Paladin of the Dead God-Chapter 414: Holy Land Lua (1)

Isaac wasn’t the only one who sensed the winds of change.

Even without angels gazing down from their lofty perches, the heroes who shaped this era recognized that this Dawn Army was different.

Rumors were already spreading—desperate whispers about the fallen Archangels, with two of them already defeated at the hands of the Immortal Order.

For the first time since the Third Dawn Army, there was hope that the Holy Land might actually be reclaimed.

The long-foretold Millennium Kingdom seemed closer than ever.

This realization brought a mix of emotions to Atlan, Khan of the Olkan Code.

“This is incredible, Khan! This city is a treasure trove!”

An orc from the White Tiger Army cheered as he approached, covered in glittering jewels from head to toe.

Atlan smirked bitterly and waved him off. The orc quickly rounded up his subordinates and ran off to plunder another mansion.

Such was the scene across the ruined capital of the Urdantu Empire, Ushak.

The undead citizens, heeding the Immortal Emperor’s command, had hastily fled toward the Holy Land Lua, leaving their wealth behind. After all, they didn’t need these treasures to survive and had little attachment to them.

The Dawn Army, for its part, was advancing too quickly to engage in pillaging. Even the greediest priests were too busy to be distracted, their backs scarred with fresh lash marks for any sign of hesitation. At most, they would set a building aflame before moving on.

This left all the gold and silver of Ushak for Khan Atlan’s army, which followed in the Dawn Army’s wake.

For centuries, the undead had sated their boredom by "collecting" treasures, a fact well-known across the lands.

As a result, the wealth gathered in the capital was beyond imagination.

What had started as a casual southern expedition had turned unexpectedly profitable for Atlan. The plunder not only quieted rising discontent among his subordinates but also secured their loyalty—for now. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

“They say even the beggars of the Immortal Order wear gold necklaces. Looks like that wasn’t just a saying.”

The captured priest, Yurie Otter, remarked dryly, watching a group of orcs march by laden with treasures.

Atlan found the comment strange.

“The undead don’t need to beg. Why would they have beggars?”

“…It’s a metaphor,” Yurie replied with a sigh. “Something fabricated by priests to make things simpler for commoners. If faith isn’t enough to drive people to join the Dawn Army, greed can be.”

Metaphor or not, the treasures were real.

Though Atlan’s forces diligently gathered what they could, much of it remained hidden beneath rubble or melted ruins. Still, the haul so far was enough to recover losses from the Great Raid and then some.

Yurie Otter studied Atlan.

“You don’t look particularly pleased, heretic prince.”

“It’s Khan,” Atlan corrected, his tone dry. “And no Khan has ever claimed such wealth in one stroke.”

He turned his gaze toward the ruins of Ushak, a desolate panorama of broken grandeur.

“But this is my ally’s treasure. And it bothers me that my strongest ally and greatest enemy alike care so little about it. They’ve cast it aside like it’s worthless. It feels like collecting seashells while a tidal wave approaches.”

“Yes,” Yurie said with a wide grin, her sunken, glassy eyes glinting unnervingly. “A tidal wave is indeed coming. A great one.”

Atlan, knowing exactly what she meant, asked bluntly:

“What happens when the Millennium Kingdom descends?”

What will the world look like after the Millennium Kingdom arrives?

It was a question many pondered—even among the orcs of Atlan’s army.

Curious whether this fanatical priestess might hold an answer, Atlan pressed further.

Yurie Otter’s glass eyes seemed to shine as she replied:

“When the Millennium Kingdom descends, the perfect world promised by the Codex of Light will manifest. All history, trials, and tribulations are but steps leading to that moment. Then, all impurities will be filtered out, leaving only the true faithful…”

“I know the story,” Atlan interrupted, irritated. “What I’m asking is: What is this kingdom, specifically? Will it be like the Red Chalice, where one’s hunger is always satisfied? Or like Elil, where there’s eternal battle to be had? Surely there’s something tangible.”

