Paladin of the Dead God - Chapter 81



Only Noblemtl

Episode 81 Taklan (2)

Isaac looked through the memories from Kyle’s perspective as a young man.

He was watching with longing as the previous lords, Rishen Hendrak and Carlsen Milter, met. At that time, Carlsen Milter was a hero and a saint, not an apostate, so it was natural for Kyle to look at him with envy.

And Carlsen was talking about something with Rishen, but Kyle could barely hear anything, perhaps because he was so immersed in his own emotions. It remained in her memory as well.

However, I still remembered the sight of Rishen Hendrak, who had a very nervous expression, holding something that resembled a pure white slate. Carlsen examined the tablet, then handed it back to Lishen.

That was all I remembered.

‘What is it about? And that slab… … .’

Since it was returned to Lishen, there was a high probability that the stone tablet would still remain in this territory. Isaac thought of one possibility. Carlsen’s plan to become a god had been in the works for quite some time, so of course he would have had collaborators among nobles and powerful figures.

If so, there was a high probability that Rishen was one of them.

‘Then it could be that something went wrong and he was taken care of by the Prophet of Red Flesh.’

Isaac couldn’t take his mind off the memory of that white slate.

I had a feeling that it was an important clue.

***

Kyle’s disposition was summarized as ‘declaring lifelong celibacy and poverty by taking refuge in the Code of Light.’

Since the noble who owned the estate became a minor servant of the monastery, the punishment for a noble was rather harsh, so much so that even the nobles implicitly expressed their reluctance.

But anyway, the church was satisfied.

In any case, establishing a monastery here was a given, so a face and head to take charge of the territory was needed. In that sense, Kyle’s actions were very exemplary.

“Since you have been tormenting the believers through ignorance, wouldn’t it be better to serve them for the rest of your life in exchange for enlightenment?”

Juan nodded at Isaac’s words.

“It is an exemplary behavior that can serve as a model for arrogant nobles.”

Inside an abandoned mine.

Bishop Juan and Isaac were talking while looking around the Fallen Angel Temple in the abandoned mineshaft. There were seals and gold strings placed around the Fallen Angel by the Heresy Inquisitors and priests. According to the rules of the church, it was forbidden to touch the fallen angel or tear off any part of it.

On the surface, the reason was for fear of being tainted by corruption or evil energy, but in reality, it was to make items needed for the religious order in case of emergency. There were quite a few religious scriptures created in secret like that.

However, some parts of the Fallen Angel Temple already showed signs of damage. It was clear that it had not fallen off naturally, but had been artificially dug out by someone. However, the priests carrying out the sealing work did not seem to care much.

“There were miners who discovered it, so they may have secretly stolen it. This is a common occurrence, as the Church cannot always discover fallen angels first. “I won’t be able to steal the rest anyway.”

The priest carrying out the sealing work personally dug up some of the fallen angels on the spot and created a sealing sphere.

“What ability does this sealing sphere have?”

“Ah, it has the ability to prevent the evil energy of fallen angels from leaking out.”

The priest who received Isaac’s question answered Isaac’s question as if he was happy. It was as if even Isaac’s words were glorious.

“It may be rude to say this, but it doesn’t seem like a lot of work, does it?”

“Haha, you mean it looks like it’s roughly made, right? In fact, it is exactly as you see. “To really do it properly, we need to bring in a furnace craftsman from around the world.”

The world’s furnace artisans are priests of the world’s furnace church based on the northern island. They were skilled warriors and blacksmiths at the same time, and were famous for kneading metal like clay and creating all kinds of things.

Isaac took advantage of the priest’s favorable attitude towards him and asked various questions to find out the effectiveness of the tools surrounding the fallen angel. At the same time, while checking the material and texture of another angel, he suddenly asked as if in passing.

“Is there anything of this size…?” … “Can you tell me what the slab made of fallen angel fragments is for?”

What Isaac was referring to was the stone tablet of the ancestral lord that Kyle had seen in his memories. Isaac had a strong belief that the tablets were made of fallen angels. Fallen angels are an important material for making sacred oracles, and it was easy to guess that Carlsen was trying to do something with them.

However, after seeing the shape of Isaac’s hand, the priest tilted his head and said as if he was not sure.

“well? I’ve only done sealing work, so I’m not sure. “If you actually see it, you might be able to figure out its purpose.”

However, as if the priest did not want to end his sentence so ambiguously, he racked his brain and came up with his own guess.

