The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 513

#Epilogue. And Dawn….

Jibek was taken aback by Azadin’s words.

“Y-you’re going to make me the King of Butuma?”

“Yes.”

“But I….”

“You defeated Lord Zekt.”

“Well, I only finished him off at the very end. It feels like I just took advantage of what Your Majesty had already accomplished.”

Jibek said this, but Lord Zekt, who had become a Nether Avatar [a being empowered by dark magic], was a formidable opponent even after being severely weakened by Azadin.

“It doesn’t matter how you see it. Officially, it’s a remarkable achievement, and Butuma will remain the front line against the Nags [a monstrous race]. I plan to station the forces from the former Chadra Plateau in Butuma, and to control them, I need a knight like you. If not you, then Legion is the next best option, but frankly, he’s not fit to be a king.”

“Seeing that Legion is right after me, I understand Your Majesty’s predicament. But what about Prince Kalintz?”

“Because he’s the son of the Northern Emperor.”

Prince Kalintz, who was the Chapter Master of the Fire Glyph [a powerful magic user], possessed exceptional skills and was well-liked.

However, he was the son of the Northern Emperor, and the people of the South were wary of making him their king.

“I believe he is a trustworthy person.”

“Then you can appoint him as Chief Minister. You can grant him the title of Count. Do as you see fit. We can’t afford to waste talent.”

“Understood. If that’s the case.”

Jibek, hearing Azadin’s assurance that Prince Kalintz could be entrusted with an important role, seemed to have made up his mind and bowed.

“Following the will of Darhan-Zadek, son of the Golden King Manza-Zadek, I will rebuild Butuma.”

After the death of the Golden King Manza-Zadek, Jibek had joined the army of his son, Darhan-Zadek, and fought in the war against the Kurt Pantheon forces.

Since he had already established a reputation in the Butuma region, the Butuma landowners readily welcomed his ascension as king.

Jibek’s declaration that he would carry on the will of Darhan Zadek resonated with the people of Butuma.

Furthermore, with Legion, Kalan, and Selim, key figures in Azadin’s army, entering Butuma, and Prince Kalintz assuming the position of Chief Minister, the Butuma revival project gained momentum and began to progress.

*********

The New Testament Order and the Rescue Knights, who had been trained by Azadin, became crucial forces in resolving the situation.

With the collapse of the King’s Church, which practiced similar white magic, their rise was inevitable.

However, since the New Testament Order lacked a proper clergy system, the priests and holy knights from the King’s Church became the most important core faction.

As a result, a peculiar alliance was formed under the banner of the New Testament Order, uniting the Rescue Knights and the King’s Church.

The unification of the two religious forces, which the Northern Empire and others had sought to achieve, was accomplished through Emperor Azadin’s New Testament Order.

However, the unification was not yet complete, and it remained fragile, on the verge of collapse at any moment.

Still, as long as the Emperor was present, they would not splinter.

*********

The Orc Necromancer, and the successor of Lord Sok, Scott McGreene, made the greatest contribution on the dawn battlefield.

He operated the Necro Titan [a giant undead construct] in place of Lord Sok, the leader of the Fimbul Horde, or rather, the Undying Legion, pushing himself to his limits. Despite being an immortal being, he lost his body, and now only his skull remained.

“It’s alright. The body is fleeting, but the intellect is eternal!”

Even with only his head remaining, Scott McGreene’s spirit was undiminished.

Emperor Azadin bestowed upon Scott McGreene the title of Archmage and recommended that he rebuild the Banlung Academy and write for future generations there.

Now that the King’s Church, which valued the Yaegas bloodline, had lost its power, it might be difficult to protect humanity in the future with only the white magic of the Ascetic School and the Rescue Knights.

Therefore, Azadin decided to rebuild the Banlung Academy as a systematic educational institution to nurture magicians.

*********

The dwarves of Banlung reconciled with the Arangi Kingdom and greatly benefited from the reconstruction of the academy.

As their research into red magic intensified and alchemy began to flourish, they amassed enormous wealth.

Above all, since Emperor Azadin’s imperial family was based in the Banlung Kingdom, they reaped all the benefits of trade.

Sion Etar of Corasar, the Banlung Dwarf Dynasty, Sram of Arangi, and Jibek of Butuma.

The four southern kingdoms had their foundations firmly established with Azadin’s close aides taking the throne, and in Chitai, the scholar Garasan found a legitimate Northern Dynasty lineage and enthroned him as king, restoring the court.

The five kingdoms, the four southern kingdoms and Chitai, became Azadin’s staunch allies.

However, there was a critical issue with this alliance. The Emperor of the New Testament, Azadin, was becoming increasingly lethargic.

At first, he slept for three shijin [six hours] a day, then it became four shijin, and now he was sleeping for more than half the day.

