much hesitation.
"Very high quality, and quite lifelike."
Both sides of the coin bore the same design. Fu Qian stood it upright on a nearby low cabinet, then commented as he studied the figure in the design.
"And what else?"
The answer was clearly more about appreciation, and Lady Yingzhu furrowed her brow slightly, seeming less than satisfied.
"They've even made extremely clever use of the material itself. Without gold of this purity, it'd be hard to convey the texture of this body."
Without even blinking, Fu Qian answered fluently.
"...Other than that, haven't you noticed anything else unusual? Perhaps something related to how you found it?"
Lady Yingzhu finally couldn't help but correct the direction of his answer.
"You mean the designs painted on the walls? Of course."
Fu Qian nodded slightly and answered without hesitation.
"Though they look quite different, they clearly follow certain elements they have in common."
"That's also why, when His Excellency Oz told me this was his favorite, I had no doubts. It's obvious that all the designs hidden in that place correspond to different coins—"
As he spoke, Fu Qian's gaze had already moved to the surrounding walls.
"And it's the same here."
"Why do you say that?"
Lady Yingzhu's slender figure seemed somewhat satisfied with his suddenly serious response. Her eyes narrowed