The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 378

“Are you really going to let me go with just that?” Sram was dubious. After rushing at Azadin and getting beaten, he realized that what Azadin said was right. That New Testament Declaration, from Prince Sram’s perspective, was something he had to check and report to his superiors anyway. “Prince Sram. As a prince, you can read and write, can’t you?” “What? You little…” “Good then. Let’s have you transcribe it.” “Transcribe?” “This New Testament Declaration hasn’t been made for long, so I don’t have many copies myself. What I’m giving you is for you to read and submit as a report to the Arangi royal family. In return, you will transcribe three copies for me.” “Are you telling me to transcribe a heretical book with my own hands? To participate in your madness?” If it were a regular book, transcribing a long letter into three copies wouldn’t be too difficult. However, this was a heretical book. Transcribing and spreading a heretical book was a serious religious crime. The King’s Church would not look kindly on Prince Sram. Ultimately, this could become a tool to seize and shake Prince Sram’s legitimacy, justification, and reputation. “Yes. That’s the condition for your release. If you don’t like it, you can just be captured and have a ransom deal made.” “You ungrateful wretch! The Arangi royal family gave you the title of Margrave of Naisandokar, and yet you treat me, a member of the Arangi royal family, like this…” “Since you attacked me with a sword first, you have to understand that I have no choice either. Who told you to attack me? I was trying to talk nicely, but you made the situation worse by attacking me. I am also indebted to the Arangi Kingdom, so I want to let you go if possible, but if I let go of someone who pointed a sword at me, it won’t set a good example for the soldiers. I need to get a ransom to at least put some oil in my subordinates’ mouths. You’re a prince, so you understand my position, right?” Azadin explained his situation to Prince Sram. Every word he said was true. ‘Ugh. This guy. Well, even if it were me, I couldn’t just forgive someone who attacked me. If I get a ransom, I can at least buy a drink for everyone. No, but I’m a hostage, I shouldn’t be played by this guy’s words!’ “So, what’s your answer?” “I’d rather be captured than transcribe such heretical teachings!” “Alright, alright. You’re a royal who doesn’t have to worry about dying, right? The ransom won’t be cheap. It’s good to be a royal, so carefree.” “You! I’m not that well-off of a royal. I have brothers above and below me, so the ransom…” “The ransom?” “I, well, I hope you don’t ask for too much.” Although he wasn’t in a good financial situation, Prince Sram chose to be a hostage rather than transcribe and become a heretic. The Arangian guards, seeing Prince Sram taken hostage, could only watch the scene with their feet stomping in frustration. ********* “Ah, you crazy bastard. I must be crazy. I’m a prince, yet I’m on the same boat as this madman.” Chapter Master Kalintz, the prince of Fireglyph, the capital of the Chadra Plateau, was burning inside. In front of him was the New Testament Declaration written by Azadin. “What are you going to do? The Rescue Knights and the Asander are in an uproar.” Zan, the centurion of the Northern Aragasa, asked. One of Prince Kalintz’s missions was to monitor and control Azadin. However, it was clear to anyone that Prince Kalintz could not control Azadin. That didn’t mean anyone blamed Prince Kalintz for his incompetence. Because it was obvious to anyone that Azadin was an exceptional being. He was from the Messenger Clan, yet he conquered the Chadra Plateau, connected Sandokar and Naisandokar, and received the titles of Margrave and Count from the Arangi Kingdom. And he even completed the Erantri Quest, albeit partially… To criticize Prince Kalintz for not being able to keep him in check was just criticism for the sake of criticism. The problem was Prince Kalintz’s choice now. “It’s a good situation to backstab him, though.” “Are you crazy? Azadin has most of the military power. If I backstab Azadin with only the Fire Guards of Fireglyph, my head will be separated from my body while I’m still alive. That guy and the Chadra Five are no joke! Besides, there are more than a few Azadin followers among the Fire Guards.” Originally, Prince Kalintz was confident in his skills, but after seeing Azadin, he couldn’t help but feel the difference in their levels. If he backstabbed him right now, he could make Azadin’s expeditionary force retreat, but what would happen after the retreat? He would be dead for sure. Besides, there were many who supported Azadin among the Fire Guards, so if he backstabbed Azadin relying on these guys, he could be purged by his own subordinates. “Then, are you going to be loyal to Count Azadin without backstabbing him?” “Loyalty? I’m his superior in name. Still…” “I see. Wow. Your subordinate is cursing at the King’s Church to their face, publishing heretical books, and calling himself a prophet, so the magnanimity of Prince Kalintz, his superior, is truly walking the path of a tyrant, a hegemon.” Zan teased Prince Kalintz. “Kuh. Is it not your problem? Don’t tease me. Even so, isn’t this too much? Publishing a heretical book openly?” He had also read this New Testament Declaration. Azadin declared that the root of the Light of Kingship was not the throne, but the mission to protect all people, and that the reason why the King’s Church had lost the Light of Kingship and weakened was because they were obsessed with the throne and lineage, neglecting their mission. By keeping the mission, the Light of Kingship