Chapter 64. The Siege of a Lone Warrior (4)

Owen didn’t even hear Isaac’s response.

From his childhood, from the moment he held a sword, he had admired the Holy Grail Knights.

However, he wasn’t skilled enough to enter not just the Paladin order but also the Empire’s knightly orders. He was just a local youth, familiar with the sword and armor passed down from his father.

That was the limit of Owen’s talent.

Until he was tempted by Raela with the promise of being granted the divine powers of a Paladin, receiving immense strength and talent.

Even though he walked a dishonorable path, he still admired the Holy Grail Knights.

His display of respect when he met Isaac was not false.

In fact, he admired this young Holy Grail Knight.

Even though they had become adversaries, he was satisfied to be able to compete on equal footing.

‘But then…’

Owen was busy fending off the constantly invading tentacles. The tentacles were tough and not easily severed, and those that were cut off stuck to his armor like leeches, gnawing and creating holes.

Even the protective black mist around his armor was useless. It felt as if it was being consumed as well.

“This evil…!”

The power he borrowed from the Red Chalice was a dark and terrifying force beyond his understanding. He couldn’t even guess what kind of faith it was. Was it even a faith? Shouldn’t it be called a monster?

A piece of tentacle burrowed into his armor, causing intense pain inside his calf. The tentacle dug into his skin and started to climb up to his thigh. Owen snapped to his senses.

‘I must kill it.’

A firm sense of purpose blossomed in Owen’s mind.

If until now his actions were based on orders, now they were close to a sense of mission.

Owen recalled that Isaac, masquerading as a Paladin of the Codex of Light, was on a noble journey, receiving accolades.

Is that possible? Is it allowed?

Owen imagined what ultimate form this evil being would reveal when it finally received admiration.

‘I must stop it.’

The one standing here was not the Black Knight Owen, controlled by the Red Chalice, but the young boy who had just begun to admire the Holy Grail Knights.

Owen threw himself at the tentacles trying to penetrate his entire body without hesitation.

Isaac’s eyes widened, but Owen, ready to risk his life, struck down with all his might.

Crack!

In that moment, everything went dark before Owen’s eyes.

His sword swung through the air in vain. Owen couldn’t understand what happened, but he could feel blood soaking his face. He rubbed his eyes, thinking blood had gotten into them, but he couldn’t see.

Something wriggled and itched all over his body.

“That was quite brave. Owen.”

The Holy Grail Knight he admired praised him. But Owen couldn’t take pleasure in it.

Owen swung his sword towards the direction of the voice, but he didn’t feel it connect.

Thump, crack, crunch.

He heard sounds like something bursting all over his body, as if boils were rapidly growing and then bursting.

“I’ve filled your body with parasites from beyond. Your shell seems quite tough. But the flesh inside seems soft and normal?”

Parasites? He didn’t know about them. But Owen felt small, worm-like creatures crawling inside his armor and skin.

He then realized he had lost his sight because parasites had crawled up into his eyes and burst out through them.

“Don’t be too disappointed. It would be a waste to k**l you now. Perhaps after some more maturing, you’ll become a useful creature like Zihilrat…”

“Was I a sufficient threat?”

Owen couldn’t move anymore but asked without falling.

“Was I a threatening adversary in your noble journey?”

Isaac pondered before responding.

“Somewhat?”

“Then I will continue to be so.”

Owen said that and then muttered something.

At that moment, the dawn mist in the area began to turn red.

When Isaac was wondering what was happening, the soldiers lying around started to be pulled towards Owen as if they were being absorbed.

Thump, thud!

Not only the dead soldiers but also the wounded and even those near the gate began to be drawn in. A mountain of people quickly piled up around Owen.

It was a chaotic scene of the living and the dead tangled together.

Isaac realized that they were melting and merging around Owen as the center.

The parasites Owen had scattered within were now buried under numerous egos and flesh, unable to feel any will of their own.

Isaac knew the name of this monster.

‘Abomination…’

It was one of the mid-tier summoning entities used by the Red Chalice Club. The fact that Raela had granted such a power indicated she was determined to stop Isaac. One of the soldiers merged into the Abomination opened his mouth with difficulty.

“If you cannot overcome this adversity, your journey ends here. Holy Grail Knight.”

***

Hesabel, an experienced assassin, made her way to Raela’s room, trying not to pay attention to the noise outside. It wasn’t difficult for Hesabel to find Raela’s room.

After all, it was the only room lit at this dawn.

The door was open. However, instead of entering through the inviting door, Hesabel transformed into a red mist and stealthily slipped in.

The room was filled with luxurious items, beautiful ornaments, and furniture. They were too expensive for a regular maid’s room, genuine luxury items that real nobles would use.

And in the center of the room, Raela was staring into the red mist. As expected, Hesabel quietly reverted to her original form.

“You use my miracle quite skillfully, Hesabel.”

The Red Prayer was a ritual created and used by the Prophet of Red Flesh when she became an angel. Through this ritual, she could freely disassemble and reform her skin, flesh, blood, and bones. This miracle was then bestowed upon her beloved lineage.

“I see the Prophet of Red Flesh.”

Hesabel showed the bare minimum of courtesy. Further politeness would be deceitful given their adversarial relationship.

