The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 200

The boy had to abandon his dreams from a young age.

‘Our family owes a great debt to the Etar bloodline, so you must serve her.’

Even at a young age, Ismail could understand the hidden meaning of those words.

Don’t put yourself first, but sacrifice and yield everything for Midiam.

Give up the chance for self-realization and sacrifice yourself solely for the benefit of the family.

Sadly, the food was always too good to give up, and the meager tolerance and grace bestowed by the Etar bloodline were real, so the boy crushed his own dreams.

So, he decided to adore the girl.

He knew.

The girl was beautiful and arrogant, and even if she glanced at the boy who had humbled himself and become a servant, she would never give him her heart.

It was a daily struggle to not deceive himself while giving up his dreams.

But this man, whom the entire clan shunned, suddenly talked about how beautiful the stars were….

He admired the Order of the Rescue Knights, who served the angels who sacrificed themselves to protect humans. He spoke of his mission and role as the Emperor’s messenger.

He spoke of aesthetics and justice.

He was talking about dreams that had not been broken.

It was disgusting. It was ugly and hateful.

At this time when the clan was moving to seize and dominate everything, this disgusting man dared to stand in the way of the clan.

Was he out of his mind?

If you put this man and the clan on a scale, there was no question which way it would tip. Any sane person would naturally choose the clan.

But….

The boy let go of his hand.

He was a man who was disgusting to look at, annoying, and truly hateful, but for some reason, the boy chose this man instead of the clan.

In fact, he knew.

The reason this man was disgusting to look at was because he was a mirror.

The clearer and sharper the mirror, the more ugly and hateful he appeared on its surface.

That’s why he was disgusting to look at.

This man who talked about dreams he had given up long ago, and the clan that was burning with ambition to devour everything.

The boy’s scale was tipped towards the man.

*********

As Ismail let go, Grimslaw’s club began to dance again, attacking Haldun’s group.

“Y-you bastard! Colluding with the enemy!”

Haldun, who was being held by Azadin, shouted, but Azadin lightly choked Haldun, knocking him unconscious in an instant.

“Time to sleep, kid.”

Haldun’s surprised servants tried to rush in, but Azadin threw the unconscious Haldun aside and charged at the servants.

It was like a ferocious bear jumping into a sheep pen. A whirlwind swept through, and the servants were thrown back.

“N-no way!”

“Is that the dullard Azadin!?”

Haldun’s servants were secretly proud that they possessed skills comparable to those of official messengers.

So, they ignored Azadin, who had become a disciple of Elder Kazas by luck and had Aldis as his patron, even though he was a renowned messenger.

However, Azadin was a monster beyond their expectations.

They tried to escape belatedly, but Ismail and Midiam joined Azadin, blocking their retreat.

“T-traitors! Why….”

“The betrayal was done by the Council of Elders. The curse of service is not the Emperor’s doing, but the Council of Elders’, Chief Hatir’s.”

“Lies!”

“Well, that’s the kind of reaction I’d expect. But since I’m not carrying any proof right now, let’s have a discussion later. For now, would you kindly become prisoners?”

Azadin gradually subdued Haldun’s servants.

In the end, Haldun and his servants were all sprawled on the ground.

“Amazing, Azadin. You were amazing when I saw you before, but now you have even more amazing skills.”

Midiam was impressed as she watched Azadin take down Haldun’s group so easily. Originally, she had tried to join in, but all she and Ismail had done was block their retreat. Most of the work was done by Azadin himself.

“But you didn’t kill them.”

Ismail clicked his tongue as he looked at Haldun’s group groaning on the ground.

“Because once you kill them, there’s no going back.”

“They were trying to kill you, though? Isn’t that too arrogant? And from the clan’s point of view, you’re a great traitor who’s pouring cold water on the clan’s wishes. Just like your father did. You’ll be targeted for immediate execution as soon as you’re spotted, but still….”

“If they become a threat, then I’ll have no choice. But if they don’t become a threat, I want to postpone the killing as much as possible until the very end.”

That meant that Haldun’s group was not a threat.

Azadin called the Butuma soldiers to arrest the fallen Haldun group.

“Don’t kill them.”

“Yes, Golden Decree Messenger!”

“Golden Decree Messenger?”

Ismail found it strange to see the soldiers fearing Azadin.

Then, a voice came from Azadin’s pocket.

“Chief! Messenger clansmen have appeared at the north gate too!”

The crow’s head, preserved with wax to prevent decay, was speaking Scott’s words.

“It seems like it’s time to move.”

*********

Even after subduing Haldun’s group, Azadin moved quickly to find and subdue other messenger clansmen.

Whether the clansmen looked down on the Butuma army too much, or the void left by Araelle and her followers was too great, this time again, it was a group consisting of a young noble family boy and his experienced servants to protect him.

Azadin subdued them too easily.

