Paladin of a Fallen Order (Novel) - Chapter 83 - Suspect

Chapter 83 – Suspect

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Translated by Pratt

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Elbridge was lost for words for a moment.

Come to think of it, it was a perfectly natural progression for such a story to come up.

He was to the point of wondering why he had not thought of this until now.

In any case, now that the situation had arrived, he had to respond somehow.

The method Elbridge chose first was acting with all his soul.

“I see. Where on earth could the Silent Paladin be?”

“Indeed.”

Matilda, who replied as such, was still staring intently at Elbridge.

There was even a faint smile hanging at the corners of her mouth, with an expression like a mother who had discovered her son’s secret.

“…”

Matilda was someone who had grown seasoned from dealing with all sorts of people. Tricking her with clumsy acting was an absurd idea from the start.

‘Forget acting… Now, the only thing I can trust is my eloquence.’

There were two keys to a lie.

First. Do not try to deny every single fact.

Second. Present plausible evidence for the claim.

“Ms. Matilda. I understand what you are thinking. But it is a ridiculous imagination.”

“Is that so? Is it ridiculous?”

“You know that I am the one who went to the seal of the rumors, right, Ms. Matilda?”

“Yes. I heard.”

“I saw it clearly. There was no trace of the first Sir Elbridge in the underground stone chamber. In fact, it’s only natural. Isn’t two hundred years enough time for a person to end their life and for even their traces to vanish?”

“Hmm. Since the Silent Paladin was no ordinary person, couldn’t he be alive until now?”

Elbridge shook his head.

“Even heroes far greater than the Silent Paladin could not overcome time. Unless they were an elf or a dwarf…”

“But the Silent Paladin was trapped in a seal, wasn’t he? Since it was a seal, it feels like something might be different.”

Matilda pointed out the possibilities one by one.

However, backing down here was a virtual admission, so Elbridge steadfastly pressed his claim.

“Besides, it also bothers me that the Great Demon’s seal was broken so easily. Wouldn’t it be far more realistic to think that the seal had weakened as the first Sir Elbridge passed away?”

This was enough to make a decent appearance. Elbridge thought so as he looked at Matilda.

However, as expected, Matilda’s expression was still highly suspicious.

‘…’

Neither acting nor lying worked. If so, what should he do?

Fortunately, Elbridge the employer had a third method.

“Ah, by the way. There was a proposal I wanted to make to you, Ms. Matilda.”

“A proposal?”

“Now that the order has become quite stable, there is no need for you to remain as a freelance priest, Ms. Matilda. Ms. Matilda, do you have any thoughts of becoming an official priest?”

The treatment of an official priest of a mid-tier order was better than that of a freelance administrative priest.

As expected, for the first time since the conversation began, Matilda’s eyes wavered.

‘That was the correct answer.’

And this proposal was also a good thing for the Order of the Rusty Shield.

The role Matilda currently held in the order was immense. If she continued to help the order for a long time, it would be a huge help. Expenditures would increase slightly, but that was not a major problem.

“An official priest…”

“I’ve wanted to propose this for a while, but I was late in asking for your opinion, Ms. Matilda. I was busy with work too. The position is Chief Administrative Priest. How about it?”

The Chief Administrative Priest did not rank high within the order.

Yet at the same time, it was a key position recognized in any order. If a freelance-level administrative priest became the Chief Administrative Priest of a mid-tier order, it was a significant promotion.

Matilda replied with a serious expression.

“I will actively respond so that false rumors do not spread further.”

Archbishop Elbridge had made an ally.

*

A few days later.

Elbridge pulled the hood of his robe down deep and headed to an old tavern.

The sign of the tavern read [The Singed Kettle].

Screeech—

As he opened the door, a typical scene of a customerless tavern unfolded.

The interior was dark, there were more cobwebs than customers, and a musty smell wafted out even before the smell of alcohol.

In one corner of that tavern, there were two people who, like Elbridge, had their hoods pulled down deep.

As Elbridge sat facing them, a familiar voice drifted over.

“Well, if it isn’t the Silent Paladin.”

Marcus smirked repeatedly, as if he found the current situation amusing.

On the other hand, the expression of Rombel, who was beside him, was not very good.

“Rombel. Why do you look like that?”

“It’s because I’ve been harassed by the Golden Platter Order. These past few days, the moment I open my eyes, they come nagging at the Mage Tower… Ugh.”

