SAINTESS [Chapter 75: One can see but cannot seek]

“Normally you'd have to pick from outside, I'd bring the items out to you. The only reason we're making an exception and allowing you inside the [Gallery Tower] is because you've stacked two reward selections. That's what grants you this special privilege to choose higher-grade weapons here,” the elder said, raising an eyebrow.

“You actually dare to be picky? Ordinary students don't even get to set foot here after an academy year ends. Just being allowed here should be enough for you! Now you want to pick two items? How about you go ahead and empty the entire [Gallery Tower] while you're at it?”

“Grandpa, does it really hurt you that much to let me take something from here?” Winnie suddenly felt he'd detected a hint of hidden meaning in the old man's words.

“Hmph!!” The elder remained silent, crossing his arms and snorting coldly.

Tsk, so it really was bothering him.

“Fine treasures given to someone unable to wield their true power, better they remain here, gathering dust, than be wasted in unworthy hands,” the elder said.

“But aren't they already gathering dust by staying here?” Winnie asked hesitantly.

“At least that's better than the day they might be stolen and used for evil by some villain!” the elder huffed.

“Grandpa, you really think so little of me? Does this distinguished, outstanding gentleman before you look like some weakling who'd get killed off by bandits one day?” Winnie protested.

“Yes,” the elder replied bluntly, eyeing Winnie up and down without hesitation.

“Tsk, Grandpa, you really have no eye for talent! Know who I am? The genius of Camella! Ever since entering Carillian Academy, do you have any idea how many life-or-death situations I've survived? I've made it through every single one. There's one thing I'm absolutely good at, my life? It's stubbornly hard to kill!”

Truth be told, what he said wasn't an exaggeration. Surviving countless causal disasters while caught between a group of fate-chosen heroines was proof enough of his uncanny resilience.

Especially during those times when Aesphyra still hadn't abandoned her intention to kill him, that was truly his most dangerous period. Had she been truly determined to exact revenge and eliminate him, he would've been fighting against the very will of fate, the flow of the world itself. At that time, he was still undeveloped and fragile, truly, a single touch could've shattered him.

Yet he'd endured it all. That alone proved his fate wasn't to die.

“Enough, enough. Just because you've crawled through a few strokes of dumb luck doesn't mean you get to brag. Pick already. If you don't hurry, I'm lowering the crystal back down,” the elder said impatiently.

“Heh heh, Grandpa, just what's the highest grade weapon I'm allowed to pick?” Winnie rubbed his hands together, flashing a flattering smile.

“Hah, don't get too greedy. In my opinion, the best you can hope for is a top-tier [Magic Tool]. That's it,” the elder sneezed.

“Just a top-tier [Magic Tool]? Boring. Grandpa, can't you just generously hand me something even better?”

He wasn't happy at all, just a top-tier [Magic Tool]?

“What, you're dissatisfied? Do you have any idea how rare a top-tier [Magic Tool] is? Most of your wealthy seniors and juniors only carry low-tier [Magic Tool], plenty still use [Refined] weapons!”

“Actually, Grandpa, I'm not even interested in top-tier [Magic Tool] anymore. I already have one.”

“You actually own a top-tier [Magic Tool]?” The elder looked skeptical. “With that penniless look about you?”

Hearing this, Winnie removed his earring and showed it to the elder. “Want me to reveal its true form?”

“Reveal your head!” the elder glared. “Go ahead and try turning it into a painting and letting it fly off if you dare!”

“…” Winnie reluctantly put the ice crystal earring away.

“A fine weapon. But this wasn't originally yours, was it?” The elder glanced at the earring and seemed to see through everything. “Since you already have such a good weapon, why come here at all?”

“Grandpa, who ever complains about having too many personal treasures?” Winnie grinned.

“Suit yourself. But no matter what you choose now, you won't find anything better than what you already hold,” the elder said indifferently.

“Huh? Why? Does Carillian Academy's treasure vault seriously not have a single weapon higher than a top-tier [Magic Tool]?”

“Hah. Compared to the treasures here, what are top-tier [Magic Tool]? Common as dirt. The problem is, you can't take a single one of them with you,” the elder shook his head.

“Why not?”

“Do you even know what ranks come after top-tier [Magic Tool]?” the elder asked.

“Of course I do, the [Divine Weapon], then the [Legendary].”

"Since you know, then understand this: once a weapon reaches the [Divine Weapon] rank, it gains a slice of sentience and chooses its master. At the [Legendary] rank, its consciousness fully awakens, allowing it to fight in perfect harmony with its owner," the elder said leisurely.

“Weapons above [Divine Weapon] rank choose their masters. They won't acknowledge someone they look down on. Even if you obtained them, they wouldn't allow you to wield them. Do you understand now?”

“How do you know unless you try?” Winnie stripped. “What if a [Divine Weapon]-rank weapon actually takes a liking to me?”

“HAHAHAHA!” The annoying old man suddenly burst into laughter, as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world.

“Boy, do you have any idea how many weapons above [Divine Weapon] rank are stored in Carillian Academy's treasure vault?”

“Huh? I don't know,” Winnie pursed his lips.

This old man had been showing off ever since the beginning, clearly reveling in the superiority it gave him.

This guy was seriously irritating.

“This vault holds most of the [Divine Weapon]-rank weapons since the ancient Carillian Empire. The [Gallery Tower] has existed for over a thousand years.”

“So that means there are millions of [Divine Weapon]-rank weapons here, like stars in the sky?” Winnie's eyes lit up.

“Even so, weapons here beyond the [Magic Tool] rank are completely theft-proof. Know why?” the elder asked again.

“Uh... [Refined] and [Common] weapons aren't worth stealing. Weapons above [Divine Weapon] rank possess sentience, they can't be stolen, and even if you took one, you couldn't use it?” Winnie answered.

