The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 181

Dehashuram felt a subtle displeasure at Azadin’s veiled words, but he was a Naga Raja [Naga King] who was also good at playing the merchant.

‘He’s got a strong pride, like a hero. Well, a man should have this much arrogance.’

Dehashuram laughed off Azadin’s remarks with the composure of a strong person.

“Anyway, you’ve accomplished great things. Even if the world doesn’t know, if I explain what you’ve done to the Messenger Clan, they’ll understand that you have the skills and deserve the position. Why didn’t you do that?”

“Because… it’s my stubbornness.”

“Stubbornness?”

“I don’t want to bow my head first to a clan that doesn’t accept me, asking them to like me, proving that I’ve done so much. Above all, I don’t agree with what our clan is doing now. To be recognized by them, I’d have to help them and act their way, right? But I can’t tolerate that.”

“What exactly can’t you do?”

“The expansion of unnecessary slaughter. The massacre of residents who aren’t even enemies.”

“The elders of the Messenger Clan and the Ara’el branch wouldn’t think that slaughter is unnecessary. I think so too. Those who serve the King’s Church will never allow you to take the throne. So, what’s wrong with preemptively killing them to weaken their power?”

“Still, I think it’s unnecessary. Even if they’re irredeemable villains, you should think carefully before killing them, but I don’t want to massacre people who have no grudges, like farmers, merchants, or fishermen, just because of a difference in position.”

“So, you weren’t affiliated with the elders or the Ara’el branch, and you were just heading to Butuma to stop the invasion and warn them. You were wary of the Naga invasion and, using your newly acquired position as a Cheonggeondang Taoist [a Taoist sect], you were trying to organize the Cheonggeondang to effectively stop our Naga invasion?”

“That’s right.”

Azadin said, drawing the Azure Steel longsword from his back. The sound of the blade was chilling.

“Surely you’re not trying to escape through all these Nagas, are you? Haha.”

“It’s not about whether I can, but whether I should.”

“I invited you. Since then, I’ve been as polite as possible, not disarming you or poisoning your food. We’ve kept the customs of hospitality well, and you’re going to break that?”

Dehashuram looked at Azadin with a smile.

Dehashuram’s guards were on alert, drawing their weapons and hissing at Azadin, but Azadin was confident that he could cut Dehashuram’s throat much faster than they could move.

However, the problem was that Dehashuram had kept the customs of hospitality as he said.

To kill someone who had shown hospitality and kept the customs? Azadin, who was heading to Butuma to avoid unnecessary slaughter, couldn’t do such a shameless thing, could he?

However, attacking Dehashuram and the Nagas here was consistent with Azadin’s goal of stopping the slaughter in Butuma.

Should he break the customs of hospitality and attack Dehashuram to protect Butuma?

Or should he keep the customs of hospitality?

Azadin sighed and looked at Dehashuram.

“Dehashuram. Is there something else you want? If so, let’s make a deal. Relying on the customs of hospitality to buy time and prolong your life is something I can’t tolerate right now. I want to get to Butuma as soon as possible.”

“Surely. Do you think I would do something like a deal with you, who is already a fish in my net?”

“If what you want is more than just a conversation with me, there must be something to trade.”

However, even Azadin wasn’t sure right now. From what he had seen, Dehashuram was a curious human, no, a Naga.

If Azadin’s logic was correct, he must have wanted something more from Azadin than just his past stories.

‘Normally, I would have bluffed, but…’

Azadin felt sweat forming on the hand holding the Azure Steel longsword, ‘Parang’.

‘It’s too bad to break the customs of hospitality and kill a host who treated me with sincerity.’

In other words, he was already prepared to cut off Dehashuram’s head if necessary.

Then Dehashuram opened his mouth.

“If you think so, you have a good eye for people. Heh heh. I happen to have something to trade with you.”

“Ah. That’s a relief.”

“Isn’t it? I think it’s a relief too.”

Dehashuram gave a meaningful smile.

‘I said it’s a relief because I don’t have to cut your head off.’

Azadin thought so, but he didn’t want to say it out loud and upset Dehashuram.

*********

The Nagas originally revered the Kurt deity, the Cobra Queen Debislin, and took pride in fighting against the evil ancient god Nether, who threatened the Hybris continent in the past.

However, the Nether faith was spreading among the Nagas.

The sea serpent Naga tribe, which was influenced by the deep sea, was the most susceptible to Nether’s influence. The already large and powerful sea serpent Nagas became completely ferocious under Nether’s grace, and other Naga tribes couldn’t do anything about them.

But of course, other Nagas were dissatisfied with this situation. They were Nagas who took pride in protecting civilization by fighting against Nether.

But to have to admit that their power was weak against their corrupted brethren who worshiped Nether’s messengers?

