The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 40

Azadin grabbed the villagers and asked,

“Has anyone seen a girl, about eight years old? She has black hair and a slightly darker complexion. She would have been brought by the Telbarin Guild. There’s a rumor she’s from the Messenger Clan….”

When Azadin asked, the villagers were startled by the precise information.

“W-we don’t know….”

“Shut up and talk, you lowlifes!”

Tarki, who was usually useless, was helpful in this situation. When the knight Tarki yelled, they all told him without a peep.

“The one who mainly trades with that Telbarin Guild is the baker in our village.”

“You see that chimney over there! That’s the house.”

The information was detailed, and with Tarki’s threats, they were able to find the location right away.

“So, what are you going to do now?”

Ismail asked.

“I’ll go to the bakery and negotiate peacefully. Fortunately, the child is still only eight years old.”

They could make her do simple chores, but they couldn’t inflict any serious mental or physical abuse.

That’s what he thought.

“What’s going on?”

The man who came out of the large warehouse was holding a whip.

“Oh? A knight?”

When Tarki charged in, the owner hid the whip behind his back. There were many young children inside the building, all with hollow eyes from malnutrition and overworked looks.

“What brings you here?”

“Hey, I’m looking for someone like this?”

When Tarki turned around, Azadin told him the description and age, etc.

“Why are you looking for her?”

“Hey! Why do you need to know?”

“Ah, well, the truth is, that child is dead.”

“What? Then what about those children?”

Tarki pointed to the other children.

“They’re orphans. I’m a local leader, so I took them in, raise them, and give them work.”

“That’s what he says?”

Tarki had nothing more to say and looked at Azadin behind him. Azadin frowned at the sight of the children.

“How was the child’s funeral?”

There was anger in Azadin’s voice.

“Funeral? Why are you asking about that?”

“Tarki.”

“Yes.”

At that moment, Tarki kneed the owner in the stomach.

“Ugh!”

“I came to find her because her parents and a high-ranking person made a promise. At least I need to know where she was buried. If there was a funeral, I can find the place, so stop with the lies.”

“Ugh… I, actually, just threw her in the river.”

“In the river? Are you out of your mind?”

In a world where the dead forget death and come back to life [referring to the concept of reincarnation or undeath], throwing a child into the river without a proper funeral was a perfect way to create a cursed being.

But it didn’t seem like a lie. This man was taking children, abusing them, and making them work. So, when the children died, he would just throw them into the river when the water rose or when it rained a lot.

“Hmm… what are you going to do?”

Ismail watched, enjoying how things were unfolding. How would Azadin’s compassion, mercy, sympathy, or sense of justice fare when faced with the harsh realities? Ismail wanted to see Azadin fail.

“Hey, is he always like this?”

Azadin asked Midiam.

“Hmm, I don’t know? I don’t think he was like this before.”

Midiam stuck close to Azadin and said that. The affection and admiration were so painful that Ismail couldn’t help but be more sarcastic.

“If you kill this guy, what will happen to the children here? Surely you’re not going to save them all, even though they’re not from our clan? Besides, this guy is trading with the Telbarin Guild. If you entrust these children to the Korasar Merchant Guild, there will inevitably be a conflict with the Telbarin Guild, and I don’t think the guild will help.”

Ismail was young, but he was very sharp in this area. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have left the sanctuary with Midiam to become a follower. [Sanctuary refers to a place of training and refuge for the Messenger Clan]

In the selection process, one had to achieve high enough scores to become a messenger in the future. He was here because he received high evaluations in martial arts, academics, knowledge, and awareness compared to his peers. Ismail was judging the situation very calmly.

If they didn’t rescue these children and just killed the owner, it could be a disaster for the children. But if they left them alone, this man would continue to abuse them as he always had.

“It’s a problem that can’t be solved with just a sense of justice or sympathy. Azadin, please show us your wisdom and teach a young one like me.”

As Ismail was being sarcastic, Tarki stepped forward. He started beating the owner again.

“Hey, you bastard. My brother swore to protect that child, and you’re treating that oath like shit? You looked down on her because she was a child and beat her? Today is the day you get beaten.”

Tarki was beating the owner with gusto.

“Ugh! Ack! S-save me!”

“Hey, when did I become your brother?”

Azadin felt repulsed by Tarki, who was now acting like they were close.

“Don’t worry, brother. We can take these children to my mother’s house. She needs a lot of servants. It’s a much better environment than here, at least.”

“Ah, no, what authority do you have….”

The owner said, but Tarki kicked him in the jaw.

“Keck!”

“……”

Surprisingly, Tarki had proven his usefulness.

“I can’t believe it. This is what they mean when they say even horse dung has its uses.”

Midiam was impressed by Tarki’s fiery display of value.

