Yanaki used a bit of strength to push the small stone door. A dry creak echoed after centuries of silence, and a narrow, dark passage was revealed. The air inside smelled of dampness and dust.
They stepped onto the craftsman's path. It was completely different from the heroic halls of the citadel. This was a cramped service tunnel, with water pipes and ventilation ducts for the forge running along the rough stone walls. Spiderwebs (some even spectral spiderwebs) were strung up everywhere.
This path had no hostile knight spirits. Instead, they encountered even more pitiable phantoms. These were [Laborer Spirits], the souls of servants and apprentice craftsmen who had died in the Great Cataclysm. They were still unconsciously repeating their work: one phantom was trying to scrub a floor that would never be clean, another was trying to haul an invisible sack.
They held no malice, just souls trapped in a loop of diligence. Each time they passed such a group, Yanaki would signal to Elara. The melody of the [Serene Lullaby] would ring out, gentle and soothing. The laborer spirits would pause, the exhaustion in them seeming to melt away, and they would smile peacefully before fading into nothingness. Each time, Yanaki received a small amount of "Reputation," and she felt that the path she had chosen was absolutely the right one.
After traversing a long corridor, they arrived before another door. This one was made of oak, carved with the crest of the knights, and though old, it still exuded an air of formality.
Yanaki pushed the door open, and a vast, silent space opened up before her.
They were standing in the Hall of Honor.
This was an incredibly solemn place. The marble floor was polished to a sheen, reflecting the faint light from the spectral torches hanging on the walls. Lining both sides of the hall were countless stone steles, each engraved with the name and deeds of a knight who had fallen heroically before the Great Cataclysm. In the center of the hall stood three majestic stone statues, depicting the three greatest commanders in Erathos's history. The atmosphere here held no hostility, only solemnity and a quiet pride.
"This is where young knights came to pay their respects to their forebears," Elara explained softly. "They sought inspiration from the tales of courage carved on these walls."
The hall was not empty. Standing before the largest statue in the center – a statue of Sir Kaelan himself – were two spirit knights in gleaming plate armor, holding greatswords, standing as still as living statues.
[Honor Guard]
Level: 21
Status: Neutral (Protecting the sanctity of the hall).
Description: The spirits of two of Sir Kaelan's most loyal and trusted bodyguards. Their eternal duty is to protect the Hall of Honor and allow no one to disturb the rest of the heroes. They will only fight when provoked or if someone shows disrespect.
Yanaki knew she couldn't fight these two. Their level was too high. But she also didn't need to. She had figured out the rules of this citadel, at least on Floor 1.
She didn't walk straight towards the large door at the end of the hall. Instead, she led her party on a "tour." She walked along the walls, stopping before each stone stele. She read aloud the name of the fallen knight, then bowed her head with Sylva and Elara in a moment of silence.
She wasn't doing this as a trick to get past a level. She truly felt the sacrifice and courage in each story that was carved there. She was showing genuine respect.
The two Honor Guards in the center of the hall did not move, but their gazes followed Yanaki's every action. They could feel her sincerity, a sincerity reflected in her ever-increasing "Reputation" stat. They knew this girl was different from the brutes who had noisily fought their way through the courtyards.
After completing a full circuit of the hall, Yanaki finally led her party towards the large door at the end of the room.
As they approached, the two Honor Guards did not block them. Instead, they moved in unison. Both raised their greatswords, crossing them just above the exit, forming an arch of honor.
"Those with respect are permitted to pass," one of them said, his voice echoing with dignity.
As Yanaki passed beneath the crossed swords, the other guard spoke. "Your courage is not shown through force, but through your actions. Take this. It belonged to a brother of mine who fell in an honorable duel."
A glowing object slowly materialized and flew into Yanaki's hand. It was a silver knight's crest, broken at one corner.
[Your actions have earned the recognition of the [Honor Guard].]
[You have received: [Broken Knight's Crest] x1.]
[Reputation +75]
The blacksmith's quest had progressed. Yanaki bowed her thanks to the two guards.
Now, she stood before a giant oaken door, carved with the image of a roaring lion. Elara confirmed this was the entrance to Sir Kaelan's private chambers, the very heart of the citadel.
From behind the door, Yanaki could feel a breathtakingly powerful energy. A sorrow as deep as the ocean, a regret that could crush stone, and a power that had long lain dormant.
Her hand rested on the cold door. It was time to face the spirit of a legend.