The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 370

Azadin, with his bow drawn, twisted his hand to adjust the trajectory and then launched Aurelia Dawn.

Aurelia Dawn flew smoothly like a javelin, exploding in mid-air into a myriad of tiny fire blades that engulfed the dwarf guards.

-Boom!

The gunpowder weapons carried by the guards detonated simultaneously.

“Ugh!”

“N-No way!”

Normally, the dwarf guards, who used gunpowder weapons, wore bandoliers with flame-retardant charms to prevent their spare ammunition from igniting.

However, Azadin had bypassed their flame-retardant charms and ignited the gunpowder.

The lightning arrow and magic stone explosion Azadin initially fired were not just simple electrical energy attacks; they were magical attacks designed to destroy the flame-retardant charms.

As the gunpowder exploded, the heart-shaped blood fountain that had formed among the guards was also caught in the blast and shattered.

“Now!”

Along with the explosion, the blood vessels in the corridor peeled away, revealing the blood spider, Nicelda, and Jibek.

Bernard, with Ashajit’s eyes, had used blood magic to disguise them within the blood vessels.

Nicelda and Jibek attacked the guards, who were in disarray from Aurelia Dawn’s flames, while Bernard continued to create blood spiders to support them.

The guards were completely blocked by their actions and could not approach the throne.

“I see. So that’s why you’re called the Kingslayer, huh?”

Surprisingly, Manawidan’s headless body rose.

He picked up his head from the floor.

He should have been burning until death from Aurelia Dawn’s flames, but somehow, Ashajit’s blood extinguished the fire.

Not only that, but other dwarf vampires also survived Aurelia Dawn’s flames, some extinguishing the fire and recovering.

The gunpowder explosion had damaged the blood fountain, but it had not completely destroyed it.

The vampires washed their wounds with Ashajit’s blood, extinguishing the flames on their bodies.

“That was an interesting trick, Messenger Clan. But you are originally a slave race meant to serve the true king. I am the true king, so if you kneel before me, I will forgive your current impudence.”

Manawidan swung his warhammer at Azadin.

Manawidan, who had already grown to be larger than most giants, had become a muscular monster capable of tearing an orc in half with his bare hands.

Moreover, his warhammer was made entirely of Azure Steel [a magically enhanced metal], capable of breaking any weapon like a dried corn stalk.

-Thud!

Azadin dodged Manawidan’s hammer, moving to the side. When Manawidan’s hammer hit the floor, Ashajit’s blood vessels burst, spraying blood everywhere.

“Surely you didn’t come all this way relying on just that flimsy sword, did you? Now, hand over Ashajit’s eyes and surrender! If you do, I will give you the territories of Sandokar and Coxhall.”

“Did it shrink? Didn’t you say you’d give me Visen at first?”

“Seeing your skills now, I don’t think I need to give you Visen. My assessment of you has dropped.”

“My head was cut off by my sword, so my evaluation should have gone up. It went down instead? You’re a really petty king.”

Azadin put the Crescent Moon Bow on his waist and instead combined the Executioner of Azure and Grimslaw’s mace to create a battle axe-spear.

“Ho ho. You have another Nether artifact? And that’s the Executioner of Azure.”

Manawidan recognized Azadin’s weapon and smiled.

“You have many good things. It would be quite enjoyable to have you under my command.”

“Where does that confidence come from… No, never mind. Just die.”

Azadin grabbed the Executioner of Azure and launched a series of thrusts.

The blue light flashed, repeatedly striking Manawidan.

Manawidan tried to deflect the spear with his warhammer, but when he failed, Azadin’s Executioner of Azure pierced him with its pike.

Manawidan was wearing priceless Azure Steel plate armor, so the armor was not penetrated.

However, it dented inward, and the armor now bit into his flesh.

“Ugh?!”

Blood flowed.

“You’re wearing a fortune on your body? Well, if you’re not skilled, you have to.”

Azadin spun around and swung the Executioner of Azure, slashing.

It hit Manawidan’s wrist, fracturing his arm and denting his armor.

Enraged, Manawidan swung his warhammer and jumped at Azadin, grabbing him.

-Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon, Azure Pine!

But as Azadin’s spell activated, Manawidan’s body floated to the ceiling and collided with it.

And then, Azadin jumped up, grabbed the outer garment of Manawidan’s armor as he fell from the ceiling.

-Kazas, Haze, Azure Pine!

Azadin and Manawidan’s bodies spun in the air and then plummeted to the ground with terrifying force.

Azadin smashed Manawidan’s head into the ground, shattering his skull and breaking his neck and spine.

No matter how much Azure Steel armor he wore, he could not survive such injuries.

However…

“Ah, I see. I’ll give you Visen too. And not only that, I’ll make you a Duke. Isn’t that amazing? Promising a title of Duke to someone as lowly as a Messenger Clan member. Even I think it’s too generous of an offer.”

With his skull shattered, brain matter oozing out, and his spine broken, unable to even support his body, Manawidan was spouting absurd nonsense.

“……”

Azadin was speechless. He felt not anger or bewilderment at Manawidan’s nonsense, but even fear.

He was originally arrogant due to his noble birth, but this bizarre transformation had clearly robbed him of his normal reasoning.

“It seems this is the only way to shut you up.”

Azadin sighed and headed towards the Half-Moon Throne.

