The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 262

The first thing Azadin did after seizing Fireglyph was to conduct an internal investigation.

This investigation aimed to find out if there were any Doppelgangers [shapeshifters] among the Fireguards, regular guards, and workers…

Before the investigation could even begin, the Doppelgangers, having been tipped off, had already gone into hiding.

Although they failed to directly expose the Doppelgangers, the fact that so many had infiltrated Fireglyph was revealed, shocking the entire settlement.

At the same time as the internal investigation, Azadin began the process of recovering the assets that Sir Hexenmeier had embezzled.

Sir Hexenmeier’s illegitimate children and the interest groups that had been clinging to him protested, but since it was conducted simultaneously with the Doppelganger investigation, no one could openly resist.

In just one week, Azadin had seized control of all of Fireglyph’s assets and manpower.

Using that authority, he began to reorganize the personnel.

He started by relocating those who had been living as lower-class citizens in Fireglyph without proper jobs to the Vermilion Fortress.

In addition, he repaired the roads and organized additional patrols to ensure that supply convoys could move more frequently.

He also adjusted the purchase prices of the supply convoys to be more realistic, transforming the cities under Fireglyph from being exploited to becoming competitive trading hubs.

The soldiers and residents of Vermilion Fortress were, of course, overjoyed.

“Unbelievable! I can’t believe it!”

“They’re actually sending people! I thought it was just empty talk!”

Azadin had promised the people of Vermilion Fortress that he would develop the fortress into a place where people could live, not just a penal colony, creating commerce and ensuring that the soldiers could live decent lives.

However, he had set a long grace period for this, and even Azadin himself did not expect such visible results so quickly.

‘I didn’t expect to take control of Fireglyph this quickly either. I was thinking it would take about half a year.’

But then, a troublemaker appeared before Azadin.

*********

Sir Braham was a Hospitaller-Paladin, a rare sight in the Chadra Highlands, and held a higher rank than the head of the investigation team, Sir Pavel.

He entered Fireglyph to assess the situation and formally requested a meeting with Sir Pavel.

The meeting room was chosen to be the former office of Sir Hexenmeier, now called the Fireglyph Chapter Master’s office. Sir Pavel appeared there with two trainee knights, Sir Izmilla and Sir Azadin.

“Greetings, Sir Pavel. It’s been a while.”

“Ah, Sir Braham. You look well.”

“It’s the fresh air and good food. Haha. And who are these handsome young people? Ah, these must be the famous… Sir Izmilla and Sir Azadin.”

“You flatter us, sir.”

Izmilla replied, while Azadin silently stared at the dwarf behind Sir Braham, the smuggling king Chashan.

“I believe the investigation is already over… Sir Pavel. I think the administration of Fireglyph should be handled by someone who knows the Chadra Highlands well, don’t you?”

“That’s why I am assisting Sir Pavel.”

When Azadin stepped forward to speak, Sir Braham clicked his tongue.

“Indeed. Sir Azadin of Vermilion Fortress. How long have you been in Chadra? Has it been a month or two?”

“Yes. It’s been two months and ten days.”

“You can’t possibly know this volatile region in such a short time. This is a land of legendary monsters, ferocious wild magic, and the hideous blood of ancient gods. Everyone here has their own way of surviving, and it’s not right for an outsider who doesn’t know the situation to make arbitrary decisions. So… I propose forming an advisory committee to manage Fireglyph collaboratively until a new Chapter Master is chosen.”

It was a seemingly reasonable argument.

However, it was nothing more than a demand for Azadin to give up what he had already seized in Fireglyph.

Moreover, the smuggling king Chashan was profiting from things that violated the Knight Order’s laws, such as growing and selling opium and coca.

It was obvious what would happen if such a person were given control of Fireglyph, the gateway between the Chadra Highlands and the Arangi Kingdom.

“Things are running smoothly now, so is there really a need to form a committee and exhaust the wisdom of the elders in each region? Besides, even if a committee is formed, it will be disbanded once a new Chapter Master is selected, won’t it?”

“Haha, a new Chapter Master won’t be chosen so easily. There will be infighting among the factions within the Knight Order over who should be promoted or who should be imprisoned. While that’s going on, Fireglyph will be subjected to all sorts of external pressures. My humble intention is to prevent that. Please don’t let my sincerity be in vain.”

Sir Braham repeatedly demanded the formation of a committee, believing that a Chapter Master would not be easily decided due to the factional disputes within the Knight Order.

‘Hmm. Well, I’ve already achieved my goal of replenishing the human resources in Vermilion Fortress, so I could just agree. But I don’t want to open the way for that drug smuggler. However, Sir Braham is quite the smooth talker. That dwarf, the smuggling king Chashan, probably planned this all out and is just executing it.’

Azadin pondered, watching Chashan manipulate the situation from behind Sir Braham.

But then, it happened.

Suddenly, screams were heard from outside the window.