“So, we try to reduce the number of sea serpent Nagas as much as possible by making them fight against the Hybris people or the Messenger Clan. It may not be a good story for humans to hear, but it’s a win-win for us.”

“That’s too blatant. Don’t the sea serpent Nagas say anything?”

“The sea serpent Nagas who have become Nether’s followers have lost their judgment. It’s not that difficult to deceive them by coaxing them appropriately. But…”

“But?”

“Since they’ve become irrational beasts, they’re forcing their demands, and these guys are rude and stupid, so they don’t listen. Even now, I told them not to touch my servants, but they took my gardener’s son.”

“……”

“Gardener.”

“Ah, yes.”

A middle-aged man came with small shoes and a dog leash.

“My son went out to find his missing dog and was caught by the Nagas.”

“Are you asking me to save the child, or if he’s dead, to avenge him?”

“Yes. Please. If you succeed, I’ll officially say that you escaped. I’ll give you a small boat. And I’ll teach Shati water manipulation magic, so she can steer the boat and you can escape.”

“What if we fail and get caught in the middle?”

“Then I’ll play dumb. You’ll be considered a rogue who tried to spy and assassinate using the customs of hospitality, and your honor will be tarnished and you’ll be killed. But that can’t be helped.”

“Hmm. I understand. I’ll do it.”

Azadin decided to accept Dehashuram’s request.

“A-Are you sure? Taoist Azadin? There are so many Nagas.”

Jiswa was bewildered. No matter how you looked at it, Dehashuram’s request was absurd.

There were at least hundreds of sea serpent Nagas in the Naga camp, and these guys had excellent senses and tremendous combat abilities.

To search through the camp of such guys to find the gardener’s child or to avenge him? No matter how skilled Azadin and Scott were, it was not something that could be done with just this many people.

“It’s not too difficult, so don’t worry, Jiswa. Rather, you should prepare the supplies.”

“Supplies?”

“If we’re going to escape by boat, we’ll need food and water to get from here to Butuma. Pack them well in a backpack.”

“…Oh. Okay?”

In other words, he wasn’t going to take Jiswa on the infiltration mission near the Naga camp? He was telling her to pack the luggage in the back.

Jiswa was bewildered by Azadin’s attitude, which already considered it a success.

“Are you really going to be okay? I’m glad I don’t have to go into a dangerous place, but… if I’m not there, you and Scott will have to move alone?”

“Do you want to fight? Jiswa? Do you want to show off your bravery?”

“N-No, that’s not it. I’m a Blood Magician, but I’m not that high of a level…”

Jiswa was embarrassed.

“It’s easier to get noticed if there are too many people. A small number is better for infiltration. Shall we start, Scott?”

“Yeah. Boss. I’ve rested and recovered my mana, so I’m ready anytime. But since there’s no corpse, I can’t start.”

“I’ll make a corpse soon enough.”

Azadin said, looking up at the sky. The sun was setting.

Jiswa warned Azadin.

“The sea serpent Nagas can see well even after the sun goes down. They live in the deep sea where light doesn’t come in well, and everything that flows in their bodies, whether it’s skin mucus or blood, is all poison to humans…”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Azadin said, bidding farewell to Jiswa for a while.

“Then let’s start.”

*********

Azadin and Scott, who had parted ways with Jiswa, walked into the darkness and approached the sea serpent Nagas’ camp.

“The Emperor’s Voice.”

[Are you asking me to find a human boy and a dog?]

“You were listening. What do you think?”

[I’ll look for them.]

After a while, the Emperor’s Voice responded.

[…I found them. They’re dead. It’s not a sight to show their parents.]

“Which way?”

[If you go down from the ridge where you are, it’s the fourth tent. Both the child and the dog were eaten.]

“Then it’s a death sentence.”

Azadin approached the sea serpent Nagas’ tent.

“Ah, Boss, but if you’re going to infiltrate, I can’t follow you?”

Scott said, following behind Azadin.

Azadin was nimble, so he could approach the fourth tent without being noticed by the Nagas, but he couldn’t.

That’s what he said, but Azadin was puzzled.

“What are you talking about? I’m going to kill everyone from the closest tent to the fourth tent.”

“Huh?”

“Do you think a child and a dog would just go to the fourth tent? They were already kidnapped at the first tent, and they were just butchered at the fourth tent. That means everyone on the way there is an accomplice.”

“Ah. So you’re going to hold them accountable. Boss? But you’re going to kill them all? Did I hear that right?”

While Scott was wondering, Azadin drew Grimslaw’s bow. He put the slingshot string on the bow for the first time in a while and shot a stone.

The slingshot string was made by hanging a leather strap in the middle of two bowstrings, allowing stones to be shot with great power. But would it work against the sea serpent Nagas, who had thick leather and scales and spewed poisonous mucus?

Scott’s question was soon resolved.

-Thwack!

With a terrifying sound, the Naga’s head was completely ripped off.