The Shadowed Legacy Of The Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 241

Azadin called Camilla to resolve this situation.

“So, what’s got you so worried, Azadin?” Camilla asked with a smile.

“The circumstances clearly indicate that the soldiers are embezzling, but I’m worried because there’s no solid evidence. I need to know where the supplies are leaking to even start an interrogation.”

“Solid evidence? You don’t need that. You can just hang them with circumstantial evidence, can’t you? Why don’t you just hang them?”

“Then this fortress is done for. If I was going to kill them, I wouldn’t have bothered investigating here. I don’t want to kill them.”

“Huh? They might have killed the previous squad leader. And they’re all already criminals brought here, aren’t they?”

Camilla said it didn’t matter since they were all criminals anyway. But Azadin knew she didn’t mean it.

After all, she was a criminal herself, brought here.

“Camilla, I didn’t come here just to be satisfied with a squad leader position in the Relief Knights.”

“Huh?”

“I know the Relief Knights don’t welcome me. Nevertheless, I came here because I want to prepare the Relief Knights before the Age of Jupiter arrives.”

“Prepare them?”

“Yes. To do that, I can’t be satisfied with just a squad leader position, can I? I need stronger power and authority faster. You don’t think I’m just a pushover who came here because the Knights told me to, do you?”

“Actually, I thought you were a pushover all along. Okay, I understand.”

Camilla, hearing Azadin’s words, took something out of her pocket.

“What’s that?”

“It’s Dwarven ale. If you look at the bottle, the brewery’s name is written on it, right?”

“…This isn’t something that should be flowing into a place like this.”

Dwarven ale was an expensive luxury item. All members of the Relief Knights were required to be frugal, so unless it was the higher-ups, there was no reason for it to be in this remote place, Vermillion Fortress, where the lowest-ranking people were.

“That’s right. A foreign merchant comes every two weeks, buys cinnabar at a high price, and in return, provides the fortress with various necessities, luxury goods, and prostitutes.”

That was clear embezzlement.

“How did you find out?”

“I didn’t want to know either. They saw me and said I’d be better than the prostitutes if I put on makeup, and they offered me this to drink and play with them.”

“…Oh, dear.”

“Well, men’s mouths tend to get very loose in front of a beauty like me.”

Camilla gave Azadin the information she had gathered. The information that the soldiers and villagers had blabbed to Camilla was more than what Azadin had diligently investigated.

‘Camilla was testing me too.’

Even with so much information, Camilla had kept her mouth shut until Azadin proved his worth.

Thinking about it, Camilla was definitely not an easy person.

“So, Azadin, what are you going to do now?”

“This is enough solid evidence, so I need to have a showdown with the squad leaders.”

“Then those bastards will try to kill you. Should I call my brother and Bernard?”

“No. There’s no need. I’ll go alone.”

“Alone? Isn’t that underestimating them too much?”

“If I go with a group, there will definitely be bloodshed. I’m doing this to avoid that.”

Azadin said that and left his seat.

“Wow. I don’t know if it’s great confidence or if his liver is hanging out. Well, his skills are probably solid.”

Camilla was curious about what Azadin was going to do, so she followed him.

*********

-Rumble!

Storm clouds were gathering in the sky above Vermillion Fortress.

In the soldiers’ barracks, there were general supplies, as well as luxurious liquor, tobacco, and drugs that couldn’t be brewed in the village. The soldiers were playing card games among them.

Then, someone opened the door to their barracks and entered.

It was Azadin.

“Who is this? Isn’t it the squad leader? What brings you here?” Legion, the half-elf squad leader, smiled as he threw a knife at a target, noticing Azadin.

“You’re playing more healthily than I thought.”

“Huh?”

“I thought you might have women in the barracks.”

“Ah. We recommend that kind of thing be done outside the barracks. Since I became squad leader, I decided to live by the rules. It’s a bit much in the common barracks, isn’t it?”

Legion said, and the soldiers chuckled.

“So, what business do you have in the barracks?”

“You’re embezzling. Every two weeks, foreign merchants come to buy cinnabar and provide the fortress with supplies, right? They pay much more than the Relief Knights, and they provide liquor, tobacco, drugs, and prostitutes to win over the people here.”

“Hmm?”

Legion and Kalan looked at Azadin with interest.

“Amazing. It’s only been two days, and you’ve already found out that much.”

Legion clapped and admired him. On the other hand, Kalan’s hair and beard bristled with anger.

