The Paladin in the Abyss

Clinging to their large and small packages, everyone finally returned to Hagrid Manor after dark had completely fallen.

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Having lived here for over a month, Lancelot, Bruto, and Kalalin had come to regard Hagrid Manor as their home. Seeing the silhouette of the three-story building once again, an involuntary sense of relaxation swept over them.

It might have been an illusion, but after not seeing it for a few days, the surroundings of Hagrid Manor seemed a bit more ghastly. The small building was brightly lit at this moment, making the darkness not seem so utterly still, likely due to some maid who only worked at night.

Alamir, highly sensitive to the presence of undead, had already furrowed his eyebrows, but after all, this was Abyss, and it was they, the breathers, who were the anomalies here.

As they drew near, Lancelot established a clear mind link with Dingke. The elite Quasimodo Demon reported that everything was safe at home, and there had been no disturbances during their absence.

This Quasimodo Demon had become the top force in Twin Bridges Town. Its strength had long surpassed that of its level, but it stubbornly refused to advance; it believed following Lancelot would bring greater benefits. Thus, it had always diligently served the human knight, guarding the house and acting as a bodyguard to a small vampire whenever they ventured out.

Bruto, taking the lead, pushed open the grand doors of the building, shouting:

"Little Isabella? We're back!"

"I~am~up~stairs!" A voice came down from upstairs accompanied by the sound of a broom accidentally hitting the ground.

The sounds of stomping resounded as the adorable maid in a maid's outfit appeared on the stairs, joyfully shouting:

"Welcome home! You've finally..."

The small vampire's words halted mid-sentence, her eyes wide with terror as she looked at the elf priest who had just entered. The latter was also full of astonishment, a shield inscribed with Shuni's holy emblem already raised in front of him.

"Don't misunderstand, this one is not an enemy!" Lancelot quickly grabbed the elf priest, who had once instantaneously reduced countless skeletons to dust with his holy power—a scene too memorable to risk accidentally 'purifying' the undead before him.

Lancelot hurriedly explained Isabella's origins to everyone. Convincing the elves to drop their hostility was not difficult; partly because Shuni's priests were not rigid monks, and partly, Lancelot thought, because Isabella was simply too cute. Alamir had shown multiple times his appreciation for beautiful things.

After learning about Isabella's unfortunate life story and her experiences, the elf priest immediately made a profound apology to the small vampire. Isabella, however, still appeared very frightened—an innate fear of clerics typical of undead, similar to how humans react when they see a snake.

In the end, it was Koula, a fellow female, who succeeded in soothing the little girl's emotions. The halfling whispered something into Isabella's ear, bringing a smile to her face, visibly relaxing her body. Soon the two were chattering away.

With the matter resolved, Lancelot formally introduced Alamir, Koula, and Eckmond to Isabella. The now calm vampire greeted everyone with impeccable court etiquette, her graceful bearing impressing everyone present.

"Ah, seeing her makes me really miss my own body." Eckmond smacked his lips, "Boss, where are we staying?"

"Let me show you around our base, and you can pick out your own room," Lancelot rose from the couch, "Do you prefer a regular room, or do you think a tomb fits your personality better?"

"Definitely a comfortable bed and soft pillows," Eckmond said irritably, "Who would sleep in a tomb? Isn't that creepy?"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

In the end, Koula chose the last bedroom on the first floor, claiming it was closer to the kitchen and her short legs weren't suited for frequently navigating stairs, and no one objected. Alamir became the first resident of the third floor; having had enough of living in a basement at the Succubus Palace, he decided to move to a higher dwelling.

By the way, reminiscing about living in a tree, Bruto blurted out with a tease, and the Elves openly admitted to it.

When it was Eckmond's turn to choose, the skeleton head found himself in a dilemma. The first floor was already full, he didn't want to go to the basement, and he thought the third floor was too far from his boss, leaving only the second floor. But Kalalin was like a problem child, always hanging around him asking questions, almost overwhelming the skeleton head.

But as a Mimir, answering others' questions was his very reason for being, so Eckmond, despite his reservations, chose a room on the second floor and emphasized repeatedly that he had the right to refuse to answer any questions during his rest times.

While Lancelot was showing them the rooms, little Isabella had already boiled the hot water, allowing everyone who had been traveling for a whole day and night to wash away the dust from their journey.

Lancelot himself took a comfortably hot bath. True Qi could naturally help him stay clean, but bathing served more to relax him. The scalding hot water flowing over his body took away the muscle soreness and smoothed his tense nerves, rejuvenating his spirits.

Meanwhile, Koula had donned a chef's apron and was bustling in the kitchen. The enticing aroma filled every corner of the house, and Lancelot, smelling it after his bath, knew that bringing the Halfling back was an absolutely right decision.

Lancelot went to the living room and saw little Isabella standing behind Koula like a well-behaved apprentice, while the others were on the couch, sharing stories of their adventure.

"By the way, Kalalin, there's something I want to ask you," Lancelot sat down across from Kalalin, "During the battle with Enreyes, she said some interesting things."

"Oh? What did she say?" Kalalin straightened up, and the others were drawn in by Lancelot's words, gathering around.

"Her exact words were," Lancelot recalled with a frown, "'When you are killed by me, your soul will go to a place waiting for a Divine Envoy to lead, where there is an envoy from Hell. Talk with that envoy, and they will offer me a satisfactory contract.'"

"She told you that?" Kalalin was surprised, "Maybe she really admires you, but remember, demons are all expert liars; always prepare for the worst when dealing with them."

"But what does it mean?" Lancelot asked curiously, "Do souls really go to such a place after death?"

"That's true, at least that's what those awakened from eternal slumber by Divine Arts and magic have said," Kalalin organized his thoughts, "Every mortal's soul after death proceeds to the Domain of the Vague, the realm of the Lord of the Dead, to await the envoy of the god they believed in.

The Divine Envoys judge these souls, deciding whether they reenter the cycle of rebirth or can go to the god's realm. The Devil's representatives reside there too, tempting every soul to sell themselves to the Nine Hells."

"What kind of fool would sell their soul after they die?" Bruto asked in shock.