The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 219

For the Aragasas, power is everything.

No, it’s not just the Aragasas.

Those without power are not respected. Azadin had felt this firsthand since his powerless and cursed childhood.

But now, the power he had built up his entire life was useless.

Azadin’s power was the Kazas Haze, which detonated the unrefined, incomplete power of the Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon within him, converting it into pure physical ability, and using that martial art to manifest the assassination magic of the Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon. [Kazas Haze is a unique martial art that combines physical prowess with elemental magic].

With his body broken, he couldn’t use Kazas Haze. He doubted he could even manage daily life.

Was the result of killing the person he loved most, intervening in the clan’s civil war, and causing the deaths of many, to become a cripple?

It was too terrible.

To turn away from this terrible reality, Azadin turned his head, and Indim continued to speak.

“We’re fleeing by boat. We’re moving inland to avoid the Nagas. We’ll go up the river to Banreung.”

“What about Butuma?”

“Butuma is stabilizing. Hatir is dead, and the Council of Elders has collapsed. Of course, the Five Great Clans and their guilds remain, so they might regroup the clan around them, but for now, we’ve won.”

“Won…?”

“Yes. Well, the damage is significant, but strategically, we placed Araelle’s grimoire on the throne and crushed the Council of Elders. However… there’s something we need to do to clean up the aftermath.”

Indim rose to her feet.

She was tall enough to be mistaken for a man, but the slight swell of her breasts on her muscular body revealed that Indim was, in fact, a woman.

Surprisingly, Indim had been taking off her clothes and warming Azadin with her body heat.

And now, Indim was saying this to Azadin?

“I need your body.”

“……”

Indim put on her clothes and then lifted Azadin up. Azadin, whose body had not recovered, could not resist.

‘What is she trying to do? I’m not even worth killing now. The Divine King’s Scripture is all in Butuma’s throne, so there’s nothing more to gain from me.’

That question was soon answered.

A large magic circle was drawn on the deck, and Araelle and the four members of the Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon were waiting there.

No… it would be more accurate to say they were the people who used to be the four members.

Of the four members of the Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon, only Indim, Seraph, and Dimia had survived.

It was impressive that three out of four had survived, but their servants, and Dimia’s younger sister, Janice, were nowhere to be seen.

“Azadin. My brother. Are you awake?”

Araelle turned to look at Azadin.

“Dimia and Indim have been warming you and me with their body heat for a week. I was worried you might die, but you’re alive. That’s a relief.”

“…Araelle.”

Azadin frowned as he looked at Araelle.

Her legs were cut off, and she had tourniquets tied around her legs.

Azadin had become a cripple, but so had Araelle. So, to raise their body temperatures, Dimia and Indim had shared their body heat naked for a week.

Azadin had no memory of it, so he must have been in a coma for the entire week.

‘So, even the great Araelle has become a cripple? But… no, she’s in a better situation than I am.’

Araelle was in a better situation than Azadin.

Unlike Kazas Haze, which was more of a martial art than magic, Araelle used real magic, so even if her legs were cut off, she could still fight.

However, losing so much of her body would prevent her from exerting the same power as before. Her remaining lifespan would probably be greatly reduced.

“Your legs…”

“The price for destroying the Council of Elders. The Aragasas, the Council of Elders, are now destroyed. Well, the Five Great Clans remain, but I think we got off cheap.”

Araelle was about to say that the Aragasas were destroyed, but she corrected herself to the Council of Elders and gave a bitter smile.

“Didn’t the Council of Elders and you say that you would dominate other races, massacre and exploit them to make our Aragasas prosperous? But as a result of your infighting, the Aragasas are declining. Aren’t you ashamed?”

“I have no regrets. You were the one who stopped the Council of Elders, Hatir’s actions, right, Azadin? Then you must know that we are more righteous than the Council of Elders, right? That’s why you fought on our side, isn’t it?”

“I don’t remember being on your side. Of course, I appreciate you healing me… So, what are you going to do now? You’ve lost your legs… and your body doesn’t look good either.”

Araelle was supposed to be the goddess of the battlefield.

The Araelle faction was maintained by her charisma. The reason Araelle could maintain her charisma among the Aragasas was because she was a beautiful and powerful being.

Not being respected if you are not strong is not just among the Aragasas.

Among the Yaegas gods and the Divine Kings, there is a custom of losing the right to succession if there is a physical defect. No matter how much magical ability Araelle had left, she could not be in a leadership position without her legs.

“Are you going to give up all your ambitions and live a normal life in seclusion somewhere, Araelle? That wouldn’t be so bad. You’ll be able to take care of yourself…”

“No. If we can’t fight, the Aragasas will die. And actually, both you and I are in a life-threatening condition because we’ve lost so much blood. But Azadin, do you know that?”

