Paladin of the Dead God

“What the hell do you want?!”

“A partner!”

Leonora shouted back at the same time. Her eyes were ablaze with intense ambition.

“A partner in a world-shaking venture! That’s what I want! You take hold of the world however you wish, and I’ll help you do it. In exchange, I want the status of a partner.”

Isaac felt a sense of absurdity at her words.

A partner?

But then, Isaac realized what Leonora truly wanted—it wasn’t him personally, but the value he held.

Leonora didn’t care about Isaac as a person. She had no interest in what he ate or what he liked.

What mattered to her was what Isaac possessed and what he could accomplish. And she wanted to identify what Isaac lacked and how she could fill that void to achieve victory.

She only saw Isaac as the key to fulfilling her ambitions. If Isaac were to grow weak or lose his value, she wouldn’t hesitate to abandon him.

But as long as Isaac remained valuable, betrayal wasn’t something he had to worry about.

Indeed, as Leonora had said, their relationship couldn’t be defined by something as shallow as romance.

With her eyes burning with determination, Leonora extended her hand toward Isaac.

Isaac reached out and clasped it.

“The deal is done.”

Leonora smiled, her face glowing as she turned away.

The Reaper’s scythe, now fully freed from its constraints, gleamed ominously in the morning sunlight as it flew toward Isaac. And standing directly in its path was Leonora.

Glancing over her shoulder, Leonora spoke.

“You asked about the nature of the tax, didn’t you, Holy Grail Knight?”

As she walked toward the oncoming scythe, she muttered,

“The answer is ‘someone you love.’”

Isaac was jolted awake by her words. To escape the curse of death, you had to destroy someone you loved—a cruel and ancient form of tax that dripped with malice.

Even if one survived, living with that guilt would be impossible for most.

But at the same time, confusion surged within him.

‘Then how is Leonora supposed to pay that tax?’

In the moment Isaac realized the dreadful possibility, he instinctively tried to leap forward. But it was already too late. The Reaper’s scythe swept toward Leonora, and a powerful gust overturned the dock. The sails flapped violently, while Isaac stood frozen in place, unable to run or even move properly.

Just as the scythe came to a halt in front of Leonora.

Leonora stood unflinching before the Reaper’s scythe, which had been slicing through buildings and people alike without distinction. She gazed into the empty air with no trace of fear.

Then, sharply addressing the unseen Reaper, she said,

“Please check Special Clause 4, Section 6 of the insurance contract I signed with Immortal Emperor Beshek.”

The Reaper gave no reply. However, the scythe did not seem poised to move any further. Crossing her arms, Leonora patiently awaited the Reaper’s response. Soon, a grim voice echoed from the void.

[Insurance holder: Leonora Bessia. As per Special Clause 4, Section 6, tax exemption concerning the soul is recognized. Accordingly, the Reaper’s claim is immediately voided.]

“Thank you.”

They exchanged formalities before turning away. The Reaper dissolved into dust under the sunlight, while Leonora casually approached Isaac.

Isaac muttered incredulously,

“So… you’re insured against death?”

“If you don’t have that, you can’t do business with the Immortal Order. And thanks to the special contract I signed with Immortal Emperor Beshek, the Order can’t kill me until I die of natural causes. Think of it as a kind of tax exemption.”

Isaac had just learned yet another unspoken rule of the world.

Taxes and death may be unavoidable.

But the rich are an exception.

Despite knowing that the tax was “someone you love,” Isaac still couldn’t understand how Leonora could be his tax.

No matter how he looked at it, his feelings toward Leonora were about 10% disgust, 20% confusion, and 40% fear.

The remaining 30%? That was simply gratitude for now.

The answer was straightforward.

“Ah, that’s because it’s not ‘someone Isaac loves,’ but ‘someone who loves Isaac.’”

Leonora answered nonchalantly.

“There are many forms of love. The love of money, the love of one’s parents, and the love of a romantic partner are all different. But finding someone willing to offer their life voluntarily for someone they love? That’s rare.”

Leonora’s attitude of smug superiority stemmed from the fact that she was one of the few capable of doing exactly that. Of course, she was confident that she wouldn’t die in the process, but still.

‘So, money can buy life after all.’

To have seduced both Duke Gulmar and the Immortal Emperor Beshek…

Considering how much the Golden Idol Guild poured money into the White Empire, Leonora was likely under the protection of the Codex of Light’s clergy as well.

If one really thought about it, Leonora might be one of the safest people in the world.

‘…Well, that’s the advantage of the Golden Idol Guild, isn’t it? No paladins or priests of their own, but they can employ the faith of others like mercenaries.’

It was only natural for Leonora, one of the Guild’s most powerful members, to flaunt the “power of money.” Most of the key members of the Bessia family were probably under similar protection.

If a rich person can’t avoid taxes and death, perhaps they’re just not rich enough.

“But enough of that. How about some tea? The leaves are expensive, imported from across the sea.”

“Hmm.”

Isaac nodded while looking at the untouched teacup in front of him. They were currently at the Bessia Estate, the first destination of the Dawn Army’s advance on Issacrea, a movement Isaac himself had instigated.

Originally, Isaac had intended to pressure Leonora by targeting Belman Bessia, but things had turned out strangely.

Just as Isaac managed to take a sip of tea, the door to the reception room swung open, and a man with a cold expression and ash-gray beard appeared.

The leader of the Golden Idol Guild, the man who held more gold than anyone on the continent.

It was Belman Bessia.

Isaac rose from his seat to greet him properly, but Belman’s icy gaze immediately swept over Isaac from head to toe.

‘…Was he always this intimidating?’

In the game, the version of Belman Isaac had seen and spoken with was more approachable, at least outwardly. He had always maintained an air of warmth, presumably to lull his business partners into a false sense of security.

But now, Belman radiated an aura of murderous intent, as if he might stab Isaac at any moment. Just as Isaac was about to formally greet him, Belman abruptly spoke.

“Are you the married man who seduced my daughter?”