"A secret chamber!"
Aven understood immediately.
There was indeed something hidden in the Viscount's study.
Upon witnessing this scene, Sir Enzo and Phyllis, the noble children, also came to the same realization and instinctively turned their gazes toward their father.
Viscount Daly suddenly let out a sigh. Then, he nodded to the butler, signaling for him to leave the room and ensure that no one else entered.
Afterward, he shakily stood up. Sir Enzo rushed over to support his father.
Cough cough cough…
"There is indeed a secret room there—one that holds a hidden secret of our family.
If not for today's events, I would have found another opportunity to tell you about it."
Supported by Sir Enzo, the Viscount slowly walked toward the wall adorned with a nautical chart.
Hearing his words, the three present were momentarily stunned. They watched as the Viscount instructed his son to take down the chart.
Then, he pressed a specific spot on the wall, which suddenly sank inward to reveal a diamond-shaped recess.
Finally, the Viscount removed a black crystal pendant from around his neck and placed it into the slot.
As soon as the black crystal was embedded, the entire wall began to tremble and then slowly moved, revealing a passage leading underground.
"Let's go,"
The Viscount said. With Enzo's support and an astonished expression, he stepped into the passage.
"Lord Aven, let's go together," Phyllis said as she came to Aven's side.
Aven nodded lightly and entered the secret passage with her, although he couldn't shake off a vague sense of unease.
Soon after entering, they arrived at a hidden chamber.
A chill crept across Aven's shoulders—Froslass was quietly on alert.
If any danger appeared, she would act immediately to protect Aven, so he had no need to worry.
Once inside, Sir Enzo lit an oil lamp, allowing Aven to see the surroundings clearly.
His gaze was immediately drawn to a statue at the front of the room, and he showed a shocked expression.
Its entire body was pitch black like shadow, and murky white hair continuously writhed like mist, covering most of its face—only a pair of bright blue eyes were visible.
With just one glance, Aven recognized the figure: it was the legendary Mythical Pokémon Darkrai, known as the God of Nightmares!
"Father, what is this statue?"
Phyllis asked. She had read the family's magical beast records but had never encountered this one.
"This is the deity our family worships,"
the Viscount said as he glanced at Aven, then explained to his children.
Hearing this, Aven's eyes flickered. The Aspiration City worshipped only one deity: Azelf.
Yet the Daly family worshipped Darkrai. Could this mean that their ancestors originated from somewhere else?
Aven continued scanning the room and found that aside from the statue, the chamber contained many books—and a single wooden chest.
"Lil Lil, Lil Lil~"
At that moment, Petilil turned its attention to the wooden chest, indicating that the source it sensed was inside.
The Viscount didn't explain much about Darkrai to his children. Instead, he followed Aven's gaze to the chest.
Without hesitation, he walked over to it, took out the same black crystal pendant, inserted it into a recess, and opened the box.
Instantly, a pale blue light illuminated everyone's eyes. The chest was filled with gems!
Clearly, these gems were the wealth and foundation of the Viscount's household—now fully displayed before Aven.
"Master Aven, you probably know our family comes from a merchant background.
These gems were left to us by our ancestors. We've spent some over time, and now these are all that remain.
Now, we'll trouble you to help us find that cursed object."
Aven nodded and approached the chest to examine it.
At first glance, his heart trembled slightly—the chest was entirely filled with Water Stones!
An entire chest of Water Stones! It made Aven wonder if the Daly family had once mined an entire Water Stone vein.
Yet, the number here couldn't have been formed in ordinary places. Only the ocean, rich in water-type energy, could have produced this!
Could it be… the Daly family originally lived by the sea—or perhaps came from another continent?
Aven made a mental note of this.
At that moment, Petilil had already begun searching through the chest and soon emerged, carefully cradling a purplish-red orb.
All eyes turned to the orb—was this the item that contained the poisonous energy?
"This is… a Life Orb?"
Aven scrutinized the orb in Petilil's hands and suddenly recalled its origin.
It was a bead condensed from life energy. According to legend, it could absorb the user's life force and convert it into mysterious power.
Because of its ability to drain life, the Life Orb was long viewed as an ominous object.
This method of trading life for power was once known as a Devil's Pact.
Later research revealed more of its secrets:
When a Pokémon carries a Life Orb and expends a portion of life force, their move power can increase by 30%!
That may seem minor at low levels, but at the elite or champion tiers, a 30% boost can determine life or death.
Besides its effect, the life energy stored within was also extremely valuable.
Although Petilil could generate life energy, its quality couldn't compare to that stored in the orb—its purity was far superior.
If Petilil could absorb this energy, its own generated life energy would become far more refined.
The Life Orb was incredibly beneficial for it, and Aven had already begun planning how to train it with this in mind.
Feeling a surge of excitement, Aven once again turned to the orb.
It was now evident that Viscount Daly's declining health was due to the orb slowly draining his life energy.
Although short-term contact with the orb was harmless if unused, long-term exposure would result in severe loss of life force.
"Master Aven, do you recognize this orb?"
the Viscount asked, watching Aven repeatedly study it.
This orb must be taken… Aven thought to himself.
Keeping his expression neutral, Aven shook his head and said,
"I'll need to study it before I can draw any conclusions.
But the energy it emits is very similar to the grey mist from the frontlines—it can erode a person's life force and is extremely dangerous."
The Viscount's expression shifted.
Were it not for his illness, he too would have been required to fight that kind of high-level conflict.
Naturally, he understood what the grey mist represented.
He also knew Aven had become a earl because he helped resolve the crisis at the front, so he wasn't surprised that Aven recognized the mist.
But it was precisely because of this that he now realized how dangerous the orb's energy truly was.
"Master Aven, thank you for helping us identify the source of the misfortune.
Please, take this orb with you—uncover its secrets and prevent it from continuing to cause harm."
The Viscount quickly made his decision. He could sense Aven's desire for the orb.
Regardless of whether this orb was truly the source of the misfortune, he was willing to give it to Aven to strengthen their relationship.
As he spoke, he glanced at his children with approval.
Though he didn't know how much they paid to bring Aven here, they had undeniably made the right choice.
Whether he recovered or not, the family would have to pass into his children's hands, and Aven was clearly an ideal ally to secure.
If they could win over this young border earl, the Daly family would continue to thrive even if he passed away.
Thinking this, the Viscount gave his daughter a few meaningful glances.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony.
I am indeed very interested in this purplish-red orb.
Perhaps, through it, I can fully unravel the secrets of the grey mist."
Aven nodded, then took the orb from Petilil and placed it in his medical kit.
Having found the ominous object, their purpose in coming to the hidden chamber was complete.
However, Aven still felt some reluctance when he glanced again at the Darkrai statue and the surrounding tomes.
This was, after all, related to a mythical Pokémon—he had a strong hunch that these books contained hidden secrets.
Unfortunately, the Viscount showed no intention of letting Aven linger.
A bout of coughing indicated his condition had worsened.
"Father, let me take you back to rest," Sir Enzo said with concern.
With some regret, Aven followed the others out of the chamber and back to the Viscount's room.
Having obtained the Life Orb, Aven was quite pleased.
He had Petilil once again use its life energy to treat the Viscount before finally leaving the Daly estate.
(End of Chapter)