The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 355

“Understood. Then, Count Azadin… what are your plans after this?”

“I plan to resupply in Coxhall and follow the trail of Bishop Akenar of Coxhall towards Banlung. Currently, the Celestial Fire Knights are probably attacking Banlung, right? This is part of my Errantry Quest [a personal quest or mission undertaken by a knight], and if Bishop Akenar is taken by the Celestial Fire Knights, it will tarnish my record.”

Although the Errantry Quest itself was unprecedented, Azadin wanted to ensure his record was flawless.

If the Northern Empire was trying to draw attention using the Celestial Fire, Azadin needed to counter by drawing attention with his own perfect achievements.

“I see. Then, as per your orders, we will infiltrate the Northern Empire for now.”

“Are you sure? I heard you were hired by the Prime Minister of the Arangi Kingdom?”

“It was a short-term contract anyway. They compensated us more than the contract required, so they won’t have any complaints.”

“Then, I’ll guide you to where the supplies are.”

Dimia and Zenis, having already searched every nook and cranny of Coxhall, led Azadin’s group to the supplies.

It was a warehouse stocked with wagons, food, and equipment that the vampires of Banlung had used to transport supplies here.

“The road from here to Banlung is well-paved, so it should be manageable by wagon. The dwarf vampires also used this to transport supplies.”

“Really? They must have left in a hurry. There’s quite a lot of supplies left.”

Azadin, seeing the supplies left at the outpost, decided to rest here for the time being.

*********

Azadin’s group spent a day and a half in Coxhall. During that time, they fed the horses and sharpened their swords and arrowheads while resting.

The fatigue accumulated from the long journey couldn’t be completely relieved by just a day and a half of rest, but they couldn’t afford to waste more than two days in Coxhall.

Fortunately, Bernard’s blood magic greatly aided in recovering their stamina, allowing the group to regain much of their strength.

And now, the time to head back to the heart of Banlung was approaching.

Before parting ways, Azadin advised Dimia, Zenis, and Indim.

“Be careful when you go under the Northern Empire. To be honest, the Northern Aragasa [a region or people within the Northern Empire] have been loyal to the Asander Kingdom for a long time, and now, if they’re told to share the pie with the Araell branch leftovers through fair competition, they won’t just sit still, right? I did say I’d like you to go under the Northern Empire, but don’t force yourselves to join their ranks. If it doesn’t seem right, quickly get out and come to Sandokar or Chadra, to me.”

“If you say that, it will be even more embarrassing to see you.”

Dimia smiled. She, along with her sister, were known as talents among the messenger clan. They were highly regarded as unmatched in their generation, and they couldn’t show weakness in front of Azadin, the outcast.

“Understood, Count Azadin. Then, we shall meet again.”

Dimia, Zenis, and Indim bid farewell to Azadin and left.

“Then… haha. Should I call you Your Majesty? Count Azadin?”

Bernard, watching the messenger clan leave, grinned mischievously at Azadin.

“Your Majesty, my foot. Call me as usual. Edir! I’m leaving the wagon to you. You can drive it, right?”

Azadin had Edir drive the wagon.

“…Of course. But, oh my. I’m still so shocked that my heart is pounding.”

Edir, a more devout follower of the King’s Church than Jibek, was trembling, unable to bear the blasphemous words that had been exchanged before his eyes.

Jibek placed a hand on Edir’s shoulder. Then, he asked Azadin.

“You… you could use the King’s mediation, right?”

“Yes.”

“Is it the magic of the Divine King’s Scripture?”

“That’s right.”

The physically existing copy of the grimoire [a book of magic spells or knowledge], made with a magic core, was returned to the throne of Butuma. However, within Azadin’s body remained the knowledge of the grimoire he had understood, and the knowledge of the Divine King’s Scripture that Araell had understood.

“The tangible grimoire has been removed, but the intangible knowledge remains, transforming you. It’s the phenomenon that occurs when a king sits on the throne. That is.”

When a legitimate Yegas king who has undergone the coronation ceremony sits on the throne, the knowledge of the Divine King’s Scripture flows into him, and a person who was once an ordinary Yegas becomes a being worthy of being called ‘king’.

Azadin, in the process of collecting copies of the Divine King’s Scripture, had inadvertently undergone something similar to that throne ritual.

“It’s not a welcome development.”

Azadin wiped his nose. He was having another nosebleed.

“……”

Azadin roughly wiped the blood on his cloak and sat in the wagon.

The rattling wagon moved forward, piercing through the blizzard.

*********

The act of going to the heart of the Banlung Kingdom was like crawling into the heart of madness.

On the roadside, the familiars of the Blood God Ashajit and heretic mutants roamed, and every time lightning struck, a huge black shadow, the form of the Blood God Ashajit, cast its shadow everywhere.

Any rational being would want to scream just by seeing that terrifying sight. When the shadow of the Blood God Ashajit, positioned higher than the clouds, is cast over the entire world, it is doubtful that humans can even fight against such a thing.

