The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 235

“You speak too harshly to the knights who abandoned their comrades and fled. They must have done so to survive.”

Azadin retorted, twisting Bishop Akenar’s words into a criticism of the knights who had abandoned Izmilla.

“What a joke. These so-called holy knights betray their guest and then try to capture him?”

Zan, who had been observing the situation, couldn’t help but interject.

At that moment, Azadin drew the ceramite longsword from his back.

“You!”

“What are you doing!”

The mounted knights charged, attempting to stab Azadin with their spears, but Azadin deflected them with his ceramite longsword. [Ceramite is a fictional material known for its strength and durability.]

The knights’ bodies were lifted from their saddles, but they managed to avoid falling by clinging to the saddle horns. Instead, their spears shattered.

‘I’ve grown weak. I should have been able to knock them off their horses.’

Azadin grimaced, feeling his strength had diminished.

However, from the knights’ perspective, it was a bizarre experience, as if they had been struck by some kind of magic. That single exchange made them realize they had no chance of stopping Azadin.

‘N-no way! The Bishop is here!’

‘The Bishop is in danger!’

These were the same knights who had abandoned their comrades to save their own lives, but now they threw themselves in front of the Bishop.

If Azadin harmed Bishop Akenar, there would be no escape for any of them. When they fled from the pilgrimage, they had some excuse, but this time, there would be none.

However, contrary to their expectations, Azadin reversed his grip on the sword and offered the hilt to the Bishop.

“You, the Bishop of Coxhall, should recognize whose sword this is, shouldn’t you?”

Bishop Akenar took the sword and examined it.

“I can’t believe it. This sword is… Aurelia Dawn!”

“Aurelia Dawn?!”

“Could it be Sir Planck’s sword?”

Everyone was shocked by the name.

The mentor of the Northern Empire’s Cohen Lionheart, who had disappeared one day and then became a death knight, wandering near Coxhall and killing countless people.

Many knights had challenged Sir Planck and lost their lives, earning him the title of ‘the death of chivalry.’

However, in his lifetime, he was the knight of wisdom among the three virtues, and the ceramite longsword he used was one of the four named master swords ever created by the knight order.

‘Is this really that great?’

Azadin, on the other hand, didn’t think much of the ceramite longsword. It was heavier than a regular steel sword, and the blade was dull, making it unpleasant to cut with.

It was no match for a sharp and sturdy azure steel longsword, and even a well-made steel arming sword was better.

However, judging by the reactions of others, the ceramite longsword, especially the one Azadin possessed, seemed to be one of the greatest swords in the world.

“How did you get this…”

“I received it directly from him.”

“What?”

“I was knighted by him and inherited the sword.”

“?!”

Azadin didn’t know the prophecy passed down in the Relief Knights, but Bishop Akenar was well aware of it.

The prophecy stated that the last knight to be knighted by Planck, the knight of wisdom, would become the flower of chivalry.

But wasn’t the man before her the Emperor’s envoy?

Unlike the King’s Church, the Relief Knights weren’t particularly hostile to the Emperor’s followers. Of course, since all the members were Hybrids [Hybrids are likely a reference to a specific group or race in this world] and the Relief Knights’ talent pool was mostly Hybrid nobles, they all hated the Emperor’s envoy, but personal hatred and the order’s policy were separate matters.

However, the Emperor’s followers had attacked Butuma and Korasar, committing massacres, and summoned nagas [Nagas are mythical serpent-like creatures] and various monsters, effectively destroying the kingdom. The Relief Knights couldn’t ignore the Emperor’s envoy.

“Are you really saying you were knighted by Sir Planck? He should have become a death knight?”

“Yes.”

“Amazing. I thought he had lost his sanity. If what you say is true, then you are our brother, a Hospitaller [Hospitaller is a term for a knight who provides medical care and aid].”

“B-Bishop.”

“That’s impossible!”

Those who were listening to the Bishop’s words were horrified.

An Emperor’s envoy being a Relief Knight was absurd. Even though the doctrines of the King’s Church and the Relief Knights were different, they were also citizens of Hybris [Hybris is likely the name of the kingdom or region].

Accepting an impious being who had killed the Yagas gods [Yagas gods are likely the deities of this world] was too emotionally repulsive.

“Sir Planck is dead. After becoming a death knight, he is merely a shadow of his former self. In fact, a new knight of virtue was chosen after his death, wasn’t he?”

“This man is the Emperor’s envoy. He is a member of the evil group that has already destroyed two of the Eight Kingdoms. How can we believe what he says?”

However, the Bishop wearing the noblewoman’s mask, Akenar, ignored the others and took another step closer to Azadin.

“If it’s true that Sir Planck knighted you, does that mean you accept becoming a member of the Relief Knights? Even though you are the Emperor’s envoy?”

“Yes.”

“May I ask why?”

“That is… because Sir Planck wished it, no, because I have long held faith in the Triune Archangels and their devotion.”

Azadin initially used Sir Planck as an excuse but soon gave up and spoke his true feelings.

