The Paladin in the Abyss

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"But you don't need to worry about her seeking revenge." Tijana looked as though she wasn't too concerned, "She's very weak after being resurrected, and her position is a coveted one. Her first priority is to secure her own place, not to go after an unknown Succubus."

"How does the bureaucracy in Shendiravir function?" Kalalin asked curiously, an opportunity to directly question a Succubus Lord was rare.

"I don't know, nor do I care."

With graceful poise, Tijana speared another tentacle-like piece of food, noticing Lancelot watching her. The Succubus Lord covered her mouth with her other hand, but left a gap just large enough for Lancelot to see through. She then stuck out her long, supple tongue and rolled the food from the fork into her mouth.

This suggestive and extremely provocative gesture forced Lancelot to look away involuntarily. Tijana laughed out loud as if she had won a victory, leaving those around her who were unaware of what had transpired looking at one another in confusion.

"It's just a game for Mekanshut to pass the time," the well-humored Succubus Lord added a few more details, "The Succubus who sat on the Razor Throne with the help of baboons finds life dull without rivals. The courtly intrigue at the Heart of Tearing is a drama she willingly indulges in.

As the lover of a Demon Prince, very few adversaries can truly threaten her, so she stirs up various plots in her own court for her amusement."

Tijana's expression showed utter disdain but if Mekanshut's rule is as she described, then her contempt was understandable, even by mortal standards. As a lord, Tijana was commendably capable, and that was saying something considering she was in the Abyss, where half of her subjects were ruthless Demons.

"Your relationship with this... Queen of the Succubus seems..." Bruto began, pausing as he remembered to mind his words, "not very amicable?"

"Who says?" Tijana glanced at the young Dwarf, "I love our Queen with all my heart, as you can tell from my cordial relationship with Molo. Continue with what you were saying, what was that about a Bone Demon?"

Lancelot thus continued the narrative of their entrance into the slave pen. Tijana was impressed with the way they destroyed the gate, and little Isa trembled at the description Lancelot gave of the bottom of the mass grave but couldn't help wanting to hear more.

When it came to the fight in the secret passage of the mass grave, Tijana had a heap of questions: the style of the Steel Demon Armor and weapons, the sequence of spells cast by the Bone Demon, and the words spoken with emotion by the Demons. Throughout this process, Lancelot found that he could recall all the details clearly; he practically replayed the entire battle.

After Lancelot concluded his description, Tijana fell silent in thought again. After a brief pause, the Succubus Lord encouraged Lancelot to continue, detailing the final battle against Enreyes.

Lancelot focused on the Enchantress' moves, words, and equipment, intentionally downplaying his own strength in the account. This wasn't too difficult since he had merely slipped away from Enreyes, and the only witness, Eckmond, very tactfully kept silent.

"Graecia? This Enreyes claimed to be a servant of Graecia?" Tijana's expression changed the moment she heard the name, "She also saw through your Transmutation Spell directly?"

"Eckmond also walked off with her sword." Lancelot felt a vague sense of foreboding, "Is there anything special about this Graecia?"

"She's the most special of all the Great Demons." Tijana glared at Lancelot irritably, "Because her daddy is Astimos, the actual Lord of the Nine Hells, you really know how to land yourself in trouble. Bring out that sword!"

Eckmond looked at Lancelot, who nodded. Reluctantly, the skeletal head opened its mouth, and a gem-studded, magnificent Longsword was regurgitated bit by bit.

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Tijana gracefully extended her arm, and the longsword silently flew into her hand. This act, seemingly a minor magic trick, shocked Kalalin so much that he leaped from his chair, his face filled with disbelief.

"What's the matter?" Lancelot looked at the Scholar quizzically. As the only Arcane Caster in their small adventure group, Kalalin shouldn't have had such a strong reaction.

"Did you just… directly charm this sword?" Kalalin appeared terrified, "How is that possible?"
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Instead of answering the question directly, Tijana gave the Scholar a charming smile, and Kalalin's consciousness blurred. By the time he regained his senses, he was already seated back in his chair.

"As long as your charm is high enough, it's possible," Tijana declared. "And this sword is not ordinary at all."

She tapped the blade gently, and a bit of magic power flowed from her fingertips into the treasured sword, causing a line of burning text to appear on the blade.

"That's… Heavens language!" Kalalin exclaimed again in surprise, "Does it mean… 'Glory is my mission'?"

"Correct," Tijana nodded. "This sword is very ancient, probably a witness to the initial fall of the Enreyes, and has developed a mind of its own to some extent, which is why it was affected by my charm."

"This item must be quite valuable," Lancelot said with a grim face. "That succubus named Valtira is surely going to be after me relentlessly now."

"From the moment you disrupted their plan to conquer Oasis Fort, those Bartez have been relentless. By the way, I saw the retreat of the Bartez forces in the divination crystal before coming here. The plan to strike at Oasis Fort is utterly ruined," Tijana said playfully, looking at Lancelot.

"As a mercenary, getting involved in bloody battles is inevitable, but making dozens of High Rank Demons face degradation punishment right off the bat is showing off a bit too much."

Lancelot didn't say a word and simply stared at Tijana, who couldn't find the expression of fear on his face she was expecting, which felt somewhat disappointing to her.

"I'm taking this sword," Tijana said as she tucked the succubus's treasured sword into an elegant Dimensional Bag at her waist. "I'll declare that I saved Oasis Fort, which should transfer the Bartez's attention onto me, and this sword will be the most convincing piece of evidence. The hostility of demons is too burdensome for mortals like you, but it makes no difference to me."

"Thank you, my lady," Lancelot said softly, his expression very sincere.

Tijana seemed to want to say something sarcastic, but after seeing Lancelot's earnest face, she swallowed the words back down.

She stood up and walked towards the heap of spoils of war, casually picking a few items that emitted an eerie glow and stowed them away.

"You won't need these anyway, so I'll take them. Keep a low profile for a while, and don't wander off," the Succubus Lord waved her hand and cast the Teleportation Technique again. In the moment before her figure disappeared, Tijana's voice resounded directly in Lancelot's heart.

"Dinner was nice."