The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 249

“Kyaaak!”

“Help! Someone, help!”

A commotion erupted in the middle of the market.

“Oh dear. What’s going on?”

Azadin looked around, trying to figure out where the commotion was coming from.

He needed something to grab onto… Then, Azadin’s eyes caught sight of the Fireglyph Victory Monument.

‘That’s a cultural heritage, so no. The parts that people touch are already eroding.’

Azadin quickly dismissed the audacious thought that had briefly crossed his mind and urgently used Araiel’s voice.

Araiel’s voice appeared in the sky, using a hawk’s vision to survey the ground for Azadin.

*********

The attack on the Hospitaller-Errant’s pilgrimage group naturally caused a great shock throughout the entire Hospitaller-Errant Order.

In response, the core knightly order of the Hospitaller-Errant, the Knights of Wisdom, immediately convened an emergency countermeasures meeting. The practical leaders of each knightly order gathered to discuss countermeasures.

“Since Lady Izmilla is being targeted, she must be protected within the Order’s confines.”

The Knights of Wisdom spoke with that intention, but the other knightly orders had different ideas.

The Knights of Courage actually opposed it.

“Did we go through all that trouble just to hide the Celestial away? Now, we must reveal its glory to the people and prove to the world that the Hospitaller-Errant is once again the beacon of teaching and salvation for this land! Not that corrupt Yaegas Order, but we are the apostles of truth!”

“The Celestial’s power has not yet been fully understood.”

“Practical experience is the best teacher.”

“A teacher who kills their students during training is not considered good.”

“It seems our methods of interpretation differ.”

“That’s why you are the Knights of Courage, and we are the Knights of Wisdom. In such cases, set aside your courage and heed the words of wisdom.”

“Hmph. Because we always yield to you, you become arrogant and indulge your own selfish desires, don’t you? The knightly order that creates the most corrupted… what’s so great about that…”

As the atmosphere between the Knights of Courage and the Knights of Wisdom became tense, the Knights of Mercy stepped in to redirect their attention.

“First of all, the tarnished reputation of the Hospitaller-Errant can be smoothed over by releasing Nisraf to tour and distributing more relief supplies. More important than that is who the traitor is. We didn’t even know who the Celestial was in the first place, did we? Even I only learned that Lady Izmilla is the Celestial because of this incident.”

The Knights of Mercy subtly criticized the Knights of Wisdom for monopolizing all information and maintaining an air of mystery.

“Indeed. Proper information sharing is necessary to find out who the traitors are. Also, I would like the Knights of Courage to take custody of Lady Izmilla. So that we can protect her.”

“No, that won’t be necessary. We are currently conducting our own investigation into the traitors. We will share information as soon as their outlines become clear. And we will have Lady Izmilla participate in that investigation.”

“Why is that?”

“The fact that she is the Celestial has already been exposed to the enemy. Therefore, she can be very good bait. Of course, this is a dangerous thing, but… it will be fine in Fireglyph.”

“Fireglyph?”

“Isn’t that the entrance to the Chadra Plateau? You’re sending the Celestial there?”

The other knightly order leaders were taken aback, but the Knight of Wisdom raised a finger adorned with a golden nail and brought it to their lips.

“The enemies will probably not be able to resist and will reveal their capabilities. But Fireglyph is deep within the body of the knightly order, and they will never be able to easily harm the Celestial.”

The Chapter Master of the Knights of Wisdom asserted that.

*********

Izmilla and the investigation team from the Knights of Wisdom headed to the Fireglyph Archives to track down the alchemist Giacomo, a former member of the knightly order who had committed murder and disappeared.

However, after confirming that the records of the alchemist Giacomo had disappeared, they left the archives. While they were resting at an inn, they were suddenly surrounded by armed Fireglyph soldiers.

“Excuse me, Lady Izmilla. A murder has occurred within the fortress.”

“An order has been issued to check the identities of all those entering and exiting, inspect their belongings, and confirm their armaments in order to investigate the murder.”

“What? A murder? Who died?”

“It’s a legal professional named Palos.”

“The murder weapon? The location of the murder?”

“It’s a dagger. A dagger with a curved blade. The same as the one Lady Izmilla is wearing.”

The soldiers said this and pointed to the dagger on Izmilla’s waist.

“Please disarm and come with us. We will escort you to the investigation room in the castle.”

“Wait a moment.”

However, the investigators refused the soldiers’ proposal.

“Lady Izmilla is special. She is being targeted by the forces of evil, so we who protect her cannot disarm.”

“A murder has occurred within the castle, and you are refusing to cooperate with the investigation? Then we have no choice but to suspect you are the culprits.”

“We will cooperate with the investigation. However, we cannot be confined to an investigation room or a dungeon. We will stay on the second floor of this inn, so station soldiers to watch us and proceed with the investigation.”

“Understood. You’re making things difficult when they could be easy.”

The soldier said this and threw something at Izmilla’s feet. It was a blood-stained dagger.

“Huh?!”

“Ugh! It’s the murderer!”

