The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 403

“You truly are remarkable.”

Azadin was impressed that Zekt had not only survived Visen’s betrayal but had also captured a bishop of Visen.

Although he had lost his entire force, Zekt’s troops were under a sorcerous spell, making them as good as dead even if they were alive.

Even though Zekt’s loyal human officers had been annihilated when he committed murder and cast spells before their eyes, they were considered dangerous elements within Azadin’s military faction.

Zekt returning alive and alone after losing his entire force was the best possible outcome for Azadin.

“Sir Zekt, I heard you’ve been through a lot. I heard Visen suddenly betrayed you? And you captured a bishop of Visen?”

“Yes. Thanks to that, I lost my golden armor. It’s a shame. It was a special custom-made item with parts that could open up to easily release tentacles or Nether blood from various parts of my body.”

“……”

“You can laugh here.”

“No, but what did Visen do to give you such a hard time?”

While Astadear, another Inquisitor, was specialized in dealing with single enemies, Zekt was a versatile individual capable of handling a variety of situations.

The Nether magic he used was a purification of the Inquisitorial research, and he could raise a large army to fight as long as he had enough flesh, even if he was alone.

“They were blood-stained red Celestials [powerful beings of divine origin]. I was careless because I underestimated the Celestial Fire’s loose skills, but it seems the Northern Empire and the Wisdom Order have created something quite interesting. Perhaps they even broke the statues of the archangels to draw blood….”

The three archangels were the main deities of the angel faith, and defiling the statues of such archangels was a grave sin, unlike defiling a few small angel statues to draw blood.

‘Well, it doesn’t seem right that some angels are more important because of their higher rank, while others are lower angels and it’s okay to break them.’

However, anyone who followed the faith of the Rescue Knights would not touch the statues of the three archangels, even if they were corrupted by magic.

‘If they had no interest in the angel faith, they would have touched the archangel statues from the beginning. Did they not do so and then later, when things didn’t go well, did they touch them? Or did they not touch them to reassure the church clergy they were working with? But why would Celestials appear when punishing in the name of the King’s Church?’

As Azadin was thinking this, Zekt spoke.

“I believe the Celestial Fire has entered the castle.”

“Oh, right. They agreed to lend their strength….”

“There must be a spy.”

“Well, there probably is, isn’t there?”

Azadin did not rule out the possibility of a spy within the Celestial Fire.

“But I’m not in a position to be picky about who I accept. More than anything, the most suspicious person is right in front of me. Someone who looks like they want to cut my throat right now….”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Zekt smiled and drew his sword. In the wide stone building that was called the King’s reception room, with no guards, the sound of the blade echoed eerily.

“Sir Zekt!”

Jibek, who was watching from the side, drew his sword and blocked Zekt.

However, Zekt didn’t even look at Jibek and glared at Azadin with burning eyes.

“King Azadin. I request a duel with you.”

“A duel?”

“That’s presumptuous, Sir Zekt. Why would His Majesty duel with you?”

A king should not accept a duel lightly.

An ordinary knight errant might be ridiculed for refusing a fair duel, but if a responsible person like a military commander or a king were to die in a reckless duel, the repercussions would be uncontrollable.

However, Zekt, unlike his usual self, widened his eyes and glared at Azadin with a burning gaze.

“Because I heard something I cannot possibly accept.”

“Something you cannot possibly accept?”

“I was curious why the clergy of the King’s Church were suddenly attacking you as if they wanted to kill you, so I interrogated the Bishop of Visen. Do you know what he said? Why those who seemed willing to negotiate until now now hate and despise you as if you were a monster?”

“Hmm? Because I’m Aragasa [a term for a person of mixed heritage]?”

“That’s not it, but you seem to know the answer since you’re deliberately giving absurd wrong answers.”

Zekt didn’t laugh at or mock Azadin’s wrong answer but realized that he knew the answer and was deliberately wrong.

Indeed, Azadin was embarrassed.

“It’s embarrassing for me to say it myself.”

“Then I’ll say it for you. King Azadin. Cohen Lionheart of the Northern Empire testified at the Council of Bishops of the King’s Church. He said that you are a being who received revelations from the Yaegas spirits [ancient, powerful spirits]. That you are the rightful King of Banreung. However, Cohen Lionheart said that the grace of the Yaegas spirits was given to you as a kind of trial because you did not fully follow the oracles and revelations of the Yaegas spirits.”

“……”

Zekt’s statement was shocking. Jibek knew that Azadin had used the throne of Banreung to summon the light of kingship, but he never imagined that he had been officially chosen by the spirits.

‘If that were the case, he should have announced it to the whole world… Ah, but people wouldn’t believe it. But at least he should have told his close aides? But wait? Cohen Lionheart testified to that?’

