Paladin of the Dead God
Chapter 432: Beneath the Beautiful Skin (7)

The enormous Whitewood in Prayer that had grown through the dome was enough to draw everyone’s attention.

Rustle.

Isaac had yet to fully assess the situation when he felt the spinal cords connected to the Whitewood in Prayer begin to crumble into white dust and fall away.

Unable to sustain its immense consumption of divine power on the surface, the Whitewood in Prayer severed itself from Isaac.

Isaac considered slipping away before all the spinal cords that bound him fell off—perhaps he could escape unnoticed.

However, the stage of this trial was not so easily left.

[Heretic! A heretic!]

At the thunderous declaration of the Burning Maiden, a massive whirlwind of fire surged toward the Whitewood in Prayer.

Having already severed its connection to Isaac and exhausted its divine power, the Whitewood in Prayer greedily absorbed the flames, instantly bursting into a raging inferno.

The towering flames at the very heart of Holy Land Lua were so immense that they were visible even from outside the city.

"Kugh...!"

Isaac shielded his eyes as the scorching fire washed over him.

Had it been an ordinary fire, the Luadin Key’s heat resistance would have made it bearable.

However, these flames were the Sacred Fire ignited by the Burning Maiden.

With a swift crack of her flaming whip, the Burning Maiden slashed through the tentacles wrapped around Isaac, severing them in an instant.

As Isaac, engulfed in fierce flames, plummeted to the ground, his form was exposed for all to see.

The spinal cords still attached to his body reacted violently to the searing fire, writhing chaotically.

The tentacles, having just completed a massive Predation, thrashed like enraged beasts.

Upon witnessing this, the Burning Maiden lashed her whip fiercely and shouted:

[Look upon the form of the defiled one! See how that vile creature has concealed its monstrous nature until now!]

Though her words were directed at the Dawn Army, her gaze was fixed not on them, but on the Lighthouse Keeper above.

Her expression seemed to say, "See? I told you so."

She followed the authority of the Lighthouse Keeper, but the duty of exposing and executing heretics did not fall to them.

Yet, as long as she recognized what was just, her whip would always be ready to strike down injustice.

Now that Isaac’s true nature had been revealed to all, even the Lighthouse Keeper would be unable to shield him any longer.

It was already far too late to turn back.

[Behold that grotesque form! From what hell did such an abomination crawl forth? That such a heinous being could infiltrate the Codex of Light and falsely claim the title of Holy Grail Knight! The corruption of the church is beyond shocking!]

The Burning Maiden’s theatrically exaggerated tone was meant to incite the Dawn Army.

She was well aware of Isaac’s contributions—how much he had achieved, how many people he had saved.

She had no choice but to accept the unfathomable truth that the Immortal Emperor had vanished from this world, and that it was Isaac who had brought about that outcome.

That was precisely why he had to die.

’Lighthouse Keeper, the moment you spoke of is upon us!’

The hound before them had God’s blood on its fangs.

Before those fangs turned upon something they should not, the corpse of the Holy Grail Knight had to be burned to bring this festival to its final act.

Only through his blood would the Millennium Kingdom be truly complete.

Until now, Isaac had concealed the monster within beneath a beautiful hide—just as the Immortal Emperor had once described.

Now that his essence was exposed for all to see, what should his next move be?

Denial? Deception? Chaos? Rage?

There were many actions he could take.

But Isaac could do nothing.

There were too many witnesses.

At this point, even retreating into the Hidden Rite would be meaningless.

"That was the Holy Grail Knight?"

"The Holy Grail Knight was a monster...? That can’t be..."

Everyone’s gaze was locked onto Isaac, struggling to process the sudden turn of events.

The Dawn Army was in turmoil over the shocking truth of their hero’s identity, while the undead of the Immortal Order were disoriented by the abrupt absence of the Immortal Emperor.

The one who had been their guiding star, the god on earth, had vanished, leaving them lost and directionless.

