Paladin of the Dead God - Chapter 167



Only Krnovel

Episode 167 Muster Order (1)

bang. After finishing interrogating the prisoner, Morse came out, closing the prison door.

The prisoners that Isaac took were immediately imprisoned in Aldeon’s dungeon.

The traitors could have been tortured or executed, but they were only quarantined because they were prisoners captured by the Holy Grail Knight. Thanks to this, Morse was unable to interrogate the prisoners strongly.

No, there was no need for that.

The captured knights answered all of Morse’s questions obediently.

“Have you finished the necessary interrogation?”

Ethelred and Isaac were waiting in the waiting room. Morse greeted Isaac politely as soon as he saw him. General Mors Gideon, who was full of distrust and suspicion toward Isaac, immediately changed his attitude after witnessing his inaction.

In the end, his arrogance also came from the loyalty and faith of being an Elil believer, so it is not something to blame him for.

Because all believers are somewhat exclusive toward other religions.

Moreover, based on the standards of the Elil faith, Isaac was a very powerful warrior and deserved respect.

“It’s just as the Holy Grail Knight said. “I don’t think Lyanna Georg will come out with an army any time soon.”

Isaac nodded.

I thought that once the division ceremony was revealed to the world, Lyanna would immediately lead an army and attack this side. The Hecatli witch hunt created a suitable loophole.

The expedition was intended to capture Hecatli, but it was also a bait to attract Lyanna.

As expected, Georg’s knights were caught, but they did not come to attack Ethelred and Isaac. Just to observe and identify trends.

That means that Georg’s rebels were still stationary in Elion Shrine.

“The scouts’ reports are not much different. “They say that the movement of Georg’s rebels has actually decreased compared to before.”

Ethelred’s expression darkened.

“Wouldn’t it be difficult if Georg didn’t come out of the Holy Land?”

“That’s fine, but staying still is the worst option for Lyanna Georg.”

“The worst? why?”

Isaac said, taking out the division ceremony from his chest.

“General Mors, how much does the division ceremony mean to the believers of Elil?”

Morse had a stiff expression, unable to take his eyes off the division ceremony, and then opened his mouth.

“Supreme King Elil’s last holy sword, God’s final point, the half of a lost heart, a symbol of division, betrayal, and regret.”

“You are a poet.”

“… … It’s just a commonly used modifier. Because the heyday of the Kingdom of Elil ended with the death of Elil. At the same time, it is a symbol of the betrayal and sadness suffered by the king.”

Isaac put the division ceremony back into his bosom.

Morse looked like a sad raccoon.

As a loyal Elil believer, it was heartbreaking to see such a holy relic in the hands of a foreigner, but the return of the holy relic had to be done by the Grail Knight, so he could not interfere.

“Lyanna Georg is preventing such a division ceremony from returning to Elil’s arms. The Georg family, called the ‘Guardians of the Holy Land.’ “This is an issue that could cause conflict not only among the nobles of this country but also within Georg’s rebel group.”

So, the best thing to do is for Lyanna to bring at least a small guerrilla force and attack Isaac and steal the division ceremony. He said there would be no problem if he returned the division ceremony on his behalf. But instead, Lyanna stayed in Elion and prepared for a sit-in. As if she knew Isaac would attack.

“Georg is not appearing? Then we can summon the lords under the pretext of returning the division ceremony. “I think if you call yourself an Elil believer, you won’t be able to stay still.”

To put it bluntly, this is tantamount to heresy. Refusing to return the division ceremony and not cooperating with the return.

It may take longer than expected, but it would be better if this could unite the Kingdom of Elil. Because the time to gather troops will be reduced.

Ethelred asked Isaac carefully.

“What if Lyanna Georg says, ‘The Holy Grail Knight should come alone and return it’?”

It is quite possible. I won’t interfere with the return of the Holy Relic, so the Grail Knight must come alone. However, Georg happened to be the first to provide an answer to that excuse.

“I have already been attacked by Georg’s knights. There are prisoners here, so how can I be guaranteed safety in Elyon? “If you have any face, you can’t say that.”

In fact, it was more like they were raided and captured rather than attacked, but it is true that they were thinking of targeting Isaac and the division ceremony if they could. There were many reasons why Isaac would not risk his life and go to the Holy Land. If they ended up clashing, the conflict would escalate, but if they did well, Lyanna, who couldn’t withstand the pressure, could challenge them to a duel. Then, the whole thing will end with one duel.

Isaac wanted it to be that way as much as possible.

This time, Isaac couldn’t choose the option of sneaking in alone and killing everyone like he did in Hendlock’s territory. There will be hundreds or thousands of witnesses, and it is not anywhere else but the holy land of Elion.

Lyanna is not the problem. The Angel of Elil may appear and crush Isaac’s head.

“but… … .”

“Is there something bothering you?”

