All in Charisma (A LitRPG/Isekai Adventure)

Justin activated Gentleman's Sidestep just as Reginald struck like a missile.

[Elegance in Motion is active.]

When the rooster hit the floor behind Justin, an explosion of violet fire erupted from the impact point.

Lila screamed as the flames engulfed her, collapsing.

"Justin, point!" Alistair shouted, sprinting toward the fallen Songbrewer.

Justin couldn't afford concern. If he didn't commit to the tank role now, they were all dead.

For the first time, he saw the rooster's information.

Sir Reginald the Bold

Level 35 Rooster Knight

Mythic Rank

Behind Justin, Alistair's healing magic flared. The fires extinguished while Lila stirred, gasping and staring at the rooster in disbelief.

Justin knew Alistair had just used his most powerful healing spell, Lay on Hands. He would likely be locked out from using it for a long time.

"Damn, this cock packs a punch," Justin muttered.

"HOW DARE YOU, SIR!"

The rooster's voice rang through the chamber—crisp, outraged, almost posh British.

Justin froze. "Did that chicken just—"

"I am a ROOSTER, you cur!" Reginald crowed, and lightning lanced toward Eldrin, who barely dodged. "Have you no manners? No decorum? No HONOR?"

Justin frowned. "You... talk?"

"Of course I talk, you simpleton!"

The rooster then launched itself at Myrelle, wings spread wide.

"Witness the consequence of your vulgarity! Have at ye!"

A purple cloud erupted around the bird. Justin's eyes grew heavy as he swapped to Elea's Whisper.

[Sleep resisted by Elea's Whisper.]

Myrelle crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

"One down!" Reginald announced with satisfaction. "Who's next?"

Justin launched a Fireball at Reginald—not expecting damage, just attention.

It worked. The bird's glowing eyes locked onto him.

"You dare attack a knight of the realm with such paltry magic?"

Justin activated Dandy's Swagger, strutting forward with a twirl of his cane. "If you can talk, we can negotiate!"

"Negotiate? After you insulted my martial prowess? I think not!"

Reginald shrieked and launched himself at Justin.

This time, Justin didn't dodge. His cane swung automatically, connecting with the rooster mid-flight and sending it flying backward.

[Gentleman's Rebuff has shielded this attack!]

[1 Advantage gained.]

"A lucky blow!" Reginald recovered in mid-air, wings flapping furiously. "But luck shall not save you from justice!"

Justin charged. Reginald met him head-on, beak blazing with fire. "Your form is atrocious! Your footwork abysmal!"

The beak darted in—once, twice. Justin dodged the first strike. The second caught his shoulder, and lightning exploded through his body.

He screamed but kept moving. His Ring of Regeneration triggered, spreading blessed coolness through his limbs.

"That all you've got, Reggie?" Justin taunted, activating Poison Barb. "I'm about to turn you into a chicken nugget!"

"REGGIE?" The rooster froze, stunned by the insult. "You... you DARE?"

[Poison Barb refreshed.]

Justin activated A Proper Send-off. His cane connected with a crack. "Yeah, I dare!"

Violet feathers exploded into the air as Reginald tumbled through space—straight toward Eldrin.

"Insufferable! Intolerable! UNFORGIVABLE!"

Eldrin tracked the rooster's flight and released a black-feathered arrow.

Direct hit.

"My eyes!" The rooster crowed in pain as dark magic assailed him. He flapped wildly. "What treachery is this?"

"It's vulnerable to Darkness!" Justin called. "Eldrin, keep hitting it!"

"That's the idea," Eldrin replied, nocking another arrow. "Just slow it down, Justin!"

"Cowards!" Reginald shrieked. "Face me with honor, not shadow-magic trickery!"

Justin swapped canes. Gentleman's Rebuff was locked out for the rest of the fight anyway. The switch took seconds, but now he had access to Drake's Breath. With decent aim, it could slow the rooster.

Justin gave chase, but the Darkness effect had already worn off. Reginald's eyes locked onto Myrelle's unconscious form.

"Ah! A defenseless maiden! Perfect target."

He charged.

Justin rushed to intercept, but Reginald pivoted. "Aha! Predictable!"

He launched himself directly at Justin—the same missile attack from before. There was no chance of dodging.

Justin activated Sapphire Aegis.

The shield flared just as Reginald struck. "What vile sorcery—"

The impact drove Justin into a column. The rooster exploded in a nova of violet fire—all of it absorbed by the shimmering shield.

"Impossible!" Reginald squawked. "No one has ever—"

Justin activated Poison Barb again. "What's the saying, Reggie? Winner, winner, chicken dinner?"

