Paladin of the Dead God

Chapter 372: Division (2)

The Death Knight Levante halted a short distance away instead of clashing with Isaac immediately.

Isaac briefly entertained the thought of slicing off his opponent’s head while he stood defenseless, but he knew such an act would demoralize Elil’s forces. Thus, he stood his ground.

Now that he had stepped forward to represent the Elil Knights, he had no choice but to respond in kind if his opponent sought an honorable duel.

"Isaac Issacrea. Supreme Commander of the Issacrea Dawn Army."

[Isaac! The famed Holy Grail Knight. Your renown has reached even this distant land, and I’ve long heard of you. But tell me—why did you skulk in like a thief instead of facing us on the open battlefield?]

A mocking laughter rippled through the undead ranks. If Isaac were merely an Elil knight, he might have felt slighted. But the undead had chosen their target poorly.

Isaac responded coldly.

"Because I’m here to win, not act like a fool."

The atmosphere instantly froze. To Isaac, it was amusing to see a defeated foe try to mock him. With that, he deemed their introductions complete and spurred his horse forward.

Without warning, he charged, his sword slicing through the air.

Levante hastily raised his blade to block Isaac’s strike. Chhak! The sharp clang of metal rang out. Though Levante staggered, he barely managed to keep his footing.

‘Of course he blocked it. That’s what I swung for.’

Isaac’s strike wasn’t meant to be a sneak attack—it was a loud declaration, a ringing bell to dispel any talk of dishonor or cowardice. It simply said: Bring it on.

Isaac waited for Levante to recover.

Although Levante had already realized Isaac’s overwhelming superiority in a single exchange, retreating from a stronger foe would be unthinkable for an Elil knight—even in undeath.

[Let me learn from your skill!]

"Only if you’re capable."

The moment Levante lunged, Isaac infused Kaldwin with sword energy. A sinister purple aura flickered around the blade, revealing its intricate design and markings. Recognizing the Holy Sword of Elil, Levante faltered, but it was too late.

In the next instant, Kaldwin split his helm, skull, armor, and even his phantom steed in one devastating strike. The sight was so unbelievable that even the Elil knights looked on in shock.

While Edelred could perhaps replicate such a feat with Kaldbruch, shredding an opponent as easily as Isaac had was beyond him.

The soul-consuming power of Kaldwin’s sword energy ensured that Levante could not regenerate. While the energy wasn’t potent enough to nourish Kaldwin, it was sufficient to suppress the Death Knight’s revival.

The sheer dominance of the display silenced the battlefield momentarily, but only for a moment. The intensity reignited as if the air had been set ablaze.

From within the undead ranks, two more Death Knights emerged simultaneously.

[Annabelle of the Tempel House!]

[Vidric, standard-bearer of the Orlan Order!]

Though the two seemed startled to meet each other’s gaze, they refrained from conceding the opportunity to attack and charged together. They believed Isaac, a warrior of his caliber, would never avoid a fight.

Yet Isaac, after a cursory glance, calmly turned his horse back toward the Elil lines.

Momentarily stunned, the Death Knights hesitated. However, two figures stepped forward in Isaac’s place.

Lianne and Cedric surged forth, their swords blazing with energy.

Kang! Kadduduk!

Cedric defeated his opponent within three strikes, finishing the fallen knight by crushing its skull underfoot to prevent regeneration. Meanwhile, Lianne clashed with her foe, locking blades in a fierce contest of strength.

Her extended struggle wasn’t due to weakness.

"Annabelle of the Tempel House—are you not my great-great-grandmother? Why do you stand in the way of your descendants here in this desolate land?"

The undead knight’s expressionless face betrayed no emotions, but the slightest tremor in her blade revealed a flicker of hesitation.

Yet, she soon cast aside her doubts and shoved Lianne back before resuming her assault without hesitation.

Kang!

Realizing the murderous intent behind her opponent’s strikes, Lianne grimaced and brought Lumiarde down in a savage arc.

Kwa-doo-doo-doo!

The fierce cold of her attack pierced even the chill of death, utterly obliterating Annabelle’s body.

Among the Elil knights, sparing an ancestor was not a sign of respect. Defeating them without mercy was.

With three enemy knights vanquished in quick succession, the Elil forces roared with renewed morale. On the other hand, the undead army seemed unfazed.

Instead, their standard-bearer waved his banner, and the remaining knights charged toward Lianne and Cedric en masse.

Edelred, seeing this, erupted in anger.

"Such dishonorable scum… All units, charge!"

Thus began the first battle within the Urdantu Empire.

***

The battle concluded with Isaac returning to a war council alongside his commanders to review the day’s events.

The Elil army had achieved a significant victory, decimating over half of the undead forces.

As Tuhalin noted, it was a “splendid victory.”

If the enemy had been human, that is.

Isaac had no intention of diminishing their accomplishment, but he had to voice his concerns.

"Against the undead, no matter how much damage we inflict, it’s ultimately meaningless. Given time, they’ll piece together their shattered bones and armor, returning as if nothing happened."

By contrast, humans grew weary and injured. Although the Elil knights were riding high on their triumph, casualties had been sustained. Once time passed and they faced the reality of war, they would realize that victory meant nothing until Holy Land Lua was secured.

Efforts to incinerate Armyes and prevent regeneration had been made, but in the middle of a desert, fuel was scarce. Asking the priests—whose priority was healing the wounded—to burn the bodies was also unfeasible.

"Still," Edelred remarked, "we’ve confirmed that Lua Vellin isn’t among their ranks, which will reassure our knights for now. There also doesn’t appear to be a Swordmaster among their forces."

