Chapter 257:

Chapter 257:

“Claire, for heaven’s sake. You look awful.”

Hearing the report that one of the people brought in by the patrol was a priest, Isaac immediately went to identify him. He had thought it odd that Claire was delayed, but he hadn’t expected him to be mixed up with the Ciero Dawn Army.

As soon as Claire saw Isaac, he collapsed on the steps, sobbing.

“I am ashamed... to appear before you in such a disgraceful state.”

If Isaac had known that Claire was among the fleeing Dawn Army, he would have found a kinder way to bring him in. However, after hearing the woman’s story and the patrol’s report, Isaac understood that Claire had tried his best to save someone.

The student priest who had caused trouble in Ultenheim was no longer just a priest, but a respectable human being.

‘He might be quite useful after all.’

Isaac, who had been skeptical about Claire, felt a sense of expectation upon seeing his transformation. Now, Claire had become a person who held skepticism about the Codex of Light and a wary interest in the Nameless Chaos.

Isaac thought Claire might even learn that tentacles, too, had their uses.

“For now, clean yourself up and have a meal. Then tell me about your journey here.”

***

“You say it seemed like a miracle of the Nameless Chaos?”

Claire, now looking neat, recounted his experiences.

He spoke of his departure from Ultenheim, wandering as a vagrant, joining the Ciero Dawn Army, and the hardships he endured to get here. But the story that caught Isaac’s attention was only one.

When he tried to stop the Dawn Army from looting, the Codex of Light did not respond to his prayers, but the Nameless Chaos did.

“Has anything like this happened before?”

“No... I never even considered memorizing those prayers. Except during the ritual...”

Isaac touched his face to hide his astonishment. Until now, miracles had only been granted to a select few. Although Isaac’s physical abilities had naturally developed as he grew, the explicit granting of miracles was rare.

Therefore, it was surprising that Claire had used a miracle of the Nameless Chaos.

Although he had performed the Nameless Chaos ritual, Claire had not been ordained by Isaac, and there was no reason for the Nameless Chaos to respond to him.

“What kind of miracle was it?”

“I prayed for something to grab their ankles. A dark energy surged from the ground and seized them. It was only for a brief moment.”

“Can you show me now?”

Claire seemed hesitant to perform a miracle of the Nameless Chaos in front of the Holy Grail Knight. However, he couldn’t refuse Isaac, who had once saved his life in Ultenheim. He hesitated but then recited the prayer he had used earlier.

“Gather the scattered fragments of oblivion with your touch.”

Black energy slithered up from the carpet near the fireplace and quickly disappeared. It was so faint that it was hard to notice unless one looked closely, but it was clearly a miracle of the Nameless Chaos. Moreover, Isaac felt his divine power being subtly drained.

The reason Isaac was concerned about Claire’s miracle was the possibility that it might signal the resurrection of the Nameless Chaos or something beyond his control. Just as Camille had researched the doctrines of the Nameless Chaos, there might be other hidden secrets. For some reason, the coming of the Millennium Kingdom required miracles of the Nameless Chaos, which suggested that its influence might be spreading further.

If they all committed acts of terrorism in the name of the Nameless Chaos or, in the worst case, triggered another plague, even Isaac might find it impossible to contain.

‘But right now, Claire used my divine power to perform the miracle. It was a small amount, hardly noticeable, but...’

Isaac, wondering, focused on preventing any divine power leakage and commanded Claire to perform the miracle again.

“Try it once more.”

Claire did as instructed. This time, the miracle did not occur. Even after reciting the prayer a couple more times, nothing happened, leaving Claire looking puzzled.

Isaac was convinced by this.

‘...It was my divine power that triggered the miracle.’

Isaac remembered being summoned by Claire in the underground crypt of Ultenheim. Although it was only a fragment of his soul, it was still a summoning, and he had taken over Claire’s consciousness to help him. Claire seemed to have been deeply influenced by Isaac and had developed a sense of reverence for him.

There was another possibility, too. This world granted miracles to those who earnestly desired them. Claire’s sincerity might have moved the world, causing a miracle. However, because he prayed to the Nameless Chaos, a miracle of that nature was manifested.

In other words, Claire had become a follower of the Nameless Chaos.

Or rather, in this case, the Nameless Chaos had a name.

Isaac Issacrea.

“Where should I stay?”

Isaac smiled at Claire, who had nowhere to go.

“There are some people in a similar situation. They eat their vegetables and are kind to animals. You should get along well with them.”

Claire tilted his head at the strange introduction.

***

‘The empire is heading for a bad situation.’

Through his meetings with Gebel, Isolde, and Claire, Isaac had grasped the overall atmosphere and situation of the empire.

The empire was descending into chaos.

Massive numbers of people were voluntarily heading towards the Holy Land, and the church was resorting to all means, even researching miracles from other faiths. At this rate, even if they recaptured the Holy Land, the empire might collapse or come close to it.

Such a desperate move meant the church was staking everything on this expedition.

As if there was no need to consider what came after.

‘...Does the coming of the Millennium Kingdom mean something like an apocalypse or a cataclysm?’

Isaac recalled the apocalyptic theories from his world. The idea that after a series of disasters, the world would be destroyed, and the gods would judge who survived, bringing the dead back to eternal paradise.

Some might think, ‘Who would welcome such a thing?’ but the faithful would not. To them, it was a sacred and holy conclusion. A world where justice was served, and their suffering was rewarded. Many had died or sacrificed themselves for this conclusion.

It must have been the same before the white plague arrived 300 years ago.

Isaac recalled the scenes Amundalas had shown him and fell silent.

If he was in any way contributing to that outcome, the Holy Land should not be recovered.

‘...Honestly, I’m not blameless in the current situation.’

It was Isaac who persuaded the emperor to incite the Dawn Army. But even if the emperor had refused, the Dawn Army would have risen. His persuasion was to lead an inevitable movement more successfully. But he hadn’t anticipated such madness.

Especially the Ciero Dawn Army was a problem.

‘If they start targeting the Golden Idol Guild, the situation will spiral out of control, and even the church will struggle to manage it.’

The utility of the Golden Idol Guild was undeniable, and many bishops and priests received tribute from them. Naturally, they would try to control it, but with more people came more problems.

Problems were bound to arise.

The question was how big those problems would be.

The expedition from the Kingdom of Elil would soon be dispatched, and church supplies were flowing in from the Furnace of the World. The Golden Idol Guild was constantly transporting logistics for the Dawn Army, experiencing both the benefits of war and the lack of security. The Salt Council was also moving to awaken the sleeping god.

Worrying about vagrants causing trouble seemed almost trivial.

‘So what is the Black Empire doing?’

The Red Chalice must have already started plotting and scheming. The Olkan Code would surely show movement too, but whether it would be before or after the Dawn Army’s proclamation, Isaac couldn’t tell.

However, the Immortal Order was eerily quiet.

It was always the case. Apart from occasional acts of terrorism or plundering, the Immortal Order never formed large-scale expeditions to subjugate the empire. They focused solely on defense.

But they wouldn’t remain idle before such a large-scale expedition.

They must be doing something.

***

A while later, as Isaac had feared, a problem arose.

Not only for Isaac but for the entire empire, and in a completely unexpected form.

_____________

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