The Paladin in the Abyss

Lancelot halted abruptly upon hearing this.

"Scared?" Tijana raised an eyebrow at him.

"Not really," Lancelot shook his head, "I was just surprised. Are you doing this for that Dwarf's Divine Artifact?"

"I still remember our last conversation at the dining table," Tigana continued walking forward, "I've been watching the recent changes in the Craftsmen's District. Do you think acquiring the Divine Artifact of the Dwarven race will make them more... efficient?"

"Humans have their limits," Lancelot cautiously said, "but I am quite sure more Dwarves will genuinely respect you."

"It feels strange to hear the Dwarves sing my praises, but I quite like it."

Lancelot couldn't suppress the joy in his heart. As he understood, creatures of the evil alignment hardly ever derived any satisfaction from good deeds; it was a good sign that Tijana was showing such emotions.

If he could steer Tijana away from the path of evil, some things wouldn't be so complicated for him. Moreover, considering the past of the Succubus Lord, it wasn't impossible.

"You seem very pleased," Tijana, sensing Lancelot's mood, became curious.

"I am happy for the admiration you've received," Lancelot quickly composed himself, "What exactly is this Succubus Palace?"

"As you've heard, it is a brothel specifically for succubi, lavishly decorated, filled with vast treasures, and it also holds a large number of mortal men," Tijana sneered, "Molo uses this facility to curry favor with nobles and high officials in the Court of the Queen of the Succubus, ensuring his position remains unshaken."

"It sounds like a place that should be leveled sooner rather than later," Lancelot said, playing along, though he was still a bit curious.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"The entire Oasis Fort should be," Tijana expressed her detestation for this 'Neutral Town' that thrived by leeching off the trading routes, "There are quite a few of my people in Oasis Fort, I have a plan..."

...

An hour later, in the living room of Hagrid Manor.

"Dain Frostbeard's Cross Pickaxe?" Bruto suddenly jumped down from his usual armchair, waving his hands and shouting.

Lancelot directed an inquiring gaze at Kalalin, who just spread his hands, indicating he was also clueless.

"Hey, Bruto, calm down," Lancelot said to the Dwarf who was restless, pacing back and forth muttering something to himself, "Is this Dain Frosthammer the same Platinum Guard who went missing?"

"What? Oh, sorry, I mean, yes!" Bruto, as if awakened from a trance, explained to his confused friends: "Dain Frostbeard is not only a legendary hero in Dwarven history, but our Frostforge clan is also related to him."

"He was a powerful Dwarf Holy Warrior who led his tribe in establishing the Nail Fort and, during the prolonged war that followed, utterly destroyed several nearby Orc Kingdoms," Bruto said with pride written all over his face when he mentioned his tribe's legendary hero.

"He never married but adopted dozens of orphans who lost their parents in the wars, among them were the ancestors of the Frostforge lineage."

"You're saying he was once a mortal?" Lancelot was curious about this information, "I thought all of the Platinum Guard were like Angels from the Heavens."

"Moradin had a special fondness for his creations," Bruto shook his head, "All the Platinum Guard are legendary heroes from Dwarf history. When these heroes' lives were at their final moments, the incarnation of the Father of the Dwarves would publicly descend, guide these heroes to his Divine Kingdom, and grant them glorious duties and immortal life."

"But aren't there only seven Platinum Guards?" Lancelot asked curiously, "As one of the oldest races, the Dwarves surely have more legendary heroes in their past, don't they?"

"Indeed, there are more." Bruto's expression was filled with reverence, "The duties of the Platinum Guard are both an honor and a burden. Whenever a new Platinum Guard emerges, one of the existing guards is relieved from this duty and becomes a regular supplicant in the Father God's Divine Kingdom, enjoying eternal serenity."

"I see," Lancelot nodded, finding matters related to the gods always elusive. "What about this Dain Frostbeard? He disappeared in the Abyss?"

"Yes, he went missing during a mission over a thousand years ago, and due to the uniqueness of the Abyss, even the Father God couldn't determine his whereabouts," Bruto's face started to look grave, "It is said that the Flame of Origin he left in the Divine Kingdom, though dimmed, has never extinguished nor changed color.

This means he hasn't fallen nor turned corrupt, most likely he is secretly imprisoned somewhere."

"Ordinary Demon Lords probably can't deal with a powerful Platinum Guard," Lancelot mused, "Any suspects?"

"The most likely suspects are the Abyssal Triumvirate," Bruto shrugged, "But other Lords of the Abyss cannot be excluded. If this Cross Pickaxe really belongs to Dain, we might be able to find some useful clues from it. Damn it, I need to go to the Craftsmen's District right now, all the Dwarves will be armed!"

"And then launch a siege in the Abyss, letting countless Dwarves sacrifice their lives?" Lancelot pushed Bruto back down onto the couch, "Tijana wouldn't tolerate her Dwarven Artisans heading to their deaths like that. All we need to do right now is retrieve that Cross Pickaxe, not to destroy Oasis Fort."

"So what should we do?" Bruto's voice lowered in an angry growl, "I won't just sit around doing nothing!"

"Tijana has a plan," Lancelot revealed with a smile, "But you might need to make some… sacrifices."

"For the glory of the Dwarves, I am willing to do anything!" Bruto bellowed eagerly.

"Oh, don't be too sure," Lancelot pulled out a few strands of intertwined hair from his breast pocket, looking at Kalalin, "Tijana said you should be able to make a Transmutation Spell ring?"

"This will take quite some time and materials, but it is indeed possible," Kalalin eyed Lancelot's palm skeptically, "This requires a small piece of body from the creature to be transformed into, could it be…"

"Aha," Lancelot winked at him, interrupting Kalalin's query.

"What exactly is the plan?" Bruto asked eagerly.

Lancelot couldn't help but smile. If anyone doubted the powerful Divine Power of Moradin, they just needed to look at the Dwarves. This hot-tempered race had an average lifespan of nearly four hundred years; what more convincing evidence could there be?

"That male Succubus' nominal allegiance is to the Queen of the Succubus, in his castle there's a Portal that leads directly to Shendiravir, the realm of the Queen of the Succubus," Lancelot briefly explained, "Once he leaves, that will be our chance. The specific action plan will be discussed later. Right now, the task is to prepare well, as that day won't keep us waiting too long."