Chapter 63: The Siege of a Lone Warrior (3)
‘The Prophet of the Red Flesh…’
Isaac recalled the title of one of the renowned angels of the Red Chalice Club.
Angels were broadly categorized into two groups: Basic angels, directly created by the deity, and Named angels, who attained historical feats significant enough to be granted names by the deity. Basic angels mostly operated in the afterlife and rarely made appearances unless carrying out messenger duties.
Named angels, on the other hand, were distinct. As famous historical figures living on Earth, they were often well-known and more actively involved in earthly matters than in the afterlife.
Among them, the Prophet of the Red Flesh is the most active angel in the Red Chalice Club. Even Hesabel and Heinikel, fellow followers of the Red Chalice, immediately think of him when they suspect Isaac as an angel.
Operating through conspiracies and secret organizations, his activities are not conspicuous. However, after choosing the Red Chalice himself at one point, Isaac knows he wields his influence tirelessly across various beliefs.
And he knows his weaknesses.
‘The Prophet of the Red Flesh is undoubtedly a powerful angel… But he’s not the type to engage in direct combat.’
Even the weakest angel is tough enough for humans to struggle against. However, Isaac knows if he can provoke the Prophet of the Red Flesh into a fight, he has a way to significantly weaken him.
There’s a reason he avoids direct confrontation.
So, could Isaac, who has just been appointed as a paladin and, in a sense, is at the pinnacle of faith, possibly defeat an angel?
Isaac’s answer is ‘impossible.’
Killing an angel not only requires great strength but also a series of complex factors.
However, banishing one from this world is not impossible.
‘But if the Order of the Codex of Light gets involved, claiming my part might be difficult.’
Considering the situation, worrying about one’s part might seem selfish. However, Isaac doesn’t want his efforts to be in vain, especially since the Red Chalice has dared to target its followers.
Whether the entities inside the castle are angels or demons, Isaac must deal with them himself.
“Count Reinhardt.”
“Yes, Knight of the Grail…”
“Something blasphemous is happening within Hendrake Castle. Kyle Hendrake deserves punishment, but the servants and soldiers inside are just ordinary people caught in the crossfire, aren’t they?”
“Yes… That’s true.”
“The longer we wait, the more people will be trapped in this blasphemy, ensnared in unavoidable sin.”
From the perspective of a medieval nobleman like Reinhardt, the suffering of common folk isn’t that important. However, he cannot oppose the Knight of the Grail.
Isaac speaks firmly.
“Please, mobilize your troops.”
“Knight of the Grail…”
As Reinhardt appears hesitant and about to protest, Isaac shakes his head.
“I’m not asking for a siege. I’ll infiltrate the castle myself; all I need is your support from the outside. If everything goes smoothly, this could be over before the fighting begins.”
“You mean attacking the castle on your own?”
“No. My followers will accompany me.”
“You mean that woman… Hesabel?”
Even so, it’s just the two of them, practically alone.
Isaac also thinks of Zihilrat, but he doesn’t explain it. It’s an entity he can’t openly disclose.
Reinhardt seems inclined to persuade Isaac. After all, over time, Hendrake Castle is likely to collapse due to exhaustion. And won’t reinforcements arrive in time?
As Reinhardt hesitantly points this out, Isaac responds,
“What will you do if the soldiers inside Hendrake Castle, driven mad like those knights, rush out without siege or defense available?”
Reinhardt falls silent. It’s not an exaggerated concern but a real possibility. In fact, Isaac wonders why Raella hasn’t done it yet. If the soldiers inside Hendrake Castle unleash the same madness as shown by the knights, they could easily crush Reinhardt’s forces.
Reinhardt had no choice but to either back off now or back up Isaac’s plan. He really didn’t want to look bad in front of a Grail Knight ready to charge into enemy territory solo.
“What should I do?”
Isaac’s grin said it all.
***
“Assassination?”
“Is it too much?”
Dawn.
Isaac was laying out his scheme to Hesabel in a quiet spot near Hendrake Castle. Transmitting thoughts was tricky; they needed to talk face-to-face.
Hesabel looked uneasy upon hearing Isaac’s idea. It was a tough pill to swallow – her target for the job was Raella, an angel from the Red Chalice Club.
By now, Hesabel knew Isaac wasn’t the Red Flesh Prophet or linked to the Red Chalice Club. But her unwavering trust in him, despite the difficulty of the task, was puzzling, turning this mission into a test for her as well.
But even then, Hesabel couldn’t wrap her head around Isaac’s request.
“No, it might be hard, but… if Raela is truly an angel, can we even take her out?”
Angels were beings of the afterlife. Without divine thumbs-up, there was no permanent way to off them. At most, Raela would just be banished from the earthly realm for a bit.
“It’s fine if you don’t pull it off. Trying is what counts.”
“Just a try?”
“You can act like you’re going for it, then bolt if it gets hairy. We’ll wing it from there.”
Hesabel seemed unsure, but with Isaac basically saying it was okay to try and fail, it was a pretty forgiving order.
“Hold up, take this before you go.”
Isaac passed something wrapped in cloth to Hesabel. She peeked, gasped, then quickly covered it back. Her eyes darted around in shock.
“What, what’s this?”
“You’ll need this to tackle an angel.”
“How can you trust me with this?”
Hesabel was too blown away to even understand her own questions.
Isaac locked eyes with her, asking, “Going to double-cross me?”
