The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 7

The angle of the bow was large enough that the projectile wouldn’t hit his hand when fired from the bowstring. However, it required tremendous grip and arm strength, as well as an excellent sense of timing.

Azadin used this ancient archery technique to wield the bow like a catapult, launching the stone. The projectile, a rock, tore through the air and flew towards Midiam.

“Ugh!?”

Unlike a precise arrow, there was no telling how the stone would fly.

As Midiam flinched in surprise, the stone hit the ground, bounced, and shattered into several fragments, all aimed at her.

-\’Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon! Moon Halo!\’

Midiam deployed a shimmering lunar shield, blocking the fragments. They were just stone dust and shards, but the sharply broken pieces flew with terrifying force, sending chills down her spine.

‘Huh?!’

Midiam realized that Azadin had disappeared from her sight. He had veered off the path, disappearing behind the rocky outcroppings of the desolate wasteland.

Then, another stone came flying.

-Whoosh!

Midiam was horrified by the stone that twisted and turned freely in the air.

‘Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon’s Crane? He said he couldn’t use magic?’

The Herald Clan’s specialty of using magic to curve projectiles was being displayed by Azadin.

However, Azadin wasn’t using magic; he was simply using his incredible skill to put spin on the projectiles, creating an effect similar to magic.

“What is this!”

Midiam panicked and began to dodge. She couldn’t even see her opponent, yet stones were flying at her from all directions in bizarre trajectories.

“Midiam! To your left!”

Ismail couldn’t bear to watch any longer and warned her.

[How dare you!]

The Emperor’s voice flared up. It was a blunder for Ismail to offer advice during a duel.

“Don’t interfere, Ismail! If you taint the duel, you’ll be punished too!”

Midiam reached for the treasured sword at her waist, but Azadin had already closed the distance. Azadin’s fingers flew towards Midiam’s eyes, trying to gouge them out!

Midiam reflexively slashed with her sword, but what she cut was just an afterimage of Azadin. Astonishingly, Azadin twisted his body in mid-air, easily dodging Midiam’s attack as if he had anticipated it.

In fact, Azadin’s eye-gouging attack was much faster, so he could have gouged out Midiam’s eyes if he had wanted to. However, Azadin deliberately showed the eye-gouging attack, waited for Midiam to counter, and then snatched her wrist.

And then…

“It’s over.”

“What?”

In that instant, Azadin’s fist slammed into Midiam’s torso.

“Ah!”

Her hand was caught, and there was nowhere to dodge! After grabbing her, Azadin had landed a direct punch.

-Thwack!

A loud crash echoed.

“Eek!”

Midiam screamed and squeezed her eyes shut.

“Lady Midiam!”

Ismail, who was watching, couldn’t hold back and rushed forward.

The Herald Clan’s duels were sacred. But how could a traitor’s descendant kill the most noble and powerful daughter of the founding family?

‘I will never forgive this, how dare this lowly thing!’

Ismail gritted his teeth at Azadin and rushed to save Midiam.

*********

Midiam squeezed her eyes shut. This loud crash, it wasn’t the sound of a person being hit.

‘Ah, I’m dead. With a crash this loud, I must be shattered to pieces. Is it so powerful that I don’t even feel the pain?’

She closed her eyes, but… nothing happened.

“Huh?”

Surprised, Midiam opened her eyes to see Azadin already dusting off his hands and turning away. He held out his hand to Ismail, who was rushing towards him in anger.

“Stop, Ismail. Or are you challenging me too? It seems like you’ve already done something reckless.”

“No, wait a minute! I’m fine. It’s not over yet!”

Midiam insisted, taking a step forward, but at that moment, an anomaly occurred.

-Crumble.

The sandstone pillar behind her broke and collapsed instead.

“Huh?”

Midiam was clearly hit, but the impact passed through her and ricocheted into the rock behind her.

What kind of technique was this?

Midiam tried to recall the magic used by the Herald Clan from her memory.

‘It seems similar to the Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon’s Water Flow? But he said he can’t use magic?’

One thing was certain: if that power had been focused directly on Midiam, she wouldn’t have survived.

[The duel is over.]

The Emperor’s voice, who had been overseeing the duel, declared the outcome.

[Midiam of the Etar family. As a retainer, you challenged a Herald and were defeated, so your fate belongs to the Herald Azadin. Unless he releases you, you cannot be a free person. And Ismail, you also interfered in the duel, so you shall become a slave of the Herald along with Midiam.]

The Emperor’s voice announced the end of the duel.

“Ugh!”

Midiam collapsed to the ground.

A slave?

Was the child of the Etar, one of the first five families of Aragasa, to become a slave to that traitor’s child?

A moment of recklessness had ruined her life. But Azadin’s skill was certainly impressive. She had been too complacent. She had trusted the rumors and ignored the aura Azadin exuded, the warning of her instincts.

Thinking about it, she felt so pathetic and foolish that she couldn’t bear it.

“How can I endure such humiliation!”

She drew a dagger and tried to stab herself in the neck.

“Lady Midiam!”