“You knew I could have retracted the miracle and dropped you out of the window before you climbed in.”

“…Yes, of course.”

Most of the powers Hesabel possessed, except for a very few, were granted by the Red Chalice. Raela, an angel of the Red Chalice, could easily retract those miracles and halt them.

Like the night she sent Owen to assassinate her.

Raela crossed her legs softly and stared at Hesabel.

“I’ll give you one last chance, Hesabel. I brought you here for this proposal.”

Hesabel didn’t respond but showed she was listening.

Raela smiled in response.

“Report to the Holy Grail Knight that you have succeeded in killing me. Then go back to him and plunge a knife into his neck. If he’s still alive, that is.”

“That’s…”

“If you do so, your family will continue to receive my love.”

The Ducal family of Gullmar had not only directly consumed the blood of the Red Chalice but also enjoyed the favor of the Prophet of Red Flesh, a significant advantage. Unlike other angels who mainly operated in the afterlife, the Prophet of Red Flesh, who often appeared in this world, wielded considerable influence.

“If your uncle goes missing and the heir apostatizes, the ducal family will be greatly shaken. The head of the family is already in turmoil. Do you intend to disappoint your father?”

“I…”

Hesabel hesitated.

She had succumbed to Isaac out of fear. But what if her choice led to the downfall of her family? The many dependents of her family, her siblings who relied and believed in her, her father?

The Red Chalice Club is not lenient with those who fall.

“Hesabel.”

At Raela’s urging, Hesabel clenched her eyes shut. She knew she didn’t have much time to ponder. This might be her last chance.

Hesabel quietly knelt before Raela.

Raela smiled in satisfaction.

Just as she was about to extend her hand to completely subjugate Hesabel, Hesabel suddenly turned her entire body into a red mist.

The red mist quickly enveloped Raela.

A powerful vampiric ability that could dissolve an ordinary person in an instant was activated.

Crack.

But the next moment, Hesabel found her neck grasped by Raela’s hand.

Raela stood there, gripping Hesabel’s neck with a strength that seemed impossible for her slender frame.

“What exactly is it, Hesabel?”

Raela, with twenty fingers sprouting from her right hand, tapped Hesabel’s neck and muttered. Hesabel tried to use her powers, but as expected, all her miracles were immobilized.

“What is it about that Holy Grail Knight that makes you throw away your position, career, and family in the Ducal house? Just fear? Coerced obedience? No, there must be something more.”

Raela peered into Hesabel’s eyes, trying to unearth her intentions. She had never thought Hesabel would surrender.

Allowing Hesabel’s intrusion was to learn the truth about Isaac through her.

Then, Hesabel moved her mouth. Raela slightly loosened her grip on Hesabel’s neck to hear what she was about to say.

However, instead of a voice, something else came from Hesabel’s mouth.

A tentacle pierced through Raela’s eye.

With a crunch, deeply penetrated, Raela momentarily lost control of her body. Hesabel quickly escaped from Raela’s grasp, caught her breath, and reflexively stabbed at where Raela’s heart should be with a dagger she had prepared.

Thrust, thrust, thrust!

In less than a second, Raela’s heart was punctured enough to be tattered. That was it.

‘It’s this easy?’

Hesabel was surprised at how smoothly things had gone.

Isaac had said that just making an attempt on her life would suffice, but Hesabel had no intention of doing a sloppy job.

It was obvious she would be caught by Raela. She knew her miracles would be forbidden. In front of Raela, Hesabel was no different from an ordinary person.

But there was one caveat.

Raela could only retract miracles of the Red Chalice Club’s faith.

Hesabel had used the faith accumulated by Isaac to receive an additional miracle.

The miracle of tentacles.

It was one of the most basic miracles bestowed by the nameless chaos.

Briefly celebrating her success, Hesabel wondered if she should also decapitate Raela. After all, angels don’t die but are temporarily banished.

Then she realized Raela was still standing.

Hesabel looked up at her.

The hole where the tentacle had pierced Raela’s eye seemed abnormally large. Strangely, it felt like the dark hole was staring back at her.

Then, white fingers stretched out from the eye socket. The fingers widened the hole and started to squeeze out.

Seeing this, Hesabel ran without looking back, believing she had done more than what Isaac had asked.

“Isaac, sir!”

Thump, thump-thump, thump-thump-thump!

Hesabel screamed as she ran madly through the corridors. The castle was filled with strange vibrations and noise.

It was as if the entire castle had become a giant beating heart. Now that Raela was assassinated, what was she supposed to do next? Hadn’t Isaac said she would know what to do next?

Then, something hurriedly running from the opposite side of the corridor came into view.

White armor, blond hair.

The Holy Grail Knight she almost revered, Isaac.

She hadn’t expected him to come running so hurriedly to save her, but she was glad to have become such a valued subordinate.

“Lord Isaac, you’ve come to save me!”

“No, I’m being chased too.”

Isaac answered as he ran past Hesabel.

Thump-thump-thump-thump!

Only then did Hesabel realize that the strange vibrations filling the castle were getting closer. And then, she belatedly saw a massive mass of flesh filling the ceiling and floor, charging down the corridor from the other end.

Hesabel then started to run after Isaac.