The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 364

“Here.”

The Wendigo’s thralls were created using the bodies of the wounded and the dead.

Violating the corpses of those who had not been given a proper burial could inflict pain on the souls of the dead, and turning even the wounded, who were not yet dead, into thralls was an unspeakable crime.

The more advantageous the battle became thanks to the Wendigo’s thralls, the clearer the Knights’ sins became.

‘This won’t do. I need to talk to Lord Karna and stop this now…’

But just as Ismilla was thinking that.

-Raging Lightning!

The dwarf sorcerer cast a spell.

The Wendigo’s thralls had strong magic resistance, so it wouldn’t be much of a threat to them, especially given their large size.

It might be effective for inflicting pain, but what effect could that magic possibly have on stopping a rampaging monster?

The question was soon answered.

Among Ashajit’s thralls in the dwarves’ defense line, there were also goblins wearing slave shackles, and the lightning was aimed at those goblins.

-Crack!

Expensive magic stones were hidden on the slave goblins, and the moment the lightning struck those stones, it amplified and created a storm of electricity.

A blinding light exploded in all directions.

“Aaaah!”

Ismilla was also thrown backward, disoriented by the storm of light.

The Wendigo’s thralls, Ashajit’s thralls, and of course, the slave goblins carrying the magic stones were shattered into pieces, and a terrible stench of flesh burned by electricity filled the entire corridor.

“Now!”

“All units, fire at once!”

The dwarves began firing in unison.

The muskets roared as they spat fire.

Ismilla fell, bleeding.

“Ismilla!”

While her fellow Celestial Fire members dragged her away, the dwarves fired another volley.

The musketeers in the front line retreated, and in that gap, the second line of musketeers fired, followed by the third line.

Many soldiers were killed by the dwarves’ volley fire.

However….

-Krrrrr!

New Wendigo thralls appeared among the dead soldiers.

Their souls must have been bound to their bodies, yet they were immediately turned into Nether thralls [undead servants of the Nether].

“Lord Karna!”

Ismilla, barely regaining her sight, screamed as she watched the soldiers become Wendigo thralls.

Before, there was room to excuse it by saying that they couldn’t control the Nether artifact, and that the artifact itself had gone berserk and turned people into thralls.

But now, there was a sense of human will behind the transformation.

Karna, Triodana, and the sons of the Northern Empire had chosen this path.

They were willing to turn humans into Nether thralls to achieve glory in this war!

“What are you doing!”

Karna’s reply came.

Karna and other Celestial Knights, who had arrived as reinforcements from the rear, were dragging away the Celestial Knights among the wounded, and turning the others into Wendigo thralls to send them forward.

“Ugh.”

Even though Ismilla was wounded by gunfire, she couldn’t stand idly by after seeing that.

“Lord Karna! They haven’t even had their funerals yet! What if their souls are bound to the cold Netherstrom [a storm of dark energy]? Even death won’t be a salvation for them!”

The bodies of those who have not been given a funeral still have souls that have not yet been reincarnated, and they can suffer.

Turning them into Nether thralls was no different from throwing their souls into the abyss of the Nether.

“You’re hurt, Lady Ismilla! Fall back and rest!”

“Lord Karna!”

“I must protect the Celestials! That is the mission the Knights and my father have given me! We cannot afford to bear this obvious trap with our blood!”

Karna stated firmly.

If they pushed the Celestials into the dwarves’ defense line, which was nothing short of a trap, the damage would be too severe, so they would use Wendigo thralls instead.

That in itself was a rational decision.

But weren’t those Wendigo thralls being made from humans, not Celestials?

To protect the Celestials, it was okay to sacrifice humans.

That was what Karna was saying.

*********

“Unbelievable! Me! To be defeated by a mere fledgling of the Messenger Clan like that, when I could have been defeated by Sork!”

Griselda had fled from Azadin twice and was completely humiliated.

“When you think about it… it’s all because of that Aurelia Dawn!”

Aurelia Dawn, the sword of the sun that exerted absolute power over vampires. Even a graze from it was fatal to Azadin.

“I should fight him with something other than vampires! It’s foolish for me to fight him directly!”

Fortunately, the Banreung Kingdom had been hers for a long time.

The power of Banreung had long been in the hands of the Manawi Clan, who were addicted to the pleasures she provided, and this Manawi Clan possessed a royal guard composed of dwarf musketeers and blunderbussers.

She would borrow the dwarf royal guard and Ashajit’s thralls to take Ashajit’s Eye from Azadin.

But…

“Huh?”

Griselda and the vampires were startled.

Inside Banreung, the Hall of the Throne, where the quartz throne created by the Yaehgas gods [a pantheon of gods worshipped by dwarves] was located, had changed greatly.

Long blood vessels lined the floor, walls, and pillars, writhing and supplying blood.

And each time, the quartz throne emitted a pale light.

“You’ve come, Griselda.”

The dwarf king, Manawi Dan, was sitting on the quartz throne.

A giant with a head and a half taller than other dwarves, he was by no means small among humans. But his shoulders were even larger, making him look like a dwarf statue that had been enlarged to human size.