Yurie regarded Atlan with a mix of disdain and amusement. She thought it remarkable how even a supposed Paladin of the Olkan Code could reduce heaven to something so crude. Like most orcs, Atlan’s grasp of higher philosophy was unimpressive.

“Perfect,” he said. “What does that even mean?”

“Perfection is… completeness,” Yurie explained. “A state where nothing remains to be changed.”

“You’re just repeating yourself. Do the priests of the Codex of Light have no vocabulary?”

Yurie bristled at the insult, even more so because it came from Atlan of all people. She struggled to articulate something more substantial but eventually came up with a clever retort.

Smiling triumphantly, she flipped back her eyelids, revealing the glassy surface of her artificial eyes.

“In these eyes, the light of heaven always shines, heretic. Perfection is like the sun. Do you think the sun needs to be warmer or brighter? Perfection means being complete—so that no one feels lacking, no one feels pain. That is the Millennium Kingdom.”

“Hmm. Sounds… boring.”

“It won’t be,” Yurie countered. “Even the longing in your heart will be no more.”

Atlan tilted his head, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

“Really? I think longing and struggle make life interesting. If the gods had allowed everything from the start, the world would’ve been pretty dull. But with rules and sins, people have to navigate conflicts, make mistakes, and seek forgiveness. It gives both humans and gods something to do. People seek redemption, and gods get to show mercy. Seems like a win-win.”

Atlan’s view reflected the notion that humanity thrived under some level of constraint. Gods, in turn, derived power and devotion from forgiving human transgressions. This balance explained why so many religions were laden with doctrines and taboos.

To Yurie, however, his argument was nothing short of heresy.

“There’s no point discussing pleasure with a beast who finds joy in breaking rules!” she snapped.

“That’s not what I meant,” Atlan replied, unfazed. “I’m just wondering if the Codex of Light truly desires this. Among the undead in the Immortal Order, many lose their minds from monotony. Lacking desire, they repeat themselves endlessly, unaware they’ve gone mad. That’s why the Immortal Emperor gave them ‘wants.’ Surely the Millennium Kingdom doesn’t mean a dull, stagnant world like that.”

“Are you asking me to explain doctrine to you?” Yurie retorted. “How curious. The Olkan Code doesn’t have doctrine, does it?”

“What do you mean by that?” Atlan tilted his head. “The Olkan Code has doctrines, too—just one sentence: ‘Do not be bound.’ But we’re social creatures. Laws are necessary for society to function. So, does following laws violate the Olkan Code? I don’t think so.”

Yurie frowned. Atlan wasn’t as foolish as he seemed. His logic and doubts were sound. Yet despite this, the two couldn’t understand each other.

Their cultures and perspectives were too different.

Atlan couldn’t grasp the concept of "a state of perfection where everything is complete." Meanwhile, Yurie couldn’t comprehend Atlan’s desire to remain free even if it meant enduring hardship.

So, Atlan resorted to an analogy, one any orc could relate to.

“For example, if Olkan had openly allowed connections with horses, we wouldn’t have as many Keshiks as we do now. Sometimes it’s the forbidden or secret relationships that make things exciting.”

“Connections with horses?”

“Oh, you don’t know? That’s when…”

Atlan began to explain but stopped when he noticed Yurie’s face turn crimson.

As a priestess, Yurie was well aware of how Keshiks—the orc riders—formed their sacred bonds with their mounts. Atlan, feeling slightly embarrassed himself, was relieved he didn’t have to elaborate further.

Yurie glared at him with a mix of outrage and disbelief.

“So, is that why you’re dragging me around like this? To enjoy some fun by breaking taboos?”

“What?” Atlan blinked in confusion.

“Don’t pretend to be clueless! You know my uncle has already martyred himself, don’t you?”

The reason Khan’s army had kept dragging the annoying priestess along was to ransom her. But the sudden march of the Dawn Army had disrupted their plans, and they had since received reports that her uncle, Cardinal Rohen Otter, had burned to death.

