Chapter 51. The Shell (1)
Caitlin, who moments earlier seemed drained, now wore a radiant smile that defied her earlier state. While the hefty sum she owed Isaac remained, the fact that it was now a debt rather than an immediate cash outflow meant they could dodge instant financial ruin.
Amidst the Loracus crisis that led to significant cash loss, every penny was crucial.
With the ability now to repay the gold borrowed from superiors, she could minimize her liabilities as much as possible.
“Let’s dive into the terms! What interest rate were you considering?”
“The Golden Idol Guild likely has set rates based on creditworthiness and amounts. Let’s discuss those terms first. I’m more intrigued by accessing the guild’s assets,” Isaac explained.
“Got it! I’ll have the finance team handle this and revert to you promptly.”
Watching Caitlin rushing to sort out the related info, Isaac thought, “Well, there goes my plan of traveling cheap.” Since leaving the monastery, his journey had been all about survival. He had naively believed he could sleep just about anywhere, eat anything with his tentacles, and magically grow stronger as needed – but that plan totally backfired on him.
Slowly getting used to the struggles, Isaac realized it was becoming unnecessarily tough. So, he decided to reach out to the Golden Idol Guild and rack up some debt. “The Loracus incident may have made life too easy, but…”
Worried that this whole ordeal might hinder the Dawn Army’s rise, Isaac wasn’t too confident it would happen. After all, the Dawn Army had already made a comeback 12 times. As long as the Immortal Order held onto the holy land, the Dawn Army would always bounce back, no matter what.
“Oh, and I’ve got a little something for you.” “A gift? But you’ve already given us a hefty sum…” “You might see it as a loss, but since it belongs to you, it’s only right you have it.” With those words, Isaac unveiled a box in front of Caitlin, revealing a simple shepherd’s crook.
Initially puzzled, Caitlin’s eyes widened as she realized what it was. “Is that a relic?” “Yes.” The Golden Idol Guild’s roots traced back to a nomadic tribe, where a young shepherd boy followed a golden sheep through uncharted mountains, discovering a trade route that kickstarted the Guild. The shepherd’s crook was said to be carved by the boy himself.
Though not as flashy as S-class relics like the Golden Horn or Midas’s Hand, the Amber Eyes, the shepherd’s crook was still considered a valuable A-grade relic.
As Caitlin lovingly touched the shepherd’s crook, memories of Yukhar’s words about the Guild being a blend of priests and merchants came to mind. She instantly recognized the authenticity of the relic.
Overjoyed at such a precious item being returned to the Guild, Caitlin felt a pang of guilt for doubting the Holy Knight’s intentions. “How can you be so thoughtful… Thank you deeply. I’ll make sure to inform the Odhrif headquarters!”
At her words, a message appeared before Isaac, almost like a proclamation: [You have returned the ‘Shepherd’s Crook’ relic to the Golden Idol Guild.] [The Golden Idol bestows blessings upon your noble journey.] [Your luck receives a significant boost.] [Your appraisal skills skyrocket.]
“As I suspected.” Paladins could temporarily enhance their abilities by possessing relics but lost those perks upon losing the relics. Returning a relic, on the other hand, granted a small but lasting power boost.
Knowing that carrying all the relics wasn’t practical, Isaac chose to return the Shepherd’s Crook for the perks it brought, despite it being less helpful in combat due to its size and bulk.
Isaac checked out Caitlin’s desk and immediately noticed the fancy mahogany material and the intricate craftsmanship in every corner. He could see all the details now, thanks to his improved appraisal skill. “Aside from just luck, my appraisal skills have really gotten better. What a blessing,” he thought.
He had expected the compensation for returning the relic after the incident with the Golden Idol Guild to be minimal, considering the losses they had caused. But the unexpected favor felt like a blessing. “Maybe it’s because I helped out other merchants and mitigated the Loracus surge aftermath?” Isaac mused.
Though it might be a stretch, it was evident that the Golden Idol Guild was showing him favor. Yukhar had mentioned that a god without personality wouldn’t feel gratitude, but Isaac chose to be grateful nonetheless.
Lost in his thoughts, Isaac noticed Caitlin tenderly touching the shepherd’s crook and murmuring to herself. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Isaac and said, “After all these gifts you’ve received, we can’t just sit idly by. We’d like to offer you a gift too, Sir Isaac.”
“A gift?” Isaac inquired.
“Would you come with me?” Caitlin beckoned.
***
Caitlin led him to what looked like a rundown warehouse, with dusty boxes and rags scattered at the entrance. Despite its appearance, Isaac realized this place was within the innermost part of the trading company.
“The hallway leads to a room,” he observed. It was a secluded spot, challenging to infiltrate without detection, distinct from the rest of the building in its construction.
