Although the Sepulcher Of Sin was open to anyone who wished to visit its eerie halls, very few people actually deigned to enter, let alone walk around and take a few looks at the various artifacts that had been gathered over the years.
It wasn't everyday though that someone entered their domain, so when I stepped through those doors I immediately felt more than a few eyes dart over to me before they looked away and continued their recitals.
Even still I knew I was being watched closely, the monks gauging my reaction to their domain and searching for a reason that I might be here instead of somewhere outside; one even approached me with a somewhat kind expression, a semblance of a smile adorning their face.
"Um... are you perhaps lost, Miss? If you are looking for a particular altar I could guide you there if you wish?"
The woman in front of me was hiding her face, her purple sash informing me of which sin she bore and making it rather clear she was trying desperately to rid herself of what had likely been the reason she had sinned; her beauty.
That was what had always drawn me to this place in the game's lore, since the differing viewpoints on what would belong to which sin was so different from what we typically would think upon hearing of the case.
There was a singer somewhere in these halls who loved to swindle people with her voice, declaring herself the greatest entertainer in the business; many thought initially that they would find her wearing that purple sash, and yet she had been down here with the gaudy and ugly gold that belonged to the greedy.
Everything she had built for herself was born atop that foundation of pride, and yet her real sin was being too attached to the money she was making... and more specifically she was someone who desired everything someone else had.
All of the people here were likely some of the most interesting people I could talk to, so my interest and reasoning was genuine as I shook my head and replied "No, I meant to come here, to the Sepulcher. It... is grounding. Fascinating, informative. The artifacts are especially interesting. I am allowed to walk around, yes? Or am I interrupting something?"
The cowled woman frowned at that, her thin lips barely visible in the dim gloom of the Sepulcher but still able to show me that she was surprised and wary of what I had said; after taking a moment to think she just shook her head and muttered "Don't distract anyone or touch anything, alright?"
She left me alone after giving me that warning, heading off deeper into the Sepulcher and allowing me to begin slowly wandering around as I just took everything in, treating this as a museum tour for the time being.
There were so many fascinating items that were on display that were tied to some rather interesting topics; like a spearhead that belonged to a warrior woman who refused to marry anyone until they beat her in combat, which she used as a way to lure other warriors to her so that she could defeat them and steal some of their gear in the guise of a 'wager'.
It was technically her right since she was wagering herself, but it was her greed for more that caused her to continuously take even more from her defeated opponents, up until she got subjected to a twist to her rules where a group of warriors dueled her.
That ended about the way people expected... though I quite liked it since her greed led her such a fascinating 'demise' that was oriented perfectly for the kind of game she had resided in; her descendants still lived today, and all of the women tended to be... rather arrogant, believing they were the best of the best and deserving of a gigantic harem of futanari.
Fascinating stuff, really, and one of her descendants was here in the Academy - because obviously - living the good life as she searched for her own harem of 'adequate' futanari to enjoy her life with... which meant she was pretty much 'hunting' down her fellow classmates each and every single night.
That was cool, and sitting beside it was a creepy mask that radiated a cold aura that was just... sinister; it didn't look that familiar but that didn't matter since the enchantment on it was more than enough to tell its 'story'.
There were so many fascinating, rare, niche and awesome things here that I could finally look at in real life; all the lore I had lodged firmly inside my skull - from all the time I had spent reading and studying this game instead of studying for something like a final - was now being 'rewarded' as I just wandered around taking it all in.
Some of the monks continued to watch me skeptically, likely curious and wary of someone who was willing to walk around their domain so freely, but with every artifact I looked at, with every moment of reflection and respect I showed, those eyes began to turn away as they just... 'accepted' me.
I didn't necessarily belong here but I wasn't causing trouble nor was I distracting them, so a majority of them just ignored me while the seldom few that were close by gave me passing glances; some were friendly, some were disdainful, but all in all they tended to just look at me and then look away.
With so many people 'patrolling' this gigantic circular room I was worried I might not be able to give this necklace a better home, but when I finally arrived in front of my desired object I realized it shouldn't be as difficult as before.
The room wasn't completely open everywhere, what with the various shelves, bookcases and display stands that were scattered around the area, and then there were the various alcoves dedicated to a specific, special artifact... which my necklace was located near.
Just left abandoned on the edge of one of the shelves nearby one of those alcoves, I was very concealed and more than capable of just reaching out and scooping it up into my inventory before wandering away... all I needed to do was psych myself up and just do it.
I just needed to reach out and touch it... make sure no one was looking and just extend my hand while I leaned closer to look at the cool rusted axe hanging on the wall... steady myself against the ledge like I lost balance, touch the necklace and then begin to leave...
That was it... something so simple, so easy...