Chapter 156: The Book Of Unholy Grace

Locking the Inn-room door, Aria quickly moved a drawer in front of it. Barricading herself inside, she didn't want anyone to get in, especially Helga in case she'd already noticed that the book was gone and came looking for it at the Boartooth.

'Not like that small drawer will keep her out but it's better than nothing.' Aria thought, tossing the glowing red potion on the side of the bed before quickly unwrapping the cloth around the book. Revealed underneath the dusty cloth was a hardbound cover of dark metal.

Decorated with engravings resembling skeletons, monsters, and even some angels around the top, the book had plenty of grooves that ran up and down.

However, what drew Aria's attention the most was a skull–much larger than the rest of the engraving at the very center of the book cover. Pulling everything up with its design gave the illusion of trying to escape the iron hardbound.

"What in the hells?" Aria heaved, her hand feeling up every groove on the cover.

Barely feeling anything because of the gauntlet stuck in her hands, she shook her head and turned to the lock on the side of the book. Preventing it from being opened, the lock had no slot for a key, instead, it was engraved with a few words that spelled...

"Offer your blood to Murdok and know his gospel?" Though the language was archaic, it was written in the same language as the 'Tomb of divine grace', the holy book of Athenia which contained Aphordite's commandments and gospels.

'A god who can just kill any mortal that he wants...' The thought sent chilling shivers down Aria's spine. 'Should I even be reading this?'

Closing the book, she decided to put it down at least for now. She needed time to process what she'd read and how to interpret it. After all, unlike Aphrodite the goddess of bounty, the god of death did not give all that you desire, but strips you of everything you have along with your life.

Your hopes will be trampled, your dreams shattered in the face of his silver skull, and for someone who'd only known a giving goddess, the very concept struck fear down to her very soul.

"Damn...Maybe I shouldn't have read it?" Wondering whether or not to return the book, Aria quickly covered it with the cloth again. Placing it on the only side table left, she then turned her attention to the devil's potion glowing in the corner of her bed.

'Any wish, huh?' Looking down at her hand, she couldn't help but wonder whether it was worth it to use it to get rid of the gauntlets. For all she knew, they could be a better opportunity to use that thing, although carrying it into battle was also out of option since it could easily break. 'The moment I use it a devil will get someone's soul...I don't know if I want that on my conscience either.'

Reminded of Helga's explanation and the fact that the people were forced to submit their souls in turn for a quick painless death only made matters worse. Grabbing the bottle out of the counter, she slipped it into the bag along with the book of Unholy Grace.

"I can't return the book to Helga, she'd be fucking pisses and I can't just leave it lying around in her house either, what if one of her daughters finds it?" Finally deciding to keep it with her for now, Aria laid down on the bed and tried to speed up time by sleeping.

Although the moans of Brenna and Aerin leaking from another room of the Boartooth, proved her attempts to sleep to be quite difficult.