The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 248

“It’s nice to meet you.”

Azadin also shook hands with Kalintz.

“Indeed. The sword on your back is Aurelia Dawn.”

“You know of it?”

“It’s one of the famed swords of the Hospitaller Order. The fact that you’ve recovered and are carrying it means you’ve laid Sir Planck to rest, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Huhu. If you don’t mind, would you consider joining me? I need talented individuals in many ways.”

“I am sorry, but I am currently just a Hospitaller-Errant in training, so I cannot serve anyone as I please.”

“Ah, that’s right. Haha. Then, take care. The Chapter Master has summoned the counselors and soldiers to his office; I hope it’s not for you.”

Prince Kalintz said this and patted Azadin’s shoulder. A huge hand, like a bear’s paw, brushed Azadin’s shoulder.

“Then, let’s meet again next time, Sir Azadin.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Next time.”

Prince Kalintz left, giving Azadin a meaningful farewell.

Centurion Zan and his Northern Aragasa [a term for Northern warriors] subordinates also left the office, following Prince Kalintz. And through the door they had left, a servant walked in.

“You’ve been waiting long. The Chapter Master calls for you. Your escorts will wait here, and you are to enter alone. Oh, and please disarm yourself….”

It was a blatant request.

“Ugh. This is strange, Sister.”

Even the dim-witted Kuntachi could sense the Chapter Master’s ill intent.

“Are you going to be okay? How about we just flip the table and run?”

Camilla said this, but Azadin just shrugged.

“Even unarmed, I don’t think it’ll be that dangerous.”

“What?”

“More importantly, my companions can hold onto my weapons, right? This isn’t just any ordinary sword.”

“Y-yes, that should be fine.”

The servants complied with Azadin’s request.

Azadin handed his longsword, Aurelia Dawn, and the Crescent Moon Bow to Kuntachi. Only after removing even his small utility dagger was he allowed to meet the Chapter Master.

*********

Chapter Master Hexenmeier was a 45-year-old Northerner.

Originally, he was one of the warlords who fought against the Northern hobgoblin tribes. His incredible martial prowess was highly regarded, and he became a member of the Hospitaller Order.

As a member of the Order of Courage, he had no doubt that he would one day become a Knight of Courage.

However, the higher-ups took issue with him breaking the celibacy vows and having many concubines. Eventually, he was pushed out of the competition to become a Knight of Courage and became the Chapter Master of Fireglyph.

While the position of Chapter Master was high, being the Chapter Master of the Chadra Plateau was akin to being exiled to live out his days fighting monsters.

Harboring resentment, he responded to the Northern Empire’s enticement, being of Northern origin himself, and leaked information about the pilgrimage.

And now, he had summoned Azadin, the very person who had prevented the pilgrimage from being annihilated, to his domain.

Having already prepared his soldiers, a scribe to write the statement, and a torturer to interrogate Azadin, he was momentarily impressed by the black-haired youth who entered his office.

The youth had a majestic and elegant presence, like an angel from heaven who had taken human form.

His handsome features, like an ancient statue, his mysterious purple eyes, and his smooth skin evoked admiration even from the rough Northern warrior.

“Impressive. Are you Azadin, the Emperor’s Envoy?”

“Yes. And now, I stand here as a Hospitaller-Errant.”

Azadin’s reply surprised the soldiers. Contrary to their expectations, an elegant and dignified response was given.

“How is the Vermilion Fortress?”

“The squad leaders I served under have been continuously dying. I only learned about it after arriving at the scene.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t tell you.”

The word ‘sorry’ slipped out of Hexenmeier’s mouth.

He had been preparing to arrest and imprison the other party, but he was saying sorry. Hexenmeier himself didn’t know why he was saying such things.

He was being swayed by Azadin’s dignity, or perhaps his unique aura.

“It’s alright. I fully understand that you are busy.”

“So, what happened at the Vermilion Fortress? Are you safe? What caused the deaths of the previous squad leaders? Has the murderer been neutralized?”

Hexenmeier asked, pretending not to know that the incident was the work of the Shade Hags.

However, from the point where he asked if the murderer had been neutralized, Azadin realized that he was talking nonsense while knowing the truth.

Azadin couldn’t have possibly defeated the Shade Hags, so instead of asking if he had caught the murderer, he asked if they had been neutralized.

“The culprits were the Shade Hags. A woman, tormented by the transgressions of her predecessors, became a witch and summoned the Shade Hags. They fulfilled her wishes through her contract.”

“Then how did you survive? The witch’s curse should still be in effect.”

“Shamefully, the Shade Hags said that my soul belonged to the Emperor and did not consider me a target of the curse. However, sadly, the scribe and squire, McDougall, perished.”

Azadin uttered the lie he had prepared.

‘Hmm. So, the Shade Hags’ curse only applies to the Hospitaller Order? This guy isn’t one of us, but the Emperor’s Envoy, so he’s outside the curse’s reach. If the curse had been lifted, I would have seized the Vermilion Fortress and made it my source of income. As it stands, is this guy the only one who can manage the fortress?’

