Azure Scepter

Page 88

After a long pause, Trier spoke again.

“I was inspired by God when I was in Beaver Town. I know how to cure the blood plague, but the treatment is too expensive.” Trier stared intently at Edith, who saw her own evasive gaze reflected in Trier’s eyes. “If you want to research a low-cost treatment for the blood plague, I have a better researcher to recommend.”

"Who?" Edith asked instinctively.

"The authority of necromancy in the Great Swamp region, the ancient lich Rakwald, existed long before humans and elves were active on the land."

PS: This is to make up for yesterday's update; there will be another update later.

Chapter 177 Respect

“You only need to introduce me to a reliable messenger, and I am confident that the ancient lich Rakwald will research a cheap treatment for the blood plague for us.”

Trier spoke in a calm tone, saying very strange things, so outrageous that Edith instinctively thought she was mishearing due to a concussion.

The Great Swamp? Isn't it inhabited only by endless swamp barbarians and undead lurking in the putrid mud, hating the living and always ready to hunt them down?

Wait... an ancient lich? Why would Trir, a paladin, know an ancient lich?!

Edith was completely stunned. The severe concussion combined with the overwhelming influx of information caused her to temporarily and completely lose her ability to think. She opened her mouth wide, not knowing what to say. She looked at Granny Lor in the distance for help.

But Granny Lor simply shook her head at her.

Edith then turned to look at Trier.

Trier was stroking his chin, gazing at the distant mountains, seemingly lost in thought.

"Hmm, wait a minute, perhaps you don't even need to recommend a messenger to me, I have a plan—I have a very suitable candidate here."

Edith's mind was in complete disarray, and she blurted out instinctively, "Huh?"

“A necromancer with great combat talent has gone blind for some reason. He can go to the City That Never Sleeps in the Great Swamp to exchange for a pair of vampire eyes. If I’m not mistaken, the inquisitors under Vercingetorli should be able to contact him.”

Judge, necromancer?

Why would the inquisitors under the Archbishop of Vercingetorie associate with necromancers? According to doctrine, clergy are strictly forbidden from desecrating corpses.

Edith hesitated, her mind a jumble of thoughts. She instinctively reached for the food in the flower basket, only to find nothing.

—She ate all the breakfast that was given to Trier...

The princess felt a little nervous, but under the influence of adrenaline, her mind regained its clarity.

"But Trier, the Blood Plague turns people into undead, which means we are actually facing an undead crisis right now. Wouldn't it be too dangerous to introduce the Lich, the Necromancer Lord of the Great Swamp, at this time?"

“It’s not dangerous at all. We’re just asking it to assist with our research, and you don’t need to worry about the compensation in exchange. I have a way to handle it.”

Trier wants to make a deal with the lich?

Edith turned her head, widened her eyes, and began to scrutinize Trier closely.

Trier's dark eyes seemed to be covered with dust, as calm as a still sea in summer, and he was staring straight at me.

Trier was actually serious!?

The princess was no longer aware of her own expression; unparalleled shock struck her already clouded brain like lightning.

In just half a day, Trier's image in her mind underwent its third major change...

Edith clenched her left hand nervously, and involuntarily shifted her body slightly away.

But the next moment, an inspiration flashed through her mind like lightning after a thunderbolt.

Perhaps Trier was willing to pay such a heavy price by making a deal with the lich in order to help himself and the innocent people of the Southern Duke's territory ravaged by the blood plague...

Trier was willing to sacrifice his reputation and even the purity of his soul for the sake of justice. He could speak so openly about making a deal with the lich because his actions were not motivated by personal gain...

Edith instinctively clutched her braid, a sudden surge of shame and profound respect for Trier welling up within her.

Perhaps, this is the paladin who has sworn an oath of vengeance.

They are willing to sacrifice their own reputation and the purity of their actions for the well-being of others, all for the sake of a ultimately good outcome...

The teacher seemed to have said that the Vow of Vengeance paladins had an oath that was "to win by any means necessary."

“I see,” Edith muttered to herself.

