Ch. 80 - Oath of Glory

During the silent standoff, Catherine hurried to Anbi's side to check on the young girl's injuries.

Melade moved as far away from the oozing flesh golem as possible, worried in his heart whether his own future fate would be similar.

Tang Qi desperately made eye signals at Stonecrusher, indicating for the dwarf to move closer so he could launch a rescue at the first sign of danger—

Everyone had witnessed the power of this paladin.

Although the radiant light attached to [Divine Smite] only had bonus damage against undead creatures, causing the Flesh Golem to lose its original toughness and be cleaved in two.

But when facing ordinary creatures, its power was also quite impressive.

Tang Qi still didn't think his small frame could withstand her strike.

Stonecrusher didn't understand Tang Qi's intention.

After all, in his eyes, Tang Qi had been talking to himself the whole time—

Aside from him, no one heard Dawn's voice.

Yet he instinctively chose to trust, raising his shield vigilantly at that headless 'walking corpse', muttering involuntarily:

"Damn it. This guy is obviously weak as hell, but I'm actually starting to believe in his leadership..."

"The magic array shows no abnormalities. Someone who has never seen it shouldn't understand its principles or purpose. The broken sword couldn't have retained my aura either.

To make this necromancer seem more urgent, I even continuously called out to him through my soul...

Could it be that my story wasn't realistic enough?"

Dawn believed she had done everything within her power, truly unable to figure out where the flaw was.

And to buy some time for Stonecrusher to recover his strength, Tang Qi didn't mind explaining a bit more:

"Before I entered the tomb, you told me the method to interrupt the 'False God's' resurrection—

Summon your soul and inject it into the body in advance to prevent His descent."

"Is there a problem with that?"

"But you overlooked one key point—"

Tang Qi took a deep breath and replied coldly,

"I'm a bard, not a traditional spellcaster.

All my control over magic stems from 'discovering the vibrations within music,' not analyzing and applying 'formulas.'

In other words, whether or not it's [Ritual Casting], to connect with the magic array and achieve results, I first need to activate the magic within it through musical frequencies.

But when I chanted that verse, I didn't sense the music resonating with the array."

This was both a spellcasting characteristic of bards and an important reason for their decline and discontinuation.

After all, not everyone in this world possessed musical sense, and only a minority of musicians could perceive the magical vibrations within music.

Combining the vibrations of music with spells to manifest them in the material plane became yet another threshold.

Without that [Journal], Tang Qi might have been like everyone else at the academy, unable to comprehend the mysteries of musical spellcasting for his entire life.

Now, although he had skipped the learning process by recording stories and directly obtained spells.

That didn't mean he couldn't reverse-engineer the method of using music to vibrate the Weave through the sensations during spellcasting.

This was why he always strummed chords and sang loudly rather than casually casting spells and trying to muddle through—

Otherwise, when the day came that he lost the [Journal], or when the [Journal] revoked the rewards it had given him, wouldn't he become a worthless waste again?

It was precisely this habit of observation and learning that allowed him to notice the abnormality during today's chanting.

Otherwise, he might really have been kept in the dark by Dawn...

After all, she was a [Paladin]!

He still remembered when he first entered the Golden Oak and met Catherine, she had used "a paladin's lie" to mock him.

In stereotypical impressions, these noble warriors should possess a series of lofty labels like 'lawful good,' 'righteous and fearless,' 'helpful and kind'... decorating their character and conduct.

And Tang Qi found it difficult to doubt any of this—

Because she could actually cast [Divine Smite]!

Divine casters were completely different from spellcasters; they didn't rely on excessive study to gain power.

Instead, through prayer to deities and loyalty to oaths.

Correspondingly, once they betrayed their faith or oaths, all the power they possessed would vanish in an instant.

So the fact that Dawn could still cast spells actually proved she was trustworthy...

Right?

"Why can you cast divine spells while violating your oath?"

Tang Qi couldn't help but ask,

"Are you an [Oathbreaker]?"

If there were any [Paladins] who violated their oaths yet still retained their former power.

Perhaps only those [Oathbreakers] who abandoned the flame in their hearts and pursued darkness and ambition could manage it.

"But those who embrace darkness can't strike with such dazzling light."

"Because I haven't violated my oath."

