Paladin of the Dead God
chapter-156

Kalsen’s intentions were unclear, but Isaac had no intention of trusting the angel of the Codex of Light. In fact, he didn’t fully trust anyone to begin with.

He knew very well what he harbored within his body.

‘The Sword of May must have a purpose for keeping me alive.’

For now, it seemed the Sword of May had no intention of killing him, so continuing a symbiotic relationship was not out of the question. However, trying to gain some favor couldn’t hurt.

With a friendly expression, Isaac approached Yulihida and asked,

“Actually, I was supposed to receive a mission from the Sword of May, but no clear instructions have come yet. I’m worried they might be having trouble finding me.”

“Having trouble finding you? Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“You said it wasn’t the Sword of May, didn’t you?”

“No.”

If he said no, then it was no.

Isaac understood how Bishop Juan felt when he complained about meeting an angel. When an angel relentlessly pressured like this, there was nothing a mere mortal could do…

“…Then, could you guess what kind of mission the Sword of May might assign me?”

“It seems there won’t be any instructions for now.”

“Why is that?”

“Maybe because you’re too insignificant to use right now? You’ll find out soon enough, just be patient.”

It was clear nothing was hidden.

The Sword of May typically operated on the battlefield, slaughtering other angels and soldiers. Acting, plotting, or disguising wasn’t necessary there.

Isaac worried if the Sword of May might act the same way elsewhere.

‘I am not the Sword of May. But I can’t stand those arrogant angels and Elil. I should use the angel’s powers to decapitate them right away.’

It was a definite possibility.

Moreover, Isaac was about to visit the royal family of Aldeon. He didn’t want to imagine the Sword of May making a diplomatic blunder there.

Whether the Sword of May would massacre at the royal court of Elil or get labeled as a public enemy of Elil was a dreadful future to consider.

If that happened, his only recourse would be the cat.

“…Lord Yulihida, do you by any chance have business with the Aldeon royal family?”

“No.”

“Then, may I take the lead in the discussions?”

“As you wish.”

Isaac felt slightly relieved but was still unsure about his own competence.

Anyway, from now on, the apostle of Nameless Chaos would travel to the stronghold of Elil in Aldeon Castle, accompanied by an angel of the Codex of Light on his left and a maiden of the Red Chalice Club on his right. It was a perilous undertaking.

‘…I didn’t think it would be this difficult.’

***

As Isaac was about to leave, a knight with a swollen face, presumably from the Golden Idol branch, hurriedly approached him. Preparing to go to Aldeon Castle, Isaac thought they were coming to settle some old scores and rested his hand on his sword.

But the knight who had been disfigured by Isaac the previous day bowed hastily and asked.

“Excuse me, are you the Holy Grail Knight?”

“…Yes, that’s me.”

Voices of discontent among the Aldeon knights could be heard. The knight, not knowing what to do, kept bowing deeply.

“I am sorry! I apologize for any rudeness! We were informed of your arrival, but there was no report and I came late! I only found out after checking with the harbormaster that the Holy Grail Knight had arrived!”

“State your name first.”

“Ah! I’m Reyna Hilde, a senior knight of the Aldeon Knights!”

Being a senior knight meant she was quite experienced. It seemed that their structure was similar to that of the Codex of Light, likely due to branching from the same religious tradition.

Isaac listened to her explanation, baffled.

The news of his diplomatic mission had already reached the Kingdom of Elil. They had planned to greet him, but his ship entered so quietly and unassumingly that they hadn’t noticed its arrival.

Considering the unpredictability at sea, a delay of a day or two was not unusual. Due to clerical negligence, the report was delayed… and that’s how they had encountered Isaac yesterday.

“How did you know it was me?”

“Your… extraordinary appearance, as rumored…”

“The pretty one who vowed to carve a stylish scar?”

The knights started kicking Reyna’s back and shins as they argued.

“Stop spouting nonsense!”

“Keep your mouth shut when fighting!”

Though an embarrassing sight for a senior knight, she seemed genuinely remorseful and continued to bow deeply.

“I’m sorry. I have nothing to say. And it’s not just because of the looks. I’m not sure if I saw it correctly, but… perhaps you used sword energy, is that correct?”

Isaac pondered whether to admit this or not.

Sword energy is a miracle of Elil. Bashul, in order to hide that he was a follower of Elil, barely revealed and kept his sword energy hidden.

If Isaac used sword energy, how would it be perceived in the Kingdom of Elil? As an ally? Or as a suspicious person stealing miracles?

‘No, let’s think simply.’

Isaac remembered once again that this was the Kingdom of Elil.

Here, a strong and capable fighter is considered just.

“Yes.”

Wow! An exclamation erupted among the knights.

Pride spread across Reyna’s swollen face. Even they seemed unconcerned now with Isaac’s commanding tone.

“Of course! Everyone said you must be the Holy Grail Knight who had promised to visit after yesterday’s fight! We couldn’t believe it when we heard the rumors from across the sea, but it appears the Holy Grail Knight has already ascended to a transcendent realm!”

“Is that so?”

“The knights of the Codex of Light were thought to be all weaklings, but seeing the Holy Grail Knight, it truly feels like the root of Elil continues!”

“…That’s an excessive compliment.”

At the remark that ‘the knights of the Codex of Light are weaklings’, Isaac glanced at Yulihida. As expected, her face twitched, and Isaac quickly decided to manage the situation.

