Paladin of the Dead God - Chapter 337



Only Krnovel

Episode 337. Brilliance (3)

Before I could even ask what the Black Isaac of May meant, it disappeared as if it was fading away.

But that voice continued to linger in my ears.

‘A mistake made by Beshek? A crack that shattered the world? Are you talking about bringing down the underworld and bringing it down to the surface?’

I don’t know exactly what that means, but it must mean that Isaac’s ‘immorality’ is so dire that it’s necessary to turn a blind eye to it. It must mean that the Holy Land must be reclaimed, even if it means borrowing the help of other faiths.

Isaac thought that the recent rapid changes in faiths were not unrelated to this.

The Dawn Army is not just a target for humans. It is the destiny of this world that moves even gods and angels.

‘Hmm, actually, I am the most powerful person who can make the Dawn Army a success.’

As powerful as the Code of Light is, they have already failed several times.

The territory of the Undead Cult, where their troops grow as they fight through the terrifying desert where heat and cold alternate, is like a fortress in itself.

How could the victory of the Immortal Church be achieved simply by blocking the invading forces?

‘If you think about it differently, it means that this Yeomyeong-gun is the last.’

The fact that the Immortal Cult won by merely defending means that the cycle of taking and losing the Holy Land will no longer occur.

There is no 14th Dawn Army. If the Dawn Army fails, the Holy Land will forever belong to the Immortal Cult.

And that is not what the Code of Light wants.

***

After the Burning Maiden and the Sword of May left, all that remained were the knights and the wreckage of Soltna, which had been burned to the ground. However, no knight looked back at Soltna. It was an unholy thing to care for someone who had been judged by an angel.

Of course, no one again called for Isaac to be executed.

“Knight of the Holy Grail.”

The adjutant who had been looking after Dera Heman approached Isaac and bowed deeply.

“I was rude. I apologize. I will not make excuses that I was tricked by the Inquisitor.”

“I think I just heard an excuse that it was because of the Inquisitor.”

“… … .”

The adjutant bowed his head quietly, pretending not to hear.

Isaac didn’t even feel like getting angry at the knights.

In fact, what is their fault? It is true that Isaac bears the marks of the swordsmanship of the apostate Carlsen Milter, and it is true that he is a profane, nameless Chaos believer, and he even killed a paladin in the old days.

It was only because the Sword of May suddenly appeared and protected Isaac that there was no reason to kill him.

They were merely acting out of duty, and it was they and Isaac who were caught up in the angel’s wings.

[Isaac.]

At that moment, Dera Heman came towards Isaac, staggering forward. He took off his mask halfway and whispered to Isaac in a weak voice.

[… … I still think I should kill you here.]

Isaac was shocked, but he did not answer because he was now in the upper hand. Dara stared at Isaac with dull eyes and continued speaking slowly.

[But you are too strong for me to handle. In the end, I will have no choice but to let you go, just like I did to Carlsen Milter. I wanted you to live and shine the light of the Code of Light. But even that is the flow of the Great Plan, so I will just accept it.]

Dera Heman remained stubborn and did not change his attitude until the end.

He was a man as tall as Mt. Tai.

Isaac now understood why the Burning Maiden had chosen the paladin Derra Heman instead of the Inquisitor. Derra Heman’s single-minded convictions were somewhat similar to the Burning Maiden’s.

When a man who was supposedly the lighthouse keeper’s representative appeared in Lichtheim, everyone worshipped and praised him, but only the burning virgin, Ishbosheth, doubted him. Ishbosheth dared to make a demonstration of faith, and was burned to death in return.

There aren’t many people who have the conviction to say no when everyone in the world says so. Whether that’s right or wrong.

Dera Heman quietly put his mask back on and gestured to the knights.

The adjutant interpreted.

“Pack your bags, we’re retreating!”

The knights packed their bags without questioning the decision. Whatever trials and speculations they had here, the angels showed up and sorted things out. Isaac, despite being helped, was not happy about it.

Angels make the works of men seem like nothing. Before their great footsteps, the foundations and grounds built by men are trampled and meaningless.

In front of those powerful beings, humans feel infinitely small, even though in reality all of their power ultimately comes from human faith.

‘Perhaps that was what the angels intended. They wanted to instill in us the belief that angels are strong and humans are weak, and that when angels do something, humans can do nothing to resist it.’

Isaac looked at the charred ashes of Soltna, unattended by anyone. At that moment, as Hesabel and Nel descended into the courtyard, a strong wind blew. Soltna’s ashes were blown away and scattered into the sea.

It was a quiet funeral with no one to mourn.

***

As the Salt Council’s fleet docked at Odrif Harbor, Isaac met with the commanders of the Isacrea Dawnforce whom he had not seen for several days.

As soon as Tukhalin saw Isaac, he screamed.

“What are you doing without consulting me!”

Isaac was puzzled as to why Tukhalin was angry.

“Didn’t I tell you that I would try to resolve this matter with Dera Heman personally?”

“In the Code of Light, they talk about sticking your neck out and burning it with fire? Where in the world do you find two angels appearing and arguing? Don’t you know that Dera Heman and everyone else almost died there?”

Tukhalin, the master of the furnace, sensed the descent of the angel and was terrified.

In fact, Tukhalin’s reaction is a typical human reaction. The angel kills people with just a thoughtless movement. It’s not because he’s cruel or lacks empathy, but it’s similar to not paying attention to ants when walking down the street.

Isaac, who had met many angels, acted as if it was nothing special, but the fact that two angels had appeared was surprising even to Tukhalin, who had been given the naming notice.

‘I’d faint if I told you that those two angels almost fought each other when they possessed Terah and I.’

