Tyrosus offered a few more words of praise, expressing his satisfaction with Unas's approach, which considered the bigger picture. "Executing the Gnomes mastermind would likely incite a new wave of hatred, which would be detrimental to the Argent Dawn. Our fundamental strategy is to quell the conflict with the alien races and unite their forces."
Holiya Unas made a mistake, it didn't warrant death. The One-Eyed Baron's dismissive attitude, citing the bigger picture, was chilling. Was he just another pawn in Horia's eyes, someone to be discarded at any time?
But this was, after all, a decision he made first. After that gathering, the Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes were all very obedient. The mushrooms, the mines, and the victory over the spiders were all achieved with their help, which was in his best interest.
Tyrosus coughed lightly and continued, "During my inspection of the stronghold today, I noticed that all races held you in high esteem. That's quite remarkable. I heard... they've given you a nickname?"
Good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast. "Executioner Paladin" isn't a flattering title. Unas deliberately joked, "Are you referring to Demon Slayer or Holy-favored? These honorifics are just people's undeserved praise; I don't deserve them."
"Heh," Tyrosus's laughter was somewhere between a cold laugh and a hearty laugh. He ignored Unas's joke and instead said seriously, "It's good to be brave enough to eliminate enemies, but young man, don't be too bloodthirsty. It will affect your cultivation on the path of the Holy Light."
Thank you for your guidance, sir.
Unas could only listen obediently, but in his heart he thought to himself, "If I don't kill enemies with my own hands, how will I gain experience and level up? I'll only kill more in the future. The title of executioner will only last for a short time. As the saying goes, killing one person makes you a criminal, killing ten thousand makes you a hero, and killing everyone makes you a conqueror. One day, my title will also become 'Conqueror'."
"I heard you 'convinced' all the prisoners to fight for you in a short time and brought them under your thumb. To be honest, I was surprised to see them doing hard labor in the stronghold without shackles. Orcs and Trolls aren't so easily subdued. How did you do it?"
Tyrosus stared intently into Unas's eyes. This wasn't just his personal doubt; the Paladins who had come with him were also suspicious of the matter and demanded an explanation.
As expected, it came. Unas was prepared for this problem. He couldn't blame others for being suspicious if he did things too carelessly. He absolutely couldn't let the matter of using Fel be revealed.
He used the same excuse he used on Erigor —that he had inherited the Dreadlord's power after killing him, so the prisoners who were originally demons' subordinates were naturally afraid of him.
This reason was extremely vague. After a moment, Tyrosus asked, "Can something like mental pressure be inherited in this way? I've seen many warriors who have killed various demons, but I've never heard of such a thing."
"I don't know about others, but that's exactly what happened to me," Unas insisted. "The Dreadlord is known as a master of mental magic; perhaps that's related to his spells?"
"I've seen two people kill the Dreadlord with their own hands, but neither of them seems to be in your situation," Tyrosus tapped the hilt of his sword repeatedly, his doubts still lingering. "Perhaps you are an exception."
For a moment, both of them fell silent. Unas didn't rush to prove his innocence; the more he said, the more likely he was to make a mistake.
After a moment's thought, Tyrosus said, "This matter must be thoroughly investigated. The Dreadlord is dead, yet his influence remains on you. This is not a good thing. Historically, many powerful demons confirmed dead have reappeared after thousands, hundreds, or even decades. This indicates that the demon race must have a special method of resurrection. The spiritual pressure you inherited cannot be without a source. Perhaps you have a hidden stake left by Bessarius for his future resurrection!"
Unas shuddered. Tyrosus's guess was very close to the truth: what was on him wasn't a demon's spy, but a remnant of the Dreadlord's soul. Wait, who could say that this remnant soul wasn't a spy?
Bessarius was constantly tempting him to use Fel, undoubtedly seeking a way to regain his power and be resurrected. Unas used Fel not because he fell for Betheris's trick, but because he felt that using Fel within a controlled range was very advantageous. The Overlord Spider, the Prisoners, and Rosebayne were all obtained with the help of demons, and Unas could not possibly give them up.
"I know my body best; there's nothing wrong with me."
"No, this matter should be handled by professionals," Tyrosus said firmly. "I will have Brother Anton examine you. He is a master of demonic magic; only if he says there's no problem can it be truly said there's no problem."
Another trouble he had to accept. If Unas refused vehemently, it would only arouse suspicion. He could only deal with it for now and figure out how to get rid of the monk when he arrived. He nodded and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your concern, sir."
"There's one more thing, Earl Ganis's daughter..."
"Helen is a free woman, and she stayed here entirely voluntarily to help. I won't actively send her away." Unas would never compromise on this matter; where could one find a mid-level mage with such unlimited potential and unwavering loyalty?
Tyrosus gave a wry smile, knowing that Unas's attitude was unshakeable, and advised, "Earl Ganis and I are both lords of the Northern Realms and have a good relationship. The nobles of the Northern Realms are currently giving me the greatest support, and many members of the Argent Dawn come from there. You must treat the old Earl well."
The Northern Realms, located northeast of Stratholme City, form the border between Lordaeron and Quel'Thalas. They have all fallen, but the surviving lords' desire to reclaim their lands has never been extinguished, and they have formed a formidable force when united.
No wonder some of the people who accompanied Tyrosus on this inspection were giving him strange looks; it turned out he had offended someone. Unas thanked them again, "Thank you for the reminder, sir. I will be more careful in the future."
Tyrosus let out a long sigh and placed his hand on Unas's shoulder. "Although there have been some flaws, I've seen what you've done these past few days. What I want to tell you is that I have no regrets about appointing you as the Warden here. Do a good job, the Silver Dawn awaits us!"
Gazing at the Baron's gleaming single eye, Unas longed to put on a show of gratitude, tears streaming down his face, but alas, he couldn't squeeze out a single tear. He could only kneel down on one knee with a whoosh, "Your subordinate is willing to serve the Argent Dawn to the death!"
Tyrosus helped him up, saying, "I told you there was no need for such formalities."
Unas chuckled inwardly. "You've spoken so passionately, how can I not reciprocate with a show of loyalty?"