The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 270

Seramite 1

“So, is Sedrin next?”

Having subdued two of the Chadra Overlords, Azadin considered the Wild Druid Sedrin as his next target.

But then, a small kestrel flew and landed in front of them.

“There’s no need for that.”

The kestrel instantly transformed into an elven woman.

The elven woman, with loose clothing, a tall height, and a slender figure, clapped her hands with an expressionless face.

“That was an interesting show, Lord Azadin.”

“You were already here. That’s unexpected.”

Azadin was surprised that Arae’s voice hadn’t detected Sedrin.

Sedrin, aware of this fact, replied,

“Artificial spirits like the Emperor’s Voice are designed to conserve energy. Unless I exude killing intent, even if an artificial spirit is monitoring, it won’t easily detect me.”

“You knew?”

“You said it yourself, didn’t you? That you’re the Emperor’s messenger. If you’re the Emperor’s messenger, then of course the Emperor’s Voice would be with you.”

It seemed she didn’t know that it was Arae’s voice, not the Emperor’s, that was with Azadin.

‘Arae’s voice, unlike the Emperor’s, is influenced by Nether magic. Does she not know the difference? Ah, well, she probably hasn’t heard the Emperor’s voice before. Even if there’s an influence of Nether magic, she’d probably just assume that’s how the Emperor’s voice is.’

Azadin thought so and asked,

“Well, it’s good that I don’t have to go looking for you. Sedrin, is there any way to control and manage the griffins so they don’t harm people?”

“Why not just kill them?”

At Sedrin’s words, Selim was startled.

“K-kill them?”

“Hmph. A fool who was so eager to kill people when the bishop ordered it is now valuing the lives of griffins.”

“But, should a druid even suggest killing animals?”

“I’m a Wild Druid. If the balance is disrupted, it’s right to restore it, even if it means killing or destroying. In the first place, a beast like a griffin shouldn’t be multiplying like this. Due to the griffins’ habit of collecting shiny objects in their nests, the hatching rate of their eggs should be low. But some idiot took the eggs home and hatched them with warm towels, disrupting the balance, didn’t they?”

Sedrin blamed Selim. Selim, already criticized by the villagers, was speechless and couldn’t gather his thoughts.

Azadin stopped the argument between Sedrin and Selim.

“I understand the Wild Druid’s policy. But it seems too disrespectful to life to kill them now just because Selim recklessly multiplied them. Isn’t there a way to restore the balance while saving as many as possible?”

“Hmm?”

Sedrin walked back and forth in front of Azadin, scrutinizing him from all angles.

“You’re quite handsome, and you speak even more beautifully. I like you. When I saw you before, I thought you were a bit arrogant, but was that because Chashan provoked you first?”

“That’s a relief.”

“So, what exactly do you want to do? You don’t just want to keep the griffins alive, do you? You must want to use them for something, so you’re consulting me.”

“That’s right. Actually, I want to create a bridge using flying beasts.”

“A bridge?”

“I want to open up paths from the Chadra Highlands to the Banreung and Arangi kingdoms. If we install bridges or ropes on the cliffs, we could shorten the routes a lot. And if we use flying beasts for that construction work, it would be easier.”

Azadin had been planning to create a normal trading group since he saw Chashan, Selim, and Sedrin.

The overwhelming surplus production from the fertile land of the Chadra Highlands is currently monopolized by the Knights Order.

“Using griffins for aerial transport is impossible. It’s inefficient.”

“Yes. But wouldn’t they be useful for building bridges and such? Just carrying construction materials would be very helpful.”

Sedrin nodded, saying, “Ah.”

“I see. You’re right. If griffins are accepted by humans as useful livestock, they would be considered part of the balance under the Wild Druid’s law.”

“We can solve this without killing them, right?”

“Yes. But I have a request for you too.”

“A request?”

“Yes. Eliminate the undead knight, Sir Sork. Then I will dedicate myself to you, just like Selim did.”

Selim’s oath of loyalty, where he handed over his weapon, was a very high-level oath of loyalty, usually done between a king and his vassals.

Sedrin was setting the elimination of Sir Sork as a condition for her loyalty.

“That’s absurd…”

Selim shook his head at Azadin upon hearing that.

“Refuse it, Lord Azadin. Even you cannot defeat Sir Sork.”

“Hmm? Wait a minute?”

Azadin was puzzled by Selim’s immediate surrender upon hearing Sir Sork’s name.

Come to think of it, the other Chadra Overlords, Chashan and his brothers, were the same.

They all gave way to Sir Sork. No, it was more like they were afraid of Sir Sork.

“Why Sir Sork?”

“Before that, I need to show you how useful I am.”

As the druid Sedrin gestured, the griffins, who had been loitering nearby, worried about Selim, approached her as if hypnotized.

Sedrin stroked the griffin’s head with the back of her hand. These beasts, capable of tearing a person to shreds with a single swipe of their forelegs, began to follow her like a flock of docile sheep.

