Chapter 84

In the game "Nameless Chaos," the major player factions are outwardly referred to as "the Nine Faiths," a term echoed by NPCs within the game. They symbolize the nine rules that have governed the world since ancient barbarism receded and the age of human dominance began.

However, in reality, there are only eight faiths.

This is because the something that was the ninth faith spread a plague that killed all its followers who knew its name and then destroyed itself.

'That would be the Nameless Chaos, the thing that's parasitizing my body...'

The terrible plague that killed a third of the world's population greatly increased the fear of death, creating fertile ground for the youngest of the Nine Faiths, the Immortal Order, to arise.

Thus, the Nameless Chaos became a monster faith worshiped only by mindless monsters.

Kalsen seemed to have aimed to claim this nominal ninth faith for himself. However, he failed to become a god and merely set the stage for the 13th Dawn Brigade.

With this thought, Isaac suddenly recalled the "Ancient God XP Theory."

'Wait, could Kalsen have been the one trying to feed the ancient god?'

It was a plausible scenario.

Kalsen had already committed apostasy, but moving alone made it hard for others like Hesabel or Isaac to detect his actions, just as they were doing theirs. Actively seeking to resurrect the ancient god were Kalsen's collaborators, the Red Grail and the Immortal Order.

'Wait, does this mean I'm following in Kalsen's footsteps?'

Isaac was perplexed.

Then, could Kalsen also have been chosen by the Nameless Chaos?

But recalling the game's content, Kalsen did not use tentacles or wield the power of chaos.

Instead, Kalsen, who became the final boss of the Immortal Order, was more akin to a death knight.

Of course, this could have been the path he chose after failing to ascend to godhood. However, it seemed unlikely that Kalsen was chosen by the Nameless Chaos. Otherwise, when Isaac possessed this body, the tentacles would not have devoured Kalsen.

'Anyway, if Kalsen tried to establish a new faith in this domain, he must have had his reasons. And there must also be reasons why the other faiths are paying attention. Meeting the Blacksmith has just given me more questions.'

Isaac decided to expand the game even further. Unintentionally, he had already involved other faiths in this play.

The more complex and larger the board, the stronger the power of the joker.

Since no one yet knows about the intervention of the Nameless Chaos, Isaac plans to become the joker card, gaining the most benefit.

***

Caitlin, the head of the Golden Idol's Seor branch, was startled upon receiving a letter.

The letter carrier was none other than Isolde.

She had tensed up when told that an inquisitor had a letter for her.

Even for a neutral faith, an inquisitor was a frightening presence to a heretic like her. However, despite the terrifying rumors about inquisitors, the Isolde she met was a fresh and lively twenty-year-old beauty.

But her relief was short-lived upon reading the letter.

"A letter from Sir Isaac of the Grail?"

"He is now Lord Isaac Issacrea. He has inherited the Hendrake domain."

"Ah, so quickly..."

Caitlin shook her head in disbelief. Isolde found her reaction peculiar.

"Aren't you surprised that a young Grail Knight has suddenly become a lord?"

"Uh? Oh, I am curious about what happened. But on the other hand, I'm not that keen on knowing. The new lord of the Hendrake domain is already infamous for being a fool, no offense. If my remark about nobility offended you..."

"I am an inquisitor. Nobility insults are not my concern."

"That's a relief. Anyway, I heard the domain's management is erratic because of that noble, plus the incident with the angels and the knightly skills I know of... It's not really surprising."

Caitlin already knew about the angel vanquishing. In fact, the entire city of Seor was abuzz with it. The very Grail Knight who had previously chastised corruption and saved merchants in their city had now defeated an angel.

Isaac's fame had reached almost saintly levels. It wasn't without reason that the order had attempted to canonize him.

Caitlin was so astounded by Isaac's achievements that the news of him becoming a lord barely fazed her. Compared to the feats he had accomplished, becoming a noble seemed almost modest.

After all, there were plenty of nobles with unremarkable abilities, but Isaac had achieved something truly unique to him.

"But with such rapid success... it must have been more than just pure faith and luck."

Caitlin found herself bitterly smiling, unknowingly. She recalled the terrible loss she nearly faced during the Loracus incident. If Isaac hadn't been considerate of her situation then, the foundation of the Golden Idol's Seor branch might have been uprooted.

'It seems that incident wasn't just a coincidence after all.'

But now, she felt neither unjustly treated nor at a loss. Instead, she thought it was fortunate that she had been dealt with by Isaac.

In her eyes, Isaac was someone bound for greatness.

A person with exceptional abilities, ambition, luck, and cunning? Caitlin couldn't even begin to guess how far Isaac would climb. As the head of the Golden Idol's branch, it made sense to maintain a connection, even if just through financial ties.

Bound by money, they would have to see each other whether they liked it or not.

"So... aren't you going to read the letter?"

"Eh? Oh, yes. I should read it."

Caitlin's thoughts had wandered, prompting Isolde to nudge her. Caitlin was about to see Isolde out before reading the letter, but their eyes met as Isolde remained seated.

An awkward silence followed.

Caitlin belatedly realized why Isolde wasn't getting up.

"Ah, you want to see me read the letter?"

"No, I'm more curious about what it says."

Isolde stated boldly.

Caitlin found it absurd to be asked to share personal correspondence, but she remembered Isolde was an inquisitor.

Inquisitors typically care little for personal privacy. It wouldn't have been surprising if she had inspected it without asking. Thus, Caitlin found Isolde's approach somewhat refreshing.

