The Dwarf officers hurled a few harsh words and left the bar in a huff. A wise man knows when to back down, and besides, they dared not offend the unsuspecting Plugger.
"What a disappointment." Erigor's enthusiasm for drinking had diminished considerably, and he leaned against the bar complaining.
"A few stinking soldiers dare to cause trouble? Bah!" Plugger shrieked. "Guests, don't spoil the mood, Selena, serve them a few glasses of our signature dark beer first, and I'll go get my collection's finest brew right away!"
Unas wasn't really there to drink, so he seized the opportunity to say, "Wait a minute, boss, I'd really like to visit the wine cellar. I wonder if that's possible..."
The Gnomes pinched a small tuft of his goatee. "It's not allowed according to the rules, but... I'll make an exception for you, our esteemed customer."
The two wandered through the bar's warehouse, where rows of shelves were filled with various barrels and bottles of liquor. Plugger, as if he knew them all by heart, introduced the different kinds of wines to Unas.
It seems he truly considers wine his most precious possession; there's even a small magic door at the deepest part of the warehouse, which is also filled with wine.
The Gnomes circled his treasured collection, picked up a rectangular wooden box, and exclaimed excitedly, "Hundred-Year Golden Elixir! Brewed using my family's secret recipe, one sip and I guarantee you'll crave it for a hundred years! Its aroma, taste, and aftertaste are all top-notch; it can be called the king of wines..."
Whether Lao Tzu will even live to be a hundred is still unknown; this is quite a boast.
Unas had to interrupt his flattery, "I'm sorry, but I'm here today for more than just wine tasting; I also want to gather some information."
"I'm just a wine merchant. If you're looking for information brokers, I know a few I can introduce you to," Plugger, rubbing his fingers together. "But, well, there's a commission, you know, that's the rule."
"No need for that. The information I need can only be provided by you," Unas, taking out a small bag of diamonds and spreading them out in his palm. "If it satisfies me, these are all yours."
The Gnomes's eyes were instantly dazzled by the diamond's brilliance. He struggled to suppress his greedy desires and didn't immediately agree. "What intelligence?"
"Fel and demons."
"I said goodbye to Fel a long time ago. Look at my skin," the Gnomes said, displaying his green arms and face. "Fel turned me into this grotesque creature, and I still have to keep resisting its corruption, otherwise I'll become a demon one day."
"But that doesn't stop you from sharing what's in your head with me, Mr. Plugger. That's all I want."
"Although I am no longer a Warlock, how can I casually reveal Warlock's secrets to others? This concerns my professional ethics." The Gnomes spoke righteously, but it was unclear whether this was a bargaining tactic or genuine integrity.
"I understand, and I wouldn't casually reveal the secrets of Paladin to others, but," Unas stepped forward and grasped the Gnomes's hand, pressing the diamond firmly against it, "Please, you must make an exception and help me with this favor."
Plugger immediately clutched the diamond tightly in his hand, secretly delighted. He never imagined that his professional ethics would fetch such a high price.
Unas cursed inwardly, "It really is a bargaining tactic. I almost got swayed by the Gnomes's righteous light in his eyes."
"What does Knight Excellency wish to ask? My knowledge is entirely open to you."
Unas cut to the chase. "How do we remove the demon's curse? Not the ordinary kind, but a very powerful prophetic curse."
"Killing the demon that cast the curse is the best way, or, if you're lucky enough, you might be able to weather the storm. Fate is unpredictable, and the downside of prophetic curses is that they're very unlikely to take effect; their success rate isn't high."
However, the curse placed on Unas has already come to pass, and killing Bessarius is not an option; the only way to deal with the demon is through other means.
"So, the second question is, how do we control demons?"
"Why would a Paladin like you want to know this?"
"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle. Isn't it normal to know the enemy's intelligence?"
The Gnomes didn't seem to believe this explanation, but didn't ask further, replying, "There are many ways to control a demon, but if you want to completely and utterly control one, you must know its true name."
"Take Selena for example? Seeing how subservient she is to you, do you even know her real name?"
"I should say I gave her her real name."
"Give? You can give a demon a true name?" Unas was skeptical that he was bragging.
"Hehe, she is the most perfect creation of my Warlock career," Plugger explained. "Lower demons like Succubus don't have true names. I gave her a true name, made her more powerful, and made her completely at my disposal."
A demon's true name is the most essential description of a demon. Unlike names we know, it can be incredibly long. For thousands of years, great demonologists have used various methods to discover some of the vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation rules of demon true names. The demon Archmage Llane Olista compiled a "True Name Dictionary," which is now a required course for Warlocks.
We can use the knowledge within to name nameless demons, thereby gaining firm control over them. Of course, you need to understand the nature of the target and describe it using the rules in the dictionary, which will take a considerable amount of time.
Researching Selena took almost half my life. After countless failures, I finally succeeded in naming her, but it was well worth it. Her abilities improved dramatically, and she became extremely loyal to me.
After listening to him, Unas pondered for a moment and asked, "How do you know if a demon has a real name?"
"The inferior and weak generally don't exist."
Where is the Dreadlord?
"The Dreadlord belongs to the higher demon race; unless it is an inferior species, it should have a true name."
Bessarius didn't look like an inferior being at all, so of course he had a real name. Unas was somewhat disappointed and continued to press, "Then, how do you know the real name of a high demon?"
"That requires a high level of skill in divination, divination, and omniscience, as well as a deep understanding of the target. To tell you the truth, I have never personally witnessed Warlock capable of controlling high-level demons; I have only heard my mentor mention some legendary names."
The name "Bessarius" is likely just what humans call a demon, and its origin is difficult to trace. Balnazzar once called him "The Heartless," which is more like a title. Both of these titles have a very small chance of being related to his real name.
But Unas certainly doesn't have the time or talent to learn divination and divination magic. "Isn't there any other way to control higher demons?"
"There should be, I just don't know it," the Gnomes said, uttering a meaningless statement.
Unas was quite disappointed; it seemed there was still a long way to go to find a way to deal with Bessarius.