Chapter 44:

Chapter 44:

The sound of a wine glass sliding across the table did not capture Yukhar’s attention. Instead, he promptly responded to Isaac’s question.

“One would surely die.”

It was an ambiguous statement. Was he implying that Isaac would die, or was he referring to himself?

Feeling perhaps his comment was too provocative, Yukhar continued.

“Do you have any idea how many power brokers, merchants, and knights are involved with Loracus? Even farmers have gotten involved. Imagine telling those whose heads are ablaze with joy that the treasure they’ve purchased is actually trash. What do you think would happen?”

Yukhar maintained a calm demeanor as he spoke to Isaac.

“Do you think they would listen to you? With their entire fortunes at stake? They might ignore you, or, perhaps, they might do something far more drastic to prevent the prices from falling.”

Isaac realized why Yukhar was not perturbed. He wasn’t concerned about the Shepherd’s Crook being exposed.

So many were already entangled in the Lorocus situation.

Even without the Shepherd’s Crook inciting them, the whole of Seor was rolling forward on the inertia of desire. Even knowing that destruction was the only end, no one could stop.

“Given the situation has reached this point, Holy Grail Knight, may I say something?”

“Go ahead.”

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but there are no paladins within the Golden Idol top brass.”

It was an unexpected turn. Why suddenly bring up the Golden Idol top brass and paladins? Yukhar didn’t wait for Isaac’s response and added,

“Not even priests or angels. Only followers are present in the Golden Idol top brass.”

The reason the Golden Idol top brass could blend into the districts of other faiths without being heavily guarded by the nine faiths is precisely because it lacked priests, paladins, and angels.

Even the existence of the Golden Idol as a deity was sometimes questioned.

However, merchants have felt the grace of the deity on their wandering paths, escaped bankruptcy through his blessing, and testified to unexpected fortunes and great profits. Thanks to the faith of these merchants, the Golden Idol top brass has maintained its influence among them.

“Why is that?”

“If there were priests and paladins, they would have their own positions, and differing positions could lead to disputes. Disputes would make it difficult for merchants to permeate among different faiths and conduct trade.”

It would prevent them from achieving their most important doctrine, the pursuit of profit. Isaac, who had already seen the ending through the Golden Idol top brass, was well aware of this fact.

“Paladins and priests may be absent. Even angels. But tell me, does the Golden Idol as a deity truly exist?”

“Is this suddenly a theological discussion?”

“Other faiths communicate with their deity through priests. But there are no priests in the Golden Idol top brass. Meaning, there’s no way to communicate with the deity. It’s uncertain if he even exists.”

“I see your point. Are you a follower of the Golden Idol top brass?”

“Yes.”

Isaac seemed to understand the structure. Soer had two branch managers: Caitlin, who sought legitimate trade in the light, and Yukhar, who did not shy away from any means to make money in the shadows.

It wouldn’t be strange if Caitlin, working in the shadows, was unaware of what Yukhar was doing. Their fields were entirely different, and from the start, Yukhar’s views within the Golden Idol top brass seemed to... cross the line.

“Are you annoyed that a paladin from another faith is telling you what to do?”

“Not an incorrect statement.”

Yukhar glared at Isaac as he spoke.

“If there had been a paladin on top of the golden idol as well, you wouldn’t have been able to come here and create such a scene. A priest could curse your pocket to make holes in it.”

“A tight curse, indeed.”

Isaac snorted in disdain.

“Then, may I say something?”

“Please do.”

Caitlin, having heard Isaac’s words, was already anticipating a drop in the Loracus prices. Although the dramatic decline might not happen as Yukhar said, since Seor was already rolling on the inertia of greed, a drop is still a drop.

She might have thought it cheaper to settle the contract with Isaac now.

“How much?”

However, Isaac decided to hear her out. The amount Caitlin proposed was surprisingly large, enough to buy Yukhar’s mansion.

“That much?”

“Preventing a potential great loss to our consortium warrants this much at least.”

Caitlin seemed rather relieved.

Just as she said, being the first to know that the Loracus prices would fall meant that the Golden Idol Guild could minimize losses.

In fact, if played well, they could even come out with a profit.

However, Isaac shook his head after a moment of thought.

“There’s a contract with the Golden Idol guaranteeing security, so it’s better not to break it. Let’s see after a month. My faith may not align, but a god is still a god...”

Isaac paused mid-sentence.

“There are no paladins in the Golden Idol Guild, you said.”

“Yes? That’s...”

“...Is that really true?”

In other faiths, breaking an oath to a deity could result in a curse or, in the worst case, paladins or angels coming after them.

But the Golden Idol had none of those.

Yukhar, being a member of the Golden Idol consortium and lamenting the absence of priests, paladins, and angels, might be seeking something that is most desired by someone with such deficiencies.

Like other orders, he might desire the miracles of priests and the power of paladins.

What Yukhar wants is neither money nor power.

Isaac had an intuition that a paladin of the Golden Idol would come after him.

***

Late at night, a deep fog settled over Seor.

Isaac was staying at a luxurious facility provided by Caitlin. The accommodation, operated by the Golden Idol consortium itself, had facilities and a guest service system that would be considered excellent even by modern standards.

This also meant that many employees worked for the accommodation. In this era without machines, operating facilities as comfortably as those in the modern era required manpower.

Therefore, a stranger blending in naturally went unnoticed.

Because, after all, it was just a woman dressed as an ordinary maid.

The maid, carrying a laundry basket, passed among people without arousing any suspicion. She checked the register at the counter, sneaked out a master key, and reached her destination without any hindrance.

Soon, the maid arrived at a room. She used the master key to enter, finding it empty.

The maid looked around the room as if to check its layout and then approached the bed. Standing on the bed, she looked up for a moment before suddenly thrusting her hand upwards. A red spear emerged from thin air, piercing through the ceiling in an instant.

Boom. The sound of the roof being pierced echoed.

However, the maid’s face twitched. She did not feel the sensation of piercing flesh and bone she expected.

Among the falling dust, the maid transformed into red mist and surged upwards. The red mist seeped through the hole in the ceiling created by the spear. Quickly reverting to her original form, the maid looked around, but the person she expected was not there.

“A Wallachia human hunter? You again?”

The maid quickly turned her head. Her target, Isaac, fully armed from armor to sword, was looking at her.

“It was that maid after all. Somehow, her gaze seemed more ferocious than that of ordinary knights.”