'It seems the young ones these days aren't as sinister as in the past.'

"Well... then I'll read it and let you know."

"Yes. I would like to see the original after you've read it."

Caitlin shrugged as if it didn't matter. By the time Isaac had used an inquisitor as a letter carrier, he must have expected as much.

Caitlin quickly read through the letter. It was straightforward and clear, without any florid language, so it didn't take long to read. Although somewhat bureaucratic and filled with numbers, Caitlin was more accustomed to such figures. It was hard to believe a Grail Knight had written it, given its dry content.

"Already done reading?"

"Mm. There's not much to it. Our firm has an account opened by Mr. Isaac, and he'll be sending some goods to purchase. He also needs to withdraw some gold, and the rest is about proposing a few business ventures."

"Business ventures?"

"Yes. It seems he intends to take his role as a lord more seriously than his predecessor."

Caitlin handed the letter to Isolde, summarizing its content briefly. Isolde, after hearing the explanation and seeing the letter herself, found it to be exactly that: dry business proposals.

There were no secrets hidden or significant implications to be found.

"Well, I should be on my way then."

Caitlin quickly got up as if her business was concluded. Isolde, noticing her hurried demeanor, asked,

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No."

Caitlin responded with a smile.

"But for a merchant, business is more important than an appointment. I've received a once-in-a-lifetime offer, so I'm a bit eager to get moving."

The next person Isolde encountered was Jacquette.

However, Jacquette, who acted as the leader of the local Barbarians, panicked and fled upon learning that an inquisitor was looking for him. It was no use telling him that he wasn't there to be apprehended.

Even atheists weren't of interest to inquisitors unless they threatened the teachings of the Codex of Light. After all, Barbarians lacked a unifying center, and conflicts between faiths wielding miracles and commanding angels were far more threatening.

Isolde realized meeting in a polite setting would be difficult.

One dawn, as Jacquette was sleeping in his hideout, he woke up to find Isolde sitting beside his bed. Escaping a dedicated inquisitor was impossible for a mere gang leader like Jacquette.

Despite the difficulty, Isolde managed to deliver the letter's message, which was not much different from what Caitlin received.

"You want to hire them as guards?"

"Yes. For those without skills, that's the offer, and if there are those with skills, he's willing to take responsibility for employing them too."

Jacquette tried to speak confidently but had to suppress his instinct to kneel while explaining the contents of the letter. His explanation was so detailed and forthcoming that it seemed unlikely he was hiding anything.

'That's odd.'

Caitlin believes in the Golden Idol faith, yet from a neutral position, she offers help through gold and logistics. But the Barbarians? To a faithful like Isolde, they were practically useless. Of course, she would treat them as people from a moral standpoint, but frankly, they were not the sort of people she wanted to associate with closely.

It wasn't a matter of their low status or danger.

In a world where gods palpably exist, those without faith usually have their reasons.

Madmen who believe they are gods, barbarians who cannot abandon long-fallen ancient gods, heretics worshiping obscure deities, or criminals too scared of going to hell for their sins to think about the afterlife...

Since most Barbaris fall into such categories, it was natural for the faithful to keep their distance.

Of course, had Isaac heard such reasoning, he might have argued, "Without giving Barbarians a chance, they're more likely to head in that direction," but Isolde's thinking was common sense for the era.

'But why specifically involve the Barbarians? What's the meaning behind it?'

Perhaps Isaac, a truly noble and virtuous Grail Knight, intended it. To gather the forsaken and neglected Barbarians, providing them with true teachings and salvation, bringing them into his domain due to a shortage of people.

Yet, even to Isolde, that assumption felt ludicrous.

Isaac wasn't so simple and naive.

Even if conversion was the goal, there must be second and third motives hidden behind it.

Isolde asked Jacquette,

"So, will you go?"

"Eh? Oh, um, of course. It's routine for Barbarians to drift between being mercenaries or bandits. If there's a chance to settle down and earn a living, there's no reason to refuse."

Isolde nodded. It was clear that Isaac was gathering people in the Issacrea domain for some purpose. Without anyone urging him, Isaac would likely reveal his plans.

Isolde began to wonder what kind of miracle Isaac intended to show.

***

'How should I sell the potion to Isolde...?'

Honestly, promising to show Isolde a miracle was just a way to buy time.

He had already thought about how to sell the potion. But he really couldn't show her the tentacles. Even if he wrapped the tentacles in halos, tied them with ribbons, and handed her a cute teddy bear, tentacles are... tentacles.

Isaac could roughly imagine the expression on Isolde's face upon seeing them.

He wasn't thinking, "She's annoying, so let's kill her!" Overcoming this hurdle was necessary. If a notable figure suddenly emerged within the order, it was natural for an inquisitor to investigate, especially if that figure was a candidate for sainthood.

Passing this first checkpoint wouldn't rid him of suspicion, but it would be a start.

'Fortunately, Isolde is a good person.'

Although today's inquisitors were more akin to a rational investigative organization than zealots, they weren't without dogmatic tendencies. Belief in absolute justice was essential to carry out the duties of an inquisitor.

However, perhaps due to her background from the Brant ducal family, Isolde hadn't been indoctrinated with fanaticism. It seemed difficult for the order to pressure her too much, and given her still naive demeanor, it appeared she hadn't been tasked with mentally taxing investigations.

That was precisely the point Isaac planned to exploit.