Chapter 289

Isaac hadn't intended for Atlan's mother to die.

From the start, Isaac didn't care what happened to Orthea, and he hadn't factored it into his calculations.

But he never imagined he would end up with achievements such as driving Sahulan Khan to flee, sparing Atlan's life, and instilling a subtle sense of guilt in Tuhalin.

However, everything else had gone according to Isaac's plan.

"To some extent."

"...You deliberately lured our army deep into the estate?"

"Essentially, it was a repeat of what happened in Seor. The only difference was that this time, it was on a much larger scale."

Of course, the details were significantly different.

In Seor, he had removed the shamans, which drastically lowered the orcs' morale. In the Isaacrea estate, he had lured the enemy so deep that it would be difficult for them to retreat, and then revealed the allied forces.

Seizing the opportunity, Isaac began explaining to Edelred as well.

"The World's Forge had already arrived here long ago. The Isaacrea estate was originally famous for its mines, and for dwarves, mines are like home. They stayed there, waiting for you to pass overhead."

As he spoke, Isaac pointed eastward.

"Even if Manseungja is listening, my promise to bring the desired knowledge was not a lie. It's just that I couldn't obtain it myself. You must've heard of the chaos that erupted in Lichtheim. It happened during that process. But since I failed anyway, I thought I might as well use it to provoke you."

"...You're insane."

"It's not every day you get a chance to provoke an angel. Naturally, they took the bait right away. I didn't expect Khan to show up, so the breach happened faster than anticipated... I had to spout nonsense while pretending to negotiate in front of you all."

Had the Elil Knight Order arrived just half a day later, the village would have burned, and the monastery would have collapsed. Although the village had already suffered considerable damage due to the battle, far worse outcomes could have occurred.

Atlan, after a long silence, finally spoke.

"Why did you go to such lengths?"

"Why? Because this was the way to win."

"You said the World's Forge arrived early. Without even a fight, if the World's Forge Order had simply barricaded themselves in the mountains, we would've taken a long detour south or abandoned the Isaacrea estate altogether. Even if Manseungja had been furious, she wouldn't have wasted her followers on meaningless revenge."

Isaac nodded in agreement with Atlan.

Atlan was correct. Instead of risking and gambling by dragging in the Olkan Code and endangering the residents, it would have been far more advantageous for everyone to simply barricade themselves in the mountains.

But Isaac had deliberately drawn in the orcs, forcing significant losses.

"Did you want to become a war hero?"

Atlan's sarcastic tone made Isaac chuckle. A few years ago, he might have indeed sought such a thing. Back then, he had been desperate to gain fame and social standing. But not anymore. Isaac now had more than enough fame.

Isaac's answer was simple.

"So that your forces heading south would be reduced, even if just a little."

"...What did you say?"

"You anticipated that occupying this place wouldn't be easy, and Manseungja was waiting here. Even Atlan, an unparalleled hero, was watching over the situation. I'm sure many of your forces were preparing for battle here."

"..."

"If we repelled you without even fighting, wouldn't you have gone straight south? Then, the people in the south would have to face your crazy orc raiders. I couldn't let that happen."

So Isaac had decided to fight in their place.

While he couldn't physically run over and assist, he could draw in as many enemies as possible and force them to suffer losses here.

It would have been ideal if he could have killed Khan as well, but the bastard managed to escape. However, the nearly 200,000 casualties and the immense loss of resources were irreparable damage. And most importantly, the loss of the archangels' trust would make the Great Raid itself far more difficult.

Atlan remained silent for a while, processing Isaac's explanation, before speaking again.

"You're a Holy Grail Knight."

***

Isaac shrugged as if he didn't understand the out-of-context statement. Then he turned his gaze to Edelred.

Edelred, who had been watching with a look of admiration, flinched and quickly adjusted his cloak.

"What should we do, Your Majesty Edelred?"

"Huh? W-What?"

"What should we do with this orc? Atlan is an unparalleled hero who's difficult to match. He's strong now, but if he continues to grow, he could become a figure like Tuhalin or Dera Heman. We hold the power of life and death over such a hero."

Edelred looked at Isaac as if to ask why he was being asked such an important question, but Isaac calmly waited for his response. After some hesitation, Edelred spoke up.

"If he's such a great hero, surely there must be an angel watching over him?"

Isaac smiled.

"Yes."

"Could we perhaps ask that angel to swear an oath? In exchange for releasing this hero, they would stop the Great Raid and retreat."

It was the answer Isaac had expected. From the moment he asked the Elil devotee Edelred, the outcome was predetermined.

As long as the orc hadn't done anything particularly dishonorable, they revered and respected great warriors. Even if that warrior had rescued their king (khan) and been captured, it was the epitome of chivalry. The fact that their enemy might become a powerful threat in the future didn't concern them much.

If it had been Hesabel, she would have suggested implanting a worm in his brain, drugging him, or something similarly insidious before sending him back as a slave. But Isaac, being a model Holy Grail Knight (tentacles included), couldn't imagine doing something so horrific.

However, Atlan poured cold water on Isaac's righteous intentions.

"Olkan ordered the Great Raid through Manseungja and Netherworld to obtain knowledge from the secret archives of Lichtheim. Do you think an army of ten million would retreat just because of a few losses?"

Isaac snorted at the comment.

"That's why you need to return."

"...What?"