Paladins are rare to begin with, and those who have sworn an oath of vengeance are even rarer in the kingdom. Edith has never even seen a single paladin with an oath of vengeance in the court.

At this moment, the princess recalled the oath of devotion she had followed, in which "honor and duty" seemed to reveal the same truth...

Honor means treating people fairly and setting an example for the world by practicing honor. This also means that even when dealing with necromancers, we should be equal and fair, and we should not have preconceived notions or prejudices.

Responsibility means being accountable for one's actions and performance, and for those one protects. As the crown princess, she must make protecting the kingdom's people her top priority, which means she should spare no effort to resolve the spreading blood plague as soon as possible. This is her responsibility!

When it comes to upholding justice, personal honor or disgrace may not be that important!

I should learn from Trier!

Upon realizing this, Edith suddenly felt that her understanding of oaths had deepened considerably.

So she took a deep breath, looked directly into Trier's eyes, and nodded solemnly.

"Thank you for your sacrifice, Trier."

To her surprise, Trier blinked, looking rather puzzled.

"sacrifice?"

Suddenly, Granny Lor in the distance coughed.

"Cough cough cough cough..."

This was a pre-arranged signal between her and Granny Lor; when someone who warranted caution passed by, Granny Lor would cough five times to warn them.

Edith turned her head and looked at Granny Lor wearing a flower wreath. Then she saw a knight with an oddly slender figure wearing a pure white mask. The knight wore the holy emblem of Saint Seir on his chest, and the shield in his hand was decorated with the emblem of the Knights of the Holy Judgment.

Edith knew the man, but did not know his real name. She only knew that the teacher usually called him "Mr. Scepter." She disliked him because he was always extremely arrogant.

This masked "scepter" is very mysterious. Not only is his real name unknown, but his whereabouts are also very secretive. However, the teacher respects him very much. According to the spies, the "scepter" is a high-ranking spellcaster from the Radiant Church—a spellcaster even more powerful than Granny Laura.

At this moment, the arrogant high-level spellcaster slowly walked towards him, his steps carrying a subtle threat.

Edith stood up and placed her fingers on the hilt of the holy sword.

However, the next moment, the other person walked straight past him and then bowed respectfully to Trier.

Good morning, Your Excellency.

Eh?

How can this arrogant guy be so respectful to Trier?

Edith turned around in disbelief.

The "scepter" nodded casually, as if it had just noticed itself.

"Your Highness."

After finishing his perfunctory explanation, the high-level spellcaster turned his head and leaned down to speak to Trier.

"By order of His Excellency Oris, Grand Master of the Knights of the Holy Judgment, I sincerely invite you to join the Order. Because of your devout faith, the Grand Master has decided to bypass the internal procedures and directly promote you to Inner Ring Knight, which will also make it easier for you to act in the current situation."

Edith stared in surprise.

The Knights of the Holy Judgment are currently the largest knightly order in the kingdom, wielding immense power. Their Grand Masters have even been able to attend the kingdom's Grand Lords' Conference, held every five years.

The title of Inner Ring Knight is a designation for the core decision-making body of the "Sword of Judgment" Knight Order. All Inner Ring Knights are eligible to run for Grand Master, Grand Inspector, and Grand Judge of the "Sword of Judgment" Knight Order.

Generally, this title is only awarded to senior knights who have served the Order for more than 30 years and have made outstanding contributions.

Edith frowned in confusion.

Didn't Trill have a fight with the teacher yesterday? Why is the teacher inviting Trill to join the Knights today?

What exactly happened last night?

Did they really have a fight?

“I’ll consider it.” Trier nodded casually, without even standing up.

The arrogant "scepter" knight did not react at all.

“Your Excellency, I hope you will fulfill the cooperation you reached with Lord Oris as soon as possible. After all, time is more precious than mithril.” The knight paused, then took out a leather bag from his pocket. “Lord Oris has fully realized the serious shortcomings he had in yesterday’s exchange. In order to sincerely repent, he has undergone physical asceticism and entrusted me to convey his apologies to you.”

After saying this, the knight respectfully handed the leather bag to Trier.

Although the movement was very gentle, a metallic "clattering" sound still came from the leather bag.

