The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 301

“So, you’re saying you won’t harm us if we don’t use poison?”

Ahalji, who had been listening nearby, asked in bewilderment. It was as if he was telling them to keep attacking, and it was hard to tell if he was being generous or arrogant.

“It’s also the duty of the Emperor’s messenger to show the younger generation the skills of the older generation.”

“But you’re a member of the Rescue Knights…”

“Right now, I am both a Rescue Knight and the Emperor’s messenger.”

“Is that even possible?”

“Sadly, there’s no Emperor’s messenger without me.”

Azadin’s words infuriated the captured young messengers.

“Ha, nonsense!”

“That’s just your one-sided claim!”

“Right. I’m claiming that our clan betrayed the Emperor’s oath, and you’re claiming that I betrayed the clan. It seems like our claims conflict, but there’s also a part where they don’t, right? If you’ve been trained as messengers, you should be able to notice that.”

“…….”

Azadin’s junior messengers listened to his words and understood what he was saying.

Azadin’s claim was that the clan betrayed the Emperor’s oath and betrayed him.

The clan’s claim was that Azadin betrayed the clan’s wishes.

These are not conflicting stories.

The young messengers, understanding Azadin’s meaning, were taken aback.

“Are you saying that you alone are the rightful Emperor’s messenger, and we are not?”

“You’re not as dumb as I thought. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“Crazy… That’s nonsense! That’s…”

“You should know this too. If the Emperor still exists, would the Aragasas [a powerful clan] want to rule over the people of Hybris and be out of his control?”

“…….”

“The clan’s wishes and the Emperor’s will are clearly different.”

“Then you are still a traitor and an enemy of our clan!”

“Yes. If stopping the clan, who are pursuing their ambitions by joining hands with the Nagas [a reptilian race] and summoning the envoys, makes me a traitor to the clan, and if turning everyone into an enemy is the way, then I will gladly do so.”

“…Who do you think you are!”

The young messengers were furious, but they couldn’t attack Azadin right away, given that he had spared their lives.

They weren’t in a condition to do so either.

“Then, I’ll be on my way. You guys should just disappear. I’m letting you go without any harm now, but if you attack again, I’ll start inflicting permanent damage, one by one. From your fingers to your eyeballs, so keep that in mind before you attack.”

Azadin left them behind and continued on his way.

After crossing this bridge, they entered the area patrolled by the Saint Mallory unit of the Rescue Knights, and there were no more thugs or duelists to be seen.

Ahalji, who called himself a swordsmanship instructor, followed Azadin, but since Azadin was riding a hippogriff [a mythical creature with the body of a horse and the wings of a griffin], Ahalji was left far behind.

It was natural that Ahalji’s pace was slow, as he was carrying that foolish plank.

“Don’t you need the Emperor’s gold? At this rate, he won’t be able to keep up.”

Jibek said, watching Ahalji fall behind.

Since Azadin was the Emperor’s messenger, he would still want to collect the Emperor’s gold. If they gave Ahalji some time to recover, he would come to Azadin himself to offer the gold.

That was what Jibek was implying.

However, Azadin shook his head.

“It’s fine. Let’s focus on Saint Mallory now.”

*********

Perhaps it was because of Azadin’s threats? There were no attacks that night.

Azadin took a good rest at an inn in Saint Mallory, and it was only in the afternoon that he went to the Van Dyke Trading Company located in Saint Mallory.

“…….”

The Van Dyke Trading Company was the Aragasas’ overseas trading company. Naturally, there were Aragasas agents inside.

They were dumbfounded that Azadin had come to their store so confidently.

“I want to buy arrows. A lot of Cheonggang arrows [special arrows]. And I also need ignition charcoal that ignites when thrown. Don’t worry, I’ll pay.”

Originally, the Emperor’s messengers didn’t pay at the trading companies under the messenger clan; rather, they received operational funds. However, Azadin placed money on the table.

“Um, sir… are you perhaps crazy? What are you doing here?”

“Why? Are you giving up on your business as a trading company? I know how many trading companies are under the Aragasas and where they are as the Emperor’s messenger. Why aren’t you saying anything? It’s because I’m keeping the minimum gentleman’s agreement. Are you saying we should throw all that away? Should we really throw away everything we have and fight without any minimum decency or manners? Who would lose then?”

“…….”

Of course, the side that loses the trading company organization would lose much more.

The side with more to lose has no choice but to be cautious.

“Since we’re talking about gentleman’s agreements, isn’t it a bit shameful to use poison arrows to capture me?”

“Poison arrows?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Hmm, the clan members who attacked me recently used poison arrows. Or never mind.”

“Crazy bastard….”

The Aragasas were dumbfounded by Azadin’s audacity, who came to them, demanding they keep the gentleman’s agreement and asking for goods, but….

The young and spirited Aragasas began to see Azadin in a new light.

‘I heard he was a traitor to the clan, but his attitude is confident.’

‘He’s Ara-El’s younger brother, and he’s indeed handsome.’

‘Come to think of it, he’s the one who defeated the former leader, right? He can be called a hero!’

‘No. Ara-El was the one who defeated the former leader, and he just took advantage of the situation. What….’