“Even the Sword of the Archangel May must learn from the Holy Grail Knight…”

“Let’s stop here and leave now. We’ve wasted too much time on the road.”

As Isaac hurriedly spoke, the knights slapped Reyna’s buttocks and shins again. They grumbled that idle chatter dared to steal the Holy Grail Knight’s time.

Reyna whispered, “Let’s see during the sparring later,” and the bickering finally subsided.

Isaac offered the horse they had brought to Yulihida first.

“Lady Yulihida, would you like to ride?”

“No. I will go ahead.”

She did not forget to issue a senior’s warning.

“Don’t act cocky just because you’ve received some compliments.”

“…Yes.”

***

Protected by the knights of Aldeon, Isaac was able to go directly to Aldeon Castle. Since all the checkpoint procedures were skipped, the journey to the castle was very quick. Although there was no welcoming crowd, Isaac still found this astonishing.

‘Feels like I’m being treated better than expected.’

In fact, Isaac had anticipated being snubbed in the Kingdom of Elil due to the longstanding discord between Elil and the Codex of Light.

It had been nearly a century since the two orders had a proper conversation. Even the Dawn Army had only sent volunteers on a civilian level; there had never been an official exchange between states or orders.

So, Isaac had expected to be treated poorly when he first arrived at the port of Aldeon. He was more surprised than anything that a group of knights had come out to welcome him enthusiastically.

‘If they were this desperate for dialogue, they should have sent an envoy sooner… It feels like they’ve been waiting eagerly for an apology.’

Regardless, Isaac was welcomed and able to proceed to the castle.

Despite the warm reception, Isaac’s impression of the Kingdom of Elil barely changed.

Aldeon Castle, perched on the edge of a cliff, blended naturally yet was distinctly outdated.

In other words, it was rustic, worn, and backward.

Moreover, the roads were muddy and unkempt, and impoverished peasants with gloomy faces watched the passing knights.

‘Although I knew about it, experiencing it in reality is different from the game.’

The most prominent feature was the smell.

The stench of horse dung and mud.

It was late winter now; he couldn’t imagine how bad the smell would be in spring or summer. If the capital, Aldeon, was like this, other regions would be worse.

‘Never thought I’d start missing the empire so soon.’

Thud, thud, thud… Isaac and the knights of Aldeon crossed the drawbridge that spanned between cliffs and entered the city.

Aldeon Castle was precariously perched atop a cliff. The only path available was the drawbridge they had just crossed, a strategic location that was not only impressive but also advantageous for defense. However, Isaac had only one thought in mind.

‘It’s the perfect setting for a murder mystery.’

Just then, Isaac saw someone rushing out to the courtyard where he had arrived, a boy much younger than him, wearing a bulky cloak too large for his small frame. He was trying to maintain some semblance of authority with a crown on his head, which looked better off not worn as it sat askew.

It was Edelred Aldeon, the young king of the current Elil Kingdom.

Upon seeing Isaac, he immediately smiled brightly.

“Holy Grail Knight! The returned Holy Grail Knight!”

Isaac was confused by the term ‘returned’, but chose to take it positively for now.

Since the origin of the Holy Grail Knight was in the Elil Kingdom, it made sense to describe the foreign Holy Grail Knight’s entry into the Elil Kingdom as ‘returning’.

Isaac dismounted and bowed politely.

“I am honored to meet Your Majesty, King Edelred Aldeon.”

King Edelred’s response was a beaming smile. He came down the steps to guide Isaac personally, grabbing his arm and pulling him along.

“Stand up! Come, come. I have so much to talk about. Was your journey here tiring? The ports are underdeveloped…”

“Your Majesty.”

At that moment, a man with a pointed mustache beside them spoke to Edelred. His status was unclear, but in this country, knights, nobles, priests, and paladins often performed similar duties, making his specific role irrelevant. King Edelred glared at the knight, but the knight, unflinching, continued.

“Sir Issacrea will be escorted by us. Please maintain your dignity. We will wait for you in the civil war quarters.”

‘Actually, that’s probably right.’

Caught in the middle, Isaac felt awkward, but if protocol was to be followed, the knight was correct. However, Edelred, pulling strongly on Isaac’s arm, insisted,

“The Holy Grail Knight has crossed the seas to meet me! What’s the excuse for those who messed up the report?”

“Your Majesty, the Holy Grail Knight did not come to meet you personally, but as a representative from state to state…”

‘Hesabel, create a distraction.’

Before the argument escalated, Isaac signaled to Hesabel, who had ridden with him.

Immediately, Hesabel’s horse started causing a commotion. As Hesabel screamed, the knights, flustered, ran to seize the horse’s bridle. While their attention was diverted, Edelred half-dragged Isaac into the castle.

Once they were alone, Isaac spoke up.

“We are alone now, Your Majesty.”

Edelred looked around after hearing this. He still seemed excited, but tried to remain calm and held Isaac’s hand tightly.

“I’ve shown you an unseemly sight. Holy Grail Knight.”

A king arguing with his subjects in front of a foreign envoy was indeed a disgraceful sight. However, Isaac knew that Edelred Aldeon was not just any child.

He was a talent fit to be the king of Elil.

“I had no choice but to separate from those crazy thugs if we were to talk.”

A fierce hater of knights.