Chapter 73. Designation as a Saint (4)
The priests and nobles all looked puzzled at Isaac’s unexpected suggestion.
“The territory?”
“Yeah, didn’t we all rush here to collect the cash Kyle Hendrake owes?”
That was the initial reason for their speedy visit – the suspicion that Kyle Hendrake might default on his debts. They were ready to get back what they lost in the Loracus incident, with threats or force if needed.
But everything shifted when Isaac stepped in and took out the red-fleshed prophet.
Now, making Isaac a saint, a symbol of the order, was crucial. The central nobles, however, aimed to keep things in check and prevent the balance from tipping.
But then someone spoke up.
“Anything left worth grabbing in this place?”
All eyes turned to a man with calm features and dark blue hair.
Isaac recognized him as a Northerner from the trading guild, dressed like a seafaring merchant.
“Your name?”
“Aidan Bearbeck. Representing the North Sea trading guild.”
Isaac could practically smell the sea on him.
“Hold off on ditching the territory,” Aidan interrupted.
Delia cut in loudly, “A celestial being died here and you’re worrying about land now? Let’s deal with Kyle’s mess first before talking about the property!”
Though she made sense, not all the nobles agreed with her.
Not everyone had their priorities sorted out. Delia might not fret over losing some coins, but some nobles with her could go bankrupt if they didn’t get their debts back soon.
Aidan Bearback seemed to be one of them.
‘That’s why he’s here.’
But for Delia, Isaac’s rise to saint status was more pressing than money. She might play down Isaac’s accomplishments or take tough action to stop the order from claiming him fully.
But to Isaac, who couldn’t just lay his cards on the table, Delia was a handy ally.
“Instead of sweating the small stuff, let’s dig into who’s behind that celestial mess…”
“Exactly. It’s small potatoes, but that’s why we gotta figure out the territory first,” Isaac said firmly, quieting Delia. The other nobles seemed intrigued too. As a central figure among the nobles, Delia had to consider their opinions—she had faced significant losses too.
“We’d love to hear what the Grail Knight has to say,” a young priest representing Bishop Juan piped up. Now that the order’s voice was in the mix, all eyes turned to Isaac.
“Why’s getting rid of this land so urgent now?” Eidan’s question made Isaac grin.
“Because the whole territory’s been cursed by the red-fleshed prophet.”
***
That evening, after a marathon meeting filled with tension and unresolved discussions, Delia decided to inspect the aftermath of the battle against the red-fleshed prophet on the walls. She turned to Reinhardt, who was trailing behind her, and casually remarked, “They offed a celestial being here.”
“Yeah, I saw the whole thing,” Reinhardt replied, though it was pretty obvious since a bunch of folks, including villagers, witnessed it too.
As the dark of night crept closer to dawn, the witch responsible for the territory’s chaos faced off against the Grail Knight, revealing her monstrous true self. But just before sunrise, with the world on the brink, the Grail Knight struck down the wicked celestial being.
Delia couldn’t help but chuckle dryly. “You know, Count Reinhardt, when I first heard this tale, I thought it was a total joke. It sounded like something straight out of the ancient times when General Ellil was making a name for himself centuries ago. Doesn’t it all seem a bit too old-fashioned and melodramatic?”
Reinhardt nodded. “Yeah, it’s pretty dramatic, but it’s what went down,” he confirmed.
Delia broached a touchy subject that needed airtime. “What do you think about the Grail Knight possibly being mixed up in some kind of conspiracy?”
Reinhardt raised an eyebrow. “Conspiracy? Like what?”
“Well, maybe using the celestial being as a sacrifice to worm their way into the core of the White Empire… Nah, that’s too out there,” Delia mused aloud, feeling like she was reaching into the realm of the absurd to downplay the astonishing events.
It seemed like this Grail Knight named Isaac was carving out a new legend for himself, much to Delia’s chagrin. This shake-up could disrupt the emperor’s carefully maintained equilibrium.
Remembering Isaac’s cryptic words, Delia pondered, “Could this cursed territory tale be real?”
Curses from vanquished celestial beings weren’t unheard of, so Delia hadn’t completely discarded the idea. If Isaac had indeed dealt with a celestial being, the looming curse implications were weighty.
Isaac had warned:
“The Hendrake territory bears the curse of the celestial being.
Though the exact nature of the curse remains hidden, its effects will gradually manifest.
