The Paladin in the Abyss

The Black Armor Knight turned his head to look over, then swiftly returned his gaze. He nodded at Lancelot as if to say goodbye. A vertical silver thin line appeared behind him, and then the Black Armor Knight was suddenly pulled away as if the end of that silver line was a fishing rod in the hands of a giant. Lancelot couldn't do anything to stop it.

The remaining werewolves in the room stood frozen, as if they were just waking from a deep sleep, but the humanoid beetle demons didn't care about that, swiftly subduing them all. Even Lancelot's companions had to lay down their weapons and obediently stand aside.

"We've heard that guests at the Tears of Lazaka need not worry about their safety," Lancelot said, watching Pakos approach him, "but our experience seems to suggest otherwise."

"Really? I've never advertised that," the halfling replied, still dressed as an innkeeper and unarmed.

"But we were indeed attacked in your room."

"It's my inn that was attacked," the halfling kicked a corpse lying on the floor to face upwards, then bent down to examine the creature's decorations and tattoos, "Parasites from Beggar's Abyss... Since you helped me repel the invaders, I won't ask for compensation for the broken furniture."

Lancelot shrugged his shoulders. What else could he expect from an inn located in the Abyss?

By this time, the insect-like Mazeleth demons had finished their arrests and were beginning to withdraw from the room, the still-living dozens of werewolves tied up and hanging from the spikes on their carapaces.

"Where are these werewolves going?"

"To be tortured, beaten, interrogated, and not surprisingly, one or two will be skinned. After the guards have had their fun, they'll be allowed to confess the reasons for the attack, the masterminds behind it, and then they'll be sent to the slave pens, while I receive a negligible compensation," Pakos stood up from the ground, glanced at the dense circle of corpses by Lancelot's side, and raised an eyebrow at him, "I might have to reconsider your proposal given how well you've fought."

"Our proposal?" Lancelot asked, surprised. At that moment, some more people came in, Pakos's guards, who efficiently moved the bodies on the floor as well as the damaged furniture.

"Once you've tidied up, go downstairs for breakfast, then find me in the office at the far end of the second floor," Pakos followed his employees out, "about that thing you're so eager to find."

"What's he talking about?" With the wall of corpses and the imposing humanoid beetles gone, Bruto finally stood beside Lancelot.

"What else—he wants us to help find that lost Divine Artifact." Kalalin and the others came over too, "He just refused our help last night, but it seems Lancelot's strength has made him change his mind."

"Everyone fought well just now," Lancelot nodded at the group, "especially little Elisha, she defeated her first enemy. You've proven yourself to be a reliable partner, well done."

Warm applause erupted; everyone sent sincere congratulations to little Elisha, who shyly lowered her head and stuttered:

"I, I, I'll definitely keep trying!"

He'd finished speaking when, with a bang, he turned into a small bat and directly hid himself inside Lancelot's Dimensional Bag.

"Such shy creatures, young girls," Lancelot said, chuckling as if his own attendant had been officially knighted.

"What exactly is the deal with these werewolf people?" Bruto brought the conversation back, "Why were we targeted? And that knight in black armor, he was too powerful, wasn't he? It's the first time I've seen my brother take two big losses in a fight."

"That's not true!" Lancelot protested unhappily, "It was clearly a draw!"

"I fear he was after me," said Elothysia, breaking her silence. "I know who he is, he was an assassin under my former master."

"You know him?" It was Lancelot's turn to be surprised. "What's his name?"
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"His name is Enrique, if I remember correctly," Elothysia sighed. "His story is a complete tragedy. He used to be a Holy Warrior just like me, hailed as the greatest hero in his kingdom for repelling the invasions of neighboring countries time and again."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Bruto scratched his head, "How did he end up looking like a ghost now?"

"Riding on the fame of Enrique, his king realized he could invade other countries at will, which shocked and tired Enrique. Unwilling to be exploited by his king in such a manner, he resigned from the military and retreated to the forest to live with his wife and children." The tone of the Succubus Paladin began to turn painful, "But one day upon returning from hunting, he found his beloved lying in a pool of blood, her heart pierced with a dagger bearing the royal insignia of the neighboring country."

"And then?" Alamir asked curiously, "Was he blinded by revenge and took his anger out on innocent civilians of the neighboring country?"

"Darker than that," the Succubus Paladin shook her head. "The king soon sent envoys, inviting him to lead the upcoming conquest against a neighboring territory, which raised his suspicions. After investigating, the truth quickly surfaced—the dagger that killed his wife and children indeed came from the neighbor's royal family, but it had been gifted to his king as a peace offering, merely setting the stage for a play to draw him out of retirement."

"Uh," Bruto glanced at Lancelot, "Brother, I'm not targeting you ha, but you humans really can do such things."

Lancelot did not reply, his mind pondering a man with blond hair and a cape adorned with a gold griffon.

"What happened next?" Koula asked eagerly, "Did he confront his king?"

"He did, but he learned even more despairing news," Elothysia sighed again. "The assassination was approved by the city council, those very people he spent his life protecting were willing to sentence his wife and children to death for the profits of war. They even prepared several beautiful women in advance, believing if Enrique found out the true nature of the event, these women could quell his rage."

"I guess those women were of no use," Kalalin remarked.

"His faith as a Holy Warrior crumbled. He drew his longsword and killed every person he could find in the capital. When the people who had hidden under beds and in basements trembled as they returned to the blood-stained streets the next day, Enrique had vanished." The expression of the Succubus Paladin was filled with disgust, "Those women were actually several succubi, who took Enrique to Flameth Demon Yiltu, my former master. It was there he was transformed, turning into a Dark Guardian who fought only for slaughter and evil."