Chapter 38. The Golden Idol Upper Part (1)
An eerie silence fell over them. Cannibalism and blood-sucking weren’t seen as weird practices among them. In fact, it was kind of encouraged. But they knew that such stuff wasn’t the norm in other cultures or faiths.
The girl’s words hinted that someone from their group might have offed Heinkel.
After a beat of quiet, the girl stood up straight and told the hunters, “You guys head back. I’ll handle the tracking solo.”
“Lady…”
“I can’t go back empty-handed after losing that family artifact. It was my uncle’s mistake, so we need to find it. But if it’s mixed up with other families… it gets messy. Go back.”
The hunters didn’t argue this time. Among the Wallachia hunters, family line meant more than skill. And right now, the girl was the strongest one there. Even after they left, the girl stayed rooted in place, lost in thought.
Her mind buzzed with thoughts she couldn’t share with the hunters. Secrets that could tear her family apart if they got out, so she had no choice but to send them away.
‘Why mention the Prophet of the Red Flesh here?’
The bloody message she deciphered echoed with cries for the Prophet of the Red Flesh.
***
Time flew by.
Isaac had ditched the monastery and set out north in the last three months.
Back in those days, borders weren’t a big deal for folks. Even the White Empire, centered around the Codex of Light, was originally known as the ‘Gerthonia Empire.’
The monastery where Isaac crashed was part of a small duchy under the White Empire. But faith trumped rulers there, with people of the same beliefs almost seeing each other as kin.
‘Normal folks just call it the White Empire, and the foes associated with the Immortal Order are dubbed the Black Empire…’
Nations and rulers might change, but faith stuck around. That’s why any place tied to the Codex of Light was hailed as the White Empire, and those against it were deemed part of the Black Empire.
Territories were linked by shared faiths.
For instance, the Elil Sect, though slightly different, stemmed from the Codex of Light and had cozy ties within the White Empire’s range. But the Red Chalice Club, despite not jiving with the undead groups, still butted heads with the Law of Light, so they were under the Black Empire’s umbrella.
In that vein, Isaac could gallivant all over without ever leaving the White Empire – a realm of concept, not just land.
But not everyone in the White Empire was on the same page faith-wise.
Take the barbarians, for example.
“Give up all your stuff!”
“Drop it and bolt, and we might spare you!”
Isaac squinted as voices rang from up the hill.
The voices weren’t even directed at Isaac. Even if they had caught a glimpse of Isaac, who looked like he had been hunting wild animals all winter, it was unclear if they would have said the same. In the end, Isaac’s appearance wasn’t too far off from theirs – resembling a bandit.
Surrounded by the bandits brandishing spears and swords, the trembling merchants stood their ground around their wagons, armed with staffs and spears, ready to defend themselves. Ironically, the bandits were outnumbered by the merchants, with 6 bandits facing off against 8 people outside the wagons.
“It’s all about morale, isn’t it?” A handful of determined individuals facing a scared group can easily overpower them like a breeze through sand. The bandits exuded a menacing aura, hinting that in a fight, more than half of the merchants could find themselves in serious trouble. Surrendering might not guarantee their safety either.
Isaac trudged forward with a purpose, catching the bandits off guard as they focused on the merchants, only redirecting their weapons after he passed. On the flip side, mistaking him for a bandit, the merchants screamed and lunged at him with their spears, only to see them deflected effortlessly to the ground.
“Who are you? If you want to stay alive, get lost!” barked the bandit, bringing relief to the merchants as they realized Isaac wasn’t part of the hostile group.
“Are you a mercenary? We’ll pay whatever it takes, please help us!” pleaded the merchants.
“Are you from the caravan traveling from Kesang to Seor?” Isaac inquired, his senses confirming his location by the scent lingering around the wagons. Loosening his sword in its sheath, Isaac turned towards the bandits.
“I don’t believe in anything. Atheist,” Isaac declared abruptly, causing confusion among the bandits. They hesitated, unsure of Isaac’s intentions after witnessing his earlier display of prowess.
Unfazed, a daring bandit lunged at Isaac with a spear, prompting Isaac to deliver a more convincing response. With a resounding crack, the spear shattered and the bandit fell to the ground, showcasing Isaac’s deliberate control of the situation.
Rather than resorting to his sword, Isaac showcased his strength with a unique tactic. Seizing the spear with a formidable grip, he made it clear that resistance was futile. The bandit’s head met the ground swiftly, as Isaac opted for a more physical demonstration of power.
“I’m sparing your lives for now. Speak truthfully, and you may live. I have no beliefs,” Isaac stated firmly, highlighting his pragmatic approach. His primary concern wasn’t whether he’d break a sweat in the winter, but conserving his energy and avoiding unnecessary confrontations with petty criminals.
Realizing Isaac was dead serious, the bandits hesitated for a moment before dropping their weapons one by one. Yet, two particularly ruthless ones stubbornly lunged at Isaac.
“Son of a gun!”
Isaac had a hunch they would make a move. It seemed like they were more into killing than stealing.
Eventually, Isaac whipped out his sword.
The Sword of Judgment gleamed under the winter sun, scattering light in different directions.
***
After dealing with two bodies sprawled on the ground and one guy knocked out, Isaac tied up the remaining four and made them kneel.
He stared at the two he had taken down.
