The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 190

#191. Sugar Rush 7

“I didn’t even know the Herald Clan ran a slave system.”

“It’s not a slave system. Actually, it’s more like kidnapping key figures, but for them, calling it a slave system is like poetic justice, or should I say, a full circle. Isn’t there a certain aesthetic to the story when those who disregarded the freedom of others have their own freedom restricted in the same way?”

“Aesthetic, huh.”

“And we need to secure them… to teach the new farm owners a lesson.”

With the existing farm owners kidnapped, their legal heirs ascended as the new farm owners.

They feared the Herald Clan’s immense combat abilities, and even more so, they dreaded the return of their fathers, the former farm owners.

Thus, the negotiations went smoothly. Now that Azadin alone had managed to kidnap the farm owners, the reason to justify slavery, saying, ‘We operate a slave system to raise and maintain private soldiers,’ had vanished.

The new farm owners appointed Randa Banema as the head of the association and actively cooperated in establishing a new order in Bell Hoda.

“Then, let’s consider the petition complete. And Randa Banema, I have a request for you as the head of the Bell Hoda Sugar Business Association.”

“A request? What kind of request?”

“It’s about all the farm people joining the Cheonggeon Church….”

Jiswa, who was listening, quickly started proselytizing.

“Get lost. Know your place. Huh?”

Azadin pushed Jiswa away and asked,

“The farm owners have been replaced, but they still have private soldiers, right?”

“Of course, they do. But they’ve just given commercially available weapons to ordinary farmers. They’re not real soldiers. They’re good at catching fleeing workers or lynching, but they can’t be called true warriors. Those adventurers were real warriors, though.”

Randa Banema had keenly felt how much stronger the adventurers hired by the other farm owners were compared to the regular private soldiers.

When she heard that Azadin had subdued them as easily as if they were children… she couldn’t help but doubt her own ears.

“Those private soldiers are useless now, so we’ll disband them. Oh, of course, we’ll need to keep a small self-defense force. It’s true that bandits and monsters are rampant.”

“I’m not asking you to disband them. It’s actually the opposite.”

“The opposite?”

“Yes. A large-scale Naga army will soon invade Butuma. We need to arm and train Bell Hoda’s private soldier organizations.”

“What? Are you serious?”

“I’ll assign a Herald Clan member as an advisor to you for training.”

“No, how much training are you planning?”

“Marching and carrying luggage should be enough in a day or two. And prepare food too.”

“Are you really preparing for war? The Naga Empire? Is that real?”

“It’s real. So, what are you going to do? Of course, I’m not in a position to force your cooperation if you refuse.”

“You’re holding the farm owners hostage, aren’t you? If you threaten to release them, you can force me enough, can’t you?”

“You can’t make friends through threats.”

“What are you talking about? You’ve been threatening me enough so far. Sigh…. Well, fine. Bell Hoda needs Butuma to be safe to make a living. If the Naga Empire really invades, I’ll cooperate in protecting and rescuing Butuma by mobilizing all of Bell Hoda’s human and material resources.”

Randa Banema responded to Azadin’s request and offered a handshake.

“Thank you, Randa Banema.”

“No, what for. Azadin. I’m more grateful. What you’ve done, you finished it quickly in a short time, so it seemed easy, but no one but you could have done it.”

He had handled things quickly, making it seem easy, but before he came, Randa Banema had been driven to the edge of a cliff, seriously contemplating suicide. People’s minds change over time, but she remembered clearly how desperate she had been when she made the petition.

‘I’ve gained a pretty good collaborator. I’m glad I handled the petition.’

At that moment, Randa Banema’s subordinate walked in.

“They say a military advisor from the Herald Clan has arrived.”

Azadin had requested through the Emperor’s voice that a person capable of commanding and training the private soldiers of Bell Hoda be sent. It seemed that the military advisor had arrived.

“That was fast. No, it’s too fast than I expected?”

Azadin decided to meet the military advisor.

*********

“Amazing.”

The military advisor was a familiar face. A beautiful woman with brown curly hair and green eyes was looking at Azadin.

“I was wondering what you were up to in such a short time, Azadin, and you’ve conquered Bell Hoda?”

“Conquered sounds strange. Let’s say I’ve fostered goodwill. But what brings you here, Janice?”

“What do you mean what brings me here? This area was originally my territory.”

“Ah. So, you were the Herald who rejected the petition?”

“Yes. It’s my job to assist Lady Araiel. But to make the entire Bell Hoda sugar farm your ally….”

Originally, the Herald Clan was also very interested in the Bell Hoda sugar association. But even if they helped one farm, the other farm owners would find out like ghosts and exclude them.

Favors are etched in water, and grudges are etched in bone. If they took a request related to sugarcane farms and ended up creating a bunch of opposing hostile forces, it would be a headache.

Especially now, with the Herald Clan’s civil war going on, it was too complicated to handle. But Azadin had cleaned it up very neatly.

“Not only did you resolve the petition request on my behalf, but you even took my subordinates and secured the farm owners of Bell Hoda. And after doing all that, you’re going to give me the position of military advisor?”

“Yes. You rejected the petition mission, but you wouldn’t reject this, would you? There’s a lot to gain, right?”

It was a position to become the military advisor of Bell Hoda, which had accumulated wealth through the sugar industry. There was no reason to refuse a position that they would want to take even if they had to give bribes.

“Of course, there’s no reason to refuse. For Lady Araiel’s sake, Bell Hoda is naturally….”

She said that and cleared her throat.

