The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 394

“Oh, oh. It’s a miracle.”

“Good heavens! The rumors were true!”

People around them were amazed, instinctively kneeling and showing their respect.

Even those who had come out of mere curiosity to see what kind of person Azadin was couldn’t help but show reverence at the sight.

Watching the majestic scene, Karna gritted his teeth.

The higher-ups in the Order must be out of their minds to tell him to deal with a guy like this.

If Karna were to carelessly lay a hand on Azadin, the people would riot.

With the number of refugees already rescued by Azadin overflowing, doing such a thing would be like signing his own execution order.

However, Karna couldn’t back down here.

He was a son who had risked his life to be loyal to the Northern Empire, and that was why he was able to be reborn as a Celestial [a being of immense power].

He had to live up to the faith and expectations of the Northern Empire that had sent him here.

“You are not the only one who has manifested the Light of Kingship [a divine power]. The Northern Empire’s Cohen Lionheart also…”

“Then that would be a common point between him and me. Surely you’re not saying his Light of Kingship is respected, but mine is not worthy of respect?”

“Sir Azadin.”

Karna whispered to Azadin, so others wouldn’t hear.

“The Northern Empire’s throne remains intact despite the manifestation of the Light of Kingship. But in your case, the throne was shattered, wasn’t it? The Knights are publicly unable to say it, but how can you act like this with such a weakness…”

“I don’t think that’s a weakness.”

“Huh?”

Karna was taken aback by Azadin’s confident words.

“When the throne was intact, did the Yegas gods [the gods of this world] save the people? Most of them were tyrants who exploited the people in the name of faith. What matters is the act of protecting the people; the throne itself is meaningless.”

Karna was speechless, seeing Azadin confidently asserting that the throne was worthless.

For someone who had broken the throne to say it was unnecessary was nothing more than a worthless rant.

However, Karna was certain that Azadin was sincere.

*********

Lord Astadier had already infiltrated Banlung Port with his subordinates.

As a former king, he knew well the devastation that battle would bring.

The forces created by Zekt’s sorcery, Zekt would throw them away as arrow fodder without a second thought.

It would become a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

If Azadin was a detestable sinner, then it would be enough to kill Azadin separately; there was no need to fight leading an army.

Thinking so, he had secretly infiltrated Banlung Port separately with only a minimal number of attendants.

But the moment he saw Azadin, he realized his thinking was wrong.

“Ha, hahaha. This can’t be.”

He burst into a hearty laugh.

Azadin’s black hair and elegant grace reminded him of a figure buried deep in his memories.

“No way. That guy. Is he… Laila’s child?!”

The sight of Azadin appearing on a hippogriff [a mythical creature, half horse, half eagle] reminded him of someone he knew.

A sin he wanted to forget, but couldn’t, a sin etched into his soul that he could never erase.

He resembled the woman of the Herald tribe who had caused him to leak the Divine King’s Scripture [a sacred text].

‘I see why he can use the Light of Kingship. That guy is my son!’

Astadier firmly believed that the Herald tribe member before him was his son.

‘This filthy… cursed Herald tribe! Not only did they steal the Divine King’s Scripture through me, but they also leaked the blood of the Yegas gods! Ah, Astadier, you fool. How great a sin have you committed, being swayed by such petty emotions!’

Astadier had a strange misunderstanding (?) and hit his own head. The iron mask of the sinner took the blow instead of his fist, ringing like a bell.

‘But I had a son. And he’s a count in the South, a hero of the world. He’s also very handsome. He doesn’t look like me in my youth… he looks more like his mother, Laila.’

Astadier suddenly imagined himself still the king of Tarasar, with a harmonious family, and a son like Azadin, a figure he could be proud of anywhere, creating a glorious royal family, and then shook his head in surprise.

In the past, Astadier was just a prince who had been thrown into the succession before he was ready.

He was proud of his martial arts skills, which were second to none, but most of the Yegas princes were just pretty shells, and his fate was precarious.

Then, suspicious people approached and became his patrons.

They were the Herald tribe, who were aiming for the Divine King’s Scripture.

They demanded that Astadier swear on his family, bloodline, gods, and fate, but Astadier secretly looked down on their proposal.

Once he became king, he could just kick them away.

Breaking an oath was dishonorable, but no one would criticize him for breaking an oath with the Herald tribe.

So, Astadier decided to accept the support of the Herald tribe without much burden…

It was a misjudgment.

Laila.

This female herald, whom the Herald tribe had assigned to help Astadier, was so beautiful and charming that Astadier fell in love with her.

Even though he knew it was a fruit full of poisonous thorns, he bit into it, and when he came to his senses, he was a great sinner who had leaked the Divine King’s Scripture.

Astadier, enraged by his own sin, began to chase and kill the Herald tribe members who had manipulated him. And finally, he drove Laila to her death.

But…

He still regretted it.

He still missed her and yearned for her.

Maybe if he had such a son, he could still have a harmonious family with her?

