Paladin of the Dead God - Chapter 216:

How much self-confidence and one’s own world would it take to make something like that possible?

For an ordinary person, it would be impossible.

“Most warriors awaken sword aura. The reason this power is called ‘sword aura’ is because of that. Perhaps it’s because the more they train and accumulate skill, the more their belief and confidence in themselves grow.”

Elil added a clue.

“However, it’s not only those who wield swords that can manifest it. Anyone with intense self-confidence, belief, and desire can do it. In such cases, it would appear as something akin to a miracle rather than sword aura. The unique aura of an exceptional artist or the enchanting charisma of a person. I consider these forms of ‘sword aura’ as well.”

Individuals who achieve impossible feats as humans or manifest miracles on their own.

The gods take notice of these people, give them names, and make them angels. But it might also be an act of recognizing powerful potential rivals and bringing them to their side before they become threats. You can see this in beings who, despite being clearly opposed to the gods, were made into archangels.

“When someone, or another person, accomplishes something unbelievable, people often say, ‘The gods helped! An angel descended!’ Nonsense. In reality, the world responded to that person’s desire and effort.”

Miracles from the gods are known to be spontaneous and part of some grand plan.

That could be true, but many miracles might occur in this way.

Elil, however, always grants miracles to those who train themselves.

Even if they are insane thugs.

“I didn’t prohibit sword aura because I see it as proof that a warrior has achieved enough self-confidence and mastery. But other gods are different. They have no reason to allow sword aura. In fact, they must actively suppress it. Yet, that power doesn’t disappear even when suppressed; it manifests in other forms, such as miracles or bodily transformations.”

The same goes for the Holy Body.

Isaac suddenly remembered that Emperor Waltzemer manifested a Holy Body at the age of twenty. The time when glowing antlers appeared on his head, enabling him to end the civil war and unite the church and nobility.

‘But what if that Holy Body wasn’t actually granted by the Codex of Light?’

No, Isaac decided not to dwell on that now. It wasn’t the issue at hand.

Learning the secret of sword aura was already filling his mind.

‘A god is like a Leviathan.’

Hobbes said that humans, in their fear of death, give up some of their rights to form a state to protect themselves. The state, with its monstrous power, can achieve what individuals alone cannot.

In this world, gods are like states with personalities.

Yet, among them, an exceptional individual can possess enough power to threaten the state.

These are the swordmasters, those who harbor miracles, and Holy Body bearers.

“And they are also small gods who bestow miracles upon themselves.”

Elil’s explanation made Isaac understand why Villon had awakened sword aura. As a follower of Elil, there was no reason for sword aura to be suppressed. However, he only awakened it in his old age because he had finally achieved unshakable self-confidence, affirmation, and his own world.

Even if that world was twisted and distorted.

But maintaining such a twisted world is difficult, as evidenced by Alfred and Vio. The constant pressure from the outside world makes it challenging.

This might be why swordmasters often seem out of place in society.

Lianne had her own world separate from the knights of Georg, and Edeled was the same.

And Isaac, who believed he belonged to a different world.

***

Learning the secrets about the gods and this world made Isaac suddenly feel afraid.

In the end, gods were paranoid projections created by certain aspects of humanity’s collective unconscious.

You could call them humanity’s mental illness.

Then the Nameless Chaos might be a god created from humanity’s self-destructive desires. It’s not surprising that a god born from self-destructive desires would be suicidal.

Isaac was its follower.

Elil approached Isaac with a relaxed smile, then brushed his hair aside.

“You remind me of my daughter.”

Isaac had never heard anything that sent chills down his spine like that before.

It was a statement that might have been affectionate if said by a normal father.

However, it wasn’t surprising that Isaac, a Nephilim, resembled Larabia, another Nephilim.

Before Isaac could think of escaping, Elil spoke again.

“I don’t know who your father was, but he must have been a servant of the Nameless Chaos. Why he left you, I can’t say, but I’m sure he had his reasons. No god would not covet someone like you.”

Just as Isaac was considering making a run for it, Elil pulled something out.

It was the sword Isaac had gone through so much trouble to retrieve, the Rite of Division. It became clear why Elil had brought up his daughter. He handed the sword to Isaac.

“This sword is no longer mine.”

Isaac looked at Elil with suspicion, wondering what he meant.

“The sword has a different owner. You must return Gargaldia to its rightful owner, not me.”

If the Rite of Division had another owner, there was only one person it could be. But Isaac couldn’t understand why Elil was showing a different side from the game. Then it dawned on him.

‘Usually, the Rite of Division is returned with the Red Chalice, Elil’s heart. At that point, the Red Chalice Club is already in ruins. There’s no reason to return it at the end of the game.’

Isaac realized his journey as a Holy Grail Knight had just gotten longer.

For him, being able to use the Rite of Division until he returned it to the rightful owner was reason enough not to refuse.

He would have to visit the Wallachia Kingdom anyway on his pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

However, Elil seemed to feel that merely entrusting him with this task was insufficient. He drew another sword from the air.

It was Kaldwin, a holy sword with a blue gem embedded in it.

“Kneel.”

Isaac, as if in a trance, knelt on one knee before Elil.

