Paladin of the Dead God - Chapter 317



Only Krnovel

Episode 317. Your Price (2)

As expected, no other party was found in Odrif.

Although he had fought several battles, it was natural that Isaac, who had no need to think about leading troops or supplies, would arrive the fastest. And with death on his back, he was literally chased down.

Even Isaac couldn’t help but get tired from the forced march that made Nell irritable.

At one point, I was thinking about just pretending to die and activating the ‘Agent of Chaos’ ability.

However, seeing that the scythe of the reaper was restored even after being shattered like that, it didn’t seem to have much of an effect. Sometimes, there are beings that are impossible to kill. The reaper, who embodied ‘death’ itself that the Undead Cult wanted to control, was such a being.

‘I don’t know what risks there are for the Agent of Chaos… … .’

It’s not too late to take such a risky measure after trying all possible methods. You might be able to find out the truth about the tax you’re being charged through Sherlock and Leonora.

‘I guess I’ll have to find Sherlock first.’

Isaac decided to have Nell stay on the coastal cliffs near Odrif for the time being, as bringing a dragon into a large city with countless merchants would cause chaos. Even if Nell was spotted several times at sea, it would be heard as the boasts of sailors.

***

Isaac first headed to a tavern outside of Odrif.

It was a tavern called ‘Laughing Octopus’. It wasn’t just any place I chose, it was a famous restaurant that was mentioned in the game.

I was curious about the food that was only mentioned in the settings, but since it was a restaurant frequented by celebrities, it was easy to hear rumors about them.

Isaac listened to his surroundings as he ordered the famous steamed octopus.

No one noticed because the hood was pulled down low. The charm of the Nephilim can attract people, but it can also make them fearful.

Just hold the weight and look under the hood in all directions.

Indeed, no one turned their eyes to Isaac. Even when they did turn their heads, they hesitated as if they had tripped over a stone and then turned to another place.

‘I wonder if Sherlock has arrived at O’Drift by now?’

Leonora was most likely somewhere in Audrif, but Sherlock wasn’t sure. But anyway, she had to at least pretend to stop Isaac, so there was a high chance she had come to Audrif.

Isaac himself was worried that he had come too soon.

“Hey, did you hear that? I heard that Captain Sherlock collected all the bounty flyers.”

“Ah, that. That must have been taken away before the word could be said because it was revealed that the target was the Grail Knight. In the first place, how could you get a Grail Knight for 10,000 gold coins? The religious order would go into a rage.”

Isaac happened to be listening in when a conversation about himself and Sherlock began at the table next to him. The two men, who appeared to be merchants, were discussing the most sensitive topic of the day.

“No, rather, I heard that the Grail Knight was moving south, outraged by the bounty on his head, so I demolished it.”

“Really? I heard that they took it out to save money on hiring such a huge tycoon. But do you think that’ll work? The Isacrea Dawn Army’s momentum is incredible, isn’t it?”

“We wiped out the orcs that were besieging the Ariet Monastery, we cleared out the bandits on the Soer Plains… … we even wiped out the imperial rebels who had been instigated by the Undead Cult. I heard that the Siero Dawn Army was annihilated at the Krahn Fortress, but it’s the complete opposite.”

Since Isaac had arrived faster than the rumors, it seemed that what had happened at Kraan Fortress had not reached here. The merchant leaned forward and cautiously shared the sensitive story.

Of course, Isaac could still hear it.

“No, wait a minute. What if the Isacrea Dawn Army brings soldiers to Odrif and puts pressure on them? What if Odrif Port becomes isolated?”

“Hey, no way. If you do something like that, the blood vessels of the empire will be blocked. The nobles and priests will ask what you are doing and try to smash the heads of the Grail Knights.”

“No, think about it. Do you think Captain Sherlock would have tried to attack the Grail Knights on his own? The Lord of the Upper House, or the three daughters. There must have been an order from one of them. There is no reason for the Grail Knights to do that, so if they bring soldiers and threaten Port Odrif, the Merchant Council will criticize the Bessia family.”

‘of course.’

Isaac listened and thought.

