Paladin of the Dead God

Chapter 71:

Stick with the winning side.

Isaac smiled.

It was a response worthy of a passing grade.

“Well learned.”

That was the end of it.

There was no need for phrases like, “You will forever be my subordinate,” or “You chose your side well.” Isaac was confident that Hesabel would not betray him if she acted as she said.

Isaac was confident in his victory.

Hesabel, somewhat awkwardly, got up and asked.

“Did you meet the Mirror Handmaiden?”

“Yes.”

“I’m curious what form your Mirror Handmaiden took…”

Isaac tilted his head in confusion at Hesabel’s question.

“Why do you ask?”

“I’ve heard that the Mirror Handmaiden takes on the appearance of the person it’s speaking to, but makes itself much more beautiful or impressive to fuel the person’s pride or vanity. But since you’re already perfect, I can’t imagine how the Mirror Handmaiden could have improved upon that.”

“…”

Isaac was about to say that it hadn’t changed at all but stopped, worrying it might come off as narcissistic.

Hesabel looked around. The incomplete sanctuary that the Prophet of Flesh was working on had now been completed into a nameless Sanctuary of Chaos. The Sanctuary of Chaos, unfamiliar to Hesabel, was bizarre, yet she somehow felt at peace.

“The Mirror Handmaiden completed the sanctuary.”

A lot of power and effort must have gone into even an incomplete sanctuary, and Isaac had completely taken it over.

Suddenly, Isaac asked Hesabel, as if he had just thought of it.

“I heard there was also a plan to raise an ancient god here.”

He spoke as if raising livestock, but in Isaac’s mind, ancient gods were no more than livestock to be raised and eaten.

“Livestock? Livestock, huh…”

Isaac suddenly had an idea.

“Instead of hunting down ancient gods raised by others, why not just raise and eat my own? That seems more efficient and straightforward.”

However, it was just a fleeting thought; actual implementation would be difficult. It had taken decades to raise just one Zihilrat. Of course, Zihilrat had been suppressed under the influence of the Codex of Light in the monastery’s basement.

Still, knowing it was possible to raise ancient gods, it seemed worthwhile to research using Zihilrat.

Coincidentally, the owner of this very place where Isaac had settled was gone.

“I really should take over here.”

He had initially planned to take over part of the domain, but his intentions changed after experiencing a series of events. Rather than risking it being coveted by others, it was better if he managed it himself. He thought it best to take over the whole thing.

Of course, a humble Grail Knight should not covet a domain.

But his thoughts changed after defeating the Prophet of Red Flesh.

“A few farms won’t balance the books.”

As he absorbed the sanctuary, Isaac’s senses expanded from Hendrake Castle, as they had from the Ariet Monastery. And he discovered something astonishing.

This place was unusually saturated with divine power. It was a prepared holy site, where it wouldn’t be strange for a miracle to occur at any moment. Such an environment could not have naturally formed.

Someone had clearly prepared this place long ago.

“Whoever it was, thank you.”

Isaac was determined to take over this domain.

But to do so, he would have to overcome several obstacles.

Some time later, a group of horsemen entered the domain of Hendrake.

Isaac had known of their arrival even before they reached, thanks to the three crows that began to circle above Hendrake Castle. These were the people from the Order of the Codex of Light, finally arriving as Reinhardt had mentioned. Knowing that crows precede the arrival of an Inquisitor to scout the area, Isaac felt a sense of familiarity.

“But it seems bigger than I heard?”

Isaac observed the group approaching Hendrake Castle from the front gate.

Knights heavily armed with white silver armor and various weapons. Though they bore no emblems indicating their affiliation, there were as many as five paladins among them.

The paladins, upon encountering Isaac, stepped aside without exchanging greetings.

An old priest of high rank appeared from behind the paladins. A young cleric, who seemed to be assisting the priest, spoke up.

“May the Light guide your path. Are you Sir Isaac, the Grail Knight?”

“That’s me.”

Isaac responded modestly, and the young man looked back at the old priest happily. The priest mumbled something inaudible with his wrinkled face, but the young cleric relayed his words.

“This is Bishop Juan Liard. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Bishop?”

Isaac was surprised but did not show it. He had expected a high-ranking clergy to come, but a bishop was a position involved in the election of the pope, one of fewer than ten throughout the entire Empire.

Only then did Isaac see the group in a new light.

Paladins and a bishop, two assistant clerics, and at the back, individuals in sleek attire with hoods deeply pulled over their faces—likely Inquisitors.

“They came prepared for war.”

With five competent paladins and the miracles of a bishop, such a rural castle could easily be conquered. They had probably brought only the essential forces, knowing Reinhardt’s soldiers were already there.

“Are they going this far just to collect a debt?”

It seemed excessive, even for a debt collector. Sending just one or two paladins would have been enough to make Kyle submit, without needing a bishop. However, there was a hint of disappointment and bitterness on the faces of the paladins.

