Chapter 60: An Unholy Sanctuary

The Sahongu, the artifact that had left the Magic Tower Master, Iren, in a vegetative state.

Stealing the ominous, ancient dark magic artifact would be no simple feat.

To begin with, its location and owner were completely unknown.

Therefore.

They had no choice but to reconvene in Anastasia’s office to continue their discussion and plan their strategy.

Although it was already late when Logan’s party returned to the Imperial Palace.

No one showed any signs of fatigue as they all attended the meeting.

This time, it wasn’t just the key figures from the allied delegations.

Duke Lionel and Prime Minister Esman also joined them, putting their heads together.

“Surely, the one who did that to the Magic Tower Master, Director Teron, that man must be the one who has it, wouldn’t he?”

Esman was the first to break the heavy silence, speaking cautiously.

His voice was thick with deep distrust for Teron and concern for the gravity of the situation.

‘Ever since His Majesty the Emperor was in charge of state affairs, he has been constantly demanding huge sums of support money…’

He had persistently visited, asking for investment for the future of the empire.

But given the state of the imperial finances, there was no way they could give him the amount of funding he wanted.

‘I knew that he became close with the Church and the noble faction after that, but..’

Since the Magic Tower Master, Iren, was there, he hadn’t been particularly worried.

After all, it wasn’t a problem for Teron to offer some help to those who sponsored him.

However, at the time, he had never imagined that Teron would intervene so openly in politics.

In any case.

If one thought about it from a general perspective, it was clear that Teron was the one who had done this to Iren.

If so, it was reasonable to assume that the culprit would have a high probability of possessing the dangerous object himself.

Then it would likely be hidden somewhere in the Magic Tower or the Academy, in a secret place under his control.

However, there was one person who did not agree with that opinion, and it was Lionel.

“My thoughts are different.”

He spoke with his characteristically expressionless face.

“Teron, if that greedy man had possessed such a dangerous item, wouldn’t he have already surpassed the Magic Tower Master and taken his position long ago? Why would he cause trouble only now?”

Lionel had long seen through the fact that while Teron was outwardly polite and courteous, all his actions were a sham, and he harbored a dark ambition within.

The same must have been true for Iren.

However.

‘It must be because they were fellow disciples that his heart weakened, and he had no choice but to keep him around.’

As a result, he probably never expected to be betrayed in such a horrific way.

At Lionel’s sharp point, Esman nodded as if in agreement.

Even so, he cautiously added his own opinion.

“I also agree with the Duke’s assessment that Teron is a two-faced and greedy man, but perhaps he recently obtained the object through some route? And he must have used it on the Magic Tower Master immediately.”

His reasoning also had merit, so no one in the conference room could easily open their mouths.

Just then.

Graham shook his head and spoke in a low voice.

“The Sahongu is a very dangerous object for an ordinary person to carry around or to leave in just any place.”

He unhesitatingly referred to a person of the Magic Tower Academy Director’s stature as ordinary.

This was not to disregard Teron.

“If one holds it for a long time, the person themselves will be in great danger, and if it is placed in any random location, that place will be stained with darkness and curses.”

The malevolent energy contained within the ancient dark magic artifact was just too powerful.

It was the object that had reduced the Magic Tower Master Iren to such a state.

It was not something anyone could handle easily.

“Hmm… Then, there’s no way anyone is carrying it around, so it must be stored in a place that’s not easy to find.”

Baldur muttered, stroking his bushy beard.

Where on earth could he have put it?

To find the answer, everyone in the conference room frowned and fell into deep thought.

The Magic Tower, the Academy, or Teron’s personal space.

But according to Graham’s words, all those places were dangerous.

In the case of the Magic Tower, since only mages who now supported Teron remained, it was questionable whether they could properly manage the object in the first place.

And the same went for the Academy.

Then Teron’s personal space?

But that place was also a space within the Magic Tower or the Academy, so the possibility was very low.

And so.

As they couldn’t easily find an answer, a heavy silence enveloped the conference room.

Only the flickering candlelight cast faint shadows.

It was then.

Logan slowly raised his hand.

“…You might think this is a bit extreme, but there is one place that I believe is the most likely.”

At those words, the gazes of everyone in the conference room focused on him.

