Equipment Printing School Mage
Page 204
Strength does not necessarily exist only in the body.
Zariel's body was clearly proving this.
Besides, such a wonderful body...
Emiya looked up at the sky.
——He had seen it before.
——In fact, for several years, he had seen similar bodies day and night.
His body was screaming at Zariel—flight, or submission.
Don't do anything stupid.
Emiya took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the trembling in her body, and said calmly, "You want to hire me? I am truly flattered - but why should I agree?"
Zariel was silent for a moment, but immediately came to her conclusion: "This habit of bargaining...you have been in contact with other demons."
She didn't even look at Emilia's reaction. Instead, she turned around coldly and looked at the other big devil present: "Mr. Bayer, you have more tricks than I thought."
Bayer lowered his head, neither refusing nor denying, as if he hadn't heard it.
Zariel looked at Aimiya. "I have no interest in gossiping. But you are special, so I will show you mercy and eliminate any remaining hope you may have."
Then, in a cold voice, she addressed Tavis Craig: "—Craig, you only allowed Emya to stay, but failed to convince him. In the end, I had to resolve the issue myself... Well, you failed to fulfill your promise. Unfortunately, you will not receive the reward you sought. I will not trade Elturgard for Emya."
"...Zariel." Before Craig could reply, Asur could no longer tolerate the Devil Duke's recklessness. He shouted, "You are indeed the reason for the establishment of the Hell Knights. But that doesn't mean that we, the descendants, will bow down to you! Now you are just a devil!"
"Today, you will not be able to take anyone from the land of Elturgard!"
"...Oh, very good." Zariel didn't get angry. Instead, he said to Craig with a hint of appreciation, "It seems that at least you are doing your job well—the people of Elturgard are still completely unaware of their plight."
This incoherent sentence made Asul stunned: "...situation?"
Craig was silent for a moment, then he sighed. "--Simple. All of Elturgard's subjects are unable to attack Zariel."
"Are you kidding me?" Asur's breathing suddenly slowed down.
A sense of foreboding suddenly came over me.
Instead of rashly attempting to assassinate Zariel alone, he immediately grabbed a spare lightning javelin and leaned back slightly.
Next, he only needs to exert force on his body and recite the command, and this wonderful magic item will transform into lightning and rush towards Zariel.
Even if it doesn't have much effect, it will at least weaken it a little.
——Just wave your arms.
***********************
Emiya stared into the distance in silence.
With the dim light emitted by Zariel, he could barely see Asur's current condition.
There, the Holy Knight Asur had already assumed a posture of exerting force - he squeezed the horse's belly, leaned back on the Pegasus's back, and the javelin in his hand was about to fall out.
Normally, in the next second, the javelin would transform into roaring lightning.
Zariel didn't show any intention of dodging, but just sighed half regretfully.
However, at the most critical moment when the attack was about to be launched, Asur's movements stopped without warning.
Sweat slowly seeped out of Asur's forehead, and his body kept shaking due to excessive exertion, as if he was wrestling with some non-existent life.
And no matter how hard he tried, he was completely unable to bend his arm even a little bit.
"...Don't waste your energy." Tavis Craig said at this moment with unusual calmness, "As long as you still have the weapons and equipment of Elturgard, you can't launch an attack on Zariel."
At this moment, the Supreme Observer recited aloud the Pledge of Fortitude, a vow familiar to all Hell Knights, the oath that all initiates must swear under the Companion Sun:
“My companion is here, please bear witness.
I, known to the world as I, hereby swear to the Companion, the Savior of Eltoril, that for the rest of my life I will uphold loyalty, zeal, kindness, humility, and integrity as my unwavering creed.
The needs of the good and innocent of Eltoril, Elturgard, and Faerûn are my needs, their troubles are my troubles, their lives are my life.
I will devote my time, attention, life and soul to this cause.
Wherever the sun shines, that's where I am. Wherever my duty lies, I will go there, regardless of the hardship, pain, or danger.
Even if he leaves for some reason, he will never betray or harm our cause again!"
Zariel said slowly, "Yes, because of this creed, it's best for you not to attack me—the reason is simple. There is another, more important contract in this world."
She took out a piece of parchment and unfolded it in front of everyone without any hesitation.
The words on it flow with a glow like lava, making it shine brightly in the darkness.
The content is as follows:
I, known to the world as Tavis Craig, swear to my Lord, Zariel, Lord of Avernus, that I will abide by the covenant contained in this oath.
I hereby swear eternal obedience to Zariel. I place her above all things, in life and death. I will obey her with humility and fear for the rest of my life and beyond.
Everything I owned in the past, everything I own now, and everything I will own in the future is only temporarily in my hands. The true ownership of all of them has been completely and thoroughly transferred to my Lord Zariel when the contract was signed, and nothing can be used to harm Zariel and his career at any time or place.
