Chapter 122

“It’s hard to believe such a place existed…”

Evan looked surprised, unable to fathom that such a location was real.

Not just Evan, but Stella and Uriel also wore expressions of astonishment, unable to believe that a sacred artifact would exist in such a place.

I felt the same way.

The mere fact that something could be hidden here, undetectable even by magical means, was quite remarkable.

Had I not possessed prior knowledge from the original work, it would have been impossible to arrive here.

If this place had been easy to find, someone would have discovered it and taken the artifact long before I got here.

Although this world is vast, there are also many adventurers traveling around seeking treasures, making it even more unlikely for something to remain hidden.

Even if someone had suspected it might be in the vicinity, attempting to detect it with magic or divine power would yield no results, as I mentioned earlier.

‘Even now, I wonder why artifacts thought to be lost long ago are here.’

In the game, they were referred to as lost ancient relics, and usually, when something is lost, it ends up in the hands of someone or hidden in a location out of reach.

Yet, being concealed in a well-crafted ruin of an ancient civilization is most bewildering.

In the game, they likely intended for it to be a treasure that was somewhat difficult to find, so naturally, its visual representation would reflect that idea.

After all, the game’s lore suggested that it was lost, so there shouldn’t be any confusion regarding its hidden nature.

Even if I pondered over it, I couldn’t possibly uncover why it was here.

In truth, the existence of this artifact was a fact known only to me, so how could anyone else find out about it?

It was much more convenient to simply consider it a good fact and move on.

“So, is this really a sacred artifact?”

“[It should be, yes.]”

Unlike sacred swords, sacred artifacts generally do not distinguish their owners.

Of course, it’s true that the stronger the divine power one possesses, the more potent the artifact’s effects become, but that doesn’t mean it discriminates among its users.

To put it bluntly, Evan could carry it and utilize the sacred sword.

As I mentioned earlier, it had a treasure-like quality that felt usable by all class types.

Of course, the advantages of using it vary by job.

And the character that gains the most significant benefits from it is none other than the saint.

“[…]”

I examined the hairpin in my hand using divine power.

I merely sent out a wave of energy to confirm its form, but it received my energy, amplified it, and then expelled it again.

Thanks to that, I could see the wave emanating around the hairpin.

“[Shall we head back then?]”

With nothing more to do, we decided to return.

Typically, one would expect there to be more hidden treasures in such a place, but I had never found anything else hidden within it during my time playing the game.

Given that this reality was based on that game, it was safe to say the chances of there being more concealed treasures here were slim.

Instead of wasting time here, it would be better to return quickly, enjoy what little vacation we had left, and then head back to the Academy.

Upon my suggestion to leave, everyone nodded in agreement.

We had initially insisted on going together, fearing that something might happen along the way… but honestly, what could possibly happen now that we had come so far?

Still, you never know.

We turned our backs on the ruin where the artifact had been stored and moved on, leaving everything as it was, hidden from others.

…

“I thought it would be hard to get a sacred artifact, but this was unexpected.”

“Y-Yeah…”

“…”

Stella’s comment resonated silently with Uriel and Evan.

– My goddess… have you really resolved to face the Demon King this time…?

Even Esther seemed to question whether this was indeed the right situation.

After all, if even she, who had lived as the Hero’s sacred sword for a long time, knew nothing about sacred artifacts, it made sense that my discovery would come as a surprise to her.

She might think that if such a thing existed, it should have been known since the time of the previous saint.

But the truth is, I was only able to locate it because of my unique knowledge; ordinarily, searching around here would yield nothing.

In conclusion, finding it was indeed a challenging feat, which justified its reputation as a difficult treasure to obtain.

It’s not like the goddess sent a revelation, after all; I simply happened to know where it was.

Even I find it absurd that I discovered it so easily…

“So, is there nothing left for us to do now?”

I nodded at Stella’s question.

What else is there to do?

We’ve completed the trial, found the sacred artifact, which was one of the reasons for coming here… we’ve finished everything we needed to do.

So what now…

There was only one thing left to do.

“[Let’s rest as much as we want and then head back.]”

It’s time to rest.

Once we return to the Academy, that hellish schedule will be waiting for us… even if we’ve managed to adjust, it won’t be long before something big happens.

It would be best to enjoy ourselves as much as we can before that.

Of course, since none of us knew about such a future, everyone simply wore bright smiles, rejoicing at the fact that they could have fun from that moment on.

“Alright, let’s go~”

“Ah… Let’s go together, Stella!”

“I have to put my swimsuit back on…”

Ah, right, the swimsuit.

Come to think of it, if we’re going to play at the beach, I’ll have to wear my swimsuit again.

…

Suddenly, I didn’t feel like playing anymore.

I’d rather just sit anywhere and watch the others play…

While pretending to observe the others, I’ll leisurely ponder how to utilize this sacred artifact.

After all, it greatly aids in healing people and helps maintain my divine power effectively.

For me, it’s an essential item that I can’t do without.

So, I should prepare in advance for the moment I might need to use it.

Not only does it improve efficiency, but I can also store a small amount of divine power in it, so I’ll leave some energy within the hairpin.

As time passed, I wondered how long it had been.

Now it was time to return to the Academy.

*

Stella sighed deeply as she looked up at the towering building before her.

“… To be honest, I didn’t really want to come back…”

“Me too…”

Evan sighed in agreement with Stella’s heartfelt words.

Though it hadn’t been that long a break… actually, considering we spent two weeks in trials, it might feel long for us.

From my perspective, it felt like a long time since I had fun before returning.

Evan must have felt the same way.

In any case… our overly long vacation was coming to an end.

We had just come for a break, and now that we were returning to the Academy, it meant returning to our original routine.

Even though everyone knew they had to go back to the Academy, they seemed reluctant, still tethered to the fun they’d had until now.

Of course…

“…”

It’s likely that I won’t be able to take Evan to the Holy Kingdom frequently after he got scared seeing the paladins’ ominous eyes—their stares as if they wanted to kill him.

Even when no one was present, there was a strange atmosphere that seemed to cling to him.

I mean, I certainly wouldn’t develop any romantic feelings for Evan.

Still… it makes sense that coming back after enjoying ourselves would elicit some sadness.

But what can we do?

We’re ultimately students of the Academy, and when the time comes, we just have to go back.

I also need to return to the Department of Sacred Studies and revert to my normal daily routine.

Not just me, Stella will have to study magic, and Evan and Uriel will need to train.

That way, we can eventually defeat the Demon King, right?

I glanced down at the hairpin.

It may not seem necessary at the moment, but until now, I had only tested it by myself, never having used it on someone directly, so it might not be a bad idea to try it out this time.

‘Let’s do our best.’

There are only a few months left until the assault.

Considering that I might cause them to launch an attack earlier in my case, time is even tighter.

I will work hard to minimize any damage… and prepare to capture the Demon King’s officers to the best of my ability.

For sure.