The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 259

“Ugh!” Sir Hexenmeier struggled against the black steel chains that bound him. Azadin had secretly swapped the hair sample with a piece of a doppelganger’s corpse he had on hand. It was a childish trick, but those captivated by Izmilla’s angelic appearance were already convinced that Hexenmeier was a doppelganger. “Ugh!? You crazy bastards!” Sir Timothy, witnessing this, realized Azadin’s ploy. He was so wronged and furious that he could barely speak. Since becoming the captain of the Fireguard, he had reigned like a king of Fireglyph, second only to Sir Hexenmeier. How often would he face such unjust and infuriating treatment? Enraged by this unfairness, which he hadn’t experienced in over a decade, Sir Timothy drew his sword. “Don’t frame him! You switched it….” However, drawing a sword against Azadin in front of people already captivated by Izmilla’s angelic appearance was not a wise choice. “Hah!” Azadin swiftly closed the distance and stood before Sir Timothy. Then, Azadin’s ceramide longsword, Aurelia Dawn, burst into flames. The golden flames danced under the moonlight, sending Sir Timothy’s sword flying into the air. “Ah!” The strike was so beautiful and majestic that everyone was speechless. Could a mere human, even a seasoned knight like Sir Timothy, the captain of the Fireguard, be so cleanly defeated in a single blow? This black-haired man with inhuman beauty seemed like a hero straight out of an old tale. In the atmosphere already swayed by Izmilla’s angelic appearance, resisting Azadin’s group was now impossible. The soldiers lowered their weapons and extended their hands forward. “We, we are not doppelgangers!” “Please investigate us. We will cooperate.” “You fools!” Sir Timothy was furious, but Azadin lightly pressed on his carotid artery. “It seems you are causing a disturbance. I will take you into custody for now.” “Y-you….” The blood flow to his brain cut off, Sir Timothy collapsed forward. “…….” Azadin, however, sent a signal via lip-reading to the high-ranking doppelganger disguised as Hexenmeier’s servant. The high-ranking doppelganger hesitated whether to resist or trust Azadin’s signal and remain silent, but he recalled Azadin’s reputation within the Messenger Clan. ‘He was known as a fool in the past, but now he is the one who defeated Chief Hatir. And judging by his current skills, he is an enemy I can never defeat. There probably isn’t anyone this strong among the Aragasa [a group of doppelgangers].’ In the end, the high-ranking doppelganger decided to trust Azadin’s signal and wait. Then, Azadin stopped the doppelganger detection and announced to the people. “Everyone! The current Chapter Master of Fireglyph, Sir Hexenmeier, has gone missing, and a doppelganger is impersonating him. The rule of Fireglyph will be temporarily delegated to the Wisdom Knights’ investigation team! Lady Izmilla and Sir Pavel will fairly govern Fireglyph until the investigation is complete!” When Azadin put Izmilla at the forefront, the people cheered. With Izmilla, who appeared as the incarnation of an angel to the believers of the angelic faith, being put in charge, everyone was naturally pleased. ********* “…….” “Wow.” “Is this even okay?” The investigators and Fireguards who had participated in Azadin’s actions couldn’t believe what had just happened. Azadin, a mere squad leader from the Vermilion Fortress and a member of the Messenger Clan, had seized control of Fireglyph and usurped the authority of the Chapter Master in just one day. That such a smooth usurpation and insubordination could occur in just one day was unbelievable. What if Sir Hexenmeier wasn’t the culprit? Could they handle the aftermath? But it was already a fait accompli [an accomplished fact]. Now that things had come to this, they had no choice but to follow Azadin’s lead. Azadin checked whether Sir Hexenmeier’s subordinates were doppelgangers or not, spoke with them, and then gestured to the investigation team members, including Lady Izmilla, and the Fireguards. “What are you doing? Let’s go quickly. If they find out what happened to Sir Hexenmeier, his remaining followers might destroy the evidence and flee. We need to secure Sir Hexenmeier’s office and private residence as soon as possible.” Azadin’s words snapped everyone back to their senses. Although the Wisdom Order’s investigators were the ones who usually did such things, they felt like complete novices in front of Azadin. ‘He’s a terrifying one.’ ‘As expected of the Messenger Clan.’ ‘It’s a relief he’s not our enemy.’ Everyone was both fearful of Azadin and felt reassured by his competence and handsome appearance. ********* Sir Hexenmeier’s private residence was filled with all sorts of luxuries, comparable to a noble’s mansion. In the annex of the residence, there were alchemical facilities purchased from the Van Dyke Trading Company, and there, the investigation team found the alchemist Giacomo, whom they had been looking for. The man with half-shaved and half-grown hair, hollow eyes, and a gloomy expression greeted the investigators without any intention of fleeing. “Guests have arrived. Judging by your appearance, you don’t seem to be Hexenmeier’s soldiers….” “Are you the alchemist Giacomo?” Azadin asked him. He already knew, as the man perfectly matched the wanted poster and he had received a statement from the high-ranking doppelganger, but he asked to confirm. “That’s right. But….” He looked at Bernard, who had entered behind the investigators. “Bernard. You were here too.” “You know each other?” Azadin asked Bernard. “We are alumni. We studied at the same Banreung Academy.” “That’s surprising. Why didn’t you say anything when we were looking for Giacomo?” “Because there wasn’t much I could do to help. I couldn’t provide any information, and it would only cause trouble if I revealed that I knew a wanted criminal.” “So you pretended not to know because you had nothing to say? Still, I wish you had told me next time.” “I would have told you if it was just you, Captain, without the investigators. Cough….” Bernard replied nonchalantly and then coughed. “Anyway, it’s a relief.” “Sir Hexenmeier really was a traitor!” The investigators breathed a sigh of relief at the discovery of the alchemist Giacomo. They had committed the audacious act of framing Sir Hexenmeier as a doppelganger and arresting him. Of course, it was Azadin who had actually done it, but they had participated in Azadin’s outrage, so they couldn’t claim ignorance. But what if Sir Hexenmeier was innocent? The consequences were unimaginable. However, with Giacomo found here, it was now certain that Sir Hexenmeier was a traitor to the Order. “Alchemist Giacomo. You are currently accused of murdering the geological survey team. Do you admit to the charges?” “Hmm… Murdering the geological survey team and running away? Yes, I killed them.” “Why?” “The reason. Half of it was forced, and half was my own will.” “Who forced you?” “I can’t say. There’s a geas [a magical compulsion] on me.” Giacomo said, sticking out his tongue. There was a black brand on his tongue, as if it had been burned with fire. Just looking at it made one shudder, imagining how painful it must have been when the brand was made. “Ugh.” Izmilla shuddered at the sight. “Are you squeamish, Lady Izmilla?” Azadin watched the scene with amusement. “Yes. Actually, I faint even at the sight of blood. I know I’m inadequate as a knight, but I can’t seem to fix it.” “More importantly, you admit to killing the survey team. Surrender peacefully!” Sir Pavel tried to arrest Giacomo without thinking. Azadin stopped Sir Pavel. “Wait a moment. That brand is in Nether script. It’s dangerous to touch it carelessly.” “Then what should we do?” “Let’s hear his story first.” Azadin said and asked Giacomo. “Giacomo. Do you have any requests for me?” “Request?” “It must be difficult for you to speak about those who branded you and placed the geas on you, right? But they probably didn’t geas you from expressing your wishes. If you have any, tell me. I will do my best.” “Hmph. The Order’s promise. I’m sick of it.” Giacomo didn’t seem to feel anything at Azadin’s words. But then Bernard stepped forward. “This one is a bit different from other knights.” “They all say that. Well, with you, Bernard, he is different, but how is he different?” “This person is a trainee knight of the Rescue Knights….” “Tch. Just a trainee knight? I thought he was a Celestial by the way he looked.” “He’s not a Celestial. Probably. Right?” Bernard asked Azadin, just in case. “No.” Azadin shook his head. “So, what’s different?” “This person is also an envoy of the Emperor.” “…Oh, a member of the Messenger Clan?” “And the sword he uses is the ceramide Aurelia Dawn. The Rescue Knights recovered it from Sir Planck, the Death Knight, whom they had long given up on. He drove back the Shade Hags at the Vermilion Fortress.” “…Huh?” The investigators who were listening were also surprised by Azadin’s achievements. Solving the problem of the Death Knight Sir Planck and driving back the legendary monsters, the Shade Hags? “If someone else said that, I would think it was a boast, but you, Bernard, are not the type to make reckless statements, right?” What Bernard was saying was all unbelievable, but the Bernard that Giacomo knew was not someone who would make careless remarks. “So, the Rescue Knights accepted the Messenger Clan?” “Rather, this person chose the Rescue Knights. So, if you have any circumstances, tell us.” “I understand.” Giacomo searched his pocket and took out a vial of blood. Inside the well-made crystal vial was a blood-red liquid. “Please deliver this medicine to my daughter.” “Daughter?” “Yes. My daughter has Elemental Wailing [a magical disease].” “…….” Elemental Wailing was an incurable disease caused by a magical disaster where the human body’s mana went out of control, turning it into a magic stone. What made the treatment of this disease even more difficult was that as the patient turned into a magic stone, their body would gradually break down, and the magic stones that came out were top-grade alchemical materials. Most researchers studying Elemental Wailing were researching how to spread the disease to others as they wished, not how to cure it. “Can this cure it? Elemental Wailing?” “I don’t know. But that’s the best I can do. After all… both my daughter and I will die like this.” “Where is your daughter?” “Banreung Academy. If she’s still alive….” Giacomo, having lost the will to resist, handed over the vial and was about to surrender. However, Sir Pavel, who had been silent until now, stepped in to stop him.