The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 255

‘Hmm. She’s staring too much?’

Azadin felt awkward under Izmilla’s gaze, which was filled with admiration.

“Sir Azadin, you are truly an exemplar for all knights. Your outstanding martial prowess, insight, and composure, combined with your unwavering commitment to justice and virtue.”

“No, it’s not really like that.”

Just moments ago, he had made a deal with the Northern Aragasa and deceived her, so it was troubling that she trusted him so much.

However, Izmilla took Azadin’s actions as humility.

“Originally, the fact that I am a Celestial, blessed with the blood of an angel, and this angelic form, were all secrets of the Knights Order. But Sir Azadin, you are someone I can trust. Therefore, I will share another secret with you.”

“Another secret?”

“It’s healing magic.”

“Healing magic?”

“Yes.”

Izmilla said this and then cast a spell on Kuntachi, who was the most severely injured among the group.

Then, a soft circle of light enveloped MacDougall, and his wounds began to heal!

‘Miracle-based healing magic! This is something only a king should be able to use.’

Izmilla used healing magic that only the king could use in the King’s Church as if it were nothing special.

There are various types of magic with healing effects, with the lowest being blood magic healing, followed by green mana healing, and the highest level being miracle-based healing.

In the King’s Church, even kings use their own blood as a catalyst for healing magic, so they cannot use it often due to blood loss, regardless of their mana.

However, Izmilla could freely use miracle-based healing magic without any particular consumption.

“I can only use it when I transform into a Celestial, but I can use this much without any burden. This is one of the secrets of the Knights Order. But Sir Azadin, I can trust you and your subordinates.”

Having said that, Izmilla retracted her wings and returned to her human form.

“Excellent. Indeed, there was a reason why the Knights Order cherished you so much.”

“I am ashamed, Sir Azadin. I was even kidnapped by the enemy. I am only aware of my shortcomings.”

Both during the pilgrim attack and now, Izmilla was feeling powerless.

‘Objectively speaking, her swordsmanship is decent, she has great mana as a Celestial, and her magic resistance seems incredible. She also seems physically strong.’

It wasn’t so much that her skills were lacking, but rather that she was being targeted because of her existence as a Celestial, which caused her to feel discouraged as bad things kept happening.

“That’s why, Sir Azadin, I need your help.”

“Hmm. I thought as much. Tell me more.”

At Azadin’s request, Izmilla pointed down the road.

“Let’s talk as we walk. The sun will be setting soon.”

The sun was setting on Fireglyph Fortress.

The investigation team members were gathered at an inn on the outskirts of Fireglyph Fortress.

They were anxiously waiting, and when they saw Lady Izmilla returning along the road, they immediately rushed out of the inn.

“Lady Izmilla!”

“You’re safe!”

“But who is that beside you….”

They were happy to see Izmilla return to the fortress, but then they were startled.

Izmilla was not alone; she had returned with others, Azadin’s group.

“Don’t worry. This is Sir Azadin, who rescued me.”

“Sir Azadin?”

“He also helped during the pilgrim attack. Currently….”

“I am Azadin, a trainee knight serving as the captain of the guard at Vermillion Fortress. Brothers.”

Azadin called them brothers, but they all looked troubled.

It was common for all members of the Knights Order to call each other brothers, but in reality, they were divided into different factions based on which virtue they followed: wisdom, courage, or mercy.

Moreover, in Azadin’s case, there was an issue even before those factions.

‘Isn’t that guy from the famous Messenger Clan?’

‘The Kingslayer. How can a soulless blasphemer be our brother?’

‘It’s good that he saved Lady Izmilla, but did he really save her? Both during the pilgrim attack and now, he always appears when Lady Izmilla is in danger. Could he be the culprit?’

‘But he is really handsome. Charming.’

They distrusted Azadin.

Then, the highest-ranking member among them, the head of the investigation team, stepped forward.

“Ah, Sir Azadin. First of all, thank you for saving Lady Izmilla. I am Pavel, the head of this investigation team. Hospitaller [A knight responsible for the care of the sick and wounded]. I will not forget your contribution and will report it to the higher-ups.”

“Thank you.”

“But do you know about Lady Izmilla’s, well, her true identity?”

“Are you referring to the fact that she has angel wings?”

“Oh, so you’ve seen it. Please keep it a secret.”

“Of course, there is no reason to speak of it publicly. However, it wasn’t just me who saw it; quite a few people in the city saw it. Moreover, the enemies seem to be targeting her relentlessly, so it seems they already know about it.”

As Azadin pointed out, the Northern Empire’s subordinates already knew that Izmilla was a Celestial and had prepared black steel chains with a powerful suppression curse to kidnap her.

However, even in this situation, the Knights Order, with its rigid organizational structure, was in a difficult position.

“I have already reported it to the higher-ups. We cannot act rashly until we receive a response from them.”

