The Shadowed Legacy Of The Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 155

#156. The Usurper 2

“I heard you care for the Hybris people. Midiam told me… you truly believe in the Relief Knights’ faith?”

“I’d rather not talk about that.”

“Lady Aldis is merciful. But most of our clan is bloodthirsty, unlike her. Many want to avenge their past grievances by killing the Hybris people. So, someone needs to understand Lady Aldis’s intentions, don’t you think?”

“Are you talking about me?”

“Yes. Someone needs to stand by Lady Aldis, support her words, and comfort her. Frankly, it’s not an easy task. Only you can do it.”

Sion Etar’s words were quite plausible.

Although Aldis was of high status, her views were so different from the average of the Messenger Clan that she would inevitably face pressure to act harshly, as desired by the majority of the Messengers.

Someone needed to support her, and Azadin was definitely the only one capable of doing so.

It was like demanding a tyrant from someone who shouldn’t become one. If no one supported her, it would be a tragedy.

And that was quite an alluring prospect for Azadin.

To be Aldis’s mental comfort.

To repay her kindness.

To become more than just a powerless child in her life, to become a more meaningful existence.

How much he had wished and longed for that.

It was a dream he had since he was a powerless boy.

But….

“What about you? Sion Etar? Are you also bloodthirsty?”

When Azadin asked that, Sion smiled.

“It would be a lie to say I’m not. The Hybris people oppressed us. We were just following the Emperor’s orders. And look at them. Lady Aldis declared herself a descendant of the Emperor. Yet, they were too afraid to oppose her, a descendant of the Emperor. Why?”

“Because it means they are of the Yaegas god race.”

“No. It’s because they have a vile and base nature. They submit to the absolute strong and are cruel to the weak.”

“We are not weak.”

“No. We were weak! Because we were few in number! That’s why we’ve been training in harsh martial arts since childhood, and why we’ve strengthened ourselves with the heteromorphic grimoire called Hwajopungwol [a magical text that enhances physical abilities]! We pushed ourselves to overcome the weakness of being few in number!”

Sion Etar’s voice grew heated.

“In other words, our distorted lives, everything, was a result of persecution. Because the Hybris people rejected us, we had to do this to survive.”

“So, you also want to kill the Hybris people?”

“Yes. But I know that this feeling is not right, and it’s not desirable for governing this world in the future. That’s why I need you, who are free from that. I can’t believe there’s someone in Aragasa who still believes in the Relief Knights’ angel faith.”

Sion Etar genuinely needed Azadin.

Certainly… this is meaningful.

Azadin calming and mediating their anger within Aragasa. That could prevent the sacrifice of many people.

But….

“Let’s stop the Nether and the Nagas first, then talk.”

Azadin said that to Sion Etar, who had approached him, and created some distance.

“Then, that bracelet….”

“Hmm?”

“Hand over the copy of the Divine King’s Scripture and the bracelet. Isn’t it too much for one Messenger to hold? We need to analyze it….”

“No, do you need the copy of the Divine King’s Scripture now that you’ve taken the throne?”

“Of course, we do. It’s a version that has already been partially analyzed.”

“I see. I’ll return it. Directly to Lady Aldis.”

“…….”

“Then, I’ll be going. I need to deal with the Nagas first.”

Azadin said that and distanced himself from Sion.

*********

The sky was clearing.

The light of the King’s Radiance was driving away the dark clouds and pushing back the power of the Nether.

The Nether’s presence, which was clearly the shadow of a giant when the thunderstorms and storms raged… now looked like just a large cumulonimbus cloud under the light of the King’s Radiance.

“Wow, what is that? Did we see it wrong? It definitely looked like a huge grim reaper earlier. Now that I see it, I guess we were just scared and mistook the clouds.”

Shati clicked her tongue, looking at the dark clouds far away under the light of the King’s Radiance.

“That can’t be.”

Azadin shook his head.

That Nether grim reaper shot out its minions from its body, and those minions fused with the sea serpent Nagas to become new forms of monsters.

Under the light of the King’s Radiance, it was just a storm cloud, but when the light of the King’s Radiance was absent, it was the Nether grim reaper.

“It was definitely the Nether grim reaper. That’s what it was.”

“The light of the King’s Radiance is truly amazing.”

The orc, Scott, was impressed.

As the Nether’s minions weakened under the light of the King’s Radiance, the armor that had been hard enough to deflect heavy crossbow bolts became soft again, and their speed slowed down.

Soldiers could easily deal with them just by stabbing with long spears, and the soldiers and Holy Knights were full of energy.

As the light of the King’s Radiance grew stronger, morale soared in Coral Sahar, and hope and courage sprang up among the people.

Moreover, the wind catchers, the messengers reading the proclamations, were delivering hopeful messages to the people.

“Listen well, everyone! Lady Aldis Jedaha, the granddaughter of Emperor Yaeslat, has taken the throne of Coral Sahar!”