“Aaaah!”

“Uwaaah!”

And with a flapping sound, something landed on the office terrace.

A beast with the upper body of an eagle and the lower body of a horse, a Hippogriff, had landed on the terrace.

And a man descended from the Hippogriff’s back.

“Hahaha! How could you start without me! I’m so upset!”

“S-Sir Selim.”

Not only Sir Pavel but even Sir Braham, who had been so eloquent just moments ago, looked troubled.

That was because the man who had descended from the Hippogriff had the head and legs of a bull.

Selim, the Hippogriff Rider, one of the Chadra Five, was surprisingly a Minotaur.

‘Wow, the Fireglyph building is sturdy. It’s holding up even though a Minotaur rode a Hippogriff to get here?’

Azadin, concerned about the building’s durability, looked at Sir Selim. He thumped his chest and walked over, then plopped down in a chair without being asked.

The wooden chair creaked pitifully, as if screaming. It was a chair that could easily hold three humans, and was sturdy enough for even the highest-ranking people, but it groaned under the weight of the Minotaur.

“A guest has arrived, shouldn’t there be some hospitality? Bring out the fodder tea.”

“Fodder tea?”

Azadin was surprised by the words, and Sir Selim looked at him.

He looked as if he was wondering why Azadin was surprised by the latest trend, something that everyone would love, like fodder tea.

“Ah, right… you must be that pretty boy, Izmilla, or whatever, the angel. And the woman next to him… Azadin of the Herald Clan?”

“I am Azadin, Sir Selim. Forgive me, but could you refrain from flying in the sky? The building can’t handle it.”

“Ha! Damn it. How can a soulless heretic like you join the Rescue Knight Order? The Knight Order must be in dire need of talent. I know they accept anyone as long as they have faith in the three virtues, but a Herald Clan member is a bit much, isn’t it? A paladin should have a noble lineage, universal virtues, and loyalty! How can they accept such a suspicious person?”

“……”

Azadin was momentarily speechless.

‘He’s a Minotaur, yet he’s talking about lineage… Is being a Herald Clan member worse than being a Minotaur? Is the latter a bigger disqualification for a paladin? Or is thinking like this a form of racism? Damn it. I thought I was living with an open mind. It’s hard to resist the urge to be racist against this Minotaur.’

Azadin seriously considered the point.

“Anyway, pretty boy! I’m against you controlling Fireglyph! I flew here to oppose you. You should be grateful!”

“It’s not me, but Sir Pavel, the head of the investigation team…”

“Hmph. Do you think my eyes are just holes? It’s obvious that you’ve seized power. What evil are you planning to do with that authority?”

“……”

Azadin was taken aback by Sir Selim’s distrustful and confrontational attitude, but…

‘Huh, I kind of like this guy.’

He strangely liked him.

Unlike that drug-smuggling dwarf, this guy was one of the few true paladins who had a loyal heart for the Knight Order.

However, that was why he was suspicious and distrustful of Azadin.

‘At this rate, the other Chadra Five will show up too.’

Indeed, the Hippogriff suddenly started acting up on the terrace.

Looking out the window, a hawk with a blue beak had flown in, and the Hippogriff was agitated by the sight of it.

The hawk evaded the Hippogriff’s attacks and suddenly emitted light, transforming into a large white-maned mare.

The Hippogriff became even more agitated at the sight of the mare and tried to turn away, but the mare kicked the Hippogriff hard with its hind legs.

“Hey! You!”

The Hippogriff screamed, and Sir Selim, the Hippogriff rider, was also furious.

The mare once again emitted light from its entire body and transformed into a female elf with tattoos on her body. With hollow eyes, a small stature for an elf, and a gaunt figure, she looked as if she hadn’t slept for several nights.

When she was a mare, she was a spotless, beautiful horse, but even after transforming, she was still beautiful, but the contrast between her haggard and annoyed appearance was striking.

She adjusted her loose clothes and walked over, also sitting at the table.

“Selim. Your horny Hippogriff put me in danger.”

“It’s your fault for flying in when I was already here! You should have come through the door, why did you have to hit my beauty! You evil elf!”

“If you die, it’s all part of the natural cycle.”

“What? If my beauty dies, you’ll die by my hand! That’s also part of the natural cycle!”

“I was going to heal it, but not with that attitude.”

“…No, you broke it, so you should heal it. My beauty was startled!”

At that moment, the smuggling king Chashan grumbled.

“Sir Selim is a knight, so that’s understandable, but Sedrin, you’re not a knight, are you? You shouldn’t have any reason to be here?”

“I was appointed by Hexenmeier as the forest keeper of the Black Soil Forest. If Hexenmeier was purged, of course, I have to come. And you shouldn’t leave it to Braham, you should step up yourself, shouldn’t you? Everyone knows the infamous names of the Chadra Five.”

‘I don’t.’

Azadin thought, but didn’t say it out loud.