Man
Azazel was an individual who took great pleasure in sharing knowledge and experience. In his thousands of years, he had accumulated a wealth of knowledge. If it weren't for his twisted nature, he would have been worthless as a teacher. Although, this does not cancel the fact that the fallen could present stories very interesting. There played and charisma and desire.
«Durandal, the Peerless Sword or Shining Sword, is considered one of the most powerful holy swords in the world. It is part of the so-called 'Three Holy Swords', which includes Ascalon, the Dragon Slayer, and the original Excalibur, well, in this case, I hope I don't need to elaborate.... - Emeric only nodded in response. - According to legend, and according to my information, this sword was given to Charlemagne, King of the Franks, by Heaven itself....
«Father of Europe," Emeric showed his knowledge. - King of the Holy Roman Empire....
«That's right," the fallen man nodded. - And Charlemagne gave this sword to his loyal Paladin....
Paladins were Charlemagne's omation to King Arthur from his Knight of the Round Table. That great ruler wanted warriors in his service who could lead whole armies with their glory and valor. This he succeeded brilliantly.....
«The first and most famous holder of Durandal was Roland," Azazel continued his story. - According to legend, when Roland realized that his strength was running out and he would not survive the battle in the Pyrenees against the Saracen army, he decided to keep his sword out of enemy hands. He tried to smash it against a rock, but the sword simply did not break, only crumbling the rock. According to legend, even after Roland's death, the sword continued to shine, commanding respect from all who saw it. - Azazel stared nostalgically into his glass, as if the whole story had been revealed before his eyes. - Durandal, besides its "holy" properties has incredible sharpness and durability. True, it needs a strong wielder to reach its full potential....
«And ten-something centuries later, Vasco Strada appears," Emeric cut in. - And ten-something centuries later, Vasco Strada appears," Emeric interjected.
«Oh-ho-ho... - Azazel said. - That's an understatement, boy! Vasco Strada used that sword to do things that Roland, sorry old friend, never dreamed of!
«What?" The demon's eyebrows drew together in bewilderment. - But Roland is considered the strongest owner of Durandal!
«A common misconception," Azazel shook his head negatively. - It's all about fame, kid! Roland had "The Song of Roland," a French poem that survived centuries later. And Vasco Strada, because of other times and orders, has no widespread fame in history. It is only in the supernatural world that his name is spoken with holy terror.....
«Yeah," Emeric shook his head in amazement. - People really shouldn't be underestimated....
There was a brief pause between Azazel and Emeric, interrupted only by them drinking their drinks. Azazel had apparently gone far into the depths of his memories. Emeric even wondered what it would be like to live through the millennia and watch history play out live. How much sadness and joy was there in the life of this not always serious fallen man?
Emeric noticed that their positions had somehow subtly switched. Now Azazel had booted himself up, and he would try to "disgorge him."
«Was Vasco Strada the most incredible man in your memory? - Emeric caught Azazel's attention. - Or was there someone cooler?
«Heh," Azazel grinned indulgently. - Yes, Vasco Strada stands out, even against the background of his older colleagues, but he was not the most striking mortal.... - Azazel looked at him with excitement. - The most incredible in my memory was the King of Israel, King Solomon!
«Solomon again... - Emeric sighed. - I've heard his name all my life.....
«Ha ha ha... - Azazel laughed at his bewilderment. - No wonder, boy! You know how he fucked your whole race?! Not just your race, he fucked everyone! Gods, spirits, or other mythologies, everyone knew to stay away from this clever king.
«Really?" Emeric began to ask with increasing interest. - What did he do? I'd read about him, of course, but it was more interesting to hear from an eyewitness.... Was he that strong?
«No wonder you know Solomon so superficially, first of all, it happened several thousand years ago, any long-lived details will forget, and secondly, for you demons, this topic is especially painful! - It was obvious that Azazel was pleased to tell these specific facts. - Oh, if he was just "strong", but no, boy.... He was smart! He would first strip you down to the last thread, then squeeze all the information out of your mind so that you would be grateful, and at the end, if you were lucky, he would finish you off! Though he didn't like to kill his "cash cows".....
«He was one of "His" favorites, wasn't he?
«Of course, boy! The king of Israel, after all! - Azazel looked at him as if he'd asked something incredibly obvious.
«According to the legends in one of his dreams, He came to him and offered him any item of his choice... - Emeric continued to draw out information. - Solomon chose wisdom, and as a reward He also gave him wealth.....
«I don't know about that," Azazel shook his head. - People like to make up stories about how he condescends to mortals, but I'll tell you from experience. If he ever gave gifts, it wasn't in such an obvious way..." - Azazel drained his glass in a gulp. - But the fact is that King Solomon received his title of the Wisest of the Wise for a reason....
«Give me an example... What was the expression of that wisdom?
«Well, let's say," the fallen man shrugged. - Solomon was never a greedy King.....
«What do you mean?
«King Solomon never looked at 'foreign' things, or rather not in such an obvious way..... - Azazel scratched his forehead in thought. - There were almost no wars under him, and he never showed signs of excessive greed, and the people loved him to bits for that. Though it does not cancel the fact that he earned untold riches, only in other ways. He took exactly what he needed. Trust me, boy... - He addressed Emeric with confidence. - Most people, and I mean people of all species and races, don't have the opportunity, but they want more. And that's not always a bad thing, it's just the way life is. Minorities have opportunities and try to reach for everything they can get their hands on, but... - Azazel sighed and continued. - But there is a special category of people who have opportunities, but take only what is necessary. Practically isolated cases. And King Solomon was just such a person. That's why he was called the Wisest of the Wise....