Like a candle burning out, the Emperor’s life was gradually fading away.

“Fate is cruel, Your Majesty.”

Midiam stroked Azadin’s hair as he slept, examining his body.

Azadin tossed and turned, burying his head in her lap.

From this alone, it seemed like he was sleeping peacefully, but he could not be easily awakened even with considerable stimulation.

His life was ebbing away.

“Your Majesty. You may have already achieved everything you intended and have no regrets about life, but I am different. I cannot let you go so easily. Because I am carrying your child. You must name the child who will be born and hold him, right? You, who have lived with insults and contempt as a soulless blasphemer, also have a burning soul, and you must know that there is a child who will inherit that soul and bloodline.”

Midiam whispered words that Azadin could not hear into his ear.

But Azadin did not respond and fell deeper into sleep.

“Ahem.”

And it was Ishmael who coughed instead of Azadin.

He had entered the Emperor’s carriage and bowed his head.

“What is it, Ishmael?”

“Your Majesty, the Rescue Knights have sent word.”

“What is it?”

“They say that a shining feather has been found where the angel statue disappeared. And the Celestial Fires [a group of knights] are all having the same dream.”

“The same dream?”

“Yes. They say it’s the dream of the Fourth Angel.”

“The Fourth Angel?”

Midiam was startled by those words.

The Fourth Angel?

Was it referring to an angel who would follow the three archangels?

“What should we do? Lord Karna and Lord Izmilla want Your Majesty to come to Saint Mallory in person to see the site.”

“But how can His Majesty travel such a long distance in his current state….”

“The Mercy Order says they will open a door with green magic.”

“The Abbess? Her power would be dangerous if overused.”

The Abbess of the Mercy Order, the converted Shade Hag, had moved many troops during the Fimbulvert War, playing a major role in the battle.

But the price was very high, and she was also nearing her end.

And yet, she was offering to lend her strength?

“Personally, there is no need to refuse. Perhaps it could save His Majesty.”

“Understood. I will speak to His Majesty.”

It was then that Midiam replied.

“Umm.”

Azadin opened his eyes on the bed.

“My, I’ve been sleeping a lot lately.”

“Did you cough, Your Majesty?”

“Of course, my Queen. Shall we go to Saint Mallory?”

“Yes?”

“But, my Queen, are you alright? If you are carrying a child, you must be careful….”

Surprisingly, Azadin seemed to be aware of what was happening around him even while he was asleep.

Midiam shook her head, embarrassed.

“I am a messenger, after all. I am much more resilient than a common woman.”

“I don’t think it’s a matter of resilience. Anyway, let’s go to Saint Mallory.”

*********

Inside the underground of Saint Mallory, the headquarters of the Rescue Knights, was a sanctuary where the angel statue was kept.

It was originally a plaza in an ancient city, but as the city’s foundation sank and a new city was built on top of it, it became an underground passage. This place was once managed by the Wisdom Order.

However, due to the terrible secret arts they were researching when the Wisdom Order fell, it was infested with all sorts of magical creatures and monsters, as well as the corpses of angels corrupted by the power of death, making it more like hell than a sanctuary.

However, after the end of the Fimbulvert War, the Celestial Fire Knights began to devote themselves to subjugating all the monsters.

The lich archmage Scott McGreene, who only had his head left, the blood mage Bernard, the half-vampire Nicelda, and the wild druid Sedrin also participated in this subjugation operation and succeeded in purifying the path to the sanctuary.

So, they were able to reach the sanctuary without any problems, even with Midiam, who was pregnant.

“Once, it was my dream to come here and see the magnificent appearance of the angels.”

Azadin smiled wryly as he walked through the sanctuary.

Midiam tried to support him, but Azadin refused her help and shook his head.

“When I’m awake, my physical condition isn’t bad. I don’t feel any pain. And if I don’t use divine magic, I don’t bleed either.”

He was just gradually weakening and slowly dying as if falling asleep.

That was Azadin’s condition.

Midiam felt heartbroken as she watched Azadin.

She wanted to extend Azadin’s life somehow, but Azadin refused to become a vampire or an undead.

It was an absurd thing to do.

For the great emperor who saved humanity to rely on sorcery to extend his life.

“You have arrived, Your Majesty.”

“Here it is.”

Lord Karna, the commander of the Celestial Fire Knights, and Lord Izmilla, the vice-commander, greeted Azadin with joy.

“So, why did you call me here?”

“We had a dream of the Fourth Angel.”

“So, we arrived at this sanctuary as the dream guided us, and there was a feather of light….”

“Where is the feather of light?”

“It only appears occasionally, and we cannot reach it.”

“It seems to exist in a different phase from our dimension, like the Nether rifts of the past.”

“It will appear soon….”

