Chapter 55

"I discovered the statue of the goddess during a mission to eradicate a monster nest. The area was swarming with Nagas, both male and female," Glenda emphasized the word "male" as she spoke. It was a well-known fact that Nagas were primarily female, with an extremely low percentage of males being born. According to the myth passed down by traveling bards, the birth of a male Naga would result in the surrounding area being infested by demons. Glenda downed her drink in one gulp and signaled the bartender for another.

"After vanquishing the Naga Queen, I ventured further into the nest to ensure no more Nagas were lurking inside. To my surprise, I discovered a small room beyond the throne room. The room was bare, save for an altar upon which stood a statue of a female goddess. The statue had been meticulously carved from an unidentified block of solid rock. Despite consulting numerous experts, none could identify the material. For simplicity's sake, I refer to it as 'rock.' "

The bartender handed Glenda her new drink after she finished her sentence, and immediately she downed it like a thirsty drunk. Astaroth frowned at the guild master's behavior but did not say anything or stop her. He did not want to break the momentum of what Glenda was sharing. Astaroth took a sip from his drink and found it too sweet for his liking. The bartender noticed Astaroth's reaction and poured him a separate drink that looked like whiskey, replacing the fruity wine.

Glenda continued, "I was saying when I found the statue... it was mesmerizing. As someone with almost zero knowledge of art, I knew that the statue must be a masterpiece. The features on the statue looked lifelike. If it had been a life-sized statue, I would have thought that the Naga Queen had cast her magic and transformed someone into stone."

"I thought to myself, 'I've struck the jackpot. I can sell this and get rich, then live the rest of my life as a wealthy girl.'" Glenda grinned, but the grin soon disappeared from her face. She took the fruity wine that Astaroth had taken a sip earlier from the bartender. This time, she didn't gulp it down but sipped on it slowly.

"You know what else I found, Astaroth?" Glenda turned her head and looked at Astaroth. Without waiting for his reply, she answered her question. "There was a key and a piece of note underneath the statue when I lifted it. The note had only two words and for the key, I have no clue to which door it can open. No room in the Naga's nest had a door the key would fit."

"What were the two words written on the note?" Astaroth asked, his curiosity piqued. "Seraphiel Everhart," Glenda spoke the two words, her gaze fixed on the drink before her. From her tone, it seemed she had little respect for the name. It was the full name of the goddess of Sanctavia. Most, if not all, residents of Sanctavia referred to the goddess as Seraphiel, rarely using her full name. "I would like to take a look at the statue if you don't mind, Glenda," Astaroth requested from the guild master. If what Glenda said was true, then the statue would likely be the genuine depiction of the goddess, allowing him to determine if she was the one pulling the strings thus far. He had seen all eight goddesses before in Eldoria, and if one of them were present and using an alias, he would be able to tell.

"I don't have it now. When I retrieved it from the Naga's nest, I showed it to the Pope, hoping to have it verified and endorsed by the temple. I had thought the price of the statue would surely increase. However, the moment the Pope saw it, he called it blasphemy and confiscated it from me," Glenda said, grinding her teeth as she spoke. Astaroth could tell that she was deeply angered by the Pope's reaction.

"Didn't you try to retrieve it? Even if the Pope didn't like it, it wasn't his property. I'm surprised you didn't confront him," Astaroth replied, half teasing Glenda.

"Oh, that old snake had templars surrounding me, and his most trusted knight had her sword to my throat. One of these days, I will kill that bitch," Glenda spat, downing her fifth glass of fruity wine. "But I still have the key with me, that old fart only took the statue from me."

"Hey, I just thought of something," Sophia said. "She told me you have a meeting with the Pope in two days. How about you help me by stealing the statue from the Pope? If you bring it back to me, I'll give you what you want."

Glenda looked at Astaroth and moved her body closer, attempting to rub against him seductively. "No thanks, I'm not interested in you, but I would like to see the statue," Astaroth replied, pushing Glenda away.

Instead of feeling rejected, she moved even closer, her arms clinging to his neck as she brought her face near his. Astaroth caught a whiff of alcohol on her breath, realizing that the guild master was drunk. Just as Glenda was about to kiss him, the bar door burst open with a whirlwind, and a shadow moved at lightning speed, grabbing Glenda by the neck and throwing her away from Astaroth. "How dare sit on my master's lap and try to kiss him."

Astaroth saw Lalitha standing in front of him with her hands casting different magic signs ready to launch her most deadly spells at Glenda. But Glenda had already been knocked out cold when Lalitha threw on the floor. Astaroth place his hand on Lalitha's shoulder and stop her from casting those spells in the bar.

"I'm sorry, Don. Here's my adventurer card. You can charge the cost of the drinks and damages to it," Astaroth apologized, feeling remorseful for the mess Lalitha had caused. He handed his card to the bartender. Don shook his head and replied, "That's fine. Don't worry about it. Bar fights are common here. Your lady here is strong." Don glanced at Lalitha and praised her. He had never seen a woman who could throw the guild master to the floor and knock her out. Even though Glenda was drunk, she still possessed her super strength, which should have protected her from getting knocked out.

"Master, how could you come alone with that skinny cat? You would have been taken advantage of if I had been slower," Lalitha complained, momentarily forgetting that her master was the demon king, and no one would be able to take advantage of him.

"Please send her back to the guild house Astaroth, I will need to clean up the place." Don flipped the open sign to close the door of his bar and started clearing the mess.

"No, I will carry her, "Lalitha stop her master from picking Glenda up and she half dragged Glenda out of the bar. Soon Lalitha and Astaroth dropped Glenda at the adventurer guild and make their way back to their inn.

"Did you have fun at the festival?" Astaroth asked. Lalitha was still upset that Glenda had tried to kiss him, so he tried to divert her attention to something else.

"Sort of, but there were too many people, making it difficult to walk. That's why I cut short my exploration and came back to look for the master. But who knew the master had already gone out to a bar." Lalitha pouted in anger.

"Yes, well, I didn't expect the guild master to get drunk so quickly. But the conversation mainly revolved around the goddess," Astaroth explained to Lalitha, sharing the story that Glenda had previously shared with him at the bar.

"So, master, do you think that the statue is the true depiction of the goddess?" Lalitha asked.

"I believe there may be some truth to the story. If the Pope reacted as Glenda described, it would be far from normal. Just look at the various versions of the goddess statue in this city; each one seems to possess distinct features. Wouldn't that amount to blasphemy, prompting the Templar to confiscate all the statues?" Astaroth explained. Lalitha, upon hearing the explanation, nodded in agreement. It was undeniable that the Pope's reaction seemed excessive based on the story's description.

"I will make my decision on the day we meet the Pope. If he is concealing something, I will uncover the truth. And if the statue is indeed real, I will retrieve it for Glenda," Astaroth declared with a grin.

The festival of thanks ended that day with a spectacular fireworks display, and street vendors extended their stalls late into the night. Throughout the city, people reveled in celebration and merriment. Meanwhile, Glenda found herself confined to her office, nursing a pounding headache. Uncertain whether the pain stemmed from the alcohol she had consumed or the blow to her head when she toppled onto the floor, she grumbled and unleashed a barrage of profanity at a self-drawn sketch of Lalitha.

In another corner of the city, Astaroth and Lalitha, now donned in fresh attire, strolled together, reveling in the splendor of the fireworks and indulging in delectable street food. With that, the festival of thanks concluded in Sanctavia.