The Paladin never forgot the Dreadlord within his chest. Although Bessarius had been suppressed by the Holy Book and could no longer cause trouble, he was still a potential threat, and expelling him was still necessary.
After capturing Gunsel, Unas hoped the Lich would solve the problem. Unfortunately, the Lich's Phylactery Soul-splitting Technique only works on the Undead, while the Black Dragon Princess's Split spell can split a person in two, so expelling the possessing demon should be a piece of cake.
He traveled a great distance to Stormwind City, not only to rescue the old marshal, but also for this spell. Although Vandrin Bloodsoul participated in casting the spell, the mastermind was the Black Dragon Princess, who knew the full extent of the incantation.
"That's my most precious spell. What do you intend to trade for it?" With a bargaining chip in hand, Onyxia's voice became much calmer.
"Isn't your life enough?" Unas tightened his grip, causing the giant blade pressing against the Black Dragon's eyelids to dent deeply.
But the Black Dragon Princess suddenly realized that the Paladin's previous and current antics were all bluff; he needed her help and would never actually kill her.
"Not enough," Onyxia said, becoming increasingly brazen. "Being imprisoned by you little reptiles, living such a humiliating life, is worse than death!"
"Fine, then die!" Unas gripped the hilt of the sword with both hands and pushed forward with force. The tip of the sword pierced through the edge of the dragon's eye and reached the central brain of the Black Dragon. A mixture of brain matter, blood, and tears spurted out.
The Black Dragon shuddered violently, her mind unable to process the cold, foreign object. The sudden, terrifying pain rendered her incapable of thinking, leaving her only able to roar and thrash wildly, causing the chains binding her body to clang violently once more.
The thieves guarding the distance were startled and scattered in panic. Unas quickly raised his hand to indicate that everything was alright, and they quieted down and immediately hid far away, fearing that the dragon's madness would affect them.
After a long while, the Black Dragon's roar turned into a weak groan; the sword strike that would have killed an ordinary person was endured by her powerful vitality.
Unas secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The sword strike was perfectly timed; any deeper and it might have killed the Black Dragon outright.
He suddenly drew the sword an inch from its blade, and the red and white liquid immediately flowed out of the longan twice as much.
If the sword were fully pulled out, the wound blocked by the blade would suddenly open, and the pressure inside her skull would squeeze out most of the dragon's brain matter. At that point, she would not be able to survive.
"You have only five seconds to say your last words," Unas said coldly.
The dying Black Dragon's voice was barely audible, as if it couldn't believe its misjudgment. "You... don't want... my... spell anymore?"
Unas certainly wanted to, but he was unwilling to accept the threat, especially from a powerful enemy like the Black Dragon. So he had no choice but to take a gamble, push her to the brink, and try to break through her psychological defenses.
"These are your last words?"
He gave Black Dragon no room to bargain, letting out a loud shout and making a move to draw his sword outwards—
"No!" the Black Dragon cried out in despair, "The spell is yours!"
"Heh!" Unas sneered, releasing his grip on the sword hilt. "If you'd been this sensible earlier, you wouldn't be suffering like this now."
Black Dragon's eyes flashed with venomous light, but she dared not utter a curse. The extreme terror between life and death had already chilled her to the bone; a prisoner had no right to be arrogant.
"And VanCleef's Booty Bay map."
Since the Black Dragon had even handed over important spells, a sum of money was naturally no object, so he had no choice but to obediently offer it up.
Unas knew nothing about magic, so he summoned Master Omar, who was Meditation on the ship, and explained the situation.
Omar was amazed by the secret that Varian had been split into two, and he was overjoyed at the opportunity to learn this rare and bizarre Draconic magic.
He took out his notebook and quickly wrote down the incantation uttered by the Black Dragon, then read it repeatedly, completely immersed in the charm of the new magic.
Unas didn't want to disturb this fervent Dragonflight researcher; he was preoccupied with another problem: he had never told anyone the secret of the Dreadlord's possession, but to exorcise the demon, he would have to confess to the spellcaster.
Hesitating for a moment, Master Omar suddenly frowned and asked, "This spell seems to require a sacrifice?"
A look of surprise flashed in the Black Dragon's eyes. This human mage could tell this from the incantation alone; he was no ordinary person. He had no regrets about losing to them.
