Chapter 540 - I Would Hardly Know What To Do With It.
Shelves that could be akin in height to those in a well-stacked library lined the walls of the study which in itself had a tall and arching ceiling that finally explained to Hal why this part of the residence was higher than any other.
That was not to say the only things of interest to see in the study were books because that would be a wrong assumption.
There were also decorations that were made with the purest of gold and silver goblets bejeweled with the most fashionable of gems. Some of them even gave off a strong presence that told Hal that they absorbed Cosmic energy and could most likely release it as well.
Making those gems even more valuable.
When Hal walked through, the sides of the doorway also had shelves built into them, shelves stacked full with books.
This 'Study' would be better described as a library of sorts and behind the large desk in this library was the Empress with her hands clasped and a light smile on her face as Hal admired her study.
"How do you find my collection, is it to your taste?" The Empress asked and considering she did not admonish him for not acknowledging her presence before starting at her possessions, Hal felt she clearly had no issues with his wandering gaze.
Hal shrugged and did not stop looking around,
"It's definitely impressive" he said.
To which the Empress nodded in appreciation,
"It is, isn't it? Knowledge is the true definition of wealth. This craze for gold or blue gems is misguided" she said as she gestured for Hal to take a seat.
A gesture Hal saw and could not possibly ignore as a gentle force pulled at him and steered him towards the seat opposite the Empress in front of the large desk.
Hal chuckled lightly to which the Empress frowned lightly,
"Is something funny?" She asked with a dangerous edge to her voice but Hal ignored the edge as he had actually not meant any form of mockery with his sound of merriment.
"It's just that I wonder how many would appreciate being paid in knowledge as opposed to blue gems" he said.
The Empress' expression relaxed as she said with a bit of merriment in her tone,
"Actually, considering quite a number of these books hold skills or secret and almost forbidden techniques, I would say they would appreciate getting paid with knowledge" she said.
Hal tilted his head a bit to the side before he said,
"Fair point. Maybe I should correct myself then, what I meant to say was 'I wonder if I would appreciate getting paid in knowledge'. I feel I might prefer flashy or volatile things as payments instead"
With gold or more preferably blue gems, he could get even more information or better put 'knowledge' from Grimoire. The Artifact itself already further reiterating that wide as the Empress' collection was sure to be, it could not hold a candle to the knowledge within the Grimoire's pages.
Besides, when the time came to upgrade the techniques used by him and his forces, he could only use gold or more preferably blue gems in exchange.
That said, if he was being gifted knowledge from these books, he was not so stupid as to say no.
The Empress snorted lightly, a sound that Hal found to be cute, as she said,
"You youngsters and your eagerness for wealth. There are more important things.
Isn't bolstering your knowledge and widening the range of things you know and understand as you move in an almost never-ending pursuit to understand the world we live in as well as the Cosmic realm as a whole much more important than flimsy coins and gems?" She asked.
Hal paused and then smiled,
"Are you perhaps planning on hiring me and then paying me with knowledge?" He asked in what would be a tentative tone to which the Empress shook her head,
"No, I don't plan on hiring you for anything. But I just thought it will be good you understand that receiving anything from me besides knowledge is nigh impossible"
Hal nodded,
"Noted. I will keep that in mind and any bit of knowledge I receive from you, I will treasure. I meant no disrespect with my earlier comments and was merely stating my preference." He said.
The Empress shook her head lightly,
"You showed no disrespect. Besides, your comments and preference were a tad expected.
After all, why would you admit to a love of knowledge when that might expose your means of speedy cultivation"
With that, Hal paused,
"My means of speedy cultivation?" He asked in confusion while he asked Grimoire what the hell was going on? To which the Grimoire replied,
'Don't worry, she definitely knows nothing for sure'
The Empress took a deep breath,
"You are unique and intriguing but I feel like I have a relative understanding of how your cultivation progress is so swift.
It's knowledge.
Years ago, when I was segregated by my kinsmen for not being enough of a Haron, reading, and studying were what felt right with me.
In case you did not know, although I suspect that you do, the Nexus world used to be a paradise for gods. Mainly inhabited by gods.
However, something happened that changed everything. Something that the few books I found that spoke vaguely of the matter called 'The Catastrophe'.
Because the Nexus world used to be home to gods, there are vestiges of their era littered all about the world, if you know where to look. A lot of the books in my collection are from those vestiges.
I spent many years, before I was made Empress, searching and retrieving as many of this I could find.
While any book, scroll or script that is related to the Divine, that surpasses the Demi-god level cannot be read by anyone who is not a god due to a lack of a connection to divine energy with which those books were written, I have still been able to source out information that helps me better understand your speedy cultivation progress.
You possess knowledge of a Divine cultivation technique that surpasses our most impressive purple grade cultivation techniques and somehow are able to read and understand it."
Silence...
She was right.
He did have knowledge of a Divine cultivation technique and the means to read and understand it.
The Divine cultivation technique being the Primordial Cosmic Art and the means to read and understand it being the Primordial Cosmic Grimoire.
However, there was something about the way the Empress phrases her words that genuinely caused Hal to chuckle rather than hyperventilate,
"Are you perhaps suggesting that I, who is even farther from godhood than you can read a script written by gods?" He asked, his tone making it clear how silly he thought the very idea was.
The Empress shook her head,
"I'm not suggesting anything. Anyone who knows your age and prowess in regards to cultivation is sure to be coming up with their own theories. This just happens to be mine and much more plausible than any other.
Your ability to read a Divine script could very well be due to an artifact which could also very well be the reason you have the script in the first place.
Of course, I can't sense anything from you despite having checked as thoroughly as I possibly could but that is to be expected. If a Divine Artifact or anything remotely Divine hiding within you can't remain hidden, then it wouldn't be divine and surpassing all preconceived mortal ideas, would it?"
'She is good' Grimoire praised.
The Empress paused as though to take some time to let that sink in before she added,
"Not to mention that even if I did sense its presence inside you and somehow got it out, I would hardly know what to do with it. After all, this is an entity whose very existence is likely to be more sentient and powerful than a mortal cultivator like me could comprehend.
With there being the very likely possibility that it would not choose me and get away from me before I could even attempt to understand it.
It would be like attempting to store the monument of ordinances inside my spatial ring and better understand it which is impossible. Trust me, I tried."
Hal finally found his voice,
"You tried to store the monument of ordinances inside your spatial ring?" That was the part of her words his mind picked as a topic for discussion.
"Well of course. It was clearly a Divine Artifact stuck in a loop to keep leaping from world to world and could almost guarantee the comprehension of an Ordinance. What was an inquisitive three-hundred-year-old girl supposed to do?" The Empress asked with a shrug.
She let a few seconds pass before she added,
"Of course I tried again five hundred years ago when the monument appeared for the second time in my lifetime but that was more to see if being a Cosmic saint would make a difference to the immobile monument. Especially with a newly reinforced Spatial ring with an even larger space that would have been perfect for storing some of my books. I believe I don't need to tell you my second attempt just like the first failed.
Anyway, the reason you are here before we got sidetracked by so many unimportant things..."
"Attempting to store the monument of Ordinances inside a spatial ring is not what I would consider unimportant" Hal said quietly and the Empress ignored him as she continued as though she had not been interrupted,
".... Was to ask you what exactly my daughter has you doing for her"