Paladin of the Dead God
chapter-129

Chapter 129. The Brant Family’s Concern (2)

“This is that… the historic castle.”

Isaac stepped into the red fortress, muttering impressively.

Rougeberg meant ‘red mountain’. While it was common for the castles of great nobles to be renamed after the family name, Rougeberg was a place too historic for such changes.

“You could just say it’s the castle where Elil lived. It’s a well-known story.”

Isaac deliberately avoided mentioning ‘that’ Elil’s domain, but Dietrich spoke of it nonchalantly.

During the era when the Codex of Light was spreading its influence while building a great empire, Rougeberg was the central city bestowed upon Elil, who had achieved numerous feats enough to be granted the status of a living angel.

The castle, which was later passed down to his daughter, the dancer, had since changed hands through countless people and now belonged to the Brant Ducal Family. In some ways, it was a place with a deeper history than the imperial capital, Ultenheim.

However, Isaac had no time to be immersed in the nostalgia of such a famous historical site.

Dietrich immediately led Isaac deep into Rougeberg. As they went further, Dietrich’s steps quickened, and eventually, he was almost running. The smile that had been constant on the ship had completely disappeared, making Isaac think the situation must be quite serious.

After passing through several heavily guarded gates, they arrived in front of a tower with a small garden. An odd and somewhat awkward sight awaited him in front of the narrow and diminutive tower.

“Have you arrived?”

A group of women was guarding the front of the tower.

They had an air of dignity not typical of maids, and their attire was not uniform. Seeing that they did not show formal respect even to Dietrich, they seemed to be relatives or acquaintances.

What was strange was that all of them were holding weapons like swords, spears, or bows. They did not seem particularly skilled at holding them.

Dietrich approached the women without concern.

“Where is Isolde?”

“She became somewhat disheartened after hearing about her condition, but she is healthy. She’s eating well too.”

Dietrich looked up at the tower with a troubled face. A silhouette was moving about at the window above.

It was clearly Isolde.

“Understood. Please step back for a moment.”

The women withdrew as instructed, dragging their heavy weapons away. Dietrich then turned to Isaac after scanning the surroundings.

“From here, it seems Sir Issacrea will have to go alone.”

“The situation feels increasingly strange.”

“Have you ever asked what kind of ‘blessing’ Isolde has? I think I can finally tell you.”

The content had been so securely guarded that not even hints were given.

Dietrich opened his mouth with difficulty.

“It’s presumed to be some kind of ‘charm’ effect.”

“…Charm?”

“I don’t know the exact doctrine. But I’ve heard that the Red Chalice Club has a relic or a similar type of miracle called ‘love potion.’ It’s suspected that a similar miracle has been cast upon Isolde. Not to fall in love, but to make others fall for her. It’s said to grow stronger over time.”

Isaac was shocked.

He too had played the Red Chalice Club and knew what kind of miracle it was.

Although it was classified as a trash skill because it was non-mainstream and unhelpful in combat, it was also a miracle mentioned in countless legends and traditions.

Charming someone or mentally controlling them was a specialty of the Red Chalice.

“How long has it been cast?”

“About three months now. We’ve been looking for a way to purify it, but the matter is such that it’s difficult to reveal openly, and it’s more troublesome because it’s not a curse but a blessing.”

Some types of blessings are hard to distinguish from curses.

Beauty is one of them.

“Originally, we thought it would be enough to be cautious of men and had only maids serve her. But, um, as the blessing became more serious, even the maids had to be forbidden from visiting.”

“…Did a problem arise?”

“Fortunately, Isolde has the skills to defeat any decent knight.”

Isaac realized why women who seemed to have never held a sword in their lives were guarding the tower. It was to prevent men from entering out of curiosity, and in case someone did enter, to ensure Isolde could subdue them herself.

‘I think I understand why the Heresy Inquisition hurriedly sent Isolde to the Brant territory.’

I thought it was a check against the Brant Ducal Family, but it was also a struggle for the Inquisition’s own survival.

If something happened to Isolde, it wouldn’t just be one or two heads rolling. They must have hurriedly sent her back to her family before the blessing, or rather the curse, grew stronger.

In the end, Dietrich, unable to find a solution, had sought out Isaac.

The question was, why him?

“Wait, does that mean I shouldn’t visit either?”

“Well, I’ve found out a few things during my investigation.”

Dietrich looked up at the tower cautiously as he spoke.

“The blessing, or whatever it is, is presumed to have been cast by an angel. It would be difficult to exert such power if it were simply cast by a priest.”

“…You suspect the Prophet of the Red Flesh.”

“The last place my daughter visited related to an angel was there, so that’s the suspicion. Therefore, the Grail Knight who expelled that angel is deemed suitable.”

The Grail Knight who repelled the seduction of the courtesan and defeated the evil curse.

It’s a story fit for a fairy tale. Perhaps Dietrich is expecting such a thing from Isaac.

But for Isaac, it was nothing but trouble.

“Is there no other reason?”

“Um, for such blessings, there is one method of release that is passed down.”

“A method of release?”

