Paladin of the Dead God - Chapter 309



Only Krnovel

Episode 309. Siero Dawn Army (5)

Isaac won back the hearts of the people of Kraan Castle by returning the looted treasures and punishing the criminals severely, but there is actually an easier and simpler way.

It is about bringing the legitimate social leaders of that region onto the same side.

Ordinary people have a psychological inertia that makes them unwilling to see the existing system collapse.

If there had been a leader of Krann who could be persuaded, Isaac could have suppressed the signs of rebellion without having to work hard to control the people. But with the king of Krann now an undead and outside the castle walls, he had to find some sort of moral justification.

Of course, Isaac also considered alternatives.

“King Krahn’s blood relatives?”

“Yes. I’m sure Batena Krann had sons or daughters. Did he capture and kill them too? Or did he escape with their father?”

Siero looked puzzled at Isaac’s question.

“Well, I haven’t heard any such reports. But it seems like they had siblings.”

The Krahn Fortress is just a passing point in the game. It is remembered because of its special protection, but it is not a strategic point.

Although he remembered the king, Isaac’s memory was not so delicate as to be able to remember his children in detail.

Isaac thought for a moment and then opened his mouth.

“If those children weren’t dead, King Krann wouldn’t have taken them. There aren’t many people who would be brave enough to take their living children to the Undead Cult.”

Isaac was about to say that there was absolutely no such thing, but then he thought of Angela and quickly changed his words. After all, wasn’t it because of Angela that he had run so hard to Audrey in the first place?

Isaac suddenly missed the mercenaries and bandits that the Golden Idol Order used to send out so diligently. If they were there, they would be able to get on the nerves of the Undying Cult.

“It’s possible that someone among the residents is protecting them. Investigate the maids, servants, and soldiers who worked in the palace.”

“Are you trying to take me hostage?”

Isaac felt a sense of disconnect as Siero looked at him with an expression that seemed to ask how he could commit such a terrible act.

He shook his head.

“I didn’t mean to… … but it can’t be helped that it looks that way. But in order to avoid the undead swarming through the fortress’ secret passages, we need to catch them first and show them that ‘your children are safe.’ So that King Krann doesn’t cross the line.”

“A secret passage?”

Isaac was about to give a rough instruction and move on, but his head started to hurt slightly when he saw Siero’s expression as if asking what he meant.

“You didn’t even investigate the secret passage?”

“Is there… something like that?”

“Then of course there is. After King Krahn was killed, he escaped from the fortress? Then, did King Krahn escape through the gates and streets swarming with the Dawn Army? There must be one or two secret passages in this fortress? No, damn it. Then there’s no way he would have closed the passages. Run!”

Siero ran like a whipped horse, then stopped and turned back.

“Should I look for the child first or should I look for it through the secret passage?”

“… … Find the successors first! This time, use the charm of the Nephilim to persuade them. I have a guess as to where the secret passage is.”

Siero ran again. Devan followed him with a complicated expression. Isaac stared at his back quietly and then turned around.

‘It was worth mentioning the secret passage.’

It seemed like it was time to get moving.

***

“Brother, this situation is getting boring. What should I do?”

“Be quiet. Damn it, if you’re a Grail Knight, you should just quietly defeat monsters like a Grail Knight, why are you even bothering small-time citizens like us… .”

Devan paced around the room, biting his fingernails nervously. He didn’t like the situation.

When I first discovered Siero, I found it quite interesting. Some brothers laughed at him as a worthless fanatic priest, but Devan didn’t think so.

Although Siero was a somewhat lacking character, he had a rather plausible talent for propaganda.

Devan, who has a talent for reading the times (or so he thinks), predicted that the coming era would be one of madness and demagoguery.

It’s the same with religion and country, but those who can’t unite are the first to die.

Devan became an ardent follower of Siero and followed him willingly.

‘At first it was like that. But… … .’

What happened next went in a direction even Devan could not have predicted.

Even Devan himself was influenced by Siero.

It’s like trying to fool people and ending up fooled by your own lies.

As Devan listened to Siero’s passionate speech, he thought that maybe he was being sincere, and as the Dawn Army’s madness spread throughout the Empire, he even had the illusion that Siero’s Dawn Army was invincible.

