Neil listened to the emperor's words, and simply bowed his head. "I give you my oath." 

He had known what artifact he was destined to use, and let before he went to pick it up, he adsorbed himself in prayer. His concentration was broken when Sue revealed her weapon, and her identity. He had heard of her tale, though he did not know how it ended until now. He knew the situation was dire, though he was not aware of how desperate the emperor was until now. 

He finished his prayer, and walked over to a shield made of silver and sapphire. The shield floated into the air seemingly by itself until it was lifted high enough to see the tendrils of shadow that gently pushed it into the air. He carefully grabbed it with both hands and looked into its mirrored surface. 

It was beautiful, though now was not the time to admire its craftsmanship nor revere it. It was time to wield into battle, and once the scorn were annihilated from the earth, it would be returned to the church.