The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 407

“The Foresight Bird still isn’t working. And I can still feel that poisonous aura from them, like it’s stinging my skin?”

Even though they had been shot down with arrows, the riders still exuded a poisonous aura.

A poisonous aura that even the Foresight Bird couldn’t properly detect. No matter how you looked at it, they weren’t ordinary humans.

“I know. I guess we should protect these nuns and make them a gift for Azadin.”

“Well, I don’t think he’d reject us even without a gift, but it wouldn’t hurt to prepare a lot of gifts.”

Indim and Seraph planned to protect these members of the Mercy Order [a religious order focused on healing and aid] and gain favor with Azadin.

“Thank you. If we can meet King Azadin alive and well, we will surely testify to your devotion.”

“Yeah. That’s the spirit.”

Indim and Seraph glared at the enemies chasing them from behind.

The riders approached their fallen horses.

Was it to euthanize their suffering steeds by ending their lives?

But….

-Crack!

The riders stomped on the necks of their horses with their feet.

Surprisingly, even from this distance, blood splattered, and the horse’s neck was severed. Was it even possible for a person to cut a horse’s neck by stepping on it?

What happened next was even more astonishing.

The horse with its severed neck rose. And the riders’ bodies became fixed to the horse’s neck, becoming one with the horse.

The lower bodies of the riders transformed into grotesque tentacles, burrowing into the severed neck of the horse, turning them into bizarre monsters.

“Behold, Heine, the Bringer of Rest! This is the miracle and revelation we have received!”

“We wish to share this joyous gospel!”

The riders approached, making bizarre statements with voices full of genuine joy.

It wasn’t a deception to mislead; they were truly finding joy and feeling ecstasy as they approached, which was incredibly bizarre and terrifying.

Did that mean they truly felt becoming such monsters was a miracle or a blessing?

“Oh, my god.”

Seraph clicked his tongue, looking at the approaching monsters.

*********

Azadin summoned the Archbishop of Banlung and showed him the corpse of Bishop Bisen, who had been killed.

The horribly mutated corpse was shriveling, but its grotesque appearance remained intact.

The Archbishop of Banlung was startled.

“W-what on earth is this?”

“It’s Bishop Bisen. But it’s hard to just let you pretend you don’t know anything.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Stop pretending. There’s no way you wouldn’t have attended the bishop’s council, right? And I don’t think enemies could have been deployed to Bisen so quickly unless it was through the magic mirror ritual that the church has a monopoly on.”

“P-please forgive me, Your Majesty. It’s not like I had any rebellious intentions….”

The Archbishop immediately bowed his head.

“Then, can you tell me exactly what happened at the bishop’s council? Why did Bisen suddenly betray us, and how were they able to make these preparations?”

“Y-yes, of course.”

The Archbishop of Banlung immediately explained the situation.

“The story began when King of Kings, Cohen Lionheart of the Northern Empire, testified about Your Majesty, Azadin.”

*********

To bring the church to his side, Cohen Lionheart of the Northern Empire testified that Azadin was the one chosen by the spirit of Yaegas [a powerful ancestral spirit].

He stated without exaggeration that when Azadin sat on the throne of Banlung, the great spirits of the Yaegas clan recognized Azadin as the rightful owner of the throne, bestowed upon him the original text of the Divine King’s Scripture, and entrusted him with the mission to protect the people of Hybris.

At first, the clergy thought he was joking.

Cohen Lionheart of the Northern Empire was the King of Kings, a figure who had the support of the King’s Church.

But he himself was testifying that Azadin, not him, was the true chosen one?

It was a statement that no one in their right mind would make.

However, Cohen Lionheart of the Northern Empire asked.

‘Does the true king need you? Will he forgive you, who have until now insulted him as a soulless blasphemer, just because you change your attitude now?’

‘No, if he is the true king, he should naturally cooperate with the church.’

‘Haha. That’s absurd. Put your hand on your chest and think. Were you truly faithful clergy? What were you doing while the world was in this state? And were the other kings of the Eight Thrones really proper kings and clergy? You can’t possibly say that. If they were, the world wouldn’t be in this mess, would it?’

As Cohen Lionheart of the Northern Empire said, the existence of a chosen one proved that the clergy and other kings had been negligent.

‘Fortunately, I too have received power from the spirits of Yaegas. But it’s not because I’m great. Azadin, he rejected some of the missions given by the spirits of Yaegas. As a backlash, some of the spirits gave their power to me instead… I too will be able to show miracles. So, the only way for you bishops to survive is to follow me.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You must cooperate with King Azadin now.’

A minority of the clergy, upon learning that Azadin was the rightful king and not an invader of Banlung, argued that they should cooperate with him.

However, among the many bishops, there were few who responded to their words.

