Paladin of the Dead God
chapter-158

“Your Majesty, shall we enter now?”

Edelred had finished preparing and came when the servant asked. Edelred nodded briefly.

It was time to enter.

Isaac noticed Edelred, standing by his side, visibly tensing. He was standing in front of his vassals, but from today on, Edelred’s standing would completely change.

“It starts now.”

At Isaac’s words, Edelred glanced and nodded, then stepped forward.

When Edelred appeared in the hall, all eyes were instantly on him. However, their gazes were more on Isaac than on the frequently seen Edelred.

The whispering voices began to quiet down.

Previously, there had been no time to properly scrutinize as they were dragged along, leaving only a superficial image, but not anymore.

Isaac, who had deliberately set the mood, began to captivate the people instantly.

If it were only about appearance and atmosphere, the steadfast knights of Elil would not be swayed. However, the aura of the ‘Grail Knight,’ the emperor’s envoy, and Reyna’s testimonies made it impossible for them to not feel overshadowed by the presence of the Nephilim.

Yet, this place was a knight’s Holy Land, where losing one’s pride meant death.

Clap.

Then, a heavily scarred burly man started clapping. As people turned towards the sound of the applause, others began clapping too, soon filling the hall with applause. Mixed within the applause were welcoming voices and praises.

Isaac could read their psychology.

“One way for proud people to deny they have been subdued is to side with the strong.”

It’s about elevating the opponent and packaging them as worthy of respect.

Isaac thought these twisted thoughts to himself as he walked among the welcoming vassals. Of course, there were those who did not clap, but none were noteworthy.

Edelred, judging the atmosphere of the reception to be not bad, did not intervene.

Soon, Edelred sat on the throne, and Isaac stood in front.

“Isaac Issacrea. Ruler of the Kingdom of Elil, King of the Northern Sea, Mentor of Knights, Guardian of Elion, from Winterfell to Saltine, His Majesty King Edelred Aldeon greets you…….”

Of course, these titles were not earned by Edelred himself but were traditionally bestowed upon the king of Elil. The Aldeon royal family was currently losing control not only of Winterkol but also of Saltain.

Isaac formally responded with memorized praises, commendations, and greetings, and displayed the gifts from Emperor Waltzemer carried on the ‘Shining Grail Knight’. Despite the complicated situation in the Gerthonia Empire, it was still far more affluent than the Kingdom of Elil, enough to instantly captivate those in the hall.

Edelred himself could not look away from the displayed treasures, despite having heard about them beforehand.

A big gift implies two things: buying favor while also exerting pressure. It was an unspoken pressure to feel the difference in national power between the two countries.

But a ‘nation of knights’ cannot be subdued by gold and treasures alone.

“However, such trivial gold and treasures surely won’t impress the honorable knights. Therefore, His Majesty Edelred wishes to present the most precious gift sent by Emperor Waltzemer.”

“Bring it out.”

Edelred, having already heard about it, swallowed nervously and watched Isaac intently.

Isaac slowly pulled out the last treasure from his pocket.

Compared to the treasures shown before, it was unimpressive and small, and even seemed modest in appearance. Most of those present didn’t understand what Isaac had taken out, and only a few hesitantly guessed it might be.

Isaac remembered the last time he had pulled out this dagger and spoke.

“The dagger that split King Elil’s chest and extracted his heart, the Rite of Division.”

An explosive murmur broke out. The knights looked like they might rush forward at any moment, but they barely restrained themselves. A few who had unconsciously stepped forward stopped as they sensed the frozen atmosphere of the hall.

Isaac raised it high enough for everyone to see clearly and said,

“I will return this to Elil.”

***

Isaac had completely taken the atmosphere of Aldeon Castle.

The massive national power of the Gerthonia Empire shown through the gifts, the achievements built as a Grail Knight, and the sacred relic that many knights of the Kingdom of Elil had tried but failed to recover.

No one could ignore the person who brought all these together.

And Isaac’s achievements were soon also recognized as Edelred’s achievements.

Though the process was what it was, no king before had ever achieved such a feat. Luck is also a form of skill.

And Edelred was not one to let this opportunity pass by as merely luck.

As the vassals hurried to pledge their loyalty again, Edelred acknowledged their loyalty and distributed the gifts appropriately. Pleased with their gifts, the vassals actively participated in the banquet, fostering camaraderie.

It was a tiresome but necessary process.

It was only the next day that Isaac could move on to the next plan.

Edelred, looking at the people gathered in the conference room, clicked his tongue.

“Is this all?”

“This is everyone who isn’t laid out from a hangover.”

In the conference room were Edelred, Isaac, Hesabel, and a few knights. Among them was the scar-ridden man who had clapped first the previous day. Isaac noted his identity with interest.

“General Mors Gideon…”

He was the top military officer tasked with the defense of Aldeon. Despite his ferocious appearance and ominous-sounding name, which often brought him undue suspicion, he was a man of simple loyalty to the Aldeon royal family.

The problem was that his loyalty and belief in Elil were excessively fervent.

