The Shadowed Legacy Of The Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 396

The Soul-less Heretic’s Night – Episode 397 (397/514)

#397. The Conqueror of the South 1

The envoy from Azadin’s side was Zibeck, a former Holy Knight of the King’s Church who had been excommunicated.

Zibeck looked directly at Zekt, his former mentor. Compared to his time as a Holy Knight, his face was much brighter and full of life.

“Your expression has improved, Sir Zibeck.”

Zekt was puzzled to see Zibeck looking unusually cheerful.

“Yes. I suppose it’s because I enjoy what I’m doing now. There aren’t many decent clerics, so I’m swamped with work, but it’s rewarding and enjoyable.”

Zibeck, who had suddenly become a preacher of the New Testament, initially disliked this act of directly betraying the King’s Church.

However, providing relief to the hungry, liberating the people suffering under tyrants, and delivering teachings to them was the life of a Holy Knight that Zibeck had always dreamed of.

“Were you not happy in the King’s Church?”

“No. Not at all. The teachings of the King’s Church assigned the duty of protecting the people to the nobles, but did not punish them when they failed to do so. Thanks to that, many kings and nobles became tyrants. And the Church unilaterally defended them, didn’t it?”

“So, does the New Testament’s teaching punish kings and nobles? Just like the Herald Clan executed them by the Emperor’s order?” [The Herald Clan was known for carrying out executions on behalf of the Emperor.]

Zekt smiled gently, sending out a subtle killing intent.

In the past, Zibeck would have trembled with fear at Zekt’s killing intent.

But now, Zibeck calmly brushed off Zekt’s killing intent.

He was not afraid of Zekt.

“Isn’t the world in this state because the character of kings and nobles was not held accountable? If Count Azadin holds kings and nobles accountable and creates a better world, that will be proof of his teachings. I won’t say it’s right now, but the results will come after we put it into practice.”

‘He’s serious. Well, he always had potential.’

Zekt was inwardly impressed to see Zibeck standing up to him without fear.

“Now is not the time for such talk. No matter what you say, Count Azadin’s New Testament is heresy and an unacceptable cult. There can be no compromise with that cult, but since you have come as an envoy, we must talk. What proposal have you brought?”

“Count Azadin has come to recommend surrender. He says we should join forces instead of engaging in a pointless battle.”

“Surrender? Are you joking? Your sense of humor has improved a lot since I last saw you. Do you not remember what I said?”

There would be no compromise. Heretics would only be punished. That was what Zekt was saying.

However, Zibeck was looking at his old mentor with a pathetic gaze.

‘Since when were you so loyal to the King’s Church?’

In fact, if one were to pick the person most dissatisfied with the existing system of the King’s Church, it would be Zekt.

In all the time Zibeck had known him, no one had rejected the established system of the King’s Church as much as Zekt.

“It’s not just humans who fear Fimbulwinter [a great winter, often associated with the end of the world in Norse mythology].”

Zibeck pointed to Zekt’s barracks.

The soldiers, who were being moved by Zekt’s magic, looked orderly at first glance, but they were starving and emaciated.

Even though the Light of the King had restored warmth to this area, winter was still winter.

Exposed to the cold winter wind, they were gradually withering and falling ill.

“It seems you’re maintaining your troops with sorcery, but even if you don’t pay them, they still need food, right? There will soon be an attack by monsters on the Visen side.”

“You know too much. It’s as if you’re in league with the cultists of the Kurt Pantheon….”

“It’s just a bit of insight, Sir Zekt. Your forces are not capable of waging war. Even if you control them with sorcery, it will only lead to meaningless deaths. Whatever it is you desire, as long as the Northern Empire is intact, there is nothing you can gain from the King’s Church.”

“Hmm, is Count Azadin saying he’ll give me what I want then?”

“He is offering you the throne of Corasar, on the condition that you do not harm the people.”

“…What did you say?”

Zekt was taken aback by the sudden proposal.

If Azadin had made such a proposal before, he would have laughed at it.

However, Azadin was currently the most unconventional ruler in this area, and Zekt himself knew that he was the owner of the Light of the King that protected the ramparts.

“Ha. Hahahaha.”

Zekt burst out laughing at Azadin’s words conveyed by Zibeck.

“The throne of Corasar. You’re saying something truly absurd and disrespectful. Are you saying that’s what I desire?”

“Isn’t it?”

He couldn’t bring himself to say no.

Those who had the qualities to be king but were pushed aside for trivial reasons, such as parental favoritism or the influence of their maternal family, were branded as losers in their souls, no matter how much they tried to deny it.

The pain of the burning brand was still vivid, stirring up feelings of inferiority, anger, and jealousy.

Did he not want the throne?

He wanted it desperately. But….

“Are you saying he’ll give it to me? Count Azadin? Would the other vassals around Count Azadin allow that?”

“Of course, they all dislike it. But Count Azadin says he will give it to you as long as you can control the throne. To him, the throne is merely a means, not an end.”

“…”

At that moment, the sound of a horn was heard.