He had lost Aldis, who was like everything to him. He hadn’t even reconciled with Ara’el and had sacrificed her.

Despite losing everything, he still had faith, which was why he had accepted Sir Planck’s knighthood.

“Hmph.”

“Pfft.”

“Is he insane?”

The reactions varied.

The surrounding knights sneered, were surprised, or looked at Azadin with contempt after hearing his words.

Raw emotions of disgust poured onto Azadin.

It was only natural, as they had heard the Emperor’s envoy, a soulless blasphemer, speak of having their beliefs. They themselves couldn’t even be sure of their own faith.

“I understand. So, can I assume that you wish to become a member of the Relief Knights?”

“Yes. At least if it’s not an organization that abandons its comrades, oppresses the weak, or loots.”

“Very well. In the name of Akenar, the Bishop of Coxhall, I hereby appoint you as a Hospitaller-Errant. There’s no need for a knighting ceremony, as you’ve already received one.”

“What?!”

“Bishop! What is the meaning of this…”

“Then, shall we head to Coxhall? There are many stories I wish to hear along the way. Would you join me in my carriage?”

Bishop Akenar pointed to her carriage.

Sharing a carriage with her was a great honor that a mere novice knight would rarely experience. However, Azadin was unaware of this.

“Understood. I will ride with you.”

Azadin accepted Akenar’s offer and was about to board the carriage.

But then, Azadin’s gaze fell on Zan. Zan was mouthing something silently.

‘She’s also a target.’

Bishop Akenar was also one of the targets of the Northern Aragasa’s attacks. Well, as the Bishop of Coxhall, she would naturally be a target.

‘I must be careful.’

Azadin kept Zan’s warning in mind and boarded the carriage.

“U-um…”

At that moment, the villagers approached Azadin and the carriage.

“What is it?!”

The Bishop’s guards pushed the villagers away.

“Ah, we just wanted to thank you.”

“Thank us?”

“Yes. Thank you for saving us, knight.”

“Hahaha. Well, that’s only natural. It’s a holy knight’s duty! Yes!”

“…….”

The villagers were thanking Azadin, but the Relief Knights who had arrived late were boasting instead.

From their perspective, the Relief Knights were just getting in the way of catching the fleeing lizardmen, weren’t they?

“Yes. It’s a holy knight’s duty.”

Azadin smiled wryly and waved to a child in the village before boarding the carriage. It was the child who had been imitating Azadin’s fighting stance.

The child was delighted that Azadin had recognized him and cheered, raising both hands.

‘Cute little fellow.’

Azadin memorized the child’s face and boarded the carriage.

The Bishop’s carriage had a luxurious interior decorated with red silk.

Bishop Akenar, wearing a silver noblewoman’s mask, offered Azadin the seat opposite her.

“This fine carriage will get dusty. Ah, now that I’m a member of the Relief Knights, should I speak formally to you?”

Azadin’s question annoyed the guard and coachman who were listening.

“You impudent fool! Do you know who this person is? A mere novice knight should naturally show her respect!”

“Hmm. Does that mean you also acknowledge me as a novice knight, a Hospitaller?”

“Ugh.”

“Of course. I, Bishop Akenar, have acknowledged you. Those who do not consider you a knight are insulting my honor.”

When the coachman was speechless, Bishop Akenar stepped in and declared it herself.

She deliberately spoke loudly enough for everyone outside the carriage to hear, which pleased Azadin.

‘I don’t know what she’s thinking, but she’s straightforward. Even if there’s a hidden agenda, she’s much more likable than those pathetic holy knights.’

Azadin decided to show her respect.

“Understood, Bishop. Then, I will gratefully accept your offer.”

Azadin brushed off his clothes and sat opposite her.

“Huhu, there’s no need for that. Please call me comfortably. I’m just a widow who inherited an undeserved position due to my lineage.”

“A widow?”

“Yes. Can’t you tell by this mask? Then, I should start by explaining why I became the Bishop of Coxhall.”

*********

Coxhall was a coastal city bordering the Arangi Inland Sea, famous as a trading port with Butuma.

It was a trading city where vast customs revenue was generated as a port for importing sugar and spices from Butuma and transporting them inland. Therefore, the King of Arangi had always managed it directly, and it was practically the second capital.

In fact, several Arangi kings had planned to move the capital to Coxhall, but the attempts had repeatedly failed because there was no way to move the Quartz Throne. [The Quartz Throne is likely a symbolic or magical object of power.]

Instead, they built a detached palace and frequently visited Coxhall to manage it. As such, both the King’s Church and the Relief Knights had established bishoprics in Coxhall and were actively proselytizing.

The Relief Knights’ Bishop of Coxhall was a woman named Akenar, who was a high-ranking noble of Chitai and the former queen of the Arangi Kingdom.

She was a beautiful and wise queen, highly regarded by the people, but she did not have a child with the King of Arangi.

Eventually, the King of Arangi declared their divorce and remarried a princess of Asander. The former queen, Akenar, joined the Relief Knights and became the Bishop of Coxhall.