The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 39

Calypso was certain that other herald clans would challenge Azadin and be defeated.

“Ugh, laughing still makes my head hurt. I feel like I barely survived. Huh?”

Then, Calypso stopped walking. He sensed a strange air in the forest, which had become parched due to the drought.

[Greetings, Herald 106, Calypso.]

The artificial spirit’s voice spoke to him.

“Who are you?”

[I am the Voice. The Voice of Ara’el.]

“Ah, the Voice of Ara’el?!”

[Indeed. As you can see.]

“……”

Calypso was shocked. The Emperor’s Voice was a powerful grand magic. It organically connected 108 artificial spirits across the continent, managing people’s petitions, delivering information, and creating a unified consciousness.

Only an Emperor with divine abilities could create such powerful magic. Until now, that is.

But Ara’el had somehow managed to imitate it? Even if Ara’el was called a genius, was this even possible?

“What business do you have with me?”

[I have an offer you cannot refuse.]

From the shade of the parched forest… a crow appeared.

Was it speaking by possessing the crow?

This was also similar to the Emperor’s Voice. To deliver the voice to those who were not Aragasas [the ruling clan], the Emperor’s Voice often appeared by possessing a bird.

But this crow was strange. Calypso immediately realized why. There was a large wound on the crow’s chest, and an eyeball was pulsating like a heart within it.

*********

After that, Azadin tried to call out to the Emperor’s Voice in his mind, but there was no response. Feeling anxious, he walked towards Salasma and discovered a dried-up stream.

“Seriously, it’s so dry. It should be raining around this time.”

Every farm Azadin saw was struggling to draw water. The eastern inland region was originally divided into the water-rich western area and the drought-stricken eastern area.

However, recently, the eastern inland region had not seen rain for a month, and even the western inland region was drying up.

“It wasn’t this bad when I went east,”

Tarki said, examining the condition of his horse. Tarki’s horse was also breathing heavily, probably due to thirst.

“Hmm… the water is quite murky.”

Azadin also stopped to give water to his mountain goat, but he clicked his tongue when he saw that the stream was almost dry. It had become almost muddy, and fish were flapping about.

In the stream where the flow had stopped, a huge number of fish were gathered in the stagnant water, suffocating and dying. Nearby farmers were rushing to scoop out crayfish and fish.

“If they scoop them out like that, the fish will be depleted.”

“Well, they’ll rot anyway if we leave them, so it’s better to catch them and eat them. But we’ll be in big trouble after this.”

Midiam also felt that the drought was becoming severe.

The mountain goat was panting. The herald clans preferred Kerim mountain goats over horses. Kerim mountain goats had better endurance, jumping ability, and the ability to traverse rough terrain than horses. They could climb steep cliffs, and the wax esters from their long fur were widely used for rust prevention of swords, and maintenance of bows, arrows, and spear shafts.

However, these Kerim mountain goats, with their thick fur, were vulnerable to heat. In hot regions, they needed to be constantly watered, so it was difficult to continue carrying them in this drought-stricken area.

“Giving them that water will make them sick.”

“Then, what about the well? If the riverbed hasn’t dried up, the well shouldn’t be dry yet.”

Ismail said, and Azadin clicked his tongue.

“We need permission from the villagers to use the well.”

They were heralds, hated by the people. Originally, the herald clans had dark brown skin, which made them very different from other humans in Hybris, but now, with a lot of interbreeding, they looked like mixed-race people similar to other races. Even Midiam, the founder clan, looked like a northern Hybris person.

“Hahaha. Don’t worry about that. I’m a knight, aren’t I?”

Tarki stepped forward.

“Hey! You lowly farmers!”

“……”

As Tarki began to bully the farmers, Azadin quickly took off his helmet and took out his staff from his saddle.

“Oh, is it that again?”

Ismail frowned. Pretending to be a blind pilgrim.

“If Tarki is being too abusive and I look fine with it, we’ll be seen as part of the same group, right? We’re just pilgrims, so let’s just say we’re traveling together.”

“Understood.”

After a while, Tarki returned, boasting.

“How was it? Farmers just die when a knight speaks. They’d even give up their wives if asked.”

“You’re going too far, Sir Knight.”

“Huh?”

“…It’s kind of you to protect our pilgrimage, but if you treat people so carelessly, you’ll accumulate bad karma. Practice the virtue of mercy.”

“What are you….”

“I’ll talk to them again. Excuse me.”

Azadin, pretending to be blind, leaned on his staff and approached the farmers who were busy scooping fish from the stream.

“Huh? What is it? Huh?”

“Hey, is he blind?”

“We’re pilgrims passing by, and we’d be grateful if you’d let us use the well. The knight who’s protecting us said he already got permission, but I’m worried he might have been too rude and caused you trouble.”

“Ah, it’s fine.”

