Paladin of the Dead God

Chapter 54:

Isaac, looking down at the Seor market from his accommodation, saw it quickly regaining its vitality.

Being a commercial hub, and thanks in large part to the Golden Idol Guild offsetting most of the damage, merchants had a foundation to rebuild. Of course, the Golden Idol Guild suffered a significant loss, but that was due to an insider’s mistake, leaving no one else to blame.

And at the center of the rumors was Isaac.

Many had witnessed what happened in the market on the night the Loracus crash began as Isaac pursued Yukhar. The specifics of Isaac’s actions were unknown to the public, but rumors spread that he had captured the ‘evil’ black market merchants fueling the Loracus surge and saved merchants from bankruptcy.

But the rumors didn’t stop there.

There were whispers of an ancient god’s revival, appearances of vampires from the Red Chalice Club, and more. Although such tales sounded too fantastical, being linked to a “Grail Knight” lent them a semblance of credibility.

In tough times, people needed uplifting stories.

“From the merchants’ perspective, being freed from brainwashing by a noble Grail Knight is more appealing than admitting to their greed.”

Choosing to align with the story’s Grail Knight rather than confront embarrassing memories was an act of responsibility avoidance, but it wasn’t bad for Isaac. Now, they would spread tales of Isaac’s heroism across the continent.

“Hmm?”

Something caught Isaac’s eye. A well-dressed nobleman was passing through the market with a group of horsemen, heading towards the Golden Idol Guild. Seeing this, Isaac smiled.

“It seems the time has come.”

Isaac packed his belongings and signaled to Hesabel, who was waiting somewhere.

The ceiling’s wooden planks opened, and Hesabel appeared upside down, looking somewhat groggy.

“Do you always sleep there?”

“It’s the only place where people don’t come and go, and sunlight doesn’t reach…”

Being a vampire, Hesabel lived a nocturnal life. Though she could move around during the day with proper precautions, like the Wallachia hunters, her movements were significantly restricted.

“Do you need anything? The order’s business is progressing smoothly.”

Hesabel had been focusing on managing the nascent Order of Nameless Chaos and monitoring rumors during the night.

The ‘order’, along with Isaac’s fame, was spreading rapidly by word of mouth. True to the Order of Nameless Chaos, it had no name.

“For now, it might be seen as just a sect of the Codex of Light…”

There was no plan to reveal its true nature.

Isaac intended to keep this order hidden within the Codex of Light. In the real world, such examples are plentiful. Religious sects often split over slight differences in doctrine interpretation.

Consider how many branches exist within major religions like Christianity or Islam.

“I don’t need anything, but pack up. We’re leaving soon.”

“Finally.”

Without asking why, Hesabel retracted her head into the ceiling. She had seemed quite uneasy about staying in Seor for a while. Regardless of the reason, she was content to be leaving.

Knock, knock.

Soon after, the awaited visitor arrived.

“Lord Isaac, if it’s not too much trouble, I have a pressing request…”

Caitlin, seeing Isaac already packed and armored up, wore a complex expression. Isaac responded with a genuinely regretful look.

“Hmm, that would be inconvenient. I was just about to leave Seor.”

***

Of course, Isaac had no intention of leaving.

But Caitlin, unaware of the situation, barely managed to plead with him to bring him to the Guild.

In the Guild’s reception room was the nobleman Isaac had seen passing through the market earlier. He was visibly nervous to meet Isaac, whom even the head of the Golden Idol Guild had difficulty inviting.

The nobleman approached and introduced himself first to Isaac.

“I am Count Coben Reinhardt. I wish you glory and blessings on your journey, Sir Knight.”

“I’m Isaac.”

Isaac was satisfied with the count’s demeanor.

“It seems I’ve managed to assert some control.”

The relationship between nobles and knightly orders, especially those dedicated to holy causes like the Grail Knights, is intricate. In the Gerthonia Empire, where the Codex of Light serves as the state religion, the power of the church is immense, yet the Emperor’s authority is equally formidable.

Traditionally, even the Emperor is considered merely a proxy, having been ‘temporarily’ granted power by the divine. However, the current Emperor is viewed differently since he himself has been blessed as a sacred being.

Is a sacred being, directly appointed by the divine, superior? Or is the collective of priests, who borrow divine power, more formidable?

This presents a delicate issue.

