Chapter 17: The Star Paladins

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Overlord: Celestial Crusade

"Move on faster!"

There was a man with armor on a brown horse in front of a team of knights that were bearing the symbol of the Holy Kingdom, with the knights being anxious "Um, Captain, do you think that we will attacked by demi-humans?" dared to ask one of them, with the Captain looking back at him annoyed.

"Huh? What are you babbling about, fool?!" he asked angry, making the knight flinch "We were sent to find and gather the herbs that will help her Majesty!If you have time to think such things, then you better focus on looking for herbs!" he said shouting.

"Y-Yes sir!" said the knight who was now less nervous.

After a while

The knights stopped upon a small mountain that had some blooming bushes "At last, we found the herbs that can cure her Majesty!" exclaimed the captain while swiping his forehead in relief "You two, climb and fetch some!" he ordered, with two knights swiftly heading at it.

"Agh!" one of the soldiers was suddenly ambushed by a black fured Bafolk while the other one had his head twisted violently by an Orc.

"What the-?" the captain was confused but then immediately drew his sword "We are surrounded!Formation!" he ordered with all the might of his voice as a Centaur and an Ogre were closing in on the squad, with the knights being back to back and trying to repel their attackers by swinging their swords.

"Damn it all!"

Meanwhile

In the Abellion Hills, Mary Jane was nervous and eager however as she approached Aetheion, wishing to ask a question as well have a request be answered. "Aethaion, I have a request to ask of you!" Mary asked, however being nervous, being visible if otherwise hidden.

"Oh? That's quite unusual of you, but tell me, Mary Jane." he said smiling, with him being now in his Empyrean Overseer form in order to not confuse and agitate the Bafolk and Orcs.

"Can I check out your guild hall? We known each other for a while, it be nice to see something from the game, as well to met other NPCs from YGGDRASIL." Mary chuckled. "Been talkig to orcs is fun, but it be nice to speak to ya know, things from our world from to time. I also don't want to talk to the talking head with a attached body, still bodyless in my mind."

"Fufufu, that's hardly a request, Mary Jane. I love showing my NPCs to others.Also yes, you only saw one part of my guild base, the garden, didn't you." he said and then placed his fingers on his temple "Nike Draconis, I want you and all the Virtue Lords assembled in the throne room in five minutes.Sorry for the sudden incovenience." he said to her.

"Your words are absolute,my Lord.I will have them all here at the time you wished." said Nike in a respectful tone as the transmission ended.

Five minutes passed

Aethaion were now in front of the throne while just a little further away were the Virtue Lords along with Takara Kōun in line bowing while Nike Draconis was in front of that line, with her being bowing too on her knees while Jasmine and Marie bowed their heads with the arrival of the two players.

"Here we are, Mary Jane, the Throne Room of Elysium Fortress." announced Aethaion proudly "And these are my pride and joy, the Virtue Lords!" he announced with even greater pride and without him or Mary Jane noticing or knowing, immense joy filled all the mighty NPCs of the guild upon hearing these words.

"Wow, such powerful auras you gave them, Virtue Lords, quite a intimidating title if I say so myself." Mary Jane commented as she inspected before landing her eyes on Takara Kōun. "Woah, is that a kitsune?!"

"Actually, she's an Inari's Attendant, the final class of kitsune, and our Treasury Guardian." explained Aethaion and then moved on "This is Leto, a Storm Giant and the Lady of Humility." he said and went in front of Panisher "This one is Lord of Diligence, the Satyr Panisher.Near him is Lady of Charity Emmmef Elataf, the Star Genie." he explained and moved in front of Kratos whose wings flared up a little "This is Kratos, Lord of Fortitude and a Sacred Flame Bearer." he said and as they moved away of him, his flaming wings calmed down "This is Themis, Lady of Justice and a Lorelei." he explained and then turned at her "You saw at the moment six of our NPC, what are your comments, Mary Jane?"

"I am more interested with the kitsune over there, I hear more tails they have, older and more powerful they are." Mary Jane said as she inspected before moving onto Leto. "Leto, named after the giantess of Greek mythology no less, ya gonna have twins someday I bet." Mary then chuckled.

"Heh, only if there is someone handsome and mostly strong out there to make me fall for him." replied Leto who then grinned and closed her right eye, with then Takara Kōun then standing up too and lightly bowing her head.

"I do have nine tails, Lady Mary Jane." she said and then brought out her gold fured nine tails that came out of her kimono, with them glittering in the light for a moment "I just like to fold them sometimes." she explained with respect and elegance. Mary smiled, satisfied with the response before turning to Kratos before smirking.

