Paladin of the Dead God-Chapter 397: Beneath the Lamp (1)

Isaac suddenly felt as if he had been thrown into the middle of the universe.

He was cold and lonely, surrounded only by chunks of ruthless, emotionless violence driven by endless hunger. Though an outsider, he had poured so much love into this world, but its essence remained unchanged.

He was still an outsider—a being meant to be cast out.

[The Nameless Chaos is watching you.]

“But…”

Isaac recalled a day as cold and lonely as this.

He remembered wandering in the pitch-black winter rain, a warm hand grasping his own as he walked alone. He remembered a resolute and righteous inquisitor who pulled him out of the chaos’s maelstrom when he had been descending into utter disarray.

When her image came to mind, Isaac slowly began to feel the ground beneath his feet.

He was still standing on solid ground. He was still within the realm of order.

Not chaos.

“I see.”

Isaac couldn’t help but laugh. His essence had not changed at all.

The scale might have grown larger, but he was still wrestling with the same concerns he had back when he was in the monastery. Back then, wasn’t he also afraid of being killed if his true identity was revealed?

Even if the entire world turned against him and sought his death, it would suffice as long as he survived.

But he now understood that the entire world would never truly oppose him.

Gebel, Isolde, Edelred, Rottenhammer… there were people in this world who loved him.

As long as they were there, Isaac found himself capable of loving this world as well.

Thinking this, he felt a sudden clarity.

“Lighthouse Keeper or Immortal Emperor… if they mess with me, I’ll kill them all.”

He realized that he had become someone who could throw a tantrum on a “global scale.”

***

“Protect your soul, not just your life! Do not renounce your faith even in death! With the gates of heaven before you, why would you turn away?”

The priest’s passionate roar pushed the Dawn Army forward. The brutal battle at the Katlan Ridge ended in a dramatic victory for the Dawn Army. The Sword of May had brought down the Lord of the Graveyard, breaking the enemy’s frontline in one swift blow.

To be precise, it was Dera Heman, supported by the Sword of May, who claimed victory. Despite receiving full support from the Sword of May, Dera Heman displayed inhuman power that crushed the Lord of the Graveyard, eventually managing to split his body in half.

“The match-up was unfavorable,” Rohen Otter murmured from within a golden, ornate carriage, watching the advancing Dawn Army.

“Dera Heman is the secret weapon of our Order, carefully hidden away. His divine body, which consumes sanctity, possesses abilities that even angels struggle to contend with.”

Against humans, the ability wasn’t overwhelmingly powerful, but in terms of swordsmanship, Dera Heman was already among the strongest of all mortals. He was virtually flawless.

“Fools treated Dera Heman as nothing more than a watchdog for Lichtheim, but they’ll never understand how much effort we’ve put into keeping him hidden. Even after he lost to Kalsen, we went to great lengths to conceal him.”

In truth, Dera Heman had also sustained significant injuries in the battle against the Lord of the Graveyard. Dozens of priests took turns treating him, but rumors spread that he wouldn’t be able to fight on the battlefield for some time. Still, the enemy didn’t need to know this.

[We didn’t expect you to have such a weapon hidden away…]

A man entirely covered in a uniform that concealed even a glimpse of skin replied with mental waves. His voice carried a tinge of irritation and defeat, though no anger or resentment.

This man was a lich named Al Bilayet.

If people knew that a lich was casually conversing with a cardinal in the middle of the Dawn Army, they would be shocked. Yet the two continued their dialogue unbothered.

Rohen considered provoking him further but decided against it.

[We didn’t think the Lord of the Graveyard would lose so one-sidedly. We’re trying to regroup the remnants, but it’s proving difficult. We expected the front to push back to the capital Ushak, but… the advance seems strangely sluggish?]

Rohen smiled.

“While we defeated the Lord of the Graveyard, the Immortal Order remains the Immortal Order. Even as scattered remnants, the Undead Army is difficult to deal with. The fragmented frontlines lead to greater losses.”

Typically, defeated forces are either captured or regroup in nearby towns and villages. However, the undead lacked any fear of death and operated independently, conducting guerilla warfare or ambushes.

Worse, undead could remain in ambush for decades if they chose. Their attacks were terrifying, and so the Dawn Army proceeded with the pace of a search party unearthing buried Armyes.

But that was only the surface truth.

[I doubt the Dawn Army has ever slowed its advance to avoid casualties before, has it?]

Al Bilayet’s amused tone made Rohen smile again.

He was right. Ambushes? Guerilla tactics? Such trifles would be left as mere fragments after the overwhelming force of the Dawn Army swept through. Those fragments were hardly capable of threatening them.

[So, why ask for a meeting amid all this? Do you have a proposal?]

“Even in extreme situations, it’s wise to keep the door open for dialogue, don’t you think?”

Even during war, maintaining diplomatic channels was common sense—though what they engaged in was more akin to scheming than dialogue.

[Go on, I’m listening.]

“Actually… there’s an unpleasant rumor spreading within the Dawn Army.”

[An unpleasant rumor, is it...]

Al Bilayet immediately understood what Rohen was referring to.

The undead overhear the knowledge of the dead. While they might not grasp the secrets of angels or gods, they could easily learn any rumors circulating among humans. This was one reason why complex strategies were often meaningless against the Immortal Order.