It would be madness to besiege Odrif Port. First of all, it is a city under the influence of the same Holy Empire of Gertonia, and there are many followers of the Light Code. This is also the reason why the Light Code Church cannot do anything carelessly with the Golden Idol.

That’s why Isaac didn’t even think about a siege, and only intended to make a quiet demonstration of force.

I have no intention of attacking, of course, but I intend to hint that even this army might remain quiet when I die.

The expression on the merchant’s face as he spoke became serious.

“Then, perhaps the Bessia family will have to step down from the leadership of the Golden Idol?”

This is a family that has ruled dictatorially at the top of the Golden Idol for nearly a hundred years.

It was hard to imagine the repercussions of a simple withdrawal. While there were those who liked the control of the Bessia family, there were also many who resented it.

“That’s right. Maybe that’s what they were planning when they touched the Knights of the Holy Grail. I heard that the Bessia family is also planning to stop them and are hiring some incredibly powerful people… … .”

“The food is here.”

Just as he was about to listen to the story that was finally becoming interesting, a steamed octopus marinated in bright red sauce appeared on Isaac’s table. Isaac was already excited by the spicy scent, but he was momentarily speechless when he saw the octopus the size of his head staring at him without being prepared.

‘It’s not the kind of food you eat alone… … .’

It was enough food for at least eight people.

Although he tried not to attract attention, people began to glance at him as he ate a huge amount of food alone. Isaac pretended not to care and began to cut the octopus one by one with a knife and a knife.

My fingers felt a little sore, but it was my imagination. Contrary to my scary first impression, the dish on the table was a seafood stew with various kinds of seafood, such as clams, abalone, and squid, mixed in a spicy seasoning.

‘… … Should I say it makes me miss home? It’s really delicious.’

And Isaac soon finished all eight servings of steamed octopus. He looked like a thin man, but people were mesmerized by his appearance, as they couldn’t tell where he was going. Finally, after he had even scraped off the seasoning, Isaac noticed the gazes of those around him, but he pretended as if nothing had happened and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

‘You must have been hungry.’

I haven’t had a proper meal for a while. It’s been a while since I’ve had food in my mouth and savored the taste. I tried to eat as much as possible because I felt like I’d lose my humanity if I kept skipping meals, but it wasn’t easy when I was busy.

Isaac felt happy for once.

***

“Hey, you look young, and you have a good appetite. I think you still have some. Should I bring more?”

As soon as they finished eating, the merchants at the next table came over with their own plates and drinks. Before Isaac could even reply, the merchants had already ordered more food.

It was nearly impossible to fill Isaac’s stomach, but he had no reason to refuse anyway, so Isaac left it alone.

“You don’t seem to be from here. Where are you from?”

“I came from the North.”

Isaac muttered vaguely without giving specifics. The merchants chuckled.

“Yes. You must have come from the north. Where else would you come from besides the north or west, to the port of Odrif, the southernmost point of the Gertonian Empire? The east, where the undead teem? The south, where there is nothing but the sea?”

Isaac didn’t answer and just stared. The merchants who sensed something unusual in the eyes under the hood quickly shut their mouths.

But they didn’t come to Isaac to do him a favor.

As new dishes were placed on the table and Isaac resumed eating, the merchants began to speak again.

“Actually, there have been some unusual people gathering at Port Odrif lately. You don’t seem to be an ordinary person either. Could you tell me who called you?”

Isaac opened his mouth without thinking, wondering what to say.

“Leonora Becia.”

It’s not a lie.

After all, it was almost as if Isaac had been called by her.

There were looks of shock and astonishment among the merchants. The man called by the most powerful heir to the throne could not be ordinary. Even the mercenary leader, Sherlock, was said to be a talent discovered by Leonora.

“Now, are you the big shot who was hired to defeat the Grail Knights… ?”

The moment the merchant muttered in surprise, another merchant sitting next to him poked him in the ribs.

“No, that can’t be true! I heard that he was a tall sword master who came from Elril, but he’s so young and small.”

Isaac’s height was not very tall even by the standards of the time. In Roosevelt, it was possible to cross-dress.

‘Swordmaster from Elril? No way… … .’

Isaac became interested in the sword master, but the merchant sitting right next to him immediately refuted his claim, looking puzzled.

