Paladin of the Dead God - Chapter 316



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Episode 316. Your Price (1)

Naturally, there was no way that Siero could evade the Inquisitor.

When Siero went to pack his things, saying, ‘I will prepare to meet the Inquisitor,’ the Inquisitor was already waiting there.

The only good thing was that Siero’s actions came too late, so it looked like he had come to meet her rather than running away and getting caught.

“Father Siero, it is an honor to meet you. My name is Saltna Culbane.”

The man who greeted me politely was a man in his 30s with a thick build and an ordinary, kind-hearted appearance that made it hard to believe he was an Inquisitor.

But the moment he saw the red raven epaulettes on his shoulders, Siero felt like he was about to lose his breath.

Among the Inquisitors, the central Inquisitors who operate directly under the Vatican. It was the mark of those who were called the executioners of the church.

When Siero froze and couldn’t even greet her properly, Saltna smiled and clapped her hands. Only then did Siero come to his senses and catch his breath.

“You seem surprised by my sudden visit. But you don’t have to be nervous. We didn’t come to see Father Siero. Oh, I can’t say no. We also came to praise Father Siero’s excellent character and achievements.”

“My character and… … achievements?”

“While the Dawn Army was scattered like a flock of sheep due to the evil schemes of the Undead Cult, did not Father Siero alone stand as a lighthouse, protecting the Krann Fortress from the storms of death and cold? This is a great achievement worthy of praise. The angels will be pleased.”

Siero wondered where the rumor had come from.

He was dragged along by Isaac, and it was Isaac who defended the fortress, and it was also the army of Elril that Isaac had called that finally saved the fortress. All Siero did was cry and get dragged along.

Then soon he realized that his thoughts were meaningless.

The truth is of no importance once it comes out of the mouth of the Inquisitor.

Because it means that the church has concluded that ‘this is the truth.’

“Thank you for the grace of the church and the teachings.”

If it had been Siero just a few days ago, he would have been satisfied with the achievement he had achieved in such a day. But now, each word he uttered felt like vomiting a stale chestnut.

Saltina smiled faintly and clasped her hands together.

“Since even a miracle has come upon you, Father Siero, no one will doubt your authority any longer. If you continue to build up your achievements, when the Millennium Kingdom is finally established, I expect that you, Father Siero, will also be able to be called by name next to the high throne. My heart races when I imagine that.”

“Thank you, thank you… … .”

When the Host was mentioned, Siero instinctively gathered it in his hands and fiddled with it. The only thing he could be proud of in front of the Inquisitor was the Host.

Despite the words of praise, Siero was not at ease for a moment. Words of praise like these would have been enough to send a messenger priest. If an Inquisitor, especially one from the central Inquisitor, had been dispatched, it most likely meant that someone had to be buried.

“By the way, I heard that you recently met a distinguished person.”

Siero, who was nervous that Saltna might shoot needles with her eyelids if she blinked or spray poison with her fingers, was startled by the unexpected words.

It was clear who he was referring to.

“Ah, Your Majesty Ethelred?”

Saltna was silent for a moment, then smiled and continued speaking.

“Yes. I heard you met Sir Isaac Isaacrea.”

Once again, Siero’s remarks were corrected by the Inquisitor.

Here, if Siero denied it, the truth would be squeezed out of him by the inquisitor’s strange methods, so Siero nodded vigorously.

“Yes, yes! That’s right. The Grail Knight is me… … .”

Siero was about to praise Isaac when the thought suddenly occurred to him, ‘Why is the Inquisitor looking for him?’

Now that I think about it, it’s clear that what happened here was Isaac’s achievement, but he was trying to bury that fact and give it to himself.

When he realized that, Siero suddenly felt goosebumps.

If his guess is correct, Isaac is not a normal paladin. No, he is something more sinister. He was just trying to cover up for him because he was a Nephilim like himself.

“Me? What were you trying to say, Father Siero?”

“… … You helped me! You ‘assisted’ me in defending the Kraan Fortress.”

