How should I put it…
Thinking ahead, it is the right thing to give it, but the way they're so blatantly expecting it makes me not want to give it at all.
Is this what they call a rebellious streak?
[Offering Box]
Maybe it felt me staring at it coldly, because the letters on the offering box quickly changed to a more modest tone.
Well, I am a kind person, so I'll let it slide.
I shoved the entire pouch with 2,000 gold into the offering box.
I saw Lute's eyes widen at the pouch vanishing into thin air, but I didn't have time to care.
With the clinking sound of hundreds, thousands of coins falling, a flurry of system messages unfolded before my eyes.
[2,000 gold has been offered to the Offering Box of "The Sun That Crawled Out of Death."]
["The Sun That Crawled Out of Death" recovers a portion of its power through the devotion of a faithful follower.]
["The Sun That Crawled Out of Death" bestows a blessing upon the saint who offered devotion. The user's divine power has increased.]
[Current Divine Power: 10%]
My divine power increased by 2% thanks to the god's blessing.
I quickly realized why the Sun God wanted me to reach 10%.
[The user's Divine Power has reached 10%. The saint-exclusive skill "Blessing" has been unlocked.]
[Skill: "Blessing"]
You can use healing power through blessings.
You can bestow new blessings upon existing holy relics.
Blessing! And I can even bless already existing holy relics!
So that's why. The Sun God had a reason to go out of their way to let me know, even at the cost of their precious power.
With this, I can make Lute Cieri a true ally!
"Spatial magic? But clergy aren't supposed to be able to use magic…"
When he asked about the pouch vanishing into thin air, I shook my head.
"It's not magic. Let's just say it's a power only the saint of the Sun God can use."
After giving a rough explanation, I got up from my seat right away.
"All the necessary procedures are done, so I'll bring the holy relic now. Please wait a moment."
Lute's expression noticeably brightened. He must have been worried I'd take the money and run.
"What about the High Priest?"
After leaving the reception room, I asked Seth who was waiting outside.
"He hasn't arrived yet."
Good, I'd better finish this before he comes back.
"Let's head to the sanctuary. I need to retrieve the holy relic."
The underground of the Grand Temple.
This area, inaccessible to just anyone, is where sacred artifacts and relics are kept — the sanctuary.
The Holy Relic of Light that Lute was seeking was also kept there.
"Wow…"
After descending deep underground with Seth, we finally reached the entrance of the sanctuary.
The moment I stood in front of it, I couldn't help but gasp.
A huge marble door engraved with intricate, indecipherable geometric patterns exuded such an overwhelming presence, it made my chest ache just looking at it.
Were those divine characters like the ones written in the sacred text, or some other language beyond our understanding?
One thing was certain — like the sacred scriptures, it radiated a sense of holiness.
"It's been a long time since I've come here, but it always feels terrifying no matter when I come."
"You too, Commander? I feel the same. There's this… pressure that washes over you."
Seth nodded and placed his hand on the door, slowly infusing it with divine power.
As the complex engravings on the door glowed golden, it began to open with a heavy rumble.
From the crack, bright light and unbelievably clean, pure air flowed out and engulfed my entire body.
"My god. How can a place like this exist underground?"
Even without any lighting, soft light poured down from the sealed ceiling.
It was like sunlight, yet different — this was the light of the Sun God.
Even in its weakened state, the Sun God was still maintaining the light that guarded the sanctuary.
Thanks to the god's blessing, the underground sanctuary was filled with greenery and trees so lush and thriving, it was hard to believe we were underground.
It was a stark contrast to the temple garden above, which had been abandoned because we were too poor to maintain it.
"You mean this place stays like this even without any upkeep?"
"Yes. It's because this is the place where the god's touch is most directly felt."
What a relief. Unlike the ruined garden outside, this place is eternal.
If even a place this beautiful had been ruined because of poverty, it would have been heartbreaking.
I have to make money and restore the garden outside someday.
"But where exactly is the Holy Relic of Light? This place is under the High Priest's care, so I don't really know much about it."
Seth scratched his head and replied sheepishly.
I patted his shoulder and said it was fine.
Alright, time to work, AI system. Tell me where the Holy Relic of Light is.
