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Chapter 63:

Angels are broadly divided into two categories: Basic angels, created directly by the deity, and Named angels, who have achieved feats in history significant enough to be granted names by the deity. Basic angels mostly operate in the afterlife and are rarely seen unless performing messenger duties.

Named angels, however, are different. Being historical figures of renown on Earth, they are often well-known and more active on Earth than in the afterlife.

Among them, the Prophet of the Red Flesh is the most active angel within the Red Chalice Club. Even Hesabel and Heinikel, followers of the same Red Chalice faith, immediately thought of her when they suspected Isaac of being an angel.

Due to her operating through conspiracies and secret organizations, her activities are not conspicuous. However, having chosen the Red Chalice faith himself at one point, Isaac knew she wielded her influence ceaselessly across various faiths.

And he knew her weakness.

‘The Prophet of the Red Flesh is undoubtedly a powerful angel… But she’s not one to engage in direct combat.’

Even the weakest angel is formidable enough that humans would struggle to oppose. However, Isaac knew if he could draw the Prophet of the Red Flesh into combat, he had a way to significantly weaken her.

There’s a reason she avoids direct confrontation.

Then, could Isaac, newly minted as a paladin and, in a sense, at the pinnacle of faith, possibly defeat an angel?

Isaac’s answer was ‘impossible.’

Killing an angel required not just immense strength but also a complex array of factors.

However, expelling one from this world was not impossible.

‘But if the Order of the Codex of Light gets involved, claiming my share might be difficult.’

Considering the situation, worrying about one’s share might seem selfish. Yet, Isaac didn’t want his efforts to have been in vain, especially since the Red Chalice had dared to target his follower.

Whether the entity within the castle was an angel or a demon, Isaac had to deal with it personally.

“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 is true.”

“The longer we wait, the more people will be ensnared in this blasphemy, trapped in inescapable sin.”

From the perspective of a medieval noble like Reinhardt, the plight of the commoners didn’t matter much. However, he couldn’t contradict the Knight of the Grail.

Isaac spoke with emphasis.

“Please, mobilize your soldiers.”

“Knight of the Grail…”

As Reinhardt looked hesitant and about to protest, Isaac shook his head.

“I’m not asking for a siege. I’ll infiltrate the castle myself; all I need is your support from outside. If things go well, this could be over before any fight begins.”

“You mean to assault the castle alone?”

“No. My follower will accompany me.”

“Do you mean that woman… Hesabel?”

Even so, it was just the two of them, virtually alone.

Isaac had Zihilrat in mind as well, but he didn’t elaborate. It was an entity he couldn’t openly disclose.

Reinhardt seemed inclined to dissuade Isaac. After all, with time, Hendrake Castle would likely fall on its own due to exhaustion. And wouldn’t reinforcements arrive in time?

When Reinhardt tentatively pointed this out, Isaac replied,

“What will you do if the soldiers inside Hendrake Castle, swept up in madness like those knights, charge out without any siege or defense in place?”

Reinhardt fell silent. It wasn’t an overblown concern but a real possibility. In fact, Isaac wondered why Raella hadn’t done just that. If the soldiers inside Hendrake Castle unleashed the same madness shown by the knights, they could easily overrun Reinhardt’s forces.

Reinhardt had no choice but to either retreat now or support Isaac’s plan. And he didn’t want to face the embarrassment of backing down in front of a Knight of the Grail prepared to dive into enemy lines alone.

“What should I do?”

A smile crept onto Isaac’s lips.

***

“Assassination?”

“Is it too difficult?”

Dawn.

In a secluded spot near Hendrake Castle, Isaac was briefing Hesabel on his plan.

Transmitting will was vague in direction; detailed discussions required direct conversation.

Hesabel looked troubled upon hearing Isaac’s plan. Understandably so, her target for assassination was none other than Raella, an angel of the Red Chalice Club.

By now, Hesabel had accepted that Isaac was neither the Prophet of the Red Flesh nor affiliated with the Red Chalice Club

Isaac had already accepted Hesabel’s steadfast faith despite her understanding that he was neither the Prophet of the Red Flesh nor affiliated with the Red Chalice Club. However, her unwavering belief in the face of such a difficult directive was perplexing, making this order a test for her as well.

