Crimson Servant

The crowd avoided him and looked at the lone traveler returning from the dungeon with strange eyes. Four people go and one person returns. The figure walking alone was seen as a bad sign, and their eyes were not very hostile. They used the heat of their lives to trust their partners, leaving only cold contempt and pity for the survivors who were traveling with them.

John Kemp paid little heed to the sights, content that they avoided him like the plague and that they gave way to easier passage. You don't have to worry about crowds and jostling before walking through shopping streets and pubs.

The Warlock found their original camp with ease. Far away, he noticed the anxious young Paladin wandering in front of the door.

"Ha." His lips and teeth still didn't block the laughter. John took off his hood and slowed down and approached.

Karl had noticed him long ago. Before the Warlock showed up, his eyes lit up and he rushed straight towards John. With a smile on his face, Carl opened his arms and patted John's shoulders with his palms.

John didn't like such a touch, but he endured it. Looking at the ecstatic face of the paladin, he decided to be a gentleman and let the impulsive warrior speak first.

"John! Do you have any money on you? Lend me some, I need it urgently!"

The paladin's excitement was unexpected. Although John still answered rationally, his smile also turned cold, "No, my money, like yours, became ashes under the dragon's fire."

"What about the red dragon's treasure? I remember that the dragon would put the treasure in its lair."

"Too bad I didn't fall into its lair. What do you want money for?"

Karl's eyes were a little embarrassed.

"When I brought them back, I didn't think too much and didn't bring anything. But Lightning and Jurgen were both injured. I could only mortgage my family sword to raise money to hire a priest to treat them. The delivery is now fast. It’s here, but I’m still penniless.”

"Jurgen?! Jurgen is still alive?! How did he survive under the dragon flames?" John's voice temporarily overwhelmed the paladin, and he broke free from Karl's hands. The brute force of the dragon made the warlock Caught Carl with his backhand.

Hearing the concern in John's words, Karl smiled empathetically.

"The undead potion, the coldness of the undead blocked the blazing flames and saved his breathing. Even so, the extensive burns almost killed the old dwarf. As I ran back with him on my back, I was worried all the time. He will die at a certain moment, but now he has survived."

"Necromantic potion, that's not..."

After the battle in Tree Heart, they discussed that only Karl could perfectly play the role of the potion, so they redistributed the remaining two bottles of potion to Karl. According to the plan, Jurgen will not have the undead potion...

Facing John's inquiry, Carl showed belated relief.

"Jurgen said to me, 'Don't give up the opportunity to choose'."

"He was right, so I just thought..."

"...We have to leave him a chance."

The druid patiently educated the young paladin, and the humble young man accepted the advice and left him with a sense of gratitude. Their integrity was rewarded, and Jurgen's survival inspired the grieving Warlock, who became more confident in enforcing his revenge on the Wendigo.

Although Paladin Karl now looks very anxious, the situation is much better than they expected.

"So you mortgaged your family heirloom sword."

"I'm regretting it!" Karl scratched his head in distress, "Why didn't I have the heart to threaten that priest? I thought you would bring treasure when you came back."

John covered his head.

"Then you shouldn't mortgage the family heirloom sword. Isn't that valuable equipment?"

Karl looked at him and showed off his equipment in a mysterious way.

"The Shield of Loti, the aegis that contains the power of the sun, was given by Lightning. The Armor of the Breaker, the magical armor made by the automaton using ancient craftsmanship, was stolen from you. The tenacity of Demiras, the family sword, I Brought."

Carr doesn't want to trade any of them, but he can't ignore the damage to his teammates. During the transaction, he also advocated the simple and sharp Dragon Slayer Sword to increase the price. He did not lie. The sword was indeed stained with dragon blood, although it did not bring any magical effect other than glory.

"Do you have any remedy, John?" The paladin still couldn't bear to have his family sword wander around, especially when his family was still alive.

"When night falls, I will steal your sword back." John thought this was not difficult to solve.

With a snap, Karl pressed his shoulder.

"How dare you plan such a robberies in front of a paladin?"

Carl Demiras' eyes were firm, trying to shame the warlock with his most honest gaze.

This is obviously impossible.

"Then I hide it from you and do it secretly?" John felt incredible.

"No! Evil Warlock, I will not tolerate this unfair behavior. I just swore to punish rape and eliminate evil!"

"It's an evil warlock. Please believe in my good intentions, Paladin. I just want my upright friend not to bring shame to his family."

"No, you must use fair and legitimate means to deal legally and fairly, John, you can't cross the bottom line!"

"Then I'll just watch Demiras be humiliated."

"No! That won't work either! You have to help me!" Karl was pacing back and forth in a circle, somewhat frantically. "At worst, I'll go into the dungeon to search for some treasures in the next few days, hoping to raise the debt."

"What did you do earlier?"

"I'm waiting for you to come back. Didn't I agree at the time?" Karl didn't understand John's accusation. "My partner's life or death is uncertain, so I can't think of going to the dungeon to make money."

"..."

John sighed, "I will try to communicate with the priest to see if I can redeem your sword at a lower price and discuss other ways to compensate him. Just... pray to your sun god for good luck."

"Well, I will. Pray to the gods that Mithras does not control good luck."

Paladin Carl relaxed after the conversation, and his expression became much better after sharing his anxiety with John. This was not just about getting help with his problems, but also about seeing his friends come back intact. All members of the Sun Team survived after slaying the dragon. After a series of adventures, Carl knew that their team would become more solid and harmonious, which is undoubtedly exciting.

After taking the oath, his faith was like a restrained brilliance, transforming into a convincing and reassuring temperament. His charisma of charisma made Karl's handsome face shine even more. People often slowed down while walking on the road and were attracted by his righteousness. Energy attracts. Not to mention that when dining in the tavern, there were so many girls who tried to share a table with this humanoid hormone but were declined that John felt redundant.

"Lightning, after recovering from his injury, he practiced outside the camp. He refused the supply of food and lived in the wild. I can only see him at fixed times."

"Jurgen is in the priest's camp. He woke up two days ago. His new skin hasn't grown yet and he's shouting that he's fine. At the priest's suggestion, I tied him to the bed."

John nodded, ignoring the jealous glances from the girl next to him.

"I'll go see Jurgen tomorrow and talk about your sword."

"Why don't you celebrate our great achievement of slaying the dragon?" Karl blinked and raised the overflowing wine glass. He had already had a few drinks, and his cheeks were flushed at the invitation of other drinkers.

"One drink is enough for me." John clearly saw the cups on Carl's table rising higher and higher, and knew that there was going to be a big battle here. Human joy mixed with fragrant alcohol gathered at the paladin's table. John retreated, leaving Carl to face the powerful taverns from all sides in this storm.

He was not worried about the safety of the Paladin. Before entering the dungeon, he understood one thing.

The stomach of Paladin Carl Demiras is also at the level of a dragon.