Azure Scepter

Page 86

A rather rough and savage voice came from the side, containing undisguised contempt and provocation.

Trier did not respond immediately. He glanced subtly to his side before calmly saying, "Lord Oris, I have long heard the legend of the savior of Cedar Castle."

Just as I remembered, Oris was burly, looking like a giant dwarf. He was stern-faced, as if he were always gritting his teeth, and his face was covered with a hideous, centipede-like scar that ran from his left eyebrow to his right shoulder blade.

Oris paused for a moment, seemingly not expecting his provocation to have no effect. After a long while, the renowned paladin let out a low laugh, but even that was a forced smile.

“Young man, you are quite good.” Oris narrowed his eyes slightly. “Very patient. Edith rarely waits for an old man like me to finish my daily divine revelation. Sit down.”

Trier didn't stand on ceremony; he simply pulled out a chair and sat down gracefully.

“The view from here is great.” Trier pointed to the floor-to-ceiling windows. “You can see the whole city, from the upper town to the outer town. And look, the Lighthouse Theatre is still open. It’s incredible.”

Oris was silent for a moment, then he stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked to the French windows.

"Light up the light, protect the light, maintain the light—the more difficult the days, the more the people of the Southern Duchy should value art and joy; without art, life is meaningless."

Trier did not rise with Oris; he remained as steady as the ivory-carved platinum reindeer teapot on the table.

"A very insightful viewpoint, kindness is more important than order, and the wisdom of the ancient sages' oaths is more thought-provoking than the light of a lighthouse," the time traveler echoed insincerely.

“Trier, I’m sure you didn’t come here just to chat with an old man like me?” Oris’s tone softened as he turned around. “I can mediate for you regarding your title at the Grand Lords’ Council. The Duke’s views are quite contrary to the doctrine.”

"Thank you for your kindness, but that's not it." The time traveler picked up the ivory teapot and poured water for Oris as he spoke.

Orlistan picked up his glass and took a sip: "I'd like to hear more."

“I hope you will become a beacon of light and help those victims of the blood plague,” Trier said calmly.

Oris raised an eyebrow, then chuckled and said, "That was my vow: to light the light, to protect the light, to maintain the light, to become the light. Why do you think I didn't help them? Trier, Trier, what did I do to cause you to have such a misunderstanding?"

“You know very well that the plague spreads through food.” The time traveler casually pinched a storage stone. “You should immediately ban all food transport—and forcibly driving nearly a quarter of the people of the southern duchies to Eraf is hardly a wise move.”

Oris turned his head sharply, the smile gone from his face, and the hideous scars on his face trembled.

"Oh. Can I take that as you're accusing me now?" His gaze gradually sharpened.

P.S.: There will be another update later. Uh, thank you so much for the generous donation, I still feel a bit guilty...

Chapter 174 Deception

“Accusations? No, I simply hope you can set an example for the desperate, rather than extinguishing the hope of the survivors.” Trier remained seated, explaining slowly, “People will never passively wait to starve. Before a widespread famine arrives, they will fight their way out for survival. If the Silent Whisperers or demon worshippers take advantage of this situation…”

“You’re talking about demon worshippers…” Oris interrupted Trier coldly, his eyes wide, the hideous scars on his face twitching like the mouthparts of a worm, “Then do you know that demon worshippers are blocking food transport? Or are you a demon worshipper yourself?”

Trier held the teapot, took a small sip, and remained calm.

The fact that demon worshippers are blocking food transport is indeed new information.

At first glance, this seems very strange—Saint Seir refuses to protect mortals, while the Demon Lord does. However, if you combine the information you translated on the ice coffin with your speculation about the relationship between the deity and Losevie, then a more interesting logic is revealed.

The widespread blood plague not only directly expands Losevie's power, but the more people die in the southern duchy, the fewer people will pray to the priesthood of "the protector of hybrid humans and the patron of travelers." Consequently, the pressure of prayer messages on Losevie will also be greatly reduced.

Under this assumption, the disagreement between Lady Bloodthorn and Saint-Sel on the issue of the blood plague becomes understandable.

Saint Seir hoped to use the Blood Plague Crisis to directly isolate Loseweh from the Radiant pantheon, and therefore supported the early spread of the plague.

Lady Bloodthorn, on the other hand, hoped that an overabundance of information would continue to suppress or even weaken Lorthaway, and therefore did not support the early spread of the plague.

The time traveler couldn't help but recall the benevolent statue inside the Church of Saint Seil, and a smile appeared on his face.

—It's time to confront this puppet of Saint Seir.

"Then do you know that the knight you recently promoted is a demon worshipper? The reason why more and more demon worshippers are being arrested is probably not elsewhere, but right here, isn't it?" Trier put down the teapot and looked calmly at the increasingly furious Oris.

Oris pursed his lips, his gaze as cold as a piercing sword, a suppressed rage brewing like a storm.

“Show me some respect. What I can’t stand is someone speaking so rudely to me.” Oris threatened in a low voice. “Young man, remember, you are now an exiled criminal. The only reason I haven’t purified you immediately is that you are still a foolish young man with time to repent—now, get out.”

