The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 36

But what happens if he actually persuades her?”Midiam was surprised at her own thought.She hadn’t considered the consequences at all.If Azadin were to persuade her? What on earth would happen?*********[I have waited for ten thousand nights.]The caster said that.At the same time, a dark aura enveloped the wyverns.[Since I was a child, I have waited, always, for my clan to come and free me from this miserable life…]The delusion of a persecuted girl. But because it was her hope, she was able to endure the continuous abuse and humiliation.[But you didn’t come.]When the hope she had held for ten thousand nights was broken, betrayal and resentment sprouted. That hateful heart was fully contained in the undead she raised.The wyverns, whose insides were torn apart by Azadin’s arrows and died instantly, rose again as undead. The bear that had just fallen also rose again as an undead.”I am sorry. You have endured the insults and abuse inflicted on our clan all alone.”Azadin apologized. It had only been three months since he became the messenger in charge of this area. He had not received any handover from the previous messenger.So, Azadin was ignorant of the current situation.It was a situation where he couldn’t take responsibility even if he wanted to.Nevertheless, Azadin could not make excuses. Considering the pain she had suffered, no excuse would be acceptable.[……]Was it because of Azadin’s apology? The risen undead were just standing blankly, not attacking.[Still, I cannot forgive you. Now I have turned to black magic, and I will kill everything that lives. Only death will comfort this pain.]The undead bear and wyverns began to emit a menacing aura.Were they going to attack?Azadin sighed.”Where were your children sold?”[They are not children I wanted to have! They are the children of the Hybrist people who violated me!]”But those children will also suffer just for having the blood of Aragas [The Messenger Clan]. They will live as slaves for ten thousand nights, maybe more, enduring humiliation just like you, and they will hate the clan that doesn’t save them, just like you. If you don’t want to pass on your pain to them… surrender to me and tell me the details of your children.”[……]”I swear in the name of Emperor Yaeslat that I will find and rescue those children. If you have spent ten thousand nights in pain, you wouldn’t want those nights to be repeated for your children, would you?”As Azadin said that, the darkness began to waver.[Me, I… my children? You will save my children? Is that possible?]”It is possible. Didn’t I say? Our Aragas can shoot down stars and even kill the god-kings. The Hybrist people despise us, but even in their contempt, our faith does not lose its light.””……””……”Ismael and Midiam were speechless after hearing Azadin’s words.’Look at him, lying without even batting an eye.”Faith? Does he even have such a thing?’Even as a member of the founding clan of the Messenger Clan, Midiam could say with certainty that there was no such Messenger Clan as Azadin described.The duty of the messengers is forced upon them by the curse.The founders of the clan only chase after money and power.Once they retrieve the copy of the God-King Scripture and lift the curse of service, they will seize the country with their overflowing power and return the disillusionment they have received with pain and oppression.There was only greed in that, not pride. Yet, Azadin was acting as a proud messenger of the emperor, appeasing the caster.A liar.But Azadin’s actions were so sincere that they wanted to believe him.Honor and pride that transcended profit and loss.If that were the case, maybe…[I will surrender.]Everyone doubted their ears at that moment.A broken bowl cannot be returned to its original state. It can be mended with effort, but there is no bowl worth the effort.It is even more so with broken humans.Moreover, if black magic is involved, the human soul is corrupted and damaged, making it impossible to reuse. Yet, the caster of black magic, who had been despised and violated her entire life and was filled with resentment, released all her hostility and surrendered to Azadin.[I believe in your pride and honor, and I petition you to save the children I bore but could not embrace.]She petitioned Azadin, the emperor’s messenger. As she surrendered to Azadin, the undead collapsed, and the fog in the forest cleared.It was an amazing victory. Of course, the price was a heavy promise. The promise to save her children. This promise, made in the name of the emperor, with honor and pride, must never be a lie.A woman walked out of the forest and knelt respectfully before Azadin, extending both hands. Her posture clearly showed that she would not resist. Azadin also approached her.”Of course. Your children are of our clan, so how can we ignore the pain and humiliation of our clan?”Azadin also lowered his posture before the kneeling woman and bowed, taking her hands. Her hands were scarred, and black hyphae-like [thread-like filaments] things were growing on them.Not only that… her body was covered in wounds that no human could endure.She was probably already dead. Although she was not aware of it.”How many children are there? Do you remember who bought them, which merchants of which trading company?”[Yes. I don’t remember everything clearly, but I have written down some clues separately and hidden them in the warehouse. I didn’t want to forget. However…]”How did you get your power?”[I got it from a grimoire that whispered to me. It was a book that called itself a copy of the God-King Scripture…]”…A copy of the God-King Scripture?”Azadin was puzzled by those words. She had mastered black magic using a copy of the God-King Scripture?That was impossible. The Yaegas gods and the Rescue Knights all reject black magic.But was there a power of black magic within the God-King Scripture?