Chapter 39. The Golden Idol Upper Part (2)
If he was gonna get caught up in this mess, he wanted to turn it to his advantage as much as he could.
“So, how much were you thinking of tossing my way as a reward…?”
The merchant started talking cautiously at that moment.
Isaac, not up for helping out for nothing, was glad the merchant brought up the reward first. But he wasn’t planning to settle for just pocket change on his trip to Seor.
“Thanks, but hey, since I’m heading to Seor too, let’s talk rewards over there.”
“In Seor?”
“Yep, there’s a merchant guild there, right? We’ll sort it out there.”
The merchant’s face twisted, thinking Isaac wanted a big payout rather than just a token of appreciation. But after saving them, they couldn’t really fuss.
But soon, his tune changed.
“The Golden Idol merchant guild, right? Let the head honcho know I’m coming.”
Bringing up the Golden Idol merchant guild made the merchant’s eyes pop, and he quickly bowed, realizing Isaac had different plans than expected.
“Planning to visit? Not joining us then?”
“Nah, got some biz with those guys.”
Isaac nodded towards the bandits. Remembering Isaac’s chat about dealing with the remaining bandits, the merchant nodded. He carefully took something out of his pocket and passed it to Isaac.
It was a coin with a cow’s skull on it, not a currency any place would take.
“I’m Vihik. Flash this when you visit.”
“Got it. Thanks.”
After thanking Isaac again, the merchants continued on in their carriage. As they left, Isaac turned back to the bandits. The bandits twitched as they locked eyes with Isaac.
It was time to talk about these bandits.
“So… none of you guys believe in anything, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“And what about the one who passed out?”
“Yeah.”
In a world where gods were out in the open, miracles were happening in their names, and even divine beings were walkin’ around, saying you didn’t believe in anything was pretty much admitin’ you were weak. Even Isaac, who wasn’t into any religious stuff, found these “atheists” strange.
So, how did folks in this world see ’em?
They didn’t just think they were “odd” – they called ’em all sorts of things like “uncivilized,” “uneducated,” “abandoned by the gods,” “barbarians,” or “simple-minded” for not gettin’ the whole divine deal.
Usually, they were just labeled “Barbarians.”
These Barbarians never fit in anywhere in countries followin’ the Nine Faiths. At best, they got shunned or kicked out, usually stickin’ to roles like bandits, pirates, doin’ slash-and-burn farming, or roamin’ around as nomads. And they were often targeted for elimination, like what Rotenhammer did.
But Isaac didn’t see the Barbarians in such a basic way. To him, all the deities of the Nine Faiths were like characters and places in a game, and he had no clue why chaos was givin’ him power.
In reality, Isaac was the real Barbarian of ’em all.
So, he decided to give ’em a chance.
“Ever consider pickin’ up a faith?”
“…A faith?”
A wave of unease passed through the Barbarians.
The Barbarians had all sorts of reasons for not having faith: maybe they were fed up with the Nine Faiths, maybe they were curious about a new god that didn’t even exist, perhaps their old deity kicked the bucket, or they just had enough of all religions. Some couldn’t or wouldn’t find a faith to call their own.
But then there was Isaac, with his own idea in mind for them.
“What faith are you yammering about?” one of them asked.
“No need to worry about that right now,” Isaac dodged the question about which of the Nine Faiths he meant.
“Listen up. You don’t need to be super religious or make offerings. Just live by a few simple rules,” he said.
The wary Barbarians, feeling uneasy but not wanting trouble, had no choice but to listen. One of them timidly raised a hand.
“If we follow this faith, can we be as tough as you, sir?” he asked.
“Sorry, but taking shortcuts to power is a no-go,” Isaac replied.
“Then why bother with this faith…” another started.
“And why should I let killers like you stay alive?” Isaac cut in, putting an end to the argument.
The Barbarians fell silent, ready to hear what Isaac had to say.
“So, here’s the deal…”
Thus, the Paladin, who was basically a Barbarian himself, began his unconventional preaching.
“Okay, just remember what I’ve taught you and steer clear of trouble,” Isaac instructed.
“Got it, elder,” they nodded.
After his talk, Isaac set the Barbarians free from their ropes. Bewildered, they hesitated, unsure of why they were being let off the hook so easily. One of them cautiously spoke up.
“Um, elder. Your words were wise, but I’m not sure how they help us,” he said.
