The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 196

The emperor, a true Yaegas divine being [descendant of the gods], was born after a long period of waiting. However, despite possessing immense power, he was a ruthless ruler driven by his near-mad ideals.

The emperor began executing and purging members of the royal family deemed unfit to hold the throne, employing the Messenger Clan for this purpose.

However, when his purges became excessive, the Messenger Clan, unable to endure it any longer, assassinated the emperor.

*********

‘…That’s the official story, but there’s also a rumor that it was because a child born from an affair between a Messenger Clan member and the emperor was a Yaegas divine being. Some believe their conspiracy was to assassinate the emperor and enthrone his child as the new ruler.’

Azadin was taken aback by Manja-Zadek’s shocking revelation.

Was this the secret of the Yaegas divine beings? And the truth behind the emperor’s assassination?

‘This is why the light of royal authority is weakening, and why you assassinated the emperor. And it’s also why I’m here on this throne, indulging in carnal pleasures.’

Originally, Manja-Zadek was, true to his name, the Golden King, a powerful mage and warrior.

To enhance the prestige of Butuma, he launched a conquest against the ogres of the north. He repelled the Nagas [serpentine beings] and ogres, achieving great victories in 100 campaigns without a single defeat. Under his rule, Butuma’s wealth became even more solidified.

However, while exploring magic, he discovered the records of his ancestors and learned the truth through the Divine King’s Scripture [a sacred text] hidden within the quartz throne and the connection to the Yaegas divine beings.

The gods had abandoned this world, leaving behind only their descendants, the royal family, and the natives who had been ravaged by the Kurt and Nether forces in the past.

‘That’s why I indulge in carnal pleasures. People claim that I have abandoned glory and fallen into debauchery, but this is my prayer.’

The beautiful and noble figure from the portrait writhed on the throne, now a grotesque mass of flesh.

‘Our ancestors, Yaegas divine beings. Here is carnal pleasure. When you return and descend again, all of this will be yours, so please save us!’

Was that his prayer and wish?

Azadin was meeting Manja-Zadek for the first time, but his heart ached.

A soul corrupted by unbearable despair—that was the current Golden King, Manja-Zadek.

‘Pardon me, Your Majesty, but it seems to me that you are suffering.’

‘Haha. What are you talking about? This kind of suffering is nothing. Look.’

Manja-Zadek gestured, and a concubine brought him a pipe. Manja-Zadek inhaled and exhaled, and a sweet fragrance filled the air. It was opium.

‘Pain disappears quickly, and only pleasure remains. Hahaha. What do you think?’

‘…’

Was he offering opium as the answer to pain?

But pity took precedence over anger.

Manja-Zadek, the Golden King. The king of Butuma, the wealthiest of the Eight Kingdoms, and a descendant of the Yaegas divine beings, revered by all.

But the reality was that he was so desperate that he could not live a single day without numbing his mind with pleasure.

He reached out to Azadin.

‘Whatever you believe in, it’s futile. It’s a lie. The only truth is the pleasure of this moment. If you follow me, I will bestow all kinds of pleasure upon you.’

‘If I serve Your Majesty, what will be my mission? What do you desire from me, and why do you offer me such a prestigious position?’

‘To protect the wealth of Butuma. We must protect the wealth and property here to maintain carnal pleasure, and if we maintain that pleasure, our ancestors will surely look upon us again someday.’

Was he just going to continue indulging in pleasure on the quartz throne, hoping for the gods to return?

‘Pardon me,’ Azadin said, feeling sorry for him.

‘Even if you erase the pain in your body by smoking opium, it still looks to me like you are suffering.’

‘Tsk.’ Manja-Zadek clicked his tongue.

‘Alright, I admit it. I am suffering. As a descendant of the Yaegas divine beings, I was proud of my lineage. I conquered the ogres to protect my people, never losing in 100 campaigns, and I diligently managed the internal affairs to achieve prosperity. But… the gods abandoned us. They gave up on us because we have no value in this world. So now, all that’s left is…’

Manja-Zadek took another deep drag of opium. And he groaned, exhaling smoke like a dragon breathing fire.

‘The pleasure that remains in this body is the only truth.’

‘Then, a foolish question, but what is the Divine King’s Scripture, and what are its copies?’

Azadin took out the copies of the Divine King’s Scripture he had collected so far and showed them.

‘You’ve collected quite a few. The Divine King’s Scripture is a collection of rules on how the light of royal authority will act in this world. It is the most powerful grimoire [a book of magic], and it is the very principle of how the light of royal authority from the Yaegas world works in our world. If you understand it and rewrite it, and then input it back into the throne, the rules of the light of royal authority will change.’

‘Is that so? Then…’

‘The copies of the Divine King’s Scripture are appearing all over the world because something went wrong with you, the Messenger Clan, and they were leaked, right? But I think differently. If the Messenger Clan, who had been secretly plotting, had taken the throne of Korasar, your leader would have already finished interpreting the Divine King’s Scripture and created what he wanted. That’s why they’ve been biding their time and are only now starting to take the throne.’

