Isaac recalled the lore about that disease which erased a third of humanity.

The Nameless Chaos, before it lost its name, had killed all those who knew its name in a significant event.

Naturally, this included not only the priests who worshiped the Nameless Chaos but also theologians, priests, paladins of other faiths, and even common people.

The term disease isnt precisely accurate. Strictly speaking, it was a massacre driven by some will. Yet, its called the White Death Plague because hearing its name essentially infects one.

Those afflicted would turn to white ash, disintegrating into fine white dust particles.

The southern regions across the sea, where followers of the Nameless Chaos had been most abundant, turned into deserts covered in white sand due to the White Death Plague.

Subsequently, other faiths undertook relentless efforts to erase nearly all traces of the Nameless Chaos. What happened, why it happenedeverything became unknowable. Even Eidan couldnt immediately recall the White Death Plague.

It was akin to a mass suicide of divine beings.

The cult of the Nameless Chaos vanished from the world after the event, and a god forgotten by all ceased to influence the world.

Until Isaac appeared.

Hes not planning to use me as his agent for that miserable event again, is he?

If such an event were to occur, Isaac would be the first to turn into sand. However, to Isaac, the Nameless Chaos was still just a god without a name. The thought of the same event repeating, or even the idea of it happening, didnt occur to him.

Whether creating the Book of the Nameless Worm, encountering the Night Stalker from another world, or when the afterlife overflowed, the Nameless Chaos always sent warnings through message windows to Isaac. If it wished to repeat its past actions, it would have sent encouraging messages instead of warnings during dangerous moments.

[The Nameless Chaos watches over you.]

Yes, this message.

The message that someone is watching over him.

Without this message window, without status and quests, how would he have adapted to this world? In reality, Isaac had never killed anything, not even a rat. Yet, here he was, skillfully slicing through people, willingly throwing himself into the face of death.

It wasnt because of an exceptional ability to adapt but because he could maintain a distance from this world. That this world he was living in wasnt reality. That the actions he was undertaking were those of a game character, not real life.

The whispered messages from the Nameless Chaos protected Isaacs psyche in such a way.

The Nameless Chaos wanted to use Isaac to fix something.

Then, what was the Nameless Chaos expecting by calling upon Isaac, after having killed all its followers?

An old question that had been lingering since Isaac arrived in this world surfaced once again.

The Nameless Chaos, Urbansus, the White Death Plague and the man in yellow.

The man in yellow.

If he was already a being from the afterlife, then perhaps everything was connected to that man.

The Nameless Chaos killing all its followers.

The fact that they would now be populating the afterlife.

The Nameless Chaos specifically choosing him.

The man in yellow continuously seeking him out.

All of it was an intricately tangled issue. Though clues hadnt been found yet, everything seemed interconnected.

And Isaac felt that the key to the answer lay within himself.

Ironic.

The more power and greater strength Isaac gained from the Nameless Chaos, the closer he would become to the afterlife. He was, in a sense, the highest leader of the cult and an agent of the Nameless Chaos.

And eventually, Ill encounter him again.

Isaac didnt want to face that moment unprepared. Whether it was the Nameless Chaos or the man in yellow, whoever wanted something from Isaac, he had no desire to sacrifice himself for anyone.

His gaze turned to Eidan.

Fortunately, the archaeological capabilities of a Salt Council follower could be very useful in filling the gaps of the past.

It was too soon to utilize Eidan directly. But keeping him close meant eventual connections to the Salt Councils senators, allowing for resolution when the time came.

Theres also a matter I need to settle with the Salt Council eventually.

Until then, Isaac began to prepare his domain for departure at any moment.

Whats all this?

Isaac had the Barbarian mercenaries under Jacquette retrieve some of the weapons from the armory in the abandoned mine. It seemed they were prepared for long-term neglect, with thorough precautions against rust from humidity and oiling, so most of the equipment was in good condition. There were enough arms not only to fully equip the Barbarians but also to have reserves.

Lost and found.

These are military-grade, arent they? And theyre new. Not imperial standard issue, but still

Isaac looked at Jacquette curiously. Considering most Barbarians were treated as illiterate savages, her observation seemed quite astute.

How did you know they were military-grade?

Ive been a guard captain for years.

Had Jacquette simply responded with something like they all looked the same, Isaac might have let it go. But her answer piqued his curiosity.

Jacquette seemed to feel further explanation was necessary and continued.

Military equipment needs to be uniform. Weapons are consumables, so if one breaks, you should be able to pick up your comrades and use it without issue. Itd be chaos if a swordsman suddenly had to use a mace, right? It complicates supply and is necessary for recognizing allies in the heat of battle.

Mercenaries or levied troops of local lords often carried whatever suited their fancy or was handed to them. Barbarians werent much different. Therefore, understanding weapons could give levied troops an edge over regular soldiers in a one-on-one scenario.

But for the reasons Jacquette mentioned, when it comes to group versus group combat, the value of regular troops becomes evident. Their collective combat effectiveness and endurance are of a different magnitude.

Jacquette understood this structure.

Where did you say you were from again?

The Svalbard Archipelago.

A territory dominated by the Worlds Forge Church. It was also where Ulsten had come from.

It was highly likely she had been a follower of the Worlds Forge. Why she chose to leave for Gerthonia and become a Barbarian, Isaac didnt ask. Perhaps she had killed someone there.

Suddenly, Isaac inquired about her current situation.

Jacquette, how do the villagers view the Barbarians?

Well, they werent exactly fond of us. To be honest, even from my perspective, many Barbarian are rude, dirty, and lacking in manners.

