Well, well. In that case, for your potential sacrifice, this humble monk will offer something in return.

[ Reaching into the folds of his robe, offering up a book with worn spines and obvious magical attempts at decoding anything potentially hidden within its pages; it might even feel a little cursed, touching this thing, but it's ultimately harmless. ]

Records of shifting seasons, and a drastic solution to an encroaching problem. I doubt bureaucrats would've known anything about the esoteric nature of the magic proposed in those pages, but I remain curious, very curious!

[ Strangely sincere about this point. His smile turns somewhat less obnoxious, slightly muted. ]

As curious as I am about you, though, mmm... I suppose that's a bit less pressing.