Paladin of the Dead God
chapter-151

‘Sword of May’?

Isaac thought of one of the archangels belonging to the Codex of Light.

Was it referring to St. Arte, the first paladin?

There are six archangels in the Codex of Light, starting with Ruatdin, the first angel and lighthouse keeper. Kalsen was predicted to be the seventh but was disqualified due to his apostasy; the fifth angel was St. Arte.

St. Arte Bantz, who received the name ‘Sword of May’ upon becoming an archangel, founded the first order of paladins, earning him the title of the first paladin.

It was said that all paladin swordsmanship originated from St. Arte.

There had been knights before who received miracles, but Arte was the first to systematically form a group and draw forth stronger miracles.

But why ‘Sword of May’?

The ‘Sword of May,’ as the name suggests, is an angel that appears on the battlefield in response to summons, not typically visiting to give revelations or missions. Isaac wondered if the ‘Sword of May’ was coming to judge him, but then they wouldn’t have notified him like this.

He would have to meet to understand the true intention.

As Isaac remained silent for too long, a questioning voice came from a priest.

“Isaac?”

“…I will humbly accept and spread the Codex of light everywhere.”

Isaac managed to respond, though his voice came out a bit strange, almost as if he was choked up by the fervor of receiving a divine command. Initially worried about how the first meeting would go, fortunately, the priests did not seem overly suspicious of him.

‘An angel…’

Meeting an angel was something Isaac had somewhat expected upon hearing about his appointment as a saint. Whether he could handle what was to come remained to be seen, but becoming a successful paladin required facing these challenges.

Historically, angels had almost always recognized Isaac’s true nature, regardless of his faith.

‘Maybe if I can demonstrate my true intentions, they might accept me.’

It would have seemed utterly impossible before.

However, after dealing with the Salt Council and the Red Chalice, Isaac began to think that maybe angels might have some flexibility. If he could gain an angel’s recognition, his standing within the Codex of Light would solidify further.

***

After a brief interrogation in a somewhat relaxed atmosphere, the priests continued discussing among themselves. Bishop Juan approached Isaac before he left.

“Holy Grail Knight, no, Resurrected Saint.”

Juan now addressed Isaac with reverence, not just because of his new title but because he had witnessed Isaac’s true capabilities as a paladin in the North Sea. Since then, Juan had held deep respect for him.

But reporting him dead had put Juan in an awkward position. Though the circumstances had turned out favorably, Isaac’s feelings were complex.

He smiled at Juan.

“Please, speak freely, Bishop Juan. Am I not your disciple?”

Juan’s face lit up at Isaac’s words.

“Ha, is that so? I appreciate even the gesture.”

‘Told him to relax and he really did relax immediately.’

Isaac thought internally but showed nothing. It was clear that Juan was on his side. Even before the appointment as a saint, Juan had been favorable towards him. Despite being somewhat greedy, a bishop willing to use his resources for Isaac was valuable.

“And there are talks of him becoming a cardinal,” he considered, “An invaluable connection, indeed.”

“When I heard you had returned, I couldn’t believe it. I saw the Drowned King swallow you and sink below the waves… I looked but couldn’t find you anywhere. I can’t describe how I felt then.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

“Honestly, I doubted the news of your return. But at the same time, I thought, ‘Of course!’ That’s why I insisted we check it out immediately, but those guys…”

Juan grumbled, glancing at the other priests discussing in the background. Isaac could tell they were at least of cathedral dean or bishop level.

From the way Juan muttered, it seemed he felt out of place among the other bishops.

Surely, Isaac’s return had been politically damaging for Juan. He had reported a martyrdom and shown a miracle, and there was even talk of a cardinal position.

“But I vehemently defended you when they wanted to doubt you. As soon as I saw you at the engagement ceremony in Rougeberg, I knew! Who else but me could verify that you had returned?”

Despite the political risks, Juan had acknowledged Isaac’s return. Isaac thought that perhaps the priests’ surprisingly lenient attitude was thanks to Juan.

“I thought it wouldn’t be easy to gain acceptance, especially because of the Dawn Army.”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“Didn’t my death provide justification for the Dawn Army? I was worried that my return might embarrass the church.”

“Ah, don’t worry about that. Sure, the justification might have been diluted, but… weren’t there assassination attempts on the emperor by the Immortal Order recently? That’s enough reason, and I hear the emperor is even considering actively participating in the Dawn Army.”

That might explain the easy persuasion.

Isaac recalled the emperor’s suspicion that the Codex of Light sect was involved in the assassination attempt. It was too blatant a clue, but a clue nonetheless.