If they had tried to escape along the way, one or two might have escaped, but they all let their guard down too easily when they saw Azadin, leaving no room for escape.

“I’m not in a position to talk, but they really all look down on you.”

Midiam recalled her own embarrassing past as she watched those who had foolishly attacked Azadin and been defeated. She too had underestimated Azadin and lost in a duel, becoming Azadin’s servant.

“I’m grateful for that. Infamy is also fame.”

Azadin was not at all bothered by those who were lower in rank than him attacking him recklessly. Rather, he was happy that he could win easily.

“So, Midiam, how many people are gathered right now?”

“Are you talking about the clan? About 200 or more people are currently occupying the Butuma River estuary fortress. They are continuously being reinforced.”

“More than 200? It seems like they’ve brought all available personnel.”

Azadin looked towards the Butuma River estuary from the storm-swept ramparts. It was hard to see because of the wind and rain, but the lights of the fortress could be seen in the distance.

“It looks like a significant strategic point.”

“If the clan is determined, they can easily take such a small fortress. Conversely, it would be impossible for the Butuma army to retake it.”

A fortress guarded by about 200 messenger clansmen would be truly impregnable. Moreover, that place was an island in the river estuary. It was already a difficult place to approach.

“And they’re being reinforced. It’s safe to say that’s almost all of the clan’s available personnel.”

Azadin groaned at the weight of that number.

With the Araelle faction having rebelled and left, the fact that about 200 clansmen had gathered meant that the clan’s desire was that strong.

To have to directly oppose the will of such clansmen. Even if Azadin had a firm resolve, he was afraid.

It was an act of turning the entire clan into an enemy. Was Azadin really prepared for this?

However, how many innocent people were killed when Coral Sahar fell? He couldn’t back down when he thought of the Nagas eating humans and the people being killed.

Besides.

“The one commanding them is Elder Kazas himself. He knows a lot about Butuma.”

Ismail mentioned Kazas’s name as if to torment Azadin.

“Then… he must have found out right away.”

Azadin muttered absentmindedly at the mention that Elder Kazas was commanding the clan.

*********

Although the storm was raging, Butuma, which had excellent countermeasures against heavy rain, was able to withstand the storm without any major problems.

The Nagas’ attacks also subsided. No matter how strong the hierarchy of Naga society was, they could not continue attacking recklessly when the casualties were so high.

As the Nagas’ attacks subsided, the Golden King Manza-Zadek called those who had made great contributions to praise them. Azadin was among them.

“Well done, Golden Decree Messenger. There is no cloud in my judgment in choosing you. It makes my shoulders swell with pride. So, I want to give you a reward. Is there anything you desire?”

“Your Majesty, I am sorry, but since the battle is still ongoing, please refrain from giving me a reward.”

Azadin was feeling the hatred directed at him, proportional to Manza-Zadek’s favor.

The Golden King’s Crows, Guard Captain Karchen, and his faction were relatively okay.

The blood mages, necromancers, and regular soldiers were wary of Azadin. Showing that he was favored by Manza-Zadek would only earn their hatred.

However, Manza-Zadek insisted on giving a reward.

“The reward I give you may not be very appealing to you. If you defy your own people and receive a reward from me, it will look like you betrayed your people for profit. And the attention of a mad king who might turn on you at any moment would be a burden.”

Manza-Zadek had accurately seen through Azadin’s psychology.

“So, I want to give you a reward that you cannot refuse.”

“What… do you mean?”

“The authority to forgive and save people. Even if they are great traitors, if you persuade them and they are no longer a threat to me, I will forgive anyone.”

“That is….”

It was too much authority to give to a mere vassal. In fact, the expressions of the other vassals, who were wary of Azadin’s rapid rise, became fierce.

“You will save the lives of those you choose and provide them with a way to live. If you want to preserve the clan, isn’t that an authority you would desperately want? Are you still being humble?”

Manza-Zadek clearly understood Azadin’s position.

He had turned his back on his clan because of his beliefs, but he had not betrayed them because he wanted to be enemies with them and kill them.

If so, Manza-Zadek’s pardon would be necessary for the clan’s survival.

“I will give you the power to pardon the messenger clan. It is a fitting reward for your dedication… and it is also my mission and command to you. If the messenger clan wants to be pardoned for challenging the throne of Yaegas, they will only be pardoned through you. In other words, if we win this war, the lives of all the messenger clansmen will be in your hands, Golden Decree Messenger. Then you will become the chief of the messenger clan.”

The Golden King Manza-Zadek said so and smiled.

“This is not a request you can refuse. Accept it.”

“You are cruel, Your Majesty.”

“It is an authority that others would covet, Golden Decree Messenger. You have no greed. Now, step back and rest. More difficult days await you in the future.”

“Yes….”

Azadin left the audience chamber of the Golden King Manza-Zadek.