The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 422

Azadin sent official letters to all the influential figures of the Arangi Kingdom, including the noble council, the Arangian Guard, as well as the clergy and guilds.

‘I have taken on the weighty mission of the Banlung throne, and while I am contributing my meager talents and strength to fulfill my duty, as the adopted son of Carnago IV, I also bear a great responsibility to the Arangi Kingdom.

The untimely death of my great father, Carnago IV, is a great misfortune, and now, with the armies of the Fanged King and monsters ravaging the world amidst a severe cold snap, the suffering of the people is beyond measure.

In this situation, a civil war over the Arangi throne, shedding unnecessary blood and wasting strength, would be a sin that threatens the peace of a nation and exacerbates the people’s hardships, and a grave crime against all of humanity.

It is unacceptable to leave the Arangi throne vacant and let all the kingdom’s subjects drift, and it is also foolish for powerful figures to fight each other for the throne, causing discord.

Therefore, I intend to form a council to seek the wisdom of the various leaders of Arangi.

I believe that if soldiers, nobles, merchants, and artisans gather their wisdom and work together with one heart and mind for the development of the country, they will surely achieve better results than one hand alone.

I believe that choosing a true king through this council, stabilizing public sentiment, and dealing with the crisis is in line with the will of the late King Carnago IV, who adopted an unworthy person like me.’

Azadin began by stating this and proposed the formation of a council.

It was a council composition plan that opened seats to the Arangian Guard and the military, as well as the clergy, trading companies based in the Arangi Kingdom, industrial guilds, and financiers.

*********

The idea of a council-based government had been discussed among scholars for a long time.

However, under the theocratic political system of the Hubris Continent, which was based on divine kings and their worship, the idea of a council-based government was nothing more than an ideal or delusion.

When a succession war broke out in the Tarasar Kingdom, when the royal family’s finances collapsed, there was a prince who promised a council-based government to the merchants who provided the funds.

However, it was Astadeer, supported by the Heraldic Clan, who won the Tarasar Kingdom’s succession war, and it could be said that it was the Heraldic Clan behind Astadeer that prevented the realization of a council-based government on the Hubris Continent.

But now, Azadin, a member of the Heraldic Clan, who has even taken the throne of Banlung and become king, has come forward to propose a council-based government.

“Has this Heraldic Clan bastard gone mad? Who does he think he is, meddling in another country like this?” Prince Balthazar was naturally furious.

It was already infuriating to see a soulless blasphemer, a wretched untouchable from the Heraldic Clan, acting like a king, but now that he was interfering in internal affairs and making such remarks.

The justification was plausible, but wasn’t it essentially saying that they would be the ones to judge and create a king?

The problem was that the noble alliance and the Arangian Guard had nothing to lose.

They could not become king anyway. Their goal was to strengthen their right to select a king and their right to speak, so Azadin’s proposal aligned with their interests.

“He certainly didn’t become the King of Banlung for nothing. He’s not trying to become king himself, but he’s coming out like this. Adventurous scholars and intellectuals are already ecstatic.”

Asun, Prince Balthazar’s aide, was the son of his nanny and was like a brother to the prince.

He highly praised Azadin’s plan.

“No, those guys are ridiculous. Scholars and intellectuals? Aren’t they just morons and idiots? If Azadin really liked council-based government, he should have done it in Banlung first! Isn’t he proposing a council-based government because it’s a country that’s difficult for him to take over directly?!”

“Y-yes, that’s what I’m praising. Normally, he would just try to take over the Arangi Kingdom, but since he can’t, he’s cleverly maneuvering like this.”

“Tch. That annoying fellow. According to rumors, even the Celestial Fire [a powerful mercenary group] has pledged allegiance to him? He’s certainly capable. He’s just so infuriatingly clever.”

Everyone despises him for being a member of the Heraldic Clan, but no one doubts Azadin’s abilities.

If Azadin were incompetent, then the other royals who stood idly by while he conquered Banlung would be the incompetent ones.

“What should we do? The nobles and the Arangian Guard must be intrigued, right?”

“Now that things have come to this, would you like to meet with someone from the Northern Empire?”

“Hmph, they’re acting all high and mighty as the Northern Empire, but what kind of tricks do they have up their sleeves in this vast Hubris [the continent] to meddle in the southern Arangi Kingdom? What good would it do to meet them?”

While the King’s Church is supporting Cohen Lionheart of the Northern Empire, realistically, it would take a month for a messenger to travel from Asander to Arangi, and even if a proper army were to set out now, it would take at least half a year to arrive.

“The power of the Northern Empire is not just in its military. We can also borrow his wisdom and schemes.”

“So, are you saying that this is something that can be solved with wisdom and schemes? And if that’s the case, I should solve it myself, even if I have to rack my brain. Who knows how much I’ll be overcharged just for borrowing some wisdom? If they lent me troops, I wouldn’t mind giving them something in return. The Northern Empire would have to spend money and time. But if they try to charge me an exorbitant price for just a few words of wisdom and a few schemes, I’d be furious.”

Prince Balthazar made a rather petty remark for a prince. But it was also a realistic one.

