Paladin of the Dead God
chapter-317-1

Naturally, no other members of the group were found in Odryf.

Although he had fought several battles, Isaac, who didn’t have to worry about leading troops or managing supplies, was the first to arrive. After all, he had death on his back and had come down practically as if he were being chased.

Even Nel was so irritated by exhaustion that Isaac, too, couldn’t help but feel drained.

At one point, he even thought about pretending to die and activating the ‘Agent of Chaos’ ability.

However, after seeing the Reaper’s scythe get shattered into pieces only to be restored again, it seemed that such an action wouldn’t be effective. There are times when killing is impossible. The Reaper, who embodied the very concept of ‘death’ that the Immortal Order sought to control, was one of those beings.

‘Besides, I don’t know what risks the Agent of Chaos might entail…’

It wasn’t too late to resort to such a high-risk measure after trying every other possible method. He could find out the true nature of the tax imposed on him through Shalok and Leonora.

‘First, I need to find Shalok.’

Bringing a dragon into a bustling city like Odryf would cause chaos, so Isaac had Nel stay at the coastal cliffs near Odryf. Even if Nel were to be spotted a few times from the sea, it would be dismissed as sailors’ tall tales.

***

Isaac headed to a tavern on the outskirts of Odryf.

The tavern was called ‘The Laughing Octopus.’ He hadn’t chosen it at random; it was a well-known establishment mentioned in the game, famed for its food.

Not only was he curious about the dishes that had only been mentioned in the game’s lore, but it was also a place frequented by notable figures, making it easy to pick up on rumors about them.

Isaac ordered the famous octopus stew and started listening to the conversations around him.

Since he had pulled his hood low over his face, no one recognized him. The allure of a Nephilim could draw people in, but it could also evoke fear.

All he had to do was keep his hood down and glance around in a foreboding manner.

Sure enough, no one turned their gaze towards Isaac. Anyone who did look his way would freeze as if hitting an invisible wall before quickly turning away.

‘By now, Shalok should have arrived in Odryf, right?’

It was almost certain that Leonora would be somewhere in Odryf, but there was no certainty about Shalok. Nevertheless, it was likely that he would come to Odryf, even if only to make a show of trying to stop Isaac.

Isaac’s only concern was that he might have arrived too early.

“Hey, did you hear? Captain Shalok has withdrawn all the bounty posters.”

“Oh, that. It’s probably because it was revealed that the target was the Holy Grail Knight, so they pulled them down before anyone could raise a fuss. I mean, how could you expect to take down a Holy Grail Knight with just 10,000 gold pieces? The Order would go berserk.”

Isaac perked up when he heard his name and Shalok’s being mentioned at the table next to him. The two men, who appeared to be merchants, were discussing a very sensitive topic.

“No, no, it’s because the Holy Grail Knight got angry about the bounty on his head and is now marching south. That’s why they took them down.”

“Really? I heard it was to cut costs because they hired some big-shot. But is that even possible? The Dawn Army from Issacrea is supposed to be unstoppable, right?”

“They wiped out the orcs that were besieging the Ariet Monastery, cleared out the bandits of the Seor Plain, and even dealt with the Imperial rebels who were being backed by the Immortal Order. Meanwhile, I heard the C iero Dawn Army was annihilated at the Kran Fortress, but Issacrea’s situation is the complete opposite.”

Because Isaac had arrived faster than the rumors could spread, the events at the Kran Fortress hadn’t yet reached this place. The merchants, leaning in closer, were discussing the sensitive topics with caution.

Of course, it all still reached Isaac’s ears clearly.

“Wait, hold on. What if the Issacrea Dawn Army marches to Odryf and puts pressure on it? What happens if Odryf’s port gets isolated?”

“Oh, come on, that’s absurd. If they do that, it’ll choke the Empire’s lifeline. The nobles and clergy will lose their minds and try to crush the Holy Grail Knight.”

“No, think about it. Do you think Captain Shalok would try to take down the Holy Grail Knight on his own? It must have been a directive from the Guild Leader or one of his daughters. And the Holy Grail Knight wouldn’t just take that lying down. If he marches his troops to threaten Odryf’s port, the merchant guild might start criticizing the Bessia family.”

‘Naturally.’

Isaac thought as he listened.

Besieging Odryf’s port would be madness. It was, after all, a part of the Gerthonia Holy Empire’s territory, and it had a significant number of Codex of Light adherents, well within the Church’s influence. It was also the reason why the Codex of Light couldn’t easily act against the Golden Idol Guild.

That’s why Isaac hadn’t even considered a siege; he only planned a silent show of force.

His intention was to subtly suggest that while he had no intention of attacking, he couldn’t guarantee what the army would do if he were killed.

The merchants’ expressions grew more serious as they spoke.

“So, the upper echelons of the Golden Idol Guild might have to force the Bessia family to step down?”

The Bessia family had ruled over the Golden Idol Guild for almost a century.

It was hard to imagine them stepping down, let alone the aftermath if they did. Some liked the Bessia family’s rule, but many harbored resentment against them.

“Exactly. Maybe targeting the Holy Grail Knight was part of some plan. I heard they’re hiring incredibly powerful people to defend against him…”

“Here’s your food.”

Just as the conversation was getting interesting, the server brought a large plate of octopus stew to Isaac’s table. Although the spicy aroma made his mouth water, he was momentarily speechless at the sight of a whole octopus, its head as big as his own, staring up at him.

‘This isn’t something one person should be eating…’

It was enough food for at least eight people.

Isaac, who had intended to avoid drawing attention, now found himself cutting up the enormous octopus alone, which naturally attracted some stares. He nonchalantly picked up a knife and fork and started slicing through the octopus.

Although his fingers felt sore, it was probably just his imagination. Beneath its fearsome appearance, the dish was a seafood stew filled with clams, abalone, squid, and various other ingredients in a spicy sauce.

‘…Should I say it reminds me of home? It really is delicious.’

Before long, Isaac had devoured all eight servings of the octopus stew. Despite appearing lean and slender, he consumed the massive meal with ease, leaving onlookers in stunned silence. It was only after he licked the last bit of sauce clean that Isaac noticed the stares. He casually wiped his mouth with a napkin, pretending nothing had happened.

‘I must have been really hungry.’

It had been a while since he’d properly filled his stomach or savored the taste of food. While he tried to eat regularly to avoid losing his humanity, it wasn’t always possible in the midst of his busy schedule.

For the first time in a while, Isaac felt truly content.

***

“Young man, you’ve got quite the appetite. Still hungry? Want more?”

As soon as Isaac finished eating, the merchants at the next table gathered their plates and drinks and came over. Before Isaac had a chance to respond, they even ordered more food.

It was almost impossible to fill Isaac’s stomach, but since there was no reason to refuse, he just let it happen.

“You don’t seem like you’re from around here. Where are you from?”

“I’m from the north.”

Isaac answered vaguely without being specific. The merchants laughed heartily.

“Yeah, the north. Where else would someone come from to Odryf Port at the southern tip of the Gerthonia Empire? The undead-infested east? The sea to the south?”

Isaac simply looked at them without replying. Sensing something off in his gaze beneath the hood, the merchants quickly shut their mouths.

But they hadn’t approached Isaac out of simple charity.