Chapter 338: The Secret of the Treasure Map!

"You're the navigator adventurer who has the treasure map?"

"Y-yes, noble sir!"

At that moment, Columbus finally stopped walking.

He couldn't keep going.

Because after the previous eight men left, the noble young master's knights had blocked his path.

Carefully glancing at the young noble before him, Columbus couldn't help but speculate about his origins.

Earl's son?

No, he must be the son of a Hou Jue or Duke.

An Earl's family couldn't have such depth.

But there don't seem to be any Duke or Marquis families in the Southern Region—so how did this noble young master end up in Iron Wolf City, and how did he find me?

"Then sit down! Let's talk!"

Gervas immediately invited Columbus to sit.

Have to say, the fellow's name is quite auspicious.

Columbus, the Western navigator who discovered the American continent in his past life, bore the same name.

At this moment, the servant had carefully approached with a tray.

The tray held a silver wine jug and two crystal cups.

After placing the cups, the servant carefully poured wine for both men.

The crystal cups were instantly filled with beautiful red wine.

Columbus was familiar with this wine—it was the Red Marquis the noble young master had mentioned.

It was a wine brewed from wheat and roses, originating from the Rose Earl's Domain in the kingdom's central region.

With its excellent taste, no bitterness, and great popularity among nobles, it was well-known in the Southern Region, valued at ten silver coins per jug.

In the past, when he returned successfully from an expedition, he would extravagantly order a jug.

But since half a year ago, he hadn't smelled the scent of Red Hou Jue again.

After the servant finished pouring and respectfully withdrew, Gervas gestured to him, then lifted the Red Hou Jue and took a sip.

Sweet with a hint of tartness, the bitterness was extremely light, and there was a faint rose fragrance.

Clearly, in this medieval era, reaching this standard, ten silver coins per jug was about right.

Columbus, however, wore a complex expression, took a deep breath of the wine's aroma, then brought the cup to his lips and drained it in one gulp.

After Columbus set down his cup, Gervas personally lifted the jug and refilled his glass, under Columbus's unusual gaze.

"You're Columbus, right? I heard you've been seeking wealthy patrons because your treasure map leads to a vast fortune! Tell me the details."

Hearing the noble young master's question and observing his unusual demeanor, Columbus seemed to make up his mind, his expression finally relaxing.

"Noble sir, I do possess a treasure map, which I purchased for two hundred gold coins from a destitute descendant of an Earl."

"According to him, his family originally was a coastal Viscount family owning just one ship, making money through maritime trade."

"But once, their merchant vessel was caught in a storm and lost in the vast ocean."

"Just as their fresh water and food were about to run out, they discovered an island, where they found an old ship stranded on the shore."

"On that ship, they discovered many gold coins and valuable goods."

"But their own ship was severely damaged and couldn't carry much cargo; to return safely, they needed enough fresh water and food."

"So they took only one-third of the gold coins, burying the remaining two-thirds along with the other valuables on that island."

"The treasure map was drawn secretly by his grandfather, marking the return route."

"Later, his grandfather successfully returned and used the three thousand gold coins to elevate his family's status."

"Three thousand gold coins? Logically, if two-thirds of the treasure remained, it should have been six thousand gold coins—so why do rumors say your treasure is only three thousand?" Gervas asked sharply.

Columbus remained calm. "Because if I'd said too much before, no one would've believed me—and it might have endangered my life."

Hearing this, Gervas realized he was a clever man.

Six thousand gold coins were enough to make powerful families envious—like Dukes or Hou Jue clans.

With their own mature fleets, they might hear of this and come to seize the map directly.

Columbus, with his status, couldn't resist.

But if the treasure was rumored to be only three thousand gold coins, the likelihood of such threats dropped drastically.

After all, the risks and uncertainties of sea exploration were immense; under such profit margins, it was easier to fund Columbus than to risk a direct takeover.

If Columbus succeeded, they'd take only five or six hundred gold coins—the bulk would still be theirs.

"Then why are you telling me now?" Gervas pressed.

"Because I've decided to give up. If you're willing to fund me, I'll go find it!"

"But if you don't fund me and only want the map, my demand is simple: pay me any amount, and I'll sell you the map."

"Alright, we'll decide on that later—continue. If there's so much wealth on the island, why did he sell the map?"

"And how can you be sure the map is real, and not something he made up to trick you?" Gervas said.

"Because I've been to one of the islands marked halfway on the treasure map…" Columbus continued.

The reason the Earl's descendant was willing to sell the map was because his family's rise and fall were both tied to it.

After his grandfather returned, he used the three thousand gold coins to strengthen the family.

Naturally, he became even more obsessed with the treasure left on the island.

So he later bought two more ships, forming a fleet of three to search for it.

But because the area lay in deep ocean and was frequently plagued by storms, every expedition ended in failure.

This pattern repeated several times, even resulting in the loss of one ship—so his grandfather finally abandoned the search.

It was not until his grandfather passed away that the treasure map was handed down to his father.

His father was not skilled in business; seeing the family's income dwindle and facing imminent insolvency, he once again turned his thoughts to the treasure.

The subsequent outcome was predictable: the sea vessel and his father perished in the ocean, leaving no trace.

Fortunately, his father had been cautious at the time, taking only a copy of the treasure map; the original map passed down by his grandfather remained within the family.

Having lost both the sea vessel and his father, the family fell into decline.

Subsequently, unable to pay the taxes, their title was demoted again and again, until it finally became Baron.

Even at the rank of Baron, he lived in such destitution that he simply put the treasure map up for sale.

Unfortunately, no one was willing to buy the map, as those who knew him were well aware of why his family had fallen to such a state.

Those who did not know naturally took him for a fraudster; after all, few dared to buy a treasure map priced at two or three hundred gold coins.

In the end, the other party heard that Columbus loved adventure and came knocking on his door.

Columbus initially paid it no mind, but after examining the treasure map, he discovered that the middle section of the map depicted a place he had visited before.

That area was rarely visited by humans and plagued by storms year-round; thus, ordinary people could never reach it, and a typical fraudster could absolutely not have drawn such a route.

Having basically confirmed the map's authenticity, he negotiated the price and spent most of his savings to purchase it.