Chapter 219

"What?"

Everyone turned to Rosalind at the unexpected remark. Isaac, who thought it was natural for him to be in the duel since he was chosen as Grand warrior to lead the Dawn Army, also looked at Rosalind in surprise.

'Is she really against the Dawn Army?'

From Saltain's perspective, it was entirely plausible. The isolationist nobles supported Saltain. However, he couldn't believe that Rosalind would deliberately put Edelred in a difficult position. Just as Isaac was about to stand up to voice his opposition, Edelred spoke up.

"I will do it."

Isaac was astonished once more.

Though Edelred had grown remarkably after entering and exiting Urbansus, both mentally and physically, the power he displayed there was a temporary boost due to Urbansus's abundant divine energy. More time was needed to fully internalize that experience.

"Your Majesty, the power created by Kaldbruch might be temporary. Considering the side effects..."

"No, Holy Grail Knight. I can do it. I believe I can."

Although his voice sounded unsure, Edelred stood up confidently.

Lianne looked equally troubled. She didn't want to fight Edelred as a criminal, nor did she want to oppose the Dawn Army. But if she appeared to fight half-heartedly or intentionally lose, it would cause significant backlash.

Edelred needed to clearly demonstrate his capability as the future commander of the Dawn Army, and Lianne had to showcase the resolute will of the opposition.

Isaac couldn't foresee how this troublesome situation would unfold.

'What on earth is Lady Rosalind...'

Rosalind, however, simply crossed her arms and looked around the room. Isaac considered using the Eye of Chaos to figure out what she was thinking but decided to trust Edelred for now. Even if Edelred were to lose, as Elil's Grand warrior, he could still muster some forces through sheer force of will.

"There is no need to set a date. Let's start right away."

Edelred immediately grabbed his sword and walked to the center of the hall. After a brief hesitation, Lianne followed. Her injuries had completely healed while she was encased in the crystal.

Both of them wielded practice swords instead of holy swords. Swinging holy swords in a crowded hall could have unintended consequences. However, Isaac couldn't fathom how Edelred could win without even borrowing the power of Kaldbruch.

'Lianne is far stronger in experience, skill, and power. Even if Edelred uses sword energy, he's still a novice and hasn't fully mastered my swordsmanship. There's no way he can win.'

Lianne spoke to Edelred, who stood before her.

"Then, Your Majesty, I will start first."

Lianne lightly swung her sword, then lunged at Edelred in an instant.

The speed was so swift that the air seemed to burst.

She began with an attack aimed at Edelred from three directions simultaneously. Even without Lumiarde, the cold air was palpable. Edelred gritted his teeth and swung his sword. While it was impressive that he faced the Swordmaster's blade with courage, his sword lacked both sword energy and exceptional momentum.

Just as Isaac foresaw Edelred's imminent defeat—

Boom! With a deafening crash, Lianne's body was hurled backward. She flew back faster than she had charged, and Isaac almost lost sight of her for a moment. Lianne barely managed to stop herself by stabbing her sword into the ground before she could collide with the wall, leaving a long scar on the stone floor.

All eyes, filled with shock, turned to Edelred.

Edelred stood with eyes wide open, exhaling deeply. Everyone around him felt as if their hearts had stopped under the immense pressure.

Edelred's eyes emitted a blue light, his hair stood on end, and smoke that smelled like sulfur rose from his mouth. Isaac finally realized what was happening.

'An angel!'

Isaac recognized that the angel possessing Edelred was the 'Lion Knight.' There was no mistaking that terrifying pressure and power for anything else.

The Lion Knight in Edelred's body surveyed the room. Shocked, no one could speak or move.

Satisfied, the Lion Knight spoke.

"This is Elil's will."

Instantly, everyone in the hall, whether noble, knight, or soldier, knelt. Those who did not kneel felt their legs give way beneath them.

The only ones standing were Isaac and the Lion Knight in Edelred's body.

The Lion Knight looked at Isaac with burning eyes for a moment before vanishing.

Edelred staggered but managed to regain his balance. Then, seeing everyone prostrate before him, he looked surprised. It seemed he had no memory of the time when the Lion Knight had taken control of his body.

In the heavy silence, Rosalind stepped forward and spoke for the first time.

"Elil's decision has been made. If anyone has an objection, step into the dueling ring."

Of course, no one stepped forward.

***

"I've heard of divine intervention in duels to ensure a just decision, but I never imagined it would be this blunt. Usually, they take one side by coincidence or to bolster courage, don't they?"

The decision had been made, and now it was time to act. After the major decision to dispatch the Dawn Army was settled, the nobles hurried back to their territories to assess the resources, soldiers, and knights they could send.

Isaac grumbled to Rosalind about the absurd outcome of the "duel."

Rosalind merely chuckled.

"The providence of the gods is mysterious, isn't it?"

Isaac thought it was just rigging the match, but to the faithful, it was a definitive result.

"Did you know the duel would end like this, Lady Rosalind?"

"No, not at all. But I did hear a lot about duel trials when I was young, through elders who remembered the times before the oracle ceased. If Elil decided to break his silence and start paying attention to the mortal realm again, I thought he might show his will directly rather than through anecdotes."

