The Paladin in the Abyss-Chapter 707 - 731 Requests

Chapter 707 -731 Requests

(Update first, revise later)

“That is indeed the power of Losanda,” the priestess said with a proud smile on her face, “Any activity by Fiends within fifteen feet of the statue will cause it to radiate holy light, a light so powerful it could even kill low-ranking demons…”

“If that’s the case, why don’t you rely on that statue for defense, instead of hiding inside the Temple?” Bruto asked with the loud voice typical of Dwarves, forming a stark contrast with the soft-spoken priestess, “If it hadn’t been for us being here just now, those Demons would definitely have broken through the gate… Or is there something even more powerful defending inside the Temple?”

“Uh… I can cast some Healing Divine Arts, and I’ve trained with the Hardhead Hammer, but most of the townsfolk are civilians with no combat experience,” Jessa said, her face flushing with embarrassment. “Moreover, powerful Demons could withstand the statue’s Holy Light for a very long time, long enough to kill us all…”

“So you chose to lead everyone in prayer inside the Temple, hoping that the Lord of the Dawn would send Zariel to save you again, like what happened generations ago?” Lancelot frowned subtly, “I’m not questioning your faith, madam, but don’t you think it’s somewhat… unreliable? If every believer in danger could receive a response from the Lord of the Dawn, His teachings would surely have spread to every corner of the Multiverse by now…”

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“I understand what you mean,” the priestess nodded, unfazed. “That’s why I wanted to gather most of the townspeople to pray to Him, so we’d be more likely to draw the Lord of the Dawn’s attention. And a miracle did happen, didn’t it? Otherwise, how would you have come to this town?”

“We…” Lancelot was momentarily at a loss for words; in a sense, they had indeed been ‘sent’ here, but the actual circumstances were probably not what she had in mind, “As I said earlier, the Demons have likely only retreated temporarily, and I fear a much larger attack is imminent…”

“About that statue, I actually have a secret,” Jessa stood up, giving a bow to those present, “Please wait here for a moment, honorable heroes.”

After saying this, she left with an elegant stride, leaving the four to stand there somewhat bewildered.

“I really don’t get you Humans and your faith,” the Dwarf complained with his arms crossed, “If a horde of Orcs attacked a Dwarf village, you’d be better off shouting Moradin’s name before you smash an Orc’s skull in. If anyone dares to hide in their house, quivering and begging the Father God for help, it’s likely the Father God Himself would show up to hammer that embarrassing coward…”

“Why are you looking at me?” Lancelot glared back nonchalantly, “In the world I come from, we don’t have these notions.”

“My apologies for the wait,” the priestess returned from outside, carrying an exquisite little box in her hands, “These are Holy Relics passed down through generations within the Church. Please have a look…”

The curious crowd peered into the box to find five shimmering Holy Emblems. The upper half of each emblem was a smooth amber, surrounded by threads of gold, while the lower half was composed of green enamel shards piecemeal into the shape of hills and fields. Altogether, the radiant emblems beautifully captured the image of ‘dawn,’ making it immediately clear which deity they represented.

“Wow!” While the Dwarf was generally disinterested in most forms of art, crafted wares of gold and jewels were an exception, “The craftsmanship of these Emblems is truly amazing…”

“Because they are Holy Relics left personally by Zariel. Simply by wearing these Emblems and touching the statue while praising the name of the Lord of the Dawn, one can receive powerful blessings to aid in the fight against the Fiends,” Jessa said with pride, placing the box on the table, “Each Holy Emblem can be activated once a day, for the duration of one hour. While anyone could receive blessings in this way, I believe only you, the heroes sent to Aldergran by Losanda, can fully leverage the power of the Emblems.”

“We really have nothing to do with Losanda…” the Dwarf muttered discontentedly, but the Human Knight patted his shoulder, signaling him to be quiet for the moment.

“Even without these Holy Emblems, we would protect this town from another Demon attack,” Lancelot promised the priestess, “but I do have some reasonable requests, which I hope you can fulfill…”

Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the Temple. Everyone immediately jumped up from their seats and ran toward the source of the noise. They saw that a large crowd of townspeople had already formed at the Temple doors. Upon spotting Lancelot and his companions, they subconsciously cleared a path for them, revealing in the center a flayed human skin, still attached to its skull.

“It just fell from the sky…”

Someone in the crowd muttered an explanation to him. Lancelot, suppressing his discomfort, unfolded the skin no one dared touch and saw several pieces were carved out from its back, the vacant parts together forming the pattern of a flail with three heads.

“Yenogu…”

The onlooking townspeople couldn’t help but utter the name, their voices filled with fear. Lancelot frowned slightly and flicked his fingers, sending a few sparks flying from his hand that, upon landing on the skin, ignited into a fierce blaze, leaving only ashes in a few moments.

“Our church in Losanda is wealthy and generous…” The priestess’s body trembled, but she managed to stand firm, “Afterward, we will surely provide you with fair compensation.”

“I do not want compensation,” Lancelot shook his head, casting a stern glance at Bruto, who had suddenly become excited, “I want every able-bodied, combat-capable townsman to take up arms and personally protect their own homes. I understand they have virtually no military training, but they should still know how to use Short Bows or pitchforks. And if collective prayer is indeed effective, Losanda must have already heard your calls. Shortly, we will defend against the Demon attack in front of the statue, holding the entrance to the Temple, and we hope to have the townspeople’s support… Can you persuade everyone to do this?”

The priestess’s face finally flushed; she pursed her lips, then gave a slight nod before walking away.

“That’s the way to speak.”

“I do not want compensation,” Lancelot shook his head, casting a stern glance at Bruto, who had suddenly become excited, “I want every able-bodied, combat-capable townsman to take up arms and personally protect their own homes. I understand they have virtually no military training, but they should still know how to use Short Bows or pitchforks. And if collective prayer is indeed effective, Losanda must have already heard your calls. Shortly, we will defend against the Demon attack in front of the statue, holding the entrance to the Temple, and we hope to have the townspeople’s support… Can you persuade everyone to do this?”

The priestess’s face finally flushed; she pursed her lips, then gave a slight nod before walking away.

“That’s the way to speak.”