"All right, we two unlucky souls don't need to keep taking shots at each other. Let's talk about what we do next, shall we?" Queen Laeral was not someone who liked joking around. Among the former Seven Sisters of the North, some had been approachable, some playful, and some gentle and serene. Only Queen Laeral had been exceptionally stern by nature, which made her the most intimidating of the Seven Sisters. Being able to casually chat with Solam for a few lines was already Queen Laeral's limit.
"What else can we do? Stay and help me. We're both afflicted by the Abyssal curse. Unless we break it, neither of us will ever leave the Abyss. I'm a little better off—wearing this demon shell and favored by the will of the Abyss, I can still get by here even if I truly can't leave. But you're different. You're a genuine Chosen of the Goddess of Magic. To those demons, you're practically the perfect prey. It'll be fine for a while. As long as you're here with me, I can keep you safe. But in the long run, that's hard to say. After all, you know what kind of state the Abyss is in right now."
They truly were fellow sufferers. Solam and Queen Laeral's circumstances differed greatly, but their cause was the same. Both had been set up by the orc king Huo Keduo—or, to put it more plainly, by Bane, the God of Tyranny. They could only remain in the Abyss now, which was why Queen Laeral had appeared here with Solam rather than returning directly to the Material Plane.
"Sigh... I suppose that's our only option." Queen Laeral also knew how troublesome the curse upon her was. Even as a Chosen of the Goddess of Magic, she could only