The knowledge and experience of the elderly were indeed remarkable. Isaac had to acknowledge that he still underestimated this world.

When Edelred and Lianne were about to fight, Isaac had objectively compared their abilities to gauge their chances of winning. However, from a devout believer's perspective, if Elil's will was clear, the outcome was already determined.

'Would Lianne have lost even if a rock was placed there instead of Edelred?'

It was a pointless thought, but regardless, there was no better event to bolster Edelred's authority. For now, Edelred would command the nobles as the "king possessed by the Lion Knight." Of course, it meant Lianne had to endure reopened wounds and four broken fingers.

Yet, she seemed satisfied with the result in her own way.

Edelred was personally tending to Lianne's wounds, apologizing as he did so.

Though Lianne might still see Edelred as a younger brother, perhaps his knightly demeanor when he sent her flying with a single strike had sparked some sense of admiration in her.

"That aside, the item brought by the Holy Grail Knight greatly helped convince the nobles. Without it, it would have been difficult to win them over emotionally," Rosalind said.

The "item" Rosalind mentioned was the handle of a sword once held by a Dullahan summoned by the lich Al Durad in the Isaacrea territory. A renowned knight from Elil, he had been resurrected as a Dullahan and eventually put to rest by Isaac. The handle bore the emblem of a noble family well-known in Elil.

Only then did the half-Dawn Army supporters and isolationist nobles realize that while they might distance themselves from war, war had always been close, and many of their ancestors' graves might have already been desecrated. Their rush back to their territories was because of this realization.

Although many families opted for cremation, there were instances where, depending on the will, tombs or burial niches were still constructed.

"Many knights' corpses have likely already been plundered. They wouldn't have come all this way for just a few corpses," Isaac said.

"Indeed. Who would have thought the evil of the Immortal Order would reach here? But once this fact is known, it will certainly ignite the fervor for the expedition..."

With Elil's "decision" made, the nobles naturally participated in the Dawn Army. However, they might have done so reluctantly and without enthusiasm. The plundered relics brought by Isaac provided a compelling reason they could all agree on.

"That's right. The Holy Grail Knight went through the most trouble, so I plan to give this to you."

Rosalind handed Isaac a box. Inside was a pair of pitch-black gloves.

"Aren't these the gloves Villon wore?"

Isaac remembered them well, as they had blocked both the cold of Lumiarde and his sword energy.

Villon and his knights had been gathered and burned. The only way to kill the undead of the Immortal Order was to burn them, and even then, it required a troublesome purification ritual to banish their wandering souls.

But the spoils remained.

"Yes. They say it's called the 'Hand of the Dead.' It's certainly a useful relic, but since it's clearly a heretical relic, no one wanted to take it. I've been keeping it, but I thought I could entrust it to you, Holy Grail Knight."

Isaac took out the gloves and examined them.

[Hand of the Dead (S)]

[A glove modeled after the grasp a dead soul uses to drag the living into hell. Being already dead, it is immune to everything and can directly affect souls.]

'Not bad.'

While Isaac's attack power was increasing, his durability was still lacking. His mindset oscillated between the veteran's view of "just don't get hit" and the complacency of "as long as I survive, I can recover." The gloves were top-notch armor that could even block sword energy. He paid no mind to the sinister origin.

Isaac put the gloves on without hesitation. Like the Holy Knight armor, they adjusted perfectly to fit his hands. Although they were about 1.5 times larger than his hands, they were not uncomfortable. On the contrary, he felt his grip strength increase.

'The tentacle will naturally poke through the left glove. If not, I could give it to Hesabel...'

Isaac was satisfied with the unexpected gain.

"Thank you. I believe these will be very useful."

"I thought you were unique, but you truly have no qualms about using heretical relics, do you?"

"Does it matter if it's a black cat or a white cat, as long as it catches the mouse God commands me to catch?"

Isaac responded shamelessly.

Rosalind smiled, apparently pleased with his answer.

"Well said. Now that the Dawn Army's participation is decided, things will be busy around here. What will you do next, Holy Grail Knight?"

"Hmm, I must return to His Majesty the Emperor and report the successful completion of the mission he assigned."

Isaac's mission was to secure the Dawn Army's participation from Elil, and he had succeeded, even gaining the title of Elil's Paladin. There was no need to wait for Elil to prepare and cross over, so it was time to return to the Empire.

Isaac grinned as he continued.

"But before I go, I think I'll have a meal first."

***

After bidding farewell to Edelred and his knights, Isaac left the Elion Fortress. He would see them again on the continent, in the Dawn Army. Edelred offered to escort him to the harbor, but Isaac declined. Edelred had far too much to do now.

There was no need to waste time and risk Elil's wrath. Besides, Isaac had a place to visit before leaving.

Isaac had come this far with the help of Eidan and the Salt Council's ship. The harsh winds of the North Sea made it difficult even for the seasoned sailors of the Salt Council to approach, but Isaac felt this might be his only chance.

"We've arrived!"

Braving the fierce wind and rain, Aidan shouted as he managed to steer the ship to the shore.

A half-ruined tower stood atop a high mountain.

Isaac's destination was the northernmost part of the Elil Kingdom.

It was Wintercall, where the secret laboratory and the wizard's tower of Calurien once stood.

-TL Notes-