Chapter 103:
Isaac recalled the lore about ‘that disease’ which erased a third of humanity.
The Nameless Chaos, before it lost its name, had killed all those who knew its name in a significant event.
Naturally, this included not only the priests who worshiped the Nameless Chaos but also theologians, priests, paladins of other faiths, and even common people.
The term “disease” isn’t precisely accurate. Strictly speaking, it was a massacre driven by some will. Yet, it’s called the “White Death Plague” because hearing its name essentially ‘infects’ one.
Those afflicted would turn to white ash, disintegrating into fine white dust particles.
The southern regions across the sea, where followers of the Nameless Chaos had been most abundant, turned into deserts covered in white sand due to the White Death Plague.
Subsequently, other faiths undertook relentless efforts to erase nearly all traces of the Nameless Chaos. What happened, why it happened—everything became unknowable. Even Eidan couldn’t immediately recall the White Death Plague.
It was akin to a mass suicide of divine beings.
The cult of the Nameless Chaos vanished from the world after the event, and a god forgotten by all ceased to influence the world.
Until Isaac appeared.
‘He’s not planning to use me as his agent for that miserable event again, is he?’
If such an event were to occur, Isaac would be the first to turn into sand. However, to Isaac, the Nameless Chaos was still just ‘a god without a name.’ The thought of the same event repeating, or even the idea of it happening, didn’t occur to him.
Whether creating the Book of the Nameless Worm, encountering the Night Stalker from another world, or when the afterlife overflowed, the Nameless Chaos always sent warnings through message windows to Isaac. If it wished to repeat its past actions, it would have sent encouraging messages instead of warnings during dangerous moments.
[The Nameless Chaos watches over you.]
Yes, this message.
The message that someone is watching over him.
Without this message window, without status and quests, how would he have adapted to this world? In reality, Isaac had never killed anything, not even a rat. Yet, here he was, skillfully slicing through people, willingly throwing himself into the face of death.
It wasn’t because of an exceptional ability to adapt but because he could maintain a distance from this world. That this world he was living in wasn’t reality. That the actions he was undertaking were those of a game character, not real life.
The whispered messages from the Nameless Chaos protected Isaac’s psyche in such a way.
The Nameless Chaos wanted to use Isaac to fix something.
Then, what was the Nameless Chaos expecting by calling upon Isaac, after having killed all its followers?
An old question that had been lingering since Isaac arrived in this world surfaced once again.
‘The Nameless Chaos, Urbansus, the White Death Plague… and the man in yellow.’
The man in yellow.
If he was already a being from the afterlife, then perhaps everything was connected to that man.
The Nameless Chaos killing all its followers.
The fact that they would now be populating the afterlife.
The Nameless Chaos specifically choosing him.
The man in yellow continuously seeking him out.
All of it was an intricately tangled issue. Though clues hadn’t been found yet, everything seemed interconnected.
And Isaac felt that the key to the answer lay within himself.
‘Ironic.’
The more power and greater strength Isaac gained from the Nameless Chaos, the closer he would become to the afterlife. He was, in a sense, the highest leader of the cult and an agent of the Nameless Chaos.
‘And eventually, I’ll encounter him again.’
Isaac didn’t want to face that moment unprepared. Whether it was the Nameless Chaos or the man in yellow, whoever wanted something from Isaac, he had no desire to sacrifice himself for anyone.
His gaze turned to Eidan.
Fortunately, the archaeological capabilities of a Salt Council follower could be very useful in filling the gaps of the past.
It was too soon to utilize Eidan directly. But keeping him close meant eventual connections to the Salt Council’s senators, allowing for resolution when the time came.
‘There’s also a matter I need to settle with the Salt Council eventually.’
Until then, Isaac began to prepare his domain for departure at any moment.
“What’s all this?”
