Paladin of the Dead God - Chapter 257



Only Krnovel

Episode 257. The Coming Temple (6)

“Claire, my goodness. This is a sight to behold.”

Isaac heard a report that there was a person wearing priestly attire among those arrested by the patrol team, and immediately confirmed who it was. He had thought that he would arrive late, but he never expected that he would be among the group of Siero Dawn soldiers.

As soon as Claire met Isaac, she fell to the ground on the stairs and began to sob.

“Because of my shortcomings… … I came to see you in such an embarrassing state.”

If he had known Claire was among the group of runaway Dawn soldiers, he would have found a more friendly way to bring her in. However, after hearing the story of the woman who had run away from the house and the report from the patrol, Isaac could tell that Claire had tried to save people in her own way.

The student priest who had the accident in Ultenheim was no longer a priest, but instead had become a respectable human being.

‘I think this might be pretty useful.’

Isaac, who had been half-hearted about Claire, was now excited to see her change. Now, he was a person who was skeptical about the Code of Light and wary of the nameless chaos.

Like Isaac, we might learn the lesson that tentacles can be used in different ways.

“First, wash up and eat. Then tell me about your trip.”

***

“You think I wrote a miracle of chaos without a name?”

Claire came back looking neat and told the story of what had happened.

He had told of his struggles since he left Ultenheim, wandered in foreign lands, and joined the Siero Dawn Army, but only one story caught Isaac’s attention.

When he tried to stop the raid by the Siero Dawn Army, the Code of Light did not respond to his prayers, but the Nameless Chaos did.

“Has something like that happened before?”

“No… … I never even thought about memorizing it. Except when I was performing a ritual… … .”

Isaac touched his face to hide his embarrassment. Up until this point, he had only allowed miracles to a few of his followers. As Isaac grew up, his physical abilities tended to develop naturally, but only a few people allowed him to do what could be called a ‘miracle’.

It was therefore surprising that Claire wrote a miracle of chaos without a name.

Although he performed the ritual of Nameless Chaos, he was not ordained by Isaac, and there was no reason for Nameless Chaos to respond in the first place.

“What kind of miracle was it?”

“It was a prayer I chanted with the intention of grabbing their ankles. A black energy rose up from under the ground and grabbed them. It only lasted for a very short moment.”

“Can you show it again now?”

Claire seemed reluctant to use the nameless miracle of chaos in front of the Grail Knight. However, she could not refuse Isaac’s request, who had already saved her life in Ultenheim. He hesitated and then recited the same prayer as before.

“Let me gather the scattered fragments of oblivion with your hands.”

A black aura rose up on the carpet in front of the fireplace, then quickly disappeared. It was so faint that it would be difficult to notice unless you looked closely, but it was clearly a miracle of nameless chaos. In addition, Isaac felt his divine power being consumed, even if only slightly.

The reason Isaac was concerned about Claire’s miracle was because he was afraid that it might hint at the resurrection of the Nameless Chaos or go into an uncontrollable realm. Just as Camille was studying the doctrine of the Nameless Chaos, there might be more secrets hidden elsewhere. For some reason, the coming of the Millennium Kingdom required the Miracle of the Nameless Chaos, so it was quite possible that it was spread farther.

If they were planning to commit terrorism in the name of some nameless chaos, or in the worst case scenario, cause another outbreak like the White Plague, even if Isaac tried to stop them, it would be unstoppable.

‘But just now, Claire used a miracle by consuming my divine power. It was so weak that it would be hard to notice if you weren’t close by… … .’

Isaac concentrated his consciousness to keep the divine power from leaking out just in case, and gave Claire another order.

“Try it one more time.”

Claire did as she was told this time too. But this time the miracle did not appear. When it did not appear even after repeating it a couple of times, Claire’s face became bewildered.

Isaac was convinced by that sight.

‘… … As expected, a miracle was triggered with me as the catalyst.’

Isaac had once been summoned by Claire in the catacombs of Ultenheim. Although it was only a small part of his soul, it was still a summoning, and she later hijacked his consciousness to help him. Claire was deeply moved by Isaac at this time, and seemed to have developed feelings of reverence for him.

Of course, there was another possibility. This world grants miracles to those who desperately wish for them. Claire’s sincerity moved the world. However, because he prayed to the nameless chaos, a miracle of that kind was realized.

In other words, he became a believer of nameless chaos.

No, in this case it wasn’t a ‘nameless chaos’, it was a named one.

The name is Isaac Isaacrea.

“… … What will happen to me now?”

Claire asked lamentingly.

Isaac realized only after seeing Claire’s gloomy face with what intentions she had confessed this to him. It was a mortal sin to have performed the nameless ritual of chaos, and now that he could perform the miracle, it would not be strange if he were to be beheaded immediately.

He believed that even the most benevolent of Grail Knights would find it difficult to tolerate.

That is, he confessed honestly to Isaac, prepared to die.

Isaac, of course, had no intention of doing so.

“Claire, listen carefully to what I say.”

“yes.”

“I think your miracle came from me.”

“Yes… … Yes?!”

***

Isaac released the colors of the beyond before Claire’s eyes. The colors that crawled out from the center of his left palm were much darker than those Claire had called out, and flowed down in a sticky, thick consistency.

‘This is all I have to show you.’

The tentacles were too irritating. I had to take it step by step to convince him.

“What… … Sir, are you, the Holy Grail Knight, also using the nameless miracle of chaos?”

“okay.”

The reason Isaac can be honest is because, although they trusted him, no one would believe Claire no matter where she went and talked.

