Paladin of the Dead God - Chapter 222



Only Krnovel

Episode 222. The Wizard’s Tower (3)

Kkwaddudduk!

The part that Isaac touched with his left hand was the part that was not translucent, the flesh that belonged to the ground. The tentacles dug in at once and cut off Nekaruriel’s spine. Even though he was a hybrid of an angel and a dragon, the basic body composition did not change, and when the nerves were cut, his body became paralyzed and fell down.

Taking advantage of that gap, Calurien’s sealing curse instantly covered Nekaruriel’s entire body again. Completely subdued by this, Nekaruriel had no choice but to wait for Isaac’s disposal. However, even in that state, Nekaruriel was unable to suppress his violence and continued to growl fiercely.

[Are you going to eat it?]

“If not, why hunt an untamable beast?”

Of course, Isaac also felt sorry for them. However, unlike beasts that can be tamed or controlled, the chimeras could not suppress their ferocious violence. Above all, Isaac was still hungry.

Then Calurien said.

[If you could tame it?]

“You can tame a chimera? Is there a way to do that?”

[You’ve already seen me control chimeras, right? If you’re not after this guy’s meat, I’ll show you how to control him.]

It was something that had happened in Urbansus, but Isaac belatedly remembered that the army that Calurien had brought had a group of chimeras. If they were uncontrollable, then forming an army with chimeras would have been impossible.

Isaac was delighted.

As with other chimeras, eating this one would most likely yield no benefits. It was literally just meat to fill your stomach.

Although his overall abilities might increase little by little, Isaac was already in a state where his abilities were not lacking. He could eat whales as he went around to relieve his hunger.

However, if you can keep it alive and tame it, you can obtain a translucent flying mount that can teleport – a dragon.

Any gamer would be amazed.

But there wouldn’t be anything particularly good about Calurien?

Isaac wondered why Calurien made such a suggestion.

“Do you feel any sense of responsibility?”

It was a reaction that was not seen when eating other chimeras. Calurien did not respond.

Isaac suddenly remembered the name given to this chimera – Nekaruriel. Calurien had never mentioned the name, but it was clearly displayed in the game.

All dragons are given sacred five-letter names. Perhaps Calurien had some kind of attachment or expectation that should not be attached to a mere test subject.

It would be a shame to just be a bite of food for a passing Grail Knight.

[If you don’t plan on eating the guy, bring Cachulain closer.]

Kachulainn has a dragon heart with Calurien in it.

Isaac brought Kachulain close to Nekaruriel’s wound. Soon the dragon’s heart burned brightly and a powerful force seeped into Nekaruriel.

At the same time, the power flowed up and seeped into Isaac’s left hand. Calurien’s power left a six-pronged tattoo on Isaac’s hand, like Calurien’s horns.

Calurien whispered in a tired voice.

[… … Now he will obey you. But don’t just leave him alone, because you don’t know how he will act with others. He will need food once he leaves the tower, so a horse or cow a day should be enough. Let him walk in the sky twice a day, and when the thunder boils, don’t force him to keep his mouth shut, but let him spit as much as possible. And… … .]

Isaac was perplexed by the string of Calurien’s warnings.

“Why are there so many?”

[Then are you going to throw it away?]

Isaac kept his mouth shut. Taking in a pet is a task that involves a lot of responsibility and consideration. It is not something that should be done temporarily while being intoxicated by the game’s emotions… … In the end, Isaac, who had already decided to adopt, decided to accept it because there was no turning back. Of course, the fact that he couldn’t give up the translucent dragon—the mount—played a part.

***

Since Nekaruriel’s injuries were not small, he had to wait quite a while for him to recover. However, the abundant magical power within the tower was not only sealing Nekaruriel, but also playing a role in maintaining his physical health.

While waiting for the guy to recover, Isaac rummaged through Kalurien’s lab. In fact, this was his real goal, rather than Nekaruriel. There were reagents and materials here that were invaluable to the surface, but that Kalurien had neglected because they were annoying.

Calurien muttered in disbelief as he watched the materials being swept away, which were no worse than the bones of an Archangel.

[How on earth did you know that something like this existed here? Did the Code of Light tell you about such things?]

“Why the Code of Light and not the Nameless Chaos?”

[Because the Code of Light has a light that reveals secrets. And the nameless chaos, as I know it, cannot express normal whispers to you.]

[Nameless chaos watches you.]

Of course, as Calurien said, Isaac thought that the expression of the nameless chaos was quite detailed. Sometimes, it conveyed emotions or sincerity that were difficult to express in words. In a sense, it was more accurate than language.

Anyway, the only reason Isaac knew about this place was because it was a famous farming spot. Isaac, who didn’t feel the need to answer, was about to change the subject, when suddenly Nekaruriel caught his eye.

And then suddenly he remembered the topic he had left off talking to Calurien about earlier.

“Come to think of it, why did I say that giving birth to Nephilim was a sin, not Nephilim?”

[what?]

“No, actually, I thought that the reason Nephilim were considered sinful until now was because they stole the miracles of the gods. But that’s also strange. The faith that a few Nephilim waste is much more than the faith that foolish priests or greedy bishops waste by using miracles. If they’re children of angels, aren’t they guaranteed saints?”

Rather, it would be more desirable if the Nephilim were recognized as a faithful apostle of God on earth. Although the Nephilim may be physically weak, they can possess a much stronger divinity than ordinary humans, and as descendants of angels, their talents and limitations would be much better than ordinary humans. In this case, being connected with an angel could be a blessing rather than a sin.

