Isaac waited a moment, and the nun finished her prayer, rose, and walked over. She stopped in front of Isaac, clasped her hands in front of her, and asked, "Are you Mr. Lessing?"
It wasn't Vilka after all... The nuns of the Church of the Golden Bough were all dressed and wore the same masks, making it impossible to tell them apart. Isaac had just thought the other person was Vilka herself.
"I am Isaac Lessing." He stood up and picked up his hat and cane.
"Mr. Lessing, Cardinal Visteria is waiting for you. Please follow me."
Visteria Isaac paused for a moment.
Yes, Carlo mentioned this when he spoke with the mercenary Fenn a long time ago: Vilka was not the name "that important person" used in public; she used a more prestigious title.
However, Visteria...
At first glance, this word appears to be a variant of " Vista," but those who have studied Hiro Script —the language of the early ancient empires, the precursor to today's "Common Language," and one of Isaac's required courses in university—will find that, in fact, the opposite is true: Vista is a variant of the Common Language of Visteria.
Visteria, in Hiro Script, means " Western Territory."
In other words, Vilka is directly using the name " Western Territory " when speaking to outsiders?
Isaac followed the nun through a small door on the side of the altar, pondering the meaning behind the name.
Many nobles adopted their fiefdoms as their surnames, and some even changed their original surnames to place names after receiving their fiefdoms, symbolizing that their family, as the rulers of the territory, could represent the entire land.
However, it is quite rare to use a place name directly as a name. Following the logic of noble surnames, using Visteria as a name is, in a sense, a declaration that one represents the entire Western Territory.
If it were the Ogway Family changing their name to Visteria, that would be somewhat understandable, but for Vilka herself to use that name...
"Cardinal Visteria, Mr. Lessing has arrived."
The nun stopped in front of a door, Isaac snapped out of his daze.
"Please come in."
The nun pushed open the door, stepped aside to let Isaac pass, thanked her, and went into the room.
This is a study, with a table and chairs, a bookshelf, and a badge on the wall depicting a broom blooming on Golden Bough.
Vilka sat behind her desk, still wearing her mask, making her indistinguishable from the nun outside the door.
"Good morning, Cardinal Visteria."
"Mr. Lessing, please have a seat." Vilka gestured to the chair opposite her, and the nun closed the door.
Isaac sat down opposite her and noticed three small wooden boxes on the desk.
Vilka pointed to the box on the table. "I have three suitable Wonder here. They all belong to the category of Relic and have no obvious side effects. You can take a look first."
She opened the small wooden box; three items were lined with velvet.
The first item is a bronze knuckle duster, showing signs of wear and tear, indicating that it has been used quite a bit.
The second item is a silver brooch, sculpted in the shape of a leaf, with exquisite craftsmanship.
The third item was a pair of gloves, made of dark brown leather, the kind a gentleman would wear when going out.
None of the three items are particularly eye-catching, and carrying them around wouldn't seem out of place.
"These three Wonder each have their own focus, and I will explain their respective functions. You can pick them up and take a look," Vilka said.
Isaac first picked up the brass knuckles, threaded four fingers through the ring, and tried making a fist.
"This brass knuckle can convert the wearer's anger into a power amplification, with the amplification generally ranging from 2 to 5 times depending on the level of anger."
Isaac thought for a moment. Knuckle dusters were suitable for direct confrontation, but he already had a revolver and a cane sword, so close combat was not the first choice.
Moreover, the characteristic of "anger turning into power" means that one needs to maintain anger in battle. Isaac does not consider himself an easily angered person, so he may find it difficult to make full use of the advantages of this Wonder when facing enemies.
Isaac put the brass knuckles back in the box and then picked up the brooch.
"This brooch can enhance the wearer's protective Spirit Garment, absorbing contamination that invades the Spirit Garment and emitting high temperatures as a warning. However, it needs to be purified regularly; otherwise, if the contamination accumulates or if it is subjected to excessively strong contamination in a short period of time, it will shatter."
Isaac was somewhat interested in this ability. He currently had almost no means of defense on a spiritual level, and with this brooch, he would at least have a bit more protection against such threats.
He finally picked up the gloves, put them on, and they fit his hands perfectly without any obstruction. When he placed his hands on the table, he could feel an almost real touch through the gloves.
"These gloves have a certain degree of stain resistance, which can protect them from many contact-related curses and toxins. At the same time, they can still transmit tactile sensation and will not affect daily activities when worn."
Isaac took off his gloves and put them back in the box, his gaze shifting between the brooch and the gloves.
The knuckle duster is a simple yet powerful enhancement, but it's neither necessary nor effective for Isaac, so it can be discarded.
The brooch has a more prominent defensive capability, acting directly on the Spirit Garment level and resisting those invisible and intangible erosions. With this brooch, one will at least not be completely unprepared when facing curses or Spirit Body threats.
Gloves are more versatile, as they are resistant to contamination and do not hinder daily activities. They are obviously very useful if you need to directly touch something "dirty".
As he was weighing his options, Vilka spoke up, "You can have all three."
Isaac was taken aback. Carlo had only asked for one Wonder, but Isaac hadn't expected Vilka to give him all three.
But there has to be an explanation for accepting two Wonder out of the blue.
" Vilka Verca, the agreed-upon reward was only one Wonder; the other two..."
"The remaining two items are my investment."
"What does the Cardinal expect in return?"
"I don't need you to do anything immediately, but if one day in the future I need you to take a side on certain matters, I hope you'll consider standing by my side."
Isaac frowned. The condition sounded broad, but it might not actually be. It likely meant that Vilka valued not the choice of a particular matter, but rather the stance on the future.
Vilka added, "If you feel that my position goes against your principles, you can refuse."
Aren't you afraid I'll take the things and then deny it?
Trust requires decency.
It's all about decorum. Isaac thinks that decorum is a very important aspect of Vista.
Clearly, if Vilka were to impose restrictive conditions in an "undignified" manner, he probably wouldn't accept the investment. Even if he were forced to accept it, he wouldn't willingly cooperate when faced with choices that truly went against his will in the future.
Rather than doing that, it's better to maintain some dignity at this moment and exchange goodwill for trust; at least in terms of posture, she occupies the moral high ground.
As for whether to accept... Isaac hesitated for a moment, then said, "If necessary in the future, I will carefully consider your position."