The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 333

“What is so urgent? Where do you think this is….”

Bishop Sehnat, already irritated, felt a surge of anger at the messenger who dared to barge into the inquisition.

The inquisition was a very solemn event within the Rescue Knights, but here, not only was the one being questioned defiant, but now a messenger had barged in. Everything was a mess.

But then, Zan spoke with a serious expression.

“If I don’t inform you immediately, it will be difficult to handle.”

“Excuse me, Bishop. Let’s hear it.”

Prince Kalintz asked, after excusing himself to Lord Gares and Lord Triodana.

“What’s the big fuss? Daring to intrude into the inquisition hall. If it’s something trivial, you won’t escape punishment!”

“The Banling Kingdom has fallen!”

“Oh, really? That’s not a big deal… Ah.”

Prince Kalintz, who had carelessly dismissed it as nothing, realized the gravity of the situation only after he had spoken.

“What?”

Everyone couldn’t help but doubt their ears.

*********

“……….”

Lord Triodana and Lord Gares were dumbfounded by the messenger’s words.

If the fall of the Banling Kingdom was true, then they shouldn’t be wasting time on an inquisition.

“The Banling Kingdom has fallen? Rumors can spread like that, but what exactly happened?”

Azadin asked, rising from his seat.

“Refugees are pouring out of the Banling Kingdom. They all claim that monsters are emerging from deep within the Banling Kingdom. Everyone is escaping from Banling because of the monsters.”

“What about the Banling Kingdom’s army, the scholars from the academy, and the mages?”

“They either couldn’t hold out and escaped… or, according to rumors, many of the mages have turned into monsters.”

“Where were the refugees sighted?”

“At the Sandokar Gate and… the Arangian Gate, refugees are pouring in from both sides simultaneously. Ships carrying refugees are also arriving at the coastal cities. It’s happening all at once.”

“Hmm. Then, it’s unlikely to be a simple information operation. I see….”

Azadin gave a bitter smile and looked at Bishop Sehnat, the head of the inquisition.

“Excuse me, but wouldn’t it be better to end the inquisition now, Bishop? It’s hard to imagine how much damage will be done while we continue this pointless meeting.”

“You! No! This can’t be!”

“What do you mean, Bishop?”

“Don’t think you can slip through my fingers like this! You soulless blasphemer! You are a blasphemous and corrupt man! You may be able to deceive the eyes of others in the Rescue Knights, but you can’t deceive mine!”

“…….”

Azadin sighed as he watched Sehnat, who was not hiding his senility, drooling and raging.

When he put his hand into his pocket, Triodana and Gares were startled and stood beside Bishop Sehnat.

They were wary that the enraged Azadin might kill Bishop Sehnat.

But what Azadin took out was a silver coin.

“Now, look closely.”

Azadin twirled the silver coin between his fingers in front of Bishop Sehnat.

After a brief display of sleight of hand, the silver coin suddenly vanished from Azadin’s hand.

“What?!”

“…Where did it go?”

“What are you doing? Suddenly acting like a clown?”

“No, I’m just testing whether I can deceive your eyes or not. You said I couldn’t deceive your eyes, didn’t you?”

“You rascal!”

The bishop realized that Azadin was mocking him and was about to get angry, but he clutched his chest with a groan.

Even though he was covered in a splendid bishop’s robe, inside was just a narrow-minded, decrepit body of an old man who was only faithful to his own emotions.

The bishop’s dignity had vanished, and now there was just an old man with shrunken brain cells, on the verge of senility.

Azadin had never been afraid of Bishop Sehnat, but now he completely ignored him and turned to Triodana and Gares, asking.

“Now, then, since the situation is rapidly changing, let me ask. How many troops do the inquisition members have? It seems like about two Tercios companies….”

“…….”

“Write down the specifications of the gunpowder and bullets you mainly use, and the amount you use in two weeks. I will try to ensure a smooth supply. Usually, food and supplies will be provided by Fireglyph. Isn’t that right?”

“Ah, yes. Of course.”

Prince Kalintz said, watching Azadin’s reaction.

“Then, shall we go to Sandokar together and see how things are progressing? You have a duty to check whether I have annexed Sandokar or invaded the Banling Kingdom by force. That means you have to go to the site, whether you like it or not.”

Gares gave a bitter smile at Azadin’s quick response.

Azadin was now trying to conscript Gares and Triodana.

Azadin was trying to use the troops that Gares and Triodana had brought, and even them themselves.

But there was no justification to refuse.

Moreover, they were also moved by Azadin’s attitude of immediately taking care of the supply of ammunition and gunpowder.

As Tercios commanders, what had given them the biggest headache was the rear superiors who neglected supplies.

“I understand, Lord Azadin. It would be better to see the situation directly than to question you.”

“Y-yes, I suppose….”

Triodana was in a difficult position. Unlike Gares, Triodana had a reason to oppose Azadin. He had a mission given to him by his great father, the Northern Emperor Cohen Lionheart… But in the current situation, what Azadin was saying was right.