"That's right, the offering was a pair of twins."
"You beast!" Master Omar cursed, rarely showing such rage. "You actually used living people as sacrifices?!"
"Don't misunderstand, I have no interest in your inferior human bodies. I use my own dragon egg!" The Black Dragon casually belittled the two humans present.
Unas gained a new understanding of the Black Dragon's cruelty. Even tigers don't eat their cubs; the Black Dragon was worse than an animal in order to achieve its goals.
What he didn't know was that the survival rate of Whelp from the same egg was extremely low, and the mother dragon would usually abandon them. The Black Dragon Princess was essentially making use of them.
Omar said, "I see. Do you have any more offerings like that?"
"There's a spare," Onyxia said, a barely perceptible glint in her eyes, "Hidden on the island where the spell was cast last time." The last spell, of course, was the one that split Varian.
Unas tentatively asked, "If someone is possessed by an evil spirit, can this spell remove it?"
Omar asked doubtfully, "Isn't it unnecessary to use this spell to exorcise evil spirits? The Church of the Holy Light is an expert in this area. Sir Knight, you possess such powerful Holy Light, what evil spirit can't you deal with?"
"It's not an ordinary evil spirit, and the possession isn't possession in the usual sense either; it's a connection of souls, where if one is harmed, the other is harmed as well," Unas revealed a little.
"Well... I think it should be fine in general, but the incantation needs a slight modification. What do you say, Lady Black Dragon?"
Onyxia was overjoyed. With her keen senses, she had already guessed that the one possessed by the evil spirit was Paladin himself. This was a great opportunity to turn the tables, and she immediately became more proactive.
"Using my spell to deal with demonic possession is overkill, so you don't need to worry. However, when the demon leaves the body, it will be given a body exactly like the one possessed, which is your body."
"So what? Just kill him." Unas said without hesitation. He didn't want another twin brother with the soul of the Dreadlord to appear in the world.
Omar exclaimed in surprise, "So it was you, Sir Knight! What evil spirit has possessed you?"
Caught off guard, Unas was tricked into revealing his true thoughts by the Black Dragon and had no choice but to admit, "I am indeed entangled by a demon, but Master, don't worry, it is suppressed by my Holy Light and cannot move at all."
"I see. This matter cannot be taken lightly," Omar said gravely. Although the two had only known each other for a short time, they had developed a mutual respect after fighting side by side. "We must eliminate the demon for you as quickly as possible!"
The Black Dragon said, "The Magic Circle left from the last spell is also on that island. After I recover from my injuries for a couple of days and regain some strength, I can carry you there."
The fact that the Magic Circle and offerings were readily available was good news, but the Black Dragon's sudden enthusiasm was suspicious.
Unas scoffed, "You wish! I'm not going to let you fly into the sky."
The Black Dragon Princess looked like a resentful woman as she said, "I'm willing to cooperate with you, but only in exchange for limited freedom."
"I think that's fine," Master Omar stroked his beard. "I have some test subjects that I can use, and I guarantee she won't escape."
"An experiment?" Unas immediately became curious.
Black Dragon Princess couldn't help but shiver.
Master Omar had studied Dragonflight for many years and had long considered ways to tame them. He had even created some experimental specimens, but had never had the opportunity to use them.
Then they brought everything out—a huge, varied collection: all sorts of Potions, collars, hoods, reins, whips, blindfolds, shackles, and some columnar objects of unknown purpose that sparked the imagination.
Unas was amazed; he secretly laughed at Master's uninhibitedness in showing off such a product.
The Black Dragon Princess let out a low growl of fear, not daring to utter a single word.
Master Omar blushed and quickly retrieved some of the items he had mistakenly taken out, leaving only the collar and reins. He said, "These two items, together with the Potions and my Dragon Taming, should be able to temporarily control her."
"Then it's up to you, Master," Unas said, trusting Omar's abilities. He turned to the Black Dragon and said, "If you want to unleash your wings and return to the sky, you must cooperate with you, Master. Understand?"
To cooperate with others in taming her was an utter disgrace, yet the proud Black Dragon Princess suppressed her volcanic rage and silently acquiesced.
