The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 275

However, Azadin had no intention of killing Sork through trickery.

‘How ridiculous, only the minotaur Selim and the orc-turned-undead Sir Sork are proper Hospitallers [members of the Relief Knights].’

Among the knights Azadin had seen since joining the Relief Knights, only these two truly seemed to have affection for the Relief Knights.

“Sir Sork! I’ll make you a counteroffer! If you liberate those who haven’t become undead by your own hand in the Pimbul Horde, I will accept you under my command!”

“Hahaha. Are you out of your mind? What could be better than the conditions I’ve offered? Ah, is this Sedrin’s wish? To liberate her clan? Then you should accept my conditions even more. We don’t have time for this. How long do you think they’ll leave the Fireglyph [a magical artifact] in your hands? If you don’t capture Saint Mallory in one fell swoop while you’re managing the Fireglyph…”

“I’m not joking, this is your last chance, Sir Sork.”

“……”

Sir Sork’s breathing, which had been filled with laughter just moments ago, became rough.

It seemed he understood that Azadin’s words were not a joke.

“Are you serious, Sir Azadin? You would spit on my goodwill and insult me for those who have defiled even the angels’ devotion?”

Sir Sork’s rage began to shake the entire Black Forest.

The undead army entered the Black Forest.

Sedrin immediately moved the Black Forest itself, using the trees to block the path of the undead army, but suddenly, a firebombing from the sky burned down the trees blocking the way.

-KWAANG!

Firebombs fell throughout the forest, causing fires to erupt.

“Fine. All I want is a safe way to pass through the Fireglyph. Sir Azadin. It’s a pity to turn you into a wight [an undead creature], but since you won’t listen, this is the better option.”

Sork intended to turn Azadin into an undead, control him, and use him to pass through the Fireglyph.

Seeing him not hesitate to use any means to conquer the entire knighthood, Azadin sighed.

“Sedrin!”

“Huh!?”

“Open the path. I’m going out.”

“Are you out of your mind? Your physical condition is…”

“Sir Sork came out of the Viar Swamp, so we’re even.”

“Ah, okay. Damn it. How did things turn out like this?”

Sedrin moved the trees to create an open space. Or rather, it was originally an open space, but she had blocked it with trees to prevent Sir Sork from landing on it with his wyvern. Now, she opened it up.

Azadin stepped into the open space, revealing himself.

*********

“Hahaha. Azadin. You’ve finally shown yourself.”

Sir Sork, who had been circling in the sky on his wyvern, saw Azadin and landed in front of him.

Having somehow traversed the Black Forest, Sir Sork’s wight subordinates also appeared from between the trees and gathered in the open space.

“Ugh!? Dahlia!?”

Sedrin frowned as she saw her sister, Dahlia, standing beside Sork, looking no different than when she was alive.

“Sedrin. We were also guardians of the Black Forest. Blocking the path with trees is useless.”

“Shut up. You’re not my sister. You’re just a soul corrupted by dark magic, imitating my sister.”

“Hehe. Is that so? Then why did you call me Dahlia?”

At that moment, Sir Sork, who had dismounted from his wyvern, took a step towards Azadin.

“Stop.”

Azadin raised Aurelia Dawn above his head.

“You need my body to safely pass through the Fireglyph, right? If you take even one more step, I will ignite the Seramite [a type of magical metal] and burn my body to ashes, leaving not a single bone!”

“Haha. Are you out of your mind? Are you planning to make a clone just to stop me?”

No one in their right mind would set themselves on fire. Even a single spark would cause a human to writhe in pain, so how could they burn themselves alive to the bone?

However, everyone present knew that Azadin’s words were not empty threats.

Sir Sork stopped in his tracks, and the wights also stopped moving, glaring at Azadin.

The breathing of the living was the only sound in the air.

Then, Azadin lowered Aurelia Dawn, which he had been holding up.

“Of course, I’m joking. There’s no need to commit suicide when facing an opponent I can defeat. I’m just saying that such a thing is possible.”

“Then…”

“However, Sork. It’s a pity, but you are also defiling the angels’ devotion.”

“What? Are you going to insult me again?”

“Sir Sork. What needs to be protected is virtue, not the angels themselves.”

“Is that an excuse for those who seek power and desecrate the angels’ devotion? Where is the virtue in them?”

“They have no virtue. But they are powerless people trembling in fear.”

The darkness of the Chadra Plateau is not just a word, but a reality in itself, filled with supernatural power.

The source of all this power is the blood of the ancient god that sank into the Netherstrom, a tiny fraction of it.

The knighthood facing the Netherstrom knew more than anyone about the power of the ancient god, the power of evil that would be unleashed in the Age of Jupiter.

That is why they are afraid and cling to the angels.

“Ah, Sir Azadin. I am a contemporary of Sir Planck, who knighted you. Do you think I wouldn’t know that? Now that the Yegas gods and the three archangels have disappeared, the knighthood cannot trust the angels’ promises and cling to the angels’ blood. I know very well that they are committing sins out of fear!”

