Paladin of the Dead God
chapter-74

The commotion that began in the early dawn continued until morning.

Delia, having summoned the nobles and knights, paced the dining room anxiously.

“Are all the knights here? Are all the nobles gathered?”

“Some still haven’t awakened…”

Delia’s face twisted as she yelled.

“Break down their doors if you must, but get everyone here now!”

Her edgy response stirred unrest among the nobles.

She felt like she was losing her mind at the nobles’ reaction.

When she first encountered the darkness, hallucinations, and auditory hallucinations, she fell into a state of delirium. Her guards rushed to her aid upon noticing her frenzy, pulling her out of her delirious state, but her ravaged room spoke volumes of what had transpired.

While she was relatively stable now, not all nobles were.

In a corner of the dining room, a noble wrapped in a blanket was trembling, teeth clattering. This was a noble who had ridden through dust and grime with her, a person of resilience. Nearby, another noble had fainted after vomiting several times, and a knight had to be bandaged after scratching his skin, marked with bite wounds, till it bled.

By comparison, Delia was in a fairly good condition.

“Could it really be a curse?”

A noble cautiously approached Delia and asked.

‘Curse…’

Even without him saying it, the word was deeply ingrained in her mind.

Grail Knight Isaac had already warned about the curse. But since there were priests of the Codex of Light present, and Reinhardt had assured her there was nothing to worry about, she had stayed without concern.

“It’s not just me who experienced it, so the probability is high…”

The nature of curses left by celestial beings varies widely. Delia, lacking theological knowledge, couldn’t be certain, but there seemed no other explanation.

“What is all this commotion?”

Bishop Juan and one of the holy knights entered the dining room.

“To cause such a disturbance at the time for morning prayers…”

He was about to scold them, but when Delia glared at him with bloodshot eyes, he hesitated and fell silent. Delia approached the holy knight, pointing and demanding,

“Did nothing happen on your end? With so many priests around, you can’t deal with this curse? Even with the Bishop here? Did the inquisitors come just for show?”

“What blasphemy…”

The holy knight, his face reddening with anger, tried to retort, but he was facing a duchess. No matter his status as a holy knight, he couldn’t disrespect a dignitary who served the emperor closely.

“People have been tormented by this curse all night!”

Only then did the holy knight notice the people in the corners of the dining room, struggling with the aftermath of the curse. He hesitated for a moment before retreating quickly.

“I will report to the Bishop and return.”

***

Shortly after, the clergy and the nobles gathered together.

Seven people had suffered from the curse overnight, all from the central nobility. The priests offered healing and tranquility miracles to those, including Delia, suffering from the aftermath of the curse, but the delirium was hard to calm.

One priest approached Delia and said,

“I’m sorry, but we can’t feel any curse.”

At his words, Delia glared at him, her face contorting.

“Are you saying I’m lying? Even though I was affected too?”

The priest, intimidated by her fierce tone, continued cautiously,

“A nightmare itself could be a curse. The symptoms of delirium you’re seeing might just be due to psychological shock. If it were due to a curse, the symptoms should be identical. But, Lady Lyon, everyone’s symptoms differ, don’t they?”

He was right, so Delia remained silent. The bite marks she had thought to present as evidence of the curse had already vanished.

“Everyone having nightmares simultaneously can’t be a coincidence, so we do believe it’s a type of curse. We haven’t found any specific traces yet, but it’s unlikely that the celestial being left quietly after being banished.”

“Ahem…”

Delia felt her thoughts become muddled.

While the notion of a curse had initially startled and confused her, if this curse was indeed left by the celestial being that Isaac had banished, then Isaac truly had achieved a great feat. This realization meant that her objective to prevent Isaac’s designation as a saint had become significantly more challenging.

At that moment, Isaac approached her.

With a somber expression, Isaac apologized to Delia.

“It seems my inadequate abilities in dealing with the celestial have brought this unholy presence upon you, Duchess. I apologize.”

Delia was taken aback by his apology and quickly dismissed it.

“No, Sir Grail Knight. How could this be your fault? It’s due to my lack of faith and weak spirit that I was susceptible to such vile influences.”

Delia’s words were now filled with respect. It was clear to her that Isaac had indeed performed a great deed by vanquishing the celestial. Despite the complications his existence posed for her, it was undeniable that he was a knight deserving of respect.

“However, this is troubling. If the curse continues to linger in this land, the people of the territory will grow anxious. This place might become known as a cursed domain.”

Delia sensed something in Isaac’s words. A fleeting thought passed through her mind, but it was too delicate to voice, especially not in the presence of others.

Tap, tap.

At that moment, someone tapped on the table. As attention shifted, Bishop Juan and a young priest spoke up.

“An unholy darkness has descended upon this fortress overnight. My children, Bishop Juan has decided to consecrate the fortress to prevent the curse from infiltrating further. While it’s a temporary measure and must be performed daily, you shall not be inconvenienced during your stay here.”

For the nobles, this was a welcome intervention. However, they believed that the clergy and knights, aware of the curse yet only extending protective miracles to themselves, had left them to suffer from the curse alone.

“That’s evidence the curse affected only the nobles.”

