After taking care of the necessary documents at my uncle's office, Dante and I headed to the church to create my insignia and select an artifact.
As we walked, I couldn't suppress the curiosity that had been nagging at me for a while.
"Dante, you're a Finire too, aren't you?" I asked, glancing at him.
Dante nodded slightly, his smile still present on his ever-calm face. "Yes, that's right."
"So, what is your artifact?"
Dante stared straight ahead for a moment, as if contemplating his answer before finally speaking.
"A spear, often referred to as the Lance of Aetherion."
"A spear, huh..." I muttered softly, a little surprised.
I didn't expect that; I thought he'd have a dagger or something more fitting for an assassin.
"Why did you choose it?"
Dante chuckled softly, his voice gentle but deep.
"Fufu, I didn't choose it, Miss," he replied, his tone slightly mysterious, "it chose me."
I frowned, confused by his explanation.
"Chose? What do you mean?"
"The artifact resonates with our energy," Dante explained calmly.
"Each Finire doesn't simply choose their artifact. The artifact finds us, aligning with the strength and soul we possess."
"So... it's not about us choosing the artifact, but the artifact finding us?" I asked, beginning to grasp the concept.
Dante nodded, his smile growing deeper.
"Exactly, an artifact always chooses its rightful owner. Just as my spear chose me."
It seems that choosing an artifact will be more thrilling than I thought.
"We've arrived, Miss. This is the Sanctuary of Light Cathedral*."
Wow...
The cathedral is truly majestic, not only large but also incredibly tall. Its architecture emphasizes light, height, and ornamentation. I suppose this building is better known as a Gothic church, emphasizing height and spiritual atmosphere.
I wonder how long it took to build.
"Good morning, Mr. Dante and Miss Eira. My name is Lawrence Hale. I've been informed of your arrival."
A tall man with a sturdy build and glasses greeted us. His hair and clothing were impeccably neat, with no creases in sight.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Lawrence," I replied with a polite smile.
Dante, standing next to me, simply nodded slightly and handed over the documents he had been carrying.
"I've prepared everything you need," Lawrence spoke in a calm and cold tone. "The insignia for Miss Eira is in its final stage of completion. We will now proceed to the Relic Room to select an artifact that matches it."
Upon arriving at the Relic Room, a large door made of dark wood with intricate carvings opened, revealing a room filled with ancient artifacts. The light from the large candles in the corners created a mysterious atmosphere.
"Please, Miss Eira. We will wait outside, so feel free to take your time."
"Alright."
The room's door closed, leaving me in the dimly lit space full of artifacts.
Dante said that the artifact would choose me. And Mr. Lawrence didn't say anything about how I should choose the artifact.
Well, for now, let's take a look around.
The artifacts were neatly displayed in their respective places.
There were so many types of them: daggers, swords, axes, arrows, bows, spears, pistols, rifles, amulets, and many more. Even their engravings and colors were different.
I kept walking until I reached the far corner of the room. And in the very back corner, there was a scythe with intricate engravings and red accents.
Feeling mesmerized, I approached it.
I reached out my hand toward the scythe. As soon as my fingers touched its cold surface, a sudden flash of light encircled my body, causing the room to tremble momentarily.
The weapon floated in the air, positioning itself in front of me, as if it wanted me to hold it. On the handle, the name Eclipse Reaver was beautifully engraved.
"Eclipse Reaver. What a beautiful name."
I grasped the handle, and a gentle breeze blew softly.
I couldn't help but smile because of the sensation I felt while holding this weapon.
Now, I suppose I'm done.
"Let's go out and show this."
I walked out of the room, and the two men were waiting outside. They turned toward me as I exited with the scythe in hand.
Lawrence, who had never shown emotion before, now looked at it with more seriousness.
"Interesting," Lawrence muttered, pushing his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose.
"Eclipse Reaver—A legendary class artifact, the Life Drainer. It seems the Eden Organization has obtained another monster."
"That's an impolite thing to say to a lady," Dante responded to Lawrence's remark.
"In that case, I apologize."
Lawrence bowed to me with an apologetic expression.
"It's fine." I waved my left hand and shook my head, smiling awkwardly.
Even though this scythe was quite large, it was very light. Not heavy at all.
"Now, if you would follow me to the waiting room, you can relax while Miss Eira's insignia is being completed."
"Alright."
"And Miss Eira, could you please shrink the artifact?"
"Oh, how do I do that?"
"You just need to imagine the weapon shrinking."
"Alright then."
I did as Lawrence instructed. Imagine the scythe shrinking.
Ting.
And with that sound, the scythe, which had been as tall as I was, shrank down to the size of a keychain.
Ah.
So the keychain entrusted to me was actually an artifact.
That explains why it emanated a faint aura.
"Oh, you succeeded on the first try. Very impressive."
"Hehe."
Being praised like that made me feel embarrassed.
"Well then, this way, please."
"Okay."
After that, me and Dante were escorted to the waiting room while my insignia was being finished.
It didn't take even half an hour before my insignia was ready.
The insignia was a necklace with a silver rectangular plate engraved with my name and stigma. On the front of the plate was a carved cross.
I was told to always wear it because Finire members receive special privileges. All I need to do is show my insignia, and I'll get a free pass.