The Paladin in the Abyss

Daryl had finished scolding and once more saluted Lancelot before leaving with the goblins who were carrying the plates.

"Maybe we shouldn't have rejected that succubus's offer so directly," Bruto sniffed, "The food on those plates really smelled good."

"Alamir, are you alright?"

A delicate voice sounded, and only then did everyone notice that there was still someone else in the room.

At first glance, she could easily be mistaken for an underage human girl, but a closer look revealed that she was a halfling.

She had pink skin and brown hair, along with a cute doll-like face. She wore a tall chef's hat, yet her true height was apparent, probably only three feet, less than half of Lancelot's.

The room's air was filled with the scent of food: stewed meat, melons and fruits, cakes, and desserts. These conflicting odors mingled together but still smelled very good, stirring one's appetite irresistibly.

It seemed she was the one who had made the tasty dishes that Daryl had strongly recommended, but Lancelot still noticed the shackles on the halfling's ankles, linked by a chain to an iron ball bigger than Bruto's head, suggesting that this little one had likely made numerous escape attempts.

The chef looked fearfully at the three figures of Lancelot, seemingly very afraid of the succubus, but still mustered the courage to say to Alamir:

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"I have some cheese tarts here that might make you feel a bit better..."

"Thank you, Koula, I'm fine," Alamir said with a smile to the halfling, but Lancelot, standing behind him, saw that the elf's back was soaked from the confrontation with Daryl.

"Cheese tarts sound amazing, get us one," the gluttonous Bruto suddenly spoke up, sounding very enthusiastic.

Lancelot's facial muscles twitched involuntarily. Bruto must be one of the few dwarves exceptionally interested in food, and here he was, blurted out his request so casually in this tense situation.

"Ah, no problem!" The halfling known as Koula was slightly taken aback, hurriedly responding. She crouched down to look for something, and from Lancelot's perspective, all he could see was her tall chef's hat moving back and forth behind the cooking range.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The halfling chef soon stood up again, with a tray in her hand that held six freshly baked golden cheese tarts, emitting an enticing aroma.

"These were supposed to be charged for." Koula tried to appear as serious as possible, "But for Alamir's sake, these are on the house."

Bruto, unable to wait, grabbed one and was about to pull down his face cloth and toss it into his mouth when he finally remembered something and turned his back.

"Thank you, Koula. Your cooking is the best I've ever seen," Alamir thanked the halfling chef first, then reached for one as well.

Lancelot was also quite curious about the cheese tarts in front of him, but he was not about to let his guard down. He first used Divine Sense to check the tarts and then surreptitiously performed two spells to detect poison. After confirming the food was safe, he picked up a tart and put it in his mouth.

"By Ogma above, this is unbelievable."

Kalalin's voice of marvel came from behind, and Lancelot silently agreed with him wholeheartedly.

The cheese tart filling at the entrance was soft and sweet, with an extremely delicate texture. The intense fragrance of cheese and eggs wafted over, and the outer crust was crispy to perfection, still carrying that distinct aroma of being freshly baked, which beautifully neutralized the sweetness of the filling, making one unknowingly eat an entire cheese tart.

Bruto, with swift hands, directly reached out and grabbed the last one left on the plate.

The halfling chef chuckled happily, looking very pleased.

"Lancelot, can we?" Bruto nudged Lancelot, his eyes full of hopeful expression, while Alamir also looked at him full of hope.

It seemed that passing by this kitchen was mostly the Elf Priest's doing on purpose, but Lancelot could understand Alamir's little scheme. If he were in his shoes, having the chance to escape this demon cave, he would also want his friend to come along, at least to give it a try.

However, even if he were willing, trying to take the halfling out would probably not be an easy task.

"Can she be trusted?" Lancelot asked, staring intently into Alamir's eyes.

"She has a heart of gold, and although she has suffered various injustices, she still chooses to treat everyone kindly," Alamir said, not averting his gaze from Lancelot. "She is my only friend here, and I certainly trust her."

Lancelot nodded, and this gesture made the Elf show a genuine smile, convincing Lancelot that he had made the correct decision.

"Uh, what are you guys talking about?" the halfling chef asked, confused by their seemingly inexplicable conversation, and suddenly as if he understood something, "Is someone going to redeem you, Alamir?"

The word 'redeem' almost caused the Elf Priest to bite her tongue, while Bruto let out a string of barbell-like laughter on the side.

"Koula, are you still planning to escape from this place?" Alamir looked at Koula. "I'm about to leave this damned place."

"What are you rambling about?" The Elf's words made the halfling turn pale, her nervousness apparent as she glanced at the three succubi standing to the side. She quickly pulled an apple pie from underneath her and stuffed it into Alamir's mouth, trying to stop the Elf from saying more.

"No, you got it wrong, oh, my goodness, this apple pie is really delicious," Alamir mumbled unclearly with food suddenly stuffed in her mouth, unwilling to spit out the delectable treat, she could only hurriedly swallow faster.

"Eat more slowly, don't choke," Lancelot patted Alamir's back and then smiled at the halfling, "Cover your mouth first, and make sure it's tight."

Koula did as told, and Lancelot closed his eyes, feeling the atmosphere around to ensure no one was approaching the room. He then took off his Transformation Ring.

The halfling's scream from within her mouth stifled by her hand came out as a muffled groan. Lancelot smiled at her, then put the ring back on.

"A Transformation Ring? You relied on this to sneak inside?" Koula stared in amazement at Lancelot's finger, suddenly smiling as if she had figured everything out, "I get it now, you're here to rescue Alamir!"

"We're here for the Cross Pickaxe in the rest room, it might be a holy relic of the Dwarf race," Lancelot shook his head. "Alamir will help us get that item, in exchange, we will take her out. Do you want to come along?"

"Thank you, Alamir, for still thinking of me when such a chance has appeared!" The halfling gratefully looked at the Elf, but she shook her head, lifting her leg, and jingling the shackles on her ankle, "But I can't go with you, I would just be a burden to you."

"Don't be too quick to refuse, my diminutive friend, you don't take up much space," the Elf Priest said with a smile. "I have a good place for you to hide, but you might have to take a nap first."