The grandmother was a student priest who studied the nameless doctrine of chaos and turned into a monster, and she herself ran away from the seminary to join the beggarly Dawn Army.

Now, even if Isaac, who had been informed of the name of the Angel, were to come and brag about using nameless miracles of chaos, no one would believe him.

‘You can control miracles at any time, you know.’

But if he can be honest and convince Claire, his range of uses increases significantly.

First of all, Claire is a person who can use the nameless miracle of chaos while in her right mind, and is perhaps the closest thing to a nameless priest of chaos after Isaac. Since we have already confirmed his character, it is up to Isaac to handle the rest.

More than anything, Isaac wanted to see what was possible.

It is not that the followers of the Nameless Chaos become madmen, but that the White Plague occurred because the madmen worshipped the Nameless Chaos. Neria and her cult were also part of that experiment.

“What the heck… what the heck.”

“You may be surprised, but it’s true. But you’ve already judged me. Do I look like a crazy person who performs rituals to summon monsters and eat people while spewing tentacles?”

Isaac spoke brazenly, but Claire quickly calmed down and shook her head.

“… … No. That’s not true.”

“Yes. I don’t think you’re a crazy cultist, so I won’t behead you. If you were, I would have killed you in Ultenheim. I wield the power of chaos, but just like you, this wasn’t my choice.”

‘Wait a minute, if creating a character is a choice, then is it a choice?’

But there was no warning that you had to jump into the game and fight for your life, so this isn’t a lie.

Claire nodded as if she had come to her senses.

In the first place, the reason he came to the Isacre territory was to accumulate undeniable good deeds and gain recognition.

To live with honor. To do that, I had to first be honorable to myself.

Isaac said, retrieving the colors beyond.

“But what’s important is how you use this power.”

“… … I understand.”

“I took this power to mean that I was to use it for my own good, regardless of the existing order and system. The more power I have for evil, the more I must strive for good. That is the duty of all who have power.”

Isaac stood up and said.

“First of all, don’t show or demonstrate that miracle to anyone around you. It’ll easily cause misunderstandings. However, starting tomorrow, I’ll tell you a few more things.”

“yes.”

If Claire moves in line with Isaac’s expectations, she will show great growth. And there is also the possibility that she will become an unexpected force when Isaac joins the Dawn Army.

“Where should I stay?”

Isaac smiled at Claire’s question about where to go right now.

“There are people like you in similar situations. They eat a lot of vegetables and are kind to animals, so they’ll do well.”

Claire tilted her head at the strange introduction.

***

‘The empire is going downhill from there.’

Isaac was able to get a sense of the overall atmosphere and situation of the empire by meeting Gebel, Isolde, and Claire in succession.

The empire is heading towards ruin.

A huge number of people are voluntarily leaving for the Holy Land, and the religious order is not picky about the means and methods, even studying the miracles of other faiths. If this continues, even if the Holy Land is taken, the empire will fall or come close to falling.

Taking such a gamble means that the church is also risking its life on this expedition.

As if there was no need to even think about what happens next.

‘… Does the coming of the millennium really mean something like the rapture or the end of the world?’

Isaac thought about the apocalypse of the world he lived in. After all the disasters, the world was destroyed, and God decided who would survive, and even revived the dead and took them to the eternal heaven.

Some may think, ‘Who would welcome such a thing?’, but the believers will not. To them, it is a sacred and holy ending. It is a world where karma is fulfilled, a world where their suffering is rewarded. Many people have died or sacrificed for this ending.

This would have been the case even before the White Plague arrived 300 years ago.

Isaac closed his mouth as he recalled the scene Amundalas had shown him.

If by any chance you are contributing to that end, the Holy Land should not be restored.

‘… … To be honest, it’s not like the current situation is entirely my fault.’

It was Isaac who persuaded the Emperor to incite the Dawn Army. However, even if the Emperor had refused, the Dawn Army would have risen, and the persuasion was intended to lead the Dawn Army, which was already going to rise, more successfully. However, this level of madness was not expected.

The Siero Dawn Army was particularly problematic.

‘If we start touching the top of the Golden Idol, things will go wrong, and it will be difficult for the religious order to control it, so that’s a problem.’

Not only is the upper part of the Golden Idol useful, but there will also be more than one or two bishops and priests who receive tribute from them. Naturally, they will try to control them, but the more people there are, the more problems there will be.

Obviously there will be problems.

It’s just a question of how big the problem becomes.

The expeditionary force of the Kingdom of Elril will soon be dispatched, and the supplies of the World’s Brazier Cult are also coming in. The Golden Idol Merchant Group is constantly transporting logistics for the Dawn Army, feeling the lack of both war specials and public security, and the Salt Council is also moving to awaken the sleeping god.

In the midst of all this, it seemed pathetic to worry that a group of beggars might cause an accident.

‘Then what is the Black Empire doing?’

The Red Grail would already be involved in plots and operations behind the scenes. The Olkan Discipline would certainly show its moves, but Isaac could not tell whether it would be before or after the declaration of the Dawn Army.

However, the Immortal Church was strangely quiet.

It has always been that way. The Undead Cult has never organized a large-scale expeditionary force to subjugate the Empire, except for the occasional terrorist attack or pillage. They have simply focused on defense.

But there’s no way they’d do nothing in the face of such a large-scale expedition.

They must be doing something, obviously.

***

After a while, as Isaac had worried, the problem finally broke out.

In a way that neither Isaac nor anyone in the Empire could have expected.