Paladin of the Dead God - Chapter 87



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Episode 87 Book of Nameless Worms (5)

Isaac was shocked that these monsters did something similar to speech.

The fact that he said something that sounded like he was begging or blaming himself.

‘Nameless Chaos is a faith that only believes in monsters, to the point where it is called a monster faith… … Are you being opposed by those monsters?’

When looking at Night Stalker’s words and reactions, there is only one conclusion that can be drawn. His nameless chaos abandoned not only his followers, but also his followers and relatives. And then he is giving all his power to Isaac.

‘The nameless chaos killed all the believers who knew its name. So he was forgotten by the world and treated as a dead god. That’s why it came to be called Nameless Chaos… … .’

It could also be said to be a kind of mythical suicide.

In this case, essential questions inevitably arise.

Why did Nameless Chaos commit suicide?

Why was it inevitable to conclude that a plague called the White Plague would be spread and wipe out 1/3 of the world’s population?

Seeing as he mercilessly killed even the monsters within his circle, it was clear that Nameless Chaos had no intention of connecting his past and present actions.

That was both fortunate and unfortunate for Isaac.

As a modern man, Isaac did not want to live in a world ruled by nameless chaos. Like it or not, he had no choice but to prefer the order led by the Code of Light. However, he wondered if the tentacle monsters could be of help in times of emergency. But for now, that didn’t seem likely.

‘Hmm, I can’t help it.’

Isaac looked at the remains of monsters scattered across the sanctuary. The blood vessels and muscle strands stretching throughout the sanctuary absorbed all the debris scattered on the floor. But there were some remains of the remains from their bodies.

Full of divine power.

It was a force belonging to nameless chaos.

Isaac was wondering how to use this power. It was a power that I was reluctant to absorb or let go. It will have to be released somehow.

At that time, Isaac remembered the image of a bug crawling out of an anonymous Bible.

‘bug… … It’s a bug. As for bugs, it depends on how you use them.’

Isaac decided how to use his power and placed his hand on the anonymous Bible again. He could still hear something whispering, but it wasn’t as clear as before, and he didn’t feel the force trying to control him. He was just a prisoner who couldn’t do anything except cry.

[To activate this ritual, you must name the scripture.]

[Please name this scripture.]

Isaac chose the name to reflect the reason why the anonymous Bible became scripture and the origin of the ‘consciousness’ that is exercised as nameless chaos.

“The Book of the Nameless Bug.”

[The unfinished Book of Nameless Bugs (EX+) has been produced.]

‘incomplete?’

Come to think of it, I’ve just written down the name and title. It was natural that it was unfinished.

Soon, the sacred power that filled the sanctuary began to gather around the book of the nameless bug. Then, it seemed like something was taking shape and condensing, but then it disappeared like fog. Isaac felt that the divine power that had filled his sanctuary had diminished considerably.

And apart from that, I was able to feel what was happening throughout the Isacrea territory through the sense of sanctuary.

***

No one noticed the signs of a miracle.

This is because it spread over a very large area and started slowly, from beneath the ground. The divine power from the remains of Nightcrawler stimulated the underside of his skin. The stimulated earthworms, maggots, and grubs began to move. They were insects that were treated as unclean and evil.

The bugs, blessed with God’s miracle, began to divide and multiply like single-celled animals, spreading profusely from under the ground. The bugs continued to eat and excrete the ground, making the little farmland in the Isacrea territory more fertile than ever before.

There were also pests. They willingly climbed up to the ground. The chickens and ducks on the farm began to gain weight.

Some people threw themselves into the river. The fish in the valley have become thicker than ever before.

The seeds of the potatoes Isaac had planted grew larger, birds and animals gathered to eat the infested bugs, and the forest became more noisy.

Spring came to the Isacrea territory earlier and more abundantly than before.

All of these processes were carefully coordinated to prevent harmful tides from spreading or the ecosystem collapsing. It was enough to make a piece of land fertile just by adjusting the things below the bottom.

Because the changes took place over a long period of time, people living there did not feel any dramatic changes. I just feel like my life has become easier than before.

However, Isolde, who returned after a week, was taken aback by the change in atmosphere as soon as she entered the territory.

‘what? Even though it’s spring… … .’

Spring is a time when big changes begin, but there is a consistent atmosphere wherever you go. In spring, any village is bound to suffer from spring hunger. The Issacrea territory, which had experienced war and poverty, thought that this spring would be a major crisis. However, there was no shadow on the faces of any of the people of Isacrea territory that Isolde encountered.

‘The roads were paved and the walls were repaired. ‘Did you even have time to do that?’

“Huh, was this neighborhood originally like this?”

Jacquelet, who came as Isolde’s companion, tilted her head and muttered.

“Have you ever been here?”

“Uh, um. We wander around here and there, so we’ve looked around this area before. However, I remember passing by because it seemed like there was nothing to eat. “The atmosphere is completely different from back then.”

Isolde looked around, feeling unfamiliar that she was not the only one who felt this way.

Because of the shady valley, the snow that had not melted until early spring had disappeared, and water was flowing abundantly in the valley. The trees, which had been dry and poor, were now all boasting branches full of bright blue leaves. Even though it was only planting season, at least no one seemed to be starving.

“There was nothing to worry about, but I guess I can trust the Holy Knight at this level. “I thought I should come and hunt.”

Jacquelet was a vanguard that set out on behalf of the Barbary who would follow behind. Although she led only about a hundred people in Barbary, it was quite large for her small territory. There would be many things they could do if they didn’t have to worry about food.

