Chapter 1482

<Chapter 1482> 1482. Paladin: The Journey of Evil Annihilation

“You’ve dropped your weapon, Paladin!!”

As the colossal crow, Parason, flapped its wings through the Neutral and descended upon Paladin the moment it spotted an opening, its beak sharp enough to shred steel aimed for Paladin’s neck.

Paladin spun around. With his left hand, he grabbed Parason by the neck, and with his right, he seized its wing.

“Even without a sword, I can kill the likes of you.”

Paladin tightened his grip.

“CAWAAAAAAAK!”

Parason let out a painful scream as blood erupted from its wing. Covered in blood, Paladin continued to exert force. Finally, Parason’s wing was completely torn off and fell to the ground.

Paladin then grabbed the other wing and tore it off just as before.

With both wings shredded, Parason trembled pitifully. But Paladin felt not an ounce of sympathy as he proceeded to rip apart Parason’s neck and legs, killing it outright.

Lord Hailguide watched Paladin with a rigid expression.

The brute strength capable of tearing demons limb from limb, and a holy power so potent it could vaporize his magic—it was unexpected.

Cold sweat trickled down his brow.

‘This guy hasn’t even been knighted for three months, and yet he’s grown this strong? It’s impossible…!’

There must be some trickery at play here.

‘But can such tricks really make someone this powerful?’

Dangerous.

The Paladin standing before him was more dangerous than any Paladin he had ever encountered. This Paladin would only grow stronger, potentially becoming powerful enough to threaten even Great Demons. And since Great Demons were the heart of demonic power and the future, this Paladin had to die today—no matter what.

“Do you know? Demon blood contains Magic Power. Thus, it is far more special than any other kind of blood.”

“Your blood will also be spilled.”

Paladin advanced. While feigning calmness, the lord desperately channeled his Magic Power to cast a spell. Blood scattered across the area began to gather, bubbling like lava.

Paladin did not stop. He gripped the greatsword embedded in the ground and marched forward, stepping through the scorching blood toward Lord Hailguide.

The lord laughed—a genuine laugh from deep within.

“So you’ve walked into my trap. Blame your ignorance and arrogance.”

The swirling blood surged upward, hurtling toward Paladin. The blood enveloped him in a massive spherical form.

The lord was certain of victory.

No human or demon had ever survived this spell. Especially now, powered by demon blood, Paladin would be crushed into nothingness, leaving not even a proper corpse behind.

But once again, Paladin defied his expectations.

The blade protruded from the compressing sphere of blood, glowing with golden energy coursing along its edge. The lord frantically squeezed every last bit of Magic Power he could muster.

It was futile.

When Paladin swung his sword, the sphere of blood split apart with absurd ease. Losing its power, the blood poured onto the ground. Drenched in demon blood, Paladin reached the lord.

“Impossible…!”

“It’s you who are impossible. Your very existence cannot be tolerated.”

Paladin raised his greatsword—


It was raised. The viscount moved a step faster. He swung his long claws at the paladin, but before they could touch the paladin’s armor, the viscount’s lower half was already severed. Blood and guts spilled onto the floor.

The paladin grabbed the falling viscount by the head and lifted it to eye level. However, the viscount couldn’t see the paladin’s eyes, as the solid helmet completely concealed them. Despite trying to remain dignified, the viscount couldn’t help but feel fear creeping across his face.

“You will lose as much blood as you have drunk.”

“W-what…?”

The paladin moved his sword. Like a choreographed task, he chopped off both of the viscount’s arms.

Suddenly, a cross appeared in front of the paladin. Emitting holy energy, the viscount was placed upon it, with stakes positioned against his chest. Using his fists instead of a hammer, the paladin drove the stakes home.

“AAAAAAAAAAH! You, YOU! Just kill me already!”

At this point, the viscount realized what the paladin intended to do.

If properly purified, vampire blood can be an excellent ingredient for medicine. This horrifying paladin clearly planned to bind him to the cross and endlessly extract his blood! Treating him like a cow being milked, reducing him to livestock.

Overwhelmed by immense fear and humiliation, Viscount Hailguide shouted at the paladin carrying the cross.

“Kill me! Kill me now! AAAAHHHH! I am your enemy! Would you spare your enemy? Finish me quickly!”

“Shut up.”

The paladin’s rough hand tore off the viscount’s jaw. Only then did the viscount finally fall silent. For the first time in his life, he cursed his superior demonic body. If only it weren’t so perfect, he might have died before enduring such disgrace.

Carrying the cross, the paladin walked outside, where the Holy Knights and Inquisitors immediately knelt in reverence.

“We congratulate you on your victory.”

“It was inevitable.”

“…You’ve also achieved your goal. Though it doesn’t sit well with me, for the future of the church, I shall comply.”

The Holy Knights felt uneasy and uncomfortable about not killing Viscount Hailguide.

On the other hand, the Inquisitors were different. They admired the new paladin immensely, showing boundless respect.

“Truly remarkable, Paladin! Please allow us to handle the vampire’s interrogation! We’ll make him spill every last bit of information!”

“That was my plan all along. Collect the demon’s remains and clean up the area. We’re returning to the cathedral.”