However, Siero, who did not dare to correct the ‘truth’ in front of the Inquisitor, proposed a suitable compromise. I was the one who guarded the Krahn Fortress. Isaac only helped.

‘Does the church want to keep Isaac in check?’

Siero, who was an expert in agitation and intrigue, was keenly aware of the situation.

Certainly, Isaac’s Ysekrea Dawn Army is doing very well and doing very well. Meanwhile, the Siero Dawn Army suffered an absurdly miserable defeat.

The church was likely not pleased with this situation.

“… … I see. However, I think it was nothing compared to the efforts of Father Siero. How could the efforts of someone who borrowed the power of pagans be praised?”

Even the remark seemed strangely restraining. Siero felt as if lightning had struck his head.

‘Could it be… … that the Vatican is trying to pit the Siero Dawn Army and the Isacrea Dawn Army against each other?’

The absurd situation made Siero shiver. If that were the case, he would have to put aside the ‘anti-war movement’ that Isaac had instructed and rush towards the Immortal Church with even more passion.

But Saltna’s subsequent questions pointed to more, more dangerous territory.

“Have you noticed anything strange while observing the Grail Knight? Reciting prayers you’ve never heard of, having a suspicious servant, or knowing uncommon knowledge, etc.”

When the questions were so blatant and pointed, Siero wanted to run away immediately. When the Inquisitor asks such questions, it means, ‘Do something to harm me before I squeeze you.’

Saltna’s eyes began to widen as she asked the question. Only then did Siero meet Saltna’s eyes properly for the first time.

Eyes that sparkle strangely. Glassy pupils.

It was the eye that was said to appear only to the fanatics of the law of extreme light.

“Well, I don’t know. As you said, it seems like it would be unclean to get close to a knight who associates with pagans.”

“Is that so? But it seems that Father Siero has a different interpretation of the ominous black pillars that appeared at the Kraan Fortress. Weren’t you quite close to the Grail Knights?”

Siero felt like he was going to collapse from his knees down.

Are you saying you’ve already finished interrogating the other soldiers?

Saltna took a step towards Siero, her glassy eyes sparkling. Siero hesitated and stepped back without realizing it, but before he knew it, the other Inquisitors were watching him from a few steps away.

If you recite even one word of the prayer, they will draw a dagger and stick it in your throat.

“Did you bleed? What color was your blood? There have been various reports of the color of your irises. Which is correct? There are also reports of you having a private meeting with the apostate Batena Kran. What did you talk about? I heard you were under a powerful curse. Do you know what it was?”

A torrent of questions poured down. Each word seemed to pierce Siero’s heart, as if it were a miracle.

He knew that he had made a great mistake. The Holy Eucharist alone was not enough to protect the Church. What had happened to the Emperor when he had tried to strike the Holy See with those horns?

Siero felt the urge to spit out unholy truths instead of blood.

This level of pressure was the lightest and most basic of the Inquisitor’s interrogation methods. He knew that if he went one step further, he would absolutely not be able to endure it.

“stop!”

At that moment, Siero’s instincts awakened.

A talent for deception, delusion, instigation, and collusion based on survival absolutism.

“Who dares to slander me now! The Grail Knight is a noble person who single-handedly broke through the undead army, rescued the believers, and then suddenly disappeared without asking for a reward! Not only is his excellent character and achievements unappreciated, but this is slander? Is the sect jealous of the Grail Knight’s achievements?”

Saltna flinched at the sudden outburst of Siero’s loud voice. But his eyes narrowed even further at the same time.

Be that as it may, Siero turned his desperation at not knowing where he would be taken if he failed now into a heartbreaking pity for the persecuted believers, spitting out blood in his condemnation.

“Of course, it was thanks to the combined faith of the Light Code believers that the Kraan Fortress was able to be defended. I gathered their light, and the Grail Knights simply expressed their anger and faith with their swords! Is there any reason to argue over whose contribution is greater here?”

“I think there’s a misunderstanding, Father Siero. We just wanted to clear up some of the many questions we have about Isaac… … .”

