Chapter 411: A Nation for the Dead (4)
"A village to rest in?"
Tuhalin’s voice betrayed his incredulity.
"Did I hear you correctly? A place to rest, here in the Immortal Order’s territory?"
"Could it be like that abandoned village we stopped at before?" Edelred asked cautiously.
That village had been a decent stopover, but the restless night caused by the sudden appearance of the Immortal Emperor Beshek had left the troops uneasy and sleep-deprived. It was hardly what one could call “restful.”
Isaac nodded.
"Let’s move first. I’ll explain once we get there—it’s not far."
Once Isaac made a decision, further objections were merely petty nitpicking. His leadership had brought them victory after victory, and the soldiers had begun to believe that if anyone could find a hot spring in the middle of this cold desert, it would be Isaac.
"The Salt Council joined us at the perfect time, Eidan," Isaac said, turning to the newly arrived commander.
The only troops not suffering from the aftereffects of miracles were the sailors of the Salt Council. Furthermore, the fresh supplies, horses, and wagons they brought were a godsend for the exhausted soldiers. Eidan’s arrival truly felt serendipitous.
"Thank you, Holy Grail Knight," Eidan replied humbly.
"Thanks to you, we managed to defeat the Archangel Lord of the Graveyard. Another chapter added to the legendary tale of the Archangel Chorong Anglerfish."
"Please… spare me."
Eidan squirmed in visible embarrassment. He knew full well that the victory was not solely because of his intervention. For reasons unknown, the Lord of the Graveyard had been retreating desperately, and Eidan’s timely arrival had been a stroke of luck rather than strategy.
Still, the ordinary soldiers attributed the collapse of the Eclipse Legion to the unexpected reinforcements. They praised Eidan’s intervention as the turning point and lauded Isaac’s sharp judgment in capitalizing on the moment.
Isaac didn’t mind sharing the glory. He had more accolades than he needed and found it prudent to emphasize the importance of alliances.
"Even so, you were later than I expected," Isaac noted. "I thought Leonora’s supplies might have delayed you, but was there another reason?"
"Ah, yes… The situation near the Miarma coast changed," Eidan admitted.
"The Miarma coast? By the Salt Desert?"
Isaac was surprised. The region was known for its unusual conditions, but with the Cursed Sun gone, there was little reason for further disruptions.
"Yes. Around Miarma, massive sea creatures and bizarre fish unlike anything seen before have started appearing. The merchants from the Golden Idol Guild were terrified and delayed their schedules. I had to personally guide them to bring in the supplies."
"Sea creatures, huh," Isaac mused.
He suspected the growing influence of the Salt Council might be manifesting in the world. In hindsight, it wasn’t unexpected. Even in the game, the environment around the Salt Desert began to shift as players progressed through its questline.
It wasn’t just the Salt Council. As each faith neared its victory conditions, signs and anomalies began appearing across the world—divine beasts, physical transformations, and prophetic visions became increasingly common.
Isaac’s thoughts drifted to Eidan. "Eidan, come here for a moment."
"Huh?"
Isaac gently turned Eidan’s head and examined the back of his ear. Sure enough, there was a distinct mark.
Without warning, Isaac slid a finger into a small, barely visible slit behind Eidan’s ear.
"Wh-what are you doing?!" Eidan recoiled in shock.
"You’ve grown gills."
"Gills?!" Eidan stammered. He reached up, his fingers brushing the faint ridges. "I-I did think it was itchy lately, but… Gills?! Really?!"
Having gills didn’t mean Eidan would lose the ability to breathe on land—it was more like a blessing, marking him as chosen by the Archangel of the Salt Council. Much like the Bladder-Bearers among the Salt Council’s bishops, it was a physical transformation associated with divine favor.
It was a form of postnatal sanctification.
"That means similar changes are likely happening within the Dawn Army as well," Isaac thought.
He had already seen the Glass-Eyed, so it wouldn’t be surprising if there were Scorched Ones or other altered individuals among the troops. The increasing influence of one faith suggested that others might also be asserting themselves in unexpected ways.
"Wait… if that’s the case, then others might…"
***
As they made their way toward the village, Isaac began quietly investigating the Issacrea Dawn Army for any signs of physical transformations or other anomalies among its members.
The investigation into the Issacrea Dawn Army revealed surprising results: physical transformations were primarily occurring among the devout, particularly those whose abilities had drawn the attention of Archangels.
The first to exhibit such changes was Lianne Georg, the Swordmaster of Elil and its second-in-command. Lianne seemed deeply embarrassed by her transformation.
"I’m just tired, that’s all."
"Being tired doesn’t make your ears pointy," Isaac countered.
Lianne’s ears had grown noticeably longer and more tapered—distinctly elven. While they weren’t as pronounced as the ears of Elil that Isaac had seen in Urbansus, they were unmistakably different from human ears.
Though her face remained unchanged, Lianne wasn’t alone in undergoing such transformations.