“The Holy Grail Knights are warriors chosen by Elril, but can they be recruited by just one Sword Master? Of course, they recruited talented people from all over the place. There is even talk that they hired human hunters from Walaika!”

Isaac almost spit out the food he was eating because it got stuck in his throat.

The merchants hurriedly handed me a glass of water, and I barely managed to drink it, but I couldn’t figure out why the Walaika human hunter was here.

“You seem surprised. Well, it’s information we still don’t believe. But there was some talk that vampires were found near that messed-up theater of Director Sherlock.”

Sherlock bribed orcs, bandits, and nobles to capture Isaac. The Red Grail’s human hunters would be no exception. And who else could catch humans better than human hunters?

“And the number of crows in the cathedral has increased significantly, and there are even rumors that the Inquisitor may have been bribed.”

“No, but that’s too much. How do you bribe an Inquisitor?”

“If the Golden Idol Group decides to bribe and control them, what can’t they do? They don’t have to bribe the Inquisitors directly, they can just bribe some rotten bishops or priests.”

“Oh, really. The world is a mess, so all sorts of things happen.”

“… … .”

Isaac took his time organizing their stories.

So, this means that Leonora Becia may have hired mercenaries from the Golden Idol Upper Order, Swordmasters from Elril, Human Hunters from Walaika, and Inquisitors from the Code of Light to stop her.

The last one was a bit questionable, but it was something to keep in mind if the number of crows increased.

And Isaac added one more.

The Immortal Church’s harvesters will also be slowly finishing their recovery and tracking down Isaac.

‘I can’t help but think that Nephilim’s charm is unbearable, but this popularity is hard to handle.’

The merchants watched Isaac as he listened to their story. He too had been summoned by Leonora, so he was clearly no ordinary man, but his identity was still unknown.

“Even if you are a Grail Knight, if you dare block the carriage of the Golden Idol, you will be run over and killed.”

“Okay, so what are you doing? They say all the flying creatures in the world have come to catch the Grail Knights, so aren’t you a talented person too?”

“Oh, yes. Actually, I am that Grail Knight.”

The merchants looked dumbfounded for a moment, unable to understand what was being said.

Isaac thought he had heard enough and got up from his seat. Only then did the merchants’ mouths drop open as they caught sight of the faces inside the hoods.

Isaac put the money for the food he had eaten on the table and asked the merchant.

“So, which way is it to Sherlock’s theater or whatever? I guess I’ll just have to go and get killed.”

***

“Oh, Laante, have you kept your identity a secret from me until now… … .”

“No, say it with more passion!”

Sherlock’s Theatre. There were no guests, but Sherlock was busy with his hobby of making bad plays late into the night. Using the commission he received this time and his previous experience, he came up with an idea to write a new play.

Anyway, I thought that the commission that Leonora had given me was almost a failure, and I didn’t care whether Elril’s sword master, whom I had hired just for show, succeeded or failed. Since I had time to spare, I planned to spend a lot of money on my hobbies.

But the actor eventually exploded with frustration at the messy script.

“Oh, how can you put sadness into lines like this?”

The other actors were also upset. It was because they didn’t like the play for various reasons.

But Sherlock did not give in and pressed even harder to maintain discipline among these newly hired actors.

“Why can’t I? I should have done it if I got paid! The female protagonist spends her first night with the handsome male protagonist who is of Nephilim descent, but it’s a scene where she finds out that he’s actually a Nephilim of octopus-angel blood! Isn’t it heartbreaking! The acting of Laante should have been a bit more muddled… .”

Hook. Then, a sudden gust of wind caused the lights on the stage to go out. Sherlock declared a break, saying that he didn’t like the actors’ performances and that everything else was a distraction.

He read his own script and imagined his performance in his head.

“Oh, Laante, you have been telling me your identity until now… … .”

“What is your identity?”

The moment Sherlock entered his office, a sharp blade touched his Adam’s apple. A rough, serrated blade was draped across his chin.

Sherlock whispered without showing any sign of surprise, knowing who the person hiding in the darkness was.

“Old Grail Knight, I knew you would come!”