“But if it’s a stone slab that looks like that and is made of fallen angel pieces… … Are you talking about the Dawn Slate?”

‘Dawn Slate?’

It was only then that Isaac suddenly realized that there was a sacred relic that was both the most famous and almost similar to the one he had seen in his memory. It was so ridiculously famous that I couldn’t even think about it.

The Dawn Tablet was a tablet that Ruad-Din, the prophet of the Code of Light, was said to have brought out from the flames of the stake. The stone tablet on which the message of the Code of Light is said to have been transcribed in a burning flame is engraved with glowing letters, and based on the message on this tablet, the Code of Light has grown into a proper religious order.

Isaac blamed his stupidity for not immediately recalling the famous tablet.

‘No, the Dawn Tablet must have been carefully stored, but there is no way it is the original. So what Lishen was trying to create… … .’

It is a copy, or a copy.

Carlsen may have been trying to repeat the miracle shown by Ruad-Din in order to become a god.

***

Isaac watched the sealing process be completed with mixed feelings. Although the other angel was already dead, after going through the sealing process once more, his priests were ready to return.

“The sealing process is over. Now that we have decided to convert the castle into a monastery, we can prevent any unclean energy from seeping into this place. You did a great job. It is clear that the red-fleshed prophet was led by a fallen angel, so we can prevent the same thing.”

Juan patted Isaac on the shoulder as if to encourage him.

“Who would dare invade the monastery guarded by the Holy Grail Knight who defeated the angel? “A heavy burden has been placed on your shoulders.”

Actually, there isn’t much for Isaac to do now. Juan expected that Isaac would become the head of the illusory monastery, and that he would continue his journey as a Holy Grail Knight. Therefore, what I am saying now was just a courtesy.

Juan’s prediction was not very wrong.

But Isaac had no intention of leaving this land.

“Respected Bishop. “I may be rude, but I have a favor to ask you regarding the burden I am carrying.”

“ask?”

“Although Kyle was given a lenient treatment, I believe the church was not completely satisfied with what happened.”

‘This incident’ meant several things.

Punishing Kyle, disposing of his territory, fighting with the nobles, making Isaac a new symbol by making him a saint… … It all ended in an ambiguous manner from the church’s perspective.

In particular, the fact that Isaac could have received the title of Viscount from Delia and become a member of the Emperor’s faction remained a source of anxiety.

Of course, Isaac only showed himself as a faithful Grail Knight, but there was still room for doubt.

“Say what you want to say.”

“It was a choice I accepted in order to establish a foundation for the denomination on this land, but it is true that I compromised with those who were wronged. “In order to ask for this sin, I must leave on a mission assigned to me by God.”

It satisfied Juan that Isaac had no intention of quitting his journey. The more Isaac accomplished his feats, the more his name was elevated through the Code of Light.

“It makes great sense.”

“However, while I am away from the territory, I am concerned that those who have been exiled will again try to occupy the site for the religious order.”

“So we built a monastery to suppress the energy… … .”

“I am humbled, but respected bishop. Those who are wronged are not only pagans, apostates, or unbelievers, but they can also be among believers. Recall the greedy conflict that ensued over this territory this time.”

Juan kept his mouth shut at the allusion to nobles. Isaac, who had decided to calmly enter Delia’s sphere of influence and gain her support, was now telling her to be careful of the influence of the nobles.

“Are you saying the nobles will target this territory again? The Marquis of Delia satisfied his conditions, and all his debts were resolved. “There would be no reason for that.”

“Marquis Delia, I guess so. But other nobles are not like that. “The Marquis used his power to suppress it, but he returned with only losses from this expedition.”

To be honest, Isaac wondered if there was any difference between gangsters and gangsters coming in to demand money after their investment failed, but these were the times. It was natural to expect that the nobles would be dissatisfied.

“Are you saying you’re going to ask for debt again?”

“How can we ignore the authority of the church? However, it means that they may try to compensate for the loss in other ways. As you know, Isacre Territory is a poor land. It is devastated by rebellion, exploitation, and misrule. In this situation, if I continue my noble journey… … .”

Isaac spoke vaguely, quietly encouraging Juan’s sense of crisis. Juan was able to predict what was going on.

“… … “It means we may have to dispose of some of our territory again.”

“Unfortunately, yes. “It’s because I’m immoral.”

Juan frowned at the idea that the nobles might demand that the cult hand over the territory it had secured, or the fallen angels. Under imperial law, the church has no way to secure territory other than receiving donations. There are many ways to squeeze out the territory, but right now, Isaac doesn’t seem to have the will to do so.

