Chapter 39. The Golden Idol Upper Part (2)

Isaac was already on his way to Seor in search of a holy relic.

If he was going to be entangled in this situation, he wanted to use it to his advantage as much as possible.

So, how much were you thinking of offering me as a reward?

It was then that the merchant cautiously began to speak.

Isaac, having no intention of helping for free, was grateful that the merchant broached the subject first. However, he was not traveling to Seor to be satisfied with mere pennies.

Ah, thanks, but since Im also heading to Seor, lets settle the reward there.

In Seor?

Isnt there a merchants guild there? Well discuss it there.

The merchants face twisted, thinking that Isaac intended to extract a proper compensation rather than just a makeshift reward. But having saved their lives, they couldnt really complain.

However, his thoughts soon changed.

The Golden Idol merchant guild, right? Tell the branch head that Ill be visiting.

Upon mentioning the Golden Idol merchant guild, the merchants eyes widened, and he quickly bowed his head, then realized that Isaacs intentions were different than he had anticipated.

So, you plan to visit? Arent you going to accompany us?

No, I have business with those fellows.

Isaac pointed at the bandits. Remembering Isaacs statement about having a matter to attend to with the surviving bandits, the merchant nodded. He cautiously took something out of his pocket and handed it to Isaac.

It was a coin engraved with a cows skull, not a currency accepted in any country.

My name is Vihik. When you visit, show them this.

Alright. Thank you.

After expressing their gratitude to Isaac once again, the merchants moved on with their carriage. Watching the carriage leave, Isaac turned back to the bandits. The bandits flinched as their eyes met Isaacs.

It was time to address the matter concerning these bandits.

So none of you have a faith, right?

Yes.

What about the one who fainted?

Yes.

In a world where gods openly exist, miracles are performed in their names, and even living deities roam the earth, declaring oneself faithless is akin to admitting weakness. Even Isaac, who lacked any semblance of religious fervor, found these atheists before him odd.

How then, would the people of this world view them?

People regarded them as more than just strangeas uncivilized, untaught, even abandoned by the gods, barbarians, or intellectually deficient for not comprehending the divine.

Usually, they were disdainfully called Barbarians.

Such Barbarians could never belong to the mainstream in any nation that followed the Nine Faiths. At best, they were ostracized or expelled, naturally limited to roles like bandits, marauders, slash-and-burn farmers, or nomads, and were frequently subjected to purges, as Rotenhammer had done.

However, Isaac didnt view the Barbarians in such a one-dimensional manner. To him, all deities of the Nine Faiths seemed no more than characters and settings in a game, and he was utterly clueless as to why the nameless force of chaos lent him power.

In fact, Isaac was the truest Barbarian of them all.

Therefore, he decided to offer them an opportunity.

Ever thought about adopting a faith?

A faith?

A wave of discomfort swept through the Barbarians.

The reasons Barbarians lacked faith were varied: resentment towards the Nine Faiths, a desire to believe in a new, non-existent god, their ancient deity dying, disillusionment with faith altogether, being excommunicated or fleeing from a sect and so on.

Many either couldnt or wouldnt adopt a faith.

Yet, Isaac had an alternative in mind for them.

What faith are you talking about?

Theres no need to know about it right now.

Isaac evaded the question regarding which of the Nine Faiths he was referring to.

Just listen for now. Theres no need to devoutly believe or offer sacrifices. You just need to live by following a few simple rules.

The Barbarians, already wary, seemed uncomfortable but couldnt refuse in the face of an armed opponent. Then, one of the Barbarians tentatively raised his hand.

If we adopt this faith, can we become strong like you, sir?

No. Trying to gain power that easily would make you a thief.

Then why should we adopt this faith

And why should I let murderers like you live?

That concluded the persuasion.

The Barbarians quietly shut their mouths, ready to listen to Isaac.

So, then

Thus, the Paladin, who was practically a Barbarian, began his bandit-like proselytization.

First, lets assume theres a flying spaghetti monster up in the sky

***

Alright, then remember what Ive taught you and dont go around doing bad things.

Yes, elder.

After finishing his sermon, Isaac released the Barbarians from their bindings. The Barbarians hesitated, seemingly in disbelief that they were being let go so easily, and looked around at each other. Eventually, one of the Barbarians spoke up cautiously.

Um, elder. While your teachings were good, Im not quite sure how they help us.

Isaac looked straight at him. He was a middle-aged man with a tired face and unkempt beard.

Not a bad guy for a bandit.

