novelraw Chapter 132: Lying Treasure
Chapter 132: Lying Treasure
Demetrius, that doting father, could only feel at ease letting Maru come here on her own because he had no idea about the details.
If Demetrius had known his daughter was planning to visit a strange man’s farm alone and still agreed to it, then he wouldn’t deserve the title of overprotective father.
Now that Maru said her father also wanted to come see the meteorite, what Leon heard was that her father intended to supervise in person—to make sure the two of them did nothing excessive beyond studying the meteorite.
With Leon’s permission, Maru immediately thanked him, then turned and jogged out of the farm.
Before long, she returned with a tall, dark-skinned man in a blue shirt—Demetrius himself.
“Hello, Mr. Leon. Sorry to intrude. I’m Maru’s father, a geologist and botanist—Demetrius.”
As soon as they met, Demetrius introduced himself.
“Leon, owner of Red Star Farm. Glad to meet you, Mr. Demetrius,” Leon replied with a smile.
“Since you’re both here for the meteorite, there’s no need for small talk. Let’s go straight to see today’s star.”
Leon glanced at his watch. It was almost eight o’clock, and he didn’t want to delay his mining trip, so he cut to the point.Demetrius looked slightly surprised, as if unaccustomed to someone so direct.
Maru, on the other hand, clapped her hands excitedly. “Yes, let’s go! I really want to see what’s special about this meteorite and what interesting things we can find.”
Leon said nothing more and took the lead. In moments, they arrived at the impact site beside the greenhouse. Leon stepped aside to let them see.
“It really is a meteorite—and a rare one containing minerals. Judging from its color and texture, it should yield Iridium Ore,” Maru concluded at first glance.
“Maru is right,” Demetrius agreed, “but I’m puzzled. A meteorite of this size would make a huge commotion when it fell. If it truly came from outer space, it wouldn’t just leave a shallow pit here—your farm and even all of Pelican Town would have been hit by the shockwave. Why is there only this small crater?”
Unlike Maru, who focused on the meteorite itself, Demetrius was more interested in its origins. Seeing the site, he didn’t believe it had fallen from the sky—it wasn’t scientifically plausible.
In his mind, it seemed more likely that Leon, knowing his daughter’s love for astronomy, had gone to great lengths to transport it here just to win her attention.
“Mr. Demetrius, you may be a scientist, but let me ask—do you believe in Yoba?” Leon, understanding his unspoken suspicion, chose not to explain outright but instead posed a question.
“Not really,” Demetrius shook his head. “It’s just a legend—folklore.”
“So you’re a man of science?” Leon pressed.
“Yes. I seek scientific truth, not so-called faith,” Demetrius confirmed.
“Then I have nothing more to explain to you.” Leon shrugged. For those who only believed in science, he really had nothing to say.
If this were Earth, Leon would have agreed with Demetrius—he was an atheist himself. But this world was different. This world truly had extraordinary powers.
“Is that because you can’t come up with an excuse?” Demetrius narrowed his eyes at Leon.
“No. I just think our understanding of the world isn’t on the same level.” Leon didn’t take offense at the mockery.
After all, while Demetrius might be accomplished in the scientific realm, in the mystical realm he was nothing more than a “lying treasure,” ignorant and self-satisfied.
“Is that so? I think young people should read more, learn something useful. Faith is fine, but using it as an excuse for certain things is irrational,” Demetrius retorted.
Leon laughed—loudly and without restraint. His laughter startled both Maru and Demetrius.
“Hahaha! Tell me, Mr. Demetrius, as a scientist—what’s your opinion on monsters?” Leon asked.
“Dangerous creatures that evolved differently from humans,” Demetrius replied, though puzzled.
“And those adventurers who can fight them?” Leon continued.
“Elite fighters who have trained their bodies and mastered combat skills. Why? You’re not going to tell me monsters are divine punishment and adventurers are Yoba’s faithful, are you?” Demetrius guessed at Leon’s intent.
“Not at all. I’m just curious what the world looks like to ordinary people,” Leon shrugged.
He stopped speaking to Demetrius and turned to Maru. “So, Maru, what’s your take on this meteorite? Do you think it’s valuable? Can it be sold?”
“There’d be people willing to pay a high price—but they’d be hard to find. Selling it won’t be easy,” Maru analyzed, noticing the tension between Leon and her father.
“Could it be broken down with scientific equipment?” Leon asked. The meteorite was too much of an eyesore for his liking—he’d rather break it down for ore or sell it. In a game, it might be a nice keepsake, but in real life, it was pointless.
“That would be difficult. Meteorites containing Iridium Ore are extremely hard. You’d need a high-polymer cutter to break it completely,” Maru replied.
“What a pity.” Leon knew then that removing it wouldn’t be easy.
“Is there anything else you’d like to see or study? If not, you can head back. I’ve got to get to the mines,” Leon said, already hinting for them to leave.
“Can I take a small fragment for research?” Maru asked.
“Of course—but how will you get a fragment? It’s pretty hard,” Leon said, curious.
“With this.” Maru pulled out a half-transparent, paper-thin blade. “It’s a diamond scribe. With some effort, I can cut off a small piece.”
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