"I won't draw this sword. You'd better watch yourself!" Unas slammed his hand on the hilt of the Horse-Slaying Sword, causing the Black Dragon to tremble in pain.
Keeping this sword embedded in her brain poses a constant and deadly threat to the Black Dragon, so she can't really pull any tricks.
Unas couldn't help but feel excited at the thought of finally getting rid of the demon that had been bothering him for days.
Just then, a Dwarf sailor relayed Vanessa's message: the operation was about to begin tonight.
After a long conversation, it was already past midnight when Defias finally made preparations for a secret evacuation.
"Then I'll leave this to you, Master. I'll go and chop off a few heads for VanCleef." Unas waved to the Archmage, then turned and followed the Dwarf into the thick of night.
Adam Mars stood silently on the top floor of the Cathedral. Through the dim starlight, he could see a large number of dark heads passing through the alleys a few streets away, quietly heading towards the harbor.
Just as dusk was falling, he suddenly received a message from an unknown source: Defias was going to abandon the position and evacuate Stormwind City.
He couldn't believe it was true, so he stayed on the top floor all night until he saw it with his own eyes—starting just now, a steady stream of thieves were coming from the direction of the fortress and heading towards the port.
As a battle-hardened Paladin, he could tell with his eyesight that the number of Stealth bandits was staggering, almost wiping out the manpower of those who had occupied the fortress. Moreover, they were carrying large and small bags, so they couldn't possibly be going to fight.
Even an idiot knows how important the fortress is; abandoning it is tantamount to abandoning the war.
This forced him to believe that, for whatever reason, Defias was indeed going to escape.
"Inform the Archbishop immediately! We must do something; we can't just stand by and watch these heinous criminals get away with it!"
"Yes!" the Knight behind him replied loudly upon receiving the order.
The Silver Lion Knight Order's primary duty is to protect the Cathedral, but the great achievement of recapturing the fortress is so readily available that Adam cannot help but be tempted.
In the magnificent study, four Paladins clad in heavy armor stood around the table, while Archbishop Benedictus paced leisurely behind it, his brow furrowed as he pondered the problem before him.
"Your Excellency, the bandits surrounding the church have begun to withdraw in batches. I think they really intend to escape!"
"But we have too few people; there's nothing we can do."
"Therefore, we must notify the City Guards on the other side. Commander Adam has already prepared a large amount of firewood on the roof, just waiting for the Archbishop's order to light it as a signal. Then we'll make some noise. General Jonathan of the City Guards isn't stupid; he'll definitely cooperate!"
"You're too naive. What if he's just a fool? What if this is Defias's trap? If we attack rashly and the Cathedral falls, who will take responsibility?"
"There are no 'what ifs' in life. Only cowards dare to participate in battles where victory is guaranteed."
"You!"
"Enough!" The Archbishop gestured with his hands to stop the Paladins ' argument. "What about Knight Adam's opinion?"
"The commander wants to go to the fortress. According to his estimation, almost all the bandit troops there have gone to the port, and the encirclement around the church has also weakened. If we break through, we can easily retake the fortress."
Everyone wants the credit that comes easily, and Benedictus was caught off guard, so he said, "The left hand that attacks, the right hand that holds firm—you vote."
The four Paladins immediately raised their hands, making it two against two. With the captain's vote on the top floor, the attack was a foregone conclusion.
Benedictus sat back in his chair and sighed, "Mohank's team will stay behind; the rest of the teams will fight alongside Knight Commander Adam. May the Holy Light protect us and grant us a resounding victory!"
"Holy Light above!" the Paladins responded excitedly in unison. After being cooped up in the church for so long, they were finally able to go out and slaughter the enemy. Even the two who disagreed with the attack were filled with fighting spirit.
"General! A distress signal has been sent from the top of the Cathedral. According to scouts at the front, fighting has broken out in the Church District, and the Silver Lion Knight Order appear to be attempting a breakout!"
Upon hearing this news, Jonathan strode out of the Tent, gazing at the several flames in the distant sky, a wave of doubt washing over him.
This is completely different from the signal agreed upon by the Paladin. Has something unexpected happened?
"Go and invite Sir Shaw over; I need to discuss this matter with him."