“Who the hell told you that?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“So, you found out that we’re embezzling, so what? Are you going to hang us right now?”

Legion asked, and the soldiers in the barracks surrounded Azadin at once.

It was clearly an act to threaten Azadin, but Azadin, who had already experienced everything, was not afraid of them.

Azadin just shrugged.

“No. I don’t want to kill you if possible. That’s why I’m curious.”

“What is it?”

“Why is everyone so sure that I’m going to die?”

For a moment, everyone had to think about what Azadin had just said.

What was Azadin asking at this moment?

“What do you mean?”

“If you didn’t want the embezzlement to be exposed, you should have poisoned my food or ambushed me while I was sleeping. But you didn’t do anything, as if I was someone who would disappear soon anyway. Why?”

“Ah, well, you were quite cautious, squad leader. You cook your own food and sleep in a place where no one knows.”

“I have to do that much. Otherwise, I’d look too stupid, wouldn’t I? You should have done something. I didn’t think you were that dumb?”

“……”

Azadin, after setting up his defenses, was instead scolding the soldiers for not trying to assassinate him by overcoming those defenses.

Those who were listening were dumbfounded.

“So, if you’re too scared to say anything, I’ll take care of you, so don’t be afraid and tell me. I’m saying this because it seems like you need my help.”

Azadin thought that the soldiers were scared and needed his help.

That attitude was so ridiculous that the soldiers burst into laughter.

“Hahahaha! What do you think we’re doing right now? This liquor? The drugs? Do you know how much this costs? We’re living much better than most beggar nobles!”

The soldiers couldn’t hold back and showed off the liquor bottles and drugs they had used. But Azadin just sighed as if he pitied them.

“You’re trying to escape reality by forgetting it with liquor and drugs. You fools. If you were sane, would you be happy just because something tastes good in this remote place?”

“What?!”

The soldiers were furious at Azadin, but… it was true.

There was no reason to be happy just because something tasted good when they were stuck in this remote place like Vermillion Fortress.

But.

‘That’s not something you, the squad leader, should be saying, is it?’

Azadin, who had the mission to keep them in this fortress, was saying such things!

Then, Azadin confidently said to the soldiers.

“You’re satisfied with enjoying the money you made by embezzling a little cinnabar? You’re such small-minded people. Follow me now. Then I’ll get you out of this place.”

“This bastard, I’ve been watching him!”

“Ka…ka ka ka!”

The dwarf berserker Kalan, who had been listening quietly, burst into laughter.

“This guy, is he treating us like children?! Do you want to die right now?!”

“Kalan.”

Legion tried to stop him, but Kalan picked up the battle axe leaning against the wall. He held a long two-handed battle axe, which was a poleaxe for dwarves and a long two-handed battle axe for humans, and glared at Azadin.

“I wasn’t going to dirty my hands because you’re going to die soon anyway because of the curse, but I can’t stand seeing you act so arrogant. Come out! I’ll teach you a lesson.”

“Curse?”

“Stop it, Kalan. You’re a berserker. Once you start fighting, you’ll see it through to the end.”

Legion stopped Kalan.

“I’ll do it.”

Legion said and stepped forward, and Azadin scoffed.

“Just come out, both of you.”

“…What?”

“I was going to teach all of you a lesson anyway. You’re funny. You’re just caught by the Relief Knights and struggling, but you thought you could kill me, the Emperor’s envoy, anytime? Come out now. I’ll show you why the Envoy Clan is called the Kingslayers.”

“……”

Legion and Kalan were taken aback by Azadin’s sudden challenge.

“This bastard!”

The soldiers in the barracks, unable to watch any longer, grabbed liquor bottles or stones from the floor and rushed at Azadin, but when Azadin lightly flicked his hand, the sound of slaps and blood splattered.

It looked like he had just lightly slapped them, but they were bleeding from their noses and the ones who were hit flew and crashed into the wall.

“Oh. Good! This guy knows something!”

Kalan shook his hair with his snort and liked it, but Azadin ignored Kalan and went outside the barracks.

-Swish!

It was pouring rain. Azadin stood in the middle of the rain.

“Weapons…”

“You can use them.”

When Azadin said that, Kalan put down his poleaxe.

“Good, you bastard! I’ve never seen such an arrogant guy like you in my life!”

“I told you to use weapons. You’d better listen to me?”

“That’s great! A man fights with his bare fists!”

Kalan slapped himself hard, roared, and started foaming at the mouth.