The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 451

“Let’s first see to the treatment of the Gienta Count’s family. It’s a grave matter that the previous Count, Ibechek, was killed, and we can’t allow the family line to be cut off, can we?”

“Y-Your Majesty, that is…”

“Count Gienta did not survive the night and has passed away.”

“Ah, dear me.”

Azadin could understand why the residents were so enraged.

The massacre at Naisandokar and the assassination of the Sandokar Count’s family.

With the near annihilation of the Ibechek Count’s family, who were not poorly regarded by the residents of Sandokar, all the residents were united in their anger towards the invaders.

*********

Azadin presided over a staff meeting.

The Celestial Fire Knights, the New Testament Holy Knights led by Zibeck, and the counterintelligence unit of Wild Druid Sedrin and half-vampire Niselda attended the meeting.

“Your Majesty. Thank you. Though not all, some of my clan’s souls have been freed.”

Wild Druid Sedrin expressed her gratitude upon seeing Azadin.

It seemed that the wights [undead creatures], who were subordinates of Sir Sok, had died during the recapture of Fireglyph, and that news had reached Sedrin as well.

“No, there’s no need to thank me. It wasn’t intentional, it just turned out that way.”

“Even so, it’s something I couldn’t have imagined in the past. If you hadn’t been here, our clan wouldn’t have been able to fight to save the people even as wraiths, and wouldn’t have walked the glorious path of liberation. If Your Majesty hadn’t come to this land and brought a new wind, the Pimbul Horde would still be the Pimbul Horde, and I wouldn’t have been able to find a way to liberate my clan’s souls. Your Majesty, until you came to Chadra Plateau, I think I was half-resigned. But since Your Majesty came, at least I have a sense of purpose.”

Sedrin was grateful for the annihilation of the wights during the recapture of Fireglyph.

Seeing her grateful for the fact that they were liberated in an honorable way even after death, it seemed that even if they had turned into wights, they were still considered part of the clan.

“Compared to Your Majesty’s achievements, our performance is shameful. We’re tied up by the assassins and can’t do anything. It’s regrettable that we can’t achieve proper results without Your Majesty.”

Niselda reported to Azadin.

“We are pursuing the assassins, but the enemies’ skills surpass our own. So, at my discretion, I’ve been prioritizing the lives of our agents, and as a result, we have no achievements.”

Half-vampire Niselda, along with the agents of the Mercy Order, was investigating the assassins, but a Mercy Order agent who was searching for assassins on the outskirts was found dead, having suffered horrific atrocities.

Seeing that situation, Niselda ordered that at least three people form a team to minimize casualties.

With three-person teams, they were naturally slower, making it harder to catch the enemy’s tail.

The Mercy Order agents were proud of their skills, but the abilities of the Northern Aragasa far exceeded theirs.

“So, how did the Gienta Count’s family get attacked?”

“That is…”

At that moment, Zibeck stepped forward.

Zibeck, who leads the New Testament Holy Knights and practically carries out the work of an inquisitor [an official of the church who investigates heresy], reported with a haggard appearance, as weary as the ailing Azadin.

“The Gienta Count’s family would periodically invite clergy to their family mausoleum for family masses. The assassins set up spring traps on the path leading to the family mausoleum and attacked the Count’s family. The spring traps contained bottles filled with acidic solution, and when one hit the Count, the clothes and skin of the entire Count’s family melted and fused together. The Count’s enraged guards rushed in, but the assassins easily killed them, then mocked the corpses and left, using the martial arts and techniques of the Herald Clan.”

“What about the story of Kazas Haeseo?”

“We saw them.”

The Mercy Order agents raised their hands. After Niselda and Zibeck reviewed the evidence, the techniques used by the enemies were those of the Herald Clan, specifically those belonging to Kazas Haeseo.

Since Zibeck, who had always looked favorably upon Azadin, was saying it, it must be accurate.

“They killed the guards but didn’t kill the Count’s family.”

“Yes. They left the Count’s family to suffer as much as possible. The Count’s family, suffering from the pain of their skin burning, gradually succumbed to infections from their wounds and died just yesterday.”

“What about the other family members?”

“When the Count passed away, they all despaired and committed suicide by poisoning.”

“……”

If skin is burned by acid and infection sets in from the wounds, one would have to endure the pain of being stabbed all over with daggers and the pain of the affected area burning at the same time.

The Count was the pillar of their hearts, and as soon as he died, the other family members committed suicide to lessen their suffering.

“Because of this horrific method of murder, the people of Sandokar are now all calling for war. There are also those who lost their families in Naisandokar, and those who were lucky enough to survive the massacre.”

War only creates more victims.

Normally, the people would have endured and persevered, but the situation was different now.

“The people’s anger is sky-high. Your Majesty. Now that Your Majesty has come, everyone is filled with expectations of subjugating the Chitai.”

“Hmm. Didn’t we teach the Chitai light cavalry a lesson once? And yet they keep lingering around?”

