Paladin of the Dead God

Chapter 222:

*Crack!*

The part of the body Isaac touched with his left hand was the non-translucent part, the part still belonging to the physical world. The tentacle that pierced through in an instant severed Nacaruriel’s spine. Despite being a hybrid of angel and dragon, the basic body structure remained unchanged; when the nerves were severed, the body was paralyzed and went limp.

Seizing the opportunity, Calurien’s sealing curse rapidly enveloped Nacaruriel’s entire body once again. Fully subdued, Nacaruriel could do nothing but await Isaac’s decision. Even in this state, Nacaruriel couldn’t suppress its aggression and snarled fiercely.

[“Are you going to eat it?”]

“Why hunt a beast if you can’t tame it?”

Of course, Isaac didn’t deny feeling a bit of regret. However, unlike other beasts that could somehow be tamed or controlled, chimeras couldn’t suppress their savage nature. More importantly, Isaac was still hungry.

Then Calurien spoke up.

[“What if it can be tamed?”]

“You can tame a chimera? Is there a way?”

[“You’ve seen me control chimeras before, haven’t you? If your goal isn’t to consume its flesh, I’ll teach you how to control it.”]

Isaac recalled that during the events in Urbansus, there was a chimera herd among the forces Calurien had led. If control were impossible, forming an army of chimeras wouldn’t have been feasible.

Isaac brightened at the thought.

Like other chimeras, this one likely wouldn’t grant any special benefits if consumed. It would just be meat to fill his stomach. Though his overall stats might slightly increase, Isaac wasn’t in a situation where he needed that. He could always sate his hunger by devouring a whale.

However, if he could tame and ride this transparent, flying creature capable of teleportation, he would have a dragon at his disposal.

Any gamer would be ecstatic.

But what benefit would Calurien get from this?

Isaac was curious why Calurien made such an offer.

“Are you feeling responsible?”

This reaction hadn’t been there when they captured other chimeras. Calurien didn’t respond.

Isaac suddenly remembered the name attached to this chimera─Nacaruriel. Though Calurien never mentioned it, the name clearly appeared in the game.

All dragons were given sacred five-letter names. Perhaps Calurien had some attachment or hope for this experimental creature.

It might be too precious to become just a snack for a passing Holy Grail Knight.

[“If you don’t intend to eat it, bring Kaldwin closer.”]

Kaldwin contained the dragon heart where Calurien resided.

Isaac brought Kaldwin close to Nacaruriel’s wound. The dragon heart flared brightly, and a powerful essence permeated Nacaruriel.

At the same time, the energy coursed up Isaac’s left hand, leaving a six-branched tattoo resembling Calurien’s horns on the back of his hand.

Calurien whispered in a weary voice.

[“……Now it will obey you. But it might not follow others, so don’t leave it unattended. Outside the tower, it will need to eat; one horse or cow a day should suffice. Let it fly twice a day, and don’t force it to hold back when it needs to discharge lightning. And……”]

Isaac was taken aback by Calurien’s lengthy instructions.

“Why so many details?”

[“Then will you abandon it?”]

Isaac fell silent. Taking in a pet requires responsibility and care. It’s not something to be done on a whim just because of a gaming impulse… Ultimately, having decided to adopt the creature, Isaac accepted his responsibilities. Naturally, the lure of a transparent dragon mount played a significant role in his decision.

***

Nacaruriel had suffered significant injuries, so they had to wait a while for it to recover. However, the abundant magic within the tower not only sealed Nacaruriel but also maintained its physical health.

While waiting for its recovery, Isaac rummaged through Calurien’s laboratory. In fact, this was his real objective rather than Nacaruriel. The lab was full of priceless potions and materials, left unattended by Calurien out of neglect but invaluable on the surface.

Watching Isaac sweep up materials no less valuable than the bones of a fallen angel, Calurien murmured in disbelief.

[“How did you know all these things were here? Does the Codex of Light tell you such things?”]

“Why the Codex of Light and not Nameless Chaos?”

[“The Codex of Light illuminates secrets. And Nameless Chaos, as I understand it, cannot communicate with you normally.”]

[“Nameless Chaos is watching you.”]

Indeed, as Calurien said, Nameless Chaos couldn’t communicate normally. Yet, Isaac found its expressions quite detailed. Sometimes it conveyed emotions or intentions that were difficult to articulate in words. In some sense, it was more precise than language.

Anyway, Isaac knew about this place simply because it was a famous farming spot. Feeling no need to explain, Isaac tried to change the subject and caught sight of Nacaruriel.

He then remembered the topic he had previously discussed with Calurien but hadn’t pursued.

“By the way, why did you say giving birth to a Nephilim is a sin rather than the Nephilim itself?”

[“What?”]

“Actually, until now, I thought Nephilim were considered sinful because they stole the miracles of the gods. But that doesn’t make sense. The amount of divine power squandered by a handful of Nephilim pales in comparison to the wasteful usage by ignorant priests or greedy bishops. As the child of an angel, wouldn’t they be guaranteed saints?”

In fact, if Nephilim were recognized for their status and became devout apostles of the gods, it would be more desirable. Despite their physical frailty, Nephilim could harbor much stronger divine power than ordinary humans, and being descendants of angels, their talents and limits would far surpass those of regular humans. In this case, bonding with an angel could be seen as a blessing rather than a sin.

