Paladin of the Dead God - Chapter 277



Only Krnovel

Episode 277. From the Abyss Again (2)

Isaac questioned Baltsemer’s sobbing regret.

If Baltsemer had opposed the sect against the will of the lighthouse keeper, could he have avoided the excommunication? Perhaps he could have. In fact, the lighthouse keeper could not arbitrarily excommunicate the emperor, because of the Treaty of Licht.

Since the power of the earth has already been recognized, the exercise of rights that can directly influence that power is problematic.

However, the moment the Baltic Sea delegated authority to the lighthouse keeper, it gave the lighthouse keeper a pretext to break the Treaty of Licht.

However, for the same reason, it is also impossible for the emperor to forcibly take away the power of the pope.

This is also an act of breaking the Treaty of Licht.

That is, the moment Baltzemer became arrogant and wanted higher authority and greater power, he fell into a trap from which he could not escape.

And the path to that pride must have been carefully laid out by the lighthouse keeper.

To create a desirable world where the church rules over humans again.

“So many sacrifices, so much blood, were shed because of me, and my pride made it all meaningless. My family, my friends, my brothers, Ethelheart, Delia, Dietrich… even René.”

Isaac’s face twitched. He revived his suspicions, which he had dismissed because there was no proper evidence and the circumstances made it clear that the cult was behind the actions.

“Was it you who summoned the doomsday agent in Rougeberg?”

“… … That’s right.”

Baltzemer muttered blankly.

“I used the information and relics I found out by digging up the dirty work the sect was doing behind the scenes. I thought I could use this as an excuse to exploit the sect’s weaknesses. I was eager to bring down the sect’s authority and magnify its moral flaws.”

Both Baschul and Isaac, who knew nothing, were speechless.

Baltsemer gambled with his life.

Of course, he must have been confident that he would win the gamble, since it was a gamble on the table he had laid out. However, the gamble failed and quite a few people died.

Also, René Romerc, a knight of the guard who was willing to give up his life to protect the emperor.

“But Isaac, because of you, things ended too easily. Before I was even properly threatened. That’s why I killed Rene when he was poisoned. I wanted to make it sound like ‘the cult’s assassination attempt cost my subordinate his life.’”

Isaac grabbed the knife without realizing it.

I wasn’t close enough to know Rene well, but I knew that he was a knight who devoted his entire life to training, yet was also easygoing and easygoing.

If she had died fighting the enemy, I would have mourned, but I would not have been angry. However, if she had died while being caught up in the political machinations of her superiors… … .

As Isaac fiddled with his sword, Baschul looked at the atmosphere with a nervous expression. However, Isaac soon calmed down.

Rene’s chances of survival were slim at the time of his addiction to the Doomsday Manipulator. Isaac might have been able to do it if he tried, but that would require him to unleash his powers.

Besides, was the Baltic Sea the problem?

The emperor, the pope, and everyone living on this earth are just chess pieces moving according to the heavenly plan. If they deviate from that plan, they are ‘corrected’ or replaced by Urbanus. Whether it’s René or Baltzemer, there is no significant difference in essence.

So who moves the horses? The angels? The nine gods?

For what purpose are they playing this game?

Baltzemer sacrificed his men to create a world where humans rule over the earth. It was a noble cause, and Isaac also agreed and encouraged it.

How far can ‘sacrifice for a purpose’ go?

Isaac felt confused. Baltsemer’s worries, anger, and conflicts were also problems that Isaac would soon have to face or experience.

Now, he too was a sharp corner of the world.

[Nameless chaos watches you.]

‘shut up.’

Isaac pushed the message away in anger as the nameless chaos breathed a spell to prevent over-immersion.

The message of nameless chaos helped him adapt to the world by viewing it as a game. However, if he continues to view the world with the sense of viewing it as a game, he will be no different from Baltsemer or the lighthouse keeper.

Isaac suddenly opened his mouth.

“There is no sacrifice.”

Baschul and Baltsemer looked at Isaac.

“I’m a veteran among veterans. I can win without a fight. If you really need to sacrifice yourself, just cut off my arm. Then you can see what’s behind that arm.”

***

After a brief silence, Baschul opened his mouth.

“What are you talking about now?”

Isaac came to his senses and raised his head. He was so deep in thought that he was talking to himself.

The only conversation they could hear was Baltsemer’s confession about Rene’s death. However, Baltsemer seemed to sense something from Isaac’s words and opened his mouth.

“I don’t know what ‘dead water’ is, but it’s a word that makes a lot of sense.”

Baltsemer smiled for the first time since he had been in this prison and muttered.

“I have had my doubts at times, but you are certainly a great knight. If only half of the Order were like you.”

Although it was a compliment, Isaac couldn’t even imagine what the church would become if it continued like that.

“Baschel, help me up.”

When Baltsemer reached out, Baschul put his arm around his shoulder and helped him up. Although his whole body was covered in wounds from having been half-dragged by a horse, it seemed that he had at least been given a miracle to heal him so that he would not die.

Isaac looked at the sight and snapped coldly.

“Are you finally ready to escape?”

“I still think I’m not worthy. But you two seem to think that it’s better for me to struggle outside than to die here, so I’ll have to wallow around in some dirty way to pay for my sins even if it’s just a little bit… … .”

He tilted his head as he said that.

“I wonder what you think. I have lost my horns, my miracles, my power, and my territory. I am just an old Barbary man. What good am I?”