Jibek felt confused and asked.

“No, then why? Did the bishops go collectively insane? Why would they attack a rightful king chosen by the gods….”

Azadin answered instead of Zekt.

“Because if there is a rightful king chosen by the gods, unlike what the King’s Church usually says, the positions of the clergy are in danger.”

“What does that….”

“The rightful king chosen by the gods has announced a new doctrine that denies the existing clergy, so the clergy have realized that you are truly trying to purge them.”

“So that’s why Visen betrayed us. If I had seized the throne through collusion, there would be room for negotiation, but if I am the rightful owner of the throne, there is no way to negotiate, so I am a complete enemy. Did the bishop say that?”

Azadin tilted his head, thinking of the bishop Zekt had brought.

“But what does that have to do with you and me that I have to duel with you?”

“It must be because of inferiority.”

Jibek said, as if for Zekt to hear.

“Haha. Sir Jibek. You’ve become too bold. You’re even interrupting my conversation with the King.”

“I don’t see why I shouldn’t interrupt a madman who is trying to assassinate the King because of his inferiority complex, Sir Zekt.”

“Shut up. Do you think I’m smiling like this because I want to?!”

Zekt snapped at Jibek.

“Even if you are of royal blood, no power is given to someone who has not sat on the throne! I, who was practically abandoned by the church since childhood, have undergone grueling training to gain this power. Do you think I like using Nether sorcery? There aren’t many people in the Inquisitorial Office who would research this dangerous sorcery other than me! I became corrupted because I had to!”

“……”

Azadin smiled bitterly at Zekt’s words. To be honest, no matter how much Zekt had suffered, he probably hadn’t suffered as much as Azadin.

After all, Zekt was the king’s brother, and Azadin was the lowest of the low, even among the messenger clan. Azadin also participated in the Nether magic research that Zekt said was difficult, so he knew how difficult it was.

However, it was better to let Zekt vent his frustrations now.

“In my childhood, I desperately wanted to gain skills so that the royal family would call me back, and as I got older, I tried to contribute my sword to my brother’s kingdom. But the king became corrupted and indulged in pleasure.”

“……”

“He pushed me aside and became king, intoxicated with power and status, taking the beauties of the kingdom and killing the people and exploiting their wealth! Unable to control his lust, he fathered countless children, and those self-proclaimed princes went around the kingdom as knights errant, committing all sorts of atrocities. And I was pushed aside by such trash?! Because of this damn church law!? But now, if there is an agent of the gods in front of me, I can’t stand the urge to cut him down and undermine the will of those arrogant gods! I can’t wait to see what happens to the fate arranged by the Yaegas spirits if I cut this bastard down!”

Zekt actually hated the King’s Church and this world more than anyone else.

He had joined Azadin because Azadin was a messenger clan, the lowest of the low under the order of the King’s Church, and his very existence mocked the order of the church.

But now it turns out that Azadin is a messenger of God?!

Helping Azadin was no longer an act of mocking the order of the world by raising the untouchable Azadin to a high position, but an act of helping the order of God.

“That’s why it’s called an inferiority complex, Sir Zekt.”

“Enough, Jibek.”

Azadin stopped Jibek.

“Even if it’s true, you shouldn’t say it so bluntly.”

“……”

It was a statement that didn’t really mean to stop him.

Guards rushed in after hearing the commotion, but no one dared to come between Zekt and Azadin.

A menacing aura was emanating from Zekt, and eyes that were not human began to appear all over his body.

Azadin was receiving this terrifying aura with his vulnerable body.

He was in a position where he could have his head cut off with a single blow if he were to be attacked, yet he was acting relaxed in front of Zekt, one of the strongest holy knights of the King’s Church.

The space between Zekt’s menacing aura and Azadin, who was receiving it, was a battlefield where countless spirits were clashing. Anyone who intervened would be torn to pieces.

‘What amazing courage.’

Jibek felt bewildered and impressed by Azadin, who was calmly receiving Zekt’s murderous intent.

For Zekt, Azadin’s existence was like the embodiment of providence that had twisted his life.

The pain, dissatisfaction, and irrationality of Zekt’s life. All of it was standing here in human form, so he had the urge to cut him down immediately and the desire to convey how hard and painful he had been. These two desires were intertwined and conflicting.

That’s why Zekt couldn’t attack first, but knowing that, how could he really show such a relaxed attitude in front of him?

What kind of courage would it take to face Zekt’s murderous intent so calmly?

Then Azadin opened his mouth.

“Sir Zekt. Right now, you seem to be obsessed with the idea of cutting me down to see if you are a puppet of fate or not, since everything is moving according to the will of the gods. That’s quite interesting. Is this the difference between the King’s Church and the Rescue Knights?”