The Shadowed Legacy Of The Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 207

Even If I Lose the Light (3)

Seraph and Aleph answered Azadin’s question as if they had been waiting for it. Judging by how quickly they responded, they must have been really eager for that question to come up.

“The Council of Elders and Chief Hatir are trying to destroy this world. It’s the typical behavior of demons who have lived too long and are despairing of the world.”

“On the other hand, Lady Araelle seeks to rule the world without destroying it. If you’re going to rule the world anyway, wouldn’t it be better to do so in a whole and safe state, with more slaves to control, thus gaining greater power?”

“Ah, stop. That’s enough.”

After hearing their words, Azadin regretted asking the question.

‘I should have just let them be eager to talk without asking. I shouldn’t have asked. The answer isn’t even that good.’

It was an answer that completely extinguished his curiosity and interest.

“So, Chief Hatir and the Council of Elders’ position is that it’s okay to wreck the world because there will be fewer Aragasa [a race of people] to feed anyway, while Araelle wants to eat the world whole? How can their thinking be at that level, seriously?”

“There’s a misunderstanding.”

Araelle stepped in to correct Azadin’s words.

“Hatir and I agree on making it so that no one can oppress the Aragasa. However, Chief Hatir was worried that the Aragasa population was too small and would eventually be absorbed by the Hybris [another race of people]. He did this crazy thing because he thought he couldn’t protect the Aragasa unless he suppressed and reduced the number of Hybris. On the other hand, I will accept it even if the Aragasa people eventually disappear. What’s important is that we live peacefully now. If we can disappear peacefully through assimilation, I won’t refuse it. That’s why I have no intention of killing the Hybris meaninglessly.”

“You wouldn’t have a reason to kill them meaninglessly if you’re going to use them as slaves.”

“The slave system isn’t that effective. It’s better in terms of motivation and human resource management to squeeze them by giving them just enough compensation to barely survive if they work hard.”

“……”

“Azadin, I know you don’t trust me, but at least I have no intention of destroying the world like Hatir. The Jupiter era is a no-go for me. You know that, right? You might want to doubt me because of the past when you were tormented by me, but if you put your hand on your heart and think carefully, there’s no alternative better than what I’m offering. In fact, before I made you an offer, you were planning to collect copies of the Divine King’s Scripture on your own and just shove them into the throne, weren’t you? Isn’t that right?”

“Yes.”

Azadin raised both hands. Or should he say he raised both arms since one hand was gone?

“I will. I do. I’m in.”

Thus, the alliance between Azadin and Araelle was formed.

*********

Although Araelle’s faction had fallen, Araelle was still powerful, and her subordinates’ loyalty remained unwavering.

Above all, they had a considerable number of people, so they were well-supplied.

“Okay, let’s attach this arm. Chief.”

Scott brought a hand that had been embalmed and covered in beeswax. He didn’t say where he got it, but it was in remarkably good condition.

He put it in the gauntlet, tightened it up to Azadin’s elbow, and cast a spell, and the hand moved according to Azadin’s will.

“Amazing. It’s not just that it moves, but the phantom pain has lessened. But is this necromancy?”

“No. This is a magical tool that moves with colorless mana.”

“Hmm?”

“In your case, Chief, you infused your body with the white mana of the Divine King’s Scripture, right? I was worried that if it moved with necromancy, it might cause a clash with the black mana.”

“Amazing.”

Azadin was impressed by Scott’s meticulousness.

As a necromancer, he probably wanted to move it with necromancy, but he took Azadin’s detailed circumstances into account and made this purely for him?

“You seem to be skilled in general magic as well?”

“Well, there’s that, and moving with colorless mana is also good for relieving phantom pain. However, you might feel itching or heat, but that’s…”

“I’ll take care of that.”

Shati cast a spell on Azadin. Minor wounds regenerated, and the phantom pain subsided.

Azadin accepted their help and was impressed.

“Thank you.”

“So, Chief, I was wondering, could I stop here?”

“……”

“I have a feeling I’ll die if I go any further inside. I like you, Chief, but I’m just a mercenary after all.”

“I’m asking the same.”

Shati also asked Azadin.

“Understood. You’ve both worked hard.”

Azadin allowed Scott and Shati to leave and rummaged through his saddlebags, taking out gold coins.

Because Scott and Shati’s dedication had been great, he gave them all the gold coins he had without holding back.

“This is compensation for your dedication. I’m sorry I can’t give you more.”

“Well, this is incredibly generous. You’re the Chief, after all.”

“Then, may you have good fortune. Azadin.”

Shati, who had received the gold coins from Azadin, sighed.

“I hope we can meet again alive.”

She never imagined she would say such words to Azadin.

Shati sincerely wished for Azadin’s victory and safety. So, she decided to use the most powerful magic she knew.

“Azadin, your forehead.”

“……”

Azadin silently offered his forehead, and Shati cast a spell on it.

“What kind of spell is that?”

Azadin asked, as he felt an unfamiliar green mana spell being cast on him.