In exchange, my Lord will cause a treasure containing the power of heaven to descend upon the world. It will dispel the shadows that shroud Eltoril, turn the undead creatures that roam within it into ashes, and save Eltoril from the disaster, making it prosperous and great once again.
All these appeals are my eternal oath.
Snap, Zariel rolled up the parchment again.
"Do you understand?" Zariel whispered. "Decades ago, the previous ruler of Eltoril, the Knight King, was revealed to be a vampire. After his identity was exposed, he launched a vengeance against Eltoril. The Hell Knights, who had also suffered heavy losses in the Arcane Scourge, were easily ravaged and defeated. The entire kingdom fell into the shadow of the undead. The surrounding kingdoms were still shrouded in the shadow of the Arcane Scourge, and they were unable to take care of themselves, so how could they save Eltoril? Even the Three Pillars of Justice, still seriously injured in the massive divine war after the Arcane Scourge, did not respond in time."
"So, Craig asked me for power and signed a contract. I gave him the Companion Sun as promised. The Companion Sun's power completely destroyed the rampant undead creatures, and I saved Eltoril for the second time, just like a hundred years ago."
"In exchange!" Zariel cried. "First, everything Tavis Craig owns shall become mine, including all of Eltoril and Elturgard. You swear to protect Eltoril and Elturgard. And you swear to make Elturgard's needs your own. In other words, my needs shall be yours."
"This represents the so-called Creed of Fortitude, a pledge of allegiance to the devil. And until death comes, you will never know the meaning behind this treaty. Throughout your lives, you have lived up to the glorious history of the Hell Knights and your own noble character, so even the paladins among you will not break their oath. However, everything will change at the moment of death—I need your souls to participate in the bloody battle, so the moment you die, you will immediately descend into the Styx. And this result is all agreed to by yourselves—even if you don't know it."
She extended her hand, gesturing toward the weapon in Asur's hand. "And, simply put—all the weapons and equipment of Elturgard belong to me. To receive them as gifts from others, yet to be ungrateful and instead to turn them against their owners—this alone is the beginning of your corruption."
The Hell Knights were immediately in an uproar, but after a brief period of cursing, they fell into a deathly silence.
Each of them yearns for a noble cause like that of a paladin, dedicating their lives to the cause of the innocent and the weak, even at the cost of their lives.
But, to fight like this, risking one's life, just to become a devil after death?! What a joke!
They couldn't accept this bloody fact, but they had no idea what else they could do.
Asul took a deep breath and forced his voice not to tremble: "...One last question, what exactly is a companion day?"
Zariel replied, "It's probably a cage similar to the Iron Maiden. My comrade who once charged into Hell alongside me is now imprisoned within it. She chose to be imprisoned within the Companion Sun rather than be trapped forever in the depths of Hell. The Companion Sun was indeed my trap, but it also destroyed the undead that ravaged Eltoril, saving it from dire straits. Even if she's already fallen into a coma from the Companion Sun's torture, she probably doesn't care—of course, the process must have been painful."
She glanced at Bayer and said, "This great devil's own companion, naturally, has no regard for the prisoners' feelings."
"...Mel?!" Lulu finally reacted at this moment, "The light of the companion sun... is Melu's power?!"
"Yes," Zariel said flatly, "After my fall, I can no longer radiate that radiance. But Melu remains a Divine Servant of the Otherworld, a powerful angel second only to the Divine Servant of the Seraphim. And the core used to craft the Sunlight Sword is the concentrated essence of her blood."
"How could you do this!" Lulu was finally completely desperate. "How could you torture your former comrades like this?!"
"She volunteered," Zariel replied flatly. "Like I said, she preferred being imprisoned in the Companion to being a useless prisoner."
Amid the sad neighing of the Holy Flying Elephant, Asur fell into silence.
After a long moment of thought, he raised his head and turned around.
Behind him are the most elite and most skilled of the Hell Knights.
Any one of them is capable of defending a small town, but after growing up, they still remain in the Hell Knights. Everyone is a hero with both virtue and talent.
Now, such a team is about to fall into the River Styx, unable to live or die.
Asul said, "Everyone, I thought I had no way out. But it just occurred to me that I still have one last chance to resist."
Amidst everyone's astonished gaze, Asur jumped off the Pegasus.
He said firmly, "For years, the vast majority of my income, except for what I needed to support my family, has been either surrendered to Elturgard or donated to those in need. My weapons and equipment are entirely gifted by Elturgard. I possess nothing now, and the only thing that remains on the Material Plane before I fall into the Styx is my well-earned reputation."
Asur silently walked up to Craig, not looking at his former best friend. Instead, he spoke to himself, "Thirty years ago, as the first paladin to serve in Eltoril, I received my own reward: a powerful Flaming Tongue Sword. Although I have changed weapons since then, I still keep this Flaming Tongue Sword as a spare weapon of great commemorative significance."
chapped.
