Paladin of the Dead God-Chapter 449: Forest of Forgetfulness (4)

"...To meet me?"

Isaac was bewildered, but the first thought that came to his mind was, ’What am I, anyway?’ He was the White Owl’s biological child, but he had no connection or memories. Frankly speaking, it was closer to saying that they had met for the first time today.

He would be more relieved if she said, ’I’m going to use you until you’re all used up and then throw you away.’ Knowing Isaac’s bewilderment, the White Owl turned her back with a pouty smile.

"It doesn’t matter whether you believe it or not. I’ve been on this entire journey to meet you, and that journey is not over yet. And..."

Even as she walked through the market, the White Owl’s words were clearly heard. Amid the crowd, the White Owl suddenly stopped and looked to one side. A huge pyramid could be seen between the alleys, a temple that was once built to worship an unknown ancient god.

"This meeting is related to the way to destroy the Millennium Kingdom."

"Bishop Beshek is coming!"

At the sudden sound, Isaac turned his head. A group of people entered as the crowd in the market parted. The stench of blood spread. Horseback riders, all covered in dust and blood, passed by. Isaac looked at the man in the center of the group, wearing the most extravagant vestments and holding a censer like a mace.

The middle-aged man with grayish-white hair was wearing the halo that signified a Codex of Light bishop.

’Beshek.’

It was the Immortal Emperor in his lifetime.

Beshek passed by Isaac with tired eyes and made eye contact. It was inevitable since Isaac was the only one looking up. But he passed by without paying much attention. The man looked too tired to care about trivial matters.

"There were no Paladins in this era. The priest was also a warrior at the same time."

The White Owl, who had approached him unnoticed, said.

"Paradoxically, it was only after the Codex of Light conquered the world and the Sword of May invented the Paladin that the priest became as weak as he is now."

When he thought about it, it was obvious. The Lighthouse Keeper had raised the Codex of Light from the time of ancient gods and lived by beating down everything he didn’t like. It was only natural that the most devout priests would jump into battle armed with faith. In the eyes of the ancient gods, the Lighthouse Keeper would have been the war maniac himself.

"In this era, the Codex of Light exiled Elil to an island, drove the dwarves to the northern archipelago, cleaned up the orcs, and swept all the remaining ancient gods out. The greatest glory, the greatest era, and at the same time... it was also an era that began to be challenged."

The White Owl walked through the market again. The market quickly regained its vitality and became crowded. But Isaac felt anxiety and worry in it. The cause could be found in the sky. The dark clouds, which had approached the Holy Land Lua, were surging as if they would encroach at any moment.

"Did Beshek come back from fighting the monsters of the Outer Boundary?"

"That’s right. The more prevalent the Codex of Light became, the stronger the invasion of the Outer Boundary became. Just like when the light gets stronger, the shadow also gets stronger."

Now there were no beings that could be called enemies to the Codex of Light. Who would dare to oppose it? To the faith that had the support of the most believers, the most powerful angels, and control over all the great cities.

But historically, the way the most powerful empires fall is always the same: internal strife. The challenge comes from within, not from the outside.

"It would have been better if they hadn’t occupied the Holy Land Lua. But the Lighthouse Keeper insisted on the Holy Land Lua, so he appointed Beshek, the most powerful and devout bishop, to this place."

Isaac recalled the back of Beshek, who had already left. What kind of hardships he might be going through in the angels’ plans. Beshek was the Kalsen and Isaac of this era.

At the same time, Isaac recalled other beings.

"Come to think of it, if it’s this era, there should be…"

The White Owl gave Isaac a gloomy smile.

"That’s right. Beshek’s close friend and enemy is in this city."

The man in the yellow clothes. He was here.

Only then did Isaac realize what the White Owl was trying to show him. The worst incident that wiped out 1/3 of humanity and became the background for the birth of the Immortal Order. She was trying to show Isaac the history of the day the Black Death broke out.

***

"Accept the glory of the great Codex of Light! The Millennium Kingdom is near!"

Whether it was 300 years ago, now, or on Earth, the similarity was that there were many fanatics who were shouting that the end was near. Especially in this era, there were many fanatics in the middle of the market who were screaming with their eyes bandaged.

Isaac was dumbfounded when he saw the fanatic who was saying that the Millennium Kingdom, which would come 300 years later, was near. Then he suddenly became curious and asked the White Owl, "Why is that person covering his eyes while telling people to look at the sun?"

"He’s already seen the sun."

Isaac wondered what that meant and then realized that the fanatic had literally stared directly at the sun. Not just for a moment, but deliberately staring intently. As a reward, the Codex of Light had taken the light away from him, so it was ironic.

"The burns on his eyes will remain imprinted on his retina, so it will look like an eternal radiance. It might be a happy ending for him. Of course, doing something like that isn’t good for public health."

Before long, a few armed priests came and dragged the fanatic away. Some of the believers who were looking up at the sun following the fanatic’s cries protested, but they were driven away by showing a warrant with Bishop Beshek’s seal on it.

But it wasn’t just the fanatics who were shouting in the square that were the problem. When he looked closely, there were more than one or two people who were blind or had their eyes burned out. The things being sold in the market were all rosaries, idols, and suspicious holy relics. There were beggars walking around constantly muttering prayers, and there were also those who wrote the contents of scriptures all over their bodies and dripped candle wax on their bodies.

"Candles are one of the most basic symbols of the Codex of Light, but what’s the meaning of such masochistic acts?"

"It’s the same as staring at the sun. They’re trying to prove their faith. ’I am this faithful to the Codex of Light. Therefore, I am also qualified to go to the Millennium Kingdom.’"