“Not at all!”
“Then go and do what you gotta do.”
Hesabel nodded rapidly before scaling the wall. In the dark hours, the guards wouldn’t have spotted her.
Isaac was a bit worried by Hesabel’s nerves, but he believed in her now that he’d put his faith in her.
‘Time for my move.’
Unlike Hesabel, Isaac couldn’t hop over walls like a pro. He used the Red Prayer instead, covering the wall in a red mist that rose fast.
Once atop the wall, he found a knocked-out soldier, probably Hesabel’s handiwork. Double-checking the soldier’s eyes, Isaac saw the tell-tale red, just like the captive villagers.
‘Just as I suspected…’
Through Zihilrat, Isaac knew Raela had clouded the soldiers’ minds in the castle with madness. If each soldier fought like a Hendrake knight, Reinhardt’s crew didn’t stand a chance, even with more soldiers on their side.
‘Should’ve been smarter to charge out alongside the soldiers.’
Raela only sent out the knights, leaving the soldiers in the castle. It wasn’t about saving lives. The longer this went on, the soldiers would either lose their vitality or mental strength, getting weaker.
‘Is that it?’
Isaac had a feeling about the situation, which was why he sent Hesabel ahead.
He wished he could just open the castle gates.
‘If Count Reinhardt was in better shape, maybe we could’ve done that.’
But now, with Reinhardt down and the soldiers lost in madness, any surrender would just mean more casualties.
Despite Raela’s plans, they were falling into Isaac’s trap.
He already found an easy way in through Zihilrat.
Isaac smoothly made his way into the castle.
‘It’s too quiet.’
Inside the castle, Isaac noticed the absence of soldiers, which was odd, even for dawn. The lack of patrols in the eerie silence was unsettling. It was hard to believe those tired soldiers were resting.
The infiltration was going well until he reached the inner gate. Isaac felt a strange sense of foreboding. The silence was too eerie for just an early morning.
As Isaac paused, a figure appeared at the inner gate.
It was Owen, the deputy commander of the Hendrake knights. Or at least, it looked like Owen through the dark mist.
“I never thought you’d just walk in.”
Instead of replying, Isaac drew his sword, and suddenly, invisible soldiers surged forward. The sounds of struggling soldiers filled the air.
“Are you brave or foolish? The prophet predicted this, but I had to see it for myself. Infiltrating alone?”
“You wouldn’t believe it either. A normal person would be fooled.”
Isaac responded calmly, making Owen cautious. Owen held back his soldiers, unsure if Isaac had a trick up his sleeve or if Reinhardt’s soldiers had also infiltrated.
“There’s no one else here.”
“Except for the Goulmar daughter you sent ahead?”
Isaac stayed silent. Owen scoffed.
“Surprised I know? This area is under Lady Raela’s rule. Finding someone from the Red Chalice here isn’t hard. We’ve been waiting for you, Isaac.”
“Waiting for me…”
“You disrupted the Red Chalice’s plans. Now, it’s time to pay with your blood and flesh.”
Owen ordered his soldiers to attack Isaac, who fought them back while trying to avoid killing them. Soldiers grabbed his armor.
Owen smirked.
“It seems the noble Knight of the Grail can’t bring himself to kill soldiers being used.”
Crunch, thud!
Isaac’s sword cut through a soldier, and he swiftly approached Owen, using his Esak swordsmanship to take down soldiers all around. Limbs and blood scattered in the chaos.
Owen quickly raised his sword to block Isaac’s attack. The clash of metal filled the air, sparks flying as their blades collided. Isaac’s strike managed to break through the black mist surrounding Owen’s armor, but didn’t cause any damage to the armor itself.
“Seriously? A Knight of the Grail using soldiers as shields?” Isaac taunted.
“I can still kick butt, controlled or not. Trust is heavy, man,” Owen replied.
Isaac found it funny how much the enemy thought of him. In the heat of battle, controlled or not, there was no room for holding back.
With his stamina fading, Isaac knew he couldn’t always use fancy sword skills to cut through armor. Remembering his training, he focused on precision, aiming for the weak spots in Owen’s leather joints.
The armor peeled away like an onion, revealing the first splatter of blood. Owen was amazed by Isaac’s prowess. Despite becoming stronger, Isaac seemed even more skilled than before.
Owen couldn’t shake the feeling that Isaac had picked up some moves from their previous encounters. It was too much to consider, Owen thought, clenching his jaw.
Boom! Owen relied on his enhanced strength and defense to clash fiercely with Isaac. The tide began to turn in Owen’s favor.
“The prophet said to run when faced with Hesabel Goulmar’s wrath!” Owen roared, aiming powerful strikes at Isaac.
“The prophet missed one thing. My potential is off the charts!” Isaac retorted.
Isaac winced but held his ground against Owen’s unrelenting assault. “You should’ve bolted the second you laid eyes on me,” he muttered through gritted teeth.
Crack. Isaac’s left arm swelled, revealing twisted armor with tentacles emerging from within. Owen was taken aback as the tentacles wrapped around his sword and hand.
Despite the shock, the tentacles barely scratched Owen’s exposed armor. Ssssh! The sound of tearing flesh made Owen shiver.
With lightning speed, Isaac’s tentacles latched onto Owen, pulling him closer with incredible force.
“What in the world is this?” Owen gasped.
Isaac smirked. “Do I really need to answer that?”