If Azadin were purged, the Vermilion Fortress would once again become an unmanageable no-man’s-land. For the Order, which needed the rare resource of cinnabar, they couldn’t afford to purge Azadin.

This was what Azadin was aiming for.

Only Azadin could manage the Vermilion Fortress. If they wanted a stable supply of cinnabar, there was no alternative to Azadin. He wanted to create that impression.

However, Hexenmeier had not summoned Azadin merely as a member of the Order.

“Sir Azadin, according to a reliable informant, you possess a copy of the Divine King’s Scripture….”

“A copy of the Divine King’s Scripture? I did have it at one point. But to drive out the Nether’s envoys threatening Butuma, I returned it to Butuma’s damaged quartz throne. It’s already written in the statement I gave in Coxhall.”

“Hmm. I have seen the statement.”

Before meeting Azadin in person, Hexenmeier had intended to imprison Azadin in his dungeon.

However, after actually meeting him, Azadin’s dignity was no joke, and without him, cinnabar production would be disrupted.

“Don’t misunderstand. I called you in to inquire about the situation at the Vermilion Fortress. You may leave now. I will provide what you need for the Vermilion Fortress, so please prepare a requisition form. I will also send a new scribe.”

In the end, Chapter Master Hexenmeier acknowledged that Azadin would continue to manage the Vermilion Fortress.

*********

“That was close.”

Azadin, having finished his meeting with the Chapter Master, breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed they had intended to imprison him, but Azadin’s excuses, the importance of cinnabar mining, and his favorable impression had combined to derail the Chapter Master’s original plan.

Moreover, he didn’t seem to know that McDougall was an assassin from the Order of Mercy. Even when he talked about his death, he only regarded it as the death of an unknown scribe.

Chapter Master Hexenmeier was a member of the Order of Courage, so he likely had no connection to the Order of Mercy.

“See? I told you so, right? You should show your face.”

Camilla, who had been waiting in the reception room, boasted to Azadin.

“Well, showing my face was certainly effective. But wouldn’t it also be because I emphasized that I’m the only one who can operate the cinnabar mine? Why are you being so boastful?”

“Even so, if you had been wearing that strange mask, they would have thrown you in jail. It was obvious they called you here with the intention of messing with you. You have to admit it.”

“Alright. I am very grateful for your advice, Camilla. It’s thanks to you. Otherwise, I would have been in big trouble.”

“Right? Then, let’s go buy something.”

As soon as Camilla spoke, the blood mage Bernard stepped forward as if he had been waiting for it.

“While we’re here, I’d like to purchase some alchemy equipment.”

“Alchemy?”

“Yes. I do a bit of alchemy.”

“I see. You came here specifically to research blood magic, right?”

“Yes. Well, it’s not just for research. I’ll also generate income through alchemy. Doing alchemy directly at the cinnabar mine would be very profitable, wouldn’t it? My skills aren’t lacking either.”

“Hmm. Alright. Let’s buy it.”

Since they were in Fireglyph, Azadin decided to stop by the market and buy alchemy equipment and other supplies.

Azadin’s group asked the market merchants where they could find alchemy equipment.

“If it’s that, the Van Dyke Trading Company should be dealing with it.”

When people recommended the Van Dyke Trading Company, Azadin’s expression hardened.

“Does that company have a branch here too?”

“Of course. It’s a bit expensive, but they have rare items, so it’s the most successful trading company. The largest building in the square is the Van Dyke Trading Company’s.”

“Ah, that’s it.”

Azadin found the store in the middle of the square and hesitated for a moment.

The Van Dyke Trading Company, like the Corasar Peddlers’ Guild, was a subordinate organization of the Envoy Clan. A tool for gathering information, making money, and gaining secular power. It was a business of the Five Great Clans.

The Emperor’s voice had disappeared, and now Azadin was the only remaining Emperor’s Envoy, but that didn’t mean the Envoy Clan, the Aragasa of the Harkonian lineage, had perished.

Their secular power still remained.

‘Wouldn’t I be attacked if I went there? I’m curious about how things are, but if I go now, they won’t look at me favorably.’

To the clans, Azadin would be their mortal enemy, the one who had thwarted their wishes.

What had become of the other clans after the leader Hatir’s downfall? He was curious, but Azadin decided not to invite trouble by meeting them.

“Bernard, you go and choose the alchemy equipment yourself.”

“Is that alright? What about the cost or bargaining?”

“Try to resolve it within this budget.”

Azadin handed over a pouch filled with silver and gold coins.

“After you’ve looked at the items, let’s meet over there.”

Azadin pointed to the Fireglyph Victory Monument. A victory monument had been erected at the entrance of the square to commemorate the victories of the heroes who had fought here in the past and to console their souls.

“Understood.”

Azadin separated from his group and examined the Fireglyph Victory Monument.

It was a victory monument commemorating the ‘Fireglyph War,’ where the three archangels had stopped the Nether’s armies in Fireglyph.

Eight hundred years had passed since then, and the inscription on the monument had been eroded by rainwater and worn by human hands, making it difficult to see. But Azadin was imagining the era when all of humanity had united to fight against the great, monstrous evil gods.

And then, it happened.