The Paladin in the Abyss

"My name is Acheron Mingyan, the Elf Prince of Seren," the elf seemed quite surprised by Elothysia's actions and also returned the gesture, "you just said you want to..."

"In the name of Heim, you still wish to listen to a Succubus's lies?" The bald human knight suddenly interrupted the elf's speech. He gestured towards the crowd and loudly commanded, "Where are the warriors of the Iron Gauntlet Knights? Take this demon and lock her up!"

Several soldiers clad in plank armor and wielding pikes immediately surged out from the crowd, and Lancelot swiftly drew the longsword strapped on his back, causing the others in the group to also take out their respective weapons and shields to protect Elothysia, turning the situation instantly chaotic.

"Dare to resist!" The human on the stage grew even more furious, "Kill them all!"

Lancelot's expression turned cold, about to make a threatening move, but Elothysia's hand pressed down on his arm.

"Put your weapon away." Facing Lancelot's questioning look, she gently shook her head, "No need to make things more complicated."

Lancelot hesitated for a moment, then decided to respect the Succubus Paladin's opinion. He sheathed his longsword, while the pike-wielding soldiers had already approached them.

"Wait a moment, Captain Poping Jay, I'm curious, how did a Succubus manage to arrive here smoothly?" The tall, nearly naked Aira muscle man spoke, his voice booming like a striking grandfather clock, "And what did she just say? Is she also a Paladin?"

"That bronze statue-like guy is actually alive?" Bruto muttered under his breath, "Alamir, do you know what that is?"

"If I'm not mistaken, that's a Radiant Cloud Angel, a knight of the Court of Stars," the priest nearly squeezed the words through his teeth, as if afraid someone might hear him, "he could crush you and me as easily as if we were two snails, so you'd better show some respect."

"Alamir is right, it's indeed a Radiant Cloud Angel," the skull's voice resonated in Lancelot's mind, at this moment pretending to be a mere skull decoration hanging on Lancelot's waist belt.

"Don't listen to her nonsense!" the bald human knight on the stage shouted, wildly waving his hands, his emotions highly agitated, "Everything that comes out of a Succubus's mouth is a lie! Not a single word can be believed! Arrest her immediately, before she deceives us all!"

"Was that bald guy hurt by a Succubus before?" Bruto continued to whisper his commentary, "Who yells to fight and kill upon seeing a Succubus like that, right Kalalin?"

"I think that's mostly the case, and it's not just about having some vitality drained," Kalalin raised an eyebrow, "Most likely, his emotions were toyed with too, which is why he is reacting so violently..."

At this point, Cumberland, who had come with them, finally squeezed out from the crowd. He ran to the front of the group and, facing the tall Aira leader on the stage, bowed and began to speak:

"Lord Iltash, I was the first to see Miss Elothysia," he started, "at the time, I was patrolling the east side of the Holy Forest..."

Cumberland recited the story of what had happened to him and everyone else, including the events that transpired later under the Gift of Aidonton. As he spoke, exclamations of astonishment occasionally erupted from the crowd. By the time he finished, the surroundings had become as noisy as a marketplace.

"Silence!" The giant named Iltash, Aira, spoke again, causing the volume around to decrease, yet countless pairs of eyes were all focused on the Succubus Paladin in the center of the hall. Clearly uncomfortable with the situation, she was fortunately shielded by her close-standing friends from some of the burning stares, making her feel less awkward.

"Dong Quan, Lilu, come to me."

The two Aira children shared a fearful glance before slowly flying up to the tall Radiant Cloud Angel. They had enjoyed themselves too much the previous night, and only now did they remember that their previous misadventure might have troubled many people, and what kind of reprimands they might face.

"Uncle Iltash, I am sorry, it was all my fault, I was the one who dragged Lilu out to play," Dong Quan mustered the courage to speak first, "blame me alone!"

"It's not like that! We just wanted to go out together and play, but we got too excited and accidentally wandered off," Lilu immediately retorted, "Initially, only I was caught, but Dong Quan kept following those creatures to rescue me..."

The two children took turns detailing their ordeal from the capture to being rescued by 'Sister Elothysia,' without Iltash saying a word, simply watching the little ones intently. Only after Dong Quan and Lilu had finished did he finally speak:

"Other than Dong Quan at the beginning, they haven't lied at any other time," the Radiant Cloud Angel announced to everyone, "Moreover, there aren't any ongoing magical effects on the two children. I presume many of you, like me, cannot sense any evil intentions in Miss Elothysia either."

"No! There are other doubts!" the bald Human Knight couldn't help shouting again, "How could two little tykes run that far? It must be a plot of Cang Ye! Yes, that old witch used some evil witchcraft to lure them to the Miasma Swamp, just so this Succubus could rescue them and beguile our trust..."

"If that were true, the Mother of Demons surely would have chosen a better spy," the Elf on the far left of the dais couldn't help but interject, "Captain Jay, we all sympathize with your ordeal, but you shouldn't..."

"This has nothing to do with Vanessa..." the bald Knight protested weakly, his eyes shifting then fixing on Lancelot, "And these mercenaries, claiming to have killed Valasti and escaped from the pursuit of twelve Seducers? Did you see his horse just now? That is a Nightmare! And that skull on his waist, how evil and twisted must one be to hang an enemy's skull as an ornament… "

"You're the twisted one! Baldy! Bald dead man!" Clone Well couldn't help but speak up, hovering mid-air and shouting indignantly, "I am a Mimir, you ignorant bumpkin!"

A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd, evidently quite a few were aware of the famous talking skull of Mark City. Lancelot shrugged helplessly and spoke:

"We are just a group of mercenaries stuck in this awful plane, surviving thus far due to some bizarre experiences," his gaze swept over the assembled crowd, "but nothing has been more miraculous than what has happened these past days. A Succubus, on a journey with us, demonstrated her noble essence again and again, yet look at how she's being treated in Androlina, the only hope in the Abyss?" Continue your adventure with My Virtual Library Empire