"Liliana, can you use your Spirit Vision to discern the origin of this divine artifact?"
Diana, the witch of the Copper-Black Cross, held a black wooden box.
Intricate blue runes, crafted from materials capable of channeling magical energy, adorned the box, lending an air of mystery to its otherwise plain appearance.
Inside lay a beast tooth, dulled with yellowed age.
Spirit Vision relied heavily on innate talent.
Though Liliana was a kid, her skill in this area rivaled even Diana's.
"Teacher Diana, I'll give it a try," The silver-haired knight maiden said, a resigned smile on her face, clearly holding little hope.
Diana had already attempted it in front of her, to no avail.
After a few seconds, Liliana shook her head helplessly.
"No good. I can't glean anything through Spirit Vision. It's as if this tooth is just an ordinary relic dug up from the ground."
While divine artifacts were often ancient, age alone didn't grant power.
Only objects steeped in history and imbued with human faith could wield such strength.
Otherwise, every fossil in a museum would be a mighty artifact.
"I thought as much," Diana said, her expression darkening. "I'm starting to think this so-called divine artifact isn't even worth the box designed to suppress its power."
"Those Romani cultists—could they have grabbed some random beast tooth from a dig site, thinking it's a divine artifact to summon a Heretic God in Rome?"
Liliana frowned, worry creeping in. "What if the real artifact was swapped out? This tooth might just be a decoy to make us lower our guard."
"We've already captured all those cultists," Diana said, rubbing her brow in frustration, muttering, "What a hassle. All this work is going to give me more wrinkles…"
Realizing her slip, she quickly changed the subject.
"Before we moved in, that group of cultists fell into disarray. Seems some believed the artifact's keeper, a witch, had swapped it out."
"Regardless, the issue of the cultists infiltrating Rome is mostly resolved. Now we just need to track down the real artifact."
With that, she picked up the tooth from the box and tossed it carelessly to the ground.
Crack!
The moment it hit, the brittle, aged tooth shattered into pieces.
"Let's go. We're done here," Diana said, tucking the box under her arm. "You did well on this mission, Liliana."
"No need to rush back to Milan headquarters. Take a few days to relax in Rome after the mission."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Relax in Rome, she says, but I don't even know what I'd do."
Walking alone through Rome's streets, Liliana recalled her teacher's words, shaking her head with a soft sigh.
Unlike most girls, she had no interest in shopping or sightseeing. Swordsmanship and magical training were far more appealing.
"If I head back to Milan to train, Teacher will probably call and scold me…"
'Try acting like a normal girl,' she'd say. Completely unnecessary."
"So, maybe visit some of Rome's temples? I'm somewhat interested, though I've been to them plenty of times… hm?"
A sudden chill of foreboding coursed through her, making her hairs stand on end.
An inexplicable premonition left her trembling, drenched in cold sweat despite the warm day, her hands and feet icy.
"No way—"
She turned stiffly, looking toward the source.
It was a library.
"Have you had enough?" The loli demon lay sprawled on her back, listless. "Why are you still reading those myth books?"
I'm about to cry! Really, I'm crying!
Please, play with me!
"My knowledge of myths still feels incomplete," Lucius said, flipping a page as he stepped out of the library.
The comprehensive enhancement from absorbing the artifact meant he didn't worry about bumping into anything.
"This world's myths are so complex. Their evolution is inseparable from history. Take the Canaanite god-king Melqart—after the Canaanites were conquered by those following the Biblical system, he was gradually demoted, becoming Baal, one of the seventy-two demons controlled by Solomon—"
He stopped abruptly, frowning.
He felt he'd overlooked something…
"I already told you," The demon interrupted his thoughts, "you can rely on me for anything myth-related! Weren't you the one saying we should build basic trust?"
"Oh."
"If you don't act soon, you might as well give up on the Sword of Mars and leave Rome," The demon said, propping her chin as if concerned. "Otherwise, your aura will eventually draw the attention of the local mystical factions."
"You're right. I need to move quickly—"
Before he could finish, a strange ripple spread around him.
The surrounding pedestrians had vanished without a trace.
"See? Trouble's here," The demon mocked mercilessly. "Should've listened to me and acted sooner."
"Sir," The silver-haired knight maiden said, her expression grave as she slowly drew her sword. "Could you hand over the divine artifact to the Copper-Black Cross for safekeeping until you leave Italy?"
"Unless permitted, bringing an unsealed divine artifact into another faction's territory is strictly forbidden, isn't it?"
"Bad luck," Lucius sighed, his face expressionless. "But could you step aside? I have things to do and don't want to waste time on unrelated people."
"If you can assure me you pose no threat to Rome, I won't stand in your way. Otherwise, we'll settle this with force," Liliana said, gripping her sword tightly, her demeanor resolute.
"Rome, huh," Lucius nodded, realizing words wouldn't resolve this.
"Indeed, do not hinder me from casting my radiance across Rome!"
***
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