Arcane Artifacts

Helene looked up briefly from the papers to see the picture on the phone. For a few moments a thick silence hung over the group.

"Are you okay?"

It was only after Damien's question that Helene snapped out of her stupor. Suddenly she pulled out a piece of paper from the bottom of her desk drawer.

"Take a look at this. Five years ago, there was a robbery at the Divine Craftsmanship Faction. One of their Senior Magicians secretly took a Type-Genesis Arcane Artifact and disappeared without anyone noticing. Some claim that the faction's top brass had hidden agendas. Memorize this face well. If you ever see him, report it immediately. If you come to confront him directly, you will have no place to rest even after death. For your own sake, avoid crossing his path."

"Hey, this has escalated too quickly." Damien pressed his lips into a thin line and received the piece of paper. It had the person's photo and details.

[Name: Albedo Euston.

Sex: Male.

Age: 59 years.

Previous affiliation: Divine Craftsmanship Faction.

Description: Former executive. Psychopathic and dangerous Magician. He was one of the most talented craftsmen of his generation before suffering a loss of control that led to an unhealthy obsession with twisted experiments and escaping with the Type-Genesis 010 Arcane Artifact.

Status: He has been declared enemy number one by the Divine Craftsmanship Faction. They have even permitted other factions to join forces to hunt him down. A generous reward will be offered to anyone who facilitates his capture, either alive or dead, and the recovery of the Arcane Artifact. Those who face him do so at their own risk].

The photograph above the lines of text showed Albedo Euston wearing a white robe embroidered with intricate gold thread.

His hair was grayish white, and his eyes were bright green. His expression was twisted into an insane grin as he seemed to look down on everyone. Although he was fifty-nine years old, his face had no wrinkles, but actually had the appearance of a man in his thirties.

"Wow, this artifact must be really amazing to be given such a high priority," Damien furrowed his brow before turning to Helene.

He wouldn't lie and say he wasn't curious about these Type-Genesis Arcane Artifacts.

'That name sounds so chuuni...'

Nevertheless, he could also save that curiosity for later. For now, Helene's earlier action and her warning allowed him to draw some conclusions....

"You mean, would this man be the one behind the shift between the Ascendant and the loss of control?"

"We call them Corrupted. And yes. Albedo is a pretty crazy Craftsmanship. He's been experimenting with the Corrupted. He allegedly wanted to create an immortal army that could not die even if cut into a thousand pieces," Helene said with a sigh, "This twisted monster can only be because of his experiment. According to your encounter, he has now apparently allied himself with the Church of Xe'arth."

"Hm. He's actually quite an ambitious man... An Immortal Army... Huh? It's not like he could have a shadows army." Damien offered his mocking words honestly.

"By the same token, it would be useful to know this artifact's power."

Damien thought it was important to learn about it before facing an enemy with an artifact that could end his life if he didn't know what he was up against. Then he could come up with a plan to counter it.

"The most powerful Arcane Artifacts have the highest security. Therefore, the Divine Craftsmanship Faction did not reveal any details about it, not even its function. Even so, Type-Genesis 010 Arcane Artifact's record is only described as an ordinary Chalice."

Damien did not speak his thoughts aloud. Instead, his long fingers ran softly through Nephelia's silky white hair. Still, his mind was confused by the Arcane Artifact's appearance.

A simple chalice? Is it like the ones used in churches? Is it such a powerful artifact? What is its true use? Will it grant eternal life to those who drink from it? Or perhaps even incredible power?

Meanwhile, Helene was lightly tapping her fingers on the table. "That's all I can contribute," she lowered her eyes to Nephelia and spoke in a more serious tone. "And take that lazy bitch elsewhere."

Damien followed her gaze to his lap to find his little vampire asleep on his chest. Her face was as calm as a windless ocean, yet as expressionless as a porcelain doll. However, a soft murmur escaped her lips, "Mmm, Damien."

Camille let out a huge sigh as she looked down at her mistress, sleeping like a kitten on her owner's lap. Her usual monotone then began to sound sarcastic.

"Well, well. Who knew? Miss Nephelia seems to have been completely tamed, don't you think? I certainly can't imagine how that could have happened after her relentless harassment of Mr. Damien day after day."

She cast a sideways glance at Damien, clucking her tongue secretly and curving the corners of her lips into an expressionless face that seemed to betray a certain annoyance.

'That maid...' Damien rolled his eyes at Camille's attitude.

He slid one arm underneath Nephelia's knees while the other was used to support her back, letting his girl's head rest on his chest. He stood upright and carried her in the princess position.

"Well, let's go then." He nodded softly to Helene.

Helene watched Damien's back go away, as if she were wrestling with an inner thought. Finally she said:

"Damien, take good care of her."

He looked quizzically over his shoulder; did this woman really care about Nephelia? Was Helene some kind of hidden tsundere?

'Mm, despite insulting each other, they seemed to get along quite well.'

Damien shrugged his shoulders. His face was so serene, but at the same time his eyes were so frightening. "You needn't worry. Nephelia is more precious to me than my own life. If I have to face the whole world to protect her, then so be it. If God Himself tries to take her from me, I will not hesitate to go against Him. My 'love' for her knows no bounds. Neither heaven nor hell will be able to separate us."

Camille watched Damien from the side with an emotionless face, not mocking his arrogant words. Her green eyes flashed briefly, and she gave Damien a thumbs up and a silent thought:

'I see. Miss Nephelia has found herself an excellent husband. As a maid, all I can wish for is my mistress's safety and happiness.'

"Hehe... HAHAHAHA!"

Meanwhile, Helene drew a crooked smile and burst into laughter that echoed through the walls. "Challenging a god?! Do you realize what your words mean?"

Suddenly, an unseen pressure squeezed Damien's body with such force that the ground beneath his feet cracked into cobwebs. He glared icily at Helene, but when he saw that Nephelia was unaffected, he sighed with relief.

Yet he did not hold back his mockery. "Heh, it doesn't matter if I understand or not. The only thing my enemies should know is that if they dare to touch what is mine... they will die."

The pressure on Damien's shoulder and Helene's laughter faded as quickly as they had appeared. Only a look of bored indifference remained on her pretty face.

"I wonder where you get so much arrogance from. A little can be useful, but too much can be fatal. Still..."

She narrowed her eyes and fixed her emerald gaze on Damien. "If you think you can take on the gods, you're sorely mistaken. You cannot defeat God. You cannot kill God. No matter how strong you are, not in a thousand years."

"..." Damien held her gaze in silence. Finally he shrugged calmly.

'Anyway, I don't plan to provoke any gods unless they provoke me first. I'm like a small fish in the sea, I don't think they'll notice me,' he thought to himself with a smile.

He walked out next to Camille with Nephelia sleeping in his arms. Helene stayed behind, probably cursing his arrogance.

"At least he has the courage to protect Nephelia. I wonder if he'll really make it..." Helene's murmur was met with a silence around her.

She stood motionless in the dim torchlight, her gaze lost in some distant point. Her thoughts seemed to float between this world and a faraway one. She stood still for a long time. It was several minutes before she moved again.