Paladin of the Dead God - Chapter 318



Only Krnovel

Episode 318. Your Price (3)

“Did you know you’d come? Of course you would.”

Isaac picked up Cachulain with a look of bewilderment.

Sherlock could pinpoint Isaac’s location as long as he was within a few kilometers. He had expected that Isaac would have known long ago, since it had been a day since he had arrived near Port O’Drift.

Since he didn’t run away, it seemed like he didn’t betray me.

Sherlock put the script on the desk and sat down.

“I thought you would come with the army, but you came alone? The Isacrea Dawn Army is famous, but I heard that the Siero Dawn Army is hiding in the Kraan Fortress. I wonder if they will survive until the main Dawn Army arrives.”

“The Krahn Fortress has already been liberated. The Siero Dawn Army has retreated.”

Sherlock looked surprised, then quickly turned into a puzzled expression.

I had thought that might be the case, since I saw Isaac heading southeast. Now I had to figure out how to monetize this information.

But Isaac had no intention of letting him go his own way.

“That’s where the annoying curse came from.”

“Annoying curse? Wait, is that the curse of the Undying Order?”

“Yes. Do you know the curse that says, ‘Taxes and death are inevitable’?”

Sherlock stared at Isaac with a shocked expression. He realized why he had come to see him. However, as he was looking around Isaac, Sherlock scratched his cheek with an embarrassed expression.

“Uh, um. Well, actually… … I’m not sure.”

“There must be a bounty on my head? Is there any change in the amount or any sign of it?”

“No, how do you know so much about my talents… … Well, to tell you the truth, the bounty on the Grail Knight is not limited to the 100,000 coins that Lady Leonora placed.”

“Not all of them?”

“Yes. To be exact, it was impossible to measure. There were those who wanted to pay, and those who tried to prevent payment, but there were no beings who could pay the full price. It would be possible to set a price by cutting off one or two fingers at a time, but… … .”

Isaac realized that Sherlock had lied to him when they first met, but he didn’t blame him. It was he who had guessed from his knowledge of the game before Sherlock had told him about his talents.

It was not fair to blame Sherlock for trying to hide the source of his wealth.

“So does that mean it’s still unmeasurable?”

“There has been a little change, but it’s not about money, it’s such an abstract concept that I can’t tell.”

“A guess?”

Sherlock hesitated for a moment, then spoke cautiously.

“It’s a person.”

Isaac thought for a moment.

A life for a life. A tax base that is acceptable.

However, the key question is whose life was demanded from the Immortal Church. If they demanded a specific life, their face would have been visible, but if it was abstract, it would likely be a person who met certain criteria.

‘This is awkward.’

Even Isaac is uncomfortable with the idea of ​​killing an innocent person to save his own life.

I might do it when the time comes, but right now I don’t really feel like it.

The Immortal Church may have taken advantage of this aspect of him by imposing taxes on him.

But to decide on one course of action or another, you need to know the specific tax criteria.

***

Isaac thought about it for a moment and decided that there was no other way.

“I can’t help it. Where is Leonora?”

“Miss Leonora? You’re going to the Bessia Mansion, the headquarters of the Golden Idols… Are you sure you’re not going to visit?”

Sherlock doesn’t know about Leonora’s talent. It’s just strange that the two of them had similar talents but took completely different paths in life.

“I just wanted to say hello.”

“Ah, that… … Actually, if Isaac-sama were to stride over to the Bessia mansion like this, what would happen to my reputation? Oh, no. Actually, my reputation isn’t important, but I have earned my keep as the mercenary captain.”

“Your mission has already failed. Don’t worry, you won’t be kicked out. I’ll give you the right to nominate the next head of the household.”

Anyway, the role that Isaac had expected from Sherlock ended up being ‘keeping Leonora from crossing the line until they got to Audreef.’

Now that you’ve arrived at Odrif, all you have to do is go and get yourself a favor.

Isaac tried to politely warn Sherlock not to be proud, but then noticed that his words ended strangely.

‘It’s not that I have to pay for the meal, but rather that I have paid for the meal?’

Knock knock. Just as I was about to ask what he meant, there was a knock on the door.

“Boss, the lights are ready, but should we resume rehearsal? If not, I’ll have to ask you to let me go home.”