Indeed, no sooner had Lord Karna finished speaking than a dazzling light suddenly began to emanate from the center of the sanctuary.

Azadin was startled as he received the light.

Someone was calling Azadin from within the light.

[Come here. You who have liberated the three archangels.]

“Who is it?”

[I am Araiel.]

“What?!”

Azadin was startled by the words of the being who claimed a familiar name. Could it be that Araiel had ascended? But it wasn’t Araiel’s voice?

The person himself resolved the question.

[The one that humans call the Angel of Justice.]

“….”

The names of Azadin and Araiel were originally taken from the old myths of the Messenger Clan. It was the old Aragas myth of the Angel of Justice, Araiel, and the Dragon of Infinite Darkness, Asahdin, fighting over the creation and destruction of the universe.

And the being in front of him was claiming to be that Araiel.

“Ah, in this case, my name is a bit….”

Azadin’s name was taken from Araiel’s adversary, the Dragon Asahdin.

[You who have liberated the three archangels. Your help is needed. Darkness is encroaching on the world, and the forces of the Dragon Azadin are destroying our world.]

“The Dragon Azadin….”

The Angel of Justice, Araiel, also called the name of the dragon with a Hybris pronunciation.

Azadin smiled wryly at those words.

‘The Dragon of Destruction, Azadin. My name was really a bad joke. The Messenger Clan, didn’t they give me a name too maliciously? Ah, in this case, is it the doing of the leader Hatir?’

“If conditions permit, I would like to help.”

[Then receive my feather. It will heal you.]

The feather that had fallen to the ground floated up and flew towards Azadin.

Azadin hesitated for a moment, looking at the feather that seemed within his reach.

“You say it will heal me?”

[Yes. Although it is insufficient, that feather is my blood and flesh, so it will be able to alleviate a significant portion of the void that is eating away at you.]

“What if I refuse the mission after I am healed?”

[I will be satisfied with having healed the sick. Of course, this is a significant portion of my power, so I will be weakened, and our world will be more easily invaded by the Dragon Azadin, but I know that you have already given too much to save Hybris. My brothers and sisters are grateful for your dedication, so you deserve to receive it.]

Azadin chuckled at those words.

“The angel is very good at moving people’s hearts.”

Azadin willingly accepted the feather.

As Azadin held the feather of light in his mouth, it turned into a stream of blood and was absorbed into Azadin’s body.

“Uh.”

“Your Majesty. Are you alright?”

Midiam was flustered and examined Azadin’s condition.

Azadin moved his body and turned to Midiam.

“I think I’m fine. Midiam. Oh, if I’m lucky, I might be able to see our child?”

[You will see the child. The child is a daughter, and name her Araiel after me.]

The Archangel of Justice, Araiel, foresaw that Azadin and Midiam’s child would be a daughter and gave her a blessing.

Azadin was taken aback by those words.

In fact, he had been planning to name her Araiel if it was a daughter.

But he never expected to receive permission from the source of that name, the Angel of Justice, Araiel.

“Then what should I do?”

[Cross the sea and come to the homeland of the Aragas. And you must use all your skills, strategies, martial arts, and capabilities. Let me tell you, I am just an angel, so I am not omniscient, nor am I omnipotent. I am just one who hopes that justice and mercy will shine on the fate of mortals. My power is limited, and it is difficult to achieve good, so even though I have healed you, I am not qualified to ask for your dedication. Nevertheless, I ask you to come to the homeland of the Aragas.]

The Angel of Justice, Araiel, left those words and disappeared.

“A, a miracle.”

“Oh my god.”

Lord Karna and Lord Izmilla, who had witnessed the miracle, and the holy knights and priests of the Rescue Knights, were amazed and knelt down as they saw Azadin, who had received a direct blessing from the archangel.

*********

The Emperor was chosen by the Angel of Justice.

That fact soon spread throughout the world through the mouths of the Rescue Knights.

Azadin wanted to announce the fact that he was leaving Hybris a little later because there was a tricky existence called Cohen in the Northern Empire, but it was not easy to control the tongues of the excited priests and holy knights.

“His Majesty the Emperor is leaving?!”

“Oh my god. Our world is not stable yet!”

Somehow, the Emperor’s departure had become a foregone conclusion.

Well, the Angel of Justice had given him a part of himself, and he was not the kind of person who would accept it and then abandon his duty.

From the moment he received it, Azadin’s departure from Hybris was inevitable.

The problem was that there were many things to be resolved.

“Well, we’ll do our best. It’s not like we’ve just read a few lines.”

The scholar Garasan and his disciples, as well as Sion Etar and the Messenger Clan, and the Northern Aragas, vowed that they would manage Hybris well even without Azadin.

“We will guide you through the outer sea route. Our Telbarin elves are already stationed in Trakianun, the homeland of the Aragas.”