‘Do you believe that the interpretation of the Divine King’s Scripture is already complete?’

‘Yes. So, you, the Messenger Clan, will take the throne and write a new Divine King’s Scripture on that throne. If you do that, you can monopolize the light of royal authority. Then, the Hybris people, who have been ignoring you, will serve and fear you as the new royal family and nobles. That’s probably the goal.’

Manja-Zadek’s statement was astonishing. He had grasped the Messenger Clan’s ambition with incredible accuracy.

To change the way the light of royal authority, which the King’s Church believes in, is bestowed, so that the Messenger Clan can rule the entire Hybris continent?

‘But now, it’s a meaningless act. The light of royal authority and the power of the Divine King’s Scripture that this quartz throne brings are certainly powerful for one person to use, but after the Yaegas divine beings abandoned this world, it’s just a dying ember in a pile of ashes. Well, you might be able to get a little warmth from it, but what good is it when darkness is approaching?’

At that moment, the bell in the royal castle’s belfry began to ring. Not only that, but other belfries also began to ring simultaneously, and soon lightning flashed outside the window.

And a strong wind began to blow in from the sea.

‘Your Majesty!’

Armed warriors rushed into the audience chamber.

‘A storm is approaching from the sea.’

‘The Naga attacks will begin.’

‘It’s starting now. Then, Azadin, you said you wanted to help defend this city, right?’

‘Yes.’

‘Take my golden seal.’

Manja-Zadek took off the ring he was wearing and threw it to Azadin. It was not a ring for a normal person, but thick enough to fit three fingers at once, and large enough to be a bracelet for a woman with a slender arm.

‘I appoint you as the King’s Knight, the Golden Seal Bearer. Do your best to defend Butuma.’

‘Your grace is boundless. I will gladly accept this mission.’

Azadin accepted the position of Golden Seal Bearer bestowed by Manja-Zadek and rose from his seat.

A storm was approaching.

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‘Captain! How was the audience?’

Scott was waiting for Azadin outside the audience chamber. Perhaps it was because of his admiration for the Golden King? His eyes shone with passion.

‘It was successful. The king granted me a knighthood and the position of Golden Seal Bearer.’

‘Really? You don’t look very happy.’

Azadin was wearing a mask, so he didn’t know how he could see his expression, but it was true.

Azadin was confused.

The fact that Aragas had assassinated the emperor and that the Aragas had been preparing to usurp this world for a long time tormented him.

‘Looking back on my childhood, except for Kajas and Aldis, even my own people didn’t treat me warmly. But the Aragas are called soulless blasphemers and are shunned on this continent. If I can’t even trust my own people, how am I supposed to live?’

No matter how firm Azadin’s heart was, Manja-Zadek’s words made his head and heart complicated. But there was no time to agonize alone.

‘The Naga army is coming with the tidal wave. What are we going to do now? Is the position of Golden Seal Bearer useful? How are we going to defend?’

Shati asked Azadin. She was curious if getting a knighthood or a nominal position now would be of any use.

‘Manja-Zadek’s defense is excellent. Honestly, it’s worthy of the name Golden King. He’s created evacuation zones by demolishing houses in appropriate places, and the troops are well-equipped, plus the Cheonggeon Party will help defend the city. The problem is assassination.’

While the regular army attacks, they assassinate key commanders or the king.

That was the way of the Messenger Clan, the Aragas. Azadin had been trained as an Aragas, so he knew the ways of the Aragas well.

The Golden King Manja-Zadek’s defense was better than expected. Tyrannical rulers who indulge in pleasure and neglect governance do so because pleasure is their goal.

However, Manja-Zadek was a unique person for whom pleasure was a means.

For him, pleasure was a prayer to attract the attention of the gods, and the more pleasure he took, the more he suffered.

Manja-Zadek regarded the pleasure that ordinary people would desperately desire as a terrible struggle of pain and despair.

Therefore, he still possessed the insight and wisdom worthy of the name Golden King.

Then, what the Aragas would target was the assassination of the king.

Azadin decided to participate in the security to strengthen the king’s defenses.

‘So, what are you going to do? I don’t know what the position of Golden Seal Bearer is.’

‘Let’s check it out first.’

Azadin turned to the page who was watering the plants in the waiting room outside the audience chamber.

‘Hey, I want to join the king’s security team. Who should I talk to?’

‘Huh?’

The page was startled and took a step back, then prostrated himself on the floor.

‘I greet the Golden Seal Bearer!’

‘…’

It seemed that the position Manja-Zadek had given him was of more value than he had imagined.

Indeed, a nervous voice came from behind Azadin.

‘You there, newbie. You said you wanted to participate in the king’s security mission? I am Karchen, the captain of the king’s guard.’

A middle-aged woman with brown skin walked over. She had a crescent moon bow strapped to her thigh, and it seemed she was a Messenger Clan member who had been recruited by Manja-Zadek.

‘Karchen?’

‘Yes. You are Azadin of Muan, known for being a dullard.’

‘You are…’

‘Who is she?’

That question lingered in Azadin’s throat.