"I know that the ten million number is exaggerated. Even if it's true, that number must include children, the elderly, and everyone else. If all of them die, Olkan's Code itself might be destroyed, don't you think?"

"..."

"Even if that's not the case, you now have to face not only the Codex of Light but also Elil, the World's Forge, and most importantly, 'me.' Are you confident? At this point, shouldn't you start considering other options besides the Great Raid?"

Now that Khan had suffered a crushing defeat and retreated, the orcs would inevitably begin to question the very premise of the Great Raid.

Isaac hoped that Atlan would become the leader of the 'opposition faction.'

Convincing Manseungja and dealing with Sahulan Khan's rage over losing his wife would be Atlan's responsibility. If the Great Raid continued, both sides would certainly bleed.

'Even if nothing comes of it and the Great Raid goes on... if Atlan's followers can cause internal strife, that would be a victory in itself.'

Atlan seemed deep in thought.

Like most paladins, Atlan, a Keshik, was a devout follower of the Olkan Code. But as a warrior, he was clearly beginning to question the very nature of this expedition. More than anything, overcoming his complex regarding his mother and his battle with Isaac had undoubtedly sparked some change in his mindset.

"...I will consult Manseungja."

Isaac considered even this much progress in swaying Atlan's opinion a significant achievement.

Atlan closed his eyes briefly, whispering as if in prayer. However, there were no signs that Manseungja would manifest.

Perhaps, as a warrior who had faced continued failures, Manseungja might have abandoned Atlan, withdrawing her blessings. If that were the case, Isaac would have no choice but to question Manseungja's judgment.

However, instead of burdening her injured and wounded agent by descending herself, Manseungja appeared in a different form.

A grasshopper jumped onto Atlan's body. The insect, after grooming its antennae, emitted a chirping sound that, for some reason, took on the form of language.

[I know that your name is a false one.]

From her very first words, Isaac privately mused that even as a lofty archangel, Manseungja seemed petty enough to harbor resentment.

"Oh, really? My real name is Isaac. Is that what you wanted to know?" Isaac responded, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Manseungja remained silent for a moment before replying, her tone tinged with displeasure.

[That is not your name either. Holy Grail Knight, you must find your true name. If you do not, you will lose.]

"I'd appreciate it if you could provide a bit more context."

Isaac found the often disconnected and contextless speech of the angels annoying. Did she mean that he was losing now? From Isaac's perspective, losing at this point would be more challenging, regardless of how many forces Olkan's Code sent his way.

But Manseungja didn't seem inclined to elaborate further.

[The victory you've gained from us is meaningless. In the end, everyone loses.]

She murmured as if lamenting.

[Knowledge is not something to be hoarded alone. It is something that everyone must know. You must find the name of the Nameless Chaos. If not, we will all be defeated...]

Manseungja trailed off, falling silent. The grasshopper, as if its business was concluded, quickly leapt away into the grass. Isaac briefly wondered if the shock of defeat had caused the archangel to lose her mind, but upon reflection, he confirmed that none of her words had been explicitly hostile.

She just sounded like a senile prophet, muttering incomprehensibly.

'Isaac isn't my real name?'

If neither Isaac nor Izek is his real name, then what could it be?

The only other possibility was the name of the body he had first possessed. When he initially inhabited this body, the name Isaac had been attached to it, but whether that was his true name was uncertain.

[Nameless Chaos is watching you.]

However, he didn't have the luxury to dwell on this enigmatic prophecy.

At the moment, the Isaacrea estate was swarming with an enormous number of forces, and there was a mountain of work to be done.

***

As for Atlan's fate, it was decided that he would be treated and then released.

Tuhalin silently agreed with the decision, and the Elil knights had no objections to Edelred's suggestion. In fact, it was Atlan who seemed most reluctant about returning to Olkan's Code, which was now in a position opposite to his own.

However, it seemed Atlan was contemplating Manseungja's words more deeply than Isaac had.

"Isaac, I plan to seek the answer to Manseungja's question, regardless of the Great Raid."

"Hmm, the Black Empire's territory has yet to be thoroughly searched by the Codex of Light Order, so it might indeed be easier to find clues about Nameless Chaos there."

"Yes, if we can find the answer without raiding Lichtheim, it would also give us a reason to halt the Great Raid. The loot we've already gathered should be enough to get us through the winter."

Isaac had somewhat dismissed the Olkan Code, but they had already plundered numerous cities and small countries on their way to the Isaacrea estate. To obtain more, they would need to push beyond the Gerthonia Empire, but by now, everyone must have realized that such a feat wouldn't be easy.

"And if we find the answer before you, we might be the ones who 'win.' When that happens, the roles of victor and vanquished will be reversed. The Codex of Light is fortunate. If not for you, we would have already burned Lichtheim to the ground."

Atlan spoke confidently, but Isaac could only look at him with disbelief. He couldn't fathom how Atlan could be so confident about finding a name before him.

"Does the Gerthonia Empire seem so trivial to you? Does Emperor Waltzemer look like a pushover? That man is a warrior on par with Sahulan Khan. If he hadn't been excommunicated and if he hadn't been so greedy, the imperial army might already be decorating orc heads with spears."

Isaac's words were partly sincere.

It was a pity that the emperor had been more wary of internal threats than those from the east. In the end, it was that arrogance that had brought the emperor down.

"Oh, right. Speaking of that, there's something I've been curious about."

Atlan asked, his expression serious.

"Is it true that the emperor was excommunicated?"