The Paladin in the Abyss

In the magnificent hall, Lancelot awkwardly adjusted his stance. On the way in just moments before, all the Succubi seemed to be looking at him with a strange gaze, which made him quite uncomfortable.

"Oh, your little band of adventurers has a new companion?"

Tijana lounged regally in her throne. Although she was speaking to Lancelot, her half-closed eyes were not looking at him.

The captives whom Lancelot had rescued earlier had been led away by a foreman, about to start their careers in the blacksmith area, while Kalalin did not follow them. At this moment, his gaze was intently fixed on his own toes, trembling slightly, whether from fear or excitement, it was hard to tell.

"Interesting, a member of the Black Cult actually ran away to the Abyss." Tijana's smile was chillingly sinister. "This group, keen on studying Demons, has hardly refrained from summoning them and then dissecting them alive."

"But his knowledge is indeed useful," Lancelot hurriedly defended Kalalin. "With his help, I believe many missions will go much more smoothly."

"Just as long as he doesn't set his sights on undermining Twin Bridges Town," Tijana teased. "These people are very focused on the situation in the Abyss, I believe he's well aware of the consequences of such actions."

"I swear on my soul, I will absolutely not do anything that harms the interests of Twin Bridges Town or yours, my lady," Kalalin spoke eagerly. "My lady, if there is anything you need, my wisdom is at your service."

"Rather use your wisdom against this knight's enemies," Tijana said, shifting her attention away from him and back to Lancelot. "You've already completed your assessment task, recruit whom you like but you are responsible for their safety, including a head tax of 300 gold coins per person per month. No refunds in case of death, remember that."

"Thank you, my lady," Lancelot bowed.

"Take this, it's your proof as a mercenary." Tijana tossed a Twin Bridges Town emblem to him. "Use it to purchase a residence at the Mercenary Hall, accept missions, and pay the Head Tax."

"Understood, my lady."

Lancelot nodded knowingly, Tijana had not asked for the gold coins seized from Kuka, meaning he didn't have to worry about being evicted in the short term.

Bruto stepped forward and began, "There's one more thing, milady. Are you familiar with Cold Iron?"

"I'm not, does it have any special properties?"

"It's a metal buried deep underground, rare but not uncommon, and weapons forged from it are especially effective against Demons and Devils. Plus, unlike weapons of good or holy properties, anyone can use them."

"Interesting," Tijana sat up straight. "Let me guess, you're offering me a weapon made from this material?"

"Well, we don't have one now, but this ore needs a special low-temperature forging technique to process, and the Frostforge clan happens to possess this technique," Bruto bragged proudly, hands on his waist. "We're naturally resistant to the low temperatures produced during the processing of this metal. If we could find Cold Iron Ore, we could produce these weapons on a large scale, and I believe your clients would be interested, but I hope to improve the... ah... working conditions for my dad and others."

"So you don't have anything in hand yet," Tijana, now disinterested, leaned back. "Don't worry about your dad, he has already proven his worth. When you actually bring in some Cold Iron Weapons, we'll test if they're really as powerful as you claim. Dismissed."

"As you wish, my lady," Lancelot saluted again, pulling Bruto and Kalalin as they turned and walked out. He vaguely sensed that the Succubus Lord seemed to be watching his back the entire time.

Perhaps it was just an illusion born from an overly good impression of himself.

----------------------

"What do we do now?"

After leaving the castle, Bruto, anxious, was the first to speak up.

Lancelot fidgeted with the Twin Bridges Town emblem. His Spirit Perception told him that this was truly a normal emblem this time, at least devoid of any bizarre spying effects.

"Let's first sort out where we're going to stay, then take Kalalin around the city to familiarize him with the environment," he said as he put away the emblem and glanced at the young Dwarf, "and finally, visit your father regarding the Cold Iron matter. We still need to hear a professional's opinion."

Bruto completely ignored the criticism in Lancelot's words. He clasped his head with both hands and strode towards a building resembling an arena not far away.

The Mercenary Hall was located on the east side of the castle, very close by. Further east lay a sprawling series of buildings, constructed year by year by mercenaries who came here.

The road to the Mercenary Hall wasn't very crowded, but each individual looked fierce and malevolent, almost as demonic in temperament minus the antlers.

When the three stepped into the Mercenary Hall, they were startled by the receptionist.

This was a creature straight out of myth. 'She' stood over nine feet tall, the upper body resembling that of a humanoid female, even beautiful in face, but the tightly pursed lips displayed a very cold demeanor, and her eyes emitted a terrifying murderous aura that could stop one's breath. Her overly elongated torso was flanked by three pairs of arms, adorned with various types of jewelry, the clearly defined muscle lines signaling that this was a highly efficient killing machine. 'Her' lower body was an extremely thick serpentine tail, broader than Bruto's shoulders, covered with green scales that could invoke one's primordial fears, stretching about twenty feet from head to tail tip.

Bruto turned to run but was grabbed by Lancelot. Kalalin, after the initial shock, seemed quite interested in observing her.

"This is a Merrylis, also known as a Six-Armed Serpent Demon," his words squeezed out between clenched teeth in a very soft volume. "Don't panic, you see, she isn't holding any weapons in her hands, which means chopping up visitors isn't her current duty."

Bruto recovered from his panic and then noticed that the Serpent Demon was holding various documents and seals, while weapons rested in twelve sheaths on her back.

In Lancelot's mind, he recalled the Elves' information on such creatures. Six-Armed Serpent Demons were masters of close combat, each of her arms wielding a longsword during battle, unleashing a tempest of strikes against her enemy. If you were lucky enough to parry all six of her arms' attacks, her tail would be the last straw to crush you while you gasped for breath.

More importantly, they were among the finest commanders in the Demon armies, one of the few who could rally other Demons during battle. Their strategic and tactical acumen was as outstanding as their combat skills, striking the battlefield at the most opportune moment, wreaking havoc on the most vulnerable part of the enemy lines. Without them, Demons' performance in the blood battles would likely be much worse, perhaps even risking the first layer of the Abyss becoming dominated by the Devils.

"If you don't have pressing matters, it's best you disappear from my sight immediately."

The ghostly voice that rose, reminiscent of a snake slithering over sand.