Paladin of the Dead God

Chapter 40:

Among them were merchants who had traveled long distances and individuals who required special attention from the trading house, making it natural for the establishment to offer lodging facilities. While smaller guilds might book inns for their guests, the Golden Idol trading guild was among the largest merchant coalitions on the continent, naturally equipped with accommodation facilities.

‘Even in this era, having a private bath is quite something.’

Isaac melted away the grime of days in the hot water, realizing it was nearly the first time he had bathed in hot water since arriving in this world. Soaking in the hot water, he felt the tension that had been knotted in his muscles begin to soften.

The hot water was heated by burning logs, which meant the longer Isaac bathed, the more it would cost. However, nobody rushed him or made him feel unwelcome.

After bathing, a maid was waiting with a towel. She stopped dead in her tracks and stared wide-eyed at Isaac.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing!”

Blushing, the maid quickly handed over the towel and scurried ahead. Isaac followed her to the dining area, where a table seemed to have been reserved for him. As he strode towards it, he began to attract attention.

“Look at that.”

“Is that…?”

The bustling dining room became abuzz with whispers.

Among the crowd were merchants Isaac had saved, but even they failed to recognize him. Clean and rid of the grime, Isaac’s appearance began to captivate the crowd.

‘This is…’

Isaac felt a bit overwhelmed by the attention but took his seat without showing it. Having been accustomed to his unkempt appearance or seeing familiar faces at the monastery, he hadn’t realized the extent of his own attractiveness until now.

‘Considering everyone else is using a vanilla appearance and I’m here with a face modded to have 99 charisma…’

Enjoying such looks was one thing in a game, but dealing with it in reality proved to be awkward.

Fortunately, as soon as Isaac sat down, dishes were served. Roast pork seasoned with spices and honey, chicken stewed in wine, and freshly baked white bread were among the first to arrive. Each dish was rich in flavor, made without sparing any ingredients.

Isaac started to focus on the food, ignoring the stares. It felt like the first time in weeks he had eaten food touched by fire. Soon, the crowd’s stares turned to astonishment for a different reason. How could such a slender figure consume all that food?

As Isaac inadvertently hosted a medieval-style mukbang in front of the merchants, he was lost in his thoughts.

‘This is quite the treatment for just saving some merchants.’

Isaac mentally gave the Golden Idol trading guild a passing score for their hospitality. However, he also knew that the guild did not engage in acts of loss.

To them, trading and bargaining were their faith and doctrine.

‘The Golden Idol… the merchants’ faith among the Nine Faiths.’

And it was the faith Isaac had last encountered before crossing into this world.

The structure of the Golden Idol guild was unique.

Even the secretive and conspiratorial Red Chalice had Wallachia Kingdom as a focal point. However, the Golden Idol guild lacked a centralized nation. It controlled cities treated as trade hubs, but their interest lay only in taxes and regulations.

For them, crossing national borders for trade meant the concept of a nation was of little significance, potentially only increasing unnecessary tensions.

Instead, they dominated capital.

They lent money to those in need, controlled the distribution of goods, bribed power holders, or paid off enemies for peace.

As a result, even the undead nation of the Black Empire hosted the Golden Idol guild.

Of course, security was essential for commerce to thrive. Therefore, the Golden Idol guild flourished most within the relatively safe confines of the White Empire.

Not all merchants were devotees of the Golden Idol, but escaping its influence was impossible.

When Isaac had nearly finished his meal, Vihik came to him.

Isaac welcomed the beer Vihik was carrying with both hands more than Vihik’s face itself. However, Vihik paused for a moment, as if frozen, upon seeing Isaac’s face.

Thirsty, Isaac didn’t care about Vihik’s reaction and grabbed the beer mug, downing it in one gulp.

Vihik managed to sit down diagonally across from Isaac.

“You’re more spirited than you look.”

“I’ve swallowed a wolf whole before.”

Vihik laughed, thinking it was a joke. But when Isaac didn’t laugh, Vihik awkwardly shifted his gaze away.

Just then, a middle-aged woman approached them.

Vihik quickly introduced her.

“This is Ms. Caitlin Shiver, the branch head of our trading house.”

Caitlin stared at Isaac before voicing what everyone wanted but didn’t dare to say.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen an angel who eats so well. Don’t they feed you in heaven?”

“It’s Isaac. From the Ariet Monastery.”

Caitlin squinted her eyes for a moment at Isaac’s terse manner.

“It seems you have no intention of showing respect to your elders, Sir Knight.”

At the mention of ‘knight,’ Vihik’s eyes widened. He had considered that Isaac might be a knight based on his skills but hadn’t thought of him as a holy knight. Isaac looked at her with amused interest.

“Did you check my gear while I was bathing?”

“We would never commit such rudeness. It’s just that our side tends to get information quickly…”

Caitin tapped on the coin with a buffalo skull emblem placed on the table.

“…We just knew that a young and handsome Grail Knight had saved our people a few times. And naturally, his path seemed to be leading towards Seor.”

“You were ‘that’ Grail Knight?!”

The noise Vihik reflexively made attracted the attention of everyone in the dining area.

“‘That’ Grail Knight?”

It was Isaac who asked back. Vihik stammered in his response.