[I will return the grimoire. Please…]However, she could not finish her sentence.-‘Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon! Flames of the Autumn Field!’Suddenly, the forest around the sawmill began to burn.*********[Kyaaaaak!]She, who was already dead and in a wraith state, screamed and thrashed, collapsing from the heat of the flames alone.”This is bad!”As Azadin stood up, a clear voice was heard.”Hahaha. Azadin, you’re a fool. That woman isn’t of our clan. Can’t you even tell that since she can’t use magic?”A messenger wearing a hawk mask was holding a bone wand. It was a bone wand with a spell to search for the God-King Scripture.That alone was surprising, but behind him were members of the Corasar Merchant Guild. Servants working for the Saban family, one of the founding clans, stood armed. There were quite a few of them.”Ah, you didn’t come out during the summer solstice festival, so you probably don’t recognize me. Let me introduce myself. I am Calypso, the 106th messenger.””What are you doing?””As you can see, I am exorcising evil spirits and collecting copies of the God-King Scripture.””This is my jurisdiction, isn’t it?””But there were rumors that you were so incompetent that you haven’t made any progress. And that you can’t even control the attendant who is running wild.”The servants next to Calypso were familiar. They were Azadin’s peers whom Midiam had threatened with a knife, and the tea merchant they had met before coming here. The common point was that they belonged to the Corasar Merchant Guild, and Midiam had insulted them by threatening their lives with a knife.The guys who had despised Azadin and were severely punished by Midiam had come with Calypso.”Hmm.”Azadin looked at the fallen caster. The caster, the culprit of the black magic disaster, was already dead and had returned to being a corpse.”The grimoire ‘Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon’ is not on that woman’s body. I’ve already checked. She’s not Aragas. So, you can thank me. You don’t have to clean up the mess that the Hybrist people made among themselves, right? Isn’t that right? To dare to invoke the emperor’s name for a mere Hybrist. Heh heh.”As Calypso said that, a piece of white paper suddenly appeared before Azadin’s eyes. A copy of the God-King Scripture had popped out of the body of the fallen wraith, or rather, the woman who had now returned to being an ordinary corpse.”Ah… it came out. As expected.”Calypso put the bone wand in his arms and reached for the copy of the God-King Scripture, but…The copy of the God-King Scripture flew to Azadin as if it had chosen its own master.”……”Calypso’s lips twitched.”It seems to recognize who the real owner is. It’s quite miraculous. Well, it’s the God-King Scripture, after all!”Midiam scoffed and drew an arrow on her bow.-‘Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon! May Rain!’The arrow she shot hit the middle of the burning forest, and for a moment, a downpour extinguished the fire there. But due to the enormous consumption of magic, Midiam was also sweating.”…Ugh.”Still, not wanting to lose, she turned around, pretending to be calm, without collapsing.”If you are also Aragas, don’t burn the emperor’s land unnecessarily and put out the fire! Aren’t you ashamed to set fire to the forest when it’s so dry?””Shut up, daughter of Etar. Who do you think you’re lecturing?””What?””I am a messenger. You are an attendant. I don’t know about Etar or whatever, but an attendant like you is not in a position to tell a messenger what to do, right?”As Calypso said that, the servants who were with him rejoiced. They were so angry at what Midiam had done to them that they had brought Calypso, the messenger.Midiam had suppressed the servants by using her position as an attendant and Azadin as a messenger, so it seemed that they were trying to suppress Midiam by using Calypso, the messenger, in the opposite way.However, Azadin stepped forward.”My attendant is trained according to my policies, Calypso. You were definitely… one class below me, weren’t you?”He was a year younger than Azadin.’It’s an old man’s fight.’Ismael was dumbfounded by the absurdity of the situation. When Calypso said to Midiam, ‘How dare an attendant speak to a messenger!’, Azadin retorted to Calypso, ‘How dare someone with a lower class speak!'”Yes, but my rank is higher than yours.””The messenger rank is not the issue. More importantly, if you had investigated directly, you would know about the whereabouts of this woman’s children and the merchants who traded them, right?””…What? Are you really going to do it? That woman is a Hybrist. She’s not Aragas.””But she received a copy of the God-King Scripture. It’s a treasure that is equal to or more valuable than the emperor’s gold coins. To ignore the wish of the person who gave it and gobble it up for free…”Azadin clicked his tongue.”My pride will not allow it.””Interesting. The most foolish of the clan has pride?”Calypso glared at Azadin.”I might tell you if you hand over that copy of the God-King Scripture.””I don’t want to?””Then how about a duel with that as the stake?””A duel? Between messengers?””Yes. You put up the newly acquired copy of the God-King Scripture and the daughter of Etar, and I will put up the information you want to know, where that woman’s children are now, and my rank. If you win against me, you will be the 106th messenger.””If you win? What do you mean by putting up the daughter of Etar?””I will take the copy of the God-King Scripture, and that impudent brat who was your attendant will become my attendant. I will teach her how to respect her superiors and the clan’s business.”As Calypso said that, the servants behind him grinned maliciously.