“Everyone, stand back! In the name of Fireglyph and the Hospitaller-Errant, we are executing justice!”

The soldiers said this and attacked the investigation team with their weapons.

“Kuh-ack!?”

“Y-you bastards!”

The investigators were also knights, so they were not ignorant of swordsmanship. However, inside the bustling Fireglyph inn, a halberd thrusting in was more threatening than a longsword being swung. Moreover, these soldiers’ skills were not ordinary.

A knight in armor blocked a halberd thrusting at him with his longsword, but his body was sent flying, nearly breaking through the door and falling into the alley outside.

“You people!”

Izmilla also realized the situation and drew her sword.

“Let’s get to a wide-open space first! Let’s escape!”

Izmilla and the investigating knights escaped through the back door of the inn and began to run. Then, the soldiers blew their whistles and chased after them.

“Traitors! By order of Lord Hexenmeier! Drop your weapons and surrender!”

“Anyone who captures those traitors will be rewarded!”

Then, the ordinary residents who were out in the market did not dare to stand in the way of the armored knights with swords, but they openly blocked the path by tripping them or deliberately throwing out trash.

“This won’t do! I’ll use it!”

“Ah, no! Lady Izmilla! Not here…”

The investigating knight tried to stop her, but even as he did, a halberd flew from behind, threatening the knights, and a knight who was running ahead tripped over a small chair that someone had slyly placed on the side of the road and fell.

“They are the traitors!”

Izmilla’s body began to glow.

-‘Light of Truth!’

It was a powerful magic that broke illusions and revealed the true nature of shapeshifting creatures.

As the light spread in all directions, the false appearances of the soldiers who had been fiercely attacking the investigation team were stripped away.

Monsters with shiny, mercury-like skin were swaggering around, holding the soldiers’ armor, helmets, and halberds.

“Heeik?!”

“M-monsters!”

“R-run away!”

Only then did the people realize that these soldiers were monsters and tried to flee. However, because it was daytime in the market with so many people, it was not easy to escape.

“Doppelgangers!?”

The soldiers’ true identities were doppelgangers, monsters. They were evil shapeshifters who infiltrated human society by stealing the appearances of specific humans.

These evil creatures, who lived to steal the essence of beings with form, cunningly shouted lies and tried to frame the true holy knights as traitors.

However, even though they had managed to break their disguises with the Light of Truth, the situation was not good at all. Because of the people’s confusion, Izmilla and the investigation team had no way to escape.

In her panic, Izmilla spread her wings.

In fact, she had broken her own disguise with the Light of Truth she had cast.

Angelic wings emitting a soft light were spread on her back.

“Hehehe. Celestial!”

“Is that the Hospitaller-Errant’s secret weapon?”

“Let’s see how great its taste of blood is!”

The doppelgangers moved from side to side, slowly approaching the investigation team. Each time they moved, their appearances changed, becoming men, women, the elderly, children, and so on, confusing those who watched.

“You evil things!”

Izmilla shouted in anger, and at that moment, a black shadow stretched out from under her feet and touched her body.

Instantly, she reflexively emitted light from her wings. A spear of light pierced through the shadow and erased it, but…

Other shadows grabbed the ankles of the investigating knights.

At that moment, black shadow tentacles suddenly sprang from the ground and bound the knights.

“Kuh-ack?!”

“Oh no!”

The surprised knights struggled, but it was no use.

The doppelgangers, having revealed their true identities, began to use evil magic without hesitation.

“Ah!”

A doppelganger lunged at Izmilla, thrusting a halberd at her, as she was flustered by the sight of her comrades being attacked.

However, at that moment, Izmilla swung her ceramite longsword.

The sword burst into flames, and a bold trail of fire broke the halberd of the charging doppelganger and cut off its arm.

“Kuaaaak!”

The doppelganger screamed as its mercury-like arm was severed.

As golden flames spread to the doppelganger’s body, the doppelganger writhed in pain, as if feeling the agony of being burned alive. Suddenly, the doppelganger transformed into the appearance of a young child.

“Waaah… Sister. Why are you doing this?”

It was such an obvious trick.

However, Izmilla, perhaps due to her lack of experience, was swayed by the trick. For a moment, she suspected that the opponent was not a doppelganger but a hostage held by the doppelgangers.

It was a very brief opening, but that was enough.

The doppelgangers began to move.

Two long shadows stretched out, aiming for Izmilla’s ankles.

Izmilla already knew this magic, so she tried to create distance from the shadows by dragging her ceramite longsword across the ground, but…

-Shadow tentacles, scatter!

The caster doppelganger adjusted the spell.

The shadows that had been rushing in a straight line suddenly veered to the sides, avoiding her sword strike, and attached themselves to walls, pillars, and shop awnings, from which they emitted tentacles.

The tentacles that rushed in from both sides wrapped around Izmilla’s body.

It was a terrifying force. No matter how well-trained a knight was, they would be helpless if they were wrapped in these huge, muscular tentacles.

However… Izmilla was not an ordinary knight.