Chapter 453 - 350: The Captain of the Big-beaked Bird

Chapter 453: Chapter 350: The Captain of the Big-beaked Bird

"You want to threaten me with them?" Diana asked, her voice cold.

"I wouldn’t call it a threat. I just think there’s something strange about this battle. We’ve both been used," Shire said with a shrug.

"Used?" Diana scoffed. "Eradicating evil and destroying Evil Gods is the duty of the Holy Order Army."

"That’s assuming you can," Shire said, shaking his head. He then turned to the Elephant Lord. "Elephant Lord, show her what you really are."

The moment he finished speaking, the surrounding goblins and Little John Pazani scattered, taking to their heels. The Elephant Lord, meanwhile, curled its long trunk and pulled something white from its back.

’What he really is?’ Diana watched her enemy’s movements, wondering what Shire had meant. A second later—BOOM!—the Elephant Lord’s body expanded at lightning speed, kicking up a cloud of dust in the square. From within the haze, the Elephant Lord revealed its true form. Its body was like a small mountain, and each of its eyes alone was larger than a goblin.

Diana staggered back a step in shock, her hand tightening nervously around her sword’s hilt. The massive trunk opposite her was now as thick as a millstone. Getting hit by that would be like having a stone wall slam into her.

"This is the Elephant Lord’s true size." Shire’s voice drifted out from behind the beast; the giant elephant completely obscured his body. "I don’t think you stand a chance if this fight continues."

"A Paladin has already sworn the Blood Oath. By the War God, I will offer my life." Diana tightened her grip on her hilt and beat her wings a few times, but she was alarmed to find something felt wrong. Turning her head, she saw that one of her wings was limp and weak, undoubtedly damaged in the earlier exchange.

"I know. You’re all a bunch of war fanatics," Shire said, taking a few steps to walk around to the Elephant Lord’s side. "But won’t you even consider your subordinates?"

When Diana remained silent, Shire pressed his advantage. "They’ve been in that forest for almost three days. You know that after three days, a human’s psyche starts to suffer. At that point, they might beg me to kill them, or even take their own lives."

"They have all sworn the Blood Oath," Diana said, her eyes narrowing as the white light within them gradually dimmed.

"I know," Shire said with a smiling nod. "But I don’t think dying is what makes a hero. A true hero is one who bears responsibility. As the Grand Commander of the Holy Order Army, you have a natural duty to guide and protect your subordinates. Their lives are your responsibility, not your tools."

Diana fell silent. The tip of her sword slowly lowered, though her eyes remained locked on Shire.

"Let’s call a truce. Too many Paladins have already died. We goblins just want to live in peace; we don’t want to fight anyone," Shire said slowly, holding his hands out in a placating gesture.

"Those dead members of the Holy Order Army... I suppose you’ve already boiled them by now," Diana said with a contemptuous sneer.

"Them?" Shire shook his head and pointed into the distance. "They’re all buried over there. We don’t eat people. Not even their corpses."

"You don’t?" Diana froze, stunned for a moment, then let out a dry laugh. "Are you sure you’re still goblins? What kind of goblin doesn’t eat people?"

"I can have my men dig up the dead Paladins right now. I had their bodies wrapped in coarse cloth, so they’re still intact," Shire said, beckoning to his men and giving a few orders. "They died from suffocation and burns, with few external wounds."

Diana hesitated at his explanation. She watched as the goblins brought the living members of the Holy Order Army forward. Each of their faces was taut, as if they were prepared to meet death with resolve, but the look in their eyes betrayed their true feelings. That desperate will to live was like a branding iron, searing Diana’s conscience.

SHINK. After a dozen or so seconds, she finally drove the Giant Sword in her hand into the ground. Her wings fluttered, and after a brilliant flash of light, the [Appearance of a High Angel] Magic Effect was dispelled, returning her to her previous, ordinary form.

"Grand Commander."

"Grand Commander."

The group of Paladins shouted out. Seeing Diana willingly dispel her magical armament, they began to cry out in agitation.

"All of you, shut up!" Diana snapped. Her sharp command successfully silenced them all.