“Then what is your request? Is it funding? “I have already contributed a considerable amount of money to the construction of the monastery.”

Juan said with blatant rejection. Isaac felt a deep desire in Juan’s stomach. The reason Bishop Juan intervened in this case in the first place was because he asked Kyle to invest in Lorecus. In fact, he was not much different from the nobles who were driven by the greed for money.

However, on the way there, an incident involving the appearance of a pagan angel occurred, and priorities changed.

The reason I helped build the monastery this time was because I thought I would be able to extract a lot more donations if Isaac ruled this territory in the long term.

In that case, Isaac just needs to gently scratch Juan’s greed and take away what he needs.

“It can’t be. I know how difficult the situation is for the denomination. What I need is the influence of the denomination.”

“Influence?”

“The money is fine. Please dispatch priests and paladins. Please help their teachings take root in this land and spread the word to the poor. Then, even though your life may be poor, your heart will be rich.”

Juan scratched his wrinkled chin when Isaac told him that he didn’t have to give him money. He had a few priests and a few paladins, so it wasn’t a big problem for him. And since the Isacrea territory was in a gray area, it didn’t seem a bad idea to send priests to make its influence clear.

“That’s a good idea. “I will.”

“thank you.”

“I made you the lighthouse keeper of this land, but can’t you help me to that extent? “It is enough as long as you do not forget your kindness to the church.”

Juan showed himself arrogantly and condescendingly. When Juan told him to pay well later, Isaac smiled without saying a word.

Juan finished the conversation and went out of the abandoned mine again. Now he will return to his parish.

***

After Juan left, Isaac looked expressionlessly at the place he had left. The humble smiling expression on his face was nowhere to be found.

‘good. We’ve secured priests and paladins. Taming them is done step by step… … .’

Isaac had a plan that was completely opposite to Juan’s.

Isaac planned to make the Isacrea territory his own base and sanctuary. He had already confirmed that he was on the verge of being canonized as a saint, and he saw how much praise he was among the priests and paladins.

Isaac planned to tame the priests and paladins that Juan would send to follow him.

Isaac knew very well how people filled with religious madness could easily be brainwashed. Rather, it was difficult for nobles or knights who followed their own interests to control it.

‘The Code of Light is now full of its own contradictions and errors. This can be guessed just by looking at the appearance of Barbaries in Soeur, which is within the influence of the Baekje Empire.’

Barbarie are people who have abandoned their religious beliefs.

In other words, the appearance of Barbaries in the Baekje Kingdom means that there are many people who have chosen to live by rejecting the doctrine of the Code of Light.

As the craze for growing locusts, a commercial crop rather than a traditional food crop, increased, the number of people having difficulty making a living has increased.

In that situation, even the denomination was engrossed in speculation, so I could see how chaotic the situation in the denomination would be.

In this situation, Isaac decided to become a new trend himself.

By promoting new doctrine interpretations and teachings, nameless chaos is infiltrated into the code of light, and the money and talent are sucked away to grow.

‘In a good way, internal reform, in a bad way… … The plan is to become a parasite.’

This is a common occurrence even in the actual history of religion. Religion, which was once a symbol of reform, also becomes conservative when its religious affiliation grows and becomes strong enough. Then, a new sect is born and becomes independent, demanding new doctrinal interpretation and reform.

In this way, Roman Catholicism was born into numerous sects, the interpretation of its doctrines changed, and it split into new forms.

A similar thing happened in this world too.

In the past, Elil was the founder of a great empire that served the Code of Light, but it split into factions, and Dancer was Elil’s daughter, but after pulling out his heart, she ran away and founded the Red Grail Club. Even the Immortal Church can be said to be a branch branching off from the Code of Light.

In this transformation, each faith established its own identity, strengthened its internal structure, and carried out reforms.

Of course, Isaac would bring in a completely different god called Nameless Chaos, so it would be a real heresy.

But in this world where all faiths were strong, this was the only way for Isaac to win.

Sticking a straw into a stronger faith and absorbing its power.

Juan was Isaac’s first straw in the Code of Light.

Juan may think he’s stuck Isaac with a straw, but he’ll be the one to suck it up.

‘To do that, first… … .’

Isaac looked at the fallen angel that the priests had sealed. The gold string, whose functions, weaknesses, and power have already been identified, will not be any obstacle to Isaac.

Isaac thought as he looked at the petrified fallen angel.

‘I guess I’ll have to deal with this first.’