He was sitting on the throne, welcoming Griselda.

“Your Majesty. You have awakened.”

-Krrrrrr….

The ground shook, and stone dust poured from the ceiling.

Each time, the blood vessels writhed, and light flickered from the throne and Manawi Dan’s body.

‘What happened? Wasn’t he dying?’

When the magic of the wish was activated, the dwarf king Manawi Dan had collapsed in shock.

He wasn’t dead, but he wouldn’t be able to wake up again. That’s what she had thought, but for some reason, Manawi Dan was awake, and even manipulating the throne of Yaehgas.

“Judging by your appearance, you have failed to retrieve Ashajit’s Eye. I am disappointed, Griselda.”

Manawi Dan criticized Griselda for being defeated by Azadin and fleeing.

“Your Majesty. I am sorry, but the opponent has Lord Planck’s holy sword. If that blade touches a vampire, it burns endlessly, making it difficult for me to handle. My incompetence deserves a thousand deaths, but please have mercy on my past devotion and affection and lend me the royal guard.”

Griselda pleaded in a desperate voice.

Manawi Dan was particularly eager to bring in human beauties as concubines.

He had been so obsessed with courting Griselda, so wouldn’t his cold gaze melt away if he heard her plea?

She had such expectations, but Manawi Dan rejected Griselda’s plea with a cold attitude, as if he were a different person.

“It is impossible. The Rescue Knights have broken through the fortress of the Heart of the Mountain and are entering.”

“What?”

“Cohen Lionheart and the Rescue Knights have done something very interesting. Celestials and Wendigo… those hypocrites who pretended to be noble have finally revealed their true colors.”

Manawi Dan gave a bitter smile.

“If I may be so bold, shouldn’t we recover Ashajit’s Eye even faster?”

When Griselda asked, the dwarf king Manawi Dan glared at her as if she were being shameless. Even Griselda, who had been through thick and thin, was startled by his cold gaze, which was like an ice blade cutting through her chest, and she refrained from speaking.

“Wasn’t it your job to recover it, Griselda?”

“Yes. I am sorry. However, the enemy who possesses Ashajit’s Eye has a weapon that is fatal to vampires, so it is forbidden in military strategy to pit the weak against the strong. I ask you to consider that….”

Vampires should be deployed to the side where the Rescue Knights are invading, and the dwarf elite forces and Ashajit’s thralls should be sent to Azadin’s group.

However….

“We have considered that as well. But that Count Azadin of Naisan Dokar? He has been avoiding the royal guard.”

“Ah….”

Only Griselda, a vampire, could sense the exact location of Ashajit’s Eye. If others tried to capture Azadin’s group, they would simply avoid them.

Azadin’s group was very small, and it was extremely difficult to find them in the Heart of the Mountain, where there were winding tunnels, caves, and all sorts of secret passages.

The secret passages that the dwarves were proud of actually allowed Azadin’s group to choose their opponents.

“So, give me command….”

“No. We will mobilize all our forces to break the Rescue Knights first. Griselda! Have your subordinates face the Rescue Knights as well!”

“But, Your Majesty. The enemy is targeting you!”

“Heh. Hehehehe.”

At that moment, Manawi Dan burst into laughter.

“Do you think I would be defeated by such a petty enemy?”

“Of course, Your Majesty, who is skilled in both martial and literary arts, would not be threatened by a soulless blasphemer, but since it hasn’t been long since Your Majesty awakened, I was wondering if there might be something wrong with your royal body….”

“Rest assured. I am more powerful now than ever before.”

As Manawi Dan said that, the throne flashed again, and a pale power was emitted in all directions.

Ashajit’s thralls and the vampires other than Griselda fell into a trance the moment they received that power. Griselda also felt her body heat up, but she was able to manage her body with blood magic and let this power flow away.

“Indeed, you are quite capable, Griselda. It is truly a pity. That talent… hmm. That’s enough talk. From now on, you will be under the command of the Royal Guard Captain, Iak. Go.”

“…….”

Griselda trembled with humiliation.

She was known throughout the world as a master of necromancy and blood magic, along with Sork, the leader of the Pimbul Horde.

Although she was living as a vassal of King Manawi Dan, she was not originally loyal to the dwarf dynasty.

She had simply been living in Banreung and had come to acknowledge the king’s authority, but these arrogant dwarves were treating her like she was begging for something.

‘You were addicted to the pleasure and debauchery I provided! What is this attitude now? Putting me under the command of a dwarf soldier?’

The Royal Guard Captain, Iak, was the kind of person who would gladly throw Griselda and her daughters into a deadly situation to save his own troops.

It was no different from being told to be a shield for the royal guard.

But the king had told her to step back, and she couldn’t refuse now. Even if she killed the king here, she wouldn’t be able to take control of the Banreung Kingdom’s system.

The dwarves’ technology, wealth, and power were benefits that she could only enjoy when she was favored by the king.

“I will obey your command.”

Griselda rose from her seat, swallowing her humiliation.