Sir Pavel was the epitome of inaction.

How long would it take for the higher-ups to respond, even if they contacted them now?

Then, Izmilla stepped forward.

“Sir Pavel, there is no diocese in Fireglyph, so reporting to the higher-ups will require a messenger. We don’t know how long that will take, and we cannot just stand by helplessly. Therefore, I would like to request Sir Azadin’s assistance here.”

“What?! What are you saying, Lady Izmilla?”

“Sir Azadin already knows my identity, and he is excellent in both martial arts and strategy. Moreover, he is a brother of the same Knights Order, so it would be hard to find a better helper to achieve our mission. Given the casualties caused by the enemy’s cunning attacks, wouldn’t his help be necessary?”

“However, the matter we are investigating is not just about Lady Izmilla’s identity. We are investigating important secrets that a mere trainee knight should not know….”

Sir Pavel tried to oppose Azadin’s assistance.

But then, it happened.

*********

“No, we haven’t even said we’d help, so why are they arguing about whether they need us or not? Azadin! Ignore these guys. They’re the type who won’t say anything good even if you help them.”

The bandit Camilla openly expressed her annoyance.

“Well….”

Investigation team leader Pavel was taken aback by Camilla’s rudeness, which showed her disapproval of their actions.

The investigation team members were also furious at Camilla’s words.

“How rude!”

“Who do you think you are?!”

“Who am I? I’m someone who helped save your precious Lady Izmilla, who you all adore. Why should I receive such insulting treatment when you should be thanking me? Huh?!”

Camilla lashed out, and Azadin stopped her.

“Stop it, Camilla.”

“What? But Azadin! We shouldn’t let these guys take advantage of us.”

“Camilla, calm down. There’s something more important right now.”

Azadin said this and suddenly drew the sword he had been carrying on his back.

The relic of the Knight of Wisdom, Planck, Aurelia Dawn, reflected the moonlight and shimmered with a soft golden glow.

“What?!”

“Why did you suddenly draw your sword?!”

Confused, Sir Pavel and the investigation team members all drew their weapons.

“Before that, let me ask you one thing. Why are you all outside the fortress right now?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You should have been investigated by Sir Hexenmeier’s soldiers along with the doppelganger corpses. How did you manage to get out of Fireglyph?”

Clearly, the investigation team members were involved in an attack and murder case inside the city and had revealed the angel wings in front of everyone.

Azadin’s group had escaped before the commotion spread, but by now, Fireglyph Fortress should have raised its alert level and be monitoring everyone coming and going.

But how could these people be outside the fortress?

Did Sir Hexenmeier, the chapter master of Fireglyph, let them out?

Azadin questioned that point.

“We came outside because we didn’t know what kind of threats there might be inside Fireglyph Fortress.”

“Is that so? Then, would you all please remove your helmets?”

“What?”

“Oh, it’s nothing much. Doppelganger transformations cannot be detected by most detection magic. But….”

Azadin slightly cut his hair with his sword and let it scatter in the wind.

The black hair scattered in the wind, reflecting the moonlight.

“By slightly cutting and dropping a strand of hair, you can tell if someone is a doppelganger or not. Now, please remove your helmets and cut off a small strand of your hair.”

“This, this guy, is he suspecting us?”

The knights of the investigation team were flustered. However, Izmilla glared at the investigation team members and said,

“We were ambushed by doppelgangers in broad daylight. And you’re displeased by the act of suspecting doppelgangers… that’s suspicious.”

“No, Lady Izmilla.”

“Look.”

Izmilla also drew a dagger and slightly cut the end of her hair.

“Hmm. That makes sense. But what about my case?”

Sir Pavel said this and removed his helmet.

A smooth bald head reflected the moonlight.

“Eyebrows or beards will do as well. But I don’t think you need to go that far.”

Azadin suddenly leaned forward and then shot out like an arrow.

Azadin had noticed the suspicious movements of two knights next to Sir Pavel.

“Kehk?!”

“Kuh-ack!”

Azadin swung Aurelia Dawn, cutting down the two knights, and then raised the blade to the sky.

The two knights collapsed and turned into liquid mercury-like puddles on the ground.

“D, doppelgangers?!”

The investigation team members were shocked by the doppelgangers who had infiltrated their ranks and by Azadin’s terrifying swordsmanship, which had instantly cut them down.

Azadin had only targeted the doppelgangers; what if he had tried to cut them down as well?

Could they have blocked the attack just now?

Thinking about it made them all shudder.

“Now, would the rest of you please cut off some of your body hair?”

Azadin burned the blood off his blade and politely asked the knights.

His tone was polite, but his posture, with his sword pointed to the sky, was that of a master swordsman who could cut them down at any moment, making it impossible to disobey.

“Hmm. I understand.”

Sir Pavel was about to cut his beard when Azadin stopped him.

“You don’t need to do that.”