After accompanying the Paladin to the negotiations, Shaw stayed at the command post to recover from his injuries. Naturally, he couldn't sleep on such an important night and was soon carried over.
He had already heard the new intelligence on the way. He sat up from the stretcher and frowned, saying, "Why did the Silver Lion Knight Order suddenly start breaking out? Tonight's plan didn't include them. Did they act on their own, or has the plan changed?"
"I haven't received any news of a change in the plan, but I'm afraid they're acting independently, which will definitely disrupt the old marshal and the Paladins ' arrangements," Jonathan said worriedly. "If Defias becomes alert, it might be difficult for them to make a move."
Unable to come up with a solution immediately, Shaw said, "Let's wait a little longer; perhaps Knight Unas will launch his signal flare soon."
"That's all we can do now."
"We can't count on those idiots in the City Guards, we'll break out ourselves!" Adam shouted anxiously.
By lighting a fire on the rooftop and launching a breakout, they created considerable momentum. The City Guards on the opposite bank could not possibly have missed or failed to take any action.
Fortunately, the number of bandits left to guard the Cathedral was actually smaller than expected. The thin defensive line was breached in no time, and Defias's bandits were like stray dogs, completely lacking the ferocity they had shown during the day.
The Paladins and their squires disregarded everything and followed their Knight commander, charging forward towards Stormwind Keep.
Unbeknownst to anyone, a faint, dark shadow was lurking beneath a statue in front of the church.
The slender figure silently approached the side wall of the church, and like a gecko, climbed up the air vent ten meters above the ground in the blink of an eye, then disappeared inside.
At Stormwind Keep, a bloody battle had just ended. Soldiers were busily cleaning up the battlefield. Unas shook the blood off his sword and said to Major Sophia beside him, "We can send the signal now. Let's head to the port."
The female Knight nodded and immediately gave orders to her subordinates to carry them out.
Tonight's scene is mainly to "clear the name" of the old marshal and Sophia, because both of them are highly suspected of betraying their country and siding with Defias.
Arson of military camps, desertion of duty, seizure of prisons, and release of rioting criminals—these crimes were enough for Sophia to be sentenced to death by a military court, and the old marshal, as the instigator, was certainly not exempt from blame.
But if they were merely feigning surrender, enduring humiliation and infiltrating deep into enemy territory, finding an opportunity to turn against their own side, defeat Defias, and recapture the occupied fortresses and ports, then such unparalleled achievements would be enough to overshadow their previous "minor sins."
The five leaders that VanCleef wanted to eliminate were used to add a sense of realism to the scene, because only heads and blood could silence them.
So, under VanCleef's arrangement, the two leaders on the death list and two battalions under Sophia's command were the last to evacuate the fortress.
After everyone else left, Sophia led her men to block the gate. Unas suddenly appeared with the orders from the leader of the Defias Society, announcing the immediate elimination of the two leaders and their confidants, while the other members would be spared.
Caught off guard, Sophia's soldiers suddenly encircled her and launched a surprise attack.
This was a one-sided battle. With the leader's orders and the imposing presence of the Paladin slayer, more than half of the two bandit leaders' men surrendered one after another, and the main targets were quickly wiped out.
The other three target leaders were taken to the port to cover the rear. They would naturally be abandoned by Defias' fleet and become victims of the whitewashing plan. However, the City Guards had to be involved in the battle at the port, otherwise they would be condemned and suspected by Jonathan.
Several loud explosions rang out in the sky, and dazzling fireworks lit up the sky like a constellation of stars—the signal agreed upon with Jonathan had been sent.
"Marshal, you and one battalion will remain at the fortress. Sophia will take another battalion with me to the port to join forces with the City Guards to repel Defias," Unas, mounting his warhorse and repeating the pre-arranged script. "Let's set off immediately!"
Just then, a soldier on duty outside suddenly ran into the gate and loudly reported, "Sir, a cavalry troop is marching rapidly towards the fortress, and they are less than a mile away."
Who could be coming at this time? Unas was puzzled and said warily, "Immediately let everyone outside in and close the gate tightly!"
Upon reaching the city wall, one could see a heavily armored cavalry force rumbling forward along the Canal. Dense torches illuminated the entire riverbank, and the clashing of heavy armor blended seamlessly with the thunderous sound of horses' hooves, creating a truly awe-inspiring spectacle.