“Then, follow me. Time is of the essence.”

Azadin stormed out of the inquisition hall.

“Stop! Who do you think you are! Hey! Lord Triodana! Execute that traitor! Quickly!”

Bishop Sehnat couldn’t hold back and immediately ordered Triodana to kill Azadin.

Triodana simply brushed off Bishop Sehnat’s order with a bitter smile. Triodana also desperately wanted to deal with Azadin according to his father’s orders, but in the current situation, he couldn’t possibly touch Azadin.

“Bishop. Now that we’re here, we must investigate first. I will move to Sandokar first. Bishop, please rest here in Fireglyph for now.”

“What… Cough!”

Bishop Sehnat, who was furious, couldn’t hold back and vomited blood.

His nose was bleeding, and his eyes were bloodshot, shedding tears of blood.

“Ugh….”

When Bishop Sehnat collapsed, the priests around him were shocked and supported him.

“What….”

Even though Bishop Sehnat was old, he had been in good health until he arrived at Fireglyph.

“Haa….”

Although Bishop Sehnat had vomited blood and collapsed, Triodana left Bishop Sehnat to the priests and began to move with Azadin.

*********

“Haa.”

Azadin sighed as he left the inquisition hall.

He wasn’t particularly afraid of the vampires attacking. The Ceramit greatsword, Aurelia Dawn, that Azadin possessed was the embodiment of a nightmare for vampires.

But the fall of the Banling Kingdom. What was this all about?

An unexpected event had occurred, but Azadin had to appear as calm as possible.

‘I need to investigate. I need to keep my expression under control.’

Azadin’s military force was maintained entirely by Azadin’s charisma.

Azadin showed his ability to handle the situation with agility in an emergency, and at the same time, he acted as if he had expected this to happen, thus gathering the loyalty of his subordinates. In this unstable situation where Pimbulbert was approaching, Azadin’s calm attitude reassured his subordinates and brought them trust. If there is a lighthouse in a place full of fog, even if it is a lighthouse that leads to a reef, ships will be drawn to it.

Azadin had to show a firm appearance for people to believe in him and follow him.

“Captain! It’s a disaster. Monsters are pouring out of the Banling Kingdom!”

Azadin’s subordinates, the soldiers stationed in Fireglyph, approached in a flurry.

“I know that. Is there any contact with Sandokar?”

“Well… there’s no problem with Sandokar, but you know, the caravan is isolated.”

“…….”

While controlling Sandokar, Azadin had created another caravan to send into the Banling Kingdom to investigate the internal situation.

He had sent a caravan led by Dilia of the Van Dyke Merchant Guild, along with the bandit Camilla and Kuntachi, into the Banling Kingdom.

However, with the fall of the Banling Kingdom, contact with the caravan had been lost.

“How is Firewinter’s condition?”

“He’s exhausted. He’s been on a forced march from Sandokar to here, so he can’t go back to Sandokar again. He needs to rest for at least a day.”

Azadin’s hippogriff, Firewinter, was exhausted.

“Then, very well. We need to prepare until Firewinter’s stamina recovers. If we rush and leave right now, we’ll miss more. Dilia, Camilla, and Kuntachi are in the caravan, so they can hold out for that long.”

Azadin looked at Triodana and Gares.

“You also need to prepare, right?”

“Of course, Lord Azadin.”

An unexpected event had suddenly occurred, and they had to march, so they had to prepare new food, weapons, and supplies.

Azadin’s hippogriff, Firewinter, also needed rest, so they decided to prepare for the march in the meantime.

‘I want to rush to rescue the caravan right now, but… I need to stay calm, especially at times like this….’

Although Azadin was inwardly flustered, he maintained his composure on the outside, and his subordinates, Gares, and Triodana were impressed by Azadin.

‘To be so calm in this situation. He’s truly a remarkable man. He has the skills to rob the Wisdom Order.’

Gares had already been impressed by Azadin, so he didn’t even think that his calm attitude was an act.

‘He must have some great insight. This man….’

Gares decided to follow Azadin’s orders and immediately ordered his subordinates to procure supplies and prepare for the march.

Meanwhile, Triodana was feeling an emotion close to jealousy towards Azadin.

‘He’s an enemy, but he’s excellent. Too excellent, in fact. It is only our great father who should overcome this chaotic period and become the idol of all people. Ah, Father, what should I do?’

He was jealous of Azadin, but he was also shaken by his firm attitude.

Now that the forces of evil were even worsening the weather, many people were seeing visions of destruction.

In this situation, even Triodana, who had been reborn as a Celestial, was trembling with anxiety.

What was holding him together was the ambitious man, the Northern Emperor Cohen, who had been coordinating the Rescue Knights and the Northern Kingdoms for a long time with his firm ambition.

But now, there was Azadin, who was opposing Cohen….

‘I will follow him for now. And if necessary, if possible, I will eliminate him!’

Triodana prepared to purge Azadin, and he also prepared his subordinates.

Everyone was just guessing based on Azadin’s indifferent appearance, not knowing what Azadin was really thinking.