Season 3: Chapter 74: Convincing a Justicar Part 2
In a massive mausoleum, lit by rows upon rows of glowstones and decorated with statues of a duck, Berus blinked, the stoic woman doing her best to process what she was looking at.
In front of her, an army of goblins, spiders, and slimes, all worshiping a fourteen flight obsidian staired throne with nothing on it.
Or, there seemed to be nothing on it?
Despite her powerful stature, tone body, and mastery of ki, Berus was actually incredibly near-sighted.
But Lhikan didn't know that, and neither did the monsters surrounding her who saw her standing as an affront to their yellow god.
“Bow! Bow your head.” Lhikan hissed, grabbing the confused woman.
Berus reluctantly did as told, between the four-armed gator, the baby Drider, and Titan Tarantual, it would be a hard fight to escape.
One on one, she could easily take them, but surrounded like this? Well, even ants could take down bigger prey.
Berus decided to play along.
“Who… are you.”
A powerful voice echoed, bouncing through the chamber, almost as if the walls themselves were speaking to her.
Berus looked left and right, a sudden chill in the air that grasped at her heart.
Something… was incredibly wrong.
She could feel anger, loathing, divine power akin to a bishop of Destina. But more than anything she could feel…
Contempt.
The entire chamber began to shake, dust and crumbs, falling from the ceiling as chanting rose up from the lips of the gathered goblins.
All around Berus, she could feel reverence and an air of divinity that shouldn't have been possible in a damp place like this.
Yet it was.
“Heresy…” Berus muttered, her voice low, drawing a look of concern from Lhikan who shook his head, hand on her shoulder, his lips mouthing no.
Suddenly the ground began to ooze slime, blue liquid foaming through every crevice, crack, and line in the chamber, the space Berus found herself in quacking as if under assault from an earthquake.
The blue ooze began to churn, spin, rising up around the throne until the slime encompassed all fourteen flights.
For a moment, the entire cavern seemed like it would collapse, but as quickly as the shaking started, it stopped.
Berus went wide-eyed.
Upon the throne, sat a naked man with black hair, radiating divinity, a massive black blade floating at his side as he gazed down at her from his throne.
Berus didn't need to have twenty-twenty vision to recognize the man. He was a literal spitting image of the statue in Helefort. The incarnation of the Great Hero.
“Why have you trespassed upon the resting place of my comrades?” The voice echoed, as if emanating from the very walls itself. Somehow, the wave of sound oozed divinity, power that was oddly comforting, yet opened the door to terrifying implications.
Berus eyed Lhikan who nodded in response.
“Ehem,” Berus said, standing up. “I-”
“You dare?”
The moment Berus stood, a woman was beside her, a wicked smile plastered on her face as she glared at Berus with predatory green eyes.
Immediately Berus's fist shot out, punching a hole through the woman's grinning face.
A gasp was heard, yet despite the armored fist lodged in her face, the woman merely tilted her head with a smile.
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“You dare raise your head before our Lord?”
Berus's eyes shook, her fist held firm in the maw of the monstrosity wearing the uniform of a Maiden.
“Enough.” The voice from on high commanded. “Slimey. Release her.”
Slimey?
The monster released her, stepping back, the same sinister smile still plastered on her face before her form liquefied and snaked up the throne to stand beside the naked man.
“Apologies for my vassal’d behavior. Those that help to guard these sacred resting grounds are often quite protective.” The man said, his form shifting to mimic black clothes as he stood up and began to descend down the stairs with a rubber duck on his head. “I am Hiro. Tell me, Paladin of Destina, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”
Vassal? Berus blinked, choosing her words carefully.
“I am Antoinette Berus of House Gracemia, on orders from Bishop Nidhiki of the Church of Destina. My purpose here is to survey these ruins and recover a lost artifact that may be beneficial to combating the demon scourge that plagues all of the Free World.” Berus recited, her eyes focused on the man-no… the monster that stood before her.
Although it took the guise of a man, it was clearly a monster. And more percuirully, the yellow toy duck upon its head was swirling like a beacon of mana to her senses.
An artifact? Perhaps. Berus didn't know but for now she would simply play along.
She eyed the paladin at her left, the man bowing as if he were in the presence of the Holy Saintess herself. Berus then shifted her gaze to the right, where two other humans were and a gnome, clergy members no doubt roped into the elderly paladin's schemes.