“Huh? Guys.”

Selim felt a slight sense of betrayal as he watched the griffins he had raised by hand follow Sedrin so easily.

But then, he saw the tattoos on Sedrin’s body glowing.

She was using magic.

“I’ll engrave it into their subconscious so they don’t attack cows and horses. Then we can easily create hippogriffs.”

“No, if you could do that, you should have done it sooner? You watched me struggle…”

Selim resented Sedrin, thinking about how hard he had worked to create hippogriffs.

He thought they were on good terms, but it meant that Sedrin knew the solution while Selim was struggling and just watched?

“The hippogriffs created that way are being supplied to the Northern Empire’s army, which is not a good thing.”

“The Northern Empire’s army?”

“The hippogriffs that Selim raised are going to the princes of the Northern Empire. Bishop Sehnath is a puppet of the Northern Empire.”

Sedrin gestured to Azadin.

“I’m doing this because you promised to oppose the Northern Empire and eliminate the undead knight Sork.”

“…I didn’t promise. Who is Sir Sork that everyone is so serious about him?”

“Sir Sork is the leader of the Pimbul Horde.”

Sir Selim said that.

“The Pimbul Horde? The winter raiders?”

Azadin was startled by those words.

*********

Sir Sork was originally an orc mage.

Invited by the Rescue Knights Order and the Wisdom Order, he conducted various magical studies with the Rescue Knights Order, making remarkable contributions such as synthesizing Seramite [a magical material] and creating cures for various plagues.

However, as he was an orc, his muscles continued to grow, and he eventually suffered from angina, which would lead to his death.

To transcend death, Sir Sork turned to necromancy and separated his own life from his body, becoming a lich [an undead being powered by magic].

The Rescue Knights Order excommunicated Sir Sork, but they could not expel him from the order because he knew the method of making Seramite.

So, the Knights Order launched an attack to destroy Sir Sork, but they were no match for Sir Sork, who was no longer suffering from angina as a lich.

After a terrible battle, the Rescue Knights Order was recorded as the victor.

However, the aftermath showed that the Knights Order had actually lost and made peace.

Sir Sork was exiled to the Chadra Highlands on the condition that he would not leak the method of making Seramite to the outside world, and he lived in the Biar Swamp. The Knights Order feared Sir Sork and did not even go near the Biar Swamp.

But from time to time, Sir Sork left the Chadra Highlands with his undead army to attack Asander, Banreung, and Arangi to get what he needed…

People feared Sir Sork and called his undead army the Pimbul Horde.

*********

“I’ve heard of the Pimbul Horde. I can’t believe it. I didn’t know because they were called Chadra Overlords, but was the Pimbul Horde Sir Sork?”

The nightmare monsters from old tales, that was the Pimbul Horde.

And their leader was Sir Sork?

Sedrin frowned as Selim warned Azadin about Sir Sork.

“Damn it, Selim! Even though you know that your beloved griffins are in my grasp!”

“Even if you kill all the griffins, I have to say what I have to say. Lord Azadin, even you can’t handle Sir Sork.”

It seemed that Sedrin wanted Azadin to defeat Sir Sork at all costs.

Azadin, curious, asked,

“But why do you hate Sir Sork so much?”

“His vassals include wights [undead creatures], and those wights were made from the corpses of my kin. He not only steals the corpses of our kin and uses them, but he also controls their souls. It’s evil necromancy.”

“……”

As someone who extracts jinsas [life essence] using necromancy, Azadin felt a pang of guilt.

Of course, the necromancy Azadin uses is a low-level form that doesn’t touch the souls of the dead, so it doesn’t desecrate the souls of the deceased, but would a druid like Sedrin see the difference?

‘I need to be careful not to get caught by her.’

As Azadin hesitated, feeling guilty, Sedrin assumed that he was also afraid of Sir Sork and was hesitating, and she lamented.

“Ah, there’s no one of worth in the Rescue Knights Order. Lord Azadin, I’ve already calmed the griffins to help you. If you just declare that you will destroy Sir Sork, I will build bridges as you wish with these griffins and eliminate the bandits on the roads. I will even offer my loyalty.”

Seeing Sedrin so anxious, it seemed that other people were quick to run away at the mere mention of Sir Sork’s name.

“Don’t listen to her. Lord Azadin. Sedrin is a wild elf who eats human flesh.”

“You’re the one who’s a minotaur who eats humans!”

“Okay, okay. Calm down, both of you.”

Azadin stopped Selim and Sedrin from fighting each other.

“I don’t know much, but I’ll investigate first.”

“Investigate?”

“Yes. If Sir Sork is really using your family with necromancy, I will free them. Whether to defeat him or not is another matter.”

“…Okay. That’s more than enough. I understand, Azadin.”

Sedrin was satisfied just by Azadin’s words that he would try to free her family from Sir Sork.

That meant that everyone was afraid of the leader of the Pimbul Horde, Sir Sork.