“Let me do the talking!”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course, you might not know this but I’ve met our friend here before.”
“I don’t think we should be performing the interrogation here, there are too many witnesses.”
“What interrogation? Stop it before he gets the wrong idea…”
Roland overheard a conversation among five individuals who were heading in his and Elodia's direction. He had only recently regained consciousness following the battle with the Eldritch Horror. Although he had lost consciousness shortly after the battle, he had managed to witness the arrival of the city guard and a whole troop of knights. Their numbers didn't exceed a hundred, but it was an unusual sight.
It was evident to him that these Solarian Knights couldn't have been responding to his call for assistance. While Elodia called both his own soldiers over and contacted the church, they should not have been capable of sending such a force. The church could likely provide only a handful of clerics, probably no more than ten. Taking that into consideration, it appeared that these holy knights had been tracking the cult's movements beforehand. They probably traced them to this location and launched an attack as soon as the shrouding spell dissipated, revealing the location of the battle.
As they drew nearer, he attempted to piece together the unfolding events. One memory resurfaced swiftly - that of Agni revealing himself to the church in his Sunlight Wolf form, something they likely recognized instantly. However, this was just one of his concerns, as he had also employed divine energy emulation during the battle and was uncertain of the paladin’s potential reaction if they discovered this.
He wasn't even sure if they were aware of this yet, as the creation of the large sun spell had occurred before their arrival. If necessary, he could attribute this accomplishment to Agni, a divine beast capable of freely generating holy mana. Nonetheless, it was risky to draw too much attention to Agni, as the church might attempt to relocate him to a more securely defended location. The church was known for protecting their holy beasts, and this place might not be the most suitable for his safety.
The third problem that weighed on his mind was Bernir. He could clearly remember his friend losing his arm, which had rapidly turned into a black sludge. His knowledge of holy spells was incomplete, but he knew that limb regeneration was beyond the capabilities of a Tier 3 priest. Only priests of higher tiers might possess the skills required, and finding one willing to aid Bernir would be an incredibly challenging task.
High-ranking clergymen of this level were typically stationed in the Holy Kingdom of Alexandria and often prioritized aiding capable soldiers within their own faction. Pleas for assistance from outsiders were rarely entertained and even less if they were just plain blacksmiths. As the questions continued to increase the group finally arrived and the cloth that had been dividing his bed from the others was pushed aside. “I’m glad that you’re awake Mr. Wayland, though it’s Sir Wayland now, isn’t it?”
The first individual who emerged took him by surprise. It was a woman with blond hair that resembled golden straw. This appearance was somewhat common among Solarian paladins, whose hair often turned blonde during the process of ascending to their Tier 3 classes. Some of them even developed golden-hued irises if their faith was exceptionally strong, which appeared to be the case for this woman.
She was someone he recognized, and her name was Loreena. She belonged to the Golden Order, a faction of knights within the Solarian church. Their primary responsibility was to combat cultists, which was likely the main reason for their presence here. Their leader, Inquisitor Bartholomew, was a prominent figure and, apparently, Loreena's grandfather.
“You have really been blessed by the Holy Lady Solaria to have survived a second encounter with these cultists!”
“Dame Loreena…”
"I'm pleased that you remember me, my friend. It's always good to reunite with fellow warriors."
Loreena replied warmly and her eyes sparkled with anticipation. It seemed that she was in a good mood but some of the other paladins that were with her didn’t look as jolly. Their expressions were grim, a stark contrast to Loreena's jovial demeanor. Two of the knights appeared to be scrutinizing the room while a third, a man with intense blue eyes, gazed directly at Roland. His presence exuded an air of suspicion and wariness.
"Sir Wayland."
He addressed Roland with a calculated tone.
"Your survival amidst such chaos is indeed miraculous. However, there are elements here that prompt further inquiry."
Roland could sense that this individual was probing for information, and their attitude was clearly antagonistic. It was apparent that they hadn't come for a simple congratulatory visit or to offer assistance. If he didn't provide the right answers, he might be taken in for further questioning elsewhere. Roland had heard stories about the Solarian inquisition, and if you were deemed an enemy, torture was part of the process.
"I appreciate the concern for my well-being and your order's timely arrival. It was indeed a harrowing encounter with the cultists. I must commend your bravery and swiftness in dealing with the situation but I don’t think this is the best place for such a discussion…”
In reality, Roland had no desire to engage in this conversation at that moment. It was evident that these paladins were attempting to corner him right after he had regained consciousness, likely with the intention of interrogating him before he could gather his thoughts. Therefore, he deemed it wiser to postpone this discussion to a later time. He deliberately emphasized the positive aspects of the situation, hoping to keep the atmosphere friendly.