Azadin had sent the Celestial Fire to Sandokar to lure and engage the Chitai light cavalry.

The Chitai light cavalry, taking advantage of their nimble mobility, would strike and retreat, attempting to attack the villages around the fortress, and the merchants and supply lines traveling between cities. So, the Celestial Fire Knights, using the supply lines as bait, ambushed the Chitai light cavalry.

Mobility is advantageous for light cavalry not wearing armor, but once they are in sight and engage in a head-on battle, light cavalry are no match for heavy cavalry.

Moreover, Azadin’s Celestial Fire Knights were arguably the most powerful heavy cavalry on this continent.

“Yes. Those who you saw hanging on the way here are the ones we taught a lesson to this time…”

The Celestial Fire had crushed the Chitai light cavalry without suffering any significant damage and captured a large number of prisoners.

However, after that, the Count’s family was attacked by the Northern assassins, and the enraged residents and soldiers massacred all the prisoners.

“Then the assassins must still be around. Definitely.”

“Yes. That’s highly likely.”

“We are ashamed.”

Zibeck and Niselda bowed their heads to Azadin.

They were supposed to uncover the hidden assassins, but they were afraid of their agents being killed, so they couldn’t properly investigate and just wasted time without achieving any results until Azadin arrived.

“Then there’s no choice. Equip the soldiers and set up an advance base on the Naisandokar side. I will go there.”

“Does that mean?”

“It seems the assassins were waiting for me to come, so I’m going to be the bait and walk into their trap.”

“……”

Azadin’s retainers felt ashamed that their king was offering himself as bait because of their incompetence.

“Don’t be too ashamed. We have to use the most useful bait.”

Azadin, on the other hand, was speaking nonchalantly.

*********

The news that Azadin had come to Sandokar and was personally preparing to subjugate the Chitai quickly spread throughout Sandokar.

The Northern Aragasa naturally heard the news and understood Azadin’s intentions.

“Goodness. A king himself has come to draw us out.”

“That’s what you call leading by example, isn’t it?”

“He’s quite the Aragasa.”

The Northern Aragasa were impressed by Azadin’s boldness.

However, on the other hand….

“How much are they looking down on us?”

“The Herald Clan always looks down on us.”

The Herald Clan of the Emperor had a tendency to subtly view the Northern Aragasa as inferior to themselves.

The Northern Aragasa were well aware of this fact, and they intended to seize this opportunity to subdue Azadin, a member of the Herald Clan, and send a warning to the Emperor’s Heralds.

“How are the troops deployed?”

“Not good. Every time we use reconnaissance magic, we get countered.”

“Is that the work of that druid elf?”

The power of Wild Druid Sedrin was so strong that if she used her magic in earnest, it was impossible to look down from the sky with reconnaissance magic.

So, the Northern Aragasa had no choice but to scout on foot.

Fortunately, the enemy was a large army, so gathering reconnaissance information was not too difficult.

“King Azadin is guarding the supply unit with his religious order in the middle of the main road. Judging by the formation, it seems they intend to block the path. And the Celestial Fire Knights are on the left flank…”

“Ah, it seems they intend to close the lid.”

Azadin’s Banreung Kingdom army blocked the path that served as the retreat route for the Chitai light cavalry that had invaded the Sandokar region, and they placed supplies there, creating an advance base.

It was clear that they intended to close the lid when the Chitai light cavalry retreated, cutting off their escape route.

“We will assassinate the king. Chitai light cavalry, dismount and move through the forest path to flank them.”

The leader of the Northern Aragasa, the centurion, ordered the leader of the Chitai light cavalry.

Then, the light cavalry leader scoffed.

‘Are these assassins crazy? Why are they giving us orders?’

The Northern Aragasa were the Emperor’s personal guards, and these Chitai light cavalry were vassals of the Chitai Kingdom.

In such a situation, it was natural for a backlash to occur.

“The king himself has come out? Why should we give you the opportunity to gain such merit?”

“Get a grip. If it weren’t for us, you would have been torn apart by the Celestial Fire…”

“What did you say?!”

“You’re already hanging on the roadside, dying. We at least saved face by succeeding in the assassination.”

“……….”

The Chitai light cavalry were dissatisfied with the Northern Aragasa, who had suddenly appeared and assassinated Count Gienta of Sandokar. They felt that their achievements had been stolen.

Moreover, they subtly looked down on them.

Just as the Herald Clan of the Emperor subtly regarded the Northern Aragasa, who were of the same Aragasa ethnicity, as inferior to themselves, the Aragasa, who were of nomadic origin, also looked down on the Chitai light cavalry, who were also nomads.

The Chitai light cavalry also used recurve bows similar to the Herald Clan’s Wolgak bows, and their mounted archery was also quite excellent, but to the Aragasa, who could use the Iseon bow even as children, it was endlessly insignificant and inferior.

So, they subtly, no, openly ridiculed, mocked, and looked down on them, and in this situation, when the Herald Clan ordered the Chitai light cavalry to dismount and move secretly through the forest, they all felt resentment.