Ismail was shocked and tried to stop Midiam, but before he could…

-Ting!

With a metallic sound, the dagger was knocked out of Midiam’s hand. Azadin had flicked a stone, knocking the dagger from Midiam’s hand.

“I had a feeling you might do that.”

Azadin had predicted that Midiam, who had lost the duel, would try to commit suicide.

“Little miss, I’m sorry, but your life is mine now. You can’t just go around trying to damage my property.”

“……”

“Is that all the resolve you had when you challenged me to a duel?”

Midiam calmed her trembling hand with her other hand.

‘What kind of stone is that….’

It flew like it was shot from a crossbow, and it was so accurate. Azadin approached her.

“Having lost the duel, you no longer have the right to die. You can only die when your fate runs out or when I want you to. Moreover, now you are not a retainer but a slave, and you must faithfully obey my personal orders, not just work-related instructions.”

“Ugh.”

Midiam trembled. As he said, Midiam’s very existence now belonged to Azadin, and she didn’t even have the right to die as she pleased.

Only now did she groan at the terrifying consequences of losing the duel. She was sure she would win, but how could she have been so easily defeated by someone rumored to be the weakest among the entire Herald Clan?

‘What should I do now? Should I kill him to regain my freedom? But the Emperor’s voice is always watching the Heralds.’

Midiam was worrying about her harsh future.

*********

‘What a ridiculous kid?’

Azadin chuckled as he watched Midiam’s expression twist and turn as she had all sorts of delusions.

“Well, I guess that was a lesson for you? Okay, I’ll release you, Midiam of the Etar bloodline. And Ismail, you are free too.”

“What?”

“Huh?”

Ismail, who was watching, was also surprised. The reason why retainers or other Heralds were allowed to challenge a Herald was because the position of a Herald required skill.

However, if everyone was allowed to challenge easily, the hierarchy of the organization would be a mess. Challengers had to become slaves if they couldn’t prove they were right.

But Azadin was releasing Midiam, who had challenged him so rudely?

“Not only that, but let’s pretend this duel never happened. I guess you wouldn’t want a record of you picking a fight with a Herald for no reason, would you?”

“N-no, why?”

Midiam couldn’t understand why Azadin was doing this.

“I’ve become the master of a girl with beauty and talent like me, and you’re just going to release me on the same day without doing anything?”

“Beauty and talent?”

Azadin scoffed.

“I don’t know about beauty, but if you had as much talent as Ara-el, you wouldn’t have ended up like this, don’t you think?”

“Ugh.”

Midiam’s face turned red with embarrassment.

“B-but, I am beautiful, aren’t I? You, just now, to me….”

“That was to threaten you. How was it? Was my threat a little scary just now? You silly little miss.”

“……”

“I’m fine, but there are many guys in the world who like young girls, and there are many places with the custom of arranged marriages, so when you do something like a duel, think carefully. No, don’t ever do anything like a duel for the rest of your life. If there’s someone you need to kill, assassinate them. Don’t challenge them to a duel head-on.”

“B-but, why are you releasing me?”

“Because it’s annoying.”

“Huh?”

“I hate taking care of kids, it’s annoying.”

‘What, what is this guy.’

Midiam felt bewildered by Azadin’s attitude. It was refreshing.

“We’re not kids!”

“You’re definitely kids. I’ve warned you several times not to act so immature, but you ignored me and ended up challenging me to a duel, didn’t you? Moreover, that guy….”

Azadin pointed at the droopy-eyed boy, Ismail.

“He interfered in the duel and tried to become a slave with you. You’re both a pair of brats.”

“Hmph.”

It was an undeniable fact. But that meant that even Azadin, the most despised of the Herald Clan, was saying that he didn’t need them?

That was so insulting that Midiam instead tried to appeal her usefulness.

“Even so, you’re not going to keep a retainer as talented as me by your side?”

“Are you saying you’re talented yourself?”

“It’s an objective fact!”

“Objectively and subjectively, you’re a kid.”

“I won’t deny that I’m a bit too youthful, but if you just wait a little longer, I’ll be a great help to you? Besides, I’m an Etar. If you have me as a slave, everyone in the clan will look at you differently.”

Azadin was dumbfounded by Midiam’s words.

“Are you now recommending that I keep you as a slave? Do you want to be a slave?”

“N-no, but it’s because I can’t understand your actions. I’d rather choose to lose in a way I understand than gain in a way I don’t!”

“That’s a really stupid idea. What if I actually withdraw my offer to release you?”

Azadin was bewildered by Midiam’s stubbornness and tilted his head.

“So, if I tell you the reason why I’m releasing you, you’ll accept it, is that it?”

“Yes!”

“That’s exactly what it means to be clueless. You’re clueless because you’re of the Etar bloodline.”

Azadin chuckled at Midiam’s audacious attitude.

“Think about it yourself.”

Azadin said that and started walking down the road.

“……”

“Oh, what should I do?”

Midiam asked Ismail in a panic.

“What do you mean? He’s saying that much, so we should just go back.”

“T-that’s a bit….”

Midiam panicked and followed Azadin.