Having said all that, it seems there's no need to continue...

Trier lowered his eyes and remained motionless.

Oris's facial muscles twitched with rage. He sneered, "Scared stiff? Now you know fear..."

Before he could finish speaking, Trier, who had been as steady as an ancient tree, suddenly stood up and looked directly at Oris face to face.

Oriston, whose face was contorted in a ferocious expression, was startled. His mocking look froze instantly, and the words he was about to utter stopped abruptly. The scar on his face also stopped trembling as if it had been frozen. He instinctively took a step back, and the ivory kettle on the table fell to the ground with a "bang," shards flying everywhere.

Oris instinctively looked away, not daring to meet Trier's gaze.

—The time traveler was too familiar with the other person's personality.

Oris is a prime example of someone who is all bark and no bite, and in some ways even more cowardly than the eccentric Aurelius. After all, in the original history, Aurelius dared to kick Lothaway when she was down, despite her widespread betrayal, but Oris was a complete coward.

In the Divine Descent version, due to the weakening of the dimensional barrier, a small group of demons once accidentally attacked the town where Oris was staying.

Although Oris alone was enough to wipe out all the demons, this legendary paladin, who was well-versed in self-preservation and had sworn an oath to the ancients, chose to leave directly. If it weren't for a barbarian player passing by, the entire town would have been slaughtered by the demons. Even with the player's help, almost all the residents were killed or wounded, with less than one in ten surviving.

Trier pressed down hard on the other person's shoulder, forcing him to look at him.

"Sit." The time traveler's voice remained calm, but this time it carried an undeniable chill and command.

"You! Who do you think you are? You're an exiled convict! You have no right to order me around..."

Oris's voice started loudly, but it grew softer and softer under Trier's cold gaze, and in the end he actually obediently sat down in the seat Trier had just been sitting in.

Terrill was so startled that his facial nerves nearly spasmed, and his fingers, which reached for the sword hilt, were cramping uncontrollably. His teeth chattered, and a misty chill swept up his spine and into his brain.

Why did you suddenly turn against me?

Shouldn't he need my help?

Oris looked up at the other person, whose face was hidden in the moonlight, making it impossible to see their expression. Although his rational mind told him he shouldn't be afraid, a kind of instinctive dread surged within him along with the oppressive shadow.

He wanted to stand up and kill the arrogant exile opposite him, but the sharp screams in his ears and the almost exploding nerves were like a vortex engulfing his thoughts. Images of a blade piercing his throat and heart kept flashing before his eyes...

Oris felt a pang of self-loathing for his cowardice. He suddenly recalled how, back in Chestnut Castle, it was precisely this same fear that had led him to abandon his comrades.

The paladin couldn't help but pray in his heart to the god who had always given him admonitions.

Grant me courage, my Lord...

However, the next moment, Trier spoke again.

"The divine essence of Lady Bloodthorn is much easier to obtain than that of Losevie. Lady Bloodthorn is currently hoping to descend into the Material Plane using her offspring as a vessel. This is a very good opportunity."

Trier's words struck Oris's chest like a warhammer, and he felt as if his heart was about to stop.

How did Trier know that Lothaway was behind the Blood Plague?! No, how did he know that the Demon Worshippers were backed by that terrifying Demon Lord whose name couldn't even be mentioned?

Why is he talking about divinity?

Wait... who is he talking to right now?

Before Oris could figure it out, Trier continued talking to himself.

"Be careful, there's more than just one demon lord coveting divinity; an elven pantheon is also watching."

“Shut up, heretic! Blasphemy…” Oris stammered. He didn’t know what to say, but subconsciously he felt he had to speak in order to preserve his last bit of courage.

The next instant, a familiar, solemn, and majestic voice rang in Oris's ears.

"Don't speak, let him finish."

Oris's voice stopped abruptly, and his eyelids twitched.

In a daze, he realized—Terre was speaking to the god who had been revealing himself to him!

Trier remained silent, slowly walking to stand behind Oris.

The paladin immediately felt a thorn in his side.

“Say: My Lord helped you bind the spirit, lich, in the church.” The divine voice continued to echo in Oris’s heart. “Speak calmly, do not be too excited, nor too fearful.”

"My lord helped you bind the spirit in the church, lich," Oris read dryly, like a puppet.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that his fear was perfectly reasonable. It was common knowledge that liches, terrifying monsters, possessed supernatural abilities to instill fear—it seemed that Trir wasn't Trir at all; he was likely just a vessel controlled by an ancient lich...

“I also saved your priests and inquisitors,” Trier’s voice was as soft as a ghost lingering in the mist. “Besides, wasn’t releasing the vessel for the Bloodthorn Lady’s descent exactly what you planned?”

Trier patted Oris on the shoulder, which startled Oris.

"But you've probably overlooked one thing: the Sunset Sage of the Elven pantheon is also watching. So, the plan to spread the plague and isolate Lorsewie can be improved—to eliminate the Sunset Sage, this unstable factor that has been holding back all along, you should seize the brief window of opportunity and resolve the situation as smoothly and quickly as possible. This way, your chances of winning will be the greatest. A chaotic situation is not in your favor."

