Chapter 52: The Hidden Artifact

In the vast hall, all of us gathered around Sarah, with her at the center. Apart from the soldiers under Captain Garz, who guarded our surroundings, the rest of us engaged in discussions led by Sarah. In reality, it was more of Sarah sharing information while we offered our opinions.

According to her family records, this hall had once been filled with artifacts. Each statue held and wore an artifact, with Emperor Alexander's statue being the most majestic. From head to toe, Emperor Alexander's statue was adorned with Divine artifacts—a tier higher than legendary artifacts.

Just imagining the bloodshed that must have occurred during the fight for these treasures sent chills down my spine. A single legendary artifact could incite intense conflict, so the presence of several Divine artifacts would have resulted in a brutal and savage battle.

Furthermore, as per Sarah's account, once the fight for the treasures concluded, the surviving individuals divided the artifacts equally among themselves. According to her family records, there were a total of five survivors, each of whom sustained severe injuries that compelled them to cease the fighting and retreat.

Among these survivors, Sarah's ancestor was the weakest, making him the last to choose his share of the treasures. Consequently, he was also the last to depart from the hall.

However, unbeknownst to him, being the last to leave enabled him to witness something that no other survivor had seen.

"A hidden Divine artifact," Sarah's voice resonated with solemnity.

"Differing from the other Divine artifacts, this particular artifact is concealed within a secret room within this hall. My ancestor was fortunate enough to stumble upon this secret room while rummaging through the leftover artifacts. Among them was the hidden key required to unlock the secret room."

Truly, who would have thought that Sarah's ancestor would be so fortunate? Initially, it may have seemed as though he had the worst luck among the five survivors, but fate smiled upon him, granting him possession of that hidden key.

"Your ancestor must have been an incredibly lucky man," Anna praised Sarah's ancestor upon hearing the story.

However, Sarah seemed unable to accept such praise as she slowly shook her head. "You might think so, but my ancestor didn't share that sentiment."

Curiosity filled the eyes of everyone as Sarah continued her tale. "As we all know, discovering a hidden artifact, with no one else aware of its existence, would make anyone feel like the luckiest person in the world. Initially, my ancestor thought so too. However, when he entered the secret room, he realized how foolish he had been to believe that. Even without any interference, he found himself unable to grasp the hidden artifact, leaving the secret room in profound disappointment. Initially, he planned to return to the secret room once he had recovered from his injuries. But the hall vanished once again, shattering his plans instantly. Even now, in the records left by my ancestor, the final page, filled with regret and cursing his ill luck, remains etched in my mind, as if he had written those words specifically to remind his descendants of his remorse."

Indeed, when a treasure is within arm's reach, but one cannot seize it, it is natural to blame one's luck for the misfortune.

But what could have prevented Sarah's ancestor from claiming that hidden artifact? According to her story, her ancestor must have been at least a high-tier mage. Being such, few obstacles should have rendered him so helplessly incapable. Was the challenge within that secret room truly so formidable?

"Miss Sarah, forgive me for saying this, but wasn't your ancestor himself a formidable mage? Even with an injury, shouldn't he have been willing to take the risk to obtain that hidden artifact? If it were me, I would certainly have done so," Captain Garz voiced the doubts that had formed in his mind.

I agreed with Captain Garz's sentiments, and it appeared that Anna and even the usually quiet Thomas shared the same thoughts.

"Of course, if he had been capable of using magic," Sarah provided a simple answer.

"Are you saying that...?" Captain Garz's face bore an expression of disbelief as he directed his doubts toward Sarah.

"Yes, my ancestor couldn't use magic. It was written that the moment you entered the secret room, your entire body became restricted, prohibiting the use of magic."

To completely strip someone of their magical abilities, the secret room must have possessed immense power. Without magic, even a high-tier mage was reduced to a mere child. It was no wonder that Sarah's ancestor had failed so miserably.

"In that case, I suppose this is where you need my strength?" One didn't need to be particularly astute to reach this conclusion. The story made it apparent, and I immediately understood, just like everyone else.

Sarah looked at me and nodded. "Yes!"