The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 320

“I get it, but did you have to sound so annoyed when you answered?”

“It’s not like things are easy on this end either, so it’s frustrating to hear such clueless things.”

Indim still seemed displeased with Azadin.

“Alright, alright. You’ve been through a lot. Honestly, you guys were the Four of Hwajopungwol [a group of next-generation leaders], next-generation leaders of the clan, but even after Ara’el’s death, you’re still keeping your promise to her… I’m grateful.”

“Gratitude worth less than a copper coin… Tch. Hey. You. Show your face. Damn it. Why are you covered in blood? To smear blood on Ara’el’s face! What do those pathetic knights think they are!?”

Indim, recalling Azadin’s face, or rather Ara’el’s, was torn between his inner rage and his longing for Ara’el.

‘I need to be careful. This guy might just cut my face off and use it as a decoration later.’

Azadin felt a sense of danger from Indim’s reaction.

“More importantly, Azadin, I know you joined the Relief Knights. But why… why are you fighting against them?”

Dimia, worried about Azadin, used her sleeve to wipe the blood off his body.

“It’s a long story. But since my companions are all here, I’ll tell you.”

Azadin explained how the Northern Emperor Cohen Lionheart had infiltrated his own people into the Relief Knights.

And how the Celestial Fire Knights were created using a secret technique that ground down angel statues to reincarnate them as Celestials [powerful beings of divine origin].

*********

Everyone was astonished by the information Azadin revealed.

Even Zibeck and Scott, who had already heard the story, were once again amazed by the blasphemous acts of the knights and the grand plan of the Northern Empire behind it, as well as the patience they had shown to achieve it.

If the two who already knew the story were like this, the Four of Hwajopungwol, or rather the three who were hearing it for the first time, were bound to be shocked.

“Oh, my goodness. Such a thing happened?”

“That entire knight order was created using such a technique. How long did they have to prepare….”

“You’ve been living a busy life too. I’m impressed that you joined the Relief Knights with such a profound purpose. To be honest, I suspected you had thrown away your mission and gone off to play, so I’m ashamed.”

Seraph was particularly impressed with Azadin.

In fact, he was the one who had been most disappointed when he heard that Azadin had joined the Relief Knights.

He knew that Azadin liked the Relief Knights. So, he wondered if Azadin had gone to the Relief Knights to simply shed all his burdens and find the peace he had dreamed of as a child.

He had suspected that he had run away from his great mission.

However, after learning that Azadin was trying to fulfill a new mission within the Relief Knights, Seraph was ashamed of how strong his doubts had been.

“Of course. I’m carrying on Ara’el’s will. I have to be at least this much.”

Indim snorted, seeing Seraph’s embarrassment. He wanted to say that he had believed in Azadin.

“So, what are you going to do now, Azadin?”

“I need to go back to Chadra to prepare food and train the troops. And I need to recover Wendigo’s Dagger, and I have to raid the Banreung Academy to investigate the Elemental Wailing… I have a lot to do.”

Currently, Wendigo’s Dagger is in the possession of Triodana, a Celestial of the Wisdom Order.

“Wendigo’s Dagger. Shall we recover it for you?”

“No. I’ll take care of the knights’ affairs. You guys keep monitoring the movements of the Aragasa [a clan known for their corruption]. If you can, check on Midiam’s whereabouts too. I know you’re busy, but dealing with the Aragasa won’t take up too much of your time anyway, right? That’s…”

Azadin shared his past experiences and future plans with the Four of Hwajopungwol, or rather the three of them.

*********

Azadin, Scott, and Zibeck got off at the rapids where the current was too strong to continue in the small boat.

“Then, may you have good fortune, Azadin.”

Dimia gave Azadin an elegant farewell and was about to leave. But then, Indim briefly got off the boat and approached Azadin.

“Ah, and um… if it’s hard to relieve your urges, I can, uh, be your partner. I’m busy right now, so how about I visit you in about a month? You said it was Vermilion in the Chadra Highlands, right?”

“……….”

“What? Why?”

“It was a joke.”

“…A joke?! You, you bastard. I made such a big decision to allow it!”

“I thought I made it clear enough that it was a joke. Isn’t it just that you want to do it with me?”

“Ugh! You, you bastard. Don’t say such things with Ara’el’s face! There are jokes you can make and jokes you can’t!”

Indim was embarrassed, then quickly jumped back onto the boat.

Seeing that, Azadin chuckled.

“Goodbye, Indim. Stay safe.”

“Y-yeah, whatever!”

Indim, embarrassed, took the oar from Dimia and vigorously rowed the boat away.

“…Captain. You’ll get into big trouble if you make jokes like that? You have to be careful with your words, whether it’s with people or orcs.”

“Hmm. Hearing a warning about my words from you makes me realize I’ve definitely made a big mistake?”

Azadin snapped back to reality after hearing Scott’s words.

“The Aragasa also consider Fimbulwinter [a catastrophic winter] a certainty, Azadin. So, what are you going to do now? Even if you go to the Chadra Highlands, it doesn’t seem like the Northern Empire will just leave you alone….”

