The Paladin in the Abyss-Chapter 651 - 675: The Speech on the Rock

Chapter 651 -675: The Speech on the Rock

“They’re right at my feet!”

“Dead as can be!”

“I killed five! Who wants to give my axe a little kiss?”

“Shut up, look at my belt, count the number of heads hanging on it?”

Cheers rose one after another, and the mood of the crowd surged instantly. Lancelot waited a moment to let the mercenaries’ excitement die down slightly, then raised his voice again and said:

“Those residents of Barto Hell may be the most arrogant fellows in the Multiverse and indeed they had devised a perfect ambush plan, first with a complex Illusion Technique to block the way, then animate those huge trees to disrupt our formation, and finally have their infantry launch an attack, planning to drive us straight into the Stygian River… Tell me, did they succeed?”

“No!!!” the mercenaries shouted in unison, “We drove them back!!!”

“Ah, yes, they were really unlucky to encounter us. The Demons thought we’d throw away our weapons in fear and run, exposing our asses, backs, and the backs of our heads to them, how terribly mistaken they were! Faced with a sudden attack, we didn’t run away but stood our ground like rock, letting the Demons shatter their own flesh, bones, and pride. Tell me, when you sank your weapons into their bodies, did you feel anything special? Are Demons really made of steel and immune to swords and spears?”

“No!!!”

“Other than the beard, it’s all the same!”

“The blade goes in white, comes out red, no different from slaughtering pigs!”

“Hey, don’t make it sound so easy, just now I was chased by a Demon Refinement from the deep pits for almost a mile, you all saw it, right? Clearly, it had a special interest in my ass, but as soon as I thought of all you bastards calling me ‘Countess’ behind my back, my legs just started running a bit faster…”

Lancelot made a commonplace joke, but the mercenaries reacted as if it were the funniest joke they had ever heard in their lives, including the Demon commanders, who were rolling on the ground with laughter—a very rare sight indeed. He waited a little while for the laughter to die down somewhat before continuing:

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“I know, most of you joined this army for less than noble reasons, but let me tell you, this war is of immense significance, even affecting the fate of the entire Multiverse. The reason is simple, this place, the Bottomless Abyss, is considered by many the worst place in the universe and also the lair of the Demons, but now, the Devils from the Nine Hells of Barto have unprecedentedly invaded this plane and spread like wildfire, rapidly seizing vast territories. It’s no exaggeration to say that if Volcano Fortress, which we’re about to rescue, falls into their hands, then all areas north of the Great Abyss will succumb to Devils’ rule, and it would only be a matter of time before they conquer the Abyss entirely, after which nothing could stop the ruler of the Nine Hells from unifying the lower planes, and his ambition will surely not stop there. By then, we’d have to pay taxes to even breathe, and get whipped for farting… Tell me, does anyone want to live such a life?”

“No!”

“Everyone would be a slave to the Demons while alive, and after death, have their souls taken as fuel, can you accept such a fate?”

“No!!”

“Why so quiet?” Lancelot cupped a hand to his ear, “Can’t hear you!”

“No!!!” everyone roared together, including the Demons who had crowded around, “Let the Bartez eat shit!!!”

“Good! That’s the spirit!” Lancelot shouted, his volume matching that of the mercenaries’ roars, “The myth of the Demons’ invincibility has been shattered. We defeated them here today, and next we will defeat them in the Volcano Fortress, and kick their sulfur-smelling asses back to Barto Hell! It will inevitably be a fierce battle, and only the strongest warriors will survive. But the fight just now has proved that each one of us is qualified!”

Lancelot intentionally paused, allowing the audience to cheer to their hearts’ content, then continued, “To those who persevere to the end, Twin Bridges Town will never fail your loyalty. You will return to where you came from, laden with more gold than you can carry, and become living legends. I hope your names aren’t too tongue-twisting, otherwise the minstrels will surely complain about not finding suitable words to rhyme. But before that, I’m afraid we’ll have to say goodbye to some comrades.” Lancelot lifted his Longsword and plunged it down heavily; the tip sank into the stone beneath his feet as if it were butter, and the somber atmosphere quieted everyone down, “In the name of General Sonam, Commander of the Twin Bridges Town mercenary legion, I order! Everyone rest on the spot, and set off immediately after the main allied force passes. Those with healing skills, tend to your fellows’ injuries, and bring those who can’t continue fighting to me. They will be sent back to Twin Bridges Town afterwards. That’s all!”

Surprised voices arose among the mercenaries, many of whom were in a battle to the death for the first time, but the concept of treating the wounded after a fight was completely new to them. They turned to look at the six-armed Serpent Demon not far away, but she turned her back and didn’t show any sign of disagreement.

“What are you waiting for?” Lancelot’s voice rose again, “Do you want me to come and bandage you up personally?”

Upon hearing his words, the mercenaries finally believed it was true and sprang into action. Seeing this, Lancelot also jumped down from the boulder and returned to his companions’ side.

“That was quite the inspirational speech,” Half-elf Tanya said to Lancelot with a weird look in her eyes, “How did you manage that? I’ve faced similar situations before, but all I could do was go blank and shout ‘We won!’ and ‘Good fighting!’ before ending it, which was really embarrassing…”

“It means your fight went rather smoothly,” Lancelot chuckled, “If you lose a few more times, you’ll have to learn to boost morale with speeches.”

“About the plight of the Blood War, and the fate of the Multiverse… are those things true?” The old Holy Warrior Ivendell took the initiative to speak to Lancelot with a very solemn expression on his face, “Is the Volcano Fortress really that crucial?”

“At least the complete control of the area north of the Great Abyss by the Demons is true,” Lancelot shrugged, “To the south lies the hanging kingdom of the Wind Demon King Pazuzu, but the Demons could simply ignore it and complete the encirclement of the Great Abyss. After that, they might spend centuries cleaning the Abyss layer by layer, but unless some external force intervenes, it would be hard for the Demons to turn the tables.”

“So it is…” Ivendell nodded, his face showing a complex expression, “I never thought that a simple mercenary commission could have such significant meaning.”

“If knowing this makes your sword-hand firmer, then good,” Lancelot said, glancing meaningfully at Ivendell, “But don’t go to the other extreme, my friend of the Holy Warrior. Our sole purpose is to lift the Demon army’s threat to Twin Bridges Town. As for the rest, it’s best not to hold on to too much passion, and definitely not to entertain any foolish notions of sacrifice.”