The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 347

“Alright, calm down, Sedrin. We will definitely free your family. It’s not like I don’t use necromancy, but I can’t accept binding those with souls as wights [undead servants]. However, Lord Sork is not someone to be trifled with. Let’s wait for an opportunity. It’s good to be righteous, but if you rush things and mess them up, that’s also a sin. More importantly, let’s get back to the main topic, about the Countship….”

Azadin sighed and said,

“I don’t like being played by the Arangi Kingdom, but I have to accept it. It’s also true that Naisandokar was once part of the Arangi Kingdom.”

“Yes, that’s right, Captain. But… will you continue to accept refugees as soldiers?”

Legion asked.

“Yes. We need to give them jobs, and we actually need them. Why?”

“No, it’s good to accept refugees, but recently, grain prices have gone up, making it difficult to buy grain with the soldiers’ wages. We give the soldiers lunch and 10 pennies a day, but with the recent rise in grain prices, lunch alone already costs about 4 pennies.”

In the barracks, soldiers are provided with lunch: a meat porridge made with beans and barley. It’s hard to call it delicious, but in the current situation, they are grateful for even that.

However, that’s just one meal, and those with families had to buy food separately for their families.

But while their wages remained the same, food prices continued to soar, making life difficult for the soldiers.

Soon, even their entire pay would not be enough to feed their families.

In Azadin’s territory, jobs were also given to women and children who could not become soldiers, and they were paid wages, but even in such a situation, the price of grain was rising so rapidly that it was impossible to make ends meet.

“Let’s allow the soldiers to receive part of their wages in kind, in grain.”

“But wouldn’t that lead to even greater losses? The merchants will keep their warehouse keys tightly locked until Chadra’s granaries open. This will come directly from the Captain’s warehouse.”

Azadin’s military faction had mountains of gold and silver seized from Chashan, so paying wages in hard currency was not a problem.

However, grain was a different story. It was something that disappeared when eaten, and with the predicted Fimbulwinter [a great winter], the value of grain was rising endlessly.

If they were thinking about profit, they could pay in hard currency as originally contracted. After all, most of them had no other choice… and they should be grateful that Azadin was paying wages in hard currency.

However, Azadin’s will was firm.

“I will not provide free relief to the refugees. But I also don’t want to inflict the pain of not being able to support their families even with a fair wage.”

“But if you accept the Countship, more refugees will come. If you maintain such a system, you won’t be able to stop the outflow of food… Do you have a solution?”

Jibek asked Azadin.

“The food of the Chadra Highlands is power. And Lord Azadin, if you truly intend to practice the teachings of the Trinity, shouldn’t you teach those teachings to the people? You should use that power to spread your will.”

Jibek knew that most of the refugees were just people looking for food. If Azadin had built this force as a true savior and a follower of the Trinity’s virtues, he should not just provide relief but also teach his ideology.

However….

Azadin refused such teachings.

“I just don’t want people to suffer from hunger. Hunger is such a cruel pain. Even if you wave bread in front of hungry people and talk about the virtues of the Trinity, it is nothing but an insult to virtue and people.”

Even missing one meal, even being hungry for just one day, an unbearable pain squeezes the body.

The body whips the soul, commanding it to shove food into its mouth by any means necessary.

People can kill and sell their bodies for a piece of bread.

They even resort to cannibalism.

That is what food is, and that is what hunger is.

“Azadin.”

Jibek called Azadin’s name.

“What you say is right. But Azadin, you are a Messenger Clan member. Do you know what that means?”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t. Even Darhan Zadek, a legitimate royal of Butuma, had traitors among his people when his military supplies ran out and the war situation became critical. You are a Messenger Clan member, and many of these refugees will be skeptical of you. They are only supporting you now because they have bread in their mouths.”

“……”

“When you feed them, put a muzzle on them too. Pay wages in hard currency, and give grain only to those who have contributed, making them compete for loyalty. If they don’t like the competition for loyalty, make them memorize the scriptures of the Savior Order, or whatever else.”

From Jibek’s suggestion, from his tired face, Azadin knew that he had been deeply wounded by Darhan Zadek’s death.

No, Jibek’s chivalry had been tattered for a long time. Even though his wounds were festering, he was just holding on because he couldn’t find another path, a rotten old tree that could collapse at any moment.

Nevertheless, his words contained genuine concern for Azadin.

“You already know my answer.”

“……”

Jibek gave a bitter smile.

It was a tired and weary smile.

“I know.”

“If I were to make excuses, if I don’t provide food and proper jobs, prostitution and crime will run rampant. The teachings of the cult will spread. Considering that, opening the granaries is cheaper.”

“If you don’t make excuses?”

“If I don’t make excuses, I like watching people eat.”

“……”

“Good grief.”

Azadin’s subordinates, who were listening, burst into laughter.

When Azadin gave food to the refugees, he purely enjoyed the moment when their crumpled faces changed to relief and joy.