“There were whispers among the merchants about a new Grail Knight appearing. As you know, except for Elil, it’s believed Grail Knights were nearly extinct. We thought it might just be a rumor…”

Grail Knights were a subject of fascinating gossip among the common folk, especially since, outside of the Kingdom of Elil, the concept of Grail Knights was almost legendary.

It was even more famous among merchants who traversed dangerous territories.

‘It’s a time short on entertainment, after all.’

This meant Caitlin knew Isaac was coming even before Vihik reported it. Of course, she probably didn’t expect him to visit her directly.

Only then did Isaac understand the reason for such exceptional hospitality.

“You see me as an investment opportunity.”

“The Golden Idol guild has traditionally been a patron of Grail Knights. Please consider it a token of gratitude for saving our people.”

‘As if you meant that.’

Isaac thought to himself with a silent laugh.

This relief of burden and ease of atmosphere was Golden Idol’s strategy before making a difficult request.

However, the Golden Idol guild being patrons of Grail Knights wasn’t a lie. When a Grail Knight was isolated abroad, needed to conceal their identity, or urgently required capital, the Golden Idol guild was always there to rely on.

‘In the game, merchants appearing in dungeons or enemy territories often saved my life… Well, it’s a game, so it’s portrayed that way.’

Of course, it wasn’t free. Once in debt, the Golden Idol guild would ask for protection or force instead of money from the Grail Knight. The fact that they could ask a knight of another faith was a privilege in itself.

“Let’s get to the point.”

Isaac pushed his empty plate aside and spoke.

“You have a request for me regarding the Loracus, don’t you?”

After finishing their meal, the trio moved to a nearby market associated with the trading house.

Caitlin and Isaac soaked in the vibrant atmosphere of the market as they walked.

As a trading hub, Seor’s market was immense. Isaac could smell the intense scent of Loracus amidst the fervor.

It was the scent of greed.

The hottest spot in the market was undoubtedly the Loracus trading area.

Not yet arrived in physical form, the Loracus bulbs, as well as the future blossoms they would produce, the new bulbs that would come from those flowers, and the profits to be gained from selling those new bulbs were being traded in a subdivided manner.

Not just Loracus, but everything needed to cultivate it—fertilizers, farming tools, wagons, and more—was being traded. The influx of people had also inflated the prices of other flowers.

‘Everyone’s lost their minds.’

Isaac was shocked by the madness that was greater than he had anticipated.

Initially, he wondered how he could exploit this situation.

In a modern context, he could predict the crash and bet on shorts to make money. However, the economic system here wasn’t complex enough for that, and it was uncertain whether he could collect his winnings after the crash.

‘Try to intervene? No, this has gone beyond anyone’s control.’

Human greed cannot be contained. Even if Isaac declared, “Soon Loracus will crash, and the empire’s economy with it,” he would be ignored. Knowing yet thinking “It won’t happen to me” is the nature of human greed.

The crash and the market’s downfall were inevitable futures.

“What do you think?” Caitlin asked as they left the market. Isaac just shrugged.

“People’s greed is spinning out of control. Unless the emperor himself comes down to ban trading.”

“The guild’s leadership is very worried.”

“About the crash?”

“No. Because of Loracus, logistics have been blocked.”

Isaac felt he understood. The market was full of various seeds and farming equipment, but seeds for the upcoming spring or food were almost nonexistent. It was common knowledge to Isaac that spring, just before the first harvest after winter, was the most destitute time.

“Most farmers would have reserved seeds for spring, but not in sufficient quantities. There were always merchants supplying high-quality seeds. And food is scarce in spring. So, the local population is becoming restless.”

Isaac thought of the Barbarian bandits who had attacked the merchants. They wanted the merchants dead more than Isaac. If the merchants only fiddled with Loracus for profit and neglected essential goods, it would be reason enough for hatred. Plus, those people were likely living in dire circumstances.

“It’s clear there’s unrest, but is there anything I can do?”

It might be better to persuade the merchants or nobles to secure an alternative distribution network. Isaac’s influence was still that of a wandering swordsman.

However, Caitlin had a definite task for him.

“We’d like you to investigate who’s buying up large amounts of Loracus.”

“I’ve heard it’s become a fad among flower collectors…”

“That’s partially true, but that level of demand wouldn’t create this frenzy. There’s something else at play here, but our connections can’t uncover it.”

“You couldn’t find out?”

One of the Golden Idol’s doctrines was the pursuit of the unknown. They wouldn’t just give up because they couldn’t find out.

Caitlin showed a vague expression.

“So, your people were killed.”

They cleverly covered the danger and tried to involve Isaac. Seeing displeasure on Isaac’s face, Caitlin looked anxious.

“I wish you hadn’t tried to test the waters by hiding this and that.”

“I’m sorry. We just…”

Isaac thought for a moment.

He had come to Seor to find a relic related to the Golden Idol guild and had planned to squeeze some information out of them for saving the merchants. But it turned out they were the ones asking him for help.

Being asked is better than asking when negotiating.

‘This… smells like a relic.’

Maybe the person behind this has something to do with the relic.

Isaac was going to accept Caitlin’s offer, but he maintained a demanding tone and set a condition.

“Fine. But I have one condition.”

“We only have money to offer. We can assure you plenty of that.”

It was a satisfying answer. Yet, Isaac, not wanting to appear money-grubbing, responded graciously.

“I have some Loracus in my possession. It would be nice if the Golden Idol guild could buy it all at the current price in a month.”