Shire sized up the Grand Commander of the Holy Order Army. Now that the Magic Effect was gone, he could see she was injured in multiple places. Even her Dwarven Steel Armor was dented and damaged. ’It seems her fight with the Elephant Lord wasn’t so easy,’ he thought.

"I think we’ve both been used by that... merchant," Shire said, cautiously taking two steps forward but not straying far from the Elephant Lord’s side. "There really was a Feathered Serpent Evil God here before, but I drove it off..."

He began to lay out his reasoning in detail, patiently explaining the miserable lives the goblins had led under the rule of the Feathered Serpent Evil God.

"I’ve heard that the Blood Oath of the Holy Order Army is sworn for honor and faith—to protect the weak and crush evil." He gestured with one finger, drawing a circle to encompass the surrounding goblins. "Between your Holy Order Army and us, I think it’s clear the goblins are the weak ones. The Feathered Serpent Evil God is the evil one. And that merchant who used us both? He’s the most evil of all."

When Diana and the other Paladins remained silent, Shire continued, "Let’s have a truce. You can go back and settle the score with the mastermind behind all this, and my people can live in peace."

"If we agree to a truce, I will take all the Paladins with me, along with the bodies of the fallen," Diana said softly, her eyes closed.

A truce was the best option now, but for the Holy Order Army, it was a painful one. It meant they had lost to the colossal Elephant Lord before them, and to goblins.

But the goblin was right. If the battle continued, she alone could not defeat the Elephant Lord, and the only fate awaiting the other Paladins was death. ’Bearing responsibility is more important than dying.’

She murmured, as if trying to convince herself.

"Of course," Shire nodded. "That’s what I had in mind as well. However, I want you to swear an oath—a Blood Oath to your War God—that you will not reveal the location of our tribe."

’This is the only way I can think of,’ he mused. ’To keep these war fanatics from revealing the goblins’ location and to prevent them from coming back with reinforcements for revenge, having them swear a Blood Oath to their Main God is the best method.’

"A Blood Oath?" Diana gritted her teeth. Her gaze shifted to the other Paladins. She saw that none of them held the same readiness to die as before; they all lowered their heads, avoiding their Grand Commander’s eyes. She couldn’t help but let out a sigh. "Fine. I agree."

"But," she said, pausing for a few seconds. She seemed to be choosing her words carefully before pointing to Red Eyes in the corner. "I’m taking his Longsword."

"Red Eyes’ Longsword?" Shire was taken aback and turned to look at his subordinate.

Red Eyes was staring at his own arm, which had been severed in the recent battle. His [Regeneration] ability was active, but it was still uncomfortable, and the limb was still bleeding.

"His Longsword and my three swords... they’re a set," Diana said, pursing her lips. "I’ve been searching for a long time. It wasn’t until I met that Human Swordsman in Torch City that I sensed the Longsword’s presence."

Shire’s mouth fell open. He hadn’t expected this turn of events. His gaze flicked over to Little John, who was standing not far off. Feeling his boss’s eyes on him, Little John scratched his head and gave an apologetic smile.

He hadn’t expected that he was the cause of the battle, either.

"So, they’re ’Spiritual Artifacts’?" Shire wondered, the idea popping into his head.

"Correct. They are the four swords of Captain Shamrah," Diana confirmed with a nod.

"Captain Shamrah?" Shire paused, immediately recalling the note on the item panel for Red Eyes’ Longsword.

"That’s right. The captain of the Big-beaked Bird, the first pirate captain to break through the ’Boundary Wall’." Diana reached down and lifted her Giant Sword. With a flash of white light, it split back into three Longswords, which flew into the sheaths at her side.

"Broke through the ’Boundary Wall’?" Shire raised an eyebrow. ’Now that’s interesting. Isn’t this exactly what Agatha has been wanting to find out?’ "Is there any way to meet this captain, then? Or see his ship’s log?"

"Meet the captain?" Diana let out a small, mirthless laugh, tracing a few circles on her sword hilt with one finger. "They’ve all been dead for a long, long time."

"They died the moment they entered the Star Realm."