Chapter 139:

Chapter 139:

At that remark, Ilya’s head snapped up.

“You’ve resolved the issue with the Red Flesh? As long as any flesh remains, the Doctrine of Thirsty Love won’t disappear, so how... Could it be that the Prophet of the Red Flesh withdrew voluntarily?”

“You’re not in a position to be asking questions,” Dietrich retorted, evading the question with an authoritarian tone.

Even if it was Isolde, digesting and absorbing the Red Flesh could pose long-term problems, especially if it involved the whole Prophet of the Red Flesh. That’s why it was necessary to break Ilya’s spirit intentionally.

Subdued, Ilya bowed his head.

“What I meant to say was... I found the person who fed the Red Flesh to Miss Isolde. We dealt with it internally within the Inquisition. You won’t meet him again.”

When an inquisitor says you won’t meet someone again, it usually means they’ve been cleanly incinerated.

Who it was or why it happened didn’t matter. It was likely a one-time use agent anyway. The Red Chalice’s schemes involving seduction and manipulation were not new.

Dietrich had experienced it several times, so he merely frowned.

“Did you find out why they did it?”

Ilya shook his head. Such disposable minions likely didn’t even know what they were carrying or who they were working for, given the cunning nature of the Red Chalice’s plots. At best, they might have tried to create a scandal involving the second highest in the empire’s hierarchy.

Isaac knew this was aimed at him, but he couldn’t disclose that. Dietrich sighed heavily.

“Is that all you had to tell Isolde?”

“Since we can’t reveal that Lady of the Duchy is affected by the Doctrine of Thirsty Love, I just wanted to ensure everything was resolved since she was attending the banquet. But I never expected this to happen...”

Isaac whispered to Dietrich by his side.

“He seems to be telling the truth.”

“That’s what I see as well.”

However, Dietrich still looked at Ilya as if he was something to be devoured, without showing any sign of softening.

Sending Isolde to the church was meant to expose her to the world, including the darker sides of the order. Although Isolde seemed to have nine lives, wandering as she did, she had managed to survive and return safely.

That was enough for Dietrich.

He turned to Isaac and seemed to ponder for a moment before pulling off a ring that was fitted on his finger.

“The Paladin collects relics and returns them to the temple to receive the gods’ blessings. Please, take this.”

Isaac could hardly hide his surprise at seeing the ring.

[Broken Crystal tomestone Fragment (S)]

[In the Crystal Battlefield, ten thousand warriors fight in ten thousand ways, tasting victory ten thousand times, and facing death just as often. The tomestone mourns the warriors’ deaths, during its luminescence it aligns their movements flawlessly, guiding them to certain victory or death.]

“This is...”

Isaac started to speak but stopped at Dietrich’s urgent gesture.

‘The Crystal Battlefield’ is the afterworld of Elil. And this ring was forged from the fragments that flowed from that very afterworld of Elil.

The ring, encrusted with dense crystal fragments around its golden band, emitted an extraordinary aura.

“It was found by one of my ancestors in Rougeberg. It might have belonged to a high knight under Elil, or perhaps to Elil himself.”

“No, I can’t accept something this valuable.”

It wasn’t a refusal out of politeness or modesty, but genuine discomfort. Such an item would be considered a heirloom in the Duchy of Brant, and if the ducal succession were even slightly complicated, accepting it could lead Isaac to face assassination.

But Dietrich forcibly placed the ring in Isaac’s hand.

“It’s not the Codex of Light nor a relic of the Elil Order that I could openly display; it was a sanctified object I kept hidden. It saved my life numerous times during the last war. I have no use for it now, but as a Paladin, it might be of use to you.”

“Spies?”

“Yes. Those deceived, bribed, or threatened... The Prophet of the Red Flesh must have prepared thoroughly. After all, she was the most active angel in the Red Chalice Club.”

The scale of the conspiracy was larger than expected.

It was suspicious that they had planned so much just to kidnap Isolde.

Even if the plot was to dominate the Brant duchy, it would have been enough to bewitch a few close nobles after gaining control over Isolde.

However, this conspiracy involved not just nobles but also guards, merchants, thieves, and smugglers.

This scale was abnormal.

No, it wasn’t typical of the Prophet of the Red Flesh to manage even the lowest ranks; he would rather overthrow the duchy by force.

The problem was that these people were organized in cells, so detailed plans were unknown due to their strict secrecy. They didn’t even know they were following the orders of the Red Chalice Club’s angel.

Fortunately, the Hunter Leader had the names of all the nobles he had bewitched.

Isaac sent the list into Hesabel’s mind. However, Hesabel still looked uneasy.

She cautiously observed Isaac and said,

“I’m sorry, Isaac. It’s impossible to completely eliminate all the spies of the Red Chalice. Unless you can solve everyone’s poverty, make them saints who don’t succumb to temptation, or ensure they live contentedly, that is.”

Expecting the spies of the Red Chalice Club to disappear is like hoping there are no people who are bribed, seduced, or dream of immortality.

It was an impossible task that only those with unrealistic expectations about humans would dream of.

As long as desires exist, the Red Chalice Club would always find a way to infiltrate.

Isaac knew this well.

He nodded and said,

“Right. I know. But this time, the scale is so large that I just want to know what they are plotting. Especially because they have been unusually aggressive lately.”

It might not be a big deal.

But the hunters of the Red Chalice were caught too easily, and the scale of those involved in the conspiracy seemed too large for their goals.

Isaac thought that the attack by the human hunters might just be a part of a larger scheme.

And soon, he could come to a conclusion.

***

“Isaac, if you have time, would you like to have a cup of tea?”

The kidnappers targeting Isolde had been dealt with, so the banquet could now end without issues. Dietrich seemed to have thought of a way to conclude the event convincingly, but Isaac no longer cared.

“Of course. What kind of tea is it?”

To refuse the duke’s teatime would be too materialistic for Isaac.

“It’s a very expensive tea. Directly brought from the central regions.”

Isaac wondered how special the tea was for Duke Brant to praise it so highly.

“The Emperor himself wishes to meet you.”

Indeed, it was going to be a very expensive teatime.

–TL Notes–

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to read up to advance 20 chapters or support me, you can do it at /Akaza156