Isaac understood the situation from their expressions.

“The appearance of the Prophet of the Red Flesh must have caused a rush to add more personnel.”

Of course, the Prophet of the Red Flesh was swiftly defeated by Isaac upon appearing. Therefore, the news they received must have been that a celestial being appeared and was immediately subdued by a Grail Knight. But it was a hard story to believe, and not a common occurrence, so they had no choice but to bring a carefully selected team.

The appearance of a celestial being is often more about the aftermath than the appearance itself.

The young cleric spoke again.

“We have much to hear from you. But first, may we enter and talk?”

“The castle is not yet in order.”

Bishop Juan murmured something again, and the young cleric conveyed his words.

“It’s alright. Bishop Juan requests it. Having participated in the Dawn Wars, the bishop is not uncomfortable sleeping in harsh conditions. He wishes to see the remnants of the unholy presence first.”

Seeing no reason to refuse, and if they were more interested in celestial subjugation than debt collection, it was advantageous, if not neutral, for Isaac.

“Very well. Please, come in.”

Isaac gestured for them to enter and walked ahead into the castle gates. But the group paused momentarily. The bishop clasped his hands and began reciting a prayer. Soon, a soft glow enveloped Isaac and the group.

“The Lighthouse of the Watchers… they’re worried about curses.”

Isaac immediately recognized the miracle. It could block weak curses from other faiths and even reduce the effects of stronger curses by half. Celestials often left dreadful curses upon their death, so it was a necessary precaution.

The issue was that Isaac had already spent two days in the castle, and Reinhardt’s soldiers were working inside, believing in Isaac’s miraculous power to ward off curses. However, such a relationship of trust was not established with the bishop and paladins.

“There have been no issues.”

“One can never be too careful.”

The young cleric smiled gently.

Isaac was not displeased. He thought of it as a precaution, like wearing a mask in a potentially diseased area.

Leading with the paladins, the bishop’s group entered the castle. Following them, Inquisitors, carrying or wearing crows on their shoulders or heads, approached.

They watched Isaac closely as they passed by, but one of them did not. An Inquisitor at the back flicked a finger just before passing by Isaac.

Looking up, Isaac saw a familiar face.

It was Isolde Brant.

“As expected.”

Isaac had already known Isolde would come. He had felt a familiar presence among the crows.

She gave him a small smile and sent a hand signal. It meant they would talk separately later.

***

The bishop and paladins were diligently investigating something on the wall where Isaac had fought the Prophet of Red Flesh. Isaac wasn’t included in their immediate investigation. They preferred to hear his testimony later.

“I feel like I’m under suspicion here.”

While the investigation proceeded, the Inquisitors were interviewing the soldiers about what had happened. Isolde was doing the same, but she was conversing with Isaac instead.

Isolde chuckled at Isaac’s comment.

“Think of it not as suspicion but as documentation. It’s rare to directly witness and gather data on a celestial being from another faith. Especially a record of subduing one, it’s indeed a noteworthy event in history.”

Isaac decided to be more understanding. He would have been skeptical too if he heard that a Grail Knight, barely six months into his role, had defeated a celestial being.

“Lucky there were many witnesses.”

Isaac had fought in front of people partly to weaken the Prophet of Red Flesh, but also hoping his feat would be witnessed and testified by others.

Isaac knew from Gebel’s words that his position could become precarious. The core of the Light’s Codex harbored individuals with sinister intentions, and Isaac himself was not exactly of noble lineage, being a Nephilim and harboring an evil god named Nameless Chaos. If someone discovered his identity, maintaining a good reputation was vital for his survival.

This was also why Isaac couldn’t freely use his tentacles.

“So, did you really defeat the Prophet of Red Flesh? You didn’t just make it retreat?”

“Yes.”

“I can’t believe it…”

Isolde murmured as if groaning, then hastily added as if making an excuse.

“Oh, I don’t mean I don’t trust you. It’s just that it’s an astonishing event. The celestials from the Red Chalice Club are known to flee without hesitation, so there are no records of them being defeated.”

Defeating a celestial being and subduing one are different. The former is common, but the latter means dealing damage even to the essence, potentially wounding the faith itself.

“That’s why the bishop and the paladins are here, to verify if the entity that appeared was truly the Prophet of Red Flesh, or if it was mistakenly believed to have been subdued after fleeing.”

“And yet, the Inquisitors seem to be giving me quite the glare.”

“Ah… the situation unavoidably becomes a bit more critical.”

Isolde offered a vague smile.

“A bit more critical?”

“Yes. If it’s true that the entity was indeed the Prophet of Red Flesh and you managed to subdue it single-handedly… well.”

Isolde seemed to hesitate whether to continue but then, unable to resist the temptation to share a spoiler, she went on.

“After confirming your sanctity, there are plans to canonize you as a saint.”