May Soul Dissonance Bow Before Me

Chapter 61

TBOAH!Eruhaben suddenly snapping and scolding Cale, triggered every other adult in the Palantír Hall. Exclamations and chiding were coming from every direction, and then the resounding echo of a sharp clap was heard. Divine power snuffed out their volatile emotions and squashed their protests and complaints.

"That's enough now. Everyone take a breath, and let us continue the records calmly. Cale, if at any point this becomes too much, tell me! I will handle everything else!" She reminded him. Cale nodded to the Goddess, while all the adults grudgingly returned to their seats and quietened down properly.

After less than a day. Cale reached the end of the dark corridor. The corridor did not continue in a straight line. It went at a diagonal at points, there were stairs, and it even went up and back down.
"Beacrox really does make delicious food."

TCF!Beacrox wanted to be happy, but he recalled how little of the food he'd packed for Cale had actually been eaten back then, and those emotions vanished automatically, he began to scowl while repressing his anger and annoyance as it returned.

Cale didn't need to sleep thanks to the Indestructible Shield and the Vitality of the Heart. That was why he was able to reach the end of the corridor faster than the Mercenary King.

"Ho... so, he got there faster... but that means he was in the temple even longer... What the hell happened in there?" Rok Soo wondered with a pensive frown of deep concentration etched upon his face.

- ...Looks delicious.
Cale ignored the glutton priestess and put a whole blueberry pie in his mouth. He then walked out of the corridor.
'Friend, the area with the altar will appear once you walk out of the corridor.'
Cale started to frown. He could see the black altar. He could see the jar with a crack on it on top of it.
'Bring out the cracked jar. That is the ancient artifact.'
Cale had asked Bud a question after that.
'Is it fine to just bring that jar out? Isn't it an ancient artifact?'
'Yes.'
The Mercenary King then continued in a serious tone.
'You just need to return it within three days.'

Returning it was not the issue. The problem was that this ancient artifact was an item with limited usage. Bud Illis had looked down.
'The curse of the wind blades around Wind Island will chase after the person who took the artifact and destroyed it.'

The Palantír then told a different story; it was the story about how one of the previous gatekeepers of the Mercenary King's household had tried to steal the ancient artifact and run. However, the Palantír mercilessly showed how that gatekeeper had been killed three days later. And even how the gatekeeper's family members were all killed except one person to continue their bloodline - the shocking part of this information was that even those who were not on Wind Island were killed too.

TCF!Bud's recollection of the past as well as the Palantír showing this record about that event showed how the wind had chased after them no matter where they were and how that same wind swept up the ancient artifact and returned to its "proper spot". TCF!Bud had gone on to tell Cale that after this event, no one dared to desire the ancient artifact, and many gatekeepers never went to the temple because they were afraid of the curse.

According to the Palantír, some of them were worried that they might get tempted to run away with the ancient artifact because of their greed, while others were worried that they would use the ancient artifact to heal someone and the jar's durability would reach its limit and break - these were two of the most common fears among many that prevented the gatekeepers of the past from taking or even using it.

Cale erased the Mercenary King's nonsense from his mind and reached out. His hand landed on the cold black altar. Cale then grabbed the jar with his other hand. It was only the size of a small alcohol bottle.
Cale heard the thief's voice at that moment.
- 3 Days, plus one day.
Cale picked up the jar. There was a crack on the outside, but it was still fine.
- That is how long the dead mana that fills this black mountain can stand without exploding without the artifact.
Cale flinched at this story that he was hearing for the first time.