Paladin of the Dead God - Chapter 339



Only Krnovel

Episode 339. The Sea of ​​Nightmares (1)

The expression “since mankind began to record history… …” means nearly a thousand years in this world.

The same goes for expressions like, “Since the lighthouse keeper Luaddin brought out the tablets of dawn” or “Since the beginning of the age of light.” Human civilization began with the Code of Light, and all previous civilizations, no matter how great the structures they built or how great the nations they established, were classified as “barbaric.”

All previous history has been erased and worn away, and is only passed down by word of mouth, leaving only the glorious history of mankind since the beginning of the Age of Light.

And the monk Horgel was on the eve of the greatest battle since the beginning of history. He was watching the march of the main body of the Dawn Army from a high hill.

When the crowd gets too large, it starts to look like the flow of a river rather than the movement of people.

Even the movements of bumping, splitting, and detouring follow the movement of the fluid.

But the image that Horgel was thinking of now was not even a river. He was imagining the tide rushing toward the shore, or rather, the sea, the water level of which was slowly rising with unstoppable momentum. The land was slowly flooded, and soon completely submerged.

But humans aren’t the only ones in that tsunami.

Thud, thud, thud.

The huge white marble statues in the shape of deers were walking along the marching line, making a heavy sound. They were white giants summoned from heaven through a ritual. Each of the white giants, which were about ten meters tall, moved their six legs and were pulling a huge amount of supplies and siege equipment that could not be transported by human strength.

And among that equipment are ‘lighthouses’.

As its name suggests, it looks like a tower, but underneath it is a sled-like structure that can support heavy weight, as wheels cannot support the weight of a lighthouse.

The role of the lighthouse is similar to what is well known. It is to guide those who are lost and wandering to the right path. However, this lighthouse works by burning lost souls. The priests who climb on the lighthouse burn and erase enemies in one breath using special relics.

The sight of dozens of beams of light pouring down from the lighthouse and pouring down on the enemies is a simple yet magnificent sight. Since the enemies are where the lighthouse’s light is pointed, it also makes it easier to command the soldiers.

Lighthouses aren’t the only equipment you can use to burn your enemies.

The ‘Ivory Statue’ that paralyzes the body and turns one stupid just by reciting the scriptures, the ‘Baptist’ that pours holy fire from the sky, the ‘Tooth of Saint Aila’ that helps vitality and recovery of those around it whenever it throws a pagan into the fire… … In addition to these, there were too many weapons prepared to be mentioned one by one.

Some of them were made by the blind watchmen of the angels for the defense of Saint Lichtheim. This time, the Dawn Army contained the power of the Light Code to the point that they even gave up some of the defense of the Saint and tore it down.

Horgel felt an indescribable emotion at the fact that this glorious moment had come before his death.

But the excitement was palpable. The war was just beginning.

“You are a minister, Brother Horgel.”

A large palanquin approached. Inside, filled with golden children that reflected the sunlight dazzlingly, was Cardinal Rohen Otter.

“Actually, when I first started the Dawn Army, I had doubts about whether this would really work. But the Code of Light is indeed powerful.”

Horgel looked at Rohen Otter expressionlessly.

I don’t think. I just do what the angels, the messengers of God, tell me.

That is the mindset that the Watchtower Conference should have.

But it seemed that Rohen had been indulged in pleasure for too long.

“At this point, even if the angels don’t intervene, we can easily destroy the Immortal Church, right?”

“If you are proud, you will lose.”

Horhel said calmly.

“Among these, there are already equipment and divine beings that participated in the last Dawn Army. Despite this, we were unable to recover the Holy Land for a long time. Rather, we only captured equipment and increased their numbers.”

Horgel pointed to a vast number of soldiers. The number of barracks lined up so far that they filled the horizon, even though the soldiers who had arrived here had not yet finished their march.

“Just to secure a place to live for these barracks and to get wood for firewood, one forest is cut down every day. Just to feed the soldiers, enough food is consumed to feed a large city.”

Rohen tilted his head, as if he couldn’t easily guess.