These were actors who couldn’t wait for Sherlock and came to see him in person.

When Isaac gave a vague answer and gestured for him to send him back, Sherlock glanced at Isaac, sighed, and turned the doorknob.

Boom. The moment the door opened slightly, the actress came rushing in, kicking the door so hard it broke.

Isaac, seeing the stiletto in the actress’s hand, thought that Sherlock’s terrible script had finally caused the disaster. However, her eyes were fixed on Isaac from the moment she first entered. The tip of the sword and the direction of her footsteps were aimed precisely at Isaac’s heart.

Crunch! Isaac was suddenly attacked by surprise, and he quickly blocked the stiletto with his left hand without even having time to draw his sword. His left palm was pierced, but there was almost no pain.

Isaac broke the actress’s wrist before the tentacles were revealed.

But by then the actress was already holding another stiletto in her other hand.

Shh, shh! The stiletto cut through the wind and stabbed Isaac’s neck repeatedly.

Professional skill. Only then did Isaac manage to kick the actress in the chest and push her back.

“Sherlock, this crazy kid… … .”

It was clear that the kick had broken her ribs. However, the actress was quickly mending the broken bones back to their original state.

Sherlock was leaning against the wall with an embarrassed expression.

“Ahahaha, didn’t you say that we could continue attacking like the Holy Grail Knight did?”

“You’re hiring a Walaika human hunter? Are you crazy?”

Isaac had already heard about it at the Laughing Octopus Tavern, but he wondered if it would really be true. The burden was too great. Not only were they hostile heretics, but how could he trust and keep a group of vampire cannibals by his side?

I figured it was probably just a rumor, but just in case, I searched the area around Hesabel’s usual haunts before entering the theater.

A dark, damp, cramped place. Similar to where cockroaches live.

But upon confirmation, no one was there.

Sherlock wasn’t hiding the human hunters, he was using them as actors.

Isaac jumped out the window without hesitation as he saw other actors running in after him.

The average appearance of the members of the Red Grail Club is good, so they would not be lacking as actors.

However, the only crazy person in the Holy Empire of Gertonia who came up with the idea of ​​using bloodsucking cannibals as actors would be Sherlock.

Boom, boom! The human hunters who had followed Isaac began to chase him, jumping along the walls and onto the rooftops. Thus began a nightmarish chase that would be talked about in Odrif for a long time.

***

Isaac ran down the street at a fast pace.

He knows exactly where the Bessia Mansion is. Therefore, he knows the way to get there. The problem is that Odrift is one of the largest cities in the empire, and it takes almost half a day to get to the Bessia Mansion from this outskirts, no matter how fast you run.

Especially in situations where a pursuer suddenly appears out of nowhere.

Thud, thud! Four or five arrows flew fiercely, barely grazing Isaac. However, the moment the arrows struck the wall and floor, red spears shot up as if they were exploding. Isaac was able to quickly wrap his body around the colors beyond and protect his vital points, but he was wounded all over his body.

Isaac ground his teeth as he was almost stabbed with a spear and dagger in one breath.

‘They’re not ordinary human hunters. They’re at least royal guards.’

The Walaika Kingdom is a class-based society that is unparalleled by other nations. Bloodlines are the standard for class and power. Among them, the Royal Guard is a position where those who are not in the official line of succession among the three royal bloodlines are appointed.

In other words, even though each person’s qualities may differ, each person is at least at the level of Hesabel when they first met.

Of course, the current Hesabel has grown tremendously compared to that time, but she was by no means weak when they first met. Even then, Isaac had no way of defeating Hesabel without using tentacles. Especially now, she was not a talented princess, but a group of professional hunters who hunted together, so it was even more dangerous.

‘How on earth did they hire these guys? They’re not the type of guys that are motivated by money.’

Kwakwakwang! Blooddrops were spraying from the sky, and dozens of spears rained down, aiming for Isaac. Isaac muttered curses and swung the spear blades with his Kachulain. They were sharp but weak, so they broke easily, but the human hunters’ goal was successful.

The purpose was to stop Isaac before he could run out into the street.

Knock, knock knock. The walls, windows, roofs, and alleys were filled with glowing red eyes in an instant. They were all men and women with outstanding looks, but their faces were expressionless and they exuded a strong scent of blood.