“Then wouldn’t we have no choice but to wage an all-out war in Elyon Holy Land? I’ll be honest. The opponents are the Sword Master and the most powerful knights in the Elil Kingdom. The entire Holy Land will be stained with blood. “There will be a massacre either on that side or this side.”

“I don’t want that to happen either. your majesty.”

This expedition will be Ethelred’s first expedition and test as king. Let alone the blood of the enemy, it was not a good thing to have a lot of blood from our allies.

But I couldn’t just make soft noises.

The enemy is inducing a siege and has no intention of yielding. Meanwhile, time continues to bleed.

If we wait any longer, everyone will inevitably end up covered in blood.

Ethelred pursed her lips and looked lost in thought.

Isaac did not stop him. Whatever the choice, it is Ethelred who must bear the consequences.

That agony and despair were also virtues necessary for the king.

***

Ethelred’s summons order was issued throughout the Elil Kingdom.

A messenger went from Wintercall in the far north to Salt Ain across the sea, and even to the rebel-occupied holy city of Elion.

It was the first convocation order since his enthronement.

Ethelred did not take the oath of loyalty immediately after ascending the throne, because in a situation where the country was in disarray and division, taking the oath of loyalty meant clarifying one’s position.

The Kingdom of Elil was largely divided into four.

The royal family of Aldeon in the south, Georg’s rebels in Elyon Holy Land, the Witch’s Forest, a barbaric and unexplored area, and the island beyond the sea, Saltain.

Among them, the Witch’s Forest has now become a force that can be ignored, but most of the nobles are taking an ambiguous position due to lack of power, or due to fate or regional relationships. In this situation, there was no benefit in asking them to swear an oath of loyalty and then confirming that support for the Aldeon royal family was weaker than expected.

Therefore, Ethelred purposely did not take the oath of loyalty and only collected taxes. Thanks to this behavior, the Aldeon royal family was able to be recognized as the kings of the Kingdom of Elil, at least on the surface.

Now it was time to confirm King Ethelred’s true position.

visor! Tak, tatak!

Ethelred’s sword collided with Isaac’s sword and flew off, becoming stuck in the ground.

Ethelred sighed and pulled out her sword.

While waiting for the summoned nobles to arrive, Ethelred trained her sword skills with Isaac almost every day. He is Ethelred, who is bored with all things swordsmanship, but his respect for the Grail Knight and his desire for reform keep him focused.

But not like today.

“The sword is wandering. Shall we stop for today?”

“Oh, no. I was distracted. teacher. “You can do more.”

But Isaac lowered his sword.

“Then he might stab himself in the neck. “My swordsmanship is especially dangerous, so if I make a mistake, I’m in big trouble.”

“but… … .”

“There is no need to feel impatient. Because my skills are improving surprisingly quickly. If you continue training like this, you might be able to use advanced swordsmanship soon.”

Ethelred’s face lit up. Perhaps because her foundation was already solid, with more effort and concentration, Ethel Red quickly absorbed his sword skills.

Isaac honestly wondered if it was right to teach the young king his promiscuous swordsmanship, full of practicality and trickery, but he was teaching it out of personal greed.

‘It is true that my swordsmanship is frankly ferocious, but no one can say anything if it is a swordsmanship that even the Knight King of Elil uses.’

With Isaac’s comfort, Ethelred put her sword away.

“Are you nervous about the summons order?”

“… … Honestly, I’m nervous. When the late King was alive, almost everyone came. It is even said that when he ascended to the throne, an angel Nimlot came and crowned him.”

Nimlot. A famous angel of the Elil faith named ‘Lady of the Lake’, she was a Valkyrie-like being who guided knights to the battlefield and guided dead knights back to the afterlife.

No matter how vicious the previous king was, he was still a king, so it was not strange that he received the angel’s approval. In the Kingdom of Elil, the king is no different from the Pope.

‘It seems that there is no power as solid as the Code of Light.’

“But I had a simple coronation ceremony, and everyone knows that I am a weak child. Besides, I haven’t even met an angel.”

“There’s nothing special about being called an angel.”

Isaac said without thinking and thought it was a mistake. Because it was a statement that could be punished if interpreted incorrectly.

As he hurried to correct his statement, Ethelred looked at him with sparkling eyes.

“angel! Come to think of it, I heard that you defeated the Red Flesh Prophet and faced the Drowned King. Is that true? “Did you obtain the Ceremony of Division after defeating the Prophet of Red Flesh?”

“Well, it’s true. The Ritual of Division was obtained before that, but… … .”

The most exciting story for boys, regardless of era and culture, is the ‘who is the strongest?’ competition.

Even for Ethelred, who hates knights, this seemed like an interesting story.

Isaac tried to explain that the fight between angels is not only a matter of compatibility or theological relationship, but also depends on the will of God, but gave up.

“I guess the angels of Elil are the strongest. “Excluding the wizard Calurien and Nimlot, aren’t the other two great angels meant for battle?”