“War is a continuation of attrition, exploitation, and wear and tear. Whoever can maintain this inefficient, irrational, and unreasonable state until the end will ultimately win. In that respect, the Immortal Order has an overwhelming advantage. They don’t consume anything, so they can win just by holding on.”

This is why you cannot let your guard down no matter how thoroughly you prepare. There is no other reason why the weakest and youngest immortal sect survived to the end and became the opponent of the Code of Light.

Time just can’t stop, because that’s on their side.

Hearing Horgel’s words, Rohen’s expression hardened somewhat. Horgel felt a sense of pity at that expression. For this young cardinal, the war was still a story from a long time ago.

“So, we must eliminate their seed even if it means forcing ourselves to do so. Right now, we are in no position to do so. We must think of this Dawn Army as the last.”

Rohen nodded awkwardly. He coughed a few times before returning to his original topic.

“Oh, I’ll keep that in mind. By the way, I heard that Dera Heman failed to bring Isaac to the Dawn Army main force.”

Horgel looked a little surprised.

“Dera Heman?”

“Yes. Rather, they reported the news of defeat quite calmly. And in the process, they say that Inquisition Chief Saltna Culbane was martyred.”

“… … Saltna is dead, so how is the Golden Lion alive?”

“That is… … It is said that Saltna was burned by the Burning Maiden, and Isaac was protected by the Sword of May. It seems that the angels want Isaac to lead the Isacrea Dawn Army.”

The Golden Lion Knights did not inform the angels of the conflict. However, Horhel sensed that a slight conflict had broken out among the angels. The Burning Maiden was the guardian angel of Dera Heman.

The Watchers communicate directly with the angels, but they do not know all the angels’ minds. Therefore, they were aware that they sometimes gave contradictory or conflicting instructions.

It was not the angels’ instructions but their judgment to bring Isaac into the Dawn Army’s main force. However, when the angels were asked for their opinion, no one objected.

However, it was only when the time came to take him that he was stopped.

Of course, we don’t know the specifics of what happened in Odrif, so we don’t know why they did that.

Horhel felt old fears creeping up again.

‘The goals of the angels do not necessarily coincide with the interests of the church.’

Just as the countless dynasties and empires that were established on this earth were nothing more than tools for the church, so the church itself is nothing more than a tool for the angels. Even if the Church of the Light Code changes its name several times, eventually new churches that believe in them will emerge.

‘This dawn army might be another Licht Treaty or something.’

Horgel recalled the record of how the church had suffered the bloodshed and pain of losing all its lands during the Treaty of Licht. This time, it was not just the church, but all faiths and all people who would clash. The bloodshed would be on a different level than before.

But Horgel had to endure it all, even though he knew that catastrophe was imminent.

Because that’s the plan.

Horhel raised his head and looked ahead. If the dawn army was a sparkling white wave, then the front was a dark black-gray wave. The priests had lit incense burners around, but the smell of corpses could not be stopped.

Now, the area from there is the territory of the Black Empire, Urdantu.

Horgel gestured toward the place, imitating an angel.

‘Go. God wants it.’

***

The moment when the main force of the Dawn Army first set foot on Black Empire territory since the start of the 13th Dawn Army.

Isaac was in danger of being thrown into the sea.

That too in the hands of the same Isacrea Dawn Army.

“You’re going south?!”

The Salt Council sailors reacted particularly vehemently.

“Are you crazy? Don’t you know what’s in the southern seas? If you go there, you’ll all die! How many ships and how many people are here now? Do you plan to kill them all?!”

Isaac intended to call the captains to calm the crew, but instead, the captains reacted violently. Isaac may be a great Grail Knight on land, but at sea, the captain is king. The crew’s turbulent anxiety soon spread to the other allies.

As the ship came to a complete halt on the sea, the commanders on other ships also came aboard and asked about the situation. Isaac, feeling that it was a good thing, questioned the captains.

“Didn’t I say from the beginning that I was going to cross the ocean?”

“I thought you would naturally head east and target Belslav or Gehenna Fortress. It’s close to the capital Ushak, and it would be easier to receive help from the main force of the Dawn Army.”