Jacquette quickly added,

But recently, the perception has changed a bit. As their living conditions improved, the children softened up, and some began to take seriously and practice the teachings youve given us. Plus, after fighting alongside the Immortal Order the villagers have become quite friendly.

Jacquette seemed pleased with these developments.

The gang of thieves and assassins that roamed the back alleys of Seor seemed no more. The Barbari had been overly aggressive mainly because of the food shortage during the Loracus incident, so it made sense they became gentler.

Good. Jacquette, youre now the guard captain here again.

Ca, captain? Me? But Im a Barbarian.

It was a complex issue. Barbarians werent considered faithful, and in some cases, they were even hard to recognize as imperial citizens. Some extreme zealots even treated Barbarians as beasts.

And now a Barbarian in public office?

He couldnt just say find faith now. If returning to faith was easy, there wouldnt be so many Barbari in the first place.

But Isaac didnt care about those complexities.

Dont worry about the details. Just know if I say it, its so. I am Isaac Issacrea, lord of the Issacrea domain. Also, the abbot of the Issacrea Monastery. Youre the guard captain now, but who knows, maybe someday youll be a knight of the Issacrea Order.

Kni, knight

Jacquette was taken aback, seemingly overwhelmed by the prospect. But Isaac was serious.

He needed a force loyal only to him.

Jacquette might fall short of being a knight at the moment, but that could be solved with the growing faith and time. Of course, it would require a mix of sweat, tears, and effort on Jacquettes part.

Tell the others not to worry about being Barbari and to put in the effort. If anyone gives you trouble, let me know.

Isaac left it at that before suddenly remembering something.

Wheres Caitlin? I need to sort that out too.

***

I thought you had forgotten the promise you made to me.

Caitlin smiled wryly as Isaac approached, initiating the conversation.

Caitlin was staying at the newly established Issacrea branch of the Golden Idol Trading Company. In a short time, she had acquired the original building, creating spaces for carriages, a warehouse, a lobby, and a lounge, turning it into a reputable branch.

The level of completion of the branch alone showed how much Caitlin was expecting from this venture.

Honestly, Ive been too busy lately and forgot. I figured it wasnt a problem that would be solved quickly, so I thought youd keep reminding me.

Yes, I was aware. Investments dont yield results overnight, after all.

The reason Caitlin left her position as the head of the Seor economic powerhouse branch for Issacrea was to turn the Issacrea domain into a new trading hub.

Though she hadnt left the Seor branch completely unattended, having delegated responsibilities to a deputy, she was deeply invested in the Issacrea domain investment, attending to it personally.

Technically, its an investment, but its more about managing the funds youve entrusted to our company. That alone is sufficient. And if everything goes as you mentioned before, the return will be much quicker.

Well, thats something time will take care of.

Turning the Issacrea domain into a trading hub was a plan proposed by Isaac. Naturally, it included viable and executable plans. There were things he couldnt discuss with Isolde but could with the head of the Golden Idol Trading Guild.

Caitlins eyes sparkled as she spoke.

Ive already verified the Salt Council traders and the forge master. If you can just open up the North Sea route as you said

Caitlin trembled with excitement. While the point of her thrill seemed slightly awkward to Isaac, he could understand her enthusiasm.

The North Sea route was the most coveted trade route by the Golden Idol Trading Guild.

The Kingdom of Elil, the Svalbard Archipelago, and the Gerthonian Empire all fell under the White Empires influence, but aside from smuggling, trade was practically nonexistent due to religious conflicts and various historical events. The fact that the Salt Council almost monopolized the routes was another issue.

If we could get even a small portion of the goods produced by those secluded old men The profit margin we could enjoy is unimaginable. If the Salt Council handles transportation, we wont have to worry about pirates, and perhaps even goods from the Salt Desert or the Vast Sahar Especially if such trade is tax-free and exclusively under our jurisdiction here

Caitlin murmured dreamily, verging on dangerous self-talk.

It was a statement that could get her arrested under different circumstances, but Isaac didnt deny her dream. The Golden Idol already traded with the Immortal Order, so it wasnt entirely impossible.

Frankly, Isaac also hoped it would come true. Though he aimed for the restoration of the holy sites, religious taboos and exclusivity meant nothing to him.

However, the plan was near impossible for now, with the priority being to open trade properly with Elil and the Worlds Forge. Despite both being under the White Empires recognition, proud Elil had been incessantly bickering, halting official trade, and the Worlds Forge had secluded itself in the Svalbard Archipelago for a long time.

If a proper market could be established between these two, Caitlin could secure an overwhelming position within the Golden Idol Trading Guild, overcoming the trust lost during the Lorekus incident and more.

Naturally, the resources of the Issacrea domain would also increase.

Speaking of which, have you resolved the transportation issue?

Ah, dont worry about that.

Isaac was well aware of the Issacrea domains poor transportation. Situated in a valley between mountains, even if the transportation was convenient, one would still have to pass through the Issacrea domain to cross the thick mountain range.

The main issue was the pass to the central area being blocked by a landslide, but it was a solvable problem.

It seems the previous lord intentionally caused a landslide to block it. Its not even an area prone to landslides, and it was left that way as if it was too difficult to clear.

The previous lord, Lisfen Hendrake, had dreamt of religious rebellion, deliberately making the domain more secluded. The less traffic, the easier it was to keep secrets.

Isaac had many secrets to hide as well. But unlike Lisfen, he planned to do the opposite.

Its absurd for a city aiming to be a trading hub to be secluded. He intended to make the domain as open as possible, a cultural melting pot accessible to all religions.

And within that, the teachings of the Nameless Chaos would spread.

Like a tree hidden within a forest of faith.