He neither obeyed nor worshiped Elil, but there was a powerful, irresistible pressure that pinned him down. Yet, it didn’t feel humiliating.

At that moment, Isaac fully realized Elil’s divine status.

“You are a warrior entrusted with a sacred mission by me. You shall be granted the authority befitting that role.”

In this realm, this heaven, Elil was the absolute order. Submitting to this order brought Isaac a strange sense of peace. The knights in Elil’s heaven fought and killed each other but were happy doing so.

Elil tapped Isaac’s right shoulder with Kaldwin.

“I appoint you as my Grand Warrior.”

[The Nameless Chaos watches you.]

At the mention of being Elil’s Grand Warrior, Isaac looked up sharply at Elil. It was an act of blatant disrespect, but the power of chaos broke through Elil’s pressure, lifting him in surprise.

The Nameless Chaos’s furious rage was palpable.

‘Wait, I’m Elil’s Grand Warrior?’

This position was originally meant for Edeled.

The Grand Warrior received the same status as Elil incarnate on Earth. It was typically bestowed upon the king who declared a holy war and, in some cases, carried more authority than the king himself.

It was a position necessary for the unification of Elil’s kingdom, so it naturally should have been Edeled’s.

Moreover, Isaac was already the Resurrected Saint appointed by the Codex of Light, the Dreamer of the Salt Council, the Agent of the Nameless Chaos, and the nephew-in-law of Emperor Waltzemer.

Being granted the position of Elil’s Grand Warrior on top of all that would create unimaginable chaos.

[The Nameless Chaos watches you.]

“Wait, I…,” Isaac began to protest.

“Stay still,” Elil commanded.

Elil attempted to tap Isaac’s left shoulder with Kaldwin, but an unknown, powerful force resisted the blade.

Even Elil’s might was being opposed by something so strong that it reversed his strength.

[The Nameless Chaos watches you.]

[The Nameless Chaos watches you.]

[The Nameless Chaos watches you.]

Isaac felt crushed, caught between the resistance of the Nameless Chaos and Elil’s force. Elil’s eyes flared as he summoned sword aura from Kaldwin. The brilliant radiance violently cleared everything, leaving only the path for the sword.

And this was Elil’s heaven.

Everything here was biased in Elil’s favor.

Slowly, but steadily, Kaldwin’s blade finally touched Isaac’s shoulder. While Elil originally intended to tap multiple times, he seemed satisfied with even this brief contact and withdrew the sword.

“You are now Elil’s Grand Warrior.”

“……”

[The Nameless Chaos watches you.]

[The Nameless Chaos desires that you ‘Defeat Elil’.]

[The rewards of Chaos await you.]

[The rewards of Chaos await you.]

[The rewards of Chaos await you.]

‘No, even if you’re angry, don’t say such absurd things.’

Whatever the great reward was, Isaac had no intention of committing suicide. Even if he wanted to, Elil would probably prevent him from doing so.

Isaac, silenced and seething with unspoken words, recognized that there was no turning back. Elil reversed Kaldwin and handed it to Isaac.

“This is the symbol of our covenant, the emblem of your status as my Grand Warrior. Take this sword and lead my knights into battle.”

As Isaac accepted Kaldwin, Elil gazed at him with burning eyes and a chilling smile.

“And ensure they slaughter the enemies and find glorious deaths on the battlefield. Remind my followers what war truly means.”

“Ha…”

It was a reply lacking in decorum, but being a Grand Warrior should grant him some leniency.

“And Calurien.”

Elil whispered to the dragon heart embedded in Kaldwin.

“Your exile lasts until the Holy Grail Knight’s mission is complete. Until then, fulfill your duties, whether you break or survive.”

A strong wind swept through.

Countless leaves swirled around Isaac, enveloping him in an instant.

***

When Isaac opened his eyes, it was night.

The dawn stars spread across the sky. The tall oak tree, autumn landscape, and faintly blooming camellia flowers remained as they were. Isaac saw Elil, who had just been conversing with him, now lying as if asleep or dead.

He had returned to reality.

Looking around, he saw Edeled and Hesabel also lying unconscious.

Isaac assumed they would wake soon and discuss their experiences. They, too, must have conversed with Elil in their own ways.

In Isaac’s hand was the holy sword Kaldwin.

[Holy Sword Kaldwin (EX)]

[A practical sword wielded directly by Elil in battle. Made of an unknown metal, it never breaks or dulls under any circumstance. It can accelerate the wielder three times a day for short periods. Anyone who is not Elil’s Grand Warrior and holds this sword will stab themselves.]

‘This is something I better not leave lying around.’

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The self-harm option was an unfamiliar effect. It was likely a special addition by Elil.

With its acceleration effect and durability, it was modest for a holy sword, but sufficient. Considering the fragility of the Luadin Key, this was top-tier. Moreover, the true value of this sword wasn’t in its combat prowess.

The authority to command Elil’s knights, even to tell them to jump into the sea to their deaths, was the real worth of this blade.

Although Isaac had been forcibly made Elil’s Grand Warrior, he had lost nothing. In fact, he had gained the holy sword Kaldwin and reclaimed the Rite of Division.

‘It’s almost too good to be true.’

–TL Notes–

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