Emeric, because of his age, didn't quite understand this approach. His mind could keep up with the thought or the "moral" lesson, but in practice.... He didn't see anything wrong with ambition, even though he was not lacking it himself.
«That's it? - He stared at Azazel skeptically. - You don't seem like the kind of man who would genuinely admire only those qualities....
All he got in response was another round of laughter.
«You're right, boy! - Azazel clapped him on the shoulder. - That's not the only and not the main quality that makes me admire King Solomon so much.... And I love King Solomon for his contribution to the applied magical arts!
Emeric immediately picked up on Azazel's thought.
«He was the father of all the current magical systems that humans use....
«Not just magic... - The fallen man shook his head. - Artifacting, alchemy, ritualism, call it what you will, but Solomon was a genius whose inventions, even after thousands of years, are at an unattainable height, even for the gods.....
It became clear to Emeric that Azazel, who was a sincere fan of the cause, loved the King of Israel for that very reason. Indeed, he could remember some rumors about the fallen man, allegedly he was trying to create his Sacred Mechanisms. He had mentioned his passion for artifacts at their first meeting.
«Solomon's keys, isn't it?
«Not just the Keys! - Azazel replied passionately. - Solomon had five great artifacts that can't be approached even now! First of all," he turned to the teacher and addressed him. - Tell me about the group of artifacts that can be combined for the first great creation, namely the Keys of Solomon!
Emeric immediately accepted the rules of this fascinatingly informative game.
«Solomon's keys allowed him to subdue most spirits and representatives of the supernatural, especially my people... - Emeric pressed his lips together, remembering all the facts. - The first is the Legemeton, the most famous part of which is the Goetia. The volume contains information about all the demons, their habits and peculiarities of communication. The second is the "Grimoire Verum," a volume which contains instructions for dealing with demons and how to subdue them. These two volumes were able to make a noble noise in their time, because of the utter impotence on our part. King Solomon did what he wanted..... - Azazel only nodded with a smile. - The last one, the Keys of Solomon, contains knowledge for working with angels and information for creating various rituals and artifacts.....
«That's pretty much right," Azazel nodded. - Then there's the famous Solomon's Ring, which could subdue any sentient being.....
«Mostly used on demons....
«Mostly used on demons. - Azazel repeated in affirmation. - I don't know why, but you were his favorite.... - He came to his senses and continued with solemnity. - Third, the Arch of the Covenant!
«The Arch of the Covenant is an artifact created by King Solomon?! - Emeric perked up, but immediately shook his head negatively afterward. - It can't be! The repository of the Ten Commandments existed long before Solomon existed! Moses himself sort of used the Arch of the Covenant during the Israelites' escape from Egypt! He used it to part the Red Sea!
«There is nothing surprising about this. King Solomon ended up being the greatest ruler of Israel, so it was only natural that the Arch of the Covenant would end up in his possession. - Azazel shrugged. - I wouldn't have mentioned it if it weren't for the many rumors that the King was able to make full use of it. Rumors should be treated with caution, but I can easily imagine Solomon being able to use it....
«At the time of the division of Israel," Emeric inserted. - The Arch of the Covenant was lost.....
«Just like the rest of Solomon's great artifacts... - Azazel shrugged. - Not a single one has survived. There's still an active search going on...
«The fourth artifact must be Solomon's Temple, right?
«Bull's-eye again, boy! - Azazel shouted excitedly.
«I mean, he was destroyed... - Emeric stared at the fallen man in bewilderment. - There was nothing magical about this structure in the legends.....
«That's the official version, but I'll tell you this... - The Fallen One squared his shoulders. - He's been building his Temple for years for a reason. The "real" temple probably disappeared somewhere... There are many indications of this scenario.
A brief pause formed, which Emeric broke.
«And the fifth?
«What's the fifth?
«Didn't you say there were five great artifacts?
«I," Azazel's eyebrows drew together a little perplexed. - Ahh... Shit!" Emeric watched Azazel's wiggles with bewilderment. - It was an accident, kid. This fifth artifact has never been confirmed by anyone... As a zealot, I just like to believe my imagination and unsubstantiated rumors. It was the Mask of Solomon.
«Solomon's mask? - Listening to his memories, Emeric really couldn't recall anything similar.
«Yes," he nodded. - According to the legends, it could 'seal' any individual, and then the 'master' would put it on and become a complete copy of his 'prisoner'. A perfect item of deep disguise that gave its wearer full access to the victim's powers, memories, and habits. On the outside was an individual who was no different from his former self, but on the inside... - Azazel lowered his voice slightly. - The true desires belonged to his 'master'. You can't open something like that!
«Sounds like something... - Emeric waved his hand in the air uncertainly.
«Fantastic? Unreal? - Azazel finished for him, and after his nod, he continued. - That was the whole King Solomon thing, kid. No matter how unbelievable the rumors seemed, they still feared him, because they knew Solomon could pull something like this off....
«I...
Emeric was abruptly interrupted when he felt a call for help. Unconscious, but filled with pain. A call from Ichika that was transmitted through her inner figures!
«I gotta go, Azazel! Thanks for the company, but I gotta go!
Emeric instantly disappeared from the room while Azazel finished the rest of his bottle of whiskey.
«Good luck to you, kid...
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