Chapter 1483 – 1483. Paladin: The Journey Of Eradication
I hid behind a rock, gazing at Salrot Castle.
Salrot Castle.
It was a castle built by humans and ruled by a noble named Salrot. However, the castle was seized by demons decades ago.
The Order had failed to reclaim Salrot Castle for decades. It would be more accurate to say they hadn’t even tried. It was known that there were at least three demons inside Salrot Castle, and corrupted individuals and the undead were always roaming around.
The Order’s judgment at the time was that at least 300 paladins would be needed to attack Salrot Castle.
‘Salrot Castle is located far from the city.’
Salrot Castle was not a direct threat.
So, the Order left Salrot Castle alone. There was no need to poke a hornet’s nest. In fact, the demons in Salrot Castle were docile. Until now.
‘The Order kept a close watch on Salrot Castle and knew that a ritual was taking place.’
They also knew that the ritual was for the resurrection of a Great Demon. It was a way to speed up the resurrection of a Great Demon, which would normally take decades.
I observed Salrot Castle for a long time. To find any differences from the original game. It could be a variable.
‘There are hardly any differences. That game was detailed even in the smallest things.’
The security of Salrot Castle was tight. Corrupted individuals guarded the entrance, and the undead roamed the outer walls. The security of the inner castle was even more intense. Especially annoying were the ghosts flying in the sky.
‘There are ways. One is the underground waterway, and the other is a dog hole.’
I turned around. The paladins and inquisitors waiting were awaiting my orders. There were 500 of them. Half of them wore slightly different uniforms. They were support troops from regions other than Valentier.
“As planned, I will infiltrate Salrot Castle. You will confront the enemies here and wait.”
“Understood, Paladin.”
After hearing their response, I began to move around the castle. Going straight ahead would be foolish. I would be discovered soon, so I had to move while hiding behind rocks.
It was successful. I managed to stick to the western wall without being detected.
Once I was on the wall, the security was lower. Unlike humans, demons and the corrupted were not meticulous. The undead had less cognitive ability than animals. The ghosts flying in the sky and watching the ground only directly monitored specific areas. Even then, they were often slacking off.
‘It’s an army of misfits, like humans. The Great Demon, who could be called the leader, is absent, and the demon officers have abandoned their command and are immersed in the ritual.’
I stuck close to the wall. And I moved, tapping the wall with my foot as carefully as possible. It was a solid wall, but there was a place that felt different.
‘Found it.’
I crouched down and tapped the wall. The old walls crumbled, creating a dog hole. At first, it was a hole that a small dog could barely fit through, but after tapping it with my fist, the hole widened enough for a grown man to enter.
‘There’s no way demons or the corrupted would manage a castle built by humans.’
I crawled through the dog hole into the castle.
I looked around the castle and sighed. Now the real thing was starting.
‘Kill the bastards who need to be killed, and get what I need.’
***
A rotten smell permeated the air.
The source of the smell was an undead sitting at the table.
Clink, clink.
The zombie was eating. It held a fork in one hand and put rotten food from the plate into its mouth. And it swallowed the food. The swallowed food couldn’t pass through the esophagus and came out of the hole in its neck, falling onto the plate. The undead continued to eat without caring. The undead’s meal went on endlessly.
In front of the undead was a large birdcage. A middle-aged man was trapped inside the cage. The clothes he wore were those of a priest. The priest in the cage saw me and his eyes sparkled. He looked at me as if asking me to save him quickly.
I approached the undead from behind, suppressing my presence. I grabbed the undead’s shoulder with my gauntleted hand and stabbed my sword into its back. The undead, without vocal cords, couldn’t even scream. I used my holy sword to finish off the undead.
“Oh, Goddess! Thank you! You have sent me a savior!”
“What are you doing here?”
“Can’t you see? I was captured by that thing. Now, Paladin, please release me.”
“How long have you been trapped?”
“About three months ago. I was on a pilgrimage… when I was captured by a demon. The evil demons locked me in this cage and watched me. They tried to corrupt me, but I endured with my steel-like faith.”
“I see. That’s impressive.”
“You must have a purpose for infiltrating this castle. I have been trapped in this small cage for three months. I have seen and heard a lot. I will be of help to you. Now, please open this cage quickly.”
I approached the cage. I grabbed the steel bars of the cage with one hand and bent them open. Creak! As the metal bent, the priest was startled and widened his eyes.
“Oh. That’s amazing strength. I thought you would cut the bars with a sword… Ack?!”
A greatsword came through the opened bars and pierced his chest. The priest looked at me as if he couldn’t believe it.