Sir Sork was grieving.

What Azadin was saying was the belief he had held in the past, the words he had spoken in the past.

Yes. He also knew why the knighthood was clinging to the angels’ blood.

“What you’re saying was once my voice. I also pitied the knighthood, thinking they were just pathetic people trembling in fear. But do you know what? Pity is only the right of the strong. Pity is only allowed when you are in a position to punish, judge, and condemn them.”

“Then you are not strong, Sir Sork.”

“…That’s right. It took me a long time to realize that. That’s why I can’t watch you make the same mistakes I did.”

Sir Sork raised his sword and flicked the center of the blade with his index finger.

An ominous black aura began to rise from Sir Sork’s blade.

A chilling cold spread out from Sir Sork.

“You’ve lost your way, Sir Sork.”

Azadin looked at Sork with a bitter expression.

When he heard his own voice from Midiam, it was salvation for Azadin.

But even if Azadin let Sir Sork hear his past voice, it was just pain for Sir Sork.

“No, this is my belief. Sir Azadin. Please don’t make me kill you with my own hands. I don’t want to harm you, who holds my old beliefs…”

“No, Sir Sork. You can’t defeat me.”

Azadin said that and, like Sir Sork, flicked the center of Aurelia Dawn with his index finger.

A brilliant golden flame erupted from the Seramite longsword.

But that flame was completely different from before.

It spread out from Azadin like the warmth of a spring day, pushing back Sir Sork’s chill.

“What?!”

Sir Sork was surprised by Azadin, who was exerting power beyond his own.

The power of white magic was vibrating around Azadin.

“No… what is this…”

Sir Sork was horrified and took a step back at the intensely erupting power of sacred white magic.

The entire forest awakened with life, and the flames that Sir Sork had magically ignited in the forest were extinguished.

“This can’t be.”

Sir Sork’s undead were in agony. The wights, even Dahlia, frowned and retreated into the shadows of the forest.

He hadn’t even used magic, and just releasing his power was enough to do this!

Selim was so moved by the sight that he shouted loudly.

“Oh my god! It’s a miracle!”

“No… isn’t that cheating? That guy is from the Emperor’s bloodline, right? Then…”

Sedrin suspected that Azadin was using the white magic as a descendant of the Yegas gods and passing it off as a miracle of the knighthood.

“He was definitely using the power of the Divine King’s Scripture.”

Niselda also affirmed Sedrin’s suspicion.

Niselda had clearly seen in the darkness how Azadin had subtly drawn out the magical power of the Divine King’s Scripture that was dormant in his body while fighting at Sork’s mansion.

“Right?”

“But this now… I can tell. It’s not the power of the Divine King’s Scripture. It’s the power of the angels.”

“……”

And Sir Sork knew better than anyone else.

The power emanating from Azadin was the promise that the Relief Knights so desperately craved, the power of miracles given to the guardian of the three virtues.

Azadin had personally proven the promise that even without divine lineage, one could wield the power of miracles.

“The angels’ promise has already been fulfilled. Miracles are already on this earth…”

Azadin pointed Aurelia Dawn at Sork.

“Believe, Sir Sork. Illuminate the path with wisdom, advance with courage, and look down with mercy. Even if the rain clouds cover the sky, the stars still shine in their place, because what you once believed but lost is still true.”

“But that is the right of the strong, Sir Azadin.”

“Will you test it?”

“Of course.”

Then Selim stood beside Azadin.

“Sir Sork! You’re truly blind! How can you not see the miracle before your eyes!”

“No, what I’m going to test is not that.”

Sir Sork sheathed his sword and stepped back.

“Sir Azadin. That power of miracles, you can’t draw it out whenever you want, can you? If you could, you wouldn’t have been in trouble at my mansion.”

“……”

“Then it would be better to hide that miracle. The knighthood will never accept you. That’s what I’m going to test. Can the knighthood be changed now?”

“But, my lord. If a new Chapter Master comes to the Fireglyph, Sir Azadin will be ousted. Now that the Fireglyph is unclaimed, it’s the perfect time to fulfill the wishes of our Pimbul Horde…”

Dahlia was flustered and tried to stop Sir Sork as he was about to retreat.

If they missed the opportunity now that Azadin had taken the Fireglyph, the plan to conquer the Relief Knights with the Pimbul Horde would have to be postponed much further.

“No, I will believe. Sir Azadin. But I warn you. If you fail… you will become like me. You will know that your belief was once my belief! Entrusting the wishes of the Pimbul Horde to you is not a favor without a price… If you fail, I will make you pay the price with everything I have!”

Sir Sork left those words and climbed back onto his wyvern.

The undead army of the Pimbul Horde began to retreat from the Black Forest.

“………”

Azadin, holding the Seramite sword that was beginning to fade, watched the retreating undead army and let out a soft sigh.