In the midst of this, the surviving clergy of the Codex of Light realized what had to be done.

"Yes! That vile and deceitful beast has been deceiving and manipulating us all!"

The voice belonged to Cardinal Amila Endec.

Despite the massacre of Cardinal Roen and most of the Watcher’s Council at the hands of Feltren, she had narrowly survived and held onto her position.

Hearing the Burning Maiden’s words, she immediately understood.

If they did not make Isaac the scapegoat now, they would be the ones sacrificed instead.

The Dawn Army’s expedition had come at a horrifying cost.

Though it had ended in victory, there was no sign of the Millennium Kingdom’s arrival.

Someone had to take responsibility for the bloodshed.

They could not hang an Archangel.

The Watcher’s Council, who had led the expedition, would be the first to be cast out.

"That wicked monster is the one who led our comrades—our families—to their deaths!"

At the Cardinal’s outcry, the soldiers of the Dawn Army felt a crushing weight of realization settle over them.

What am I even doing here?

My friends are dead. My comrades are dead. My family is starving back home.

And this so-called Millennium Kingdom—where is it?

Was all of this even worth it?

A nameless, indescribable fear took hold of them.

Had they made a mistake?

But at that moment, a powerful psychological defense surged through the crowd.

No.

They had not made a mistake.

The blame for all this suffering could not possibly lie with them.

It had to be someone else’s fault.

There had to be some wicked entity that had tempted and deceived them.

"Demon!"

A voice, almost a shriek, rang out as someone hurled a stone at Isaac.

The stone did not even reach Isaac.

Yet, it was symbolic.

The Holy Grail Knight, once praised by all, had become a demon the moment his true form was revealed.

Isaac listened to the torrent of stones and accusations hurled at him and let out a bitter smile.

‘So, this is it.’

He thought of Emperor Waltzemer.

He could still vividly recall the moment the emperor was deposed, hunted by his own soldiers, and dragged away in disgrace.

Perhaps Isaac could not help but empathize with Waltzemer because he saw himself reflected in him.

One day, when his identity was inevitably exposed, would he not end up in the same position?

And yet, a part of him felt relieved.

For so long, he had lived under constant tension, hiding his true nature.

Now, with his tentacles fully exposed before everyone, there was an odd sense of liberation.

The Immortal Emperor would have wanted to witness this moment.

It was only natural for the beautiful to be loved.

But for a monster to be loved, it must endlessly prove itself.

Those who are adored find it easy to maintain their humanity.

But those who are condemned and reviled—hatred and scorn can turn even an ordinary person into a monster.

For one who was born a monster, it would be even easier.

Thus, if Isaac could still retain his humanity despite all of this, then perhaps the Immortal Emperor had found it worth staking his life on this test.

‘You can endure the hatred for now, can’t you?’

It was as if the Immortal Emperor was whispering in his mind.

‘But can you still act human when the people around you start dying, when they are slaughtered, exiled, and abandoned—when there is no one left to help you?’

Just like him.

The Immortal Emperor had abandoned his humanity to protect his people, becoming a monster.

Yet, he had tried to hold on to his humanity until the very end.

This was not a trial that would end in a day.

For Isaac, it would be a lifelong test, lasting until the day he died.

The Burning Maiden looked down at Isaac with a satisfied smile.

Even the Sword of May seemed to judge that protecting Isaac in this situation was impossible, as she remained silent.

Just then, a voice cut through the tension, jarring and out of place.

"D-Don’t be ridiculous!"

At first, no one paid attention.

Most assumed it was just another soldier cursing Isaac.

But then, the owner of the voice ran forward, standing in front of Isaac as if to shield him.

A soldier recognized the man and gasped.

"C-Ciero, Priest—w-what are you doing?! Are you defending this heretic?!"

The one who had stepped forward was none other than Ciero.

He looked thinner, likely from the hardships of the Dawn Army’s campaign, but his flushed face was filled with defiance.