He didn’t want to receive help from foreign powers, no matter what kind of help the Northern Empire could offer. Because it wouldn’t be of much help anyway.

“But that… it’s not just wisdom, it’s definitely going to be a great help. If it doesn’t help, we can just pretend we don’t know anything, right? If we don’t do something now, won’t things just go the way King Azadin wants?”

“Then let’s meet. It won’t hurt to hear them out.”

Prince Balthazar decided to meet with someone from the Northern Empire.

*********

“It is an honor to meet you, Prince Balthazar. I am Erasmaya of the Telbarin Guild.”

An elf from the Telbarin Guild appeared as an envoy from the Northern Empire.

“The Telbarin Guild. Those slave traders?”

“It is shameful that we have such a reputation…”

Erasmaya was flustered by Balthazar’s open display of contempt in front of her.

Nevertheless, Balthazar asked with a still rude and indifferent attitude.

“So, what kind of proposal do you have?”

“I understand that you are upset by King Azadin’s proposal to form a council. The throne of Arangi should rightfully belong to you, the prince who has sacrificed to protect the northern border, yet a member of the Heraldic Clan dares to decide who should be the master of the throne.”

“……”

Prince Balthazar listened to the elf’s words with a displeased expression.

“So, is the Northern Empire going to provide military support?”

“Not the Northern Empire’s military, but…”

“What do you mean?”

“This is what I mean.”

The elf merchant took something out of her pocket and showed it to Prince Balthazar.

“……”

“What do you think?”

“Indeed, it’s not just about lending wisdom. But is the Northern Empire out of its mind? He’s the King of Kings, isn’t he? The King’s Church would be supporting him even if he just stayed put, right?”

Balthazar felt bewildered by what Erasmaya had shown him.

When they said they would lend him more than just wisdom, Balthazar had been skeptical.

But what this elf showed him was definitely more than just wisdom.

The problem was that now that he had seen this, he had only two options: either fight them or join their plan, and if he fought them, the outcome would be much worse than if he had not known about it at all.

It would have been better if he had not met them and just lived as a border count…

“There’s no choice.”

Prince Balthazar decided to join forces with the Northern Empire.

*********

Contrary to Prince Balthazar’s concerns, the nobles of the Arangi Kingdom were showing a lukewarm reaction to Azadin’s council proposal.

“A council-based government. So, if the council enacts laws, everyone has to abide by them. Isn’t this the codified law system that Emperor Yaeslat was planning?”

“As expected of a Heraldic Clan member who is a follower of the Emperor.”

Under the feudal system, nobles wielded absolute power within their territories. They could kill their subjects, seize their property, women, and everything else, and no one could say anything.

However, the council system would govern based on codified laws, and eventually, the feudal lords would have to give up their authority.

The reason why the King’s Church rejected Emperor Yaeslat’s reign and branded his followers as heretics and executed them was because they used codified laws to punish nobles and royals.

“But won’t the Arangian Guard be intrigued by this?”

“Besides, it’s King Azadin. He came in with an army, and the numbers are quite significant.”

The nobles were not happy with the council system, but they did not have the courage to raise a banner against Azadin.

Azadin was the one who had already given the former King of Arangi, Carnago IV, a hard time.

“So, what is King Azadin doing now? Did he bring his expeditionary force just to eat up the soldiers’ food?”

“No. He is said to be dealing with the monsters that are appearing on the southern coast.”

The southern coast of Arangi was currently plagued by Nether monsters pouring in from Netherstrom [a region of chaos].

When the fog rolled in and the blizzard swept in from the sea, monsters that looked like nightmares themselves appeared from the fog and harmed people.

The villagers and fishermen of the fishing villages could not dare to go out to sea and abandoned the sea to flee inland, which turned the sea into an even more terrible hell.

Azadin, who had to maintain the maritime trade routes, could not ignore this situation, so he took his troops and launched a subjugation campaign, sweeping away the monsters that landed on the southern coast of Arangi.

And it was a tremendous show of force.

Not just any army, but a unit capable of constant combat.

Even though their equipment looked shabby, they showed a level of training that exceeded their equipment, and in front of Azadin’s army, which showed the power to eliminate monsters that even regular troops would avoid, the nobles could not dare to say a word, even if they had ten mouths.

“Hmm. Then, well…”

“I guess there’s no choice.”

The noble alliance was quick to grasp the situation.

Even if the council-based government meant that they would no longer be able to wield the same absolute power as before, it was more advantageous to side with Azadin than to resist him.

“Then, we will send a letter to King Azadin stating that we approve of the council plan. Does anyone have any objections?”

Marquis Gazen, the head of the alliance, asked the other nobles gathered at the alliance meeting. Everyone seemed to have no particular opinion, so he was about to write a letter and stamp it with his seal.

But then it happened.

“It’s a disaster! The Fanged King’s army is coming from the north. It is said that the number is at least 100,000!”

The Fanged King, the greatest demon god of the Kurtic pantheon [a group of deities] worshiped by ogres and goblins, sent a large army under his command to invade the Arangi Kingdom.