The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 316

“Hmm. I should have ridden a hippogriff back; that was a mistake.”

Azadin, upon arriving at Saint Malory, sent the hippogriff back to the Chadra Plateau by messenger.

Keeping a hippogriff, which he wouldn’t even ride, in a major city was a waste of a huge amount of feed. It was simply too expensive to maintain.

In places like the Chadra Plateau, where there were many monsters and beasts, he could just release the hippogriff when it was time to eat.

The intelligent hippogriff would fly around, hunt Brina goblins, deer, and other creatures on its own, fill its belly, and return to the stable, thus drastically saving on feed costs. It was a self-sufficient system.

However, Azadin had come on a hippogriff and was now returning on foot. This was a fatal mistake. He should have known better.

He had pursuers on his tail. They were closing in.

The Courage Order had used their privileges to let Azadin out even when the city gates were closed. It was a special favor.

But there was no way such an act would not be known to other orders. Such a blatant disregard for protocol would not go unnoticed.

Or perhaps the Courage Order was deliberately using Azadin’s group as bait. It was a possibility he couldn’t ignore.

Maybe they were using Azadin as bait to exhaust the mental strength of other orders while they analyzed the scroll from his past life. It was a clever, if ruthless, strategy.

‘That’s probably it. It would have been easy to shake them off if I had a hippogriff, but of course, I don’t have one at times like this.’ He cursed his own oversight.

Azadin mounted a common horse he had bought at the horse market and looked behind him. He needed to assess the situation.

“Captain, are you worried about the pursuers?” Scott asked, his voice calm.

“A little.” Azadin admitted, his eyes scanning the road behind them.

“Then! It’s my turn to step up.” Scott declared, a hint of excitement in his tone.

Scott cast a spell behind them. The air shimmered, and the ground began to change.

Plants grew rapidly, blocking the path behind them. Vines and thorny bushes sprung up, creating an impassable barrier.

“An Entangle spell? Isn’t that a green magic?” Azadin was surprised. He had never seen Scott use such magic before.

Azadin was surprised that Scott, a necromancer, seemed to be using green magic. It was an unusual combination.

“Well, if you’re growing living plants, yes. I made dead grass and trees move.” Scott said it nonchalantly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“It’s like putting a ring on your ear or nose. It’s good, but isn’t it wrong to use this kind of magic on a public road? I don’t want to hurt ordinary carriages or pedestrians. I’d rather just smash the pursuers.” Azadin was concerned about the collateral damage.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s a trap that only catches fast runners.” Scott reassured him, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

He wondered if they were also bothering other innocent pedestrians, but these obstacles were not a big threat when walking slowly. They were more of an inconvenience than a danger.

They would be a serious threat when sprinting, but they wouldn’t be much of an obstacle if you were just walking, so it would be okay to use them on a public road. It was a clever, if somewhat reckless, solution.

“Then let’s go. Sir Azadin. Let’s get to your territory as soon as possible and come up with a plan.” Zebek urged them, his voice filled with urgency.

But the pursuers were not very effective. They seemed hesitant.

Scott had laid down a hindrance spell to block the road, but even before that, the pursuers didn’t seem very aggressive. They were not pressing their attack.

‘What are they thinking?’ Azadin wondered, his brow furrowed in thought.

Azadin soon found out the reason. The answer came in the form of a warning.

Arael’s voice warned him, her tone serious. [Be careful, Azadin. Celestial Fire is coming south from the north.]

“Celestial Fire? Already?” Azadin was taken aback. He hadn’t expected them so soon.

[They are coming south, escorting riverboats, no, transport ships? If you slow down for a moment, I will share my vision.] Arael’s voice was calm, but the urgency was clear.

At Arael’s request, Azadin raised his hand to slow down the group and shared his vision with Arael’s voice. He focused his mind, allowing her to see through his eyes.

In the distance, he could see the Celestial Fire Knights coming south with large transport ships on the northern river. The sight was imposing.

“This is bad. We’re bound to run into them?” Azadin muttered, his voice laced with concern.

The road where Azadin’s group was currently located was in the Saint Malory area, a densely populated area where most of the flatlands were developed into farms and residential areas. It was a difficult place to avoid detection.

There were mountains, hills, and forests, but the Celestial Fire was moving along the riverbank to protect the transport ships, deploying scouts. They were covering all the possible escape routes.

They were bound to be caught. It was inevitable.

But….

“Hmm?” Azadin noticed something while sharing Arael’s voice and vision. He focused on the details.