Trier casually opened it, and the reflection of the golden dragon and gemstones was somewhat dazzling.

—The leather bag was full of golden dragons and precious gems; it was a huge sum of money.

"Please convey my gratitude to Lord Oris." Trier casually placed the leather bag into the flower basket.

The Knight with the scepter nodded slightly, then bowed again: "Then my duty here is complete. I hope to cooperate with you again."

After saying that, he turned and left, but halfway there he suddenly stopped.

The knight slowly turned his head, his green hair falling over his shoulders: "By the way, Your Excellency, I have a small suggestion."

Trier picked up his coffee and took a casual sip.

“A fool bound by illusory beliefs and consciousness and the thing you are looking for are essentially no different—they are both puppets destined to be destroyed. Once their performance is over, their fate will come to an end. Someone with a promising future like you should stay away. This is the best way to protect your life and soul—some things, if you get too close, are destined to be dragged down and killed.”

Trier smiled and put down his coffee cup.

"Thank you for reminding me. You are absolutely right. I will remember that."

The knight chuckled softly, then turned and left completely.

Trier narrowed his eyes slightly.

—This knight who suddenly appeared was not human. If his intuition was correct, the other party should be a celestial being from a higher outer plane, and there was even a high probability that he was an angel...

Without a doubt, the other party came representing the will of Saint Seir. Since Saint Seir directly chose to send an angel as an envoy, it means that He has a very strong force at His disposal here. This means that the other party did not exert any effort at all in last night's conflict.

The "fool bound by illusory beliefs and consciousness" mentioned by the angel was naturally referring to Edith. Although Edith's tone was calm, the content, when translated, was actually a stern warning to stay away from Edith.

This means that, in the eyes of this lawful and good messenger, Edith was destined to die.

With this thought in mind, Trier stood up and turned to look at Princess Edith.

At this moment, the princess put her hood back on, biting her lower lip as if she were thinking about something.

Trier couldn't help but sigh.

It must be admitted that Edith is not exactly shrewd.

She didn't even realize the divine messenger was cursing at her...

Although she was the crown prince, she was indifferent to the subtleties of diplomatic language, had no sensitivity to the balance of various relationships, and was always too trusting of others. Even someone as treacherous as herself could easily gain her trust.

She was too innocent and naive. Under the tireless efforts of her guardian, her mental level was nothing like that of a seasoned crown prince. Instead, she seemed like a girl trying to imitate the crown prince but knowing nothing about the situation.

However, Trier did not despise Edith because of this.

After spending a night and a morning together, the time traveler was quite certain that this princess, who was not good at hiding her emotions and thoughts, was a person of very high moral character.

He couldn't help but think of Edith and Harlan—both were morally upright and highly respectable people.

A person of such high moral character should not have died from despicable schemes and treachery, nor should she have lost her free will and become a vessel for Rhodesville's re-actions.

Of course, another important reason for Trier's change of heart was that the coffee Edith brought was just too delicious...

The time traveler's praise of the coffee was partly motivated by a desire to lower Edith's guard and thus confirm their friendship; however, his praise was also genuinely heartfelt.

He really enjoys drinking coffee from Sual Island.

By this time, the coffee was finished, and the bitter warmth of the coffee transformed into a slight euphoria in Trier's blood. His mind was highly active, and his will was highly focused. Trier felt that he was in a great state.

Even her appetite has improved considerably.

So the time traveler bent down and reached for the breakfast in the flower basket, but the next moment, he touched nothing.

Empty? There was so much just now! Trier frowned.

He squatted down and touched it carefully.

Is it really empty?

He turned his head incredulously to look at Edith, only to find the princess's eyes gleaming and her lips smeared with black sauce.

Seemingly noticing her own expression, the princess gave an awkward smile. Then, she blinked innocently, took a clean white handkerchief from the basket, pinched one corner of the handkerchief between her fingers, and elegantly wiped the corner of her mouth.

"I'm so sorry, I've eaten all of your breakfast." Knowing she couldn't deny it, Edith simply admitted it frankly.

PS: Second update, this time I kept my promise.