Elbridge cheered for the Golden Platter Order in his heart.

Thanks to Rombel executing a strange plan, hadn’t Elbridge also been suffering as much trouble as the Golden Platter Order?

“You should be thankful it’s only to that extent. If I were Vice Archbishop Heinz, I would have sent an assassin to you.”

Rombel grumbled.

“As if I would die so easily… And Elbridge, you have no right to feel wronged.”

“Why me?”

“I didn’t spread the rumors without any warning, did I? I wasn’t the only one who didn’t foresee the situation where people would talk about the Silent Paladin. You, Elbridge, Marcus, the Goddess of the Rusty Shield, and even the God of the Sunshower. Everyone missed it. So it’s a joint responsibility. Isn’t that right?”

As Rombel spouted sophistry, an oracle immediately descended to Elbridge.

– Elbridge. Tell that foolish dwarf. Your Goddess does not symbolize wisdom, but she shows her true value in other areas…

As Elbridge delivered the contents of the oracle exactly, Marcus also chimed in.

“The God of the Sunshower says that while he does not symbolize wisdom either, he knew it would turn out like this.”

“Then why didn’t you give a hint?”

“He thought this would be more fun…”

Elbridge’s expression crumpled slightly. The God of the Sunshower had a slightly eccentric side.

‘No. It might not be a simple whim. Perhaps he thought this situation would be more beneficial to the Order of the Sunshower…’

At that moment, another oracle descended near Elbridge’s ear.

– Elbridge. Tell them that, in fact, your Goddess knew everything too.

It seemed her pride had been hurt inwardly.

However, Elbridge did not convey the Goddess’s oracle. He believed that doing so would be more helpful to the Goddess’s dignity.

Rombel pulled his chair close and sat, asking Elbridge.

“Elbridge. How is the situation lately?”

Elbridge shrugged.

“It’s a bit better than a few days ago. The Marquis of Solenion was a big help. Ah, Matilda too.”

On the day he had been invited by the Marquis of Solenion in the past, the Marquis said he would take steps to make it difficult for other nobles to guess Elbridge’s identity. By creating and hiding false documents and a fake portrait of the Silent Paladin.

That consideration, which even Elbridge had half-forgotten, had begun to take effect some time ago.

In particular, the portrait drawn on old parchment played a big role. The Silent Paladin in the fake portrait had a large scar on his face, and his facial lines were much thicker than Elbridge’s. Anyone could see it was a different face from the real Elbridge.

Those who believed they had seen through the truth before the general public tended to raise their voices.

The people who discovered the fake portrait blabbed that Elbridge was not the Silent Paladin. Exactly as Elbridge and the Marquis of Solenion had hoped.

“Still, it didn’t seem enough to dispel people’s suspicions.”

“Undoubtedly. After all, those who saw the portrait were only a fraction… Even today, dozens of people asked me if I was the Silent Paladin.”

“Why don’t you just bravely reveal the truth? ‘I am Elbridge, who dedicated two hundred years for you guys!’ It’s cool, isn’t it?”

At that, Elbridge snorted.

“Rombel. Just today, there was someone who tried to set fire to our temple. Saying that I neglected my duty and released the demon into the world… If I reveal the truth, the arson attempts will increase by about twenty times.”

When revealing the truth, it would have been convenient if people either believed everything or didn’t believe it at all.

But people tend to extract and believe only the parts they want to believe.

“Ugh.”

Rombel let out a groan and scratched his cheek.

‘It seems he does feel sorry about this situation.’

Well, if he had any decency, he should.

“Still, you will get caught someday. Elbridge. Your tracks were too loud.”

“I know. Even in my thoughts, it would be stranger not to get caught. But for now, I must play dumb.”

“Until when?”

“Until people no longer doubt my intentions.”

When will such a day come?

Would such a day only come when he hunted countless demons, finally sealed all demons, or died fighting a demon?

While they were continuing their quiet chat like that, the tavern door opened.

Squeak—

One more person wearing a robe appeared. He looked around and then approached the Elbridge party’s table and sat.

“It hasn’t been long.”

The Eastern Parish Bishop of the Golden Platter Order. Vice Archbishop Heinz.

The reason he appeared here was simple. It was Vice Archbishop Heinz who had gathered Elbridge and the others at this place, saying he had important news.

“What is the important news? Perhaps…?”

At Elbridge’s question, Heinz nodded.

“We have found a clue.”

