We stand before the 'Temple du Sceptre Lié,' gazing up at its majestic and ancient structure, crafted from weathered emerald-hued stone. The temple's massive ironwood doors are intricately carved with mystical symbols, flanked by towering statues of mythical guardians whose emerald eyes seem to watch over the premises.

High stone walls encircle the temple, topped with defensive battlements and interspersed with narrow, vigilant windows. Angular towers stretch toward the sky, reinforcing the temple's imposing presence and stern defense against intruders. The constant coastal winds and creeping ivy add a touch of wild, untamed nature to its grandeur.

"Oh wow…" I mutter under my breath, overwhelmed by the temple's grandeur.

My plan here mirrors what I did at the 'Temple du Miroir Caché.' I intend to pretend to be a tourist and use the 'Chrono Pendant' when the perfect moment arises to sneak inside. This time, though, I plan to involve Arthur in my scheme.

I glance around, noting the multiple security guards mingling among the tourists.

"Arthur, let's find a tour guide."

"Okay," Arthur agrees.

We spot a tour guide rallying a group of tourists. "Tour guide here!" he calls out.

I tug on Arthur's sleeve and point at the guide. "Let's go."

Arthur nods, following my lead as we join the line of tourists.

"Now, let's start the tour, shall we?" the tour guide announces, leading us around the temple's exterior.

While following the group, I notice Arthur snapping pictures. I pay little attention; I already know the history of this temple. Just like 'Temple du Miroir Caché,' 'Temple du Sceptre Lié' is one of the monuments to the Grand Magician, Charlemagne.

Eventually, the tour guide leads us inside the temple, but only through corridors where tourists are permitted.

"Oh, by the way, don't go to that corridor. It's off-limits," the tour guide says, pointing at a corridor guarded by two security officers and marked with a 'No tourists allowed' sign.

This is my chance. I grab Arthur's hand and mutter, "Activate!"

-Tick-tock!

Time around us slows down. I pull Arthur into the restricted corridor, running until we're far enough inside. I check behind us—fortunately, no one is in pursuit. I also look for cameras and am relieved to find none.

"Deactivate!"

-Chime!

Time snaps back to normal. Arthur, looking around frantically, is both confused and shocked.

"Doms, what happened, and where are we?!"

I take a deep breath. It's time to come clean about our true purpose here.

"Arthur, I'm going to be real with you. The reason I was curious about this temple is that I want to get the 'Scepter of Binding.'"

"What's that?" Arthur asks, his voice tinged with confusion.

"It's just a magical staff that could bring me many Camilliums when I sell it," I lie, not wanting to reveal its true purpose for the Manaficial ritual.

Arthur frowns slightly. "Doms, you know if we get caught, our records could be stained, and it might prevent us from enrolling at Verdant Arcanum."

I knew that risk well, but I also knew we wouldn't get caught. After all, in the web novel, Célestin—a character who wasn't exactly a master of stealth—had managed to sneak into the temple without so much as a whisper of detection. He did it in broad daylight, dressed in nothing more than casual clothes, and his magic attribute was far from anything that would aid in sneaking around. If he could pull it off, so could we.

"Don't worry about it. We won't get caught. Besides, I brought extra clothing for you to blend into the darkness." I reassure him, pulling a black shirt, shorts, and a black beanie from my bag.

Arthur changes into clothes that are a bit tight but emphasize his well-defined physique.

"Doms, since you came here to get that stuff, what's in it for me?"

"There are other artifacts in this temple, not just the 'Scepter of Binding.' So, you can pick other artifacts there."

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure of their names, but there are others," I reply, recalling from the web novel that the room where Célestin found the 'Scepter of Binding' was filled with various magical artifacts.

Arthur scrutinizes me, his eyebrows knitting together. "Where did you learn this? I've never seen any source on the Aethernet or in the books stating there's a hidden room filled with magic artifacts."

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"Just trust me, bro."

Arthur sighs but then nods. "Okay then...I trust you."

I can't help but smile. "Thanks, Arthur!"

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

We have been navigating the dimly lit corridors for nearly thirty minutes, with Arthur's summoned light orb casting a pale glow ahead of us. The walls seem to close in, the air thick with the weight of ancient secrets, yet surprisingly, we haven't encountered any traps. It's unexpected but also somewhat unnerving.

So far, we are lost.

The web novel had been vague about the specific directions to the room containing the 'Scepter of Binding.' It merely described Célestin wandering the corridors until he stumbled upon the room by chance.

"Doms, do you know where the artifact room is?" Arthur's voice breaks the silence.

I sigh, feeling a mix of frustration and uncertainty. "No…I don't."

"Oh."

Arthur's response is short, but the weight of uncertainty hangs between us as we continue walking silently, hoping we will stumble upon something soon.

As we turn into another corridor, the ground beneath us suddenly rumbles.

-Rumble!

The temple shakes violently, and I turn around just in time to see the corridor behind us sealing shut with a massive stone slab.

"That's not a good sign," I mutter, feeling the pressure mount.

-Crunch! Crunch! Crack!

Stones shifting and grinding against each other echo through the corridor as if something—or things—are coming to life.

"Doms, prepare yourself, monsters."

