After tidying up the altar, Tris finally turned to the table placed at the center.
He had noticed it earlier but was worried that the chamber might still hide unknown dangers, so he postponed checking it.
'So there are ten spatial rings placed here.'
If not for the fact that he already had eight spatial rings on hand, Tris would have jumped for joy.
Why eight? Because earlier, after searching the body of the masked assassin, Tris had unexpectedly found another one.
Now, with the ten before him, the total number of rings he possessed reached eighteen.
With so many rings, even Tris felt troubled about storing them.
The reason was that one spatial ring could not be stored inside another.
Two hands had only ten fingers, leaving eight rings still needing a place.
"Here they call it troubled happiness." – Tris gained benefit yet still boasted.
He picked up one ring from the table to examine.
As he checked, his eyes widened, his face clearly showing astonishment.
Tris put the ring back and began checking each one in turn.
After finishing them all, Tris laughed with delight. Now he truly wanted to jump for joy.
It turned out Zyron had used the chamber as his storage vault.
Inside the ten rings on the table were filled with precious materials.
With such resources, Tris could conveniently use them for research and craft many puppets later, with plenty to spare.
Ten rings together with all the materials inside—Zyron had truly left him a vast fortune.
And that was not even counting the gold coins Zyron had hoarded.
The cash alone amounted to more than twenty thousand gold coins.
Adding the gold carried by the assassins and the amount Tris already had, he now possessed nearly forty thousand gold coins.
'Dead yet still so considerate. Perhaps I should have left him a more intact corpse for respect.'
If Zyron were alive to hear Tris's thoughts, he would surely die again from rage.
After packing all valuables, Tris carefully erased every trace related to the heretical god.
This was crucial, not to preserve the honor of the dead village chief.
If it concerned only his honor, Tris would gladly let it rot.
What Tris feared was that if the heretical god were exposed, officials or the church might investigate.
Then Tris could be implicated and face trouble.
He could not endure being investigated for heresy.
For even if he claimed no connection, Tris himself would not believe it.
Thus, it was necessary to ensure the matter of the heretical god would not be revealed, cutting off all ties to Tris.
After finishing, Tris left the chamber, carefully returning the bookshelf to its place.
'One last thing remains.' – Tris thought silently as he walked away.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Knock knock."
Night had fallen, but suddenly there was a knock at the door.
"Who would visit at this hour?" – Maren wondered aloud.
"Let me check," Her husband said, rising to open the door.
At the entrance stood a black-haired boy with a handsome face.
Perhaps due to his upright posture, he appeared taller and carried a presence unlike ordinary children.
Seeing the door open, the boy immediately greeted:
"Hi, long time no see."
"Oh, Tris. Please come in. What brings you here?"
Following into the living room, Tris replied:
"I have something I wish to discuss with Mrs. Maren."
Hearing this, he called to his wife:
"Maren, Tris has come to visit."
Then he turned back to Tris and offered:
"Would you like something to drink? We have tea and fruit juice."
"Thank you. I'm not thirsty, and it will be a quick talk before I leave."
"Tris, is that you? I've missed you and the master. Have you both returned today?" – Maren asked with a smile.
"Only I returned. Father has passed away."
At that, Maren's smile froze, followed by clear panic.
Because Tris's reply was so calm, she thought she had misheard.
"What happened?" – Maren asked urgently.
"A powerful band of bandits attacked. He was gravely wounded and died afterward."
Tris altered the story to avoid being connected to Zyron.
And in any case, there existed no one who could stand up to refute his tale. Maren was speechless, her mouth agape.
"Because of this, I plan to leave the village, to travel and study further.
This is the payment for last month. I give it to you on father's behalf."
"No, no. You are in hardship, and I cannot accept it. Surely you need the money more." – Maren refused quickly.
"You need not worry. Father left me considerable wealth, enough to live comfortably for a long time."
In truth, if not wasteful, Tris could live in luxury for life without working. Of course, this was not something to boast about.
Seeing his determination, Maren asked:
"You truly intend to leave? The outside is dangerous. Even Lord Arven met misfortune, you know that better than anyone," Maren said with concern.
"Yes. I have thought it through carefully."
Looking at the boy, who, despite the loss, remained strong and independent, Maren felt deep compassion.
At the same time, she felt sorrow that, with her limited ability, she could not help him.
"Since it is late, I will not trouble you further."
Tris said, then stood to leave.
"Have you eaten? If not, let me prepare some food first." – Maren offered quickly.
"I've had dinner. Thank you."
"When will you depart?"
"Most likely tomorrow morning."
"So soon? Then let me prepare a meal for you to take along."
"Thank you, then."
...
Spending the last night in his familiar home, Tris awoke from a restful sleep.
Of course, that was because he had not suffered any intense or disturbing dreams.
If he had dreamed again of laying eggs, he could not have called it restful.
After brushing his teeth and washing, Tris once more performed his physical training.
Soon after, Maren came by and gave him a box of food, carefully prepared and full.
Walking around the house one last time, Tris felt sorrow at leaving the scenery he had known for years.
But if he stayed, living alone in the house without the familiar presence, it would only make him more uneasy.
Moreover, leaving was not a sudden decision.
Tris had long planned to go to the capital of Eldoria, the city of Lume.
He had heard of a prestigious academy for mages located there.
The school not only gathered powerful mages, but more importantly, held a vast library of precious knowledge.
Since Tris could no longer learn much magic in the village, leaving to broaden his knowledge would greatly benefit him.
Packing had long been finished, since everything needed was stored in spatial rings.
Locking the gate carefully, Tris looked at the house one last time, then turned and departed.