Paladin of the Dead God - Chapter 300



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Episode 300. The Eyes That Chase Gold (1)

The expedition began the very next day.

Since they were already prepared to go out at any time, there was no sign of bewilderment at the sudden departure. Everyone just rushed out in different directions as if they had been waiting for it.

The Elil Army chose to attack from the east, where the remnants of the Olkan Discipline still remained. The Olkan Discipline was still a threat, but there was no battlefield where they could make a great contribution, and the open plains were ideal for their mobility.

The world’s furnace chose a path that ran across the mountain range.

The rugged terrain presented no problem to the lycanthrope warriors and dwarves. In fact, if they made a straight line across the mountains, they could arrive faster than the knights. For the time being, the orcs would have nightmares about the dwarves coming down from the mountains.

Finally, the Isacrea army, although less elite than the other two forces, was full of morale under the banner of the ‘Isacrea Knights’ and the army protected by ‘Saint Isaac’.

Rottenhammer took an unusual route. He chose the route through the southwestern part of the empire, which was still part of the empire.

Isaac quickly figured out his intentions.

“Are you thinking of bringing in the Dawn Army?”

“It’s important to earn merit, but this is war. If you get there and get better, isn’t that also merit?”

Rottenhammer said with a laugh.

What he meant by ‘attracting the Dawn Army’ was not a ragtag group like the Siero Dawn Army or forced conscription. He meant that he would attract the knights who had not yet decided to join the Dawn Army and the imperial knights who were watching the situation.

It was also clearly important to rescue them before they were swept away by the madness of the sect.

Isaac smiled and accepted Rottenhammer’s intention. In a sense, the path Rottenhammer chose was the most difficult one.

“I will try to visit you often.”

Angela was instructed to move with the Isacrea Army. Gebel was to take care of Angela.

I thought about putting him on the Nell and taking him away, but it wasn’t a safe choice because there might be enemies targeting Isaac himself.

After sending off Rottenhammer, Isaac and Hesabel toured the territory. While they were away, the power of Isacrea territory was greatly weakened.

That’s why we had to prepare countermeasures just in case.

***

Under the Isacre Monastery, in the nameless sanctuary of chaos.

Isaac prepared for the ritual with his heart pounding. And two more new people stood beside him.

A young priest from the capital, Claire, and Neria, who had been reborn from a cult to a real cult.

Both of them were now deeply connected to the nameless chaos.

Isaac considered bringing these and other members of the ‘Isacra Dawn Prayer Group’ to the Dawn Army, but decided not to. You never know what might happen in the Dawn Army, where all faiths collide.

Isaac was recognized for his ‘usefulness’ and received generous treatment from the gods, and escaped several crises, but this did not apply to other believers. Isaac was not even able to take care of himself. Therefore, it was better to use him as a force to protect this base rather than on the battlefield.

The two looked terrified at the sight of the basement filled with bloody veins and flesh.

“Isaac, what is this?”

Claire asked with a frightened voice, looking at the scenery of the sanctuary. On the other hand, Neria seemed to have some idea of ​​the situation. For her, who had studied the nameless chaos for a long time and even been excommunicated, this trace was quite familiar.

“The Nameless Sanctuary of Chaos… … This is my first time seeing it in person.”

“The Sanctuary of Chaos? Is that something like that in the basement of the monastery?!”

Isaac stared at Claire quietly.

Neria seemed to have figured out the situation to some extent. The person she was trying to persuade was Claire, who had once been raised by her unclean grandmother as a candidate for the priesthood of the ‘Watcher Council’, but was now a nameless priest of chaos.

It was time to check if he, who had been broken and reborn on his way here, was ready to face the new truth.

“Yes. This is the sanctuary I dedicated to the nameless chaos.”

Isaac placed his hand on his pounding heart and spoke. Then he took out the ‘Creeping Terror’ mask from his bosom. The moment he saw it, Neria instinctively knelt down and bowed down in worship.

“I am here to meet the leader.”

“You noticed, didn’t you?”

“I wasn’t sure, but I felt that the teachings were consistent. I thought that they had learned the same teachings or that they were the same people.”

On the other hand, Claire was astonished at the title of ‘Cult Leader’. The leader of the Code of Light could be called the Pope, so calling Isaac ‘Cult Leader’ was no different from calling a random person a king.

In a word, it was a treasonous statement.

Isaac gave Claire time to accept and understand. Claire finally opened her mouth.

“Isaac, are you a follower of the Nameless Chaos?”

“It wasn’t my choice, but yeah.”

Isaac answered calmly.

“But nothing has changed. My teachings remain unchanged, and my actions are not false. I will continue to do the same things I have done until now, and you too can do the same. The reason I have shown you the sanctuary is because you are the only ones who can protect this land when I am away.”

“Who threatens the lands of the Grail Knights, who have defeated even the Khan’s army?”

Neria asked as if she didn’t understand. Isaac smiled bitterly.

“Not right now, but it will be different in the future.”

Isaac was looking a little further into the future.

We don’t know how the Dawn Army will end up. If everything goes according to plan, they will be able to capture the Holy Land of Lua before the Code of Light, but they may fail due to unexpected mistakes or interference.

Then eventually someone else will win.

I don’t know who it will be, but at that time, the Isacre territory may be threatened.