Arthur's voice is steady, but I can sense the tension. I turn to face the source of the noise and see three stone golems lumbering toward us, their eyes glowing ominously yellow in the dim light.

I quickly draw both of 'Galahad's Judgement,' ready to use this opportunity to perfect my proficiency in 'Basic Gun Arts.' But just as I aim at the approaching figures, Arthur suddenly steps in front of me.

"Let me handle this, Doms."

"Oh, okay." Surprised but trusting his judgment, I step back, allowing Arthur to take the lead.

"Luminous Gauntlets," Arthur invokes, his fists suddenly encased in brilliant, glowing light. As the golems charge, he doesn't flinch.

"Flash of Merlin."

Arthur transforms into a light beam, darting toward the golems with astonishing speed.

-BOOM!

He is in front of one golem in an instant, delivering a punch that shatters it into a pile of rocks. His speed is astounding. I wonder if I would stand a chance against Arthur if we ever faced each other seriously.

The second golem swings its massive arm at him.

-Bling!

But with a blinding flash, Arthur dodges, reappearing behind it in mid-air.

"Haa!"

-BOOM!

He crushes the golem into the ground with a powerful downward strike, leaving nothing but scattered stones.

He then turns to look at me, his face unreadable. I feel a strange tension in that gaze—something unspoken, something I can't quite grasp.

Why is he looking at me like that? I feel a flicker of unease passing through me.

-Rumble!

As Arthur turns back, the final golem collapses into small rocks as if overcome by fear or an unseen force. The glow from Arthur's fists fades, and he stands calmly, surveying the remains of the golems.

-Rumble!

A new corridor opens in response to our victory, revealing a path forward. We are finally getting somewhere.

"Doms, let's go," Arthur calls, already moving toward the new passage.

"Ah, wait!" I hurry after him, eager to keep up and discover what lies beyond this new path in the mysterious Temple du Sceptre Lié.

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

Arthur Lyon

As we venture deeper into the temple, navigating through the newly opened corridor, I can't help but feel a sense of pride. The battle with the golems has allowed me to demonstrate my abilities to Doms. I need to show him the extent of my strength and mark our differences.

Deep down, part of me hopes that by showcasing my power, Doms might reconsider his aspirations of becoming a Stargate Raider. Yet, seeing how far he has come, I know such a change is unlikely. He has already achieved so much—defeating Lumi and successfully raiding a [E] rank Stargate—his progress is undeniable.

I shake my head, wrestling with a growing unease. The fear lurks within me, a fear that Doms might overshadow me again, as he has in the past. The thought of being left behind, of becoming secondary in our duo, is something I can't bear. The memories of those times when I felt like I was just another character in the backdrop of Dom's story haunted me. I don't want history to repeat itself.

"Arthur, come here," Dominic's voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

I look up to see him pointing toward an empty, shadowy corridor. Walking over to him, I peer into the darkness. It isn't as dark as Uncle André's shadows, but still daunting.

I extend my hand toward the corridor, gathering mana.

"Avalon's Blast," I murmur, releasing a beam of light from my palm that pierces the darkness.

The corridor lights up, revealing nothing but space.

"Well, there's nothing there," I observe, relieved.

"Great! Let's go!" Dominic responds eagerly, already moving toward the corridor.

I follow, pushing aside my internal conflicts for the moment. Right now, the priority is to support Dominic and ensure our success in this venture, no matter my misgivings or the shadows of our past.

A soft click echoes underfoot as we progress into the temple's shadowy depths.

I look alarmingly and realize I have accidentally stepped on a pressure plate.

"Arthur!"

-Rumble!

The temple begins to quake ominously, and my heart races as I sense impending danger.

Suddenly, the walls on either side of us groan and shift. With a series of mechanical clanks, axes—large, menacing, and sharp—emerge from slits in the walls, poised to swing.

Without hesitation, I scoop Doms into my arms and surge mana through my body.

"Flash of Merlin!"

In an instant, the world around us blurs as I activate the light spell that accelerates my movements to light speed, making everything else seem agonizingly slow in comparison.

With Doms securely in my arms, I dash toward the end of the corridor. The spell makes the deadly axes appear almost stationary as we breeze past them, a blur of motion to any onlooker.

As we reach the corridor's end and reach safety, I halt and gently set Doms down on his feet. His face is a mask of disbelief as he looks around, trying to comprehend the speed at which we just moved.

"Arthur, where are we?" he asks, still dazed.

"We're at the end of the corridor," I reply, my tone as even as I can manage.

It's ironic. Earlier, we were part of a simple tourist group. Doms unexpectedly dragged me into this high-stakes adventure with his mysterious bursts of speed. Now, it's his turn to be astounded by my abilities, a reversal of roles that adds a layer of complexity to our dynamic.

As we stand there, catching our breath in the quiet of the temple's depths, the significance of our journey and the shifting roles we play resonate deeply within me. The balance between us is changing, and I'm unsure how I feel about it.

"Let's go… I think we're near…" Doms finally breaks the silence, stepping forward. He pauses and looks back at me.

"Ah, wait," I respond, quickly catching up.

At that moment, I knew that no matter my doubts or fears, I wouldn't let them hold me back. Not today. We are in this together, and that's how it will stay.