“Misunderstanding? Misunderstanding? If it is a misunderstanding, then why do you keep asking such strange questions? And heretics? Elril is also a brother in the faith who serves the same light code! Are you belittling the faith of those who joined the Dawn Army to serve the light?”

Rather, when Siero showed signs of asking questions, Soltna remained silent for a moment and looked around. Because of Siero’s loud voice, a group of Dawn soldiers gathered around, wondering what was going on.

There were too many for the Inquisitors to control, and they were already on the verge of joining the ranks of fanatics due to Siero’s speech just a moment ago.

“What is it? What’s going on?”

“These crow-like bastards. They came here after the war and are trying to do something to our priest!”

Siero was relieved when he heard the voice. Of course, he had not dared to try to defeat the Inquisitor with words, but he had simply hoped that people would come to him after hearing his voice. Fortunately, it seemed that he had succeeded in buying time.

Crows fly away when people gather.

The Inquisitors also decided to retreat, deeming such a public place inappropriate for interrogation.

“I think I said something inappropriate. I apologize, Your Majesty.”

“It’s okay. But I hope something unpleasant like this never happens again.”

“Of course. Next time, let’s talk in a more appropriate place and with a more appropriate atmosphere.”

Siero realized that the remark was a threat, but he had no time to get angry.

The Inquisitors quickly turned around and left the Dawn Army procession. The Dawn Army soldiers who arrived late hurriedly gathered around Siero.

“Father Siero, are you okay?”

“Where do such rude people come from… … .”

“No, no. It’s okay.”

Siero took a deep breath and thought about the meeting just now. As a result, he couldn’t figure out what the meeting was for. There was no way the Inquisitor would come into contact like this and then back off so easily.

There must be some evil plan going on.

***

“Chief Saltna. It seems like the interrogation isn’t complete. Is it okay for us to leave?”

“That’s enough. I got everything I could from that clown.”

Saltna Culbane, the head of the Inquisition and the leader of the Inquisitors, answered nonchalantly. Siero himself was nothing special, but his fame required careful approach. Especially with the newly acquired consecrated person. He whispered the truths he had just discovered to the raven sitting on his arm.

“Your Holiness. As I reported earlier, Siero is definitely a Nephilim. Judging from the state of the awakened host, his bloodline is presumed to be the Fire of the World or the Code of Light. I will report separately on the expected angel. If the order is not revoked, one of the Inquisitors will remain to execute the execution. I will continue to pursue Isaac. The end.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the crow flew up and became a black dot in the sky in an instant. The crow would reach the main body of the Dawn Army faster than any other horse or messenger, and would repeat to the Holy Father exactly what he had said.

One of the interrogators, who had been watching the crow fly away, opened his mouth.

“Shall I stay and carry out the execution?”

“No, that’s fine. The disposal order will probably be canceled.”

“Cancel?”

Saltna nodded.

“Siero has been such an incompetent and uncontrollable idiot all this time. He was only good enough to draw out the atmosphere of the Dawn Army. He should have absorbed the Dawn Army before it completely collapsed, but he failed because of the Emperor and the Olkan Discipline.”

Saltna said, recalling the passionate look on the face of the priest Siero whom she had spoken to earlier.

“But now it seems to be a little better. And he has even awakened to adulthood. The lighthouse keeper treasures even a single tool. Perhaps this is also a grand plan arranged by the lighthouse keeper. After he is incorporated into the main force of the Dawn Army, he will likely be used as a propaganda priest for the Vatican. It is a fitting ending for that clown.”

It was only a week later that Siero and his men joined the main force of the Dawn Army, which included the scattered remnants of the stragglers.

***

The sea breeze passed by, ruffling Isaac’s hair.

Isaac was immersed in a rare sense of freshness as he looked at the blue sea in the distance and the countless white sails and ships. The city with its white stone walls surrounding the blue bay seemed bustling as if it had escaped war and winter.

This is Odrip.

It was a large city in the southern part of the empire where the headquarters of the Golden Idol was located.