"STOP COMPARING ME TO FOODSTUFFS!" the bird squawked, but this time the stun didn't take hold. "And I am NOT dinner, you RAPACIOUS RAGAMUFFIN!"

Rather than continue fighting, Reginald retreated.

"A tactical repositioning!" he announced. "Not a retreat! There's a clear difference!"

"Get back here!" Justin shouted. "I'm not done with you!"

He needed Reginald's attacks to make the most of his Sapphire Gambit.

"Oh, but I am done with GROUND combat!" Reginald took flight, shrieking. "Behold the majesty of my aerial form!"

He leaped into the air, making a circuit of the chamber, firing lightning lances from his beak. "Dodge this! And that! Ha! Hopeless ground-dwellers!"

Myrelle was awake; she joined Eldrin and Lila behind a pillar. Only Alistair and Justin remained in the open, Justin trying to absorb all the attacks he could.

Then Sapphire Aegis winked out.

Justin didn't need to hit the bird with his cane. Even a ranged attack would trigger the stored energy.

But he had only seconds.

Reginald banked hard and dove for Alistair, claws extended. "Face the wrath of a TRUE knight, Sir Paladin!"

Justin charged. "Alistair, move!"

The Paladin activated his Leap of Faith skill, jumping backward.

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"Running? Even the holy flee my might!"

Justin unleashed Drake's Breath. Reginald tried to veer away—the frost caught him. From the shriek, this one hurt.

The rooster plummeted, grounded.

"Ice? ICE? This is cheating! Rank cheating!"

Alistair charged back in, reclaiming the tank role. Eldrin emerged from cover, arrows flying. Lila's voice rose in song.

[Bardic Inspiration is active. +10 to Coordination.]

"Oh, splendid!" Reginald squawked, breaking free of the ice. "Music to accompany my VICTORY!"

The buff took hold. Eldrin's next arrow struck home, then another, spreading more magic.

"OW! Stop that! Have you no respect for—OW! That was my good wing!"

But even blinded, the rooster was too fast to pin down.

Justin downed Lila's cooldown refresher potion. Upper Hand and A Proper Send-off were available again.

He had one last chance to make the Sapphire Gambit work, assuming he blew the Advantage charges of Upper Hand on another cooldown reset.

But Justin wanted to save it for Blackwood, so it had to be a last resort.

The fight developed into a brutal stalemate. When Justin tried to slow him with Drake's Breath, the rooster gained distance.

"Frost magic? Again? Have you no imagination?"

When Eldrin loosed arrows, Reginald simply took flight.

"Arrows? STILL? Learn some variety!"

Myrelle's cane strikes found feathers but never flesh.

"Madam, your technique is appalling!"

Lila's knives were the same—she might land a hit now and again, but the rooster was too fast, too wily. And any time he took damage, he bathed himself in healing light.

"The miracle of healing spells! Something you lot clearly lack!"

But the party learned his patterns. The sleep cloud preceded the lightning barrage and could be dodged. His fire explosion required a two-second charge, and his missile attack left him vulnerable for a heartbeat after impact.

They survived by inches—dodging, healing, coordinating, and burning through potions and cooldowns.

But they weren't winning; they were just surviving.

After minutes of this, Reginald crowed after sending Alistair sprawling with a lightning-charged kick.

"And STAY down!"

The Paladin struggled to his feet, breathing hard.

Then the rooster was airborne again, diving at Eldrin. "Your turn, arrow-pest!"

Eldrin tried to dodge, but a talon raked across his shoulder, drawing blood through his armor.

"First blood! Oh, wait, no—that was half an hour ago!"

Eldrin stumbled behind a column, clutching the wound with a curse.

Myrelle lunged forward with her cane, managing a glancing blow that inflicted Sunrot poison.

"Poison? POISON? Have you no honor, madam? En garde!"

Reginald whirled, his beak catching her across the cheek. She cried out and fell back, blood streaming from small cuts, while the rooster bathed in healing light.

"You were supposed to block that, madam. Shall I enroll you in lessons?"

Lila's voice rose in song, maintaining her buffs even as her throat cracked from exhaustion.

"Your voice cracks like a juvenile sparrow, my lady!"

A fireball conjured from Reginald's beak forced her to dive. She rolled, came up singing, but her voice could no longer manage the high notes.

"See? Completely inadequate!"

Justin couldn't keep up; the rooster just flew away, and his insults seemed to have no effect. When Reginald finally focused on Justin, Justin attempted to block a missile charge with Drake's Breath. However, it only slowed the impact, forcing him to one knee. His Ring of Regeneration pulsed as the rooster's beak pierced his shoulder.