“To satisfy the conditions of the blessing.”

Dietrich murmured, clutching his forehead. Isaac tilted his head, not understanding. Then Dietrich muttered as if he couldn’t bear to say it.

“The traditional phrase that comes from the legends related to the love potion is that the blessing naturally dissolves when you unite with the one you love.”

Only then did Isaac realize why Dietrich had been so polite yet seemed to be sizing him up as a potential son-in-law during their journey here.

***

As Isaac opened the door and entered, a dark staircase immediately came into view. Dietrich had already distanced himself. It was said that men could hardly bear even the scent that wafted out.

[Nameless Chaos watches over you.]

‘I do smell something slightly sweet, but I’m not sure yet.’

Isaac cautiously climbed the stairs. But soon, he nearly fainted at the sight of a dark silhouette standing at the top of the stairs.

Standing still in the darkness was a middle-aged noblewoman with streaks of gray in her hair.

She held a sword and shield in her hands. Like the women outside, she was guarding Isolde.

However, unlike those women, her stance with the sword was properly formed.

“Are you the Grail Knight?”

The noblewoman’s voice, devoid of highs and lows, reached him. Isaac cautiously nodded.

Isaac suddenly realized that the position where she stood was quite strategic. If Isaac swung his sword, it would hit the wall or his vision would be limited, but the place where the lady stood allowed freedom of movement and was convenient for swordplay.

“Not only has she trained with a sword… she has real combat experience. A bodyguard, perhaps?”

The lady just looked down at Isaac for a while. He wondered if something was wrong, but as he waited quietly, she eventually nodded.

“Your eyes are not bloodshot, you’re not speaking obscenities, and you’re not rushing in madness. I apologize for the late confirmation. Please follow me.”

“Ah, yes.”

As the lady moved, the sound of clinking echoed. She had chains wrapped around her ankles. It seemed like a self-imposed restraint to prevent any ‘unfortunate incidents.’ She probably didn’t have the key either.

As they climbed the stairs and the lady came to a stop, the chains became taut.

She pointed her sword towards the door.

“She is inside there. I entrust her to you.”

‘She?’

It was dark, but Isaac realized that the lady’s face bore a resemblance to Isolde.

“Are you the Duchess?”

The lady looked at Isaac with a haggard face. Then, as if realizing her mistake, she sighed.

“Ah, I haven’t introduced myself. I haven’t slept well for a while. I am Freya Brant. Her mother.”

It was a modest introduction, but she was the Duchess.

Isaac felt a strange feeling seeing the Duchess with chains around her ankles, standing guard all night in a narrow tower.

Even the family that ruled the empire was, after all, just a mother and father to someone.

Then Freya bowed her head and said,

“I trust that a Grail Knight of your renown will not allow any disrespect.”

“…You don’t need to worry.”

“Yes. Thank you. However, if it really can’t be helped, please ensure that she does not suffer any severe indignity.”

Isaac thought that the parents were overly worried because they cherished their daughter so much. Of course, Isolde couldn’t be left to suffer from this insane blessing, so it had to be lifted, but Isaac didn’t want to cause any unpleasant incidents in the process.

‘After all, doesn’t the condition have to be fulfilled with someone you love? Isolde has never shown that kind of affection for me.’

“Don’t worry.”

But all Isaac could do was reassure the worried parents.

Isaac already knew how to lift this blessing.

And it wasn’t a difficult method.

***

As he opened the door and entered, the sweet fragrance intensified.

Isaac felt a slight dizziness, but that was all. The room was small, and Isolde was not visible.

“Inquisitor?”

When Isaac called out, there was a rustle from somewhere. Isolde cautiously peeked out from behind a curtain hidden by a pillar. She looked much more disheartened than before.

“…Grail Knight?”

A mix of emotions—joy, surprise, worry, hope, anxiety, fear—flitted across her face. And at the same time, Isaac felt a throbbing in his head.

He finally understood the impulse that men who saw Isolde felt.

‘This must be the effect of the love potion or whatever it is.’

All of Isolde’s charms seemed maximized and overwhelming.

This was not a sensation that could be resisted. He had thought she was pretty before, but this charm was incomparable.

If the charm of a Nephilim caught the crowd’s attention with the charisma of a leader, then the blessing created by the Red Chalice was a violent charm that made one imagine even the unseen.

Contrary to the confidence he had before entering, Isaac realized that there was no way to overcome this blessing.

When Isaac didn’t respond, a look of anxiety crossed Isolde’s face.

Isaac took a deep breath.

[ Nameless Chaos watches over you.]

In that moment, Isaac rushed forward and stabbed Isolde in the solar plexus with the prepared knife. Isolde’s eyes widened in disbelief, and then she collapsed, rolling her eyes back.

As Isolde fell, Isaac felt his head clear somewhat compared to before. But it still throbbed.

Isaac hurriedly opened the window and sent out his will.

‘Hesabel.’

Then, as if waiting for it, a red mist seeped in through the bars of the window. Soon, the red mist took the form of Hesabel and revealed itself.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Isaac!”