Paladin of the Dead God - Chapter 168



Only Krnovel

Episode 168 Muster Order (2)

Ethelred’s voice was rough and awkward, as if it had been rusted.

I could see him trying to keep his voice from shaking, but he couldn’t hide the fact that his tightly clenched hands were shaking. Isaac urgently whispered to Morse.

“Were people supposed to come from Salt Ain as well?”

“Yes, I sent a messenger, but there was no reply. Of course I thought they would ignore it… … .”

He is no other person, but a Saltaine person who openly holds the strongest grudge against the Aldeon royal family.

But she came all this way bare-body, without any bodyguards, and carrying a large sack of sacks. At this level, she thought the security at the main gate should have blocked it, but it would have been difficult for her to blindly refuse the invited great lord.

Lady Rosalind Saltaine looked at Ethelred in silence, then bowed with an exaggerated gesture and said:

“Glory and victory to the kingdom of Elil! Long time no see, Your Majesty. “I don’t know if you remember me.”

“… … How can I have a wife? She was always worried about her health. To be honest, it was an unexpected visit, but that made me all the more happy. “How are you, Margrave Theo Saltaine?”

Rosalind smiled loosely. However, an eerie hatred was dripping from beneath the sunken eyes.

“My husband received an invitation and really wanted to visit. But the disease was already so deep that it was difficult to move around.”

“It’s a shame. But I’m just glad that your wife graced the occasion. She took great care to make you comfortable during your stay… … .”

“But as a subject, how could I refuse Your Majesty’s summons order? “He insisted on getting on the boat, saying that he would definitely go and look you in the eyes and advise you.”

Isaac had an ominous feeling.

Rosalind immediately tore open the mouth of the sack she was dragging. At that moment, a terrible stench spread throughout the hall. The nobles hesitated and stepped back due to the strong stench.

“So this is how you ended up arriving.”

Inside the sack was the half-decayed body of Margrave Theo Saltaine.

White salt had dried all over the body, as if it had already been left hard and exposed to the waves on the boat. However, the only remaining gray-white eye was still wide open. He had an expression that made it difficult to think of him as a dead old man.

Rosalind lifted her husband’s body up and began dragging it towards Ethelred. Ethel Red took in her breath as her gray-white eyes turned towards her.

Rosalind’s smile grew brighter.

“Now, Your Majesty. This is the body of my husband, whom His Majesty the late King had longed for! You must accept my loyalty to obey His Majesty even in death. The 80,000 of Your Majesty’s people who starved to death in Salt Ain are probably hoping for that too.”

Click, click.

The salt-dried body hardened and made an eerie sound every time it was dragged. The people who were tired of Rosalind’s crazy spirit froze and could not move.

“Come on, Your Majesty, come on!”

Ethelred tried to step back without realizing it. At that moment, someone patted his back.

It was Isaac.

‘If you show weakness here, it will be the end.’

It was not something to be entrusted to a child. However, Ethel Red also knew that when he gave the order to convene, he would have to face the karma of the previous king head on.

Since he was the king, it was rather insulting to treat him like a child.

However, Isaac was able to push it.

At that time, Morse, who was inferior, shouted first.

“Bring that witch out now!”

The Aldeon knights who had been waiting for orders rushed forward.

At that moment, Ethelred’s voice burst out.

“Get back!”

The Aldeon knights immediately stopped.

Ethelred took a deep breath and walked forward. Her hands were still shaking, but her steps did not stop. Rosalind also stopped and stared at Ethelred approaching.

In his eyes, the dead body of Theo Salt-Ain gradually appeared. Ethelred saw the ghosts of tens of thousands of people who had starved to death inside. It seemed as if he would jump out of the Margrave’s body at any moment and bite off his own flesh.

But Ethelred willingly gave up her neck and shoulders to their teeth.

“You worked hard to come this far. Margrave. Aldeon welcomes you.”

Isaac was impressed by Ethelred’s bolder appearance than he expected. However, the moment he hugged the body of the Margrave of Saltain, sighs and sighs came from all over.