Isaac looked at Baschul.

Although he agreed, it was Basch who stepped forward with enthusiasm, saying that Baltsemer should be saved first. However, Baschl was flustered and could not answer. Seeing this, Baltsemer quickly realized.

“Is it Ellie’s will?”

“……yes.”

Baltzemer smiled weakly.

He was unilaterally excommunicated from the Code of Light, which he had believed in his entire life, and was saved by an unexpected Elril. This may also be another long-term pawn, but Baltzemer decided to accept it coolly.

It was the same reason as Baschl.

“Fine. If I can get a piece of the church, I’ll take it.”

Isaac, on the other hand, was in favor of rescuing the emperor for more practical reasons.

‘If the Emperor escapes, it will be difficult for the cult to take over the empire.’

The sect has broken the Treaty of Licht on the grounds of the Emperor’s excommunication, and is preparing to swallow up the entire empire’s power that the Emperor held. With the great charisma of Baltsemer suddenly falling, there will not be many who can resist this movement.

But what if Waldsemer escapes Lichtheim alive?

The vested interests of the empire, who do not want to be exploited by the sect, cannot help but doubt the authority and power of the sect. In the end, they will calculate whether to unite or split according to their own interests, and in the process, there will definitely be some bean paste that falls to Isaac.

And Baltsemer seemed to think similarly.

“Have you seen Delia Lyon? She was injured the last time I saw her, but not fatally.”

“I haven’t seen it.”

“Hmm, I know that’s a bit odd to say that.”

Baltsemer thought for a moment and then opened his mouth.

“If we can’t rescue Delia Lyon, it would be better to kill her. If we leave her alive, the cult will use Delia to take control of the House of Lords. The same goes for Dietrich. With Duke Brandt dead, the cult will have a hard time taming the Northern Alliance. So it would be best to just excommunicate me. But… … .”

The Emperor’s disease appears as soon as he decides to run away, so it seems that the Heavenly Emperor is an emperor. Judging from the fact that he is talking about making himself the emperor and killing Delia Lyon, who has been his subordinate for decades.

Isaac kicked Baltsemer in the buttocks to bring him to his senses. Baltsemer, who had suddenly been kicked in the buttocks, looked at Isaac with a startled expression.

“Come to your senses and escape. Stop talking nonsense.”

“… … I talked nonsense. This seems to be a chronic disease. I’ll watch my mouth.”

Baltsemer stumbled as he walked, feeling unfamiliar with the feeling of being spanked. After all, who had spanked the Emperor since he was ten? But everyone needs someone to spank them when they talk nonsense, regardless of age.

***

Isaac disguised Baltsemer as a prisoner, wearing a suitable cloak, and led him away. It was not unusual for confessors to transport prisoners, so he went unnoticed.

‘It’s a good thing the horn fell off.’

Without its distinctive horns, the Baltzemer looked somewhat plain and dull.

Even though that’s what an ordinary person looks like.

But if it had horns attached while escaping, it would have been necessary to cut them off by hand.

About halfway through the Lichtheim underground corridor, a sharp sound suddenly filled the corridor. At the same time, the lights that filled the corridor all began to emit a red light.

Basch muttered, clicking his tongue.

“We got caught. Let’s run.”

There are more than enough reasons to get caught.

It could be because the two confessors were nowhere to be seen, or it could be because the paladins in the prison where Baltzemer was being held were caught changing guards during their shift change. It was a miracle that he had made it this far safely.

The three of them started running in a hurry. However, they could not run very far before the lights in the hallway all went out at once, and they had no choice but to stop. As soon as the lights disappeared, the windowless underground hallway was filled with nothing but pitch-black darkness.

The moment the suffocating darkness came, Isaac reflexively shouted.

“Don’t move!”

“what?”

“Don’t move. This is Lichtheim’s alert. If anyone escapes, all lights are turned off and everyone is ordered to stop where they are. If anyone moves outside of the authorized search party, that means they’re the escapee.”

Baltsemer and Baschul looked at Isaac with frozen expressions.

“So, should we just stay still like this? Until the search party arrives?”

Of course, that can’t be. But the moment they move, their location is immediately determined. Isaac desperately thought about how to escape from this ironic situation. However, unfortunately, a red light was already coming from the other side of the corridor they had walked through.

Isaac felt a sense of unease.

Only then did Isaac feel that the past he had returned to as Urbansus had finally caught up with reality, and that threats and obstacles of the same level had now arrived.

But Isaac still had no idea how to get out.

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud.

Every time the red light came on, a loud noise echoed.

“Isaac, I’m asking because you know everything… … What is the search party in Lichtheim… … .”

“It’s the Golden Lion Knights.”

Only then did I see a man in a golden mask running towards me from the end of the hallway, surrounded by a red light.

Dera Heman. This time, he was wearing full armor instead of pajamas.

This was a passage that showed how urgent the summoning of the Librarian was, but it also led to the terrible conclusion that he would have to face a fully armed Dera Heman.

If things continued like this, I would just run into Dera Heman.

While Isaac was still racking his brain, Baschul strode toward Dera Heman with a stern expression. At the same time, a white light came on above his head.

A bright light illuminated his body.

“Baschel!”

“Be quiet, Isaac. You’ve done well enough. All I’ve done is follow you around. From here on out, I’ll do what I’ve been asked to do.”