Upon returning to the cathedral, I handed over Viscount Hailguide to the Inquisitors and headed toward the sanctuary. There, I entered the holy pool to receive a purification ritual from the saint.

Normally, the purification ritual would end quickly, but today it seemed unusually long.

This was because three demonic spirits clung to me, and they were of higher rank than any I had faced before. As I confront stronger demons in the future, these rituals will only grow longer.

After the purification ritual ended, I used the blessing energy to learn a new skill.

[Name: Eugene

Origin: Holy Knight

Level: 62

Strength: 42 Agility: 20 Vitality: 20 Holiness: 25

Skills: Sanctuary (Lv. Master), Holy Aura (Lv.7), Divine Blade (Lv.7), Sprint (Lv.3), Holy Light (Lv.3), Divine Enhancement (Lv. Master)]

The newly acquired Divine Enhancement is a passive skill that boosts holiness power and enhances other skills’ effects.

Feeling satisfied, I rose from the sacred pool, dried myself with the prepared towel, and dressed. Then, I sat in a chair to rest quietly.

‘As always, resting here in the sanctuary feels far better mentally and physically compared to anywhere else.’

The sanctuary is saturated with holy energy, and simply being here brings a sense of calm.

“Paladin.”

The saint approached and naturally sat beside me. She treats me much more casually now compared to when we first met. She handed me something.

“What’s this?”

“It’s wine from Froob.”

“…Wine made by the Vatican. It must have been hard to get.”

“I contacted the Vatican directly…”


“Thud.”

Even if the status of the saint is lower than expected, it cannot be completely ignored. The Vatican must have been perplexed when the saint suddenly requested alcohol.

“Are you giving this to me?”

“Yes. Please partake. I’ve received much food and goods from you, Paladin. Please accept this.”

Seeing the wine, Elena came to mind.

The finest wine from another world. She’d surely drool and dive right in. But I had no intention of fighting over this wine before me.

“Have you ever tasted alcohol?”

“No, but I’ve heard that men enjoy it, so I prepared it.”

“Hmm?”

I took out two wine glasses from my inventory. I was now openly using my inventory. If anyone asked what power it was, I’d fudge an answer. No one questioned me deeply since I’m the paladin chosen by the goddess.

I placed two wine glasses on the table; one in front of me and one in front of her.

“What a clean glass. It’s beautiful.”

“These are wine glasses, suitable for drinking wine.”

“… Are you offering me wine? I cannot drink alcohol.”

“You can’t as a nun, but you’re not just any nun, you’re the saint. There shouldn’t be any restrictions on abstinence, right?”

“Well… yes…”

“Drinking won’t make you fall into sin. And they say alcohol isn’t meant to be consumed alone.”

“…”

I opened the wine bottle and poured it into the glasses. A sweet aroma spread through the sanctuary, stimulating the senses. Amelia hesitated before finally picking up the wine glass.

She then removed her veil with her other hand. I stared at her silently. We had known each other for quite some time, but this was the first time I saw her take off her veil. It also meant she considered me close.

“Beautiful.”

Her blue eyes and bright blonde hair. Pink, plump lips. Her face was as perfect as a sculpture.

I raised my wine glass. She stared at me silently before realizing something and lifting her glass too.

Clang!

The glasses collided. I savored the scent first, then sipped a little wine before swallowing. Both the fragrance and taste were excellent. The aftertaste was clean.

It was worthy of being the best wine in this world.

Amelia followed me and drank the wine. Soon, her eyes widened.

“It tastes good. So this is how it tastes… But for some reason, my body feels warm.”

“The alcohol is coursing through your body. It’s not bad.”

Afterward, we quietly enjoyed the wine together. Amelia surprisingly drank well. It seemed like she might have already developed a taste for wine.

“Paladin-sama. We’ve obtained intelligence that a wicked ritual is taking place at Salot Castle.”

Salot Castle.

Upon hearing the name, I silently swallowed.

It felt like the inevitable had arrived.

“Wicked ritual? Do you know what kind of ritual it is?”

“The ritual is conducted by Barbaroyax, a demon. He’s a subordinate of the Great Demon Suton. Originally human, he became a necromancer after contracting with Suton. He’s currently conducting a ritual to resurrect Suton.”

“Suton… the Great Demon that paladins gathered to kill, correct?”

“Yes. The previous Valentinier Paladin perished in that war. Normally, the resurrection of a Great Demon would take several decades, but Barbaroyax is shortening that period with the ritual. We must stop the ritual. If Suton is resurrected, he will target the paladins. Paladin-sama still needs more time to grow.”

“I understand. I’ll infiltrate Salot Castle alone.”

“…What?”

“Let the other troops wait nearby. Barbaroyax is a cunning fiend. He must have prepared traps. Attacking recklessly will only increase casualties. I’ll infiltrate the castle first, remove the traps, and open the gates.”

“…Isn’t that too dangerous?”

“It is dangerous. But the reward matches the risk.”

I know the strategy to conquer Salot Castle. I can secure a large amount of experience and guarantee a sure victory. I couldn’t let this opportunity slip.

The saint understood my firm resolve and reluctantly agreed.

“I shall follow the Paladin’s decision.”