‘I think it was from that moment that things started to go astray.’

Of course, reality doesn’t flow as Siero’s fancy speech suggests.

Apart from his great ability to incite, Siero did not have the ability or intelligence to run an organization. If he had been entrusted with the Dawn Army, it would have become an organization like a sand castle, where people would gather in an instant and then fall apart repeatedly.

Devan, who had some experience in running an organization, gritted his teeth and took a risk.

First it was threats, then it was robbery, then it was plunder… … It was a matter of seconds before it led to murder to prevent witnesses or retaliation.

By then, Siero Dawn had already become a monster that no one could stop.

People who are unable or unwilling to take responsibility have come to control an organization that is overly powerful.

Not only Devan, but even Siero was terrified.

But we couldn’t stop here.

If we hesitated here, the main force of the Dawn Army would chase us and shake their hammers, asking, “What are you doing instead of going?”

After hearing a rumor that an angel had appeared and blasted the emperor with one blow, his obsession became even more intense.

But the battle was a losing one after another.

Dealing with the orcs and undead of the Olkan Discipline was a completely different matter than preying on the humble homes and nobles of the safe empire.

From then on, the Dawn Army began to collapse to the point that even Devan could not control it.

That’s where tragedy struck.

He killed the king of Krann.

“I really shouldn’t have killed King Krann… … .”

When someone muttered something resentful, Devan glared at him with bloodshot eyes.

“shut up!”

“… … .”

The opponent obediently surrendered, but the resentful look in his eyes did not disappear.

The murder of King Krahn was not an accident, but a planned murder.

Even the brothers who had been with Devan for a long time showed reluctance at the idea of ​​touching the royal family of a small country, and especially the followers of the Light Code. After all, they were the Dawn Army in name only.

But Devan was desperate.

Meanwhile, Devan has been trying to secure a base somehow. If there is a base, even if the army temporarily disintegrates, it can be reassembled at the base. An organization with a base and an organization without a base are completely different.

Even so, it would be nonsense to touch the Holy Empire of Gertonia. It is now practically territory owned by the Church of the Light’s Code.

The Krahn Fortress that appeared in the meantime seemed perfect to Devan. It was foreign, located at a strategic point on the Dawn Army’s route, and even had strong walls protected by miracles. If Siero could establish a base here and lead the Dawn Army, it would certainly be possible to operate the organization much more safely. In a way, it also seemed like a solid retirement fund from which to escape safely.

But who on earth would have thought that a king would take out a life insurance policy?

After that, the Death Knights and Liches of the Undead Cult attacked. Most of the Dawn Army, who were unable to enter the city and were camped outside the fortress, either turned into zombies or fled, and Devan and his party, who had taken the throne and were taking a breather, were trapped inside the walls.

And when the priest Siero fled with a few of his followers, the spell of fascination that had been cast over Devan was completely broken, especially when he learned that Siero had not taken him with him.

‘But when the runaway priest Siero returned with the Grail Knight, I thought it would be a chance to start over properly… … .’

Devan bit his lip and hit the wall.

Isaac was already suspicious of himself. That’s why he threw out a few of the more radical members of his gang as bait. He silenced the last one who was on death row before he could say anything nonsense, but his eyes of suspicion remained unchanged.

Since it had come to this, there was only one way.

“… …The kids?”

“There are some guys who went to look for Father Siero. They’ll find him soon.”

Devan had actually found the secret passage early on. He had found it thanks to the blood trail King Krann had left behind that couldn’t be hidden. He didn’t tell Siero, though, for fear that he would run away again.

Devan muttered with bloodshot eyes.

“Bring them to me as soon as you find them. That’s the only way to negotiate with King Krann outside the castle.”

***

“Yes. You are Lehena Kran, you are Helga Kran.”

Siero whispered as he looked at the two little siblings in front of him. The girl was hiding behind the boy, looking scared, but the boy was glaring at Siero. However, both were hiding behind the maid.

They were about 12 and 9 years old, respectively. They were at an age where they knew everything. The maid stubbornly denied the fact that the two siblings were hiding something, but eventually gave in after Siero’s calm persuasion.

“Would His Majesty Batena Kran really step down if he knew that the Prince and Princess were safe?”