It was understandable why so many heretics gave up being human and chose to become familiars of the Nether [a dark, spiritual realm].

Faced with such a colossal being, rather than maintaining an independent soul and ego as a human, it was more desirable to become a part of that colossal thing.

Driving the wagon while witnessing such madness was a living hell.

Edir wanted to turn the horse around and run away right now.

However, Jibek, along with Azadin’s subordinates, and Azadin himself, nonchalantly headed towards the heart of that madness.

“Are you afraid?”

“Yes… to be honest, everyone seems out of their minds. Isn’t that the old god who was sealed in the Netherstrom? Our ancestors fought something that big… what were they…”

Edir, a faithful follower of the King’s Church, had not been able to feel at ease since the moment he saw the shadow of the Nether’s god, Ashajit.

“Of course, we are afraid too. But if we give in to fear and retreat here… it will grow even bigger and eventually cover the whole world.”

“Is it even possible to solve something like that?”

“It’s possible. We’ve actually solved it before…”

Azadin, who was resting in the back seat, answered.

“No way. That’s impossible.”

Azadin had said that he had solved it before, but Edir took it as meaning that it was solved in ancient times, which is why humanity survived.

At that moment, Nicelda glared at Edir, showing her anger.

“If Count Azadin becomes emperor, that is a blasphemous act of daring to contradict the words of the king, no, the emperor. What’s your problem with what Count Azadin is saying?”

“…Stop it, Nicelda.”

Azadin stopped Nicelda.

Nicelda had resented Griselda her whole life. But she had not dared to oppose Griselda, and had been content to fight only Chashan, a dwarf who was merely Griselda’s subordinate.

In that situation, Azadin defeating Chashan, and even Griselda, and taking the Eye of Ashajit from her… was enough to turn Nicelda, who had been half-doubtful, into a loyal follower.

To her, Azadin was already like a divine king, so it was his rightful claim to demand the throne of Yegas.

Of course, from Azadin’s perspective, these zealous subordinates were more troublesome.

It was a common occurrence. A ruler who must not show weakness in order not to disappoint his subordinates, and who is ultimately manipulated by his second-in-command.

To avoid disappointing them while controlling them, Azadin had refrained from making ambitious statements about aiming for the throne or becoming emperor.

However, those messenger clan members of the Araell branch had finally drawn out Azadin’s statement that he would aim for the emperor’s seat.

“As you know, it’s a blasphemous statement that traditional followers of the King’s Church can’t possibly accept. I had to say it this time, but it’s not something to say openly in front of others. There’s no need to invite trouble.”

“I see. Then, shall we dispose of that priest?”

Nicelda asked if they should kill Edir.

“……”

Edir was startled by those words. Indeed, if they wanted to keep things quiet here, Edir had to die.

“If we leave him alive, it will be difficult to silence him. It is excessive to kill an innocent person, but sometimes, being foolish is a capital offense.”

Bernard also subtly agreed to kill Edir.

“That would be like creating two Northern Empires. We won’t do that.”

Azadin refused his subordinates’ suggestion to kill Edir.

“But…”

“Even if Edir goes and brings the Inquisitors, I’ll play dumb. The Inquisitors can’t tell if I’m telling the truth or lying. I’ve already tested it on Zekt.”

The Inquisitors of the King’s Church are said to be able to discern whether a person is lying or telling the truth through years of training and magic. However, Azadin, having mastered the Divine King’s Scripture, had grasped the magic system of the King’s Church, its very foundation.

He could even deceive the Inquisitors. When Azadin showed his confidence, Nicelda and Bernard seemed convinced.

“If that’s the case. But Count Azadin, I fear that sometimes giving mercy to the worthless can be harmful.”

Nicelda glared at Edir with a cold gaze.

“There’s no need to call him worthless. Hmm?”

Azadin placed his hand on Edir’s shoulder.

“Hick?!”

“Stop the wagon.”

At Azadin’s command, Edir stopped the wagon.

Was he going to kill him now and throw him out into the wilderness? Edir was terrified, but Azadin got out of the wagon and approached the village by the roadside.

The village’s buildings were destroyed, likely due to attacks by fanatic mutants, and the shops adjacent to the road were all looted. In the middle of the village was a collapsed well, and around the well were human shadows like twilight, circling around.

“Huh?!”

Even though it was still daytime, wraiths were wandering around.

“Oh dear…”

Azadin cast necromancy, placing a spell under the well.

The corpses that had fallen into the well climbed out one by one.

Azadin moved the corpses that had climbed out of the well to dig the ground and prepare a grave. Then, he released the necromancy and conducted the funeral rites of the Rescue Knights, freeing the wraiths from this world.

It was a truly bizarre scene.

He moved the corpses with necromancy and then released their souls with white magic.

It was an act of heresy that neither the King’s Church nor the Rescue Knights could accept, but Azadin was unrestrained.

Then, the last of the shadows that had surrounded the well approached Azadin and knelt before him, paying respects.

[Blessed by gods and angels. You who will be the king of this land. Thank you for saving us.]