“It’s a blessing spell. A little spell to meet again alive.”

Shati left after saying those words.

“So, Shati, where are you going?”

Scott asked her.

“I don’t know. Should I go back to the Nagas?”

“Didn’t that Naga Raja [Naga King] who was close to the Chief say he would grant you immunity?”

“That was probably because he thought I was destined to die with Azadin and was being generous. The Nagas knew this was going to happen. But I don’t know if they’ll forgive me even if I go back alive.”

“Hmm, are those Naga Raja not ashamed to speak with two tongues? Then, let’s become sellswords together. It’s a bit dangerous, but we could take a ship to the Southern Archipelago or go up the coast to Tarasar. They say they’re recruiting a lot of mercenaries in Tarasar right now.”

“Okay.”

Shati and Scott made plans for the future and left.

*********

“Is it okay to let them go? One is a Naga, and the other is an Orc necromancer?”

Araelle asked Azadin.

“They’re not people who would betray me.”

“Hmm. You seem to trust them quite a bit.”

“Of course, I trust them. I saw endless emptiness and resignation in Chief Hatir’s eyes. It’s foolish to even deal with someone like that. Scott may be cheeky, but he’s not a fool.”

“Well, if you say so, it must be so. How’s your hand?”

Whoosh.

At that moment, an arrow flew, cutting through Araelle’s hair.

Azadin had quickly shot the arrow. It was an extremely rude act to shoot an arrow at someone’s head, but Araelle didn’t even blink, turning her head to follow the arrow Azadin had fired with her eyes.

“Hmph…”

The arrow hit a bird flying far behind her. It wasn’t an ordinary bird but a corpse of a bird with observation magic cast on it, as it emitted black smoke and fell to the ground the moment it was hit by the arrow.

It was an accurate shot, but Azadin’s expression was not good.

“It’s not perfect after all. I was aiming for the eye, but I hit the wing.”

For most people, this would be a skill worthy of praise, but Azadin was not satisfied.

“The wing, not the head or neck? That’s serious.”

Araelle also agreed with Azadin’s opinion.

Although it was a hand made by Scott, it was naturally not as good as his original body.

“You should be grateful that you can even shoot a bow with your hand gone. But didn’t you have Grimslaw’s mace?”

“I heard the Cheonggeon Clan took it. I heard it directly from Amun-Zadek.”

“I see. That’s a weapon specialized for subduing people without killing them…”

Azadin regretted the absence of the mace. Even in this situation, he didn’t want to kill his own kind if he could help it.

“Then, shall we move soon? It seems like they’ve figured out our location.”

Was it because Azadin shot the bird down?

Birds began to flock to the sky.

Scout corpses raised by necromancy and clairvoyant magic began to focus on observing the area where the bird had disappeared.

It was still okay, but at this rate, they would be discovered soon.

*********

Butuma was already filled with the traces of the Nether’s envoy, the King of the Waves, whom the Nagas served.

Seaweed grew on the ground, and waves and seawater washed over the buildings.

The buildings of Butuma, which had been shining gold with lacquer, had their exteriors peeled off and were transformed into ruins with hideous moss and seaweed growing on them.

And from all over the city, the screams of Butuma residents who had not managed to evacuate could be heard.

“S, save me!”

“My child!”

The Nagas were capturing living humans and herding them somewhere.

Behind them, there were already rows of corpses, their heads cut off and their insides gouged out on the chopping block like fish at a fish market. Hideous monsters made from human blood, flesh, and extracted organs writhed among them.

The Nagas were making mummies from human bones and muscles, and they were gathering the masses of organs to create servants of the Nether.

“…I didn’t know they would keep their faith with the Nagas so diligently.”

The Herald Clan frowned at the sight.

No matter how much they hated the Hybris, the Herald Clan were also human. The sight of the Nagas butchering humans and turning them into monsters was disgusting.

A young Herald, unable to bear it, even threw up.

“Endure it, you fool. Throwing up just because you saw some corpses. Are you even a Herald?”

“B, but…”

“The Chief said that we need the Naga Empire until we occupy all eight thrones. They are tainted by the Nether’s cult, so let them do what they need to do.”

The veteran Herald comforted the other young Herald, but his expression was not bright either. It would be stranger if he had a bright expression in this situation.

Meanwhile, a woman holding a baby was dragged by the Nagas and thrown onto a large wooden chopping block.

The Nagas extended their tails to tie her hands and feet and raised a large glaive into the sky.

The baby’s cries echoed everywhere.

“……”

The young Herald couldn’t bear to watch and turned his head.

But then…

-Swish!

With the sound of cutting through the wind, an arrow flew and pierced the neck of the Naga holding the glaive.

The arrow had severed the Naga’s neck bone, causing the giant Naga’s body to stagger, and the glaive fell to the ground.

“……?!”

At the same time, a barrage of arrows rained down, ambushing the Nagas.

The surprised Nagas raised the half-made mummies as shields, and then a blue arrow flew.