“Why don’t you attack without any force? It’s because you’re afraid that the royal descendants will get hurt. Even if you’ve dedicated your soul to the Undead Church, you don’t want Krahn to fall into the hands of the undead. And the residents don’t want it either.”

The only way for Siero, who had killed even the king, to persuade the residents was to say, “But aren’t humans better than undead?” There are some who are attracted to the charm of the undead, but it is still a fetish for a small minority. It was natural for most people to feel a physiological aversion to the undead.

Siero reached out to the boy, Rehena Krahn. But Rehena glared at him and muttered.

“killer.”

Siero has never killed a living person with his own hands, not even a zombie. He doesn’t have the guts to do so. But when he heard the child’s crude insult, Siero couldn’t make a single excuse. Because he was right.

Only then could I understand.

That the blood on the hands of Siero’s Dawn Army was also the blood on his own hands.

That he was already one of the empire’s greatest murderers, robbers, rapists, and arsonists.

‘I can’t turn this back, but if I can’t protect this child, I won’t be able to recover. The fact that I was given that opportunity is a miracle in itself… ‘

Siero lowered his posture with a reverent look.

“I can’t undo my sins, Your Highness.”

Rehena glared at him, as if doubting what he was talking about.

“But I will protect you two with my life.”

Siero was determined to protect his two siblings no matter what happened.

It may have been a moment of whim, a moment of arrogance. But Isaac risked his life to show goodwill to people he had never met before. So shouldn’t he be able to do the same?

Rehena was still wandering somewhere between fear and hatred. However, the emotional level of a child was too shallow to endure the sincere appeal of Nephilim. In the end, Rehena hesitated and took his hand in the name of protecting her younger brother.

The maids and attendants breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that sight.

***

Siero took the Krans and the other siblings and headed straight to the castle.

Now that they have secured the heirs, there may be room for negotiation with the King of Krann. Siero is already thinking of opening a way for the Dawn Army to escape in exchange for releasing the heirs. As Isaac said, they will look like prisoners, but it will be better than having the children caught up in the war. The zombies won’t bite the royal family gently.

Then, all of a sudden, Siero realized that the path to the castle was different from the path he had taken. Siero asked the two men who had been accompanying him.

“Is this the right path? It’s getting narrower and darker.”

“Oh, this is a faster way.”

Siero, who was still unfamiliar with the geography of Krane, thought so, but still felt something was strange. It was not a good road to take children.

“I think it would be better to take a bigger road. The road is dirty.”

“Oh, if that’s true, we’ll take the kids, so Father Siero, you go to the main road… … .”

Siero’s thoughts about the oddity grew stronger. He said, nudging the children behind him.

“What about those guys who always followed me around? Telling me to go away? What are they up to now? If I don’t tell them the truth, Devan… … .”

Then, the two guards exchanged awkward glances, then suddenly stepped forward and struck Siero in the face. The nose that had been barely restored collapsed again, and Siero collapsed. The man quickly pulled out a dagger and held it to Siero’s neck, whispering.

“Don’t even think about using miracles. The kids will die along with you… … .”

The two children who were already trying to run away were caught by the men. When Siero’s body froze and he couldn’t do anything, the man snorted and stepped back. They were about to leave Siero behind. At that moment, Siero got up in a fit and grabbed their legs.

“What, what is it!”

“Me too, take me too!”

The man, who was terrified and thought he was using a miracle, kicked Siero in a panic. However, Siero did not let go of his leg even after being hit and rolling around in the mud.

“You’re trying to escape! You guys, you know the secret passage, right? You’re trying to escape by taking the kids hostage! Take me too, you guys! Take me too!”

The men exchanged looks of absurdity. Some even looked disappointed. Soon, the man whose leg was caught spat at Siero. Siero did not move even as he was spit on.

“Well, well. It wouldn’t be bad if the priest and Madam Face continued to exist. Let’s do that.”

“Thank you, thank you!”

Siero barely managed to get up and follow the men, saying his thanks. Siero’s position among them would no longer be the same. But Siero, covered in filth, didn’t care.

He couldn’t take his sharp eyes off the two siblings and just scratched his ears nervously.

I hope Isaac realizes what I mean.

[Serial] The Knight of the Dead God