Isaac did not miss the expressions of joy and sorrow on the faces of the nobles.

This was something Hezabel had already been instructed to do.

“I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to talk to you sooner. Considering what was to come, the Margrave’s advice would have been more valuable than ever. “I hope you find rest.”

Lady Rosalind looked intently at Ethelred.

I already knew she was unarmed. However, if there was anyone who could kill a person with just her eyes, it was Rosalind.

However, as Ethelred did not avoid his gaze, he gradually calmed down his expressed emotions.

“… … Thank you for welcoming us with open arms. your majesty.”

Rosalind’s face as she said that just looked filled with fatigue. But Isaac did not think that her murderous intent had completely disappeared.

It’s just changed to a quieter, more concentrated form.

“Excuse me, but can this old man step down first? “I hurried to answer His Majesty’s call, but now that I am older, it is difficult for me to respond enthusiastically.”

“Of course. “I am grateful enough for taking the long walk to get here.”

Ethelred comforted Rosalind and ordered the knights to retrieve the body of Margrave Theo Saltaine. Although the knights looked shocked, they carefully put the body back into the bag and took it away.

Rosalind watched the scene with blue eyes, like a corpse sunken in the deep sea, and then left.

***

Although the start was somewhat dramatic, almost all the nobles responded to the call, except for those who joined Georg’s rebel army.

On the surface, the nobles obeyed King Ethelred’s authority without showing much antipathy or appearing to walk a tightrope. This was a success that exceeded my expectations compared to how nervous I was. If all the nobles obeyed Aldeon, it was possible to stop and kill Georg’s rebels.

But Isaac decided that this was not all that good news.

“What kind of person is Lady Rosalind?”

As the lively banquet continued, Isaac asked Morse. Morse was tearing off a piece of lamb thigh, but when he heard Isaac’s words, he put down the meat with a look of lost appetite.

It seemed like the corpse from before had come to mind.

“She is far from a chaste lady. He’s somewhere in between Elil and the Salt Council. “They say she was a pirate who roamed the entire western kingdom before she met and married Margrave Salt Ain.”

“pirate… … .”

“Well, he claims that he was a righteous enemy, but it is true that he armed himself arbitrarily, formed a force, and attacked the army of the king and nobles.”

“Then the Margrave of Saltaine joined hands with pirates, or rather, armed maritime warlords, for the sake of security.”

“hmm? no. It is said that Salt Ain’s chieftain was fascinated and followed him around during his time as successor. I heard that he almost died several times, but he still pursued and wooed her for three years. “I heard they even went under his wing and looted together.”

“… … .”

“Hmm, but actually, I just heard about it. But after seeing it today, I think it might be true. “I never thought I would bring her husband’s body and throw it before you.”

Isaac doesn’t know much about Rosalind. Because she’s barely mentioned in the game.

Salt Ain itself is not handled very well in the game. Given Rosalind’s age, it seemed unlikely that she would have the strength to be a threat.

‘But its influence cannot be ignored.’

Salt Ain Island is so influential that it is considered one of the four factions that divide the Kingdom of Elil. This is because even after the massacre, it still has a large island and maritime force. Of course, there is a Salt Council behind it, but this means that it can at least influence the nobles along the coast or rivers.

“It seems like Lady Rosalind wanted to ruin this convocation.”

“I guess so. Everyone was so surprised just by coming. “I am glad that His Majesty still responded with dignity.”

How would you have responded if you were King Alfred? At least he would have told her to hit Rosalind’s neck or beat her and drag her away. However, if Ethelred had responded or insulted her in that way, an uneasy atmosphere would have immediately erupted, fostering hostility among the nobles.

‘There are many nobles who regret the massacre that occurred in Salt Ain.’

It’s not just that I feel sorry for them. This is because they are worried that the same thing may happen to them.

Rosalind came prepared to instigate and bring about such an atmosphere. Among the nobles, Isaac clearly remembered those who seemed particularly regretful.