"Heretic? Heretic? I saw the Holy Grail Knight’s deeds and achievements with my own two eyes!"

"I saw how many people he saved! I saw how he stood against impossible foes with courage and determination!"

"B-But the Archangel said—"

"The Holy Grail Knight flayed the Shedding Sisters of the Archangel in the Issacrea Estate! He drowned the Drowned King!

"In Fort Kran, he saved tens of thousands of soldiers—including me!"

"He brought Elil and the World’s Forge to reinforce the Dawn Army! He crossed the deadly Nightmare Strait and defeated Archangel Pallor and the Lord of the Graveyard!

Ciero trembled as he recounted Isaac’s feats, but despite his fear, he turned back to Isaac with a forced smile, as if telling him to trust him.

Isaac, watching from behind, was left speechless.

Of all people, he never expected Ciero to step forward and defend him.

Just the other day, Ciero had been beating him up, demanding that he take responsibility for dragging people into the war.

And yet now, he was invoking one of the strongest miracles he had ever performed.

‘His character as a priest is questionable, but his ability to incite people is remarkable…’

‘No, but wait—you’re my Film, aren’t you?! If you keep this up, we might both get burned alive!’

Completely unaware of Isaac’s thoughts, Ciero continued his fervent speech.

"Who among us has accomplished as much as him? Who has protected us from evil and fought on the frontlines, wielding their blade?"

"The Burning Maiden? She only stood behind us and whipped us forward!"

Had she still possessed skin, the Burning Maiden’s face would have turned red with rage.

She had indeed played a pivotal role.

Leading the Dawn Army, forcing open the Holy Land Lua’s dome—such feats were not insignificant.

But compared to Isaac, her accomplishments seemed diminished.

"If someone who has lived righteously and achieved such greatness must be punished just because he looks monstrous, then that law is wrong!"

Ciero had gone too far.

His words could be interpreted as outright heresy.

Denying the Codex of Light was a crime that could see him burned at the stake.

Realizing his mistake, Ciero’s face turned pale.

But the soldiers, shaken by his words, could no longer bring themselves to shout in condemnation.

"It’s true… The Holy Grail Knight has killed countless undead and heretics…"

"He was the Saint of Resurrection, personally acknowledged by the Archangel..."

"And now, suddenly, they call him a heretic?"

They had all heard of Isaac’s deeds.

His heroic tales were what had kept them going through the grueling campaign.

Knowing that such a legendary hero was fighting alongside them had given them strength.

As the tide of public opinion began to shift, Cardinal Amila Endec panicked and shouted.

"Do not speak such nonsense! There is no need for debate!"

"Everything has already been decided by the Archangel!

"Achievements? Heroism? Sainthood? What do they matter?"

"If the Archangel declares him a heretic, then a heretic he is! There is no authority greater than an Archangel!"

She turned her gaze desperately toward the Burning Maiden, waiting for her to deliver a new decree.

But the Burning Maiden was looking at the Lighthouse Keeper.

She had allowed Ciero’s words to go unchecked because, in the end, they were meaningless.

Isaac was an aberration, a defilement of this world born from the corruption of Nameless Chaos.

His achievements were irrelevant.

There was no need for justification to kill a monster.

A monster existed solely to be slain.

If the Lighthouse Keeper spoke now, the matter would be settled.

Isaac would be burned alive.

But strangely, the Lighthouse Keeper said nothing.

[Lighthouse Keeper?]

Instead, he was looking elsewhere.

Following his gaze, the Burning Maiden saw it too.

A pyramid.

She knew it had once been the site of a great ritual.

But why was he focused on that now?

Just as she tried to get a better look, she noticed something else.

A group was rushing toward the pyramid, paying no heed to the burning Whitewood in Prayer.

It was Tuhalin and the World’s Forge.

And from the pyramid—

Someone was trying to emerge.

—Click.

The Lighthouse Keeper began to move.