Dawn's confident answer nearly made Tang Qi burst out laughing:

"You mean to say, you're a spirit who died who knows how many years ago and still hasn't settled down, who from the beginning wanted to resurrect.

Using lies to attract a necromancer, helping you kill who knows how many people, just to cut out some 'perfect' body part from their bodies and stitch together a 'perfect body' that satisfies you...

Then planning to hide your unspeakable secret and 'kill the donkey after it's served its purpose'—that necromancer who followed your orders.

Even after doing all this, you're still walking the path of your oath?

Forgive my bluntness, but surely your oath isn't 'destroy the world,' is it?"

When the oath was mentioned, Dawn's posture seemed to become even more upright.

Her voice also grew more resolute, like an unshakable peak that had never wavered:

"Actions speak louder than words, fear no challenge, temper the body, steel the soul.

From beginning to end, I have fought for glory."

"Glory?"

Only then did Tang Qi realize that the runes on those four stone pillars actually represented her lifelong creed.

He also suddenly understood why opening the tomb's entrance required 'praising her'—

"So you really do enjoy it, don't you!?"

Though faith granted paladins tremendous power.

It also made them spend their lives acting according to their creed, causing most paladins to become a group of 'stubborn eccentrics.'

For example, when a paladin saved a city and rescued countless citizens from peril.

Due to their different faiths, different outcomes would always result—

"Hey, Sir Paladin, you actually saved an entire city! The city lord has decided to gift you a chest of gold coins. Have you thought about how to use them?"

Those devoted to 'devotion,' the [White Knights] said:

"Distribute them to those trapped in poverty. They need them more than I do."

The idealists seeking 'redemption' said:

"I don't need this money. I only hope the city lord can pardon those who have committed mistakes. Everyone deserves a chance to repent."

Those who swore to 'glory,' the valiant ones laughed:

"Of course, melt them down and hire renowned craftsmen to build me a golden and immortal monument!"

Compared to material possessions, what they longed for in their hearts was to leave a bold and colorful mark on the world.

So Tang Qi had no doubt these people were definitely the type who'd win the lottery jackpot and announce it to the world, showing off to everyone...

"So what? Killing so many innocent people, using so many corpses to piece together your current body—

Is that glorious enough for you?"

Asking this question wasn't out of some excessive compassion.

In fact, Tang Qi found it hard to care about the life and death of people unrelated to him.

But he needed to clarify this 'paladin's' attitude, even her goals.

To determine whether his current situation was safe.

Dawn's body suddenly began swaying slightly.

It looked like she was shaking that non-existent head.

She denied it:

"I won't make excuses for the evil I've committed—

This matter is neither honorable nor glorious.

But I believe that with the rest of my life, I will do everything in my power to make amends for the sin brought by these evil deeds.

Actions speak louder than words.

I will use a brilliant future to overshadow all guilt and doubt.

Just as I once did."

Tang Qi understood her 'conviction':

"So you believe that compared to 'killing innocent people,' 'being reborn into the world and accomplishing greater deeds' is more important."

"For this world as well."

"Make excuses if you want, but stop dragging the world into it—is the Forgotten Continent some kind of scapegoat? Always blaming the world for everything, what did it ever do to you?"

Even when subjected to such ridicule, Dawn answered candidly.

So candidly that Tang Qi found this paladin's temperament surprisingly calm:

"I'm merely stating a phenomenon, and a fact—

'People are always harsh on the good and lenient on the wicked.'

Those who practice kindness, once they make one wrong decision or set aside their charitable thoughts for personal desire, easily face scorn and are called 'fallen.'

While those utterly wicked people, no matter what crimes they've committed. As long as they show the slightest remaining goodness at the end of their lives, it's enough to gain forgiveness from many, called 'the brilliance of humanity.'

In this world, no one cares what you did 'in the past.'

They only care what you do 'now'—

If I save a city in the future.

Do you think those people will remember these dead adventurers, or would they rather thank their sacrifice for bringing me to save the city from peril?"

"..."

"When the deeds you now uphold shine brightly enough to cover the darkness of the past.

People will more willingly call it...

Redemption."

Tang Qi blinked, his originally taut nerves already quietly relaxing.

This certainly didn't mean he had been convinced by Dawn or accepted her values.

