Chapter 251

"...A fallen angel? It is a fallen angel, right?"

Isaac asked Ulsten, even though he already knew the answer. The sight was so unbelievable.

Even if it were humans, no, animals, the sight of such a large-scale slaughter would be shocking. But the fallen angels, beings that once housed divinity, being 'culled' like this was outright blasphemous.

Culling.

That was the only term Isaac could think of. This was a scene of one-sided massacre.

Ulsten pointed at the ceiling as he spoke.

"While exploring for useful minerals, we found parts of fallen angels in several places. It felt strange, so we dug deeper and found this place. The fallen angels you were allowed to collect were just the tip of the iceberg."

Seeing Isaac's expression, Ulsten continued.

"I thought you might know, but it seems you didn't."

"...I had no idea. This is..."

Isaac tried to recall if there had been any similar event in the game.

There wasn't. A large-scale excavation of fallen angels? Such an event did not exist.

Isaac approached the buried fallen angels for a closer look. Only the fallen angels of the Codex of Light turned into stone, so naturally, these were fallen angels from the Codex of Light faction. These fallen angels hadn't been carved from stone; they had turned to stone in their living state. As a result, they retained a vivid and dynamic appearance, as if they might come to life at any moment.

The cracked, intertwined, and wounded forms were all vividly visible, creating an eerie atmosphere.

As he examined them, Isaac noticed something peculiar about their posture. Checking other areas, he found a common trait among the fallen angels.

"What seems odd?"

"They're all upside down."

"Upside down? Fallen angels?"

Isaac nodded. Ulsten looked puzzled.

Well, the appearance of angels, even fallen ones, was difficult for ordinary people to understand at a glance. It was hard to distinguish top from bottom easily. But having seen angels several times, Isaac could tell these angels were all turned downward, facing the ground.

'As if they were not trying to ascend but to dig into the ground...'

Isaac examined the condition of the angels.

Though it was one-sided, from their condition, it was clear they had been fighting something fiercely. An enemy they couldn't overpower, so much so that even the injured and dying were piled up and crushed by their weight.

The fallen angels had fought that enemy and were buried deep underground, turning to stone.

'Why?'

The Codex of Light must have had reasons to abandon them.

Isaac imagined a terrifying plague. Angels contaminated beyond recovery by the enemy they fought. Instead of recovering them, the Codex of Light chose to forsake them, turning them into fallen angels and sealing them in eternal darkness with their enemy.

Thus, the culling was carried out.

What was certain was that the enemy of these angels was an underground entity.

Isaac felt a chilling sensation as he looked at the fallen angels still buried under the soil.

"...Ulsten. Just to be sure, you didn't dig below this area, did you?"

"Well, we thought about exploring further, but seeing this made us lose all desire to dig. We left the existing fallen angels untouched, fearing they might awaken if disturbed."

One angel, whether one or a thousand, was equally threatening. But with such a large number, it would be nothing short of an astronomical disaster. It would be wise not to antagonize a being capable of mobilizing such a force.

Isaac had no desire to provoke these beings, risking the Sword of May coming for him, saying, "I don't like kids who know too much," and cutting him down.

'In the end, whether crawling on the ground or licking boots, striving to become an archangel might be the only way to survive.'

***

"Brother Horhel... My meager learning still does not grasp the great heavenly plan."

Inside the carriage returning to Lenheim Cathedral.

After being almost robbed of half a year's budget for the cathedral by Isaac, Bishop Ramarié was deeply troubled.

The heavenly plan was of utmost importance, especially with the Millennium Kingdom approaching. However, until the Kingdom truly arrived, he had the responsibility of feeding his monks, students, and priests.

Horhel looked at Ramarié with a smile.

"What kind of learning do you need, Brother Ramarié?"

"I understand that Isaac is an important asset. But I see no piety in him. Neither in his conduct towards the Order nor in his actions. Why does the Lighthouse Keeper insist on naming someone who dares to trade with angels?"

Horhel did not rebuke Ramarié for his lack of faith and intellect. He merely looked at him with a pitying expression.

Not only Ramarié but many priests would react similarly if they heard the rumor that Isaac was a prospective archangel.

Horhel was very displeased with their narrow-minded attitude.

Isaac had shown exceptional achievements, skills, and potential enough to be rightfully considered an archangel. If there were ten more like Isaac, the Codex of Light would have already fulfilled the arrival of the Millennium Kingdom long ago.

However, there was no need to further wound Ramarié, who had just been drained of precious funds, by saying, "Isn't it because you're incompetent and foolish?" Instead, Horhel calmly persuaded him.

"It's because Isaac is most suitable as a false prophet."

"...I have heard of false prophets. They are said to be essential for the arrival of the Millennium Kingdom... But I'm not sure if someone like Isaac is suitable."

"It seems you do not understand the role of a false prophet."

Horhel began speaking, more to organize his own thoughts than to persuade Ramarié.