From the northeast, the direction of Visen. That is, from the rear of Zekt’s army, stragglers were coming.

And chasing after the stragglers was a mixed unit of ogres, bri [a type of forest demon], and goblins.

As Azadin had foreseen, Visen was being attacked by the demi-humans.

“The throne of Corasar.”

“He said he would give it to you if you could take it.”

“It seems he thinks I can’t take it.”

“Everyone else would. But Sir Zekt, aren’t you different?”

Zibeck knew.

The cruelty that Zekt had shown for a long time, all of it was anger at his parents who had rejected him, and a curse on the fate that had rejected him, believing that he had the ability to take the throne.

In other words, Zekt would not be able to say that he could not control the throne, even if a knife was at his throat.

“That’s a shallow trick. You’re trying to move me with the bait of the throne of Corasar, which you haven’t even taken yet! Are you saying I should break my trust with the King’s Church and abandon my position as an Inquisitor with just those words?!”

“But you will, won’t you?”

“Haha. Of course!”

Zekt tapped the Inquisitor’s insignia with his finger.

The insignia on his armor burst into flames, leaving only the golden armor.

In that fire, Zekt opened his eyes.

“Very well. Since Sir Astadier has also turned his back, I’ll play along!”

The Inquisitor Zekt threw away his position in the King’s Church.

*********

King Karnago IV of the Arangi Kingdom allowed Azadin’s forces to leave Coxhall and fight the Inquisitors first.

Now that it was certain that he had left Coxhall, they could have gained a lot of advantages in the future battle with Azadin if they had captured Coxhall, but they did not.

It wasn’t a matter of knightly honor or anything like that.

It was because a large army of bri had arrived at the rear of the Arangi Kingdom’s army, at their supply bases.

As winter came, the forest demons, the bri, gathered in enormous numbers and rushed out to plunder humans.

There were so many of them that it was hard to believe there were so many bri.

Fimbulwinter was not a threat only to humans.

It was a matter of life and death for races like goblins and bri who lived by plundering and eating humans.

“Your Majesty. The situation is not good.”

The nobles of Arangi opened their mouths with troubled expressions in the conference hall.

The vassals from various regions that the King of Arangi had summoned were elite troops, so they could easily defeat the plundering forces of bri and goblins.

However, frantic messages began to arrive from their respective territories.

The demi-humans who worshiped the Kurt Pantheon also realized that this winter was unusual and began plundering with a desperate determination.

In this situation, it was not the time for humans to fight among themselves. Even the lords who enjoyed exploiting and tormenting their people could see that the situation was serious.

They had to return to their territories as soon as possible to defend them, but they could not because they had been conscripted by the king.

They were hastily buying sellswords and adventurers to fight them, but recently, due to Fimbulwinter, the demand was so high that the prices of mercenaries and adventurers had skyrocketed.

Some nobles were already going bankrupt even though they had not yet engaged in a proper battle with Azadin.

It was not new for nobles to go bankrupt and live in debt to creditors, but in the Fimbulwinter situation, creditors were unlikely to be as lenient as before.

“I understand. Quickly attack Coxhall, achieve victory, and then you may return to your territories to protect your people. Count Azadin is probably not in Coxhall, so if we negotiate well with the Celestial Fire, we should be able to occupy Coxhall without much difficulty.”

King Karnago IV also knew the nobles’ difficulties, so he had no choice but to make that decision.

But then, good news arrived.

“Count Azadin’s griffin has landed in Coxhall!”

Technically, it was a hippogriff, but to the eyes of the watchmen, hippogriffs and griffins were indistinguishable.

“What?”

“No, already?”

“What about the Inquisitors?”

The nobles were flustered. They had been waiting to attack when news came that Azadin had started fighting the Inquisitors, but suddenly Azadin’s hippogriff had returned.

Of course, not the entire force had returned, but in the case of Azadin’s army, they had accepted refugees, so the exact number was unknown.

“Did he just send the griffin?”

“The Inquisitors are all highly skilled. There’s no way they could have been dealt with in the meantime.”

The nobles suspected that it was a ploy by Azadin.

‘In other words, if Count Azadin is in the enemy’s camp, it means he doesn’t want to fight. What cowards.’

King Karnago IV of Arangi also did not want to fight if Azadin was in the enemy’s camp.

If Azadin was in the enemy’s camp, it meant that he had dealt with the Inquisitors, and if he was a strongman who had survived fighting the Inquisitors, even the King of Arangi could not guarantee his safety.

“Let’s not speculate and wait. The King’s Church will inform us of the news.”

As Karnago IV said that, a clergyman from the King’s Church walked into the barracks.

The look of dismay on his face suggested that the news was definitely not good.

“Ah, the news has arrived.”

“What news is it?”

“Inquisitor Astadier and Inquisitor Zekt have returned to secular life… and have joined Count Azadin’s army.”

“…”

“…?”

“…!”

“Damn it. What kind of nonsense is this?”

It was such an absurd story that some people even uttered vulgar curses in the king’s presence.

Two Inquisitors, the executioners of the King’s Church who even threatened the king, had been recruited by Azadin.