Swordmasters retained their sword energy even in undeath. The infamous traitor of Elil, Bilon Gebel, was a prime example. Isaac considered the few individuals in the Immortal Order capable of wielding sword energy but couldn’t predict which of them might appear.

"Their numbers were small, suggesting this was a reconnaissance or probing force. That gives me an idea…"

Edelred seemed about to say more when Tuhalin gently interjected, ensuring no details were overlooked in his report.

"Just as His Majesty Edelred said, we discovered enemies near the rear and flank while the Supreme Commander advanced to the frontlines. It was on the Issacrea Paladin Order’s side. After some skirmishing, they retreated, likely scouts."

Isaac nodded in acknowledgment.

"Ah, yes. I’ve heard. Commander Rottenhammer and you, Sir Tuhalin, handled it well. Thank you."

"It’s not about who handled it," Tuhalin replied gravely. "The issue is who they were. The Issacrea Paladins seemed particularly concerned about them."

"Who were they?"

Ziiik, thud.

At that moment, someone approached Isaac. It was Gebel.

Dragging a weighty suit of armor in both hands, Gebel trudged closer. His grim expression was unlike anything Isaac had seen before. For a man who usually seemed indifferent to everything, it was a chilling sight. Now, Isaac understood why Gebel was once called the "Mad Dog of Mayhem."

"The Avalanche Knight Order," Gebel said heavily.

The armor he brought bore the insignia of a crescent moon crossed with a sword—the same design tattooed on Gebel’s body.

Isaac tensed. "Who were they?"

"I don’t know," Gebel admitted. "They didn’t speak, and their resistance was so fierce I… dealt with them harshly."

The mangled state of the knight Gebel had dragged in—its skull crushed, armor shredded, and every joint in tatters—was a testament to his methods. Isaac wondered if Gebel harbored a grudge against the Avalanche Knights, but it was more likely he had simply ensured the enemy couldn’t escape.

After removing the Death Knight’s skull, Gebel handed it to a priest for sealing rites. These sacred precautions would prevent resurrection, unholy miracles, or whispers from beyond.

The identity of the knight could be unraveled in time. For now, interrogation would have to wait.

***

"The Avalanche Knight Order," Isaac mused.

Their appearance here was no coincidence.

An ominous feeling stirred within him. He hadn’t been present at the skirmish, but the key question was how many of them had betrayed their oaths. Judging by Gebel’s reaction, it wasn’t a small number.

"Did anyone manage to speak with them?" Isaac asked.

Gebel shook his head but replied grimly.

"One of them had a peculiar sword. A curved blade marked with intricate craftsmanship—undoubtedly the work of a master smith from the Immortal Order. There’s only one person I know who wields such a weapon."

"Who?"

"Commander Linde. She once seized that blade from an Immortal Order smith, then burned their body to ashes."

Isaac vaguely remembered the name. It had come up during Rottenhammer and Gebel’s reunion. When Rottenhammer had asked about Commander Linde’s fate, Gebel had replied that she was dead.

"She was the leader of the Avalanche Knight Order."

If no one else had killed Linde and taken her sword, then it was likely she had become a Death Knight. But whether Linde had been turned into a Death Knight or whether someone had slain her and claimed her sword, it was clear Gebel felt compelled to pursue them.

Isaac saw the icy fire burning in Gebel’s eyes.

"Isaac, I’m sorry, but… I’ll need to part ways with you for a while."

Isaac regarded him with a conflicted expression.

Pursuing the Avalanche Knights was both Gebel’s duty and his right. Isaac couldn’t deny him that. Yet letting Gebel chase them alone felt akin to sending him to his death.

The worst-case scenario would be facing Gebel on the battlefield as an undead servant of the Immortal Order. If the entire Avalanche Knight Order had defected, it wasn’t impossible that Gebel might join them.

"I don’t want soldiers," Gebel insisted. "Even if you offered, I’d refuse. I can’t drag them to their deaths. I only need to uncover the truth."

"Who said that’s your call to make?"

A growling voice interrupted.

Rottenhammer stomped forward, pointing an accusatory finger at Gebel.

"Commander Rottenhammer…"

"Mad Dog, I thought your skills hadn’t dulled, but when did you get so soft? We’re supposed to crush the undead and burn their remains, not march into death alone like an idiot! If you’re so eager to die, at least ask for reinforcements first!"

"…This is personal," Gebel muttered. "I can’t burden Isaac with it."

"If you’re so set on going, the Issacrea Paladin Order will come with you! We’re not about to abandon comrades who can’t even rest in peace!"

Rottenhammer turned to Isaac, silently seeking approval.

Tuhalin, on the other hand, looked exasperated, silently pleading with Isaac to intervene. Splitting forces in hostile, supply-starved enemy territory was madness. Fighting undead, who couldn’t be resupplied by looting, only worsened the situation.

Adding to the tension, Edelred cautiously raised his hand.

"There’s something I didn’t get to say earlier. The Elil Knights plan to pursue the undead forces bearing the Vellin family’s banner."

"…"

Isaac’s expression grew even more strained.

"Because of those ancestors who were exhumed, I take it?"

"Do you recall Annabelle of the Tempel House, whom Lianne fought? She was Lianne’s great-grandmother. But the Tempel family has no known members who joined the Dawn Army. It seems their tombs were desecrated, as we’ve discovered flags and armor belonging to other presumed exhumed families."

Edelred’s discomfort was evident, his expression just as troubled as his tone.

"If we don’t pursue them, I fear the morale of the Elil forces cannot be maintained."

At last, Isaac realized the true aim of the Immortal Order in orchestrating this battle.

They sought to tear the Issacrea Dawn Army apart—not with strength, but with lingering grudges, misplaced love, and unfulfilled yearning.