If he had abandoned the king’s mission, the mission of the Yegas gods, and had run away with her…

‘Ah, no. That is a sin. Oh, spirits of Yegas, look upon me.’

At that moment, battle axes were joined in front of him, blocking his path.

Was it because he had unconsciously moved forward little by little? As Astadier got closer to Azadin, the guards blocked his path.

“Step back.”

“You are…”

Astadier clicked his tongue, looking at the soldiers blocking his path.

The metallic sound brought him back to reality.

Yes. No matter how much you regret the past, you can’t take it back.

Feeling the cold touch of the iron mask on his skin, Astadier decided to do what he had to do.

“Step aside. I am Astadier, an Inquisitor of the King’s Church. I am here to subdue the wicked who spread false teachings, and those who block my path will face the wrath of the King’s Church!”

“I, Inquisitor?!”

The soldiers were surprised and stepped back as Astadier stepped forward.

Astadier’s attendants rushed out and made a loud noise by hitting the sides of their swords with bucklers they had taken from their pockets.

“It is the procession of Esar III, the former king of Tarasar!”

Esar is the name of the king of Tarasar. When Astadier was king, he was Esar III, and the current king of Tarasar is Esar IV.

Astadier had given up the throne, so calling him Esar III was something that should not be done. It could only be written in history books, not spoken by a person.

However, there was nothing better to convince the ignorant people.

It was impossible to explain such complex royal etiquette to the people one by one.

“Hmm.”

Azadin smiled as he looked at the Inquisitor Astadier who had revealed himself.

‘He’s not starting a war, but challenging me to a one-on-one fight. Smart. Yes. There’s no reason to make the soldiers clash and shed blood. The Rescue Knights also respect the King’s Church, so if he’s confident in his skills, it’s better to just come. The problem is that he’s a former king, how strong will he be?’

At that moment, Jibek stepped in front of Azadin.

“Sir Azadin. Let’s talk first.”

“Talk?”

“Yes. There’s no need to fight, is there? Lord Astadier is the former king of Tarasar. Harming him would not be good for public sentiment.”

“How presumptuous. To worry about me being harmed.”

Astadier scoffed, knowing that Jibek’s words assumed Azadin’s victory.

Astadier untied the leather straps he was wearing, and attached to these straps were chisels that stonemasons would use.

Astadier grabbed the leather straps and swung them over his head like a sling, then flicked them, and the chisels attached to the straps flew out towards Azadin.

There were still many onlookers, but Astadier attacked indiscriminately, regardless of whether they would be harmed.

“This!”

Jibek left the flying iron chisels heading towards Azadin to him, and he used his shield to deflect the iron chisels flying towards nearby onlookers.

It was obvious that they would pierce through if he just blocked them, so he deflected them at an angle, sending the iron chisels flying into the sky, but the force behind the iron chisels was so strong that Jibek’s knees buckled and his boots slipped on the ground.

‘Kuh!?’

Selim stepped forward and struck down the iron chisels flying towards Azadin’s hippogriff, Fire Winter, with his axe.

Selim’s axe bent, the handle broke, and Selim became covered in blood.

“Kuh-ack!”

Azadin just dodged the iron chisels and gave a wry smile.

“Does he not care about civilian casualties at all?”

“Those who listen to your blasphemous words are heretics. Azadin! They are dying because of you.”

Astadier said that and swung the leather straps in the air again.

Surely the iron chisels that were tied to the leather straps had just been thrown?

But new iron chisels were flying again.

‘This can’t be.’

Jibek was shocked to see that the iron chisels he had blocked with his shield had disappeared in mid-air.

So, the iron chisels that Astadier was launching would fly out, attack the target, and then return to the leather straps.

How could a weapon that could be thrown infinitely have such power?

‘But the precision is lacking.’

Azadin was startled as he tried to dodge the iron chisels flying towards him.

The iron chisels that had been flying in a straight line now changed direction in mid-air and chased after Azadin.

The first throw was just in a straight line, and the second was to make them chase, deliberately inducing the opponent’s carelessness.

The first attack, which lacked precision, was a trick to induce Azadin’s carelessness.

“Ugh!”

Azadin grabbed Lord Planck’s holy sword, Aurelia Dawn, with both hands, short like a bayonet, and struck down the flying iron chisels.

-Clang!

The soft ceramite blade shattered, and sparks flew in all directions like sparks from hitting hot iron.

The ceramite sword shattered as if it had exploded.

‘Did he get him?’

Karna, who was watching the fight, was sweating in his hands.

He really deserved to be called an Inquisitor.

Astadier’s combat power was tremendous.

As a former king of Tarasar and worthy of the title of Inquisitor, he was unleashing terrifying attacks.

Even though it was a soft ceramite longsword, to launch attacks that could explode a metal sword without stopping.

Each iron chisel was as powerful as a cannonball.

If those iron chisels were aimed at him, would he have survived?

Astadier’s attack made even Karna, who was watching, sweat in his hands.