“Huh?!”

Jibek, who was blocking the dwarf guards, was momentarily surprised.

Azadin had gone to the Half-Moon Throne and sat on it.

And at that moment, a dazzling light enveloped the entire Half-Moon Kingdom.

*********

The Celestial Fire Knights were facing annihilation.

The sudden surge of Ashajit’s followers from the rear made it impossible to operate a reserve force, which also blocked their breakthrough tactics.

Surrounded by enemies from all sides and with their breakthrough tactics blocked, the individual prowess of the Celestial Knights was rendered useless.

“This won’t do. We must at least save the Celestials and let them escape!”

Trio Dana, the advisor of the Celestial Fire, made an extreme decision as the Celestial Fire faced annihilation due to the continuous waves of enemy attacks.

“I will use the magic of the Tornado Blaster! Celestials! Take off your armor, spread your wings, and fly away to escape!”

“What?!”

“…Are you serious?”

The Celestial Knights were bewildered by Trio Dana’s command.

Trio Dana’s order meant abandoning the Celestial Fire’s servants and soldiers to die, while only the knights escaped.

The human servants and soldiers of the Celestial Fire were elite troops, but they were easier to replace compared to the Celestials, making it a rational choice.

But how could they call themselves knights if they abandoned their subordinates like that, and how could they proudly spread their wings and walk around in broad daylight?

“Commander Karna! Say something!”

“……”

Karna remained silent in response to his subordinates’ remarks.

Originally, Trio Dana and Karna were twins; Trio Dana was affiliated with the Wisdom Order, while Karna was chosen as the commander of the Celestial Fire.

Trio Dana was meant to do the dirty, dishonorable work that Karna could not do, but in the end, they were both children of the Northern Empire. They were the vanguard for managing the Rescue Knights as the Northern Empire desired.

“Trio Dana. Such a dishonorable act for me…”

“It’s not for you, but for our father, and further, for the unification of Hybris [the world]. Don’t worry. After sending you all away, I will stay behind and fight with the soldiers until I die!”

“……”

Karna knew Trio Dana’s determination to risk his own life, so he could not rashly oppose his decision.

“Everyone… follow Lord Trio Dana’s will.”

“What?”

“However, I will also stay here.”

Karna did not take off his armor and stood beside Trio Dana.

“Are you going to do something foolish?”

“No. Trio Dana. If you do this, the commander must also risk his life. If only Trio Dana sacrifices himself, the name of the Celestial Fire will be tarnished!”

“……”

Trio Dana knew that Karna was truly determined and did not stop him.

But it was just then, as they had made their solemn resolutions.

-Whoosh!

Suddenly, a warm, white light, completely different from anything before, began to emanate from the ground.

-Aaaaaah.

The black shadow that had been floating over the Half-Moon Kingdom shook and was erased by the light.

Not only that.

“Kaaaaaak!”

The bodies of the vampirized dwarves burst into flames.

Ashajit’s followers and the Wendigo’s followers became surprisingly translucent, and as if light was erasing shadows, their existence disappeared without a trace.

“…Huh?”

“………”

“W-What is it?”

Ashajit’s followers and the Wendigo’s followers disappeared, and the vampires burned.

What remained were the Celestial Fire Knights, the pureblood dwarves, and their slave goblins.

“W-What is this?!”

“W-The Light of Kingship?!”

Trio Dana and Karna looked at each other and reached the same conclusion.

It was the Light of Kingship.

The power of the king, who protects Hybris from the power of the Nether gods, had suddenly erupted.

“The Light of Kingship?”

“The Light of Kingship!”

The Rescue Knights were not those who relied on the teachings of the King’s Church, but at this moment, it was different. The Rescue Knights, who had been on the verge of annihilation, cheered as one.

“Long live!”

“It’s the Light of Kingship!”

“Oh my god! It was real? This thing?!”

While everyone was rejoicing, Karna and Trio Dana were perplexed.

‘This is impossible. Who is it?’

‘Besides our father, is there another true king chosen by the throne? That shouldn’t be possible?’

For them, it would have been better if the Celestial Fire had been annihilated.

Another person, not from the Northern Empire, was such a powerful king!

“Alright. Celestial Fire! Charge! Let’s see who has taken the throne!”

Sir Aramis, a Celestial Knight who had taken the position of charge captain in place of the injured Izmilla, suddenly gave the charge signal.

Karna was angry at Aramis for giving the charge signal without permission, but the charge captain could order a charge without the commander’s permission depending on the situation on the battlefield.

With Aramis’s signal, the emboldened Celestial Knights began to charge towards the dwarf wall, which had been left with gaping holes after losing the vampires and Ashajit’s followers.

“Surrender if you value your lives! We won’t kill you!”

As Aramis declared, the dwarves and slave goblins began to collapse without resistance.

The dwarves also understood what was happening.

“T-The Light of Kingship!”

“Oh my god. What have we done?”

The dwarves were shocked that they were beings constructed by the Light of Kingship and surrendered to the Celestial Fire.

Thus, the Celestial Fire finally reached the King’s Corridor without much resistance.

Before them was the one who had manifested the true Light of Kingship, the truly rightful king chosen by the throne!

The harsh era of Fimbulwinter [a great winter] was approaching, but now there was hope.

The true king chosen by the throne of Yaegas had appeared.