However, in this world, Nephilim are considered severe abominations to the extent that even archangels fall from grace because of them.

After a moment of silence, Calurien hesitated before speaking.

[“……Well, I’ve never really thought about it. I just assumed it was forbidden, like human sacrifice. The conception of Nephilim was naturally considered taboo.”]

“If ‘obvious’ sins were unacceptable, then things like murder would be too. But from what I know, angels are the experts in killing. In fact, compared to angels tearing people apart, human sacrifice is modest…….”

Isaac trailed off.

Human sacrifice was prohibited because it granted a strong divine power to the recipient.

This was why the ancient gods could amass great power in a short time, and the Nine Faiths gained control of the afterlife by banning human sacrifice.

In other words, the reason for banning human sacrifice was to eliminate competitors.

Isaac extended this thought to the Nephilim.

No, he focused on the act of creating Nephilim rather than the Nephilim themselves.

A sudden realization dawned on him. The gods weren’t opposed to the existence of Nephilim.

‘Are they actually prohibiting angels from reproducing?’

Because if angels increased in number, they could become powerful rivals.

‘And all faiths except for Elil forbade swordsmanship.’

The reason for banning swordsmanship was to hide the fact that humans could wield divine power themselves. Despite this, humans who excelled in other ways were either recruited or eliminated.

Isaac’s gaze shifted to Nacaruriel, the original subject of this conversation.

‘……Calurien said dragons suddenly became infertile for no reason.’

Dragons were one of the most formidable rivals to the Nine Faiths in the early days.

The fact that they suddenly became infertile as the Nine Faiths rose to prominence seemed too coincidental. Though it happened alongside the fall of the ancient gods, biological reproduction was unrelated to that event.

‘And Luadin attempted to abort the Dancer while still in the womb.’

Luadin commanded Elil to kill his wife to prevent the birth of the Wallachia people.

This, too, was an act of preemptively eliminating a potential threat.

Throughout history, the most efficient way to control potential enemies was to limit and control their birth.

Isaac began to suspect, or rather be convinced, that the gods might be using their own angels as tools of control and suspicion.

The prohibition of swordsmanship, the control of Nephilim, the ban on human sacrifice, the dragons’ infertility, and the case of Wallachia.

At this point, it was more than mere conjecture.

Isaac realized that the taboos of the Nine Faiths were related to preventing the increase of uncontrollable entities.

The rulers of Urbansus were using the past to oppress the present and manipulate it to their liking. This was how the Nine Faiths ruled the world through Urbansus.

***

Isaac decided not to share his speculations with Calurien for now.

While the circumstances seemed to support his theory, the truth was still unknown. Besides, knowing wouldn’t change anything he could do. Even if Calurien were to become enraged, there was little he could do in his current state with only a dragon heart.

‘Talking recklessly could lead to unnecessary antagonism.’

Though Isaac had become quite strong, he hadn’t surpassed the limitations of mortality. He was still merely capable of resisting angels at best.

Had it not been for the Sword of May, he would have been slaughtered by Calurien alone. Given the clear hierarchy among angels, it was doubtful if Isaac could resist an angel like the Lighthouse Keeper Luadin if he decided to eliminate him for being too perceptive.

Just then, Hesabel, who had been listening quietly, spoke.

“Hmm, perhaps the relationship between angels and gods is inherently unhealthy, hence the prohibition. The balance of power makes one side easily oppressed by the other. It could lead to sexual violence, which is why it’s forbidden.”

“……”

‘Could that be it?’

While not entirely illogical, hearing such reasonable words from a follower of a god known for incestuous orgies was unsettling.

Isaac couldn’t bring himself to voice his thoughts and simply stared at Hesabel, who retorted indignantly.

“What do you mean by that look? Wallachia is morally liberal but also has strict rules. And since the pleasure of bloodsucking surpasses sexual pleasure, we are more chaste than the Western continent.”

‘It seems she’s feeling guilty.’

Of course, Isaac knew that these ‘rules’ only applied among the followers of the Red Chalice. The infamous Wallachia hunters were notorious for a reason. When dealing with foreign heretics, they would recreate ‘heaven’ on earth.

“By your logic, wasn’t the relationship between Elil and the Dancer a power imbalance? Isn’t that a greater risk of sexual violence than incest?”

Calurien answered Isaac’s question.

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[Hmm, well. While I didn’t support their union, it was consensual, and genetically, once someone becomes an angel, they are reborn as a completely different being. Also, considering their ages, Elil was over 250, and the Dancer was over 30 when they fell in love, so they could make rational judgments. Although I can’t say there were no ethical issues, they are gods. It’s like using human metaphors to describe phenomena or orders. The union and separation of the Supreme King and the Dancer symbolize the rise and fall, and the division of a kingdom.]

“Still, you can’t just dismiss a real event as a metaphor.”

Isaac was exasperated but chose to drop the topic.

Discussing this couple any further felt dizzying. It seemed mythical tales should remain within mythology.

However, Isaac didn’t lose sight of his earlier insight.

If the Nine Faiths were obsessed with eliminating competitors, then someday Isaac might become their target. And if that happened……

Nacaruriel might become valuable proof for an unexpected alliance.

–TL Notes–

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