"The believers are foolish sheep, and the Watcher's Council are the shepherd dogs. We try to control the flock by following the shepherd's words, but it's difficult to control so many sheep. How do you think we can herd them into a pen?"

"...By hitting the sheep or barking fiercely?"

"Those methods have their limits. The sheep might get scared and run away. There is a much simpler way."

"A simpler way..."

Horhel made a gesture with his left hand in a fist and his right hand with one finger extended, moving it as if the fist was following the finger.

"Sheep have the instinct to follow when a leading sheep moves. We use that."

Horhel shook the extended finger as he continued.

"This leading sheep is called a false prophet. When the false prophet jumps into the pen, the other sheep follow. They don't know whether they'll be sheared, slaughtered, or find a comfortable resting place inside. We only need to control the false prophet."

Horhel clasped both hands together as he finished speaking. Ramarié nodded in understanding.

The wandering monk added an explanation.

"A false prophet is originally a being worshipped and loved by all. That's natural. But that worship and love are crowns and gifts placed upon them by our shepherd. Should the shepherd dog be surprised and jealous of that?"

"...I apologize, Brother. Thank you for explaining in detail."

Ramarié expressed his gratitude to Horhel, who had kindly explained instead of severely reprimanding him. As he imagined the sheep entering the pen, he suddenly thought about the fate of the false prophet.

"So, the Lighthouse Keeper doesn't truly intend to appoint Isaac as an archangel?"

Horhel smiled faintly at Ramarié's question.

"How could we possibly understand the grand design of the angels? However, even if other sheep are slaughtered, there's no reason to harm the false prophet. A good false prophet is very difficult to create. And if such a false prophet listens well... sometimes they receive special names from the shepherd's affection."

A named sheep.

Ramarié understood what that metaphor implied.

Ramarié felt a chill at the thought that there might have been false prophets among the named, or previously named, angels. But he didn't dare voice such blasphemous thoughts.

Kalsen also had the potential to become an excellent false prophet. But no one knew where things went wrong, leading to his sudden disappearance.

In any case, the fate of all false prophets was the same.

As Horhel said, no matter the splendid adornments, humans were merely sheep raised by the gods. The moment one denies being a sheep or rejects the role of a false prophet, they revert to being just an ordinary sheep.

And an ordinary sheep is merely destined for slaughter.

Just like the White Owl.

***

Isaac imagined living as a docile sheep while looking at the tomb of fallen angels.

It wasn't a bad thought. It was his initial goal and also the goal of being a Paladin of the Codex of Light. Completing the Holy War, reclaiming the Holy Land, and ultimately praising the glory of God in the arrived Millennium Kingdom. By then, the Codex of Light would no longer doubt him.

But that wasn't a victory for the Nameless Chaos.

'So why did the Nameless Chaos choose me?'

Isaac didn't intend to follow the doctrines or goals of the Nameless Chaos. He wasn't even sure if such things existed. Despite his worries, the Nameless Chaos remained silent, as if leaving everything to his judgment.

Isaac thought of an event.

While there wasn't an event involving 'a large number of fallen angels,' there was one with 'a large number of angels.'

It occurred during the game's conclusion, not during gameplay, during the 'victory declaration' event.

When the Codex of Light finally triumphed and the 'Millennium Kingdom' arrived, thousands of angels descended from the heavens to declare that the world belonged to God.

There was a similar event in the 'Rebirth' victory declaration of the World's Forge ending. The Codex of Light, burning like a furnace with the angels thrown in as fuel, finally breaks through the earth's crust. In Elil's long-desired 'Great War,' an army of angels wages war across heaven, earth, and hell.

All these events required a vast number of angels and were related to the Codex of Light.

The Millennium Kingdom was a given, and the the World"s Forge believed the entity reborn in the furnace was the Codex of Light. Elil aimed to be recognized as 'justice' by the Codex of Light, not the church. That was the purpose of the war.

'So, was Kalsen trying to perform an ascension ritual here... because of these angels?'

Perhaps Kalsen had stored this arsenal to ensure he wouldn't be outmatched when reborn as the young god. Or he might have hidden it to control him. Or it could have been a lid sealed due to some unimaginable event on this land.

Whatever the case, it was in Isaac's hands.

This could turn a mere chess piece into a chess player.

In fact, Isaac was never meant to be a chess piece.

'Rather, I'm a monster intruding on the chessboard.'

The 'original' Isaac should have died at Kalsen's hands. That fact remained unchanged in the Nameless Chaos's world. But Isaac survived and climbed onto this grand stage.

That meant Isaac was not a chess piece but an intruding entity.

And the players of the chess pieces were bewildered by this unexpected presence. Some tried to remove him, while others extended their hands, hoping to use him. This meant Isaac could not only follow the rules but also become a player of the chessboard himself.

Isaac vaguely imagined a certain picture.

His own victory declaration.