“Logan… could you please tell us?”

Anastasia’s red eyes, looking at Logan, were trembling with great anxiety.

The plots and secret struggles for power in this empire she ruled were already filthy and ugly enough to make her sick of them…

But now dark magic was involved.

It was so horrific and repulsive that she wanted to uproot all of this as soon as possible.

At this, Logan rested his chin on his hand and seemed to think for a moment, before slowly opening his mouth to answer.

“…I believe it is probably the Church.”

---

At Logan’s statement, everyone in the conference room couldn’t hide their surprise.

The silence was broken by murmurs from all around.

“The Church?”

“Did I hear that right…?”

Esman, as if in disbelief, half-rose from his seat and asked Logan.

“Excuse me, Sir Logan… no matter the circumstances, isn’t accusing the Church going too far? It’s true they are corrupt and fallen, but they are still servants of the Goddess. For people like them to have an ancient dark magic artifact…”

At this, Duke Lionel raised his hand to stop Esman.

“Let’s hear Sir Logan’s story to the end first, Prime Minister.”

“Ugh… I understand.”

Esman groaned as if he had no choice and nodded his head.

It was because he thought Logan’s opinion was too absurd.

If they were people who stored such a wicked object, then there would have been no need to defeat the Demon Lord in the first place, would there?

‘Duke Barenhoff has really fallen hard for Sir Logan.’

Esman clicked his tongue inwardly.

Lionel’s face was still expressionless, but his eyes seemed to be filled with anticipation.

He couldn’t shake the suspicion that Lionel was trusting Logan too much.

No matter how outstanding Logan was, this claim was difficult to accept.

Besides.

‘It also seems like he’s planning something separately with Her Highness…’

Esman could roughly guess what it was.

But shouldn’t one separate public and private matters?

In any case.

It was necessary to hear on what grounds Logan had designated the Church as the most likely location.

Therefore, everyone in the conference room fell silent and once again focused their attention on Logan.

At this, Logan calmly began to explain.

“Yes, I think it’s natural for everyone to find it hard to believe. One wouldn’t easily expect the Church, which serves the Goddess, to possess such an object.”

However, he had thought differently from the beginning.

Do they truly serve the Goddess?

Are they truly people who act according to the Goddess’s words?

‘No, absolutely not…’

There was no way that could be true.

If they were people who truly served the Goddess properly and listened to her words.

There was no way they would have allowed such absurd things as senselessly sacrificing their own allies in the war against the Demon Lord’s army to happen.

‘Of course… they said it couldn’t be helped in that situation, but I, who failed to stop it, am no different from them.’

However.

The Goddess, who loves and cherishes all life in the world, would allow such things?

‘There’s absolutely no way. And…’

Logan recalled the words that the Demon Lord Belzegor had spoken that day.

• Tsk tsk… The Goddess is truly cruel.

• These wretched beings who do not even properly follow her revelations, I cannot for the life of me understand why she tries to embrace and care for them so.

They do not follow the revelations.

At the time, he thought it was just words to delude the hero’s party.

‘But… is that really true…?’

He couldn’t help but have doubts.

Because…

• Oh dear… especially in your case… how truly pitiful…

At that time, the gaze Belzegor directed at him was clearly filled with sympathy and compassion.

And above all.

The last words he had left.

• Still…

• It’s a relief…

• The Goddess… you…

• It seems she still cares for you…

He still couldn’t properly understand the meaning, but.

Only one thing was clear.

‘The terrible future I saw back then…’

Perhaps the Goddess had shown it to him.

He couldn’t help but naturally come to that conclusion.

If so.

If that thought was correct.

The Church right now was definitely not functioning properly.

“Do you truly believe the Church follows the words of the Goddess? I do not. The Hero, Lian, is mired in a hypocritical self-righteousness that is unworthy of being called conviction, and the Saintess, Sera, is also a hypocritical individual who is different on the inside and out.”

No one refuted Logan’s words.

The fact that the priests of the Church were greedy was something everyone present knew, and the actions of Lian and Sera were no different.

“I cannot be one hundred percent certain, but I believe it is necessary to investigate them first.”

Although Logan said that.

He was one hundred percent certain.

That somewhere in the Church, the Sahongu.

That ancient dark magic artifact was hidden.