Paladin of the Dead God

Chapter 170.1

“What conspiracy are you plotting?”

“…Welcome, Holy Grail Knight.”

Rosalind, who was hosting a guest in the middle of the night, looked at Isaac with a bemused expression. Despite her gaunt appearance, she had regained some of her ladylike dignity. Of course, scars that hinted at her past still marked her hands and face.

“I apologize for visiting so late at night. However, I had many questions and couldn’t help myself.”

“A conspiracy? While the other nobles play at war, I have been sleeping like a lazy cat.”

Rosalind muttered with a twisted smile, the scar on her lip warping strangely.

“But that’s why I can’t sleep. Would you mind keeping an old woman company?”

Rosalind opened the door wider. Isaac accepted her invitation.

Sitting at the table by the window, Rosalind brought over some herbal tea she had already brewed. Having consumed the End-Eater and gained immunity to all poisons, Isaac didn’t suspect a thing. If there had been poison, it would have revealed Rosalind’s intentions.

“I’ve heard about you at the Salt Council.”

Rosalind said with a soft smile, apparently having deep connections with the Salt Council as well.

“The sailors seem to like you. It’s rare for crude sea dogs to not only respect but also like a Knight of the Codex of Light. Probably because they face many hardships.”

“It was just a coincidence that our paths crossed.”

“I wonder if we could have such a coincidence.”

Rosalind leaned forward, peering at Isaac with sunken eyes.

“You promised salvation to the Salt Council, I heard. Could you bring me salvation as well?”

‘…Salvation?’

Her eyes, having seemingly hit rock bottom in despair, showed no sign of hope, just filled with lethal venom.

The venom in her gaze had congealed, turning her eyes a dark, venomous black.

Isaac hesitated for a moment but then looked into her eyes, his own eyes tinged with a subtle purple hue, though Rosalind did not notice it in the dim light.

He couldn’t see her deepest thoughts, but he could read her surface thoughts.

‘Swordmaster.’

The word flickered through his mind, and Isaac’s eyes sparkled.

Rosalind was thinking about a Swordmaster staying in Aldeon.

‘Which Swordmasters are currently active?’

Becoming a Swordmaster required a mix of luck, talent, blessings, and effort. Naturally, many were not of sound mind. Most preferred becoming stronger over affiliating with any place, hence why not many Swordmasters were publicly known.

‘Leaving out Lianne Georg, Vaschlav Norton is in the Empire, and Red Sword Lua is imprisoned in Gehenna…’

Isaac could only think of one remaining Swordmaster. A character unpredictable in the game, powerful but mysterious in his appearances.

“Swordmaster Cedric. Is he here?”

***

Rosalind looked startled for a moment before narrowing her eyes at Isaac.

“Did you read my mind? This is why I despise the practitioners of the Codex of Light!”

The powers of the Codex of Light were known for light and heat but also for seeking knowledge and wisdom, much like how Elil pursued courage and honor.

Like a lamp illuminating someone’s dark thoughts, the miracle of mind reading existed.

Of course, it couldn’t be used carelessly, and there was significant resistance to this miracle from other faiths. Even among fellow believers of the Codex of Light, it was forbidden except in interrogations of heretics.

If such miracles were common, Isaac would have had a hard time moving freely.

Rosalind’s statement was accurate, but Isaac firmly lied.

“Did it seem to you that I used a miracle?”

Rosalind closed her mouth. A miracle always manifests its effects.

In the case of the Codex of Light, the more powerful the miracle, the brighter the light it produced. To the victim, it would feel like their brain was being illuminated with a lamp.

“There’s no need to read minds. I already knew Cedric was hired by Saltain. I just wanted to check if he was guarding Saltain as heard or if he was here.”

Of course, Isaac hadn’t actually learned Cedric was hired. But he stated it as if the Codex of Light knew all, a useful misconception in this situation.

After a brutal massacre, Saltain had concluded that they too needed a Swordmaster. However, a Swordmaster could only emerge from a combination of divine blessing, personal effort, and luck, not something that could be forcibly trained.

Instead, they hired wandering Swordmasters.

One of the few, the capricious ‘Cedric’.

He was in Aldeon.

“Surely you’re not planning to assassinate King Edelred. Cedric wouldn’t accept such a task anyway.”

Rosalind looked incredulously at Isaac as he quickly changed the subject.

If anyone dared suggest assassination to a Swordmaster, Rosalind would have been the first victim.

“I merely asked Cedric for protection. How could I visit the royal family of Aldeon unguarded? Who knows what might happen?”

“King Edelred is not that kind of person.”

“They’re all the same.”

Rosalind spat on the floor, muttering to herself.

“He’s still a child, and that’s why he’s innocent for now. But once he grows up, he’ll likely indulge in cruelty not unlike his father. After all, even a hundred years ago, this royal family was founded by those who murdered their predecessors and seized the throne. Where do you think their blood-soaked hands will go next?”

“Isn’t the history of Elil itself built on a structure where blood washes blood, and the victor takes all?”

At Isaac’s response, Rosalind fell silent and stared intently at him.

“Are you saying my faith is misguided?”

–TL Notes–

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