“Huh? The Emperor?”

“If she’s the Emperor’s granddaughter, shouldn’t she be dead already?”

“No, that’s how strong the blood of the Yaegas god race is! Now that the true owner of the Coral Sahar throne has taken her place, the light of the King’s Radiance will be with us!”

“Long live the Empress!”

The wind catchers were praising the new Empress, Aldis Jedaha, and inciting the people.

“…….”

Azadin walked away, avoiding the wind catchers.

However, from the wind catchers’ side, and from among the people, the Messenger Clan members who had been hiding recognized Azadin.

“Congratulations.”

“Second Lord, Azadin Jedaha.”

“I knew you would succeed.”

Azadin, who had been called the cursed Azadin, the Azadin of No Meaning, and had been scorned and persecuted by everyone.

But now, the Messenger Clan members knew that Azadin’s backer was Aldis and that she would rise to the core of power, and they sent Azadin congratulations that were close to flattery.

Azadin answered their congratulations perfunctorily.

It was definitely a good thing. It was Arael, not Aldis, who summoned the Nether beings and massacred people.

As a result, Aldis did take the throne, but it was Arael who dirtied her hands.

Aldis’s hands were still clean.

Isn’t that good?

She seized everything at once without any damage to her morality.

If she promised amnesty to those who had turned their backs on the council, bewitched by Arael’s vision, they would gladly turn to Aldis.

So, everything was fine, but why did Azadin want to get out of here as soon as possible?

“Let’s get out of here. Sion Etar doesn’t seem like he’ll just leave us alone.”

Azadin quickened his pace. His head was dizzy, and his vision was shaking, making it hard to endure. An indescribable pain and frustration pressed down on Azadin’s chest.

And then, it was then.

“Azadin.”

A gloomy-looking girl called out to Azadin. Midiam and Ismail, who had been shooting arrows at the sea serpent Nagas from the top of the wall, turned around after discovering Azadin.

“Midiam. Ismail.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

Midiam understood well that Azadin was in love with Aldis, and that Aldis’s sudden seizure of the throne and claim to be the Emperor’s successor was causing confusion for Azadin.

It was probably complicated. It wasn’t something to be simply happy about.

So, she comforted Azadin.

But Ismail pretended not to notice and gave Azadin a fist salute.

“Congratulations on your promotion, Azadin Jedaha. Second Lord. It’s an evaluation worthy of your abilities.”

“Ismail!”

Midiam rebuked Ismail for nonchalantly congratulating Azadin on his promotion.

“Hey, little miss. Was it okay for you to let us go?”

Scott asked Midiam. When Scott, Jibek, and Shati were captured, Midiam had released them, and he was asking if she had been reprimanded for it.

“Yes, well. It wasn’t a problem. I’m an Etar, after all. More importantly, what are you going to do now?”

“What else can we do? Lady Aldis is the only one who can stop the Age of Jupiter. Not only for the glory of our Aragasa, but also for the people of Hybris, we must be loyal as messengers of the new Empress, Lady Aldis, right?”

Ismail answered Midiam’s question instead. But Azadin shook his head.

“I’m going to meet Arael and talk. But it’s dangerous for Arael here, so we can’t meet here. I’m thinking of moving to a secluded place.”

Azadin told Midiam his plan without hiding anything.

“…I see.”

“Everyone will know that and chase after me, right?”

“Yes. Actually, I should ask you to take me as your attendant again here.”

In other words, Midiam was supposed to approach Azadin as a spy. Ismail was startled by Midiam’s statement.

“It doesn’t matter if you come along.”

“R-Really?”

“Haha. Captain. The wounds I got from these kids are throbbing, you know?”

Scott said that, but he didn’t particularly refuse their company. Rather, it was Jibek who refused their company.

“I’m against it, Azadin. You shouldn’t allow them to come along.”

“Why?”

“No matter what excuse you make to refuse, if you refuse their company, Sion Etar will see you as a potential traitor and will chase and monitor you. He doesn’t trust you.”

“I think so too.”

“If Midiam has goodwill towards you, if you take her with you, she will suffer, weighing her own clan against you. It’s better to confront their doubts and suspicions head-on.”

Jibek was demanding that Azadin face the suspicions and doubts head-on, rather than burdening Midiam. He was indeed a rigid Holy Knight.

Azadin smiled bitterly.

“No, why don’t you release me? Isn’t it time to release me now?”

Shati asked that, but Azadin ignored Shati’s request and said,

“Midiam. You choose. Will you come along? Or will you go back?”

“Of course, I’ll come along.”

“I’m against it.”

Ismail shook his head.

“Midiam. This man will eventually betray the clan. He’s a true believer in the angel faith. Didn’t you see him even perform miracles?”

“…….”

“Because he truly believes, he will surely betray our clan. And you are an Etar.”

“Ismail.”