However, the Nephilim are considered evidence of a serious sin in this world that would even cause the angels to be cast down.

Calurien was silent for a moment, then spoke hesitantly.

[… … Well, it’s a topic I’ve never really thought about. I just thought it was something that was obviously forbidden. Just like human sacrifice, the conception of a Nephilim was also considered a taboo.]

“If it’s a ‘normal’ sin, then something like murder wouldn’t be possible. But as far as I know, angels are experts at murder. In fact, human sacrifice is a humble thing compared to angels tearing people apart… .”

Isaac suddenly closed his mouth as he was telling that story.

The reason human sacrifice is prohibited is because it bestows strong divine powers on the recipient.

This is why the ancient gods were able to build up great power in a short period of time, and the nine faiths obtained the afterlife by prohibiting human sacrifice.

That is, the reason human sacrifice was prohibited was to eliminate competitors.

Isaac extended this idea to the Nephilim.

No, the emphasis was on the ‘act of giving birth to Nephilim’, not ‘Nephilim’.

Suddenly, an epiphany came to me: the gods were not concerned about the very existence of the Nephilim.

‘Is it true that angels are forbidden from reproducing?’

Because if the angels are called in numbers, they can become their powerful competitors.

‘And all other faiths except Elil forbade the practice of swords.’

The reason for prohibiting the use of the sword is to hide the fact that humans themselves can handle divine power. Nevertheless, those who stand out in a different direction are drawn to their side or eliminated.

Isaac’s gaze turned to Nekaruriel, the reason this conversation had begun in the first place.

‘… … Calurien said that the dragons suddenly became incapable of breeding for no reason.’

And the dragons were one of the strongest competitors to the early nine faiths.

It was difficult to see it as just a coincidence that they suddenly became incapable of reproduction when the nine faiths emerged. It was something that happened along with the fall of the ancient gods, but biological reproduction had nothing to do with it.

‘And also that Ruaddin tried to abort the dancer while she was still in her womb.’

To prevent the birth of the Walaika people, Ruaddin ordered Elil to kill his wife.

This is also an act of preparation before the very birth of existence.

The most effective means of controlling potential threats to any nation or people was to limit and control the births of the opposing side.

Isaac began to suspect, or rather, to be convinced, that the gods might actually be suspicious of their own angels and using them as a means of control.

Prohibition of black magic, control of the Nephilim, prohibition of human sacrifice, breeding of dragons, Walaika.

At this point, it was no longer just a guess.

Isaac realized that the taboos of the nine faiths were actually related to preventing the proliferation of uncontrollable beings.

The rulers of Urbanus were using the past to trample on the present and correct it to their own taste. That was how the nine faiths ruled the world through Urbanus.

***

Isaac decided to refrain from telling Kalurien what he had guessed.

The situation was still like that, but he didn’t know the truth. And even if he knew, there was nothing he could do. Calurien might be angry, but with only Dragon Heart left, there wasn’t much he could do.

‘If you talk too much, you may get unnecessary criticism.’

Isaac has become strong enough, but he has not yet overcome the limitations of a mortal. He is still only able to put up a fight against angels.

This time, if Calurien hadn’t been with the Sword of May, he would have been annihilated. Even among angels, the ranks are so clear, so if an angel like Lighthouse Keeper Luaddin were to step on him and say, “I don’t like kids as quick-witted as you,” it’s questionable whether Isaac would be able to resist.

At that moment, Hesabel, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, opened his mouth.

“Hmm, in fact, the relationship between angels and believers is not healthy, so it may be prohibited. Since a power relationship is established, it is easy for one side to be oppressed by authority. If not careful, it could easily lead to sexual violence, so isn’t it prohibited?”

“… … .”

‘Is that so?’

It wasn’t that it was completely illogical. But it was also strange to hear such a perfectly normal statement from a believer of incest who enjoys cannibalistic orgies in heaven.

When Isaac couldn’t bring himself to express such thoughts and just looked at them, Hesabel spoke angrily.

“What do you mean by that? Walaika is as morally free as they are disciplined. And because the pleasure of blood sucking surpasses sexual pleasure, they are actually more chaste than the western continent.”

‘It looks like you’re feeling hurt inside.’

Of course, Isaac knows that the so-called ‘rules’ are only applicable to fellow Red Grail believers. It’s not for nothing that the Walaika headhunters are notorious. When dealing with foreign heretics, they spread out the landscape of ‘heaven’ on the ground.

“If that’s true, then wouldn’t Ellie and the dancer also have a ‘power relationship’? Is there anything more dangerous than incest?”

Isaac’s question was answered by Calurien.

[Hmm, well. I didn’t agree with the union, but since they had mutual agreement and were genetically reborn as completely different beings the moment they became angels, there was no problem. Also, if we’re talking about whether they were of an age capable of rational judgment, Ellil was 250 years old and the dancer was over 30 when they met, so they must have thought it through and made a judgment. I can’t say there were no ethical issues, but they were gods. You could say that they were metaphors for a certain phenomenon or order as humans. The union and separation of the tyrant and the dancer is a metaphor for the historical events of the rise, fall, and division of a kingdom.]

“No, you can’t just dismiss something that actually happened as a metaphor.”

Isaac was dumbfounded, but he didn’t want to talk about it any more, so he put it aside.

The more I talk about this couple, the more dizzy I feel. That’s why mythical stories should remain myths.

But Isaac didn’t miss the thought he had just had.

If the Nine Faiths are so intent on eliminating their rivals, Isaac may one day become their target for elimination. And if that happens… … .

Perhaps Necaruriel could be a good example of how to create an unexpected alliance.