Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 167: The Story

"King Tindalos?!" Liu Xing looked at Gu Jun, a bit puzzled, silently asking if Gu Jun knew the origin of this King Tindalos.

Gu Jun shook his head and turned to Kuroba Naoki, inquiring, "Director, isn't the name of the Kingdom of Tindalos a bit too Westernized? It feels like the name of a country on the medieval European continent. And if I remember correctly, the Asuka Era when Emperor Suiko ascended to the throne was around 600 AD. At that time, the Island Nation surely didn't have mastery of oil painting techniques. So, the painting we just saw must be a fake, right?"

Kuroba Naoki shook his head, speaking earnestly, "No, no, no. That painting is definitely authentic. Over a decade ago, the Ziwu City government initiated an investigation into the Kingdom of Tindalos. They confirmed the location of Tindalos' ruins, which is the undeveloped area in the southwest corner of Ziwu City. Many precious artifacts were excavated, such as silver plates and golden chopsticks used by King Tindalos during his lifetime. However, what's strange is that the artifacts unearthed in the ruins of King Tindalos all have a strong Western style. Therefore, these artifacts were questioned as forgeries. After relevant authentication, it was confirmed that these artifacts indeed originated from the Asuka Era. Unfortunately, the government at the time insisted that these artifacts were fake. They believed that archaeologists at that time intentionally purchased Western artifacts to fake the relics of the Kingdom of Tindalos. As a result, the government sealed these artifacts."

"As for this oil painting of Princess Tindalos, it should be considered my personal collection. I was very interested in the story of the Kingdom of Tindalos when I was in high school. After all, King Tindalos' life was extremely legendary, like reading a light novel. So, after graduating from high school, I specifically went to that undeveloped area to visit the archaeological site. However, I found out that the undeveloped area had already been contracted by the Zeta family and was off-limits to outsiders."

"Therefore, I came to a small village near the undeveloped area, planning to stay overnight and inquire about the excavation of the Kingdom of Tindalos from the villagers. By chance, the villager where I stayed, upon learning of my intentions, brought out this oil painting. He told me that this painting was excavated from the ruins of the Kingdom of Tindalos. However, it was done unofficially after the government ordered the end of official archaeological work. The villagers wanted to make some money with this painting, but others didn't believe it was an artifact from the Kingdom of Tindalos. So, the villager had to keep the painting at home."

"When I saw this painting for the first time, I was certain it was an artifact from the Kingdom of Tindalos. So, I spent a little money to buy it from the villager. Then, I became even more certain of the existence of the Kingdom of Tindalos. To make the government acknowledge their mistake and recognize the existence of the Kingdom of Tindalos, I became the director of the Ziwu City Library. I collected a lot of information about the Kingdom of Tindalos and am currently writing a paper to prove its existence. That's why I hung this painting in the library, reminding myself constantly of what needs to be done."

Kuroba Naoki became increasingly excited as he spoke, and Liu Xing couldn't help but think of a termfanatic.

"I see. I didn't expect this oil painting to have such a significant background. I've learned a lot today. By the way, Director Kuroba, do you know why the Zeta family purchased that undeveloped area? Do they also want to benefit from the excavation of the Kingdom of Tindalos?" Gu Jun continued to inquire.

Kuroba Naoki stroked his chin, then turned and picked up a book from the shelf behind him "The Great Hero Sawada Tomohiko."

Placing the book down, Kuroba Naoki began, "Sawada Tomohiko was a hero from five hundred years ago. Legend has it that Ziwu City was occupied by a group of demons at that time, and the residents had to sacrifice a large number of people to these demons every month for sustenance. So, Sawada Tomohiko recruited a mercenary team to defeat the demons surrounding Ziwu City. However, after receiving the emperor's reward, for some unknown reason, that mercenary team turned against him. In the current undeveloped area, they killed Sawada Tomohiko and left his body there. They even intended to harm Sawada Tomohiko's wife and newborn child, leading to divine punishment. These shameless mercenaries disappeared into the thunderous sky. The Zeta family is the descendant of Sawada Tomohiko, so purchasing the undeveloped area is quite reasonable. According to my personal knowledge, the Zeta family has no intention of changing the current state of the undeveloped area."

Liu Xing and Gu Jun exchanged glances and then smiled at Kuroba Naoki, saying, "Director Kuroba, we won't disturb you further. We'll find some books to read on our own."

Kuroba Naoki nodded, checked the time on his phone, and pointed to the shelf behind him, saying, "I assume you two are interested in the stories of the Kingdom of Tindalos and Sawada Tomohiko. You can choose books from this shelf. I have something to attend to now, so I'll take my leave."

After saying this, Kuroba Naoki went downstairs.

Liu Xing walked to the shelf Kuroba Naoki mentioned, and indeed, there were books about the Kingdom of Tindalos and Sawada Tomohiko. However, like the book "King Tindalos," these books didn't seem to have impressive appearances.

"KP, I want to apply for a Library Use skill check," Gu Jun contacted KP Li Shunchan.

Library Use is an essential skill in the Cthulhu RPG Game for obtaining information. After a successful check, players can use libraries, the internet, and other channels to gather important information and intelligence.

Gu Jun, 1/80, a critical success.

Liu Xing didn't expect Gu Jun to achieve a critical success after his own failure. He began to wonder if his luck had been absorbed by Gu Jun.

With a critical success, Gu Jun picked up a book from the shelf. Liu Xing saw that the book was titled "Miscellaneous Talks on Tindalos."

Considering his unlucky day, Liu Xing decided not to attempt a Library Use skill check. He randomly selected a book, sat down next to Gu Jun, and began reading. Since using the Library Use skill takes time, Liu Xing needed to pass the time.

Two hours later, Gu Jun finally put down the book "Miscellaneous Talks on Tindalos."

[Read /maxnkoga , without ads and support the work.]