“W-What are you doing? Aren’t you a paladin?!”
“Corrupted one, your pathetic acting doesn’t work on me.”
“I, I am not corrupted! I have not been corrupted! My faith is strong!”
“No, you are already corrupted. You said you were trapped three months ago. But you don’t look like someone who has been trapped for three months.”
“That’s… because the demons kept giving me water and food! They were going to use me as a sacrifice!”
“That’s different from what I thought. The demons were just playing with you. They probably even bet on when you would admit your corruption.”
“I, I have not been corrupted! Don’t you need the information I have?!”
“I don’t need any information. And don’t you find it strange? You are still talking to me even though your heart has been pierced. Even with a fatal wound that would kill a normal human, you are still alive!”
“T-This is the Goddess’s blessing! The Goddess is protecting me.”
“Really? Then I’ll show you another piece of evidence.”
Click!
My helmet automatically came off.
The priest’s face was filled with horror as he saw my exposed face. His gaze was fixed on my eyes. The Holy Eyes were glowing blue.
“P-Paladin…!”
“I cannot be deceived by my eyes. You are corrupted.”
“N-No, I am not corrupted!”
“Face reality.”
I used my holy sword. Golden light surrounded the blade. The priest’s face twisted. Just before he could scream, the sword struck his neck. I even cut off the priest’s falling head.
‘I’ve taken care of one for now.’
In the game, if you save this priest, he provides information about Salrot Castle. And in the end, he ambushes you at a crucial moment, which is a bit annoying.
‘I already know all the information he would spout anyway. There’s no reason to keep him alive.’
I moved again.
I killed any undead or corrupted individuals I saw roaming around the castle. It was possible because most of them were wandering alone. I ignored those who were moving in groups of four or five. With my current strength, I could kill them easily, but it was impossible to deal with them quietly.
I opened the door to the spire on one side of the castle and entered. A staircase leading upwards continued. I climbed, dealing with the undead sitting on the stairs one by one.
There was a locked door at the top. I checked that there was no sign of anyone behind the door and cut it with my greatsword. The door, cut diagonally, fell with a thud.
It was a room with nothing but a bed. It was no different from a prison. She, wearing a stained dress, stood in front of a window blocked by bars. She spoke without turning around.
“Have you come to kill me?”
“No. I’ve come to save you. Princess Polaris.”
The princess turned around. She had brown hair and was in a disheveled state, but her calm eyes spoke of her dignity.
“…Are you a paladin?”
“I am a Paladin.”
I took off my helmet to show her the Holy Eyes. As the daughter of a duke, she would have learned all sorts of knowledge. There was no way she wouldn’t know about the Holy Eyes of a Paladin.
“I heard that a new Paladin had appeared in Valentier. So, it’s you.”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t expect you to come to save me after half a year. What happened to the Astail Dukedom?”
She asked nervously.
“It’s fine.”
“…What? F-Fine? That can’t be. If it were fine, my father wouldn’t have left me like this!”
“It’s too fine, that’s the problem. A demon has stolen your face and voice and is impersonating you. The Astail Dukedom doesn’t even know that you’re missing.”
“……”
She looked blank for a moment. But that was only for a moment. Soon, anger filled her face.
“How dare a demon mock my family… I will never forgive it. Paladin, please take me back to my family. I will reward you handsomely.”
“I can’t do that right now.”
I explained the current situation of Salrot Castle to her. She listened to my words and groaned.
“…They are conducting a ritual for the resurrection of a Great Demon… The reason they are holding me is because of the ritual.”
“A Paladin’s bloodline, a princess’s status. To them, you are the highest-grade sacrifice.”
“The highest-grade sacrifice… That doesn’t sound very good.”
The princess frowned. Regardless, I continued.
“You were captured while transporting the Holy Spear. I need that Holy Spear.”
“The Holy Spear Rotis. It’s a family treasure. Only the direct descendants of the family can use the Holy Spear.”
“I am a Paladin.”
“…I see. So, Paladins can use the Holy Spear. That’s new to me. It’s impossible to give you the Holy Spear, but I can lend it to you. But I don’t have the Holy Spear right now. The demons took it.”
“I know where the Holy Spear is. Your job is to break the seal on the Holy Spear.”
“Even the seal… You know a lot, Paladin.”
Her wariness towards me deepened.
I was getting annoyed. The situation was urgent. There was no time to be chatting leisurely like this.
‘As long as she doesn’t get in my way, I don’t care if she doubts or is wary of me. As long as she doesn’t get in my way.’
I turned away from her.
“Let’s go. There’s no time.”