“And the bishops sent a chest of gold coins each, asking what to call your sainthood! So I suggested the name ‘Resurrected Saint’! Ha ha!”

“…”

Isaac felt dizzy realizing the grand title was actually worth a few chests of gold, and that Juan had coined it. Yet, knowing Juan’s penchant for hoarding money like blood, the fact that he had spent so much for him was almost… noble, in a way. He decided to view it as a sacrificial act.

‘Oh, and about the Issacrea estate, don’t worry. Although there were rumors about your death and subsequent discussions about inheritance, no one has laid claim to it.’

“That’s unexpected.”

Isaac had assumed that his steward, Kyle, or his neighbor, Lord Reinhart, would handle things, but it was surprising that there had been no greedy claimants.

Juan nodded, explaining, “That’s right. There were widespread rumors that the Holy Grail Knight was cursed by an angel and had died. No one wanted to touch a cursed estate.”

“…”

“And for now, the church holds partial ownership rights. I’ve made it clear that no one should dare touch a monastery’s estate, haha.”

Isaac wondered if Juan had planned to take over the estate himself when he thought Isaac was dead, but decided not to dwell on it since it hadn’t happened. He was relieved to hear that the Issacrea estate was safe.

“But Bishop Juan, do you know why the Sword of May is visiting me?”

“Hmm, well, I’m not sure myself. As you know, I mainly work in the eastern diocese and handle administrative duties. I hold four positions concurrently, but it’s usually the other bishops who communicate directly with the angels.”

“You’re not interested in those matters?”

If Juan had direct communications with angels and could share insider information, it would be incredibly beneficial. Unfortunately, Juan shook his head.

“Meeting angels directly is… scary.”

“…”

A bishop admitting fear might have seemed odd, but Juan’s expression was genuinely apprehensive.

“No joke. Angels tend to leave earthly matters to us and rarely intervene, so someone like me can hold a bishopric. But facing an angel directly is a terrifying thing.”

Juan shuddered as he spoke.

“If an angel like the Sword of May or the Lighthouse Keeper decides they don’t like what I’m doing and says ‘Get rid of that guy,’ who could possibly say no?”

Even those with deep faith and significant power were as mortal as anyone in the presence of an angel.

For a person as ambitious and greedy as Juan, such encounters were even more frightening.

Isaac wondered if it was just Juan who felt this way. Perhaps other bishops felt similarly afraid of angels?

“So there are specific people who usually meet with angels?”

“That’s right,” Juan said, glancing at a group of priests discussing in front of the altar.

“Them?”

“The Guardian’s Council,” Juan revealed.

‘The Guardian’s Council…’

Isaac hadn’t heard of this group before. However, he knew that even in real religious organizations, small groups could sometimes extend their influence and control the core of the institution. It was clear that several bishops were included in this council.

“It started as a study group open to all ranks to discuss doctrine equally, but it’s gained significant influence over time. Even the Pope often seeks their counsel now.”

‘This warrants further investigation.’

A small group that communicates with angels could very well be the power brokers within the church.

***

Isaac knew the Sword of May would be coming for him, but he hadn’t been told when, how, or in what form. Since angels aren’t confined by location, Isaac just boarded a ship heading to the Kingdom of Elil.

The cold wind tousled his hair. The North Sea’s waves were rough, but the sailors from the Salt Council skillfully navigated them.

“It’s an honor to serve you, Holy Grail Knight. Or should I call you Resurrected Saint now?”

“Just call me Holy Grail Knight, Eidan.”

Eiden had developed a captain’s presence in a short time. Though he still appeared somewhere between a scholar and a merchant, he seemed quite at ease commanding the sailors and enjoying the sea breeze.

“It looks like you’ve gotten used to it.”

“Um, may I say something? You might not remember, but the experiences in the afterlife have changed me deeply.”

“Changed?”

“It’s like… even though I don’t consciously know it, I’m comfortable with the sea and the smell of salt, as if I’ve been a sailor for decades. Recently, I got seasick as soon as I stepped on land. It’s as if someone else’s life from the afterlife has seeped into mine.”

Isaac recalled what Amundalas had said in the afterlife.

Conformity pressure. The closer he got to the powers of the afterlife, the more he would feel pressured to assimilate into their will and objectives. Perhaps Eiden had been exposed to such pressure. Noticing Isaac’s contemplation, Eiden smiled and said,

“I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not a bad feeling. I’ve always been devoted to serving the caller and venerating the Salt Council, loving the sea and salt. I don’t feel like I’ve lost myself.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Whether Eiden’s changes were positive or negative was uncertain, but it was clear that he had become both a powerful priest and a capable captain.

This was undoubtedly beneficial for Isaac.