[AI system is scanning for the 'Holy Relic of Light' as per user request.]
Soon, a map of the sanctuary appeared before my eyes. I began following the red dots marked on it.
Normally, relics imbued with the Sun God's power are placed where the light reaches.
But the map kept leading me toward darker, more hidden corners.
Eventually, we reached a place so thick with trees that not even a sliver of light reached it.
In a gloomy corner that hardly looked worthy of being called a sanctuary, there sat an ornate jewel box.
"The god has informed me — this is the Holy Relic of Light."
"You really are different, Saint."
Ugh, he's sincerely impressed by that blatant lie. Now I feel a little guilty…
I cleared my throat and opened the lid of the box.
Inside, laid neatly on a silk cloth, was a golden necklace embedded with a radiant red gemstone.
It was so gorgeous, it looked like it belonged to an empress of the Empire — captivatingly beautiful… and yet—
It felt completely off for a relic. Rather than feeling sacred, its extravagant appearance gave me the creeps.
I had known this from the original story, but seeing it in person made it feel even more wrong.
"This is… the Holy Relic of Light?"
Seth also seemed to sense something was off, his expression uneasy.
"It's more like…"
"...a relic of darkness, right?"
He trailed off, so I finished the sentence for him.
Startled, he looked at me wide-eyed, and I laughed.
"It's strange, isn't it? It's so beautiful and ornate, yet it feels dark and dreary."
"Saint…"
"Do you think it's right to hand over something this unsettling to Duke Cieri?"
Seth didn't answer. Not that I needed his answer anyway.
[Activating skill: 'Body Enhancement'.]
CRACK!
With divine power brimming in both hands, I completely crushed the necklace I had been holding.
I'd wanted to smash it from the moment I first saw it — finally, that itch is gone.
"L-Lady Saint! Why would you destroy the relic…?!"
Seth's face turned pale at my sudden action.
I clearly explained the reason behind what I did.
"This is not a relic imbued with the Sun God's power."
"…What?"
"As a saint, I can feel it. The wicked energy overflowing from this necklace."
When I opened my fist, the shattered fragments fell to the ground with a soft clink, clatter.
The so-called "Holy Relic of Light," a major item from the novel The Sacred Idella…
This object, mistaken as the only cure for Lute Cieri's illness, was never actually a relic of the Sun God.
On the contrary — it was a core of evil that needed to be destroyed.
['The Holy Relic of Light' has been destroyed by the divine power of 'The Sun That Crawled Out of Death.']
Instead of reading the system message, I looked down at the shards on the floor.
Far from curing Lute Cieri, this object would have only worsened his condition.
At first, it greatly eased his pain, so Lute never realized the truth and carried the relic around like a sacred treasure.
But the insidious energy it carried quietly worsened his illness, gradually corroding him from within.
And once that energy completely consumed him, he lost his will and became a slave to the one who created the relic.
That was the very reason Lute became a villain in the original story.
The creator of the "Holy Relic of Light" was the Sun God's ancient enemy — and the final boss the protagonists were destined to fight.
"A-a wicked energy, you say? But this relic was crafted by a high priest two generations ago…"
To the shocked Seth, I revealed the truth.
"Then that priest must have been a heretic. Or perhaps he was never truly a believer of the Sun God to begin with."
In truth, it was both.
He was born with the divine power of the Sun God, but turned traitor and began worshipping the Sun God's enemy.
In return, he received power — and used it to create this so-called 'Holy Relic of Light.'
What a blasphemous name for such a vile creation.
"That… that can't be. How could he betray us…? And to place a relic made from another's power inside the sanctuary, pretending it was holy…"
Seth, one of the most devout believers in the temple, couldn't comprehend such treachery.
"If we hadn't found this out, and gave the relic to Duke Cieri… I can't imagine what might have happened. It's all thanks to you, Saint. It's a blessing you were the one to check it first."
"But we can't just tell the duke the truth. After all, we already accepted his donation."
"Oh— Then what do we do?"
"Well, he doesn't know what the relic is supposed to look like, right? So there's only one option."
"O-one…?"
What do you think?
"We switch it."
I'll give him the real thing — one filled with blessing, overflowing with divine power from the Sun God.
Something so thoroughly blessed that no evil could even approach it.