But even then, Hesabel found Isaac’s command difficult to comprehend.

“No, it might be difficult but… if Raela is truly an angel, wouldn’t killing her be impossible?”

Angels, once ascended, belong to the afterlife. Without divine permission, an angel cannot be fully killed. At best, killing Raela would only temporarily banish her from the earthly realm.

“It’s okay if you don’t succeed. What’s important is the attempt.”

“An attempt?”

“You can even pretend to attack and then flee if it gets tough. We’ll figure out the rest when the time comes.”

Hesabel seemed unconvinced, but whether or not she was, didn’t matter. Given that Isaac was essentially granting permission to attempt and fail, it was a relatively lenient order.

“Wait, take this before you go.”

Isaac handed Hesabel something wrapped in cloth. She uncovered it, gasped in shock, and quickly covered it again. Her eyes flitted about wildly.

“What, what is this?”

“You’ll need something of this caliber to face an angel.”

“You, you, how can you trust me with this?”

Hesabel appeared too startled to even comprehend her own questions.

Isaac looked at her intently and asked,

“Are you going to betray me?”

“Not at all!”

“Then go and do what you must.”

Hesabel nodded her head about ten times before scaling the wall. Soldiers patrolling the wall wouldn’t have been able to spot Hesabel in the dead of night.

Isaac was concerned by Hesabel’s agitation but trusted that she would prove her worth now that he had shown faith in her.

‘It’s time for me to move.’

Unlike Hesabel, Isaac didn’t have the skill to leap directly over walls. Instead, he utilized the Red Prayer, enveloping the wall in a mist of red fog that climbed swiftly.

Upon reaching the top of the wall, he found a soldier passed out, likely Hesabel’s doing.

Just to be sure, Isaac checked the soldier’s eyes. As expected, they were bloodshot, just like the villagers taken prisoner.

‘As I thought…’

Isaac knew through Zihilrat that Raela had instilled madness in the soldiers within the castle. If each soldier exhibited the combat prowess of the Hendrake knights, Reinhardt’s forces wouldn’t stand a chance, regardless of their numerical inferiority.

‘It would have been more advantageous for them to storm out with the soldiers.’

However, Raela had only sent out the knights, keeping the soldiers within the castle. It wasn’t out of concern for preserving lives. The longer this state persisted, the soldiers would either be drained of their vitality or mental strength, becoming increasingly debilitated.

‘Is that what it is?’

Isaac had some inkling of the situation, which was partly why he sent Hesabel ahead.

He regretted not being able to simply open the castle gates.

‘If Count Reinhardt were in better spirits, perhaps opening the gates could have been an option.’

But now, with Reinhardt demoralized and the castle’s soldiers engulfed in madness, any soldiers attempting to surrender would only invite unnecessary casualties.

Regardless of Raela’s scheming, they were merely playing into Isaac’s hands.

He had already identified an easy route of entry through Zihilrat.

Isaac swiftly infiltrated the castle interior.

***

‘It’s too quiet.’

Infiltrating the inner castle, Isaac saw no soldiers, which was peculiar, even for dawn. The absence of patrolling soldiers, except for a few on the walls, in this eerie silence was unnerving. It was hard to imagine those wide-eyed soldiers getting any rest.

The infiltration was going smoothly, but upon approaching the inner gate, Isaac felt an odd sense of foreboding. The silence was too unsettling to be merely attributed to the early hour.

As Isaac halted, a figure emerged in front of the inner gate.

It was Owen, the deputy commander of the Hendrake knights. Or at least, it seemed to be Owen, shrouded in dark mist, making it impossible to be sure.

“I never expected you to walk right in.”

Instead of responding, Isaac drew his sword, and simultaneously, soldiers who had been invisible until now surged forward. Harsh breaths and sounds of agony filled the air, the noise of soldiers fighting the urge to attack.

“Are you brave or just foolish? The prophet foresaw this, but I couldn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. You’ve infiltrated this castle alone?”

“You wouldn’t have believed it either. A normal person would have been deceived.”