"So tell me Kratos... are you a calm and reasonable person? You seem like a calm and reasonable person in that heavy armour, expecting a fight from anyone?" Mary Jane smirked. "You're a angel also then, you do look similar to Aetheion."

"I was created to be this way. Also,no, Lord Aethaion is beyond me in hierarchy in racial classes and I don't look like him at all!" commented Kratos who stood up and his wings flared up a little.

"Ya keep saying." Mary then moved in front of the Satyr Panisher. "A Satyr, Panisher is your name. Ya not gonna... tackle me or anything, right?"

"No,unless I'm ordered." he replied with a smile, with Aethaion then taking a step.

"Before you comment the others, allow me to introduce you το the others, with the following two being my creations alongside Emmef Elataf.This is the Half-Golem Sophrosyne, the Lady of Temperance.This is Nerida, the Half-Elemental and the Lady of Prudence.Finally..." he ended up saying and got in front of Nike "This is the NPC for which the guild was accused dozen of times for cheating, the one that made our base unconquerable, the Dragonoid known as Sword of Ruin,Nike Draconis!" he said with pride and emphasis, with Nike blushing without anyone noticing.

"Cheating? What a shocker that is, but I never seen a Dragonoid before." Mary inspected Nike closely. "I think I may like you, would you yourself made this place unconquerable? I am sure you're stronger, cause what would happen if Nike fallen in battle?"

"She appeared everytime her two sisters there were down.It was her along with the combined might of most or all our members that we were never conquered.From the 200 official invasion runs, she needed to transform to her true form ten times, and that only because not all members or the most vital ones were not online." he explained, with her seeming to be shocked a little, something Aethaion noticed "Your Trinity might have been the number one guild, but that was only because of the number of players it had. When it came to PvP and Guild Wars,Seraphim was no1 and none of the top 20 could do something about it!Well, we did make a non-agression pact with each other in order to not sully our fame and influence, but I remember when 2nd Alliance, your equal rival, challenged us with only 500 out of their 3000, most of them being their best, and what happened was massacre, with them promising to not bother us again as long as no one learned about it. You are the first player that knows about it, except probably Mimir." he ended up saying with pride.

"2nd Alliance was a bunch of arrogant players, I am surprised they only sent 500, though I'd wouldn't be surprised if they asked us to help, maybe give ya lot a actual fight, hahahaha." Mary ironically arrogantly said as she laughed it off.

"Real bright, White One... real bright" Mimir slowly said as he walked into the room, his head attached to an body. "Didn't think irony was in your dictionary."

"Oh, Mimir, you are here?" he asked him "Mary Jane wanted to meet my NPCs since the last time we were only at the garden and never had the chance to meet and interact with all of them." he explained to Mimir and an idea came to his mind "Well,since we are all here..."he said as he brought out Circe's Staff and became an immortal human "...I suggest we grab something to eat in the garden along with the NPCs, what do you say?" he asked the both of them, with the NPCs becoming excited.

"Ya know, it has been a while since I actually eaten anything, a nice good **apple** would be nice!" Mimir jokingly said as Mary also agreed as she walked besides Mimir and dragged him to the garden. "H-hey! No need to drag me, and the garden is THAT WAY!" Mimir pleaded as she took the wrong turn, and changing directions to the correct one.

"Marie and Jasmine, I want you to prepare everything for a banquet!" he ordered excited "Also,since I never interacted so much with them, I want extra seats for Nike and Nerida." he added, much to the surprise of Nike and Nerida.

"*Eating with Lord Aethaion?What an honor!" thought Nike while her tail was moving, something Aethaion noticed.*

"*Ah...eating with my Lord in such a nice place...so dreamy!*" Nerida had a stoic and serious face, but her thoughts were the exact opposite and her heart was racing, ready to burst at any moment.

"As you wish,my Lord!" they said both in unison and he then looked at Themis "Themis, I want you to give them the greatest singing performance ever,one that will melt their hearts and minds from relaxation and bliss!" he ordered, with Themis' wings adorments flapping while she had a huge smile on her face.

"Yes,my Lord!I will!" she shouted excited, with her then realizing what she did but Aethaion chuckled and she took it as a good sign, with her leaving immediately and leaving him alone in the throne room.

"I wish things could remain so peaceful." he muttered while looking at the sky.

*Two hours ago*

In the Holy Kingdom, the queen had before her five armored men, with them kneeling before her "Welcome, my paladins, this kingdom's greatest sword and shield. I sincerely thank you for coming." she said with a kind voice.

"Don't even mention it, your Majesty.We live to execute each and any order." reassured her one of the paladins that was in front of the others, with him being fully clad in golden armor with a pale red cape "Please, tell us our mission." he asked with great respect.