“Know what?”

“That siblings can give each other blood? The probability is even higher if they are twins.”

“……”

Azadin looked at the magic circle. And he examined the faces of the remaining members of the Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon.

Seraph and Aleph were brothers. Dimia and Janice were also sisters.

Only one of each pair had survived, and their condition was surprisingly fine. If Araelle had lost both her legs, then they must have fought a fierce battle too, right?

“Could it be?”

Azadin looked at the magic circle drawn on the floor again in detail. He didn’t know how to use magic, but he had been an assistant when Kazas interpreted Nether language and learned Nether magic, so he could read Nether language. [Nether language is an ancient language associated with dark magic].

The magic circle written here was Nether magic.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Didn’t I tell you?”

Indim approached and picked up Azadin, placing him on the magic circle.

Azadin couldn’t move and stood on the magic circle before collapsing, unable to support his own body.

“Become Araelle’s blood and flesh.”

“You guys… did you absorb your siblings? You’re crazy…!”

“It was something we each wanted!”

Seraph protested.

“Otherwise… how could I let my brother, Aleph, die! But if we were both going to die, someone had to live!”

“That… that’s.”

That was reasonable. But Azadin shook his head.

“No. It doesn’t make sense! Araelle! I’ve already had everything taken from me since birth! The grimoire, the birthright of the Aragasas! My eyes! And now you’re going to take my life too? That’s too much!”

“Isn’t it? But Azadin, you can’t survive as you are now.”

Araelle began to chant. The magic circle began to glow and activate.

Very complex magic, including the evil magic of the Nether, necromancy, and green magic that governs life, was being cast by Araelle. [Necromancy is the magic of manipulating the dead, and green magic is associated with life and nature].

Azadin was momentarily distracted by the complex magic.

‘No, it’s more like my body isn’t listening. I can’t help but look at it.’

He couldn’t do anything but watch.

Araelle, who had activated the magic circle, used a staff to replace her severed legs and leaped into the magic circle.

But…

Dimia, Seraph, and Indim, who were watching, were startled.

“Araelle! ?”

“What…”

“What are you doing?!”

Araelle grabbed Azadin, who couldn’t move, and placed his head on her lap, on her thigh where the tourniquet was tied.

“We were born on the same day, but when I think about it, we haven’t talked much, brother.”

“Who’s your brother? I…”

Azadin tried to protest, but he suddenly met Araelle’s gaze as she looked down at him.

Araelle was looking down at Azadin with a tender and benevolent gaze, as if she were looking at a truly beloved person.

It was the same expression that Aldis had when she looked at Azadin as a child.

Azadin was flustered by her appearance. Could Araelle have such an expression?

“Azadin. You were in pain because you weren’t loved, weren’t you?”

“What?”

“It’s funny, isn’t it? Don’t you think it’s the way of the world that men suffer because they are not objects of desire, and women suffer because they are objects of desire?”

“What are you talking about, Araelle?”

He asked, but sadly, he already understood what Araelle was saying.

Men are not objects of desire.

Unless they have wealth and power or are exceptionally handsome, it is rare for a man to be the object of a woman’s desire.

On the other hand, even if a woman is not beautiful, someone will want her.

But is that a happy thing?

Not at all.

They are likely to become beings whose fate is violated by the desires of others.

But why are they talking about this now?

“You were in pain too? Are you trying to say that you were in so much pain because you were too popular?”

Of course, Azadin was not a fool either.

From the story that Chief Hatir had taken an interest in Araelle’s exceptional birth and tried to take her as his own, he already knew that Araelle was not just a person who was too good to handle, but a person whose body and soul were threatened under the order of the Council of Elders.

Araelle had to constantly prove her ability, her power, and its necessity to protect herself.

Nevertheless, when she came of age, she would have had to become Hatir’s concubine against her will and bear children as the evil mages of the Council of Elders wanted.

And perhaps, if we traced the lineage of Azadin and Araelle’s ancestors, Azadin and Araelle would also be descendants of Hatir.

That’s a terrible thought.

If Azadin was persecuted because he was a powerless being…

Araelle was treated as a very good bloodline because she was a capable and beautiful woman.

In the already harsh life of the Aragasas, how much would a young girl suffer if such a fate was predetermined?

However…

Azadin didn’t want to understand the internal situation.

If he understood it, who would cherish his younger self, who was hurt and tormented by Araelle and even thought about suicide?

Did everyone have to understand each of Araelle’s wounds, and even Azadin himself, who had been abused by Araelle, have to understand her?

Don’t be ridiculous!

If that happened, Azadin’s childhood would be too pitiful!

Azadin refused to understand Araelle’s past.