They were probably nobles who had already been recruited, or who hoped that Ethelred’s authority would be diminished.

‘National integration is not something that can be achieved overnight with just a few words… … .’

The late king bequeathed a safe fence to Ethelred, but he made many enemies outside the fence. Now it was entirely up to Ethelred how to protect that fence.

***

Thump thump thump.

As the banquet atmosphere was getting warmer, the knights pounded the floor with their sword scabbards. Ethelred, who had been eating on the platform, stood up.

Ethelred looked down at the quiet hall and opened her mouth.

“Thank you to everyone who came from afar to answer the king’s call.”

Thump thump thump! The nobles responded to Ethelred by tapping their beer mugs on the table in response.

“There are many things you might be curious about or want to hear, but I will skip the details and get straight to the point. “I intend to reconquer the holy land of Elion.”

The hall became quiet as Ethelred spoke. He wasn’t unexpected. Because it was a shameful thing for a representative of the Elil Church to have the Holy Land taken away. Above all, if traitors continue to be left alone, rebellions large and small will never cease throughout the kingdom.

“Of course, there is the Georg family in Elion. But here are my knights, my army, and you. During this expedition, you will not only be treated as my subjects, but as my friends, my teachers, and my comrades in arms.”

Thump thump thump thump! The sound of beer glasses clinking together echoed with more excitement and cheer than before. Beer spilled here and there and ran down the table. To the nobles who remembered the dictatorship and harmful effects of the previous king, Ethelred, who wrote such appeasement, was attractive.

“And above all, we have a holy relic that must be returned to the Holy Land, to Elil, our god, the supreme king, and the vanguard of the eternal battlefield.”

Ethelred took out the Ceremony of Division from her bosom. It had been borrowed from Isaac in advance.

As soon as the Split Ceremony was in Ethelred’s hands, it began to hum and cry. He felt the divine power of Ethelred’s faith in Elil. The ominous red pattern soaked in Elil’s blood glowed even more eerily.

“It’s Gargaldia, the dagger that cut through Elil’s chest. The dancer gave this sword a profane name: Ceremony of Division. “It means a split wedding.”

The nobles who saw this could not take their eyes off him. Their emotions began to boil over, as if their faith naturally responded to the division ceremony.

“That disgusting being chose to betray despite receiving the King’s favor. And then he stole my heart and ran away! So in the end, we had no choice but to watch our God leave us!”

Thump thump thump! The sound of beer glasses being struck became louder.

“After a long time, Gargaldia is back in our hands, which means that it is finally time for our god to return! Gargaldia is just the beginning! We will retrieve all the shrines and holy swords, retrieve the Holy Grail, and complete the achievement of the return of Elil!”

Bang bang bang! The response from the nobles was almost frantic.

There is no knight who grew up without hearing the legend of Elil’s ascension and resurrection. Regardless of whether Ethelred gave a good speech or not, the fact that she did not respond to this speech proved that she was no different from a traitor and a heretic.

At that time, Ethelred pointed at Isaac and shouted.

“The greatest Grail Knight since the Ash-covered Knight will help us on our journey!”

“Holy Grail Knight! “Holy Grail Knight!”

Isaac was embarrassed to be suddenly singled out, but raised his glass without showing it. The nobles also looked puzzled, but when the Aldeon Knights responded, they also joined in. Ethelred shouted with all her might.

“We must return to the Holy Land!”

“To the Holy Land!”

All the nobles also shouted.

‘You’re doing quite well.’

Isaac was slightly impressed. Ethelred subtly inserted a metaphor about Lyanna Georg into her speech. The story between Elil and the dancer is as old as history, but she turned her dislike of the dancer onto Lyanna. Even though there were various circumstances in the Georg family that made it unavoidable.

What was surprising was that Ethelred was well aware of this fact, but actively used it to incite. It was a way of life that could hardly be considered a child.

Isaac couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

‘It looks like you thought about it that much and decided to accept it in the end.’

In this way, Ethelred took one step closer to becoming a true king.

Isaac felt something of a regret about that.