Paladin of the Dead God

The rumor of a monster appearing in the heart of the Ultenheim Cathedral spread throughout the entire capital in no time.

Although the monster had turned into white sand shortly after dying, the rumors persisted.

Given the enormous size of the monster and the number of people awakened by its grotesque screams, it was impossible to erase the traces of the cathedral’s destruction. With the Dawn Army’s arrival imminent, the sinister event within the Codex of Light Cathedral rapidly expanded, and naturally, the incident reached the Emperor’s ears.

“The priests call it the Whitewood in Prayer.”

Waltzemer spoke with a mixed expression of worry and amusement. Isaac found the name far more plausible than “the monster of the old city” and showed an incredulous look.

“They coined a euphemistic name since the priests are forbidden to speak about the incident. They named it after its appearance. I’m curious about what it looked like. How was it?”

Isaac, being at the center of this incident and having resolved the problem, couldn’t avoid the Emperor’s summons.

“It was just a grotesque old hag with many limbs and her lower body fused to the ground.”

“An old hag? So it was female. I hadn’t heard that.”

“But it’s surprising that the Church is keeping quiet. It was clearly a terrorist act by the Immortal Order. I thought they’d be infuriated enough to publicize it and criticize the capital’s defense state.”

“Ah, there’s an intriguing story behind that.”

Waltzemer continued, tapping his fingers together as if he found it amusing.

“It turns out the monster’s true identity was none other than Cardinal Camille.”

“What? No way. How could that be?”

Isaac acted as if he had heard the most shocking news in the world for the first time. Waltzemer continued, despite finding Isaac’s reaction slightly over-the-top.

“I heard some priests went missing during the incident, including Cardinal Camille. Her body wasn’t found in the debris. Moreover, several relics used by Cardinal Camille were discovered on the Whitewood in Prayer’s corpse.”

“How is that possible… Could it be that a priest from the Immortal Order attacked Cardinal Camille and stole them, or perhaps transformed her?”

“That’s a possibility, but if the Immortal Order’s priests could infiltrate the capital’s defenses, breach the cathedral’s protection, evade the Paladin Order’s vigilance, and overcome the miracles and relics protecting the Cardinal, I would call off the Dawn Army’s expedition. Fighting such foes would be madness.”

Waltzemer didn’t take Isaac’s suggestion seriously, thinking he was joking.

“But the bigger issue is something else. According to Investigator Isolde, numerous materials related to Nameless Chaos were found in Cardinal Camille’s quarters. It suggests that Cardinal Camille might have been a cultist.”

Isaac had considered planting documents about Nameless Chaos in Camille’s office. However, he refrained, thinking it would be too conspicuous. Yet, it seemed that not all the materials she had were discovered by Isaac.

If Camille was alive, it might be different, but if she were dead, the priests who envied her and coveted her position would expose her secrets. The Codex of Light’s concealment of the incident wasn’t because a monster appeared in the heart of the cathedral but out of fear that the Cardinal might be revealed as a cultist.

This was no ordinary scandal.

“This is serious.”

“Indeed. The Church’s corruption isn’t new, but this crosses a line.”

The Emperor couldn’t hide his delight.

Did Camille’s disappearance or death deal a blow to the Church?

Regrettably for the Church’s enemies, it did not.

The Church operated on a strict hierarchy. Miracles were assigned according to rank, and personal faith only influenced the strength of these miracles, not their variety or number. Even high-ranking priests like Cardinals could be easily replaced by promoting a lower-ranking priest. It was a simple matter of swapping out parts.

The lack of a Cardinal meant a deficiency in the Church’s combat power equivalent to that Cardinal. To fill the gap, the Church would promptly appoint a new Cardinal and close the incident.

This was both the root of the Codex of Light’s chronic corruption and its strength and resilience. Thanks to this intricate hierarchy, the Order functioned robustly and organically, even if a position suddenly became vacant.

“So the Church will likely appoint a new Cardinal soon.”

But the Emperor intended to exploit this system.

He planned to place his ally in the vacant position. It was cheaper and easier than bribing an existing Cardinal. Isaac considered asking if the Emperor had someone in mind but decided against it. The thought of another person like Juan made him nauseous.

However, a greedy pig was preferable to a fanatic capable of experimenting that could destroy the old city and endanger her grandson.

Isaac trusted the Emperor to handle it adeptly.

***

Although Isaac hadn’t expected the incident in the cathedral to end this way, it had a profound impact on him. Until now, he had lived as unobtrusively, passively, and defensively as possible.

To survive.

Even when meeting Camille, this approach hadn’t changed. He thought he could get angry and threaten a bit but ultimately reach a compromise and part ways. If someone had told Isaac a day earlier, “You’ll turn a Cardinal into a monster and then kill them,” he would have thought them insane.

But Camille showed him that living passively would ultimately align him with monsters.

“You mean there’s a faction within the Church that supports me?”

Camille’s attempt to threaten him became a clue for Isaac.

She warned him about the many followers of his “new doctrine” within the Codex of Light. She claimed the Owl’s doctrine was the root of the organization worshiping Nameless Chaos.

Regrettably for her, that meant Isaac’s strategy was succeeding.

“From now on, I need to act more aggressively.”

It seemed the organization hadn’t yet developed significant cohesion, but it was a sign that Isaac’s plans were bearing fruit. Although the Owl’s teachings were the foundation, it didn’t matter.

Even if Isaac went a little rogue, there were forces within the Order to shield him.

The angel tolerated him because he was useful. Young priests cheered for him. Nobles and the Emperor strove to win over the rising divinity.

In this situation, simply watching the Church fall apart was foolish.