As a result, a subtle game of influence ensues between the nobility, who pledge allegiance to the Emperor and his military might, and the Grail Knights, who are devout to the church.

However, for now, Count Reinhardt finds himself in the position of having laboriously persuaded a ‘Grail Knight about to resume his noble journey’ to come with him. Unbeknownst to the count, this positioned him in a somewhat subservient stance towards Isaac.

‘It might be okay to humble myself a bit, but it’s still irritating to have to bow down to someone who’s merely born with a silver spoon in his mouth.’

Securing such a position can also determine the upper hand in ‘negotiations.’

The noble with the impressive mustache, Reinhardt, was the first to speak, aiming to set a favorable tone for the conversation.

“I’ve heard much about your accomplishments, Sir Grail Knight. You’ve single-handedly quelled the madness that was swirling around Seor recently.”

“I simply followed the path guided by the divine.”

Strictly speaking, it was the guidance of a status window, but that too could be considered divine guidance in a broad sense.

“You’re modest. But from what I’ve gathered on my way here, your actions seem far beyond those of a mere pilgrim.”

Isaac listened quietly to Reinhardt, wondering where he was going with this. Reinhardt’s description of Isaac’s rumored deeds left him somewhat taken aback.

Shadows of a deranged deity controlling Seor… Innocent citizens ensnared in madness… Merchants brainwashed into buying ‘drug-like’ Loracus, threatening a famine disaster as no one attended to the spring harvest.

Then, a Grail Knight appeared to vanquish the evil deity.

Following an heroic battle that shattered the malevolent schemes, the evil deity attempted one last act of desperation, seeking to drench Seor in madness and terror. But then, the Grail Knight, breaking through the night with a radiant aura, reprimanded them.

“…Merchants came to their senses, bowed, and finally vanquished the evil deity. Furthermore, you generously distributed your wealth to help those suffering and in pain.”

“…”

Isaac looked away, pretending it was nothing. While the broad strokes weren’t entirely incorrect, the story made the Grail Knight out to be a figure of noble purpose rather than someone engaging in speculative investments to defeat the deity. In reality, Isaac’s opponents were just lowlifes and debt-ridden merchants, and the “wealth” he distributed was originally Yukhar’s.

And that he benefitted the most from the ordeal.

‘Well, as long as the outcome is good, the details of the story don’t really matter.’

As Isaac feigned disinterest, Reinhardt interpreted his silence as humility and carefully clasped his hands together.

“Yes, I understand that merchants tend to exaggerate and invent fantastical tales. I’m embarrassed to say that I too attempted to profit from the situation and ended up suffering losses. But the more I heard, the less it seemed like mere fiction.”

“I merely did what needed to be done.”

Isaac managed to convey a modest intent. However, anticipating that Reinhardt’s praises would continue, he quickly shifted the conversation to the matter at hand.

“May I know the reason for your visit? I presume it’s not merely to praise me.”

“Ah, indeed, fitting for a devoted Grail Knight. Actually, I was hoping to offer my support for your journey… and to ask for a favor.”

Reinhardt spoke cautiously.

“I have a neighboring domain, Hendrake. It’s rugged terrain but was once renowned for its mining. I’ve had a long-standing cooperative relationship with its previous lord, Sir Lisfen Hendrake.”

“Hendrake!”

Isaac was surprised by the unexpected name but did not show it.

The Hendrake domain had been at the top of his list of places to visit someday.

Currently, it was nothing more than an unimpressive village in a mountain valley, but due to the Loracus incident, it had become even more dilapidated and pitiful.

However, its true value would be revealed two years later, at the dawn of the Dawn Army.

It became a very important strategic point for various reasons, as the incident that triggered the Dawn Army happened there. Isaac had wanted to establish a base or have ties to the place in any way possible, and this was just the opportunity he needed.

“So it’s not the lord of Hendrake who came, but the lord of the neighboring village…”

Reinhardt continued, unaware of Isaac’s thoughts.

“Recently, Viscount Lisfen Hendrake died of an unidentified disease, and his son, Kyle Hendrake, inherited the lordship. I’ve decided to maintain a friendship and fellowship with that son. But Kyle Hendrake… got seduced by some woman and started gambling with money.”

Gambling with money… Isaac suppressed a laugh.

This was exactly the story he had been waiting for.