"It's the Silver Lion Knight Order." Sophia observed the cavalry's banner; the image of a lion and Warhammer was the very symbol of the Guardian Knights.
The old marshal said, "Someone just reported seeing flames on the top of the Cathedral; it seems they have indeed taken some action."
Unas pondered for a moment, then considered a possibility and cursed the old fox inwardly—with the Knights gone, the Cathedral would be left unguarded, making it much easier for VanCleef to assassinate the Archbishop. This was the King of Thieves's diversionary tactic, but the fact that he hadn't been informed beforehand made him seem rather unkind.
Sophia said, "I suggest opening the gate; they mean no harm."
"Wait, let's communicate first." Unas quickly stopped him. The longer they delayed, the more time they could buy for the King of Thieves, since Benedictus was the one he wanted to kill.
Sophia, unaware of the details, fearing an unnecessary conflict, quickly said, "I know their commander; let me go out and explain the situation."
Without waiting for a response, she went downstairs, ordered the soldiers to open a crack in the door, mounted her horse, and rode out.
Unas and the old marshal could only shrug and let her be.
The fortress gates burst open, Adam led his men in, following the female Knights, as they filed in. Marshal Windsor and a group of soldiers were already waiting to greet them in the courtyard.
The bloodstains on the ground and the pile of corpses beside him told him that the female major was right, the battle was over, and he felt extremely disappointed—the great credit for recapturing the fortress should have been his, but someone else had beaten him to it.
After exchanging pleasantries and exchanging pleasantries, the two sides quickly discussed the matter and reached a consensus.
The Knights ' rear guard became the vanguard and immediately set off for the port, with Sophia leading a battalion close behind, while the old marshal remained at the fortress as originally planned.
After exchanging messages, Adam learned that the fireworks signal was sent to the City Guards. He was extremely anxious and spurred his horse onward, wishing he could fly to the port to kill the enemy.
The bandits boarding ships at the port to evacuate are the last piece of meat; this time, we absolutely cannot let the City Guards snatch it away.
But as they passed through the Church District, a panicked Knight brought terrible news— the Archbishop had been assassinated!
Adam could hardly believe the news. His vision blurred and he almost fell off his horse. His desire to claim credit vanished, and all thoughts of his future and glory were thrown to the winds.
The Knights behind them, bewildered, followed their leader back to the Cathedral. Sophia, trailing behind, was equally confused. "What's Adam up to? Knight Unas, should we wait for them?"
The Paladin standing beside him replied, "No need. Judging from their appearance, the Cathedral might be in a hurry. Let's go first." He was certain that, seeing Adam's anxious demeanor, the King of Thieves had probably already succeeded.
In the Cathedral's confessional, several priests and Paladins stared blankly at the kneeling corpse in the center— Benedictus's throat had been slit open, blood was flowing everywhere, and his body was already cold.
"It was a fatal blow. The guards outside only heard an unusual noise. After failing to call for the Archbishop, they immediately broke down the door, only to see a dark figure dart out of the upper window. By the time they gave chase, the assassin had vanished without a trace."
Even after hearing the explanation, Adam was still in a state of confusion. The Archbishop's murder meant that the Knights responsible for the church's security bore the greatest responsibility, and he was the first to be implicated.
"You bunch of ambitious fools, you insisted on rushing out, leaving the church unguarded. The Archbishop was killed because of you! I will definitely report this to your superiors! You will be punished!" A trusted priest of Benedictus accused him with a mixture of grief and anger, though it was unclear whether he was being sincere or acting.
Adam was speechless. Only then did he realize that the message from the unknown source must have been deliberately released by the assassin, and that he had fallen into a trap and was to blame.
"This must have been done by thieves from Defias! Let's go, let's hunt down the murderers and avenge the Archbishop!"
Rather than passively awaiting punishment, it's better to take the initiative and perhaps regain some face, thus mitigating one's guilt. The Defias criminal syndicate, a den of iniquity, is the best target.
The Paladins, their minds in turmoil, responded with a resounding "Yes!" and, suddenly finding their leader, rushed out the door following in their captain's footsteps.