“I see…” The man said, staring up at her. “Gracemia… that was once a mining village was it not? Located near the Gelder mountains where the dwarfs lived?”
“Yes. That is correct.” Berus replied.
“Ya know I once got into a fist fight with some Gelder dwarfs. They didn't like Zorkwen because he was a half-giant,” The man said, looking off with a slight smile on his face that seemed as if he were genuinely reminiscing before he frowned. “Still better than elves, at least they crafted weapons for us. How is the Gelder enclave?”
Berus blinked, noticing the look of earnestness in the monster’s eyes, a look that couldn't be faked.
“Des… stroyed. Buried beneath the mountains during a territory war with the Gracemians two centuries ago. Very few of the Geldurians remain.”
“...”
A silence befell the room, the grin on the man's face gone as his eyes trailed downward.
“I see… And the Zerkatah heart forge? The Dragon tooth Ball-Pen Hammer? I take it you're part Geldurian.”
Berus blinked. Very few knew of the heart forge, fewer still, of the exact specialty item made as a peace offering between the Hiro and Geldurians in exchange for their smithing skills.
Was the monster probing her mind? Sifting through her memories to uncover secrets to use against her? To put on this display? She didn't feel any intrusion, so it was unlikely but still…
“Its flames have long since sputtered out… and the Ball-Pen Hammer is gone.” Berus reported as the monster closed his eyes with a sigh.
“Of course it is…” The “Hiro” spun, walking off. “Well, congrats. You've found what you were seeking. So, what can you give me in exchange for not slaughtering every human that enters my home?”
“Pardon?” Berus blinked, caught off guard.
“You heard me, Paladin.” The man said, a massive blade floating to sit in the palm of his hands. “I spent… a life. Working as a tool for the upper class. The royals, the church. A grandiose quest that ended with everyone I knew gone and my… change. I have no intentions of being a tool again. No intentions of being used. If you came here for a weapon to use against your foes, then you've come to the wrong place… but-”
The man paused, turning to face Berus with a glare.
“If you want salvation, I can offer that.”
Berus narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brow, the Justicar’s fist clenching.
“Sal… vation?”
“Is that not why you're here? To seek a solution to a problem caused by the inaction of those you hold on high?” The man replied, sitting on the floor. “I can offer that. To clean the slate.”
Berus took a step back, her hand on the hilt of her blade as she eyed the countless monsters that surrounded her.
“I'm… not sure what you mean.”
“Don’t play coy. I can sense it off you. Hatred. Contempt. Powerlessness. For all the strength you possess, you are but a slave to your station. A prisoner of your duty. Despite your experience and expertise, you are beholden to a lesser man. Marched here to acquire power for your masters as demons lay ruin to the poor and abandoned.”
The man was pacing around Berus now, whispering in her ear.
Berus clenched her jaw, a feeling of unease taking root.
“I was like that once. Dutiful. And because of that I lost everything I loved.”
Berus narrowed her eyes, focusing on the fake maiden of light that wore a wide smile. A slime that took on the form of another hero of lore.
“Is there a point to this speech?” Berus asked, causing an audible rustling to occur from the monsters gathered, a rising sense of bloodlust tickling her skin.
Hiro paused, waving his hand for the army to stand down with a sigh
“The point, is that I foresee a great calamity will befall humanity,” The monster said, pausing in front of Berus, the pair locking eyes. “But, with your help, we could change the trajectory of humanity’s destiny.”
“And how do you suggest that come about?”
The being paused for a moment, holding Berus's gaze.
“Simple. We merely have to kill all those in charge.”
“I knew it. I've had enough of your honeyed words demon!” Berus spat, drawing her blade.
Suddenly the edge of a sword was pressed against her throat, her eyes shifting to her left.
“Traitor.” Berus hissed. “I should take your head for this.”
“And I will give it freely,” Lhikan said, drawing a scowl from the Justicar. “But first, hear him out. This is the way we save our people.”
“How!? He's talking about sowing chaos! Of murdering our leaders!” Berus spat, rousing her mana. “I'm not sure how you managed to mimic holy power, but your wicked ways unmask-”
“Screw it, I'm running out of time anyway.”
“Huh? HUH!?!!” Berus screamed as her world went white and something intruded her mind.