“That knight is the son of the Margrave [a high-ranking noble].”

“If he’s young, there’s nothing we can do. It didn’t feel good, but… what can we do?”

“But you came at the right time. We’re about to boil some crayfish.”

The farmers welcomed Azadin kindly.

‘From now on, let’s send Tarki ahead only when we need a rude provocation. Or the paladins of the King’s Church.’

Azadin made up his mind and followed the farmers to the village.

*********

The stream village was a fairly large village with over 700 households. In the north, where the population was not very large, it was large enough to be called a castle or a city, but in the densely populated central inland or southern regions, this was just a village.

Still, since many people gathered, there were permanent shops in the central square of the village, and there was also a trading post with crane equipment for easy unloading of goods from carts or horses.

In the dried-up stream, there were also facilities for water transport when the water level was high.

“Well, well. So, how are you walking if you’re blind?”

“I am a pilgrim wandering in search of miracles. I travel with the blessing of the three archangels.”

“You’re still young, but oh my.”

“He’s a handsome fellow. Did he get hurt in the war?”

While Azadin was dealing with the villagers, his attendants, Midiam and Ismail, fed water and hay to the mountain goats. Meanwhile, the villagers were boiling crayfish.

Fish could be filleted and smoked to make preserved meat, but crayfish were too cumbersome to do that, so they were boiled and eaten on the spot. Since there was plenty to eat right away, the people were also generous.

“Here, have some of this.”

The farmers placed boiled crayfish seasoned with wild garlic and Sichuan pepper in front of Azadin’s group.

“Oh, thank you. Is this crayfish?”

“Yes. The water has been too dry lately.”

“Since they’ll rot anyway, we’re making smoked fish with the fish and eating the crayfish here.”

“It’s a crayfish festival, a crayfish festival. Everyone, dig in.”

“Thank you. You’re so warm to welcome travelers; you’ll be blessed.”

Azadin politely accepted their hospitality.

“Hmm.”

Midiam and Ismail sat next to Azadin, looking embarrassed.

“It feels like we’re scamming them.”

“I know, right? It feels like this happened before….”

Ismail didn’t like this situation.

When Azadin pretended to be a blind pilgrim, the villagers treated him well. Then, Azadin also took on a spiritual debt to the villagers.

People’s kindness was not free, so a proud person would rather choose to pay with money. That was cleaner.

Azadin’s way was not the way of the herald clan. He actively confronted the Hybris people and did not hesitate to get involved with them.

The herald clans hated the Hybris people because they were persecuted by them, but Azadin was already persecuted among his own clan, so there was no difference between the Hybris people and the Aragasas for him.

The problem was that Midiam was fascinated by that method. Ismail could clearly see that Midiam was fond of Azadin.

Was it because he lost the duel and needed to raise this man’s value to maintain his own?

That wasn’t it.

This man’s way, a unique mindset that was impossible for an Aragasas, was what captivated Midiam.

‘This man is an anomaly. The problem is that Midiam has a personality that likes new things.’

Ismail watched Azadin sharing crayfish with the Hybris people and steeled his resolve.

*********

With the help of the villagers, Azadin’s group watered their mountain goats, ate crayfish, and got up.

“Take this with you in case you get hungry on the way.”

“Be careful not to let it spoil!”

The people packed boiled crayfish for Azadin.

“Well then….”

Azadin, who had received the crayfish and been well-treated, walked with his group past the stream and down the hill. But Azadin stopped, looking at the scene in front of him.

“What is it?”

“No, wait a minute.”

Azadin took out the wooden box he had kept in his arms. It was the wooden box containing the umbilical cords of the children of the slave woman who had surrendered to Azadin during the black magic disaster, the children Azadin had promised to rescue.

In addition to the records written by the woman, there was information from the Korasar Merchant Guild, which Azadin read and frowned at.

“This is that village.”

“Huh?”

“I didn’t realize because the village had grown. Look.”

The village of over 700 households was actually the result of two small villages expanding and merging. New buildings were built between the old ones, and the two villages were connected to become one.

“This is… close?”

“I guess so. There was no need to take the slaves that far. Let’s go find them.”

Azadin quickened his pace.

Even if it wasn’t slavery, buying and selling children under the name of adoption was common in Hybris.

It was common to put adopted children to work on farms or in factories, making them help with the family business from a young age to increase income.

Nevertheless, adopted children were in a distinctly different position from slaves. They had inheritance rights and were at least not abused by those designated as their parents.

It wasn’t that such things never happened, but if an adopted child was abused, they were severely punished by the King’s Church or the Rescue Knights, or anyone else.

Even so, adopted children were still vulnerable to child labor, but they had more legal and institutional protection than slaves.

Conversely, those treated as slaves were exposed without any protection.

“In the name of Aragasas, I cannot let such things happen to the children.”