would return. And when that time came, the Light of Kingship would no longer be bound by the tangible relic of the throne, nor by the legacy of the Yaegas lineage. That was the core of the New Testament Declaration. It was filled with truly righteous and heart-moving statements. The problem was, of course, that this wasn’t the first time. “That guy, I knew he was like a Cultivation School follower. He transplanted the teachings of the Rescue Knights’ Cultivation School into the King’s Church. The King’s Church would never tolerate the undermining of the authority of the royals and nobles. Isn’t he openly insulting them, saying that they are incompetent and corrupt, which is why the Light of Kingship has gone out and the world is in this state?” “Isn’t it the truth?” Zan answered indifferently. From his perspective, who had no respect for the King’s Church, this New Testament Declaration was absolutely correct. “Right and wrong don’t matter! If speaking the truth worked, the Cultivation School would have taken over the Rescue Knights! And we’re dealing with the King’s Church! They hunted down even the Emperor’s followers as heretics, do you think they’ll let this slide?” The King’s Church had even punished the Emperor’s followers, who acknowledged the authority of the Yaegas divine lineage. The core theory of the Emperor’s followers was that there were too many unqualified royals and nobles, which was an intolerable heresy for the King’s Church. Azadin’s New Testament Declaration was even more radical than the Emperor’s followers. “So, what’s the reaction? Ah, no, well, most people are illiterate, so there won’t be any reaction even if you spread this, but the people involved must have seen it, right? What are the reactions of the others?” “Well, this area has been favorable to Count Azadin from the start, so everyone seems to like it. The Chadra Five are ecstatic. They were stuck in this rural area, and now that Count Azadin has come, they’re having the time of their lives. Count Azadin doesn’t enjoy luxury or have strong selfish desires, and I thought he was really going to go all the way, but now that he’s showing such tremendous ambition, they’re overjoyed.” “No, I can understand the Chadra Five, but the other people involved also like it? The Cultivation School?” The general perception of the Rescue Knights’ Cultivation School was that they were pretentious, eunuch-like guys. But Azadin’s New Testament Declaration, which directly transplanted the teachings of that Cultivation School, was gaining popularity among the people? “Is it because Azadin is handsome?” “Nah, would that even work? They’re just reading the text, right? To be precise, everyone is not that interested in the Cultivation School part.” “Right?! Then what do they like?” “The miracle experience.” “Miracle?” “Yes. They like the part where he meets the Yaegas spirits. It’s a story of miracles. Since there have been rumors about Count Azadin’s miracles, the people find it very reasonable that he says he has encountered miracles. Perhaps his past actions were all a setup for this.” The New Testament Declaration also described Azadin’s experience of meeting the Yaegas spirits, and the people all liked this part. Although the descendants of the Yaegas divine king had shown unimpressive appearances, the public basically liked miracles, heroic tales, and anomalies. A person who met the Yaegas spirits and received revelations was actually a person who had performed all sorts of miraculous deeds? The public couldn’t help but be captivated. The scary thing about Azadin’s New Testament Declaration was that it was made by including the advantages of both sides, so that those with insight were drawn to the teachings of the Cultivation School, and those without insight were drawn to the miracles and revelations. “That’s too much of an interpretation. That guy was just weird from the start. It’s just that he happened to succeed repeatedly, and that’s how his current reputation was built.” “Isn’t that even more amazing? Even if it’s a coincidence, if you keep succeeding like that, it’s inevitable and a miracle.” “But how do you know the reaction of the common people?” “I gathered scribes and copyists and had them transcribe it. And the friends who read it while transcribing were all impressed.” “What? You crazy bastard. Even if you’re from the Northern Aragasa, you spent money to transcribe this?” “We have to send it as a report here and there anyway, right? And we’ll need it too.” “Hey, this is a heretical book! The King’s Church will go crazy just for spreading it.” “Isn’t it too late for the King’s Church to go crazy now? Honestly.” “……” Indeed, the King’s Church had been losing power recently. They were unable to respond proactively to the anomalies occurring around the world and were just being dragged around. On the other hand, the Rescue Knights were attracting people’s attention with the Celestial Fire Knights and had successfully resolved the Banreung Kingdom incident, raising their reputation. That’s why, as a last resort, the King’s Church had clung to the Northern Empire and bestowed the childish title of King of Kings, wasn’t it? “The time is coming when we have to choose sides. Prince, have you made up your mind?” “Um. Y-yes.” “Which side have you decided on?” “No, I originally chose Count Azadin. Because the only thing I’d lose is my worthless life, and what I’d gain is great.” “………” “But since Azadin is doing such crazy things, I’m having second thoughts about following him. What I’d gain is tiny, but what I’d lose is my precious life.” “That contradicts what you said earlier.” Zan couldn’t help but burst out laughing at Prince Kalintz’s words.