Solar Mage

Chapter 60: The Holy Grail

"How cute, this one has never acted that way with me before."

A voice, nearly blocked by the wind, says from behind.

Right, the shadow was still here!

I lift myself out of the warm bed of soft feathers and look back to where the voice came from.

"Sir Shadow, do you have the Holy Grail?"

"Of course, great Apostle, there's no way I could possibly forget it, when its the only thing I have to remember."

Raising his hand in the air, and waving it to show his empty hand like a street magician beginning his performance, he reaches into his black, flat, cloak.

What is he doing?

Pulling his arm out slowly, in a rather comical way, he eventually retrieves the giant goblet, made of a gold-like material, while his cloak remains flat, and undisturbed the entire time. He then, like a street magician at the end of their performance, outstretches both his hands into the air. While I begin applauding him with claps, my face expressing surprise, as my mouth stays open.

This is the face that a normal person would make seeing that right?

How did he do that? I didn't see his cloak move at all! He sure knows a lot of tricks about spatial bags. That was quite a unique experience, seeing the comedic side of magic, it sure has infinite potential, as long as you can imagine it. That show was pretty fun to watch. Of course, fighting for rewards is more fun, but this is a different kind of entertainment. A less violent kind.

I continue applauding him as he continues to act like he's accepting my applaud with great gratitude, continuing to look around, as if there was anyone there watching him, other than me.

But for him to be acting this way, that only young adults, and children would, he must be much younger than I thought. But why have I never heard of any genius that could rival me, ever in history? Even that Veran guy in the training grounds, that I never heard of, was a Royal Ranked Swordsman, and he only looked a few years older than me. I would've even believed it, if someone told me he was just eighteen years old, but I've never heard of him!

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Why did my master never mention it? Why did Headmaster Darkfallen never speak about it? I have the Sage System now, but if I didn't, I wonder how I could compare to the other, unknown geniuses, with just my sword alone.

As my hands start to feel hot from the constant clapping I've been doing over the past few seconds, I stop using as much force as before, the sounds getting less loud and being heard less frequently.

Noticing this, the Shadow changes up his act, and ends it with a bow, to his audience. The Holy Grail in his hand tilting, as all the Holy Water within begins to pour out, though the shadow doesn't seem to notice, continuing to bow as the divine liquid falls onto the Primordial Phoenix's feathers, and disappears, either to absorption, or evaporation.

NOOO WHAT IS HE DOING?!?!

I grab my hairs in fury, firstly enraged at the Shadow.

"THE HOLY WATER!!!"

I screamed out, since it looked like the shadow somehow, still did not notice.

DAMN IT!! This is just what I get for being so relaxed!

The shadow slowly raised his head, his mask covering the majority of his face, but his eyebrows moved high up his forehead. The kind of eyes that a friend makes when they successfully trick you into believing something false.

What's with that face?

He throws the Holy Grail out of his hands, without hesitation as it flies down the Phoenix, through the air.

Noo!!

I stare at the falling goblet in disbelief, completely locked onto it. As I begin to react, activating Heightened Senses and preparing to use Flame Claws, but stop as I imagine hearing the shadow say something, though what he said suddenly exits my memory immediately.

What was that? Did he say something?

Still, just noticing the imaginary sound, I stop the forming of Flame Claws and change my view back to the shadow.

He's reaching into his cloak again?

When he pulls his hand out, he holds another goblet, a complete replica, exactly identical, even under my Heightened Senses, shining just as bright as the previous one, and made of the same gold-like material as the last one.

What? There's another one? Or was the last one just fake?

Suddenly, the shadow starts to burst out into laughter, and I look slightly above the goblet, to his face, laughing hysterically, and his mouth opens so wide, I can even see his smile under the mask.

"Haha, you should've seen the look on your face! Hahahaha!!"

He calms down a bit after a few seconds, though his smile is spread so wide that it's still visible.

"Haha... I'm sorry for tricking you Sir Apostle, but since you'll be using this thing a lot from now on, I thought it would've been better to teach you about it as soon as possible."

His humor comes back for a second as he bursts out in laughter again, while I stare at him with my arms crossed, unamused by the situation but staying silent, hiding my true feelings under a serious stare.

He really got me good with that prank, but what does he mean, saying that I'll be using it a lot from now on? And how does he know how to use it? The Holy Grail is the most precious artifact of the church, that can normally only be used by someone trusted, a bishop or higher, and even then, they would need the unanimous approval of all the cardinals. And even if he is Dustin's shadow, and Dustin is the only person of cardinal rank alive right now, that still wouldn't explain how this shadow learned how to use it when Agon was still a cardinal. How does he know?