However, Catelyn had a lot to prepare and was leaving somewhat late. Although she, as the head of the Soeur branch, could not leave Soeur completely, she seemed to be thinking of granting equivalent authority to the Issa Crea estate.

Isolde wondered what other changes would occur once these two people settled down in Isacrea territory.

***

The only person who felt the change in real time was Isaac.

The miraculous event was still taking place in real time, and the changes that would occur in the future were greater than those that had occurred so far. As Isaac could sense the entire territory in the sanctuary, he could see that the miracle caused by nameless chaos was enough to change the entire ecosystem.

But Isaac was also considering the opposite possibility.

‘If it is possible to enrich a desolate valley, the opposite is also possible… … .’

What would have happened if Isaac had used this miracle for evil purposes? All kinds of poisonous insects and pests would have boiled up from the ground and swept away like a swarm of locusts. They may have ordered everything with flesh to be eaten and turned into a wasteland.

Of course, Isaac had no intention of doing so anywhere. This was because it seemed ‘worthless’ to Isaac. Why are we expanding the wasteland? He wouldn’t know if he was eating it.

Isaac suddenly remembered that nameless chaos was classified as an evil spirit.

It would be difficult to dare to excuse the crime of killing 1/3 of the world’s population. It also uses tentacle monsters, dominates people’s minds, and even eats them… …

Isaac wondered if nameless followers of chaos had done something like this in the past.

‘If so, why did he kill all his believers?’

The question that arose did not last long.

He had too much to do to be lost in idle thoughts.

***

There was still a lot of time needed for everyone to realize the changes that had occurred in the territory.

Isaac was still distributing food to the residents of the territory, and the absurdities that were customary in the territory were also eliminated. When a monster appears, he goes out to hunt or prey on it, and when an incident occurs, he searches for the culprit with his eyes of confusion.

Isaac’s actions as a lord impressed not only the residents, but also the priests and paladins. In particular, the priests were surprised that Isaac, a young Holy Grail Knight, was able to read and write, as well as calculate numbers, ‘as if he were a nobleman’.

“How so quickly…” … .”

The priest who was sent to help Isaac manage his territory muttered in embarrassment when he saw Isaac calculating faster than him. Isaac only calculated a simple formula, but it was surprising considering that many of the paladins were not even good at reading and writing.

하지만 아이작은 내심 이를 갈면서 일을 처리하고 있었다.

‘이 빌어먹을 미개인들 같으니…….’

어려운 일이 있으면 죄다 기도로 해결하기 때문인지 이 시대의 행정 시스템이란 미개하기 짝이 없었다. 다들 적응해서 잘살고 있다지만 현대인인 아이작 보기에는 비효율, 비합리, 비이성 그 자체였다.

툭 건드리면 아이작이 애써 얻은 이 영지가 어린아이가 만든 모래성마냥 무너질 것처럼 보이니 함부로 내버려 둘 수도 없었다.

아이작이 바쁜 이유도 대부분 이 때문이었다. 자신이 없어도 영지가 그럭저럭 굴러가게 만들기 위해서. 이것만큼은 다른 사람에게 부탁할 수도 없었다.

정말, 지독하게 바빴다.

아이작이 전혀 기대했던 바가 아니었지만 어쩔 수 없었다.

그냥 사제와 성기사들에게 맡기면 좋겠지만 그랬다간 자신이 없는 사이 영지가 어떻게 될지 뻔했다.

바로 그 중요한 예가 영지의 사법 체계였다.

“성배기사님.”

아이작은 영주 겸 수도원장이 되었지만, 여전히 그를 지칭하는 대표적인 호칭은 성배기사였다. 그만큼 그의 정체성을 많이 차지하기도 했고, 그 권위가 영주나 수도원장보다 못하다고 할 수는 없었다. 더군다나 그 성배기사가 천사를 물리쳤다면.

“……또 재판입니까?”

“그렇게 되었습니다.”

성기사 베르너는 난감한 표정으로 대답했다.

아이작을 가장 가까이에서 호위하면서 업무를 보조하는 베르너는 후안 주교와 함께 찾아왔다가 이사크레아 영지에 남게 된 성기사 중 하나였다. 아이작과 함께 저주를 쫓다가 블러드 나이트에게 기습당해 중상을 입었던 바로 그 성기사이기도 했다.

후안이 직접 치료해 준 덕분에 몸은 금방 나았지만 옛날만큼 거동이 편하지는 않았다. 기적이라고는 해도 뼈를 붙게 하고 살을 아물게 할 뿐, 부상 자체를 없던 일로 만들어 주진 않으니까.

“이번에는 무슨 일입니까?”

“가죽상들이 거래 때문에 들렀는데, 숙소에 머무는 사이 금전이 든 주머니가 사라졌다고 여관주인을 고발했습니다. 원래 여관주인이 사냥꾼들의 가죽을 맡아주고 중개해주는 식으로 거래해왔다고 하더군요.”

“당연히 맹세 서약은 했을 테고.”

“예. 양쪽 다 자신의 결백을 증언했습니다.”

아이작을 열받게 하는 바로 그 사법 시스템의 골 때리는 점이 바로 이것이었다.

이 시기, 우습지만 재판이란 사제 앞에 가서 자신의 결백을 맹세하는 것이었다. 사소한 선행으로 천국에 가지 않듯, 사소한 죄악으로 지옥에 떨어지지도 않는다.

하지만 맹세는 다르다. 신앙을 걸고 맹세한 만큼 맹세 내용이 어떻든 간에, 어기면 죽어서 지옥에 떨어지는 것도 감수하겠다는 의지 표명이었다.

‘원님 재판이 따로 없지.’