Cliffside Riddles of Steel

Greetings, I hope I find you well, my friends! I have a new joint venture to propose. Will be interested?

I don't think there are any Columbian tech or relics around this place.

There might! Top archaeologists like me know how to find treasure! The skill sets us apart from amateurs!

The quest item in question is a key discovery that Tianshi Lian cannot stop obsessing about. Unfortunately, some urgent distraction has veered her path away from us. The chance is now yours!

Absolutely! The clues I found along the way has proven my speculations waterproof. There are ruins atop a nearby cliff that are associated with swords.

But alas, the wounds I have suffered previously have not yet healed. I'm afraid I cannot explore the place on my own...

So you want us to go up there? But the cliff is super steep. I don't think the Endmin or I could reach the top...

Ah, technicalities. I'm well-prepared. Remember Smartie my little assistant?

Thanks to your bravado in taking down that vicious beast, Smartie is once again free to work with me.

And Smartie has found a suitable point of ascent. It will help you climb the cliff and survey the ruins.

What do you think, Endmin? Xiaowu is definitely concerned with anything related to the Bureau of Swordmancers. And we get to work with Smartie again. Sounds like quite an adventure already.

Wonderful! And please, help me record anything related to "swords", and take a photo of the entire place. You'll be generously rewarded!

Sure. We'll work with you again. Alright Endmin, let's go!

Xiaowu? Is this thing related to the Bureau of Swordmancers?

There are words on it ... lemme try to read them...

Oh, when they were building this secret vault, three sages came here to debate the riddle of swords. They also left inscriptions to record the discussion for posterity.

We really came to the right place. The ruins are indeed related to "swords".

Endmin, let's keep going. I wanna see the wisdom of these ancient sages.

The words are glowing! Let's see what they have to say!

This sage was a Candleholder of Sui Regulator! The secret of swordmancy lies in "momentum"... Spoken from real experience.

Let's look at what's written here.

A Tianshi left these words... This one argues for resilience. This reads like a good lesson from a swordsmith.

Where's Smartie? Oh! When did it start moving again? It's down there!

Nice, this view does have everything within sight! Smartie's got a great feel for photography. We should include it in the picture with all three sword steles!

It's giving us a tip for the right angle of the photograph.

Wonderful work, my dedicated partners! Smartie just told me about our major findings!

First things first. The findings are related to the Bureau of Swordmancers, so Xiaowu also has dibs on them.

Of course! I won't overcharge —! Ah, Tianshi Lian will receive these findings pro bono! Don't worry, they will be safe with me!

I knew it! The place is indeed significantly related to the Bureau of Swordmancers. It's probably the origins for the Bureau's three-word motto: "Strength, Momentum, and Resilience".

My dear partners, I shall organize these findings and publish them in the Historical Transactions of Talos-II. I'll list your names as the second and third authors. How does that sound?

This is the only way to sustain my archaeological ambitions! And please, accept this token of my heartfelt appreciation!

Wait. You're not arguing about money anymore.

Archaeological value is also worth something! Money is merely a coincidental byproduct of my archaeological endeavors. My passion for archaeology and history goes beyond words!

You see, my grandfather couldn't stop talking about a "homeland" named Columbia, and the old man heard it from his own father.

What the Yanese preserved in this valley ... breathed life into my knowledge about my "home" Columbia ... and even the entirety of Terra.

Heheh. I can use these findings to secure a partnership with Hongshan. My archaeological excavation permit applications can get approved more easily! This is an awesome deal!

And while you were surveying the place, I read through all the information on Columbia stored in the vault. I found something worth a real fortune —

A long-lost recipe for the delicious Trimounts Fried Fowl, contained within a classic Wrankwood movie titled "Burdo Story"! This has incredible potential for raking in a fortune!

And thus Columbia ... became a wish that burned bright in the bottom of my heart.