Yenkos answered as if protesting.

In fact, her words were almost exactly the right strategic judgment. Belslav and Gehenna Fortress are close to Ushaq, the capital of the Urdantu Empire ruled by the Undead Cult. If Isaac attacks there, the Undead Cult will have no choice but to divide its forces in two, and the main force of the Dawn Army will be able to move much more lightly.

The problem is that Isaac doesn’t really want that situation.

Isaac wanted the main force of the Dawn Army to face the entire force of the Undead Cult if possible. And there was another reason why Isaac did not target the capital city of Ushak.

“But instead, it takes you farther away from the Holy Land.”

Isaac’s answer left Yenkos speechless. The Dawn Army’s goal was to reclaim the Holy Land, Lua, regardless of whether it was the capital or not, so Isaac’s words were not wrong.

Of course, it is not that far away. However, the capital city of Usak is located in the middle of the road leading to the holy city of Lua.

“You don’t have time to go through Gehenna Fortress or Ushaq one by one? So you’re going straight to the Holy Land, Lua? So you’re going to have to go south anyway?”

“What is there in the southern sea that makes you do that?”

Tukhalin frowned and asked. From the start, the situation of confronting the commander-in-chief was not good. However, the sailors who were accustomed to the sea had long since lost courtesy to the seawater, so their speech was still rough.

“There’s a fucking nightmare strait!”

As soon as Yenkos finished speaking, sailors could be seen here and there, making the sign of the cross or muttering prayers while holding all sorts of superstitious objects. Even Tukhalin could tell that the sea was ominous just by mentioning the name.

“What on earth is Nightmare Strait?”

The Svanvar Archipelago and the Kingdom of Elril are islands, so they are familiar with the sea, but this southern sea is far away. Tukhalin, who is not a sailor, does not know the conditions of the distant sea.

Isaac tried to explain it as briefly as possible before Yenkos could over-exaggerate the description.

“This is the sea that blocks the salt desert Mirmia.”

***

The legend of Mirmia, the saint of the Salt Council, is still told countless times by sailors.

The Salt Council, which had once built a maritime empire as vast as the Code of Light, was punished by having all of its glory confined beneath the Salt Desert in exchange for breaking its promise to Luaddin. Since then, the Salt Council has been in perpetual decline, remaining only as a faith for sailors.

But they still remember Mirmia.

A golden city, a harbor where thousands of ships came and went, a sacred temple built on the seabed, a net filled with schools of fish brought by angels.

But now, all that remains are ruins, with only a scorching heat and a dry wind that steals away even a sliver of moisture.

“Before that salt desert, all sorts of terrible things happen because of the abnormal temperatures created by the lighthouse keeper. There are storms, waves as big as houses, whirlpools that reach the bottom of the sea, and it is said that when a god trapped under the salt desert struggles, a tsunami occurs.”

Isaac muttered as if sighing.

“The 7th Dawn Army were those who, like me, tried to cross the sea. They chose the shortest route and stuck their heads into the Nightmare Strait, but they were all drowned and became a group of undead pirates who would wander the sea forever. It is also said that the glaciers that occasionally drift into the warm waters of the Southern Sea were created by them.”

“… … .”

Tukhalin looked at Isaac with a slightly tired expression. Even Yenkos opened his mouth as if he had nothing to say, and then nodded vigorously. Tukhalin asked Isaac with a suspicious look.

“If what I just heard is correct, then that place called Nightmare Strait is a place where all the nightmares of sailors are gathered, with glaciers, storms, whirlpools, tidal waves, ghost ships, and pirates running wild. Is that correct?”

“you’re right.”

“Was it by chance that your goal for this Dawn Army was to strengthen the naval power of the Immortal Cult?”

‘Hmm, it’s an exciting adventure course that everyone in the game wants to go on.’

Isaac thought to himself, but he didn’t say it out loud because he knew no one would be convinced. Instead, he decided to come up with a story that would be a little more convincing.

“I know it won’t do anything to pirates or ghost ships, but I know of a way to avoid other terrible obstacles.”