***

The story unfolded exactly as Isaac had predicted. The lord, Kyle Hendrake, had started meddling with Loracus, borrowing money from here and there, and even reaching out to Reinhardt. However, the outcome was as follows.

It eventually led to bankruptcy.

But Kyle Hendrake showed neither the ability nor the will to repay the money.

“I thought there would be one or two nobles going bankrupt because of this incident.”

Thus, Isaac anticipated two situations: either the bankrupt nobles would desperately come to him, or the creditors, needing to shake down the bankrupt nobles, would come to him.

Either way, they would need a justification.

“Exterminating a corrupt noble who dabbled in evil sorcery” would be a better excuse than “going to collect owed money.”

Conversely, the bankrupt nobles would need someone like Isaac by their side to assert that they were unrelated to this “evil incident.”

This way, the creditors couldn’t openly blame the bankrupt nobles.

Nobles, even in the face of bankruptcy, value justification over money.

If they are looking for an opportunity to recover, they cannot afford to fall disgracefully.

Isaac, therefore, planned to extract whatever he needed from whoever came to him first. The best thing from the Hendrake domain would be the land, and next would be the secrets of the domain that only Isaac knew, secretly taken.

“But it seems the creditors have come…”

He had thought the bankrupt party would be more desperate, but this was an unexpected outcome. After all, this noble, Reinhardt, might also be facing bankruptcy if he couldn’t recover the money.

Regardless, Isaac decided to listen to the story a bit more.

“So, do you wish for me to attack Viscount Hendrake with you?”

At that, Reinhardt widened his eyes and waved his hands.

“No, how could I ask you to do such a dishonorable thing? I never thought of treating a Holy Grail Knight like some common thug. And Kyle Hendrake is, after all, the son of my friend. I have no intention of harming him.”

Reinhardt grimaced and spoke cautiously.

“Of course, he must be held accountable. If we only try to avoid this situation, the central nobility will cause even bigger problems. Plus, it seems this mess is because of a woman, so I do intend to reprimand him.”

Because of a woman.

Isaac pondered Reinhardt’s words.

“It’s the cliché story of a successful man ruined by a woman. Such stories are often more about providing the man with an excuse rather than the woman actually being the cause.

However, if it’s something that happened in the Hendrake domain, it’s possible that something really did intervene.

“By the way, you mentioned he got involved with Loracus because of a woman. What kind of woman is she?”

“Hm? Ah, she’s a maid who was brought in during the previous lord’s time. I’ve never mentioned her, but I’ve seen her from a distance, and she was indeed a very attractive woman. But, after all, she’s just a maid, and having her constantly by his side is surely spoiling him.”

Reinhardt seemed to have no concrete evidence either.

But the presence of an attractive woman tends to fuel men’s imaginations. They jump to the conclusion, ‘He’s doing something he’s never done before, so it must be because of the woman.’

Isaac sarcastically played along.

“Yes, well, if she’s that charming, perhaps she’s an angel who infiltrated our borders to carry out the evil schemes of the Red Chalice. Maybe she’s disguised as a simple maid, plotting to kill the lord and corrupt his son.”

“Hm? That seems a bit far-fetched, Knight. Why would an angel of the Red Chalice bother with being a maid for a border noble? If it were me, I’d go after corrupting the emperor or seducing a ducal family.”

However, Reinhardt seemed to take the Holy Grail Knight’s words as grave concern and deduction. With Reinhardt taking him seriously, Isaac found himself at a loss for words.

But he thought to himself.

‘The heir of a ducal family from the Red Chalice Club came all the way here and ended up as a debtor.’

***

“Shall we depart now, Lord Isaac?”

Hesabel, the heir of the ducal family from the Red Chalice Club and now Isaac’s underling after being a debtor, was waiting in front of the lodging. She had packed all her belongings as instructed by Isaac and was ready to depart at any moment.

When Isaac simply stared at her without answering, Hesabel tilted her head.

“Why do you look at me like that, Lord Isaac?”

“Just thinking, it’s complicated.”

It’s all Hesabel’s doing. She dug her own grave and now she’s lying in it, what can be done?

Isaac sighed and said,

“We’re going to the Hendrake domain.”

Finding relics is important, but so is vanquishing evil.

And if that evil happens to have a lot of money, all the more reason.