Isaac gazed at him, a tired-looking man with a scruffy beard.
“Not a bad guy for a bandit,” Isaac thought to himself.
He knew his words wouldn’t instantly change them. But their questions showed they were intrigued and open to the idea.
“Having faith doesn’t give you the right to act holier-than-thou. Just live knowing you have something to believe in,” Isaac explained.
Each faith had its own morals and rules, promising rewards in the afterlife. The Barbarians, without these guideposts, lived recklessly. Isaac aimed to change that.
So, he shared a loose set of moral principles with them.
The nameless chaos they followed had no written rules on good and evil like mainstream religions. Isaac had to start from scratch. These lax guidelines might not be enough to reform them, but they were simple to follow.
Most of these people had rejected strict religious doctrines and found comfort in Isaac’s laid-back approach of “live and let live.”
Maybe they were attracted to Isaac’s charisma and unconventional style.
As always, Isaac totally nailed it with getting his doctrine out there.
[The whole chaos-with-no-name thing is really catching on.]
[The grip of the nameless chaos on the world is getting stronger by the day.]
When Isaac started spreading his doctrine, that funky message popped up.
All four guys were totally tuned in to Isaac’s words. With his charm game strong, Isaac was like a mini cult leader in the making.
Even though Isaac’s doctrine was kind of off-the-cuff, the system was all, “Yeah, that’s the doctrine of the nameless chaos.” Maybe because Isaac was basically the one and only believer and preacher of this wild faith.
Isaac didn’t mean to, but he could feel the vibe and sway of his followers whenever they bought into the whole nameless chaos thing.
The more they believed, the clearer their energy felt.
The Barbarians in front of him were just starting to mull over what he said, not quite making their presence known yet.
“Well then… I guess I’ll hit the road.”
The Barbarians, still looking puzzled, thanked Isaac and bounced, carrying their fallen pals with them.
As the Barbarians split, Isaac felt their influence fade, musing to himself.
‘I can now suss out where those Barbarians are holed up.’
Isaac felt a weight on his shoulders for his deeds.
The presence might not be hefty, given the scarcity of nameless chaos followers worldwide, but finding them was a walk in the park.
Isaac was banking on these little seeds of faith paying off down the road. He was dead set on needing his own crew as his rep and fame grew.
Spreading the word was the first step toward that future.
Those who were shunned and overlooked by other beliefs would be the backbone of Isaac’s squad.
“Zihilrat.”
At Isaac’s call, a weird critter burst out of the woods. Zihilrat, born out of chaos from the leftovers of the plague god, Zihilrat, had shrunk a bit due to not chowing down for a while but was still big like your average horse.
Isaac hopped on it like a pro.
Without Isaac having to say a word, Zihilrat picked up on his vibe and bolted off. The ride wasn’t cushy, but moving through the sparsely populated woods and valleys was way quicker than on horseback. It could even climb walls without drawing eyes.
‘I’m not sure what the deal is with Loracus, but let’s head to Seor for now. I was planning to check out that relic anyway.’
***
When he got to Seor, Isaac was hit with the bustling energy of the place. Wagons from all over the south brought in the scents of earth and Loracus bulbs. It was almost spring, the prime time for planting Loracus. Merchants were racing to sell their bulbs to farmers before it was too late.
But instead of farmers, the market was packed with hyper merchants. The trading scene had gotten intense, with folks arguing, scrapping, and barely haggling amid the madness.
Isaac weaved through the chaos to a trading place smack dab in the city center.
The place had a big ol’ golden bull on the sign.
“Hey there…”
The receptionist at the trading post gave Isaac a look, not too happy about his scruffy appearance. But when Isaac flashed some coin, the guy’s eyes lit up, and he dashed off.
Soon enough, a familiar face dashed down from upstairs.
It was Vihik, the merchant Isaac had saved.
“Hey, you’re here. Follow me,” Vihik said, ready to lead the way but then hesitated, giving a sheepish grin before turning back to Isaac.
“Hey, um, Isaac?” Vihik asked.
“What’s up?” Isaac responded.
“I can take you straight to the boss, but do you need a quick bite, a bath, or a nap first?” Vihik offered.
Only then did Isaac realize he could use a little self-care. It had been ages since he had a proper meal, bath, or a good night’s sleep under a roof.
Unaware of his own smell, Isaac decided to go with Vihik’s suggestion.
“Let’s hit the bathhouse first.”