Isaac decided to steer the Codex of Light Church in the direction he wanted.

Camille was the start and the first step.

Somehow, he felt the second step would involve the Inquisitor before him.

“Please don’t take offense, Sir Issacrea. This is merely a procedural formality.”

Naturally, the Codex of Light began investigating the chaos at Ultenheim Cathedral. Inquisitors from the Inquisition Office detained and interrogated every priest and paladin present during the incident.

Isaac was no exception.

He continued the conversation with the Inquisitor in a small room designated as a temporary interrogation chamber.

“I heard that Cardinal Camille’s mishap was due to dabbling in forbidden knowledge…”

The scarred Inquisitor looked at Isaac with gleaming pale gray eyes.

“Where did you hear that?”

“I have a few priest acquaintances in the cathedral. Some of them are even from the Inquisition.”

The Inquisitor clicked his tongue, seemingly recalling Isaac’s partner, Isolde.

“Hmm, I see. It’s true that Cardinal Camille Sarea dabbled in the forbidden secrets of Nameless Chaos. Quite a few, including her assistant priests, were aware of this. It’s appalling that she abused her position to recklessly delve into forbidden knowledge.”

“Was there no one who reported this to the Inquisition?”

Isaac asked, sounding genuinely astonished.

The Inquisitor pursed his lips but soon replied calmly.

“Cardinal Camille herself was the chief censor responsible for consolidating such reports and scrutinizing forbidden information. Cardinals have the highest level of access to knowledge.”

Isaac had anticipated this. To pursue the teachings of the Owl and approach forbidden secrets, one would naturally need to possess those secrets first. In that sense, Camille’s position was optimal. Falling into corruption was a natural progression.

However, the Inquisition wasn’t a lenient organization. If a village priest could make such a judgment, there would be no need for Inquisitors to be dispatched.

“But she also knew best how to handle such secrets cautiously. Therefore, I won’t make any rash judgments that anyone could make, Sir Issacrea.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“On the night of the incident, Cardinal Camille’s secretary testified that you visited her late at night. However, the entry records show no record of your visit. This means you met with Cardinal Camille in secret. Can you explain why?”

Isaac didn’t panic. This was an expected question, and he had a prepared answer.

“I was on a mission assigned by Cardinal Camille.”

“Let’s see… It was regarding the serial murders in the cemetery.”

“Yes. While investigating the case, I discovered a shocking secret about Cardinal Camille. As a Paladin of the Codex of Light, I didn’t want false rumors about the respected Cardinal to spread.”

“A shocking secret?”

“I found out that Cardinal Camille had been conducting heretical rituals in the underground crypt, accumulating sinister power through these rites. I found traces of these rituals and summons in the crypt. Even now, anyone who visits there will find disturbing remnants of Chaos.”

Isaac shamelessly pinned the blame for everything that happened with Claire’s group in the crypt on Camille.

The Inquisitor was taken aback by Isaac’s words and rummaged through his documents. Researching forbidden secrets was grounds for disciplinary action, but conducting rituals and implementing them was an entirely different matter.

“I couldn’t believe that the esteemed Cardinal Camille would engage in such acts. I thought someone was framing her, so I contacted her secretly to warn her. But when I mentioned disrupting the ritual… she seemed distressed and headed to the rear garden alone.”

“…And then the incident happened?”

“Yes.”

The Inquisitor leaned back, looking fatigued.

His pale gray eyes, scarred face, and his unyielding demeanor before Isaac—all indicated that he wasn’t a novice Inquisitor. His long experience told him that Isaac’s story was a lie.

“Are you asking me to believe that story, Sir Issacrea? A story with so many holes…”

Isaac smiled at the Inquisitor’s words.

“What if you don’t believe it?”

***

The Inquisitor’s expression hardened.

He felt a different aura from the young Holy Grail Knight, who had been calmly complying with the investigation until moments ago.

“Cardinal Camille Sarea indeed delved into forbidden secrets. She conducted rituals in the crypt, collected materials, and became a monster. If there’s a deeper truth hidden here, don’t you think a higher will might be involved?”

The Inquisitor, now sitting upright, felt an inexplicable psychological pressure from Isaac’s violet eyes.

“Is it the role of an Inquisitor to uncover the truth?”

Isaac’s words, while absurd to say to an investigator seeking the truth, hit the Inquisitor’s mark.

The Inquisitor’s role wasn’t to uncover the truth but to create a truth that suited the Church’s narrative.

“No, it is not.”

“Then do your job. The poor Cardinal has become a monster and likely went to hell. Perhaps she might even pray for the poor Inquisitor in that place…”

The Inquisitor suddenly remembered that the Holy Grail Knight before him had the power to repel angels, held the title of the Resurrected Saint, and had a mentor-disciple relationship with the newly appointed Cardinal Juan Liar. They had even fought side by side in battles on missions from the angel.

If Isaac was involved, it was the Inquisitor’s job to clear the “innocent” Isaac of any charges.

“I made a mistake, Sir Holy Grail Knight. Listening to you, I find it suspicious that the assistant priest who didn’t report Cardinal Camille’s vile actions is more to blame. We will handle this appropriately to avoid any inconvenience to you.”

“Do as you see fit.”

Isaac stood up, indicating that the interrogation was over. The Inquisitor stood upright and respectfully saw him off until he left the room. Suddenly, Isaac turned as if he remembered something.

“Oh, by the way, there are a few things in Cardinal Camille’s records I’m interested in. May I take a look?”

“Ah, those need to be reviewed and re-examined by the Censorship Office…”

“I’ll send them to the Censorship Office after I’m done with them.”

“…I’ll have the materials sent to your quarters immediately.”

_____________

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