He found several precognition magic spells flying in the sky. They were like invisible eyes, watching their every move.

“The Messenger Clan?” Azadin recognized the signature of their magic. He knew they were involved.

*********

Celestial Fire Commander Karna was on his way back after successfully completing his mission. He was pleased with their progress.

The various exploits of the Celestial Fire Knights had captured the hearts of the people, and the grain brought from the Chadra Plateau was enough to feed the residents of Saint Malory for a year. It was a great victory.

There was so much food that it took a long time to prepare the ships. They modified timber transport ships to carry food, and most of the troops moved along the coast, preparing for monsters or bandits. They were taking all necessary precautions.

But then, they received a message from the Wisdom Order. The message was urgent and unexpected.

A magical carrier pigeon flew in with a letter containing shocking news. The contents were disturbing.

Sir Azadin had stolen a precious scroll from the Wisdom Order while defending the Kingslayer, Sir Zebek, and they were to capture him and recover the scroll. The order was clear and direct.

That was the message they received. It was a direct order from the highest authority.

‘I knew we shouldn’t have brought a member of the Messenger Clan into the Knights!’ Some were indignant, their faces flushed with anger. They felt betrayed.

Some were indignant, while others were skeptical. They found it hard to believe.

‘But he helped us when we were attacked by Brie, he didn’t seem like such a bad person?’ Some remembered his past actions and were hesitant to condemn him.

But since the order had been given from above, there was only one thing for them to do. They had to follow orders, regardless of their personal feelings.

“First, block the path with troops that have good mobility. Since the order has been given, it is our job to carry out our mission. We will determine the truth later, so try to capture him alive.” Karna’s voice was firm and resolute.

Celestial Fire Commander Karna ordered the Celestial Fire Knights to capture Azadin alive. He wanted to bring him in for questioning.

However, as the Celestial Fire moved to capture Azadin….

Arrows suddenly began to rain down from a bend in the river. The attack was sudden and unexpected.

Ordinary arrows could not harm even the soldiers of the Celestial Fire Knights. The elite soldiers immediately formed a defensive wall, and those with shields stepped forward to block the arrows. They were well-trained and prepared for such attacks.

But then it happened. The attack shifted, becoming more dangerous.

-Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon, Yellow Crane! A voice chanted, and the arrows changed.

An arrow curved in beside the shield-bearers and turned into light. It was no longer a simple arrow.

A magic bullet, wrapped in terrifying magic, attacked the shield-bearers from the side, disrupting their formation. The impact was devastating.

The shield-bearers at the front were suddenly struck by arrows with a heavy force like spears, and they fell. They were caught completely off guard.

“Kkyaaa!” The soldiers cried out in pain and surprise.

“What!?” The knights were shocked by the sudden attack.

“…This?!” They were horrified by the power of the magic.

The soldiers were horrified as they looked at what had attacked them. They had never seen anything like it.

Nagas appeared from the roadside and the river. They emerged from the shadows, their forms menacing.

And among the nagas were humans holding bows, each with a sinister magic around their bodies, waiting for them with arrows spread out on the ground. They were ready for a fight.

Moving too quickly along the coast to match the speed of the transport ships, they had become negligent in their forward vigilance. They had let their guard down.

Of course, the Celestial Fire Knights were not fools, and they knew that the faster they moved, the more important the role of the scouts became. So they had sent scouts ahead… but those scouts had been killed too easily by them. The scouts had been eliminated without a trace.

“…The Messenger Clan!” Celestial Fire Commander Karna recognized the identity of those who had attacked them and gritted his teeth. He was furious.

The betrayers of humanity, the Messenger Clan, who had joined hands with the nagas, had attacked the Celestial Fire Knights. It was a betrayal of the highest order.

*********

There were casualties due to the Messenger Clan’s surprise attack, but only the ordinary soldiers and servants were harmed; the knight class, the Celestials, were unharmed. The elite knights were protected by their divine power.

They spread their wings and revealed their divine power. They were ready to fight back.

Holy light emanated from their bodies, enveloping the horses they were riding. The light was blinding and powerful.

New vitality was infused into the horses that had been guarding the transport ships, and their spears were imbued with holy power. They were ready to charge.

“All, charge!” Karna’s voice was a roar, filled with righteous fury.

Karna, leading the charge, pressed down the visor of his helmet and ran forward. He was a force of nature.

The Celestial Fire Knights charged after him. They were a wave of holy power.

It was truly a divine punishment; the horses picked up terrifying speed, shaking the earth. The ground trembled beneath their hooves.