Isaac had the Barbarian mercenaries under Jacquette retrieve some of the weapons from the armory in the abandoned mine. It seemed they were prepared for long-term neglect, with thorough precautions against rust from humidity and oiling, so most of the equipment was in good condition. There were enough arms not only to fully equip the Barbarians but also to have reserves.
“Lost and found.”
“…These are military-grade, aren’t they? And they’re new. Not imperial standard issue, but still…”
Isaac looked at Jacquette curiously. Considering most Barbarians were treated as illiterate savages, her observation seemed quite astute.
“How did you know they were military-grade?”
“I’ve been a guard captain for years.”
Had Jacquette simply responded with something like they all looked the same, Isaac might have let it go. But her answer piqued his curiosity.
Jacquette seemed to feel further explanation was necessary and continued.
“Military equipment needs to be uniform. Weapons are consumables, so if one breaks, you should be able to pick up your comrade’s and use it without issue. It’d be chaos if a swordsman suddenly had to use a mace, right? It complicates supply and is necessary for recognizing allies in the heat of battle.”
Mercenaries or levied troops of local lords often carried whatever suited their fancy or was handed to them. Barbarians weren’t much different. Therefore, understanding weapons could give levied troops an edge over regular soldiers in a one-on-one scenario.
But for the reasons Jacquette mentioned, when it comes to group versus group combat, the value of regular troops becomes evident. Their collective combat effectiveness and endurance are of a different magnitude.
Jacquette understood this structure.
“Where did you say you were from again?”
“The Svalbard Archipelago.”
A territory dominated by the World’s Forge Church. It was also where Ulsten had come from.
It was highly likely she had been a follower of the World’s Forge. Why she chose to leave for Gerthonia and become a Barbarian, Isaac didn’t ask. Perhaps she had killed someone there.
Suddenly, Isaac inquired about her current situation.
“Jacquette, how do the villagers view the Barbarians?”
“Well, they weren’t exactly fond of us. To be honest, even from my perspective, many Barbarian are rude, dirty, and lacking in manners.”
Jacquette quickly added,
“But recently, the perception has changed a bit. As their living conditions improved, the children softened up, and some began to take seriously and practice the teachings you’ve given us. Plus, after fighting alongside the Immortal Order… the villagers have become quite friendly.”
Jacquette seemed pleased with these developments.
The gang of thieves and assassins that roamed the back alleys of Seor seemed no more. The Barbari had been overly aggressive mainly because of the food shortage during the Loracus incident, so it made sense they became gentler.
“Good. Jacquette, you’re now the guard captain here again.”
“Ca, captain? Me? But I’m a Barbarian.”
It was a complex issue. Barbarians weren’t considered faithful, and in some cases, they were even hard to recognize as imperial citizens. Some extreme zealots even treated Barbarians as beasts.
And now a Barbarian in public office?
He couldn’t just say ‘find faith now.’ If returning to faith was easy, there wouldn’t be so many Barbari in the first place.
But Isaac didn’t care about those complexities.
“Don’t worry about the details. Just know if I say it, it’s so. I am Isaac Issacrea, lord of the Issacrea domain. Also, the abbot of the Issacrea Monastery. You’re the guard captain now, but who knows, maybe someday you’ll be a knight of the Issacrea Order.”
“Kni, knight…”
Jacquette was taken aback, seemingly overwhelmed by the prospect. But Isaac was serious.
He needed a force loyal only to him.
Jacquette might fall short of being a knight at the moment, but that could be solved with the growing faith and time. Of course, it would require a mix of sweat, tears, and effort on Jacquette’s part.
“Tell the others not to worry about being Barbari and to put in the effort. If anyone gives you trouble, let me know.”
Isaac left it at that before suddenly remembering something.
“Where’s Caitlin? I need to sort that out too.”
***
“I thought you had forgotten the promise you made to me.”
Caitlin smiled wryly as Isaac approached, initiating the conversation.