Additionally, his armor was not with him, which meant he couldn't conduct a proper identification process to ascertain the true identities of these individuals. They were wearing items that concealed their real names, and without his armor, he couldn't cloak his mana while accessing this information.
“... This won’t take long. I am Sir Gideon, Paladin of the Radiant Order. We want to discuss the unholy conjuration that was unleashed here and which you were a part of. We also wish to ask you about the strange concentration of divine energy within the area of the incident and also … “
The man called Gideon ignored his words and started getting closer. His gaze was gough and it seemed as if he was just glaring in his direction. Luckily, Loreena, who noticed the tense atmosphere, was quick to interject on his behalf.
"Gideon, surely our purpose here is not to interrogate but to offer support. The immediate threat has been dealt with and Sir Wayland is still in recovery. How about you leave this to me for now!"
The two looked at each other for a moment. Gideon's expression remained unaltered, but it was apparent that he was contemplating something. Roland was not aware of the hierarchical structure within this unit of Golden Order knights, but it appeared that these five individuals were more or less on equal footing. There might be a group leader somewhere, but at least he didn't seem to be present in this situation.
Loreena's intervention seemed to momentarily defuse the tension in the room. Gideon, while still appearing displeased, eventually stepped back, yielding to her request. Roland noticed the other knights exchanging subtle glances, possibly indicating some internal issues within their ranks.
It was possible that due to Loreena's connections to a high inquisitor, the other individuals were hesitant to express their concerns. Although this may not have been beneficial for their group, it worked in his favor. He had a connection with this woman, having once saved her life, and thankfully, it seemed that she was inclined to support his stance on this matter.
"Thank you for your understanding, Sir Wayland. I apologize for the brusque approach. Gideon can be a bit… zealous when it comes to matters of the church."
Roland nodded in acknowledgment. He had dealt with zealous individuals before and knew it was often better to handle them delicately.
"I appreciate your consideration, Dame Loreena. If you have any questions, I'll do my best to provide answers, but I would prefer to have a more private setting."
Loreena gave a subtle nod, understanding the need for privacy. She turned to the other paladins and addressed them, her voice somewhat firm but not confrontational.
"Gentlemen, I believe we can continue this conversation in a more suitable environment. Sir Wayland has been through a lot, and it's only fair that he has the chance to recover and gather his thoughts. Let's not forget our primary mission here, which is to address the cultist threat."
The other paladins nodded in agreement with Gideon looking somewhat displeased by the situation. Soon the group started to leave but their presence would not really vanish as they would continue guarding this infamy that contained all the witnesses of the encounter with the cultists.
“You have my thanks, Dame Loreena.”
“Loreena is fine, we are both equals are we not? Don’t worry about Gideon, he just worries a lot, it’s not easy to be a Paladin.”
He nodded at her words, and the woman responded with a bright smile. After their conversation, he was left alone in the room, but he was still under the watchful eye of one of the knights stationed outside the entrance. It was possible that they harbored suspicions that some of the people present might be involved with the cultists and could attempt to flee. Under the circumstances, he couldn't really blame them, as encountering an Eldritch Horror in the middle of nowhere was an unusual situation.
“Are they gone?”
“Not yet but I don’t think we should worry about them, it might not seem like it but they are probably on our side…”
Elodia finally spoke, having awakened during their conversation but choosing to remain silent. She conducted herself with poise and followed the proper etiquette of not speaking in the presence of knights. Although she was the wife of a knight, her origins were still those of a commoner. Some might consider that a potential issue.
A paladin from the Solarian church was not exactly a typical knight within this kingdom. Their primary allegiance lay more with their neighboring Kingdom of Alexandria. They held something akin to special diplomatic immunity. While their nation might not be particularly large, it served as the headquarters for the Solarian church, which comprised forces dedicated to combating undead creatures and cultists.
They sustained themselves by battling these malevolent factions, and in return, they enjoyed the privilege of unrestricted travel through other countries. While they weren't considered true nobility, nobody wanted to become entangled with them. A Paladin could practically accuse anyone of being part of a cult, and such an accusation would seldom be questioned.
Fortunately, Roland held the position of Knight Commander, which would make it a more challenging process to target him. It had become evident to him that perhaps it was a wise choice to cease hiding so much. Now he possessed some bargaining power on his side, and his connection with the Golden Order Paladin Loreena was also advantageous. He couldn't imagine the interaction going as smoothly without her presence in the room. When he reorganized himself, he needed to express his gratitude to her once again. For now, though, he had to focus on other matters.