‘But his attitude is confident, and what he’s saying isn’t entirely wrong….’

‘Who used poison arrows and couldn’t even wound him?’

‘Is he acting like that because he’s scared of poison arrows?’

‘No, but poison arrows are a bit much. What if you deflect it and someone else gets hit? Who shot it?’

Ordinary people would find it hard to imagine a situation where an arrow is deflected and hits someone else, but it was commonplace among the messenger clan and the Aragasas.

That’s why poison arrows should only be used when you’re sure you can hit the target. If you create an innocent victim, the one who shot the arrow would be criticized as incompetent and foolish, according to Aragasas customs.

In other words, Azadin’s warning not to use poison arrows was a legitimate action from the Aragasas’ point of view.

“So… about the Cheonggang arrows. What are you going to use them for? You’re not going to say you’re going to use them to fight our clan, are you?”

“I think I’ll have to fight Inquisitor Zekt of the King’s Church.”

At that moment, everyone was inwardly impressed by Azadin.

‘He’s going to fight the Inquisitor of the King’s Church?’

‘That’s a fitting act for someone called the Kingslayer, but isn’t the Inquisitor even harder to catch than the King?’

Currently, the messenger clan had lost many human resources due to the failure of the old Council’s operation and the internal strife caused by the Ara-El faction, and they were focusing all their efforts on replenishing those resources.

But Azadin had built his own warlord in the Chadra Highlands and was now trying to fight Inquisitor Zekt. The Aragasas were being cautious and biding their time, but he was the only one making remarkable achievements.

Moreover, Azadin’s handsome appearance, with his Harkonian eyes that made both men and women feel attracted to him, gave off the aura of a hero.

He was known as a traitor to the clan, but seeing him in person was a different experience. He was worthy of admiration.

In the end, they gave Azadin Cheonggang arrows, ignition charcoal, and other equipment that messengers would use at a low price.

“And do you happen to have any rumors about the Ara-El faction? How are the four of Hwajopungwol [a group of four] doing? What about Midiam Ehtar?”

“That’s something we cannot tell you.”

“It seems everyone knows that I joined the Rescue Knights and am living in the Chadra Highlands. I’m worried that Midiam Ehtar might act rashly. That’s why I asked. You didn’t lock up Ehtar’s daughter somewhere, did you?”

“…Um.”

“Well, I understand from that reaction. At least she’s not dead or injured. Oh, did you bring the goods? Thank you. The Aragasas really do make the best arrows.”

Azadin took the Cheonggang arrows and ignition charcoal he had received and walked out.

“Wow, arrogant….”

“He’s, he’s confident. It feels like he’s transcended life and death.”

“You wouldn’t betray the clan unless you were that crazy.”

“…….”

The Aragasas working at the Van Dyke Trading Company were speechless as they watched Azadin confidently come to them and trade for the items he wanted.

Even those who hated him the most could no longer deny that Azadin was a remarkable figure.

*********

Jibek, who had been waiting outside the store, smiled wryly.

“Even though the lines have been drawn, they were still your clan, yet you’re tormenting them quite a bit.”

“That’s a misunderstanding if others hear it. I didn’t torment them.”

“They must be in a complicated state of mind after seeing you. It’s too much of a risk to attack you alone, and there are already many who have failed after attacking you. But you’re hanging around in front of them, making snide remarks and provoking them, aren’t you?”

“Scott would be good at that. Just by not bringing Scott with me, you can see that I’ve been very considerate of them.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

“So, which way did you infiltrate during the infiltration training?”

Azadin asked Jibek.

The Saint Mallory Fortress was divided into the old fortress built long ago by giants and angels working together, the upscale residential area where the knights and merchants lived around the fortress, the commercial area, and the slums that had expanded by building illegal shacks on the sediment that accumulated in the river.

Although it started as a fortress, as people flocked to it and the population increased, the city expanded and expanded. The total population of the city area was estimated to be 150,000 according to legal census, and if the population that entered and left secretly without paying taxes was included, the actual population was estimated to be 250,000.

Where exactly did the King’s Church create a special training ground in a distant land to train its agents to infiltrate this place?

“There’s an underground passage called the giants’ sewer. If you pass through that path, you can reach the heart of the Saint Mallory Fortress. But Inquisitor Zekt and his subordinates are already there. Didn’t you even send a messenger pigeon?”

“It’s better to settle things calmly than to have a street fight in the city and harm innocent people.”

“Is that why you sent a letter to Inquisitor Zekt?”

“I’m also confident that I can win.”

“…….”

“But, um, Sir Jibek. You’re not in very good condition, are you? And I’ve also accumulated some fatigue from the long journey. Let’s rest today.”

“Rest?”

“Since we’ve come to Saint Mallory, we should go sightseeing. I’ve always wanted to see Saint Mallory since a long time ago.”

Since childhood, Azadin had lived by reading the Rescue Knights’ books until they were worn out. In other words, for him, Saint Mallory, the headquarters of the Rescue Knights, was a place he had longed for in his dreams.

It was absurd to come all the way here and take care of business without even sightseeing.