In the end, Isaac gave Ethelred the answer she liked best. As expected, Ethel Red asked with her eyes sparkling.

“You know very well about the angels of Elil! But isn’t there an angel called the Sword of May in the Code of Light? I heard that a very famous knight became an angel. Wouldn’t he be able to face the angels of Elil?”

Isaac was almost startled by the sudden name, but he managed to ignore it.

“… … Maybe so. However, rather than being famous as a knight, he became known as an excellent swordsman. All of the sword techniques of the Holy Knights of the Code of Light are derived from his sword techniques. “Isn’t the lion knight the most famous among the Elil angels?”

“Elil said that he knows how to use 10,000 types of weapons in 10,000 different ways. The Sword of May sounds similar. “It is more difficult for him to be an excellent teacher than an excellent swordsman.”

Somehow, the story developed so that Isaac was rooting for the Angel of Elil and Ethelred was rooting for the Angel of the Code of Light, but in fact, even Isaac, who played the game, had a hard time guessing who would win.

Honestly, beyond a certain level, angels are closer to natural phenomena than just powerful beings.

VS battles such as whether the Sword of May or the Lion Knight are stronger are effectively the same as saying whether a volcanic eruption or a typhoon is stronger.

The Sword of May is excellent in swordsmanship, but the Prophet of Red Flesh is weak in the combat department. But what if the Red Flesh Prophet plots to harm the May Sword?

Perhaps the sword of May will encounter a cat that has unknowingly entered the bed.

I can only say that each person is strong in his or her own way.

‘Hmm, I was concentrating without realizing it.’

But I also seemed to understand why Ethelred was excited.

It was one of the most interesting pieces of cake among Nameless Chaos users. However, unless it is a great war like the Dawn Army, it is rare to see angels fighting each other.

‘Well, if you see it, it would be better to watch it from a distance… … ‘I don’t want to be around you and get caught up in it for no reason.’

Considering that he risked his life fighting the Drowned King, he wanted to avoid it. At that time, the little boy realized that he had been so busy that he had forgotten something.

‘Now that I think about it, the Sword of May is still keeping its mouth shut to tell me what kind of mission it is to give me?’

***

As the date for the convocation order approached, Aldeon became crowded with nobles and knights from all over the Elil Kingdom. Because nobles did not visit alone due to safety concerns, the lodgings throughout Aldeon were full, and camps had to be set up on the outskirts.

“You need to pay attention to security issues. your majesty. “At times like these, it’s easier for assassins or spies to sneak in.”

Finally, the fateful day.

In the royal castle hall, Isaac recalled the incident in which Emperor Waldzemer was almost assassinated.

However, Isaac’s words made Ethelred and Morse wonder.

“Who said it was an assassination?”

“Georg… … no.”

Isaac realized that he was thinking too Gertonian. The knights of the Kingdom of Elil do not plan assassinations, unless they bring an army and ambush them.

Because assassination is too ‘Red Holy Grail’-like.

They are so fair and square that even traitors are not worried about assassination.

Isaac seemed to understand why they still could not retrieve the Red Holy Grail even though they had such strong military power.

If it were the Gertonian Empire, a small number of elites would have been deployed a long time ago to assassinate high-ranking officials and steal the Holy Grail.

‘If it were Walaika, I would have tried it a thousand times.’

Pooh─

At that time, the door opened with a long horn sound, and the nobles began to enter.

Everyone seemed to be well-dressed, but there was no uniform uniform, so it was a bit chaotic. To Isaac, who had been watching the nobles’ banquet in Ruzberg, it seemed like a gathering of bandit leaders rather than nobles.

Ethelred looked happy as more nobles than expected came in.

Most of the nobles he had seen when he was young were also there.

Isaac asked Morse.

“Has this been enough?”

“It looks like almost everyone has been summoned except for the nobles of Georg’s faction.”

To this extent, it was successful. This was because I heard that there were quite a few nobles who distanced themselves from what happened in Salt Ain. Isaac felt proud that the division ceremony seemed to have had an effective effect.

The nobles whispered quietly as they looked at Isaac standing next to Ethelred.

The next moment, the atmosphere of the nobles suddenly changed from the far end of the hall.

The whispering voices gradually quieted down, and an atmosphere filled with silence, awkwardness, and a sense of guilt spread. Isaac could see that Ethelred and Morse’s expressions were also beginning to harden.

Isaac’s eyes followed their gaze.

Jiik, Jiik.

In the silence, there was a particularly heavy sound of something being dragged.

A thin, elderly woman with dark spots under her eyes was walking silently. A cloak made of blackened seal skin dragged on the floor, sending ashes flying.

In his hand, he was dragging a large sack that could fit a person.

No, Isaac realized that there was indeed a person inside.

Before he could move, Ethelred stood up and spoke.

“Lady Rosalind Saltain, thank you for your hard work in coming this far.”