“If you stop them without attacking, then you must have something to say. What is it?”

Isaac figured they wouldn’t have been hired by Sherlock for nothing.

There must be some other purpose other than money. Isaac had already guessed what that purpose was.

As expected, a middle-aged woman with a sallow face and a fur coat walked out from one side of the alley.

It is rare for Red Grail believers, especially those of higher rank, to appear noticeably old or tired.

In Walaika society, appearance is a measure of class. However, showing that kind of appearance means that you are under pressure to the point where you don’t care about your appearance, but at the same time, you are of such high status that it doesn’t matter.

“Where is Hesabel?”

The moment her first words fell, Isaac felt a chill run down his spine.

I realized my opponent’s identity.

“Duke Hastel Gulmar?”

This hikikomori female duchess, who rarely ventures outside her own castle, has stepped beyond her own territory and country, and even into the territory of an enemy religion.

The reason was obvious.

The Gulmar family will be unable to show their face because of Hesabel, who is currently working as the ‘Lieutenant of the Grail Knights of the Code of Light’. They have not even been able to recall the division ceremony, and the angel who was protecting them has fallen into silence.

In the end, the Duke had no choice but to step forward himself.

“Hesabel, the division ceremony. Just give me two things, and I will let you go.”

Hastel Gulmar spoke in a nervous tone, as if he was too tired to say anything else. Isaac tilted his head.

“I was going to bring it to you if you waited… … Do you have any plans to go back and wait?”

Isaac was being sincere.

That was what Elril had asked Isaac to do. But Hastel seemed to have taken it as a joke.

She waved her finger as if she had no strength to get angry. The human hunters who had come together to escort Hastel all turned into arrows and flew at her.

Just as Isaac was about to fight back, someone else fell from the sky.

“Flowers fluttered between ten thousand blades!”

Kkarddddddddd! Countless steel petals suddenly bloomed in the alley. The human hunters suddenly found themselves caught in a storm of blades. The countless blades were dyed in blood and splattered in the light, shining like jewels.

The human hunters hurriedly retreated and patched up their wounds. It was nighttime, and the wounds were mostly stabs and cuts, so recovery was quick. The problem was this new presence.

Isaac looked at Seedrik, who suddenly fell from the sky, in bewilderment.

“Were you the Swordmaster of Elril that Sherlock hired?”

“For now, let’s assume we’re enemies since I received the money. This guy’s life is mine. Don’t show your teeth, don’t you dare covet! You beautiful beasts!”

For some reason, he was not seen by the army that Aethelred brought.

Well, since Cidrik was originally a free-spirited wanderer, it would be difficult for him to suddenly act with the army. I had expected this to some extent since I heard rumors about the Sword Master. I was quite happy to meet him at such a difficult time.

At that moment, Hastel glared at Cidrik with a frown on his face.

“Sir Cidric, I have been letting you flirt with my subordinates because you know the Grail Knights so well. You were the one who suggested to Sherlock that he hire us, so why are you being so greedy? If you were going to monopolize it like that, why didn’t you fight alone in the first place?”

Isaac glared at Seedrik, but he simply avoided his gaze.

I wondered how Sherlock had the guts to hire a human hunter, but it turns out that the person he trusted was none other than Sydric. It was even on Sydric’s recommendation.

Eventually, unable to bear Isaac’s gaze any longer, Cidrik muttered an excuse.

“The human hunters were already in the city. Honestly, I wanted to meet them after hearing what Miss Hesabel said.”

“Please go somewhere I can’t see you and die.”

“Please don’t tell Miss Hesabel.”

Isaac grumbled, suppressing his anger.

I had hoped he would sneak in and turn the tables, but upon thinking about it, he wasn’t that smart.

In the strange triangle of Isaac, Cidrik, and the human hunters, no one could move carelessly.

But the balance was not to last long and was shattered. Isaac heard a terrible, haunting sound echoing across the night sky.

I could tell what it was without having to look closely.

Isaac decided on a course of action. He was to run away in the direction where he would not hear that sound.

It doesn’t matter if there are human hunters in that direction or not. It’ll be better than that anyway.

Kkaaaaaa… … .

The newly restored reaper’s scythe arrived over O’Drift, its sharp wind making a noise through the gaping holes and crevices.