“There’s no need for those fools who just drink without understanding what’s about to happen to stay.”

Those gathered here were the ones who had sensed the changes coming to the Kingdom of Elil right after Isaac presented the Rite of Division and had prepared accordingly. They were the keyholders of significant positions in Aldeon.

Edelred’s expression darkened.

“Has the information already leaked?”

“I don’t know. But with information this crucial, it’s unlikely it hasn’t leaked. You could have disclosed it more cautiously.”

Mors muttered as if reproaching Isaac.

Isaac didn’t blink an eye. After all, it was information meant to be leaked.

The Rite of Division was not just any relic in the Kingdom of Elil.

There were several swords that Elil used, all called ‘Holy Swords’ and treated as royal treasures. However, many of these swords were lost or damaged in numerous civil wars as the royal family changed.

Only three swords remained now. One was with Elil’s undecaying corpse in the holy sanctuary of Elion, one in the treasury of the Aldeon royal family, and the last was the Rite of Division that Isaac had brought.

This particular sword held greater sanctity as it was directly involved in Elil’s death, potentially enough to break Elil’s silence. In other words, it had the symbolic power to shake the power structures of the civil war-ridden Kingdom of Elil.

The traitors would have to act; they couldn’t just stand by.

“It was revealed to make them move.”

At Isaac’s words, everyone’s attention in the room turned to him.

“General Georg of the traitors is currently occupying the sanctuary of Elion. It’s neither possible nor necessary to turn Elion into a battlefield or to smash our heads against its already fortified walls. We’ll make Georg move when it still seems like we’re unguarded. He’ll be less prepared the sooner he has to act.”

“No…”

People looked at Isaac in surprise. Isaac calmly continued.

“The Hectali sisters, the cannibal witches, need no mention. Those kind will do everything to disrupt if they believe the Kingdom of Elil could be reunified or Elil resurrected. Eventually, they’ll come out of the forest to snatch the Rite of Division. Hopefully, no one here plans to willingly fight inside the witches’ forest.”

“…”

The people in the conference room were taken aback by how well Isaac knew about them and had planned considering all scenarios.

Of course, to Isaac, this was all too obvious.

‘I’ve already seen the ending with Elil.’

***

“But…”

Of course, it could have been said, ‘It would have been better if we had prepared a little more before proceeding’ or ‘A surprise attack could have been an option.’ Just as someone seemed about to voice this typical counterargument,

“That will be done.”

However, Mors Gideon cut off the potential rebuttal and spoke instead.

“It’s not particularly pleasing to know that the Gerthonia Empire has such a clear view of our affairs, but since the Grail Knight seems well-prepared, let’s trust and follow him.”

Mors shot a look at the knight who was about to speak.

“The Grail Knight has brought a glorious miracle to this land, so he will surely bestow another miracle. I don’t believe this miracle is just for the Grail Knight to turn this land into his grave.”

Though it was a sardonic remark, Isaac just smirked.

He knew that considering all scenarios, this method was currently the best to stabilize the Kingdom of Elil. He didn’t have much time for preparations. Attacking the enemy’s stronghold directly would be even crazier.

His method in the Elil route had been to lure the enemies out and then methodically strike them down.

Mors nodded as if trusting Isaac and turned his gaze to Edelred.

“As you said, Georg will come charging in madness. I’ve already tripled the number of scouts and stationed additional troops at the borders.”

Mors tapped the map placed in the middle of the conference room at several points, all adjacent to forested areas.

“The witches might also emerge from the forest. I’ve instructed the villagers in the border areas to hang horseshoes on their doors, hoping that the witches’ beasts still dislike iron.”

The stability of the Kingdom of Elill, despite its precarious state, could be attributed to individuals like Morse. Edelred nodded and asked,

“Who do you think will come first?”

“The chances are high that it will be the Witch Sisters of Hectali. Georg is sane, so he’ll likely mobilize the army. Naturally, he’ll be slower than the witches who ride beasts barefoot, since those creatures need no supplies.”

“Very well.”

Isaac nodded and studied the map. He pointed to a massive forest closest to Aldeon.

“The witches will come from this direction. Let’s set up an encirclement here.”

Morse tilted his head in confusion.

“How do you know that?”

Isaac tapped his chest as if it were obvious.

“Because I’ll be heading there.”

***

A black swift flew into a foggy swamp. Suddenly, a clumsy hand emerged from the fog and grasped the swift. The large, bumpy hand that seemed capable of holding a human head brought the swift to its mouth.

Two other Witch Sisters watched as the witch chewed on the swift. Soon, the largest witch chirped in a voice as beautiful as the crying of the swift,

“The dagger that removed the heart of the Tyrant King has arrived! Along with the knight of the Holy Grail!”

At those words, the witches gasped and burst into raucous laughter.

Their laughter spread through forests, valleys, and swamps, stirring birds into flight and rabbits and foxes out of their burrows. The wind carried the swamp’s fog through the woods, racing toward Aldeon.

“With that dagger, let’s pluck out the heart of the Grail Knight!”