"As you all know, the demi-humans living in the Abellion Hills have increased within the last year.This violent behaviour makes it difficult to gather supplies and most importantly, the herbs that can cure my illness." she explained.

"Send me there, my queen!" said a young man of black hair in ponytail and violet eyes interrupting her. He was wearing an eastern golden armor with lion like faces on his pauldrons while the armor also had three necklaces and a ribbon around it "I can destroy them all by myself!" he claimed fired up, with two rings of golden energy appearing around his wrists and the ribbon radiated energy.

"Really,Lorcan,can't you behave in front of her Majesty?You embarass all of us." said a young man with medium-length black hair while the rest was in a ponytail in a tone of disappointment.He had violet eyes and was wearing the same type of armor, except his was silver with blue outlines.

"Oh,come on, Alexander!I just volunteered to relieve all of you from a boring extermination!" said Lorcan with an energetic grin, something that made Alexander angry.

"You don't call the shots here.You simply need to shut up, listen and execute!" said Alexander whose face was now too close to his brother's "I guess you are frustrated that I killed more monsters than you in the last mission." he said with a cocky smile that was hiding an eagerness to fight.

Lorcan's eyes then narrowed and was retaining his grin that had anger behind it "Oh?You want a piece of me?" he asked, with both being clad in sparking auras that were cracking the floor gradually.

"Stop, you imbeciles!" shouted the man in golden armor, with the two being startled and quickly bowing again.

"Oh, your Majesty!I feel sorry for having you to deal with imbeciles,however, you have me,Alain to serve you with all my soul and body, especially body." said with a charming tone a young man with black and white hair and blue eyes whose attire consisted mainly of a black and white tunic with blue accents, black pants, thigh-high armored boots, and a short white cape with a black edge. Aside from his boots, his left arm had a gauntlet, and was wearing a set of faulds at his waist. A sword scabbard hanged at his left side, and red marks coated his right gloved arm.

"Fufufu,oh Alain,still the ever flirtious paladin." said the queen chuckling "You aren't known as Womanizer Paladin for nothing." said the queen in a joking tone and then looked at a tall man with silver-grey hair, blue eyes and brown body. He was wearing a radiant silver woven plate armor while he had a black shirt and pants with red lines that exposed his chest that had a green tatoo while he has a sword seathed on his back "I see that Ares is as silent and bloodthirsty as ever." she commented and then coughed "As I was trying to say,we have tolerated these acts of violence long enough. Star Paladins,I therefore command you to wipe out all the tribes near our walls!If we show our power and resolve, the rest will behave!" she ordered while standing up and extending her hand.

"Understood!"

In a grassy area

There was a settlement of stone houses where there were beings that had heads like a cobra and scaly, humanoid bodies, as well as tails doing all sorts of activities.One of them looked up to the sky and before it could say anything, Lorcan violently landed on it, crushing its face and leaving a puddle of blood under his right boot.

"Whoooo areeee youuuuu?" asked one of the beings baffled, with Lorcan grinning.

"We are the Holy Kingdom's Star Paladins!The ones that will destroy all demi-humans, starting with you, Snakemen!" he announced to their shock as his fist began glowing and his wrist having a ring of energy around it, with rocks being uprooted "Ha!" a wide beam of yellow electricity was unleashed that vaporized a handful of Snakemen that couldn't evade it in time.

"Whyyyyy youuuuu!" three Snakemen jumped at him from behind, with their spears aimed for his neck and before they could even pierce him, Alexander appeared in front of them and unleashed a kick in the air, unleashing a wind wave that send them back and destroyed their spears.

"A sneak attack?Befitting of reptilian creatures such as you,begone!" he said as he swiped his foot beneath them with a ring manifesting around it, unleashing a violent tornado that trapped them along with some more Snakemen while it destroyed some stone houses.When it ended, the Snakemen were down greatly bruised and bleeding.

Ten minutes later

The Snakemen settling was in ruins, with every Snakeman lying on the ground while there was fire in many places "Wow, we really did a good job!" said Lorcan while looking around amazed, with Alexander sighing.

"Don't get so relaxed. We have a lot more work to do." he said reprimanding him, with Lorcan patting him in the back.

"Relax, brother! Our mission will take probably an hour tops, so chill!" he said smiling, with the man in golden armor looking at them.

"Anyway, enough with the chatting,let's go." he said, with everyone then riding their horses and leaving ahead.

As they were leaving, a Snakeman kid managed to pull away some rubble before it, with it being in a bad shape "Theyyy areee monsterssss....someoneeee....helpppp!"