“Tell him: You’re being presumptuous. You know nothing about Lothaway’s abilities,” the god whispered in Oris’s heart.

“You’re being too presumptuous. You know nothing about Losevie’s abilities.” Oris turned his head with difficulty, but Trier had already returned to face him.

“Lady Bloodthorn also possesses some divine authority,” Trier said with a smile, “not in the evil ways of indulgence and torture, but in ways that are extremely valuable…”

He paused for half a second, then slowly said, one word per second: "Pleasure...and lust..."

The voice in Oris's heart remained silent for a long time. After a while, it slowly said, "Release the Detect Lie Detector to see if he is lying."

Oris slowly rose, walked over the teapot shards on the ground, took the holy emblem from the wall, and then channeled divine magic.

The result of the divine magic was that no lie was told.

Trier spread his hands out, his expression calm.

"Lady Bloodthorn only possesses a portion of the abilities, not all of them. So if you can prepare in advance, you can lure her to the Material World first, and then take the opportunity to seize some of her abilities. At that time, your strength will naturally change."

By this time, Oris had partially recovered from his shock, and he raised his eyebrows slightly.

He felt that Trier, who was now talking so eloquently, didn't seem like a lich at all, but rather like a devil from hell desperately trying to sell soul contracts with sweet words.

He instinctively felt that the other party was untrustworthy, but the result of the divine magic was that the other party was not lying.

This time, the voice in his heart remained silent for even longer, and only when the clock outside the door struck again did the solemn voice resound once more.

“He said: My lord already knows that your identity as a divine revealer is false, but if you can rescue the Bloodthorn Lady’s offspring from the clutches of the demon lord, then your identity as a divine revealer will be true; at the same time, you can then live freely in the Southern Duchy and conduct your research to your heart’s content; and even if you perish, you can become an otherworldly divine servant, or even a messenger, in the divine kingdom.”

Oris had always had a good memory. He paused for a moment, then said:

"Our lord already knows that your identity as a divine revealer is false, but if you can rescue the Bloodthorn Lady's offspring from the clutches of the demon lord, then your identity as a divine revealer will be true; at the same time, you can then live freely in the Southern Duchy and conduct your research to your heart's content; and even if you perish, you can become an otherworldly divine servant, or even a messenger, in the divine kingdom."

Trier narrowed his eyes slightly: "It would be an honor. Your request will surely be fulfilled within forty sunsets."

Using sunset to indicate the date was a custom of the priests of an ancient empire that had fallen into the endless yellow sands. Oris had a vague suspicion about Trier's true identity.

However, before he could figure it out, Trier had already turned and left the house without looking back.

At this moment, only Oris remained in the room, the cold wind carrying the scent of blood rustling the curtains by the window.

Oris sighed, feeling a lingering sense of fear.

He had just mocked an ancient lich for being young! And he had almost ruined his master's plans!

The next moment, he tried to ask in his heart, "My lord, should we continue with the original plan?"

"..."

Saint Seir naturally wouldn't answer such a foolish question; all Oris responded with silence.

P.S.: Sigh, I broke my promise and got fat.

Chapter 175 Morning

Early morning, in the Regent's Garden.

Trier sat alone beneath the Duke's statue, cleaved in two by the Balrog, and casually picked up a golden iris from beside his feet. The cold dew reflected the morning light and also the ground stained with dried blood.

The time traveler sighed as he gently brushed his fingers across the delicate petals, then carefully placed the flower back into the ground.

"The break is over. It's time to take stock of what we've learned and then plan our next steps."

Trier thought to himself, glancing aimlessly at the broken emerald spiral staircase. A maid in a black and white maid's robe was kneeling on the edge of the staircase, covering her face and sobbing softly. In front of her was the remains of a corpse that had been torn in two by a berserk demon.

The time traveler shook his head and focused his attention on his own thoughts.

"Yesterday, my deception of Saint Seiya cannot be considered a failure. Although it is highly unlikely that He would break the tacit understanding with the Demon Lord Bloodthorn Lady based on his own side of the story, as the saying goes, seeds must be sown in spring to reap fruit in autumn. Yesterday, I successfully planted the foundation of mutual suspicion—only when they distrust each other will the situation develop into chaos, and as the saying goes, chaos is the ladder to ascent, thus giving me room to maneuver."

"At the same time, Saint Seil's reaction to my bluff last night also proves that the demigods of the Dream Realm weren't lying. Saint Seil indeed doesn't hold any divine office, otherwise He wouldn't have acted so eagerly. This also means that Losevie's mental state is indeed very poor. This is a good breakthrough and opportunity..."

The time traveler gently tapped the ground with his index finger.

"The basic objectives have been achieved. Although we did not directly persuade Oris to block food transport and evacuate refugees, this was expected. Overall, it's acceptable."

He nodded silently, then looked at the information panel that he hadn't had time to look at since last night.

[The intimidation was a resounding success; your threat made the legendary paladin Oris tremble, and you coerced him into obeying your orders.]

[You have obtained full information about the supernatural ability "Fear Aura"]