“No. If the Courage Order does well, they won’t have the capacity to pay attention to me right now? I should lay low for a while and build up my strength.”

“Strength, you say?”

“Yeah.”

Azadin said that and rubbed his fingers together. Sparks of electricity crackled between his fingers.

“There are still many grimoires inside me that I haven’t fully digested. You saw how those Four of Hwajopungwol moved quickly with just one oar, right? That’s something Ara’el could do too, but I didn’t know until I actually tried it.”

Azadin had not yet fully digested the various talents and magical powers he had received through his fusion with Ara’el.

He needed enough time.

But it was questionable whether he would be given that time.

*********

When Azadin returned to Fire Glyph, Prince Kalintz, the chapter master of Fire Glyph, rushed out to greet Azadin, dropping everything he was doing.

“Azadin! You’ve returned safely! I’m so glad!”

“…….”

He was so welcoming that Azadin was taken aback.

“What happened? Why are you so welcoming? You almost ran out barefoot?”

“No, it’s not that, but the Celestial Fire guys came and requisitioned grain, and their attitude was incredibly arrogant.”

“They were arrogant even though you’re related by blood?”

“The ones who have taken the most heads of the Eight Kings are not the Herald Clan, who are accused of being king slayers, but the Eight Kings themselves. There’s no such thing as being close because we’re related. They’d rather beat us down even more.”

He wasn’t usually the type to say such things. Judging by how far he was going, he must have been really tormented by the Celestial Fire Knights.

“These guys think we’re a warehouse where grain just comes out when you poke it! They’re telling us to quickly farm and offer up food before Fimbulwinter comes, but what should we do? Azadin?”

“First, don’t get upset and listen. Even so, it seems right to farm. When I was in Saint Mallory, there was an incident where the sea froze over.”

Of course, that was a disaster that happened when Wendigo’s Dagger returned, but the fact that Fimbulwinter was approaching was already being accepted as a given by several forces. There was no harm in preparing.

Whether they liked the Celestial Fire or not, they had to stockpile as much food as possible before Fimbulwinter arrived.

“…Well, that’s true, but in the current situation, it’s pointless to farm because they’ll just take it all away. Look at the quota they gave me.”

Prince Kalintz gestured with his chin, and Jan, the head of the Northern Aragasa’s ten-man unit and Prince Kalintz’s confidant, cleared his throat and came in with the documents.

Azadin looked at the documents and, indeed, they were demanding an enormous amount of grain, enough to be called extortion.

“Anyone would think they’re the ones farming. It’s the tenant farmers who are being robbed.”

“You shouldn’t say that when you’re a knight yourself. Anyway, these guys came empty-handed and even requisitioned ships. How can there be such outrageous people?”

“They took the ships?”

Azadin asked, already knowing the answer. The transport ships he had seen on the way were probably the ones requisitioned from Fire Glyph.

He already knew the conclusion, but he wanted to hear what complaints Kalintz had.

“What else could I do? They’ve gathered all their high-ranking officials and made them their backers. I heard that all the Knights of Virtue support the Celestial Fire? And they’ve been subjugating monsters on the way, so their reputation is no joke. They’re all so handsome and beautiful that even though the residents are being robbed of their food, they’re still happy about it. Even though they’ll be cursing me when the price of food goes up in Fire Glyph tomorrow.”

“…Hahaha.”

“It’s not something to laugh about. So, Azadin, what’s the atmosphere like in Saint Mallory?”

“It was true that the Wisdom Order was trying to integrate the entire knight order, focusing on the Celestial Fire. To stop that, the Mercy Order and the Courage Order were also moving, and I managed to find out the secrets of the Celestials by helping them appropriately.”

“…The secrets of the Celestials? That’s too grand, isn’t it? I, of course, don’t doubt your abilities, Azadin, but you managed to do all that while going to Saint Mallory for a short time?”

Even though he had given Azadin a pass to go to and from Saint Mallory, he didn’t seem to have much expectation.

Well, Azadin himself hadn’t dared to expect that he would find out such a crucial secret in such a short time.

“To be honest, it wasn’t just my ability alone. Actually, the Mercy Order contacted me first. They also thought it would be difficult if the Wisdom Order took the lead, and they needed someone to use appropriately.”

“The Mercy Order, you say.”

Prince Kalintz was startled by Azadin’s words that he had made a deal with the Mercy Order.

“They’re assassins. You’re doing well to make a deal with such guys.”

“And I gave the facts and evidence I found to the Courage Order.”

“You received it from the Mercy Order and gave it to the Courage Order? Isn’t that like having assassins on your tail? You must have your guts hanging out to do such a thing.”

Prince Kalintz clicked his tongue as he listened to Azadin’s exploits.

Certainly, hearing it like that made Azadin realize that he had done something incredibly dangerous.

“Well, that level of threat was worth taking. The Courage Order is much more influential than the Mercy Order in external activities. And actually, I couldn’t refuse because the Tersio Brigade had their guns pointed at me.”

“So, what are the secrets of the Celestials?”