Indeed, when it came to information gathering, nothing beats numbers.

“It is said that around the same time, in a nearby village, there was a person trying to request the same job. Although he didn’t wear the vestments of the Golden Platter Order… the testimony that his build was large matches Dieter’s statement. Oh, and the fact that he used an archaic tone.”

It was a highly interesting story.

However, Heinz’s tone was subtly bothersome.

Until not long ago, Vice Archbishop Heinz had spoken to Elbridge on equal terms, but now he was subtly lowering himself, wasn’t he? It was clear that Vice Archbishop Heinz had also heard the rumors in the air.

Of course, now was not a situation to argue over such matters.

“Is that all?”

Heinz shook his head.

“Of course not. There was someone who almost brokered the request, and a separate person who brought that client to the village in a carriage. We found the departure point of the carriage… and it was Viscount Dickens’s territory.”

Dickens, Dickens. It was a familiar name.

‘Where did I hear it?’

Elbridge’s finger tapped the table in a regular rhythm. Tap, tap, tap, tap.

And Elbridge recalled where he had heard that name.

Right after being released from the seal.

When he hunted the wolf magic beast with the old knight Walter and arrived at the Riverford Barony.

The lord who had visited Baron Riverford, claiming that all his territory’s people had vanished due to a demon’s deed, was none other than Viscount Dickens.

It felt coincidental that the one who broke the Great Demon’s seal came from Viscount Dickens’s territory.

‘But the demon that devastated Viscount Dickens’s territory was… the Black Giant.’

The demon that appeared in Solenion at the end of last year, the Black Giant.

When estimating the direction of movement and the destination of that Black Giant, one of the baseline pieces of information used was the timing when Viscount Dickens’s territory was devastated.

When his thoughts reached that point, there was a memory that came to Elbridge’s mind.

Viscount Dickens’s story when he visited the Riverford Barony.

‘There was no one in the territory.’

‘Pardon? What do you mean, no one?’

‘Literally. No one. Adults, children, men, women, farmers, merchants, even my vassals and family—all of them. What’s even stranger is that there were no bloodstains, no signs of fire, and no traces of people leaving.’

It was said that in Viscount Dickens’s territory, there were no traces of people being killed, or even attacked.

If the demon that swept through Viscount Dickens’s territory had been the Black Giant, traces of buildings collapsing and being attacked would surely have remained.

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

Elbridge’s fingers were still tapping the table.

The situation was reconstructed in his head.

‘What if the demon that struck Viscount Dickens’s territory was not the Black Giant?’

He didn’t know. The situation didn’t fit exactly.

But Elbridge’s intuition was screaming, warning him not to take this situation lightly.

Happily, right in front of him, there was someone who could confirm whether Elbridge’s intuition was correct.

Elbridge asked Heinz.

“Bishop.”

“Please speak.”

“I heard that last winter, the paladins of the Golden Platter Order also fought the Black Giant in Ashpen.”

It was not a battle Elbridge had participated in.

But Sir Felix of the Order of the Bloody Spear had clearly said so.

‘He poured out his anger, saying the Golden Platter Order made them waste time in Ashpen.’

Vice Archbishop Heinz replied.

“That is correct.”

“I heard that while rescuing the villagers, the people stamped with the brand passed away.”

“Indeed. The people whose brands were completely burned up died in agony.”

“By any chance, did those bodies vanish?”

Vice Archbishop Heinz thought for a moment and then shook his head.

“I heard they were buried. Whether the buried bodies disappeared from the ground… that is something we cannot know. What is the matter?”

Elbridge closed his eyes instead of answering.

Viscount Dickens, a lord and a knight.

A large build. A tone of speech different from commoners. Combat power that could easily overpower about three ordinary people.

The one who broke the seal.

The place where he boarded the carriage was Viscount Dickens’s territory.

Unlike the people killed by the Black Giant, the people of Viscount Dickens’s territory whose very bodies had vanished.

Viscount Dickens’s territory, which was swept by the demon right after Elbridge was released from the seal…

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

Elbridge’s fingers, which were tapping the table regularly, stopped.

“Viscount Dickens was the demon’s first victim… but at the same time, it seems he was the suspect.”

Because what Viscount Dickens had lost was too immense, no one could suspect him.

But arsonists usually get burned, and killers’ hands tend to be left with cuts.

“Let’s go to the Riverford Barony. Baron Riverford must still be taking care of Viscount Dickens.”