“And, we have the results of our investigation. Based on the inquiries of the Inquisitors, testimonies of witnesses, and investigations by the priests, it has been conclusively determined that Grail Knight Isaac did vanquish the prophet of the red flesh here. This is undoubtedly an achievement worthy of the Light’s Scripture’s attention.”

Everyone, nobles, priests, and knights alike, looked at Isaac with admiration. It was clear Isaac had accomplished a tremendous feat, regardless of affiliations.

However, Isaac did not smile; his expression remained grave.

“Therefore, Bishop Juan plans to report these findings to the central authorities and request Saint designation for Isaac.”

Delia bit her lip. If these findings were conveyed to the Pope, Isaac’s designation as a saint seemed inevitable.

“Of course, we still need to verify Isaac’s holiness…”

Boom. Suddenly, a thunderous noise shook the fortress.

“What was that? Go check it out.”

Before Delia could even speak, knights and holy knights rushed outside.

A giant boulder had been hurled their way. The sound of the boulder rolling into the dining room made everyone think of a “siege.”

Without hesitation, they drew their swords, ready to head out, but a shout from the knights who had gone ahead stopped them.

“It’s trolls!”

***

[I will move the trolls.]

Isaac sent a brief affirmative message to Hesabel. The trolls, climbing over the walls, hurled giant boulders toward the entrance of the dining room where the nobles and priests had gathered.

‘They really do listen well.’

Isaac watched, confirming that Hesabel still retained her powers from the Red Chalice.

Trolls were akin to watchdogs bred by the Red Chalice Club, and Hesabel had mentioned she could command them.

And her abilities remained intact, even in clear betrayal of the Red Chalice Club.

Bang! A holy knight nearly hit by a boulder cursed as he ran toward the walls.

“These damned beasts!”

As the knight ascended the stairs, trolls threw more boulders at him. The knight’s aura intensified, deflecting a boulder with a dull thud. But the boulders targeting him weren’t finished.

Thump, thud!

Struck by successive boulders, the knight stumbled and lost his balance, tumbling down the stairs.

Isaac sprinted past him, climbing up. A boulder aimed at the holy knight fell directly in Isaac’s path. Or rather, Isaac had leaped towards the boulder.

Crack, boom!

Isaac deflected the boulder with the shoulder of his armor. Although he didn’t have an aura enveloping his armor like a holy knight, the tentacles wrapped inside mitigated the impact.

‘In a consecrated domain, even the armor’s defense seems to be enhanced.’

Reaching the top of the wall in an instant, Isaac swung his sword. Crick-crack! However, the sword made an unpleasant noise as it roughly scraped the troll’s skin. The troll, splattered with blood, screamed and retreated.

The sword of judgment, worn from the battle with the prophet of the red flesh, no longer possessed its ability to burn the wicked. Such a wound would leave no more than a scar on the troll.

[I will order a retreat.]

“Ooooh! Aaaaah!”

The trolls, screaming, descended the wall just as they had climbed it. The holy knight, climbing back up the stairs belatedly, watched the retreating trolls in dismay. It was foolhardy for even a holy knight to chase after and fight a number of trolls in the isolated woods.

The wall and the inside turned into a chaotic mess after the trolls’ rampage. The clergy and nobles looked around in bewilderment.

“What’s all this about?”

Isaac feigned ignorance as he responded.

“Trolls are the dogs of the Red Chalice. Perhaps they were drawn here by the curse.”

Isaac’s statement worsened the clergy’s mood.

“If monsters are drawn to it, it must be a strong curse…”

“And if it’s trolls, the range of the curse’s influence could be quite extensive.”

Given the antagonistic nature between the Light’s Scripture’s miracles and the trolls’ regenerative abilities, trolls were usually found deep in the mountains. Though Hendrake’s domain was mountainous, trolls weren’t commonly seen.

Of course, this was a misconception by the clergy.

Already in the vicinity, there were not a few trolls gathered as guard forces by the prophet of the red flesh. They hadn’t helped when the prophet was defeated, and some had become Hesabel’s minions.

“It seems challenging to proceed with the saint designation under these circumstances.”

Delia spoke with a hint of malice towards Bishop Juan, whose expression visibly hardened.

Vanquishing a celestial being was indeed a commendable act. However, if the place of vanquishment remains cursed, leaving the land and its people in misery and desolation, it could hardly be considered a complete achievement.

It might even be ridiculed.

“However…”

“If the curse I’ve brought upon this land causes hardship for its people, I have no desire for any honors.”

A young priest attempted to interject, but Isaac cut him off with his declaration. It was a noble statement fitting a Grail Knight, but it ultimately conveyed his lack of interest in being designated a saint.

Since his reasoning was sound, the clergy found themselves unable to argue.

Then Bishop Juan spoke up.

“Then let us dispel the curse.”

Both Isaac and Delia, hearing Bishop Juan’s voice for the first time, looked at him in mild surprise. Bishop Juan, his face full of wrinkles, spoke with clarity and determination.

“I will remain here to find a way to dispel the curse. Therefore…”

He pointed at Isaac with his wrinkled hand.

“You all must fend off the unwelcome guests that have descended upon this land. Ensure that the faithful do not suffer.”