Chapter 42
The ethers could understand Ethan repeatedly rejecting the invitation, but he was too direct when giving the reason. Didn’t he fear offending Xavier?
“Mr. Newinan, Ethan is straightforward and speaks his mind. Please don’t take it to heart.”
“Yes, you know how young people can be rebellions sometimes. They speak before thinking
Jayce and Alexia quickly intervened, trying in smooth things over, but Xavier kept a stem face and didn’t respond. He was clearly upset.
“Young man, although I don’t know who taught you your appraisal skills, you should remember one thing–there are always people better than you. Sometimes, humility is the best choice for young people. Don’t let such a good opportunity slip away!”
“I’m just speaking the truth. I really don’t think you have much to teach me.” Even though appraising wasn’t Ethan’s strongest skill and he still had room to grow compared to his mentor, he was more capable than most.
“Alright. Since that’s the case, young man, will you come to Treasure Hall tomorrow? I’ll show you my signature skill, Pristine Gemcraft! I guarantee you that it’s a method of appraisal you’ve never seen before.”
Xavier felt it was necessary to show Ethan the gap in their abilities. Having disen from working in gemstone mines, he had perfected his own unique method of gemstone appraisal over decades, called Pristine Gemcraft.
Though he had taken on many apprentices, none had mastered this skill,
“Sounds interesting. Alright. I’ll reluctantly drop by tomorrow to have a look”
Reluctantly? It almost sounded like Xavier was begging to show Ethan his skill. But in a way, it was true. Xavier was determined to impress Ethan and show just how skilled he was
After they made the arrangement, Xavier left with his to
team
Jayce and his family immediately gathered around Ethan, urging him, “Etisan, if Mr. Newman is willing to show you his signature skill personally, it means he really wants to take you as his apprentice. Why don’t you agree to it tomorrow?”
“Is his sill really that impressive?”
“Impressive? It’s a dream skill that many people would love to leam!”
“Is it really that dramatic ?–
“Not even a little. Do you know about gemstone gambling?”
The more they talked, the more excited they became, to the point that even jayor, an outsider to the field, couldn’t help but show a look of longing
“You mean the purchase of uncut gemstones?”
“Early!”
Ethan knew exactly what that was Back when he was learning to appraise, his master used to bring back uncut gemstones every day
He would open up to a thousand pieces a day, and after a while, he became numb to it. There were still piles of discarded stones at the back of Vista Summit “So, how does that relate to his signature skill?
“Of course, it’s related. Xavier’s Pristine Gemcraft allows him to touch an uncut gemstone with his bare hands and tell if it contains a gemstone. It has an accuracy rate of over 80%-Isn’t that terrifying?”
Chapter 43