"You're slowing down, nugget-boy! Who's turning into dinner now?"

Justin was too winded to respond. He was living second to second.

Alistair charged back in, hammer blazing.

"Still trying? How rude! And how pointless!"

Reginald leaped over the strike, landed on the Paladin's helmet, and kicked off with both talons in an electric burst.

"And that's what we call adding insult to injury!"

Alistair went down hard, his war hammer skittering across the floor.

"Sir Paladin, your weapon!" Reginald taunted. "You're supposed to wield it. Is this the stock we're getting out of Mont Elea these days? Pathetic!"

Eldrin loosed three arrows in succession. Reginald dodged two, caught the third in his wing—and didn't even slow down.

"OW! That stung! Well done! But ultimately futile!"

He flew into the air, and when the Darkness effect dissipated, he dive-bombed Eldrin, claws extended. Eldrin barely raised his bow in time to block, but the force drove him to the ground.

Myrelle tried again, swinging wildly.

"Desperation! Fear! I can taste it!"

The rooster ducked under her guard and pecked her wrist. She dropped her cane with a yelp, reaching for her potion satchel.

They were falling apart.

Justin had no choice but to activate Upper Hand, burn his Advantages, and trigger Sapphire Aegis. But that meant he wouldn't have it for a later fight.

If he could tank Reginald's missile attack, absorb the damage, land the counterattack, and use Dazzling Display to hold the rooster's attention...

It was desperate. Probably futile.

But it was all they had.

He took a breath, ready to activate Upper Hand...

"ENOUGH!"

The rooster fluttered toward the statue and settled atop the shattered amethyst, puffing out his chest. His violet eyes swept across them—Alistair on his knees, Eldrin bleeding, Myrelle weaponless, Lila hoarse, Justin barely standing.

"And now," he said, "it's time to negotiate the terms of your surrender."

Justin stepped forward, straightening his coat despite his exhaustion. With his Charisma, perhaps diplomacy was worth a shot.

"How... how can you even talk?"

"'How can you even talk,'" Reginald mimicked in a mocking falsetto. "That's the question you have for me, you dastardly, dithering dotard? Have you learned NOTHING?"

"Sir Reginald," Justin began, channeling every ounce of his Charisma to keep his voice smooth and reasonable. "I think we got off on the wrong foot—er, talon. What do you say we—"

"Excuse me?" The rooster's eyes blazed violet. "Was it not you who just said—and I quote—'I'm about to turn you into a chicken nugget?'"

"That was... I was just... it was all in good fun?" Justin tried, wincing at how weak it sounded. "Heat of battle and all that. People say things they come to regret. But really, why are we even fighting? Are you guarding something? Where's this weapon we're supposed to find?"

Reginald's body puffed up like an indignant balloon. "The weapon you're supposed to find?" His voice rose to a shriek. "You stand before the tomb of King Harland the First, in the presence of his loyal knight, having opened a sealed door with royal blood and battled me for—" he paused, as if counting "—thirty-nine minutes, and you have the unmitigated gall to ask WHERE THE WEAPON IS?"

He hopped forward, each step punctuated with furious clicks of talons on stone. Myrelle gasped and stepped back.

"I am Sir Reginald the Bold! I served at King Harland's side for thirty-seven years! I advised on matters of state! I led charges against the Calidonian Incursion! I trained three generations of the Royal Guard! And you—you—treat me like common poultry!"

"To be fair," Lila muttered, "you are technically a chicken."

Reginald's head swiveled toward her. "I am a rooster. There is a difference. And I am also the weapon you seek, you insufferable—" He caught himself, ruffled his feathers, and continued with forced dignity. "I am this weapon, bound by blood and oath to serve the royal line of Aranthia, the Family of Alidor."

Silence fell over the chamber.

"Oh," Justin said. "That... actually makes sense now."

"DOES IT?" Reginald's voice dripped with sarcasm. "How gracious of you to notice!"

Alistair stepped forward, placing a fist over his heart. "Sir Reginald, forgive our ignorance. The stories have been... simplified over the centuries. We knew of your duel with Princess Eleanor but not the full truth."

"Centuries?" The rooster's demeanor shifted slightly. "How long has it been since my interment?"

Justin studied the rooster's face—or what passed for one—with Insightful Gaze. Despite the creature's power and pride, the answer to winning him over was obvious.

Flattery. But it couldn't be too overt.

"A lot has changed," Justin said carefully. "You're on the Aranthian flag now, Sir Reginald."