It was a story that had to be taken to the grave, because if it was known, the burning maiden would surely hold a grudge against Isaac. Tukhalin seemed to calm down easily and pressed Isaac by hitting his stomach.

“Next time, don’t even think about being alone with those crazy fanatics! What are those lunatics thinking? I was fooled by your smooth talk and followed you. Do you think I came to help those fanatics?”

“Haha, I’ll be careful.”

Although the tone was rough, it was Tukhalin’s unique expression of concern.

The other commanders were equally worried. Even if Dera Heman had executed Isaac ‘by proper procedure’ or sent him back to his main force, it would have been impossible to absorb the Isacrea Dawn Force.

‘Well, I can understand the church’s position.’

In fact, Isaac understood the church’s position to some extent.

Although they are gathered under the grand banner of the ‘Baekje Alliance’, the Isacrea Dawn Army is actually a private army that has brought in foreign warlords. And it is not under central control.

If Isaac had been in a position similar to that of the Pope or the Emperor, he might have come to destroy Isaac before the Dawn Army.

But now, thanks to the intervention of an angel, even that has become impossible.

The ‘Angel’s Protection’ that had been implicitly placed upon Isaac was now officially acknowledged. Now Isaac would never again be interfered with, at least not openly, by the Church.

The reason the Burning Maiden tried to kill herself is simply because she is more focused on enforcing doctrine than on broadening her horizons. She is more of a fluff remover than a tailor.

Uncompromising, principled, and exacting may be the qualities needed for an Inquisitor.

“Anyway, I apologize for worrying you. But now that this has been settled, no one from the Order of the Light’s Law will bother me anymore.”

“Of course I should! I, I shouldn’t be holding you back with such useless things… … .”

“Well, then, Holy Grail Knight.”

At that moment, Lyanna raised her hand and asked. Isaac looked at her with a puzzled look, since she had been acting restless and fidgety for some time already.

“Why are you doing that?”

“So, did the Holy Grail Knight… … defeat Dera Heman?”

The surroundings became quiet at Rihanna’s words, because it was clear what she meant.

It was one of the most important issues among the Ellil believers, who had the hardest time enduring VS battles among the people in the world.

Isaac nodded quietly.

“yes.”

A loud noise spread along with cheers.

It was already possible to guess that the Golden Lion Knights had retreated, but Isaac wanted to hear it clearly from his own mouth. Unlike Carlsen, Isaac’s victory was clearly stated, which was bound to make the uproar even louder.

“Our Grail Knight defeated that Golden Lion!”

“I knew it!”

Even though they are on the same side, the title of ‘our captain is the strongest’ is still something that ordinary soldiers cannot let go of. This feeling also exists to some extent among commanders. The commander in chief does not necessarily have to be the strongest, but it is human psychology to be attracted to the strongest person leading.

Rihanna muttered with a pleased expression.

“As expected, you are an opponent who can compete on equal terms with me. If only His Majesty Aethelred had not interfered at that time… … .”

“Oh, would you like to try it again right now?”

“The part where I was hit by the knife still hurts a little… … .”

The Elil believers do not avoid fighting, but Lyanna is not the type to be obsessed with such things. However, there were many knights who were eager to fight after hearing that Isaac had defeated Dera Heman.

It was Tukhalin who suppressed the atmosphere that made people want to start a fight right away.

“You thugs! Sir Isaacrea has just returned from being beaten here and there! Now, I need to rest and get on the boat. Where should I stay? You can’t get out of here!”

Since he was tired, Isaac was relieved that Tukhalin had stepped forward at the right time. The Ellil believers grumbled but quietly retreated. However, Isaac also wanted to recall the enlightenment he had gained from the fight with Dera Heman.

But he had important work to do before that.

“Let’s fill our bellies first. I’m starving.”

***

The Golden Idol’s upper ranks provided enough food to feed the Isacrea Dawn Army. They were also provided with supplies needed for the expedition by order of Leonora’s wounded commander. Of course, all of this was ‘credited’ to Isaac’s name.

“I wish I could pay it back, but it’s money I don’t have to pay back.”

Isaac was specially invited to dine with Leonora. Isaac had considered eating with the soldiers, but it would have been a nuisance to show off his bizarrely large appetite in front of the soldiers. Leonora was surprised by Isaac’s large appetite, but showed no great curiosity.

“You don’t have to pay it back? Why?”

The Golden Idols do not donate money to the Light Code for free. If they are extorted, they will demand compensation in the form of material or immaterial goods. Isaac looked at them with suspicion, knowing that they would not give favors without reason.

“As you know, I can’t give away supplies for free. That’s why I offered it as an ‘investment’. Fortunately, the Grail Knight has very high credit, so there was no problem.”

While Isaac was devouring a whole pig, Leonora said, fleshing out a few pieces of fish.

“And this was paid in the name of the Platinum Association. The internal audit team at the top of the Golden Idol Association doesn’t care about the amount of loss incurred when expenses are paid in the name of the Platinum Association. Even if the Holy Grail Knight doesn’t pay, we’ll just write it off as a loss. And there’s no interest.”

Isaac looked at the platinum ring on his finger with new eyes. To think that such a small ring had such a terrifying miracle attached to it: ‘interest exemption, unlimited loan limit, unlimited loan term’… … .

“It seems to be the most valuable relic I own.”

Isaac said it sincerely, but Leonora laughed as if she had heard a funny joke.

Even this sociopath finds money jokes funny.

After a while, Leonora looked at Isaac and said.

“A powerful relic comes with a great price. I am sure you know why the Platinum Society is willing to spend so much.”