But through her defense, Tang Qi realized that this paladin indeed had a set of logic sufficient to make her actions self-consistent.

This logic could help her break free from the shackles of 'good and evil.'

And move forward toward the goal she believed in—

Pursuing achievements, pursuing glory.

To a large extent, this ensured Tang Qi's safety.

After all, killing a bard wouldn't bring her recognition or honor.

As for her values, Tang Qi simply couldn't be bothered to care—

Why worry about others' rights and wrongs, good and evil?

He wasn't some priest who loved preaching and lecturing.

He could only control himself, trying his best not to harm others.

The rest, as long as it didn't interfere with his adventures and living an exciting life, was fine.

"Then I have to admit, when it comes to self-deception, perhaps no one has more experience than you paladins."

'Oaths' and 'faith' were actually very strange things.

Their existence clearly drew a bottom line, defining what choices you should make.

Yet they were flexible enough to 'interpret' that bottom line through any method, rhetoric, or action.

As long as you were shameless enough and could get past your own conscience.

So Tang Qi breathed a sigh of relief and returned 'Snake's Kiss' to its sheath:

"As long as I can confirm you have no ill intent, that's fine.

Then let's do this—'I'll go to my Ironforge, you return to your Black Reef Harbor.'

As long as the reward you promised me before is still there."

"No."

Dawn's refusal made Tang Qi furrow his brow.

He stared intently at the beautiful torso laid bare before him, at that empty 'neck' emanating only black fog spawned by necromantic aura—

At least the black fog covered the cross-section of bone and flesh, otherwise Tang Qi might have felt nauseous staring at it for too long:

"I can't give you Catherine's head."

But Dawn still swayed her body slightly to indicate 'shaking her head':

"I never said I needed her head."

Tang Qi asked strangely: "Wasn't that necromancer targeting us under your direction?"

"I did point him in your direction, but what I hoped he would bring was never that girl—it was you."

Tang Qi shrank his neck:

"My head? You can forget about that even more.

And don't you think placing a man's head on a woman's body is very strange? Or do you just have a fetish for this sort of thing?

Wait—

You're not actually a man, are you? Just happened to use this opportunity to have that mage create a woman's body for you, so you could experience life as a trap!?"

Thinking this, Tang Qi's breath caught, and he couldn't help but draw his blade and retreat two steps.

"Impossible!"

Dawn was obviously shocked by Tang Qi's statement, finally unable to maintain proper decorum before this talkative bard,

"It's your aura, your aura!

You carry a trace of the [Forgotten Monument], a monument that once recorded history and achievements!

But when the past me arrived before the monument, trying to find my great deeds, I only saw a stone that had been worn smooth!"

"Forgotten Monument? That thing actually exists?"

As a member of the Poet's Academy, Tang Qi naturally knew of its existence.

But he had only thought it was a gimmick fabricated by past deans to prove that 'the Poet's Academy isn't that pathetic.'

After all, the Poet's Academy, this 'rumor mill,' had never produced a single true, definite 'legend.'

Since history could no longer record it, why not make up whatever they wanted about events from thousands of years ago?

"I don't know what happened to that monument, but at least when I was still alive, everyone believed in its authenticity."

Dawn stated with certainty,

"When I sensed you might be connected to the monument, I had already made up my mind—

The head can be found slowly, but the chance to be recorded on the monument might only come this once.

So I concealed my true intention, attempting to indirectly lure you into the tomb so I could meet you with a more magnificent image.

But you're much harder to deceive than I imagined."

She saw Tang Qi suddenly fall into astonishment, seemingly pondering something.

So much so that in the gradually deepening silence, she felt increasingly uneasy.

Being permanently recorded on history's monument was the dream of everyone who desired [Glory].

The headless knight was unwilling to give up this opportunity, and simply rushed before Tang Qi without regard for appearances, gripping his hand tightly:

"I swear on my own glory, I never had any intention of harming you from beginning to end."

Her panic interrupted Tang Qi's contemplation.

He did believe Dawn's explanation.

After all, she was someone who pursued glory, and the radiance of [Divine Smite] verified that she had never changed.

Yet he couldn't help but feel dizzy from the dead-white, flawless torso swaying before his eyes:

"We can discuss this later, but could you please cover up first?

So every time I see you make any movement, I don't have something shaking in front of my eyes."

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