Anything in this region may already be tainted by the curse, making it hard to get rid of even a simple log.
Would anything from this territory even sell for its true worth?
Deciding who’ll clean up this mess is crucial for the residents’ peace and stability.”
The priests and nobles found themselves uneasy at Isaac’s words, realizing they’d been fixated on Hendrake’s property and the fallen celestial being, neglecting the curse’s victims.
Delia found herself somewhat impressed by Isaac’s attitude, prioritizing the people’s suffering over his celestial battle. But she knew she had a duty to fulfil and couldn’t just sweep this all under the rug.
“If a new hero indeed walks among us…”
Delia figured it was pointless to stand in Isaac’s way when so many people had watched him defeat the celestial being. Should she try convincing Isaac to join the emperor’s team instead? That seemed like a tough task.
From what she’d gathered, Isaac was the epitome of a noble knight, so it made sense for him to lean towards the order.
But, after meeting him face-to-face, she noticed some quirks, though their true nature remained a mystery.
“Count Reinhardt, have you ever seen proof of this curse?” Delia inquired.
“Not yet… But if the Grail Knight mentioned it, I believe it’s real,” Reinhardt replied.
Delia glanced at Reinhardt. He was a noble from the outskirts who had sided with her, yet he seemed utterly captivated by the Grail Knight, Isaac.
Whenever she brought up Isaac, Reinhardt always sung his praises.
“Well, no use fretting about the curse’s nature when we’re in the dark. Tomorrow, I’ll have to face the order head-on, I suppose.”
“My lady, just in case, keep this close tonight,” Reinhardt said, handing Delia something—a plain amulet with the Codex of Light symbol etched on it.
“It’s not super magical, but it’s been blessed. My wife gave me a few for protection, and I want you to have one too,” he explained.
“Thank you.”
Uncertain of how effective the simple amulet would be against a celestial curse, Delia still felt a surge of determination holding it.
Even though her chances were slim, her mission was to win over Isaac.
Delia regarded Isaac as her top priority until the break of dawn.
***
Dawn.
Delia suddenly woke to a faint whisper.
Not fully conscious, only her ears were keen.
“[…died in the…]”
Partly awake, the strange whisper jolted Delia to full alertness. Feeling a sharp pain on her hand, she sat up, eyes wide open.
“[…waiting… in the darkness, for you who will not awaken again…]”
The whispering grew louder, resembling a congregation of people chanting prayers. Delia shuddered at the eerie and disrespectful tone.
As she inspected the throbbing wound on her hand, she noticed the room was unnaturally dark. A thick darkness enveloped her, making it hard to even breathe.
‘Curse.’
The word flashed in Delia’s mind instantly.
Quickly reaching for the dagger hidden beneath her pillow, she pulled it out. A faint light emitted from it, fighting back the darkness, but it only cast a dim glow.
“Be gone!”
Delia swung the glowing dagger, yet the darkness remained unscathed. It was then she discovered the bite mark on her hand.
A small bite mark, the size of a child’s bite, trailed from her hand to her arm.
“Ah!”
Delia felt a tingling sensation spreading across her body belatedly. Not enough to cause harm, but enough to sting. Hastily checking her attire, she found herself covered in bite marks, as if numerous beings had tried to gnaw on her.
“[Ah! The one who wears the skin of the flayed gods!]”
With the chanting resuming, Delia, in a frenzy, brandished her dagger, causing chaos in her room. Amidst the destruction, a familiar voice called out to her.
“Lady Lyon! Lady Lyon!”
Delia woke up with a start. She saw Reinhardt and the other nobles standing outside the door, their faces filled with horror.
Breathing heavily, Delia looked around and realized the darkness in her room was gone.
She checked her body and saw the bite marks were still there.
With a pale face, she told the nobles, “Get everyone here. Now.”
After giving the order, Delia leaned on the desk, feeling like she might collapse. That’s when she felt something touch her fingertips.
It was the blackened amulet that Reinhardt had given her, the symbol no longer visible.
***
Isaac watched the chaos in Delia’s room and withdrew the tentacles he had planted.
‘Those otherworldly colors sure know how to mess with people’s heads,’ he thought to himself.
Isaac had spread the strange colors to some of Delia’s subordinates, causing hallucinations and confusion. It was a sneaky move that left no trace behind, making it hard for anyone to figure out what was going on.
‘Time for the next phase.’