Asur stabbed the Flame Tongue Greatsword into the ground.
"Twenty years ago, a full-grown blue dragon wreaked havoc in the territory. I led a team that narrowly escaped slaying it. As part of the spoils and reward, I obtained this lightning javelin from Elturgard."
"Five years ago, Elturgard and the Hell Knights grew stronger, and I was finally fortunate enough to obtain the most powerful holy sword, the Holy Avenger. My excitement and excitement at that time seem so ridiculous now."
Then, the Holy Avenger also slipped out of his hand and fell to the ground.
"You wish to renounce your oath," Zariel said coldly.
"Yes," Asur replied.
"It's all in vain. Do you think I'd leave such an obvious loophole?" Zariel said. "Even if you leave for some reason, you will never betray or harm our cause again. You recited the Pledge of Fortitude before the Companions. Even if you renounced the Pledge of Fortitude, it still includes a clause about renouncing your oath. So, you agreed then and there to continue participating in the Companions' cause—regrettably, that cause refers to the Eternal Blood War.
"And your oath is witnessed by the Companion of the Sun." Zariel silently pointed to the source of the darkness in the sky.
That mysterious sphere that absorbs all the light, what else could it be but the companion sun?
"You have offered your loyalty and zeal to something that belongs to the devil, a wicked thing that blasphemes against angels—you are beyond redemption."
"So what? This breach of covenant violates the oath I swore before my lord Tyr, and I will break it," Asur replied. "At least now, the soul in your hands is no longer that of a paladin. I may have sworn allegiance to you, but I can still start a rebellion here."
"Even with bare hands?" Zariel shook his head.
Assur did not answer the question.
Armor, strange item.
Some were exquisite, some were mighty, and until this moment, they had been carefully preserved and maintained by Asur.
But now, everything Asur had gained in Elturgard through his own efforts and sacrifices was thrown to the ground like garbage.
The Hell Knights all understood the meaning behind his actions and followed him silently.
All the property that did not belong to them personally was moved out one by one by the Hell Knights.
Some people couldn't help but hesitate for a moment before letting go, but in the end they gritted their teeth and let the treasures fall to the ground.
Swords, armor, bows, arrows, even holy symbols, staffs and spellbooks.
In just a moment, a huge mountain made of metal, magic and gems had piled up in front of Craig.
Emilia remained silent from beginning to end. It was not until he saw someone take out the Moonlight Sword that he finally said, "Wait a moment."
This sentence immediately attracted the attention of everyone present.
Zariel frowned. "What are you trying to say? It's over."
The whole plan is very clear.
This plot to harm all of Elturgard was quadruple-insured.
It all stems from the contract between Craig and Zariel.
Zariel may have saved Eltoril back then, but the price was all future Eltoril and the people of Elturgard.
This contract is the most formal, the most powerful, and the source of everything.
Nothing, at any time, anywhere, may be used to harm Zariel and his cause.
This pact decreed that all items belonging to Elturgard could not be used to attack Zariel. So the Hell Knights were caught off guard and almost completely disarmed.
This is the first line of insurance.
The second layer of security was Craig's rise to Supreme Observer of Elturgard, leader of both theocracy and secular power, the king of kings. This didn't even require the devil's help—his feat of saving the entire Eltoril from disaster was enough to elevate him to his current position. Furthermore, Elturgard became Elturgard's property due to the pact. Those sworn to protect Elturgard could no longer attack Zariel.
The third safeguard is the stipulation within the Creed of Fortitude regarding withdrawal from the Creed. The Oath-taker, even if he abandons the Creed of Fortitude, cannot attack Zariel.
The fourth layer of security, and in essence the most insidious, was the oath of the Creed of Fortitude, which was based on the recognition of the authority of the Companion. However, the Companion was actually a profoundly profane evil that belonged entirely to Zariel. Swearing an oath to such an evil was essentially a recognition of Zariel's authority.
Because of this multifaceted guarantee, the entirety of Elturgard is effectively Zariel's possession, its largest pasture, making it a demonic hunting zone. Signing a pact with a mortal here is essentially theft of Grand Duke Avernus's property, inevitably leading to his retribution. Conversely, precisely because the people of Elturgard remain completely ignorant of this, they still yearn for justice. Zariel can thus successfully capture the noblest souls.
The noble man who once fought and died in Elturgard has probably become a devil by now.
To be more pessimistic, in the past few decades, Avernus may have received more noble souls than in the past hundreds or thousands of years.
——Then, it’s time to begin peeling the onion.
Emiya calmly raised a finger. "There must be some misunderstanding here—your Moonlight Sword and Grinder Armor don't belong to Elturgard."
Craig's pupils shrank suddenly.
Asur asked in astonishment, "Why? We didn't pay for these items when we received them? Isn't this an official purchase from Elturgard?"
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