“I will leave you with a few sacred relics, my followers, and a miracle. It may not be enough, but it will be enough to get you through. However, when that time comes, I may no longer be able to hide my identity.”

Isaac was willing to protect the territory and its people even if it meant exposing the nameless miracle of chaos to some extent. If the moment he was worried about came, not only the people, but also those who believed in him and followed him, such as Ethelred, Tukhalin, and Isolde, might take refuge here.

Then there is no longer any need to be cautious or picky about means.

“When that time comes, people may fear you, insult you, and spit on you. But even if that happens, you have to endure it. If it means protecting ‘us’.”

“ah…….”

“At that moment, what you have to do is the same as it is now. Show miracles. No matter what kind of life you have lived before, no matter what form you have taken, show that you are miracles to each other. That is all I ask of you.”

Claire realized that the scope of ‘we’ that Isaac was talking about was not just a nameless chaos, but a very wide scope. It even included people who did not particularly support Isaac. It was enough to just have neighbors who could lean on him when he was sad.

Claire and Neria realized that Isaac had been keeping this secret from them his entire life.

The story Isaac was telling so calmly was the rules he had followed his entire life, living in fear that those closest to him would fear him, insult him, and spit on him when they found out his true identity.

But Isaac was revealing the secret to no one else but himself.

To provide a place for their people to rely on when they are attacked.

“Reverend.”

The horrific sight of the sanctuary that the Grail Knight showed was actually Isaac’s weakness and also his divine side.

Claire knelt in worship, seeking a way to repay the trust he had shown her.

“I will follow your words.”

***

After leaving the defense of the territory to Neria and Claire, Isaac was finally able to leave with peace of mind.

Of course, in the Isacre territory, there were Captain Jacquelet, soldiers who had received attribute lessons from Gebel, and Ulsten.

Although it was not apparent on the surface, Isaac’s subordinates were also expected to remain here. However, Isaac planned to summon them whenever he felt the need, so it was impossible to predict when, who, and for how long they would be absent.

In that sense, the ‘last resort’ taught to Neria and Claire gave him some peace of mind.

“Those guys earlier, Isaac, it looked like he would take out his heart for you.”

Hesabel whistled as she recalled Claire and Neria whom she had seen in the basement.

Isaac grimaced as he remembered the unholy ritual of nameless chaos.

“Don’t say dirty words.”

“Yes? Taking out the heart is the most sacred ritual among the rites of the Red Grail.”

Isaac was about to say something when he remembered the moment when the dancer took out Elil’s heart. To imitate the actions of the gods, especially the moment of their birth, was the highest form of praise and worship.

Hesabel praised Neria and Claire for their great faith.

“I guess you saw Isaac’s kind heart after all?”

“It must be the result of Nephilim’s charm at work.”

Isaac snorted in response. He actually believed that he would be grateful if Neria and Claire remained in the estate.

But Hesabel smiled faintly.

During her time as a follower of the Red Grail, she had a history of seducing and ruining many believers and knights. It was her job to make them apostatize and betray. So when she saw someone, she quickly got a sense of how difficult it would be to seduce them.

Claire and Neria will never be seduced or betrayed.

Even if it literally takes my heart out.

Isaac continued speaking, seemingly concerned by Hesabel’s words.

“And I’m not a good person. If I were a good person, I wouldn’t have kidnapped Angela like this just for my own satisfaction. Because of that, the Golden Idol Group became enemies and got in the way. The Black Empire is also a headache.”

“Is there any act more kind than saving a little girl?”

“I just followed that revelation that came down to me.”

Isaac muttered bitterly.

Since he could not decide for himself, he left the judgment to the nameless chaos.

“Angela is just a tool to find the Hand of Midas. That’s all. Once we’re done with our business, we’ll go back to our relatives in the Selmon clan and send them back.”

“okay.”

Hesabel answered with a hearty laugh.

Isaac felt a tinge of annoyance creeping up on him because he didn’t know why she was laughing, but he couldn’t get angry because he didn’t understand why she was annoyed.

Isaac didn’t know it, but Hesabel was watching Isaac from a distance.

‘In the end, isn’t it about rescuing Angela from a situation that is no different from human trafficking and freeing her from the miracle that is entangled with her? There is no need to find the Hand of Midas, but you are trying to find it in advance so that the Golden Idol Group cannot harass Angela.’

By Hesabel’s standards, this can be considered a good deed.

Of course, the standards for good deeds in the Red Grail Club were extremely low, but even by the average standards of the time, Isaac was a saint, truly a saint among saints.

‘Those who are attracted to you are only attracted to the Nephilim, and all the good deeds you do are just calculated to gain revelations or gain benefits? That’s why you find it difficult to endure unexpected praise or love.’

Is there a hero with such low self-esteem? I can’t believe how much they can’t be objective about themselves. Do you think that everyone in the world can’t tell the difference between attraction by miracle, deception, and hypocrisy?

If you think of everyone that way, you’re insulting them.

So, Hesabel enjoyed watching Isaac even more.

‘As expected, the greatest deceiver in history is different.’

She continued her thoughts, suppressing her laughter.

‘The ability to deceive not only the world and God, but even oneself. As expected, my master is on a different level from mediocre hypocrites and deceivers.’

[Serial] The Knight of the Dead God