It wasn’t a shocker that these barbarian bandits were more savage compared to others. Those who had turned their backs on the afterlife had nothing to lose. But these guys, they had a special rage in their eyes. Definitely not your average bandits.
‘Do they have a bone to pick with these merchants? As far as I know, they’re just regular traders.’
While he pondered, one of the merchants approached him.
“Hey there… Sir Knight? Mind telling me your name?”
“Huh? Oh, it’s Isaac.”
Isaac felt a tad surprised that the merchant labeled him a knight. Nobody in the past winter had recognized him as a paladin. Besides his rugged appearance, his delicate features and feeble build also gave him away.
Weren’t they just calling him a hired hand?
‘Ah, maybe it’s just a kind way to say things.’
Meanwhile, the merchant figured Isaac might not be of noble birth since he didn’t drop a family name.
But Isaac wasn’t in a hurry to give up the leverage he’d just gained. Being a paladin was like being noble. He wasn’t a fan of the whole class system, but he wasn’t about to toss aside the perks others enjoyed so freely.
Isaac kept up his aloof air and inquired, “What’s up?”
“Are you going to spare these guys? There’s been a lot of blood spilled in this valley. These bandits are some of the worst. Your soft-heartedness is clear, but if you let them go, surely…”
The merchants seemed thirsty for vengeance against the bandits who had terrorized them. Perhaps their thirst also included seeking justice for their comrades. Yet, Isaac shook his head.
“The ones all about killing are now resting in peace. The ones still breathing, I have plans for them.”
“But…”
Isaac welcomed the misunderstanding and the convenience of the class divide. Rather than explaining, he just gave the merchant a look.
Feeling the weight of Isaac’s gaze, the merchant gulped. Recalling how Isaac had dispatched two folks without a second thought.
“Still, your caravan came from the Kesang region, right?”
“Yeah. Why are you after us…?”
“I wasn’t specifically tailing you guys. I was on the lookout for traders who bought goods from Kesang.”
Isaac strolled over to the wagon and swiftly yanked off the tarp covering the cargo. Despite the startled objections from the merchants, they couldn’t halt him. Inside, there were tons of plant bulbs snugly wrapped in heavy sacks.
The aroma that caught Isaac’s attention was from these bulbs.
As Isaac shifted aside a sack, the merchants scuttled to reorganize the cargo space.
“A wagon loaded with Loracus bulbs, you folks are looking at a good profit.”
“How did you…?”
“I’ve heard some tales.”
Loracus is like this super fragrant flower, right? It looks pretty and all, and it’s used in potions to lower magic resistance in the game. But apart from that, it’s not really a big deal.
But here’s the thing, there’s a twist with this flower.
“So, get this, the price of Loracus is through the roof now?” Isaac found out about this scoop after saving a merchant from being gobbled up by trolls in the Kesang region. The merchant was broke, but had some juicy info to share.
Down in the hustle and bustle of Seor, Loracus is like the hot new thing, sending its price skyrocketing. Especially the bulbs with funky shapes and scents are being snatched up for crazy prices, like ten to twenty times more than usual.
So, word got out and merchants rushed to grab Loracus and make a quick buck. But here’s the thing, Loracus flowers bloom in spring and fall, but they don’t survive winter, so folks were mostly dealing in bulbs.
“Buying bulbs without knowing what they’ll turn into for gold coins? Seriously?”
“Yeah, man! The prices keep shooting up by the second. People are going nuts to cash in on it.”
“Hey, you planning to sell me some of those bulbs?”
The merchant looked torn, not because he didn’t think Isaac could pay up, but because he was tied up with another buyer.
“Sorry, mate. There’s already someone lined up to grab those bulbs…”
“Why can’t I just buy them from that bloke then?”
“Well, you see… there’s this whole rights twist involved, kinda tricky to explain, sir…”
The merchant started to dive into details, but Isaac just brushed it off with a smile. He knew the deal was off.
The merchant assumed Isaac was dodging the complex stuff, but it was quite the opposite.
To Isaac, it was like a cool, familiar concept from the modern world.
“Ah, futures trading game, huh?”
Simply put, the whole gig in Seor was like a wild ride similar to the Tulip Mania.
An insane hike in prices and fancy trading strategies swirling around these bulbs. As things got more twisted, the value of Loracus bulbs shot up like crazy.
Some folks predicted the price surge and hopped in early, while others sold off their trading rights even before getting their hands on the Loracus. When the competition heated up, even the ‘right to trade’ Loracus was on the market.
Total futures trading madness.
The merchant was just the middleman for the Loracus, with ownership changing hands left and right. Eventually, no one knew who would wind up owning the Loracus.
Isaac’s interest in this whole scenario stemmed from how this price frenzy tied in with the Dawn War brewing. The crash that followed, just like the Tulip Mania, would mess up the White Empire’s economy big time.
To deal with the chaos, the White Empire would lean towards war.
Sure, the Dawn War wasn’t solely triggered by the Loracus bubble. It’s a mess of different factors leading to war.
But this Loracus craze was one piece of the puzzle. As public anger boiled over, leaders would use war to shift focus.
What once was just a game backdrop was now turning into a live show for Isaac.
“So, if the Dawn War kicks off, could that play in my favor? How can I work this to my benefit?”
And with that thought, off to Seor Isaac went, chasing after a sacred relic.