“Is this some sort of vault?” Isaac asked.
Caitlin looked surprised but nodded. “You’ve got a sharp eye. It’s not exactly a vault, but it serves a similar purpose. Vaults aren’t usually this heavily guarded.”
As they approached the door, a middle-aged man emerged and greeted them—a hidden guard ready to allow them entry.
Rumors swirled about the Golden Idol Guild’s vaults—filled with treasures of jewels, gold, silver, and valuable herbs/spices. While the main vault in Odhrif housed such riches, branches like this one didn’t store them due to the risk of theft.
Upon opening the warehouse, only old boxes and dusty rags greeted them. Caitlin then revealed a mannequin with a dull gray suit of armor underneath, bearing the emblem of the Codex of Light. Isaac immediately recognized it, thanks to his enhanced abilities.
“This is…”
“It’s a full suit of armor we stumbled upon. It bears the Codex of Light emblem, likely belonging to a paladin, but we’re unsure of the order. We’ve kept it on hand just in case,” Caitlin explained.
Understandably, Caitlin didn’t recognize the armor, as it hailed from a long-forgotten era.
“Where did you find it?”
“Well… it’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but it’s looted. We discovered it in the ruins following an attack by the Immortal Order. It felt wrong to sell it on the market, so we kept it,” Caitlin said as she softly caressed the armor.
“Hey Sir Isaac, how about rockin’ this armor? We couldn’t figure out what to do with it, felt weird selling it. But hey, you, noble paladin of the Codex of Light, out on a sacred quest like yourself, totally deserve it more than anyone.”
Isaac ponders for a moment, nodding in agreement. Maybe there really was no one more deserving of this armor than him in the whole continent.
[Pally Armor of Calzen Miller (Sealed)]
This was Calzen Miller’s old paladin armor, cool, right?
Most paladin armors look kinda similar, with just some small differences in design and stuff.
But this one had all its cool symbols and prayers scratched out. Totally rebellious.
‘No wonder Caitlin didn’t want to get rid of it.’
Taking off all the signs of being a Codex of Light paladin, like erasing all the prayers from the armor, could have easily caused trouble with the inquisitors. But now, it didn’t even look like it belonged to Calzen Miller.
‘This armor screams heresy… But maybe we can cover it up somehow?’
It was a wild idea, but the allure of this armor was too much to resist. It wasn’t just any armor; it was Calzen Miller’s. Definitely must be packed with some awesome magic. And the fact that it survived those tentacles attack without a scratch…
‘Wait, didn’t those tentacles munch on Calzen?’
His memory was a bit fuzzy, but yeah, those tentacles did devour Calzen. How come only the armor survived didn’t add up.
‘…Did it eat the insides and spit out the shell?’
Sounds crazy, but who knows?
Isaac checked out Calzen’s Paladin Armor. Couldn’t see the grade because of the ‘Sealed’ tag, but the magical vibes it gave off hinted at its worth. If it was shielded by such powerful magic, those tentacles probably couldn’t handle it.
‘Got strength boost, fatigue recovery, weight reduction, protection, and what’s this? Cleanliness maintenance and a mini AC effect? So, it’s like a fancy hotel on the go?’
Even in its sealed state, the basic miracles were impressive; unsealing it might uncover some seriously powerful magic.
‘Calzen, I thought you were humble, but you were basically a walking luxury hotel.’
“Want it?”
Caitlin expected Isaac to jump at the chance but was surprised by his hesitation.
Paladins love their gear, right?
Meanwhile, Isaac wished he didn’t know the armor’s history. If he hadn’t known its previous owner, he would have slapped it on without a second thought.
‘Already getting compared to Calzen every time I swing my sword, strutting around in his armor might up the suspicion even more… Ah, whatever.’
Isaac blurts out, “I’ll take it.”
The armor was too good to pass up. If things got dicey, he could stash it in the Gerthonian Empire and put it on only in other territories.
Caitlin’s face lights up at Isaac’s words.
“Sweet! Wanna try it on? I can help.”
“No need, I got this. Mind giving me some space?”
Isaac was like, kinda nervous about how the tentacles might freak out if he wore something they had puked out. Like, what if it caused some crazy issues or something, right?
Caitlin was all like unsure about leaving Isaac by himself in the storeroom, but she trusted him, so she dipped out, giving him space.
So, Isaac started putting on the armor. He wasn’t stressing about the size, ‘cause Gebel’s armor adjusted perfectly to him before. So, he figured Calzen Militor’s armor would do the same.
And for real, as he put on each piece – gloves, boots, all that jazz – the armor clicked into place, fitting him just right.
Just as he popped on the helmet, a message flashed in front of him.
“[Recognized as the rightful owner.]”
“[The seal on the equipment is being lifted.]”
“Huh?”