The White Owl shrugged and said, "Now there’s no way to prove your faith through war." ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

Isaac recalled the background of this era. The era when the Codex of Light had almost conquered the world, when all other faiths were holding their breath and watching the Codex of Light, when the Lighthouse Keeper was smashing the heads of all the annoying guys, and when the consciousness that ’the Millennium Kingdom is now ready to descend’ was rampant. But in front of Isaac’s eyes, there were only fanatics, beggars, and lunatics, rather than such glory.

"...It doesn’t look glorious at all. Well, as always, if there are people suffering, there must be people enjoying the glory separately?"

"Of course. And it’s also because this is the Holy Land Lua that there are more fanatics." She said that and entered a secluded alley. The alley, which was dark and musty to anyone, wasn’t a place for a young girl to set foot. But she fearlessly stepped barefoot into the filth and moved forward. Before they had even taken a few steps, they found people crouching inside the alley and muttering something. Isaac stopped when he saw the shapes they were carving. A shape writhing and coiling around something: a tentacle. The inside was empty, so he wondered if they were trying to use it as a kind of bracelet or anklet, but the intricately carved patterns and the shape of the tentacles were so clear that they seemed to come alive at any moment.

Then one of the beggars sitting there opened his eyes wide and made eye contact with Isaac. He opened his mouth, muttering something repeatedly, and crawled towards Isaac.

"■■■ ■■■..."

Isaac was flustered and tried to back away but stopped when he saw the beggar’s fingertips. The beggar’s hands were covered with wounds and healed scars. His arm also had tiny tentacle tattoos all over it, like a practice canvas. Traces of some kind of asceticism that could not be reached with ordinary passion.

’A believer of Nameless Chaos, or a believer of the Mother of All Gods?’

The Mother of All Gods is the name of Chaos that was called during the Age of Turbulence of the God of Myriad. Then there would be a separate name in the current era. Perhaps the ’name’ that this beggar was muttering didn’t sound like it had been erased.

"Don’t listen and follow me. It’s bad for your health."

The beggar knelt down in front of Isaac and tried to wail and kiss his feet, but the White Owl pulled on his sleeve. Leaving the wailing beggar behind, the two quickly passed through the alley.

"■■■ ■■■! We await your arrival!" The beggar’s pleading pleas echoed behind them. Outside, Codex of Light fanatics are flogging themselves, and in the alley just one layer behind them, Nameless Chaos believers are practicing asceticism. Paradoxically, both were desperately wanting the world to end.

Why? Because reality is hell.

Isaac knew that faith in the Nameless Chaos was spreading based on this desire for destruction. And he also knew why the world was in this state even though the Codex of Light was enjoying an era of glory.

"Is the Lighthouse Keeper encouraging this atmosphere?" The White Owl glanced back.

"I can’t say he isn’t."

"...Destruction, that is, the end of the world, ending the existing era... to gather people’s ’faith’ to bring about a new era, the ’Millennium Kingdom’?"

"Something like that."

The Lighthouse Keeper needs the power of Chaos to bring about the Millennium Kingdom anyway. After all, it is the power of change that transforms the world. But the Lighthouse Keeper is only good at building and fixing his world; he doesn’t have the talent to change it to the next generation.

Isaac felt a cold feeling in his head.

’So, was the Black Death also spread by the Lighthouse Keeper? To exclude Nameless Chaos at the same time as the appearance of the Millennium Kingdom?’

If he brought the Millennium Kingdom, he could also break the Millennium Kingdom. It was only natural that the Lighthouse Keeper would make such an attempt. But perhaps because that attempt failed, the arrival of the Millennium Kingdom had no choice but to be delayed by 300 years, Isaac speculated. The White Owl looked back at Isaac and said, "There’s someone you need to meet…"

Then, someone approached from the opposite side of the alley. It was a priest with a face completely festering with burns. The White Owl stopped talking when she saw him. The priest bowed to the White Owl and said, "Archangel White Owl, I have been waiting for your words."

The White Owl stared silently at the priest and then let out a deep sigh. "Since it’s someone we have to meet anyway, it doesn’t matter if the order changes a bit. Isaac. It’s better to meet this one first."

***

The burnt priest not only found the White Owl right away, but also treated her with politeness, but there was a subtle lack of tension. Isaac knew such people: those who routinely met and talked with angels.

"Is he a priest of the Watcher’s Council?"

"Oh, you’re sharp. Yes. It existed at this time too. It’s better to have hands and feet that will work unofficially, separate from the minds that will officially work in the Order."

Angels can monitor believers at any time, but they don’t monitor everything. That’s why they can’t completely suppress the Order’s corruption or apostasy. Because the upper echelons of the Order can also become corrupt at any time, angels use the Watcher’s Council as hands and feet instead. As a means to control the Order at any time according to the angel’s will, even if it deviates somewhat from the doctrine.

The place the burnt priest guided them to was a small chapel. The priest bowed to the White Owl one more time at the entrance and left without asking about Isaac’s identity. The White Owl quietly entered the chapel. Inside the chapel, another priest was kneeling and praying. Next to him were armor and a censer mace still stained with blood.

The White Owl waited for the priest to finish praying. Eventually, the priest who had finished praying stood up and turned to look at the White Owl. It was Bishop Beshek.

"It’s been a while, Archangel White Owl. Thank you for visiting." He made the sign of the cross and knelt in front of the White Owl, bowing his head. "It is an infinite honor to see you like this, but before you go to the trouble of persuading me, I have no choice but to say that I am sorry. I have thought about it for a long time, but it is a position that is too much for me and a harsh ordeal. I cannot accept it."

"What persuasion? I only came because you were looking for me."

At those words, Beshek had a puzzled expression.

"Weren’t you coming to deliver the Lighthouse Keeper’s message that I should become the Ninth God?"