“Exactly. Now you understand? I've guarded the [Gallery Tower] for decades. Every day, I see these [Divine Weapons]. Yet not a single one has resonated with me.”

“HAHAHA! So Grandpa, you're actually the one nobody wants? Right under your nose, all this time, and not one weapon looking your way. Talk about loyalty repaid with betrayal, your devotion's been wasted on dogs!” The moment the elder finished speaking, Winnie burst into mocking laughter.

“You're not much better yourself!” The elder's face instantly flushed red, launching into a sputtering defense about how 'I'm a guardian, so not being chosen isn't rejection!' and 'My duty is protection, how could I even want these treasures?' Absurd excuses that only made Winnie laugh harder.

Clearly, the old man had been broken. Winnie had struck right at his sorest spot.

It wasn't about desire, really. Anyone qualified to work at Carillian Academy was exceptional, arrogance was inevitable. Without pride, one couldn't be called a genius.

These geniuses all carried that 'the world revolves around me' feeling. Simply put, they believed that if life were a novel, they'd be the protagonist.

Obviously, this elder had once thought the same, convinced he was a genius among geniuses. But reality delivered a harsh blow: instead of being chosen by legendary weapons, he became the guardian of the [Gallery Tower], a position of great trust, yes, but still just a guardian.

The elder never meant to betray that trust. But the gap between reality and expectation was simply too wide.

He'd imagined that as a heavenly prodigy, stepping into the [Gallery Tower], weapons wouldn't just love him at first sight, they'd at least have a few [Divine Weapons] vying for him.

But after all these years, the greater his initial hope and anticipation, the deeper his disappointment.

Just as Winnie said, after all this time, not a single divine weapon had looked his way. Winnie had ruthlessly exposed the truth he'd been denying to himself for years. No wonder he'd broken down.

“Hey hey, Grandpa, what's that one?” Just then, Winnie spotted a painting. It depicted a fang-shaped golden spear with a blood-red tassel, and on the blade sat a tightly closed giant eye.

“That spear is called the [Demon Eye Spear of Mosabray]. Its rank is low-tier [Divine Weapon]. Legend says the master craftsman Mosabray forged it by refining a demon lord from the demonic realm. The demon eye on the spear can open and gaze upon people, apparently, no evil thought in a person can escape its sight,” the elder said, pointing at the golden fang-like spear Winnie was eyeing.

“Wow, sounds pretty impressive.”

“What, you're actually interested in it?” The elder gave Winnie a sidelong glance.

“What's wrong with that? I think it looks cool,” Winnie said eagerly. “Grandpa, I'm combining both my chances. If a [Divine Weapon] actually accepts me, can I take it?”

“You say that like you're guaranteed to succeed,” the elder sneered.

“But if I do succeed, will the academy honor it?” Winnie grinned.

“What kind of question is that? If the academy allows you to pick here, would they go back on their word? Don't insult Carillian Academy by thinking us so petty. But I'll warn you now, if you're so confident, don't be too crushed when it doesn't happen.” With that, the elder waved his hand toward the Demon Eye Spear.

Instantly, the painting slowly floated toward them, then, within a beam of dark gold light, transformed into the shape of a spear.

Winnie instinctively reached out to catch it, to prevent it from falling, but the moment he extended his hand, the giant eye on the [Demon Eye Spear] suddenly snapped open. It was a massive vertical golden pupil, webbed with blood vessels, with deep, swirling runes rotating across its surface.

This sudden change sent Winnie's heart racing. At that moment, he felt as if an unknown force was staring straight into him, piercing through his very soul.

Then, in the next instant, the enormous golden demon eye closed once more, and this time, it never reopened for Winnie.

“? What's that supposed to mean?” Winnie stood stunned for a moment before asking.

“Still don't get it?” The elder sneered with a mocking smile. He waved his hand, and the [Demon Eye Spear] reverted to its painting form, floating back to its original place.

“You failed. It didn't accept you. The eye opened, took one look, then closed again.”

“Ah? That's decisive?” Winnie clicked his tongue. “It only looked once? Come on, one glance isn't enough! Can it even judge me properly? Did it really see who I am? And just left?!”

“For a [Divine Weapon], one glance is all it needs. With one look, it knows whether you're the one it's been waiting for,” the elder huffed. “What, did you think this was some kind of job interview? Did you expect multiple chances?”

Winnie fell silent, biting his lip.

Fine. First try, and he'd already been rejected.

Then he turned his attention to a crescent axe. It shimmered like the crescent moon, radiating silvery moonlight that illuminated intricate patterns across its surface, making it look like a glowing divine metal.

But the moment Winnie reached toward it, the moonlight emanating from the divine metal instantly dimmed. The entire axe seemed to fall from divine status to mere commonness, losing its luster.

“Brat, rejected again,” the elder called out beside him. “The [Divine Luminous Inscription] doesn't acknowledge you either. Its light won't shine for you. Give up.”

Winnie had no choice but to move on, scanning the other [Divine Weapons]. Gradually, his mindset shifted, from initially caring about aesthetics and weapon type, to now trying any [Divine Weapon] he could find. He tested over ten in a row, none showing the slightest interest. Their rejections came in all forms, some even spewed fire at him the moment he nearly touched them, nearly burning Winnie alive.

“Woah?! Seriously? Are these [Divine Weapons] this temperamental? Not even letting me touch?!” Winnie shouted angrily.

“Well, none of them acknowledge you,” the elder said, long accustomed to this sight.

“Maybe you should just give up. Stop chasing [Divine Weapons]. Look at the [Magic Tool] instead. They're enchanted weapons too. Sometimes, it's not so bad having an inanimate object, after all, it won't reject you.”