The rooster's posture softened. "The flag, you say? In what manner?"

"It's flown all over Aranthia," Lila added, catching on. "On the Royal Crest. From the Middle Ocean to the West, from the Isthmus of Velandia to the Ghostly Sea, the Rooster Rampant is known and feared."

Reginald gave an approving cluck. "You don't say?"

"The duel," Alistair pressed. "We know a version of the story that says King Harland appointed you heir to the throne over his daughter, Eleanor. Is that true?"

"Ah. Yes. The duel." Reginald's voice took on a distant quality. "Princess Eleanor the First. I was hesitant to accept the honor, though loyal to my king. I had the experience, if not the blood. She was a formidable Level 30 Storm Sorceress and the finest opponent I ever faced. For three hours, we fought before the Belmoran court. She wielded wind and lightning while I countered with my elemental magic and... unique talents. Back and forth, thrust and parry, spell and counterspell... such a fight has never been seen in all the ages of Eyrth, except perhaps the Phoenix of Light and the Harrower..."

His violet eyes settled on the broken idol, distant with memory.

"But in the end, she bested me by the barest margin—a desperate gambit that left her unconscious for two days. The Healers said it was a miracle we both lived." His voice grew quieter. "She earned my respect that day. When she took the throne as Queen Eleanor, the First of Her Name, I could not bear the shame of my loss. I asked instead to be interred with Harland I—to guard his memory, for I could not succeed in carrying out his will. By the blessing of Arion, the magic of my core became one with his, solidifying into that crystal you see now. You are the first to enter since that fateful day. Naturally, I had to defend my liege's honor."

"So that's why you're here," Myrelle said. "In a tomb."

"I am a knight," Reginald said. "And knights do not outlive their purpose. My fate was to sleep until the royal line of House Alidor should truly need me—should they face a threat they could not overcome alone. The door was bound to open only by royal blood. At first, I thought you might be legitimate petitioners." His eyes focused on Justin. "And then I heard the crassest, vilest words—an insult to my dignity and that of my master, the King."

So Justin's first comments had brought needless pain. But how could he have possibly known?

"Forgive me for that," Justin said. "It's not a mistake I'll make again."

"I should hope not. So, you are truly petitioners for my services," Reginald said, his tone softening. "But I fail to notice which of you is royal."

"It's me," Lila said.

"You? Ah, yes, now that you mention it, I can sense the royal blood in you, diluted though it is. Not as pure as Alidor, but something of that blood flows in you."

"Or perhaps something of hers in the Alidors," Eldrin mused. "She is of the line of Starfire."

"Starfire." For the first time, Reginald's voice carried a note of respect. "That line has been dead for centuries, but 'tis said that no royal blood is truly royal without a contribution from the Starfires. So it makes sense the door opened for you." Reginald ruffled his feathers. "All that said, I cannot leave this place unless the royal line is in mortal peril. As such, I must send you on your way."

"House Alidor is in danger, Sir Reginald," Justin said. "Queen Eleanor II needs your help."

Reginald's head snapped up. "What?"

"The Cult of Morvath," Justin said quickly. "They've infiltrated the palace. They're using blood crystals to enthrall the Queen—to turn her into a puppet. We came here because we're out of options. We're too weak to fight them alone."

"How did this happen? I can scarcely believe it!"

"Even we're not sure of all the details," Justin said. "But we're running out of time. The ritual—whatever its goal—could be completing any moment in the throne room."

"And you didn't simply say this when you arrived?" Reginald demanded. "I would have stopped fighting you at once!"

"You attacked us!" Lila shot back. "How could we know you were the weapon?"

"I attacked because this one..." Reginald pointed his beak at Justin, "made disparaging remarks about my character! Things only the most knavish individual might say." Reginald shook his head. "But there's no use crying over what is lost."

The party watched as Reginald fluttered toward the door and pecked at a specific rune. It glowed, and the door began to grind open.

He glanced back at them, violet eyes stern.

"Well? Are you coming or not? We have a queen to save and some death-worshippers to send to the Nether. Try to keep up, and by the Six, stop gawking. We haven't time to dawdle."

The rooster strode through the doorway with confidence, leaving the party to exchange bewildered glances.

"Did we just get recruited by a chicken?" Lila whispered.

"Rooster," Justin, Alistair, Eldrin, and Myrelle corrected in unison.

[Sir Reginald the Bold has joined the party. You now benefit from his Elemental Aura, gaining 35% resistance to all elemental magic.]

"Nice," Justin said.

They followed Sir Reginald into the darkness.