Regardless of the teachings of the Trinity or being the chosen guide of destiny by an angel, he was simply a person who rejoiced in the moment when people were freed from suffering and found peace.

“But… Fimbulwinter will become even more severe than it is now. Lord Azadin, how long can you uphold chivalry and humanity?”

It was also a question he was asking himself.

After losing his light and stepping down from the King’s Church, he had been wandering. He wanted to help Azadin because he had the right intentions, but… it was as daunting as looking at a mountain path that he didn’t dare to climb.

“I have something in mind.”

Azadin said, showing a calm attitude. With his mysterious eyes and the various achievements he had shown so far, Azadin’s subordinates believed in him.

So, they wanted to believe this time as well.

But then, blood trickled down Azadin’s nose.

“Huh?”

“Azadin, you’re bleeding…”

“Hmm?”

Azadin only realized that blood was flowing from his nose after wiping it with his hand.

“I must have bumped into something. Haha.”

Azadin made an excuse and laughed it off.

*********

Refugees flocked to the outskirts of Saint Mallory, the central city of the Savior Order’s headquarters, the Savior Order Territory.

Monsters were appearing along the coast, so the refugees had requested rescue from the Savior Order.

However, the Savior Order had firmly closed its doors and was making various excuses not to let the refugees in.

Instead, they would occasionally cook porridge and distribute it to the people, just to make a show of it.

“They say Fimbulwinter will last at least three years, but it’s already like this even before the first year has begun?”

Sir Gares, the commander of the Tercio [a military unit], who had returned to Saint Mallory, trembled as he looked at the refugees’ tents from the high walls of Saint Mallory.

“Sir Gares, have you heard the rumors?”

“What rumors are you talking about? That the King’s Church is trying to offer some ridiculous title of King of Kings to the Northern Empire?”

“That too, but… the Arangi Kingdom is said to be trying to grant the title of Margrave [a noble title] to that Messenger Clan member, Lord Azadin.”

“Hmm?”

“A Margrave to a Messenger Clan member. It seems the Arangi Kingdom is having a hard time too.”

“Wait, what does that mean? The land stretching from Sandokar and Naisandokar to the Chadra Highlands will all fall into the hands of that Messenger Clan member? Good heavens… he’ll become a Grand Lord?”

“It’s a bit small, but you could call it a kingdom. To give such a thing to a Messenger Clan member!”

The Tercio soldiers who came to Gares’ side grumbled. They were displeased by the fact that a soulless blasphemer, a lowly and disgusting being, was passing them by and becoming a Grand Lord.

However, Gares, who had seen Azadin in person and knew his character, gave a bitter smile.

“Lord Azadin is capable enough to handle that much.”

“What? What do you mean…”

“I’m saying this because I’ve seen him myself. Lord Azadin is… a great knight.”

“……”

Everyone was speechless at Sir Gares’ words. They had never heard Sir Gares praise anyone this much before.

“Then, should we cooperate with Lord Azadin from now on?”

“No. That’s not it.”

Although Sir Gares acknowledged that Azadin was a great holy knight, he did not think that they should cooperate with him.

Azadin would face more trials in the future, and if he were to be by his side when he failed those trials, he would surely suffer the consequences, as the saying goes, ‘being struck by lightning next to a bad person.’

“We must do our best in our positions. Ah.”

At that moment, Sir Gares noticed a messenger calling him from below the wall.

“Sir Gares! They say there will be a meeting at the main hall!”

“I knew it.”

Sir Gares gave a bitter smile and ran down the stairs, which were too high for a dwarf.

*********

The Savior Order held an emergency unified council meeting to discuss recent issues.

The agenda of this meeting, attended by high-ranking officials from each order, was mainly two things.

How should the Order deal with Azadin, who is both a Savior Knight and being granted the title of Grand Lord by Arangi, and Kohen of the Northern Empire, who is receiving the title of King of Kings from the King’s Church?

That was the agenda for the meeting.

‘It’s sad. Even at this moment, refugees are flocking in, and monsters are appearing from the sea, invading coastal cities and towns. And I have to play politics here.’

The Savior Order had locked its gates and was leaving all rescue and subjugation operations to the Celestial Fire.

The Celestial Fire Knights, which had been the private property of the Wisdom Order, had accepted advisors from the Courage and Mercy Orders through a reorganization.

From the perspective of the Courage and Mercy Orders, they knew that the Wisdom Order was still the real owner of the Celestial Fire Knights, even though they had added advisors.

So, they wanted to deploy the Celestial Fire in most battles, subjugations, and various dangerous missions to wear them down.

They wanted to preserve their own forces by using the Celestial Fire instead of their own knights.

Sir Gares hated such political machinations, but he also couldn’t refuse the Courage Order’s choice and lead his own subordinates.

He hated it in words, but he didn’t really intend to wear down the Courage Order. Sir Gares was a realistic person in both good and bad ways.