The Telbarin elves volunteered to guide Azadin as if they had been waiting for it.

“And Captain, if you go to a new area, the only thing that humanity can trust is sharp intellect, that brilliant flame. Here, we have the epitome of human intellect, which is easy to carry around?”

Scott McGreene was still talking even though he only had his skull left. Scott McGreene, now called a Demi-Lich, volunteered to accompany Azadin.

Scott was not the only one who volunteered to accompany Azadin.

“I will also follow you.”

Ishmael stepped forward.

“I cannot not go when Her Majesty is going.”

“Hmm. In your case, Ishmael….”

“I want to serve Her Majesty and the daughter who will be born. Please allow me to accompany you.”

“You might not be able to return to your hometown for the rest of your life. Above all….”

If you keep following the Queen, won’t you never get married?

Azadin was worried about Ishmael’s situation, but Ishmael was startled, thinking that Azadin was trailing off because he didn’t like it, and he diligently appealed his loyalty.

“Wherever Your Majesty and Her Majesty are, that is my hometown.”

“Okay. I understand.”

Azadin was worried about Ishmael’s future, but he couldn’t bring himself to turn him away and accepted him.

“If it is the call of the Angel of Justice, Araiel, our Araiel branch cannot be left out.”

Indim, Seraph, and Dimia of the Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon also volunteered to go with Azadin.

“It’s not that Araiel?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ve already decided to go. Ah, and Dimia takes good care of Her Majesty, so you’ll need her anyway. Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to have some women in the group?”

Indim was being unreasonable. When Azadin looked at Queen Midiam, she nodded.

“Sister Dimia is a great help.”

It seemed that they had become quite close, as she was already calling her sister.

“The homeland of the Aragas. We really want to go there too. If it’s a fight against the Dragon Azadin, wouldn’t you need strong people with skills? Our skills are not lacking.”

“That’s true.”

Azadin also allowed the three of the Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon to follow him.

“Then, Your Majesty. We have completed the handle of the Azure Executioner.”

The dwarves made the handle of the Azure Executioner, Azadin’s azuresteel axe-spear, for Azadin, who was leaving the Hybris continent.

This metal handle, also made of azuresteel, was a weapon that could freely transform from a short hand axe to a long axe-spear, replacing the work of Grimslaw’s mace.

“Your Majesty. May you have good fortune wherever you go. We will always wait for you to return victorious and achieve justice.”

The dwarves presented the Azure Executioner and an azuresteel longsword.

With a wendigo dagger and a quiver full of azuresteel arrows, Azadin boarded the ship.

The Rescue Knights even tried to give him their flagship, the Nislaph, but Azadin strongly refused to take the Nislaph.

“Such a valuable ship will be more needed by the Rescue Knights in the future. There are not many of us anyway, so the elves’ ship is enough.”

On the day Emperor Azadin left, people from all over the world gathered at the port of Saint Mallory, forming a huge crowd.

“In the end, Your Majesty has accomplished everything and is leaving again. You were insulted and despised as a soulless blasphemer, and now that you have finally settled down, don’t you feel any regret about leaving again for a long journey without enjoying the blessings?”

Midiam asked with a playful face.

“I have a cute and lovely wife and vassals who follow me, so it’s not like I’m leaving empty-handed. And the Angel of Justice gave his life even if he was betrayed, so how can I not be happy to respond to that?”

“Still, isn’t it a pity to leave behind what you have? And what about your hometown? You might never see your hometown again.”

“There will be times when I miss Hybris someday. And when that time comes, I will come back with our child and introduce this place as mom and dad’s hometown, right?”

“Hehe. That would be nice.”

“But the Angel of Justice, Araiel, and the Dragon Azadin. Hmm. No matter how I think about it, my clan was too much for me?”

“Y-yes, I guess so.”

Midiam couldn’t defend her clan on that point either.

“I’m upset. So, let’s go when I’m fed up. Since I’m so fed up, I’ll be a little less homesick. Now, raise the anchor! Let’s go to the homeland of the Aragas!”

Azadin ordered the sailors and guided Midiam to the cabin in case of seasickness.

*********

As the Emperor left Hybris, his story became a legend.

In the legend, people say.

The Emperor was chosen by gods and angels to save the world from evil, and he won the battle against the endless night and finally achieved dawn.

The name of Azadin, the Emperor of Dawn, remained on this land with an immortal status.

But the secular minstrels also sing like this.

The Emperor was originally an untouchable outcast called a soulless blasphemer, and he was persecuted even among them.

Nevertheless, the reason why he was able to achieve such great feats was not only the protection of angels and gods, but also because he had a star in his heart.

That star was a longing for people, a desire for virtue, and a desire to empathize with others.

And when darkness comes to this land again someday, the Emperor will surely return.