Isaac replied calmly, his composed demeanor making Owen cautious. Owen held back his soldiers, wary that Isaac might have some trick up his sleeve or that Reinhardt’s soldiers had infiltrated as well.

“No one else is here if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Except for the Goulmar daughter you sent ahead?”

Isaac didn’t respond. Owen murmured with a scoff.

“Surprised that I know? This area is already under Lady Raela’s dominion. Detecting someone once part of the Red Chalice here is natural. We’ve been waiting for you, Isaac.”

“Waiting for me…”

“You’ve disrupted the plans of the Red Chalice. Now, it’s time for you to pay with your blood and flesh.”

At that moment, Owen unleashed his soldiers, who charged at Isaac, forgetting their weapons and trying to bite and claw him. Isaac swung his fists, knocking back soldiers, but they were too many.

Soldiers clung to his armor.

Owen sneered at the sight.

“It seems the noble Knight of the Grail cannot bring himself to k**l soldiers who are merely being used.”

Crunch, thud!

Owen’s taunting was cut short as Isaac’s sword pierced through a soldier. With swift movements, Isaac closed the distance between him and Owen, using his Issac swordsmanship to slice through soldiers in eight directions. Limbs and blood whirled around in a storm.

Owen hastily raised his sword to block Isaac’s attack.

Loud metallic clashes rang out as the blades collided, sparks flying. Isaac’s attack had stripped away some of the black mist enveloping Owen’s armor but hadn’t damaged the armor itself.

“What… a Knight of the Grail uses soldiers as shields?”

“Did you think I couldn’t kill if you were controlled? It’s hard to carry the weight of trust.”

Isaac thought it odd how highly the enemy thought of him.

This was war. Whether they were controlled or not, if the opponent wielded a weapon, Isaac had no reason to hold back.

Isaac pressed his attack on Owen.

The consumption of his stamina meant he couldn’t always use high-level swordsmanship to slice through armor.

Isaac recalled his swordsmanship training.

With minimal movement, he aimed for the optimal path, swinging his sword.

His blade found its way through the already exposed parts of Owen’s armor, specifically where the leather joints were. The blade cut through the taut leather and twisted.

Owen’s armor peeled away like a shell being removed.

The first true bloodshed splattered.

Owen was astounded by Isaac’s skill. After becoming Raela’s servant, he had gained strength comparable to Bexter, and with the flesh from Raela, he had become even stronger.

Despite the advantage of surprise, Isaac seemed even more skilled than a few mornings ago.

Some of his movements were even familiar.

‘Could he have learned those movements from that dawn…?’

It was unthinkable. Owen denied the possibility as he gritted his teeth.

Boom! Relying on the strength and defense enhanced by the black mist and Raela’s flesh, Owen clashed with Isaac aggressively, ready to lose a limb or two if necessary.

For Owen, who had grown stronger and more defensive, this was a more suitable fighting style.

The initial upper hand Isaac had quickly started to tip in Owen’s favor.

“The prophet said if you had subdued Hesabel Goulmar, I wouldn’t stand a chance and should run!”

Boom, boom, boom! Owen’s sword struck down with such force it seemed to split Isaac in two.

“The prophet was wrong about one thing! My potential is greater than she predicted!”

“No, she got one thing right.”

Isaac grimaced, bearing Owen’s attack, and muttered,

“You should have run the moment you saw me.”

Crack.

Isaac’s left arm swelled significantly.

No, Isaac’s armor twisted as tentacles emerged from its seams.

Owen, in the midst of their power struggle, was shocked to see tentacles wrapping around his sword and hand.

However, the tentacles had barely touched the already exposed areas of his armor.

Ssssh! A chilling sound followed as flesh and skin were torn away.

‘Just a graze…?!’

Owen, horrified, tried to retreat, but it was too late. Isaac extended his tentacles rapidly, reaching into various parts of Owen’s body.

As Isaac manipulated the tentacles, an unbelievable force pulled Owen closer.

“You, what is this…!”

In that moment, Owen thought of a terrible possibility.

“You, you’re not a Paladin of the Codex of Light, are you!”

A smirk formed on Isaac’s lips.

“Do I need to answer that for you to know?”