‘You don’t understand. Do you really not know why King Azadin, despite being the true owner of the throne, is not allying with you clergy and is preaching his own doctrine? He plans to purge the clergy. The reason he’s releasing food to win the hearts of the people is because he plans to seize the food you’ve hoarded through hoarding, that’s how he was able to make such large expenditures.’

‘What? That’s….’

Even the clergy who had argued for siding with Azadin were speechless.

‘What if we purge the clergy of the King’s Church who hoarded food? He has both the justification and the mission.’

‘…….’

Cohen Lionheart of the Northern Empire fueled the clergy’s distrust of Azadin.

Most of them had forced merchants who were unwilling to sell, using their positions to hoard food.

Merchants were hoarding, and the clergy were participating in the hoarding by practically robbing those merchants, causing food prices to skyrocket.

What if Azadin condemned the clergy while confiscating it?

He was already the one chosen by the gods of Yaegas. He had both the justification and the practical benefit.

Thinking that way, it made sense why Azadin, despite being chosen by the gods of Yaegas, was not publicly announcing it and was distancing himself from the King’s Church.

But….

The Northern Emperor made a big mistake here.

He had mistaken the clergy of the King’s Church for being mere opportunists who loved power without any love for God.

The Northern Emperor also looked down on the current clergy as mere opportunists, insignificant beings who only cared about their own wealth and well-being.

*********

“Is that not true?”

Azadin, who had been listening to the story, asked the Archbishop of Banlung.

“That is the arrogance of the transcendent. Because the clergy have so many flaws in their conduct, you seem to think they are all charlatans with no faith. Nevertheless, they have genuine faith.”

“If they had faith, they should have done what God told them to do. They ignored, or rather, took the lead in the people being plundered and abused, sacrificed for the pleasure of the nobles and clergy, and you’re saying they have faith?”

“To be precise, it is the desire for the gods to love and choose them. It is impossible to live virtuously according to faith, but their love for faith itself is genuine. May I continue the story?”

“I apologize. For interrupting.”

Azadin apologized to the Archbishop of Banlung and listened to the story again.

*********

‘Why, after dedicating our entire lives to the gods, did the gods choose such a lowly being?’

Of course, the lives of the clergy were not so pious and beautiful. That was absolutely not the case.

Like murderers who blame their victims, they exaggerated their own suffering and dedication more than their own faults, feeling jealousy, envy, and disappointment in the gods’ choice.

As many began to pray fervently, now that the power of Jupiter had grown stronger and the boundary with the other world had become blurred, the gods began to respond to their prayers.

********

“Since that day, many bishops have claimed to have witnessed miracles. Perhaps that is why?”

“You kept such an important matter from me.”

“Hahaha. How could I dare to spread unconfirmed rumors before the king? There are so many self-proclaimed recipients of revelations. In fact, before witnessing this, I thought they were all just hallucinating because they couldn’t bear their inferiority complex. But now that I see it, it really is a miracle. It’s just that the subject of the miracle is not the gods of Yaegas, but unidentified envoys.”

“Even so, if bishops were saying such things, you should have at least given me a heads-up?”

“Since Your Majesty sees me as just a materialistic clergyman, I am not in a position to offer such advice by your side. Even so, I am welcoming the fact that King Azadin is liberating this land and becoming its true owner.”

Since you don’t keep me close, how can I give you a heads-up about such trivial matters?

The Archbishop of Banlung replied with a sly smile.

“So. Have you not received such revelations from other gods?”

“Ah, no. I just know my place.”

The Archbishop of Banlung was a materialist, but he was not as shameless as the other bishops.

He knew very well that he would not be chosen by God, as he had committed all sorts of transgressions.

‘No, is that worse? Since he has no desire for self-improvement?’

It was an era where alien gods were giving revelations to the prayers of humans.

The materialistic nature of the Archbishop of Banlung, who only coveted material things and not the spiritual realm, was truly reliable in this situation, but it seemed to be of no use.

“The Archbishop of Banlung is doing quite well in missionary work.”

Jibek whispered, as if he had read Azadin’s thoughts.

The help of such a seasoned clergyman was essential in spreading Azadin’s new medicine. Ironically, the one least interested in the spiritual aspect was the most excellent missionary.

“I understand. I ask for your continued help and guidance in the future.”

“You’re welcome. Every day that I serve the rightful king chosen by the spirits of Yaegas is a great joy for me.”

The Archbishop of Banlung said that and stepped back.

And as the Archbishop of Banlung stepped back, this time, Lady Izmilla rushed in.

“It’s a disaster, Your Majesty.”

“What is it? Lady Izmilla?”

“T-the Mercy Order, the Order of Wisdom in Saint Mallory, have declared a miracle!”

The winter continued, and the days of revelations and miracles were upon them.