Caitlin was staying at the newly established Issacrea branch of the Golden Idol Trading Company. In a short time, she had acquired the original building, creating spaces for carriages, a warehouse, a lobby, and a lounge, turning it into a reputable branch.
The level of completion of the branch alone showed how much Caitlin was expecting from this venture.
“Honestly, I’ve been too busy lately and forgot. I figured it wasn’t a problem that would be solved quickly, so I thought you’d keep reminding me.”
“Yes, I was aware. Investments don’t yield results overnight, after all.”
The reason Caitlin left her position as the head of the Seor economic powerhouse branch for Issacrea was to turn the Issacrea domain into a new trading hub.
Though she hadn’t left the Seor branch completely unattended, having delegated responsibilities to a deputy, she was deeply invested in the Issacrea domain investment, attending to it personally.
“Technically, it’s an investment, but it’s more about managing the funds you’ve entrusted to our company. That alone is sufficient. And if everything goes as you mentioned before, the return will be much quicker.”
“Well, that’s something time will take care of.”
Turning the Issacrea domain into a trading hub was a plan proposed by Isaac. Naturally, it included viable and executable plans. There were things he couldn’t discuss with Isolde but could with the head of the Golden Idol Trading Guild.
Caitlin’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.
“I’ve already verified the Salt Council traders and the forge master. If you can just open up the North Sea route as you said…”
Caitlin trembled with excitement. While the point of her thrill seemed slightly awkward to Isaac, he could understand her enthusiasm.
The North Sea route was the most coveted trade route by the Golden Idol Trading Guild.
The Kingdom of Elil, the Svalbard Archipelago, and the Gerthonian Empire all fell under the White Empire’s influence, but aside from smuggling, trade was practically nonexistent due to religious conflicts and various historical events. The fact that the Salt Council almost monopolized the routes was another issue.
“If we could get even a small portion of the goods produced by those secluded old men… The profit margin we could enjoy is unimaginable. If the Salt Council handles transportation, we won’t have to worry about pirates, and perhaps even goods from the Salt Desert or the Vast Sahar… Especially if such trade is tax-free and exclusively under our jurisdiction here…”
Caitlin murmured dreamily, verging on dangerous self-talk.
It was a statement that could get her arrested under different circumstances, but Isaac didn’t deny her dream. The Golden Idol already traded with the Immortal Order, so it wasn’t entirely impossible.
Frankly, Isaac also hoped it would come true. Though he aimed for the restoration of the holy sites, religious taboos and exclusivity meant nothing to him.
However, the plan was near impossible for now, with the priority being to open trade properly with Elil and the World’s Forge. Despite both being under the White Empire’s recognition, proud Elil had been incessantly bickering, halting official trade, and the World’s Forge had secluded itself in the Svalbard Archipelago for a long time.
If a proper market could be established between these two, Caitlin could secure an overwhelming position within the Golden Idol Trading Guild, overcoming the trust lost during the Lorekus incident and more.
Naturally, the resources of the Issacrea domain would also increase.
“Speaking of which, have you resolved the transportation issue?”
“Ah, don’t worry about that.”
Isaac was well aware of the Issacrea domain’s poor transportation. Situated in a valley between mountains, even if the transportation was convenient, one would still have to pass through the Issacrea domain to cross the thick mountain range.
The main issue was the pass to the central area being blocked by a landslide, but it was a solvable problem.
“It seems the previous lord intentionally caused a landslide to block it. It’s not even an area prone to landslides, and it was left that way as if it was too difficult to clear.”
The previous lord, Lisfen Hendrake, had dreamt of religious rebellion, deliberately making the domain more secluded. The less traffic, the easier it was to keep secrets.
Isaac had many secrets to hide as well. But unlike Lisfen, he planned to do the opposite.
It’s absurd for a city aiming to be a trading hub to be secluded. He intended to make the domain as open as possible, a cultural melting pot accessible to all religions.
And within that, the teachings of the Nameless Chaos would spread.
Like a tree hidden within a forest of faith.
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