*********

Azadin and his group beat the bakery owner to a pulp and got him to sign a statement that he had traded children with the Telbarin Guild. After that, they decided to take the children and went to the nearby Korasar Merchant Guild.

The goal was to send the children to Tarki’s mother, Baroness Nort’s mansion, through the merchant guild’s distribution network.

“But what about the promise with Calypso? You even made him swear?”

“Well, we’ll have to look for any children not on the list and be satisfied with sending the Aragasas children to the sanctuary.”

“That’s a shame. You could have spread the rumor about the duel and taken away his 106th rank.”

“I’m not interested in ranks. It doesn’t give me more money.”

“But it’s advantageous when you get married later, right?”

In Aragasas, if a person from a humble family achieves a high rank as a messenger, they will surely be scouted by a prestigious family and have a political marriage with them. [Aragasas is the name of the kingdom or region]

It was a ladder for social advancement allowed to the Messenger Clan, so everyone was eager to climb the ranks. But Azadin’s attitude was indifferent.

“Marriage? I’m not thinking about it yet.”

“Huh? Really?”

Azadin and Midiam were walking while having such a conversation. For Ismail, the friendly atmosphere between the two was killing him.

Then, in the town square, some people who were repairing wagon wheels on a caravan of the merchant guild noticed Azadin and jumped up.

“Azadin?!”

“Hmm?”

Azadin was puzzled to see the merchants recognizing him.

“Ah, well….”

“Kellibre.”

“It’s Adan. Don’t you recognize your seniors? We were so fond of you?”

Then Midiam, who was watching, chuckled.

“They’re not even messengers or followers.”

“Ha. You still don’t know.”

Adan scoffed and glared at Azadin.

“What’s going on, Kellibre? Adan?”

“What’s going on!”

“It’s an order from the higher-ups to arrest you and take you away!”

“Huh? Higher-ups?”

Azadin shrugged.

“Are you drunk in broad daylight? Are you on drugs?”

“No, I’m not kidding, Azadin. Your messenger position has been suspended.”

“No, it’s okay. No need to explain. Just take me.”

“Yes, if we take you, we’ll become messengers.”

“……”

Azadin was bewildered as he watched his seniors boldly draw their weapons in the middle of the street.

It was true that he had stopped hearing the Emperor’s Voice. But that meant he was fired? And being taken away?

‘What on earth is going on? Well, I can find out from them.’

They were drawing their weapons in the middle of the town, not just on the street, so it must be really urgent.

“So, you’re going to arrest me and become messengers yourselves, so you’re drawing your swords in the middle of town like this?”

“Yes, you bastard!”

“I don’t know how you became a messenger when you’re so incompetent….”

“You’re no longer a messenger. You’re dismissed from your messenger position.”

“We’ll take you and we’ll….”

“……”

Azadin stood there blankly, then casually turned his gaze. His head turned towards the two seniors.

“I guess I’ll have to hear the details from you guys?”

“Hahaha. Azadin, have you forgotten?”

“Have you forgotten how we used to beat you up every day?”

“Don’t you remember how you used to cry when we beat you up when you were a kid?”

“Oh, yes, yes. I remember it all. I remember how you covered my face and said my lower face was similar to Ara’el’s, held me down, and forced me to kiss you. It was a very disgusting memory.”

Azadin was a twin of Ara’el, so when he wore the hawk mask, his lower face was similar to Ara’el’s. Now that they had gone through puberty, the difference between the two had widened, but when Azadin and Ara’el were young, they looked similar except for the fact that they didn’t have eyes.

That’s why he was bullied a lot….

“Ah, damn it. Even though I said it myself, it’s so disgusting to remember. You guys need to be punished.”

Azadin was furious at his seniors for bragging about bullying him. But they always seemed to see him as the easy target he was in his childhood.

“Haha. You’ve got guts!”

“You got the messenger position thanks to Elder Kazas!”

“Let’s go!”

Kellibre and Adan drew their swords at the same time and charged at Azadin.

*********

Kellibre and Adan’s attacks were by no means easy.

All members of the Messenger Clan receive basic training to become messengers in the year they turn eight. This basic training alone was incredibly intense and contained the wisdom of the Messenger Clan.

Among them, those who showed outstanding talent competed for the 108 messenger positions, so even if they were skilled, many lived without becoming followers if there were no vacancies in their generation.

Kellibre and Adan were also such skilled individuals. But….

Unfortunately, their attacks did not work on Azadin. Azadin caught the sharp blades with his gloved hands.

-Thud!

The swords were locked in Azadin’s hands as if they had always been there.

“Ugh?!”

The swords wouldn’t come out.

“You bastard!”

“Damn it.”

Kellibre and Adan made hand seals and tried to concentrate to use magic. At that moment, Azadin’s hand moved.