“But… let’s not talk about them anymore, how are you feeling? Are you injured anywhere?”
“No, I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about. Sister Kassia spent many hours healing you. She mentioned that there might be some lingering abyssal corruption in you, so please take it easy.”
Elodia remarked with concern in her voice. It was evident that she had spent a considerable amount of time tending to his body, and the presence of a sponge and bucket of water, along with the absence of sweat on his body, were clear indicators of her care. His body seemed mostly fine but he could see a few debuffing effects stuck on his status that lowered some of his stats.
“I feel fine, you can’t kill me that easily!”
To reassure his concerned wife he leaned forward in an attempt to get out of bed. Even though his head started to hurt slightly he managed to hold all indications of pain in to assure of his well-being.
“You really shouldn’t be getting up now…”
“I know but, now is not the time for sitting, I want to see him.”
“You mean?”
“Yeah…”
Elodia didn't need to ask whom Roland had in mind, as she already realized. Thanks to his mana sense, he was aware of multiple individuals in the room, some of whom he already knew. Everyone had a distinct mana pattern, and it was easy to become accustomed to it when working with them for an extended period. He could identify a handful of individuals by their mana patterns, one of them being his wife, while another was his long-time assistant with whom he had worked for many years.
The memory of Bernir being injured while wearing the exoskeleton was still vivid in his mind. However, thanks to his mana sense, he didn't need to frantically ask Elodia what had occurred after he lost consciousness. Bernir was in the infirmary along with other survivors like Armand and Lobelia. With determination, he moved both his feet to the ground and took his first step. Most of his body had been mended through divine arts, including his shattered bones, which had been restored. It made it possible for him to move freely now that he had woken up.
Elodia gazed at him with concern in her eyes and tried to assist him as he got up. He simply smiled and continued to reassure her that he was fine. Soon, he moved the partition curtains aside to check on his neighbor, Bernir. There, he saw Dyana with a sleeping child in her arms. Like Elodia, she had come to tend to her husband, but unfortunately, he was in a worse condition than Roland.
Bernir lay on the bed next to Roland's, his face pale and covered in sweat. His right arm was missing, and in its place was a tightly wrapped bandage. Roland could see the anguish in Dyana's eyes as she held their child, trying to remain strong for both of them.
Although Bernir appeared to have received treatment, there was still a lingering dark energy emanating from his body. It was likely that the creature that injured him had a tier of power that exceeded the abilities of the clerics assembled here. The only reason that Roland was fine was thanks to his strong body but Bernir was just a non-combatant with a blacksmith class, who had suffered a more extensive injury as well.
As Roland approached, Dyana looked up and her eyes met his. She forced a weak smile but he could tell from the bags under her eyes that she hadn’t slept for a while.
"Roland, you're awake. I... I didn't know what to do. Bernir... he's … “
Roland placed a comforting hand on Dyana's shoulder.
"It's going to be alright, Dyana. We'll find a way to help him. The church paladins are here, and they have great healers.”
“I know… they said that he should be getting better and that the worst had passed but…”
Dyana had already received assurance from the priests, but that didn't mean she wasn't still plagued by worries. When looking at Bernir, he appeared unwell, but it was true that the cursed mana within his body was gradually diminishing. If he stayed in the infirmary, his condition would eventually improve over the course of a week.
“Wahhh…”
As he was looking at his friend who saved his life the baby in Dyana’s wife started to cry. She was quick to comfort the child, rocking it gently in her arms, but the sound of the baby's cries started to get louder. Before she could apologize, Elodia moved in close to offer some help.
“How about we go outside and get some fresh air? Wayland will stay with Bernir instead.”
He didn’t mind and just nodded while the two soon left. It was probably hard on Bernir’s wife to keep herself strong in a situation like that. Her husband just lost a limb and would probably have a hard time ever working as a blacksmith again. Roland turned his attention to the stump covered in bandages, a stark reminder of the battle they had just endured.
If Bernir hadn't arrived along with Elodia, he likely would have already perished as the monster was poised to deliver the final blow. Without his experimental weapon coming into play, there wouldn't have been enough time for the Golden Order to arrive and save the day. The timely arrival of the Golden Order was what ultimately spared him.
He would forever be grateful to his friend who could have chosen to save himself but stayed to help. Thoughts of pleading with the church for the assistance of a tier 4 priest crossed his mind. He even considered using his knowledge of the relic as a bargaining chip, but the chances of successfully recovering his friend's limb after a prolonged period remained uncertain. However, while glancing at the missing arm with his eyes he noticed something, perhaps there was a way to alleviate this issue in a different fashion, one through his own skills…
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