The most dramatic change was seen in Reyna Hilde, the female knight who had nearly overwhelmed Isaac with her superior swordsmanship and brute strength when he first arrived in the Kingdom of Elil.
Reyna’s ears had also become pointed, but that wasn’t the end of it. White flowers and leaves had begun sprouting from her hair.
"At first, I thought it was just dandruff," she said sheepishly. "It’s been a while since I had a proper bath."
Her brother, looking unimpressed, quipped, "I thought you’d finally gone mad from the war and started accessorizing."
The Hilde siblings took the changes in stride. Reyna’s overall appearance hadn’t shifted much—she still looked more robust than delicate. Her sturdy build, far from the willowy elegance of an elf, remained unchanged except for the ears and hair.
"Have you noticed any other changes?" Isaac asked.
"Hmm… I feel lighter, more flexible," Reyna replied.
Unlike Lianne, Reyna’s physical enhancements were more pronounced. Already formidable in strength, her newfound agility and refined control over her body further elevated her combat abilities.
In total, about nine other individuals within Elil’s contingent showed similar transformations.
The Furnace of the World contingent, led by Tuhalin, was also experiencing changes, though they were less immediately apparent.
Tuhalin himself exhibited the most noticeable shift: his veins now glowed faintly red, visible even through his skin. In darkness, they shimmered with a soft light.
"It’s not ordinary blood," Tuhalin admitted, examining his hand. "When the Thunder Artisan descends, the glow becomes even brighter, and my entire body takes on this hue. But since the battle with the Lord of the Graveyard, the traces have lingered."
Other changes, such as calloused hands that felt like stone or a voice that resonated more powerfully, were harder to distinguish as they could be attributed to natural traits. Similarly, the Lycans, already difficult to categorize as fully human or fully beast, presented no clear signs of transformation beyond their usual feral state.
The most unexpected discovery was among the Issacrea Holy Knights.
"No one has changed?" Isaac asked.
"That’s correct," Gebel confirmed.
Not a single knight had developed traits like the Scorched Ones or Glass-Eyed. This absence of transformation was curious, especially when other units had already shown signs of change.
"Perhaps my influence on the group is stronger than I thought…" Isaac mused.
It might also be linked to his conversations with Linde, the former commander of the Avalanche Knights, which could have shaped their faith. Yet, this influence hadn’t hindered their ability to perform miracles.
While the transformations often brought significant enhancements in combat, Isaac felt oddly relieved. It reinforced the sense that these knights were truly his people, not blindly devoted zealots bound to the Codex of Light.
"Of course, if someone suddenly grows tentacles, that would be a problem," he thought wryly.
***
The village appeared as if by magic.
As the soldiers crested a ridge, they were met with an unseasonably green landscape. For the first time since entering the Immortal Order’s domain, they saw vibrant colors: pumpkin vines sprawled across the warm soil, and barley shoots stood in neat rows, ready for the spring harvest.
This was no ghost town. People lived here, tended the fields, and cultivated farmland—all within the heart of a land ruled by the undead.
The Issacrea Dawn Army advanced cautiously, an uncanny sense of being in a dreamlike state settling over them.
"Who could’ve imagined such a place exists in the Immortal Order’s territory," Tuhalin muttered, voicing what everyone was thinking.
Edelred looked grave. "Holy Grail Knight, is this the fabled land connected to heaven?"
"Connected to heaven?" Isaac asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The place where humanity first set foot after being cast out of heaven. It’s said that the winds of paradise still blow through this land, somewhere far to the east…"
"A lovely legend, Your Majesty, but no," Isaac replied, chuckling. "The warmth is just relative. After wandering in the cold, this feels like spring, but it’s far from divine."
Isaac gestured to the land. "This is less a paradise and more of a… ranch."
"A ranch?" Edelred asked, puzzled.
"A human ranch," Isaac clarified.
As he spoke, they saw movement ahead.
The soldiers, mesmerized by the peaceful atmosphere, belatedly noticed someone working in the fields. Startled, they gripped their weapons, only to realize the figure wasn’t undead but a living human.
The man, just as startled, dropped his tools and ran, screaming in panic.
"What’s he saying?" Edelred asked, confused.
Rottenhammer frowned. "It’s some dialect… not like anything I’ve heard before."
Tuhalin, who had been quiet, suddenly groaned. Sweat beaded on his brow as he pieced together the implications of Isaac’s words.
"It’s the tongue of the Unified Empire," Tuhalin said grimly. "That’s how people spoke 300 years ago."
The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances.
"Why would they still be speaking like that? And why would they run from us?" Rottenhammer asked.
"Do you know what he was shouting?" Tuhalin said, looking at Isaac. "He said, ‘The army of Sarka Noir is here. King Noir has come to conscript us.’"
Tuhalin turned to Isaac, his voice trembling. "So, these people… they’ve been living here, isolated, since the Immortal Order was established? Feeding, breeding, and caring for themselves… just to supply the Immortal Order with ‘population’?"