“Truly a feat worthy of the Second Herald, no, an amazing feat, Azadin. I have to admit it.”

“That sounds like you didn’t want to admit it until now?”

“Well, even if you’re Lady Araiel’s younger brother, Azadin of Muan was famous, wasn’t he? Besides, I’m confident in my skills, and suddenly being called the Second Herald. Isn’t that too much favoritism…? Well, it’s just a number, but in the end, the Aragasas are all fierce by nature.”

“You said you’re confident in your skills? Come to think of it, Sion Etar was defeated by you….”

Azadin remembered Sion Etar making that excuse in Coral Sahar.

“That’s not true. It’s a false rumor that Sion Etar was defeated by me. It’s an excuse he made to provide an alibi for himself. He was originally the ‘Moon’ of our older generation.”

The four of Hwajopungwol [a group of powerful figures]. Among them, the one with the title of Moon was considered the most powerful and outstanding figure.

‘That means Indim is the best person in Hwajopungwol right now, but he doesn’t seem like it at all?’

Azadin clicked his tongue, thinking of Indim, who was constantly picking fights with him.

Janice warned him about Sion Etar.

“The reason he spread the false rumor that he was defeated by me was because we had an agreement, and he made that excuse to hand over goods and people to us. To be honest, he’s much more skilled than me. Be careful. That guy has now turned to the Council of Elders.”

“Is that so? Hmm, I understand. If you can’t handle Sion Etar, then you’re below me, so you don’t need to feel any resistance to the fact that I’m the Second Herald.”

“Haha. That’s great confidence.”

Janice laughed at Azadin’s words, but her eyes didn’t smile.

“I’ll endure it because there’s a lot to gain. Okay, Second Herald Azadin. Are you going to Butuma now?”

“Yes.”

“Even though you hate Lady Araiel, if you stop the invasion of Butuma, that alone will be a sin against the Council of Elders’ event. Are you still going to do it?”

“Of course. You better not interfere with the reinforcements coming from Bell Hoda.”

“There’s no way I would. It’s interfering with what the Council of Elders is doing. Besides, you’re not planning to fight a war with these people, are you?”

“Right. The private soldiers might be useful for beating up farmhands with clubs on the farm, but they’ll die against the Nagas. They just need to transport supplies from Bell Hoda to Butuma and act as engineers.”

“Okay. That’s not too difficult.”

Janice agreed to take the military advisor position that Azadin had given her.

At that moment, the docks suddenly became noisy.

“It’s, it’s a disaster! It’s a disaster!”

The workers at the docks shouted, and at the same time, the bells installed at the docks and throughout the sugarcane farms began to ring.

“The war in Butuma has begun!”

“The Nagas have invaded Butuma! Ogres are invading the north of Butuma, and Nagas are in the south….”

While Azadin was in Bell Hoda, the Naga attack on Butuma had finally begun.

Listening to the commotion, Azadin bit his lower lip. He didn’t regret coming to Bell Hoda to fulfill the petition. But still, it would have been better if he had timed it better….

“I’ve suddenly become busy. When can we depart?”

“I just got here?”

“You’re the Herald in charge of this area, so you should know the situation well, right?”

“The private soldiers of Bell Hoda are just farmhands, and I don’t know how much stockpiled supplies there are, so I can’t be sure. Let’s depart as soon as we’re ready. It’ll still take about a week.”

“Okay. Then I’ll head to Butuma first with my companions.”

*********

Surprisingly, Randa Banema, who had already said goodbye, was waiting for Azadin’s group at the village entrance with horses prepared.

“The Arangisan horses that old man Salco had. I’ve loaded them with Bell Hoda’s specialty, Kashasha, and various snacks. They don’t spoil easily, so they’ll be good for travelers.”

“Kashasha? It’s alcohol.”

“It’s alcohol made from sugarcane. Unlike rum made from molasses left over from extracting sugar, it’s a high-quality alcohol with the sugar content still intact. You know how valuable alcohol is on the battlefield, right?”

“Of course.”

“And this is… the head of an axe-spear made of Azure Steel. It’s the ‘Azure Executioner.’ They say a great dwarven blacksmith named Morton made it.”

“The Azure Executioner? Isn’t that a huge treasure? Is it okay to give me this? I’ve already paid the price with the Emperor’s gold, and I’ve agreed to help Butuma?”

Azadin was amazed as he received the Azure Executioner. The Azure Steel longsword, Parang, that Azadin was currently using was also a great item, but the Azure Executioner was an even more overwhelming item.

This cross-shaped weapon, which combined an axe and a wedge, was emitting a faint light as if it were enchanted. However, it was a pity that it was just the head of an axe-spear without a shaft.

“It’s better for this masterpiece to be in your hands than to rot in our warehouse. Besides, you’re doing this to save Butuma, right? Isn’t that right? Helping you is helping Butuma, sigh… Actually, I did have the Herald Clan’s gold, but I didn’t know the Herald Clan were such wonderful people. The rumors were really wrong.”

“It’s not good to be so trusting….”

Azadin felt embarrassed seeing Randa Banema, who had become favorable to the Herald Clan because of his service.

He wanted to affirm her favor, but he was worried about her future if he did. The Herald Clan was by no means easy to deal with.

“I’ll gather the private soldiers as you wish and finish the organization as quickly as possible and send them. I’ll also secure food.”

“Thank you. Then, since there’s no time, let’s meet again next time. Please forgive my rudeness in leaving right now.”

Azadin accepted Randa Banema’s gift, the Azure Executioner, mounted the horse she had prepared, and headed for Butuma.