[I suppose it’s about the rumor concerning the Holy Grail Knight.]

“Yes… It’s rather troubling, but there are whispers spreading about Isaac Issacrea, our esteemed Holy Grail Knight advancing toward Holy Land Lua. Rumors suggesting he is entangled with heresy.”

Al Bilayet found it absurd that such a morale-damaging rumor could circulate in the midst of war. If the Dawn Army truly prioritized discipline, those spreading the rumors would already be hanged or burned.

‘The fact that the rumor persists must mean that priests are behind its spread.’

The source, Al Bilayet surmised, was likely none other than the man before him—Cardinal Rohen Otter. Stroking his chin, the lich asked,

[The Codex of Light has birthed countless apostates before. Is this really something to be surprised by at this point?]

“The scriptures say, ‘Rejoice and give thanks for the splendor of today’s rising sun, for it is as glorious as yesterday’s.’ In the same vein, we must always feel the same anger and sorrow toward the ever-returning darkness.”

Whether Isaac was truly an apostate seemed of little importance. Al Bilayet understood what Rohen was really implying.

[Ah, extraordinary heroes often invite pride and temptation.]

“Indeed… Which is why we hoped to have a serious conversation. But the Holy Grail Knight refuses our summons and is too far away to be reached. It’s quite a dilemma.”

[As a fellow believer, I sympathize with your pain and concerns.]

“Given these rumors, it’s inevitable that the morale of the Dawn Army has been shaken. It would be best if the Holy Grail Knight himself refuted these baseless accusations... but…”

The essence of Rohen’s words was simple:

“The Holy Grail Knight is a nuisance. Deal with him for us, and in return, we’ll slow our advance.”

Al Bilayet found himself pondering the offer.

Isaac was a thorn in the Immortal Order’s side as well. Though they wanted to believe that the Dawn Army led by Issacrea alone could not reclaim Holy Land Lua, the man had achieved the astonishing feat of vanquishing Archangel Pallor.

Sending forces to suppress him immediately seemed ideal, but with the Dawn Army already pressing close to the capital Ushak, diverting troops was unfeasible. Their only hope lay in the defenses of Holy Land Lua itself.

[I suppose the Holy Grail Knight might atone for his supposed sins once the situation stabilizes. But with the battle so fierce, shouldn’t he focus on his duties as a soldier first?]

“That’s it? Push a bit harder,” thought Rohen.

“Hmm, wise counsel. Still, at a time when testimonies of faith are needed more than ever, it might be sacrilegious for someone to claim heaven’s favor based solely on military achievements. Perhaps stepping back for a greater cause is the answer.”

“In return for your help, we’ll not only halt our advance but even consider pulling back our frontlines.”

Al Bilayet was stunned by the boldness of the offer.

In a war against the Immortal Order, “pulling back the frontlines” had a vastly different meaning than in ordinary warfare. The battlefield was littered with countless Armyes, and no matter how diligently the Dawn Army burned them, many remnants remained.

Retreating the frontlines meant leaving behind a massive supply of “troops” for the Immortal Order.

What’s more, the moment the Dawn Army’s fervent advance halted and they fell back, its soldiers might awaken from their fanatical trance and revert to ordinary peasants. freewёbnoνel.com

[I sincerely respect your faith and prudence, Cardinal. But don’t you worry that this might undermine your grand plans?]

“Did you get approval from your angels for this?”

“Worry not. The grand design will not falter over a minor matter.”

Rohen smiled faintly, murmuring a prayer. Suddenly, his eyes ignited, radiating an intense heat. Al Bilayet immediately recognized that an Archangel had descended into Rohen’s body.

Rohen’s lips moved, speaking in a voice that was both his own and the Archangel’s:

“The Burning Maiden has decreed that heresy must be interrogated. In her great mercy, she allows for the delay of the advance and consents to subject the Holy Grail Knight to a ‘trial.’”

***

Isaac stood atop a windswept boulder overlooking the maze-like valley. The biting wind whispered incessantly in his ears, but he was listening to a voice from far, far away.

[…Rumors like that are circulating within the Dawn Army.]

“I see.”

It was none other than Ciero.

Years ago, Isaac had severed Ciero’s ears but replaced them with “The Parasite from Beyond.”

Remarkably, it was still functional.

Using it, Ciero had reached out to Isaac after a long time. Thanks to this, Isaac had learned about the rumors within the Codex of Light, the recent movements of the Dawn Army, and even sensitive secrets of the clergy. While he couldn’t access the information exchanged among the Watcher’s Council or the Archangels, this was more than enough to draw conclusions.

“So, the Immortal Order will have the leeway to dispatch troops against me.”

[Most likely, yes. The Cardinals see this as an opportunity to eliminate someone bothersome while also weakening the forces defending Ushak. Even so, the main Dawn Army seems uneasy.]

The Watcher’s Council appeared to believe they could use their enemies’ hands to deal with someone they disliked.

Though it was a transparent ploy, Isaac couldn’t shake the sense that there was something strange about the situation.

“The Archangels would never approve of such a plan.”

It was the Lighthouse Keeper and the Archangels themselves who had pushed Isaac toward reclaiming the Holy Land.

Why would the Watcher’s Council, which obeyed the Archangels, betray him by halting the advance?

“Is there another scheme at play?”

[If you ask me… perhaps you should step back for now,] Ciero suggested cautiously.