In fact, they could have just pretended to understand, run away, and then forget everything Isaac had said. Isaac didnt actually think a few words would convert them. However, the fact that they asked indicated they were swayed by Isaacs sermon and that there was a possibility for conversion.

I said those things because there are some who act sanctimonious just because they have a faith. Just live thinking, I have a faith I need to adhere to.

Each faith has its own set of morals and rules, promising an afterlife based on adherence to these. But the Barbarians didnt have such things, leading them to live unrestrained lives. Isaac wanted to rectify that.

Thus, Isaac had been spreading a set of loose moral guidelines.

The nameless chaos had lost its entire doctrine and scriptures, so everything had to be improvised anew by Isaac. Moreover, the guidelines of the nameless chaos didnt even include a rule saying bad deeds lead to hell and good deeds to heaven.

It was mostly just about not doing too much harm and not worrying too much about others. Whether such lax doctrines could actually reform anyone was questionable.

But perhaps because they were so lenient, they were also easy to follow.

Most of these people were those who had rejected the stringent rules and constraints of major religions. For them, the relaxed doctrine of dont bother others and live without worrying too much about others was a novel approach.

Or maybe they were simply swayed by Isaacs unique appearance and charm.

As always, Isaac succeeded in spreading his doctrine.

[The doctrine of the nameless chaos has been disseminated.]

[The influence of the nameless chaos in the world grows stronger.]

This message appeared when Isaac began spreading the doctrine.

All four men paid attention to Isaacs words. Isaacs charisma stat inevitably played a strong role in this quasi-cult leader scenario.

Although Isaacs doctrine was improvised, the system recognized it as the doctrine of the nameless chaos. Perhaps it was because Isaac was the worlds only follower and preacher of this faith.

Though unintended, Isaac felt the presence and influence of his followers whenever they accepted the doctrine of the nameless chaos.

The stronger their faith, the clearer their presence became.

The Barbarians in front of him were just beginning to consider his words, not yet showing a clear presence.

Well then Ill be on my way.

The Barbarians, still looking confused, thanked Isaac and left, taking the bodies of their comrades with them.

Isaac felt their influence waning as they departed, thinking to himself.

This will allow me to track the location of the Barbarians stronghold.

Isaac felt a certain responsibility for his actions.

Though the presence wasnt strong, since there were very few in the world who could be considered followers of the nameless chaos, locating them was relatively easy.

Someday, Isaac believed these scattered seeds of faith would benefit him. He was convinced that as his fame and reputation grew, he would need his own force.

Proselytization was the seed for that future.

Those rejected and starved by other faiths would become the foundation of Isaacs support.

Zihilrat.

As Isaac called out, a strange creature burst out of the forest. It was Zihilrat, an offspring of chaos that Isaac had created based on the corpse of the plague god,Zihilirat, having not feasted to its hearts content for a while, had diminished in size but was still as large as an average horse.

Isaac mounted it with practiced ease.

Without needing explicit commands, Zihilrat sensed Isaacs will and began to sprint swiftly. The ride wasnt comfortable, but navigating through the scarcely populated forests and valleys was far more efficient than on horseback. Without the stares of people, it could even scale walls.

Im not sure how to handle the Loracus situation, but lets head to Seor for now. I was going there to search for the relic anyway.

***

Upon arriving in Seor, Isaac immediately felt the intense hustle of the place. Wagons from various southern regions brought with them the smells of dirt and Loracus bulbs. It was practically early spring, and the time to plant Loracus was near. Merchants were rushing to sell the bulbs to farmers before it was too late.

However, instead of farmers, the market was crowded with frenzied merchants. The trading system had grown complex, and merchants were seen arguing, fighting, and barely negotiating amidst the near-madness of the market atmosphere.

Isaac passed through the market to a trading house located in the city center.

The trading house was marked with a golden bull on its sign.

Welcome

The receptionist at the trading house frowned upon seeing Isaacs ragged appearance, but upon seeing the coin he presented, his eyes widened, and he hurried off somewhere.

Soon, a familiar face came running down from the second floor.

It was Vihik, the very merchant Isaac had saved.

Sir, youve arrived. I will escort you immediately.

Vihik was about to hurry him along but paused, giving an awkward smile before looking back at Isaac.

Um, Mr. Isaac?

What is it?

I could take you directly to the branch head, but do you have any urgent needs for a meal, bath, or rest?

Only then did Isaac consider his own appearance. He realized anew that it had been a while since he had a proper meal, bathed, or rested under a roof.

At that moment, Isaac wasnt even aware of his own odor.

Isaac decided to accommodate Vihiks situation.

Lets go for a bath first.