The ferocious sea serpent nagas had a physique superior to humans, but they would not be able to withstand this charge. They were no match for the knights’ power.

What about the arrows of the Messenger Clan? They were still a threat.

“I’ve heard rumors that he’s a Kingslayer, shall we see his skills?!” Karna shouted, his voice filled with challenge.

“Be careful! Don’t let your guard down!” Karna warned his fellow knights against complacency as he ran forward. He knew they couldn’t underestimate their enemies.

But then, a waterspout suddenly began to swirl in front of them. The water rose into the air, forming a vortex.

The naga sorcerers had cast a spell. They were using their magic to defend themselves.

Karna prepared a defensive spell, but what the nagas had summoned was a giant of water. It was a massive, towering figure.

They had summoned a water elemental. It was a powerful being of pure water.

“Charge!” Karna roared, urging his knights forward.

The Celestial Fire Knights struck the water elemental with spears imbued with holy power. The impact was immense.

The water giant was torn apart. The water splashed everywhere.

The elementals summoned by magic were shattered. They were supposed to be quite powerful spirits, but the charge of the Celestial Fire Knights was even more powerful. The knights were unstoppable.

However….

The speed of the knights who had smashed the water elemental decreased. They were slowing down.

“Huh?!” The knights were confused by the sudden change.

They had torn apart the water giant, but its water remained, soaking the horses and knights. The water was everywhere.

The speed of the charging knights dropped sharply, and they had no choice but to turn aside to avoid blocking the path of their comrades who were following behind, disrupting the charge formation and noticeably reducing their speed. The charge had lost its momentum.

And in that gap… the Messenger Clan fired arrows. They seized the opportunity.

“What?!” The knights were caught off guard.

They weren’t shooting at the Celestial Fire. The arrows were aimed elsewhere.

The Messenger Clan was shooting arrows at the transport ships. They were targeting the ships, not the knights.

The arrows they fired hit the sails of the transport ships and… began to burn with magical flames. The sails were instantly engulfed in fire.

The sails, which were well-dried by the wind, quickly caught fire. The flames spread rapidly.

“Not a chance!” The sailors and soldiers aboard the transport ships were prepared for this situation. They had trained for this.

The sailors and soldiers aboard the transport ships were prepared for this situation. They immediately poured water and released the sail ropes to extinguish the fire early. They were quick to react.

However….

-Creak, creak! The ships groaned as they were manipulated.

By retracting the sails at the bend, the ships were pushed by the current and deviated from the waterway. The current was working against them.

The flow of the river changed, and the ships were pushed onto sandbars where sand had accumulated, and the sides of the ships touched the bottom. The ships were running aground.

-Thud! The first transport ship ran aground. It was stuck fast.

And then, the ships behind collided and ran aground, one after another. The ships were piling up, unable to move.

The Messenger Clan’s fire arrows continued to rain down, and the following transport ships could not avoid running aground. The attack was relentless.

Fortunately, they had run aground on sandbars, so the ships were not broken or sinking, but they were definitely stuck. They were stranded.

“Tch!? You bastards!?” Karna was furious, his voice filled with rage.

Karna wanted to turn his horse to save the attacked transport ships, but the nagas charged at the knights who had lost their momentum. The nagas were pressing their attack.

Naga spearmen rushed at Karna. They were determined to stop him.

“Not a chance!” Karna’s voice was filled with defiance.

Karna struck the air with the wings that had sprouted on his back, creating a wind, and pierced the torso of the charging naga with his spear. He was a whirlwind of motion.

The Celestials cheered and moved with him, piercing the nagas. They were fighting as one.

It was a fight they could handle. They were confident in their abilities.

Ordinary nagas were no match for them, even if they were large. Karna stabbed and struck down the nagas from his horse with his spear. He was a master of combat.

However… they could not break through. They were being held back.

“Tch!” Karna clicked his tongue in frustration.

While Karna and the knights were tied down, the Messenger Clan continued to shoot magical fire arrows at the transport ships. The ships were still under attack.

Usually, fire arrows would extinguish themselves due to their speed, and they wouldn’t be able to set anything on fire except for something like a dry grass roof, but the fire arrows shot by the Messenger Clan burned with magic after impact, and they could even set wooden planks on fire. The magic was potent and dangerous.

The sailors and soldiers were doing their best to put out the fire, so the transport ships were not burning… but naga forces were approaching those transport ships. The situation was dire.

“No, no! You guys! What are you doing!” Karna cried out at what was happening before his eyes. He was desperate to save the ships.