After another second of his laughter, he pulls himself together and his relaxed, happy face snaps into a serious one.

Woah, how intimidating...

"The main usage of the Holy Grail is that it can produce holy water instantly, just by pouring Holy Energy into it, there's no need to wait for long prayer from a Priest, and collect his tears in order to make Holy Water with this. And the quality, or I should say, effectiveness of the Holy Water is determined by the purity of the Holy Energy put into it, but it multiplies the effectiveness of the Holy Water by tenfold. I'll give you an example, if your average Priest made Holy Water, it will be decently effective, but if the priest pours his Holy Energy into the Holy Grail, then his Holy Water will be comparable to that of a Real Cardinal."

Wait, if it can make Holy Water instantly, why don't they just use it to mass produce Holy Water? Wouldn't the huge amount of Holy Water made from it, save thousands of the sick and injured?

The Shadow continues, examining my face intensely as I lose myself in my thoughts.

"I can tell exactly what you're thinking, Apostle Arthur, but that's not the case. I said earlier that a bishop could use the Holy Grail if all the cardinals permit it, but there's another requirement after that to use it. It's to get the approval of this bird."

He looks down at the floor of feathers under us, the Phoenix carrying us on its back, soaring through the sky like a flaming comet.

The bird? Did he just call this divine beast a bird? And what does he mean that they need to get the approval of the phoenix? Is the phoenix sentient or something? Do all the phoenixes in the Vault decide whether someone can take their treasure or not?

"Many have attempted it, but less than ten have actually passed. Not even the first apostle from that tale long ago, was able to use the Holy Grail. The Primordial Phoenix has the power to see the nature of mortals, and what they want to use it for. It decides based on that. Even though hundreds have failed, the phoenix is still generous. It allows everyone who tries– well, except three– to use the Holy Grail one time if their deed is noble enough."

Primordial Phoenix? I've heard of that name before! It's the first phoenix, a godly beasts, created and tamed by one of the original gods, Pyro! So, I guess the tale was right. Pyro did create the phoenixes. But Pyro creating something? Wow. I didn't know someone like her was capable of that, but I guess a god is a god. But wait, does that mean he just called a godly beast, a bird?

The shadow looks up from the phoenix and stares at the vast sky, all lit up by a single ball, high in the sky.

"If there is anyone who isn't specially selected by the Primordial Phoenix that tries to take the Holy Grail, the Grail's automatic defense system, engraved into the goblet through the use of runes, that were created with the mana of all the gods, will activate. So you don't have to worry about keeping the goblet with you at all times, so that no one takes it."

He brings up his hand and sticks out his thumb, getting rid of the serious mood and smiling cheerfully with his eyes closed.

Wow, he's right, that is a great feature. I was worried that I had to bring that with me everywhere I go– wait, if what he says is true, that only those specially selected by the Primordial Phoenix can touch it, and that less than 10 people were ever given permission, how the hell is he holding it right now?

I look at him, confused, before making my way over to the side of the Phoenix's wing, taking a few seconds because of how wide the phoenix's wingspan is. Once I get there, I carefully hold tightly onto the phoenix's wing so that I do not fall off, and look down.

Yeah, I was right! There are so many things that don't add up, if wandering through the church and staging that inspection thing took fifteen minutes, and getting to the vault and looking around took two minutes, what the hell took up the rest of the 43 minutes?!?! At this speed, we should've been able to get back to the Mint Estate Clinic in just three minutes! I can see the Mint Estate approaching right now with my Heightened Senses, which means that we've been flying for 3 minutes. Which brings us down to 40 minutes of unrecorded time. Wait, I saw that all the other phoenixes the shadow interacted with liked him, and he is friendly enough with the Great Primordial Phoenix to just call him bird... Don't tell me– THEY WERE JUST PLAYING AROUND WITH EACH OTHER FOR FORTY MINUTES?!?! DO THEY NOT HAVE A SENSE OF URGENCY?!?!?! Wait– if they were playing around, then that means–"

I look back at the shadow who slowly makes his way over the wing to me.

IS HE THE ONE WHO TAMED THE PHOENIX?!?! NOO!! I WANTED TO BE A TAMER!!!

I look at him with a face of detriment, while he looks back at me, confused, unable to figure out what, or why I looked at him like that.