“There’s no one left to pay my ransom now. Even the angels won’t care about me, not with the Millennium Kingdom so close. But it doesn’t matter. My soul will stand proud at the gates of heaven.”

“Huh. Is that so?”

“Yes! And now I understand why you’ve kept me around, even though there’s no one to pay my ransom. You’re just toying with me for the thrill of breaking taboos, aren’t you?”

Atlan furrowed his brow.

“What are you even talking about? No matter how lustful we might be, we orcs have standards. Why would we bother with a human when we have horses?”

Yurie froze, her thoughts grinding to a halt as she tried to process what she’d just heard.

The words didn’t connect. They clashed like gears in a broken clock, defying logic and reason.

In her dazed state, the only sound she could muster was a bewildered:

“What?”

“As for your ransom,” Atlan continued with a sigh, “we’ve plundered so much treasure that it doesn’t even matter anymore. But since we couldn’t just release you halfway, we’ve kept you around. You’ll be set free once the war’s over. That’s all.”

He added with a shrug, “Besides, I’m a crossbreed between an orc and a horse. I can’t have children, so I don’t even feel much lust.”

Yurie opened and closed her mouth, unable to form words.

“And what made you think your appearance would appeal to anyone outside your species? I don’t know much about human beauty standards, but by orc standards, you’re quite…”

Atlan trailed off when Yurie suddenly shrieked, spun on her heel, and stormed off.

Atlan chuckled bitterly but didn’t try to stop her or ask where she was going. If she left Khan’s army for good, so be it. In fact, he thought it might be better for her to escape.

“To think I found talking to that zealot amusing… Maybe I’m losing my mind too. Is this what it feels like to toy with taboos?”

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Atlan turned his gaze southward.

Everyone—soldiers, priests, and angels alike—had abandoned all the treasure in Ushak to head for Holy Land Lua.

It was as if they knew the true treasure lay there.

A lukewarm breeze blew from the south, carrying the scent of inevitability.

***

Though the Immortal Emperor had sealed Holy Land Lua behind a massive wall of magic, he hadn’t made it entirely inaccessible. Fanatics cropped up constantly, and maintenance of the fortress and its defenses required a few entry points.

Through one such passage, Leonora stepped into Holy Land Lua.

Her undead guide seemed unconcerned about the possibility of the secret route being discovered.

“It must have safeguards no living being can bypass,” she mused, though she remained cautious, scrutinizing every step she took.

“Proceed carefully,” the coachman warned before opening the heavy stone door.

As soon as the door creaked open, Leonora was hit by a suffocating wave of divine power. She gasped, overwhelmed.

The air, the dust, even the shadows themselves seemed alive, watching her every move.

Miracles hostile to all living things pulsed and writhed beneath the dome.

Grasping the holy relic around her neck, Leonora muttered a quiet prayer. The oppressive pressure lifted, and she took a deep breath, her pale face scanning her surroundings.

The darkness beneath the dome was thick, but the faint outlines of structures confirmed she had entered Holy Land Lua.

“His Majesty awaits within,” the coachman said, gesturing deeper into the shadows.

With a steely expression, Leonora followed him, her boots echoing softly in the eerie silence.

Shalok, visibly terrified, hesitated but couldn’t back out now—not after accepting payment.

As they walked, strange silhouettes emerged in the shadows.

Bones shaped into grotesque forms, utterly inhuman. The eerie sounds of scraping and tapping echoed incessantly from the walls.

Leonora’s gaze hardened. She suspected the Immortal Emperor was struggling to maintain control of the situation more than he let on.

Suddenly, she spotted a figure in the alley ahead, stopping her in her tracks.

Shalok also froze, his breath hitching.

Leonora bowed deeply.

“Your Majesty, the Immortal Emperor.”

The reason she had braved so much danger to come to Holy Land Lua sat in the alley.

The master of the underground, the man who possessed untold riches and power, waited in silence.