Archbishop Skodadi had no intention of explaining himself to the priest. When the man stood there in a daze, the archbishop merely gave him a look.
The priest immediately lowered his head and hurried away. Only after he was outside the door did he dare straighten up, and by then his back was soaked with sweat. That single glance had felt like a plunge into an ice cellar.
Serving a powerful man was perilous, the priest thought. He dared not delay. Taking the token, he descended beneath the church, passed through seven checkpoints, unlocked three layers of Magic Restriction, and lifted a Divine Art ward before he could finally retrieve the black-gem-like Eye of the Evil King.
The whole process took nearly an hour.
After checking that everything was in order, the priest placed it in a black box covered with densely packed Magic Runes. He then carefully left the church basement and returned to Archbishop Skodadi's bedroom.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw two girls with vacant eyes sitting quietly on small chairs beside it. They looked at him when he entered but showed no other reaction.
The priest frowned, unsure whether he should leave something so important here. Both girls had been raised by the church since childhood, so their loyalty should not be in question. But the Eye of the Evil King was too important for him not to be extra careful. Archbishop Skodadi's orders, however, had been clear: leave the Eye of the Evil King here, then return and report. If the priest took matters into his own hands, he would have no way to explain himself to the archbishop.
After hesitating for half a minute, the priest steeled himself, walked into the inner room, and set the black Wooden Box on the