The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 47

It was Aldis who stood against those elders. First, she insisted that the children, having been born, must be given names.

For the Aragasa, naming is sacred. Giving a name means the namer’s fate is intertwined with the named. However, that didn’t mean they should kill a child without a name. Children who die before being named are all considered saved.

Aldis persuaded the elders that if they truly hated the children who might be the reincarnation of Acre, they should give them names. The problem was that no one wanted to give these children names.

So, Aldis insisted that she would name the children herself.

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“You’re playing a shallow trick, Aldis. That is absolutely not allowed. You are Jedah, a noble descendant of the founder and one with the eyes of Harkonia. We cannot waste the clan’s talent on such a thing.”

“But, Master.”

“You want to name them to protect them, right? So the elders can’t kill them carelessly? But that’s a foolish act that will only increase your burden. Why are you so attached to those children?”

“I don’t know either. But I think it’s right for me to protect young lives that need help.”

“That’s unnecessary compassion. Why show such mercy even to your enemies?”

“Because… I was friends with Acre. I understand a little why Acre betrayed the clan. Even now that Acre has betrayed the clan, I can’t hate him.”

“Only say such things in front of me. The other elders would be furious if they heard. Fine. Then I will name them. The boy will be Azadin. The girl will be Araelle.”

“What? But those names are…”

Azadin was the name given to the dragon of destruction, the dragon of nothingness, that had been passed down since long before they came to Hybris. [Hybris is the name of the continent they are on.]

Araelle was the angel who fought against that dragon. They were the protagonists of a myth, symbolizing light and darkness, fighting eternally and eventually perishing together.

“Aren’t those names too much? They are the names of the old gods before we came to Hybris and served the Emperor.”

“It’s good that they’re the names of gods, but one of them is the name of a death god. And you’re giving the twin siblings names of mutual destruction?”

For the herald clan, the Aragasa, naming is a sacred ritual. On the other hand, it’s also a superstition. No matter how grand the name, it doesn’t actually change fate.

The Aragasa believe that the fates of the namer and the named are intertwined, but they don’t know if that’s true or not. But to give twins names that mean they will kill each other.

Aldis felt a sense of revulsion at the malicious naming. But Grand Master Hatir asserted.

“That’s what it will take to satisfy the elders. Aldis, if you want to save those children, do as I say. The elders will agree.”

“So it’s to save the children. I see… Ah, I hope those names don’t have a bad influence on the children.”

As Hatir said, the elders were satisfied with the names and no longer talked about killing the children.

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Originally, the herald clan were foreigners called the Aragasa, who came to the continent of Hybris on five ships. The ship owners of the five ships, their descendants, are the founding clan.

Among them, who are called the god-king slayers and soulless blasphemers by the people of Hybris, there was a hierarchy. The five founding families were the most noble, followed by their vassals, and the lowly oarsmen were at the bottom.

The hierarchy within the Aragasa was already firmly established, so everyone dreamed of becoming a herald.

A herald is a status granted by the Emperor. It transcends social status.

The Aragasa’s class system is useless in front of the status granted by the Emperor. Therefore, those who have honorably performed their duties as heralds can transcend social status, marry into good families, and become members of those families. Becoming a herald is the only ladder for social advancement for the Aragasa.

So, parents did everything they could to ensure their children could become heralds. From a young age, they fed them well, raised them with affection, and spared no support. Azadin and Araelle, born of a curse without parents, were at a disadvantage from the start.

Of course, that was the story of ordinary people.

For Araelle, there was no problem.

The problem was with Azadin.

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“He has no magic power?”

The elders of the council were thoroughly examining Azadin and Araelle.

It was because there was an opinion that these children might be the God-King’s scripture itself.

So, the mages of the library and Aldis had examined the children themselves, and a surprising conclusion was reached. Azadin could see things without eyes and had an amazing resistance to black magic. But the price was terrible.

“To be precise…”

Aldis shook her head.

“What’s inside Azadin isn’t the Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon.”

Every member of the herald clan receives a grimoire at birth. It is the power that the service contract gives them, a gift from the Emperor. [A grimoire is a book of magic spells.]

The grimoire they receive is the colorless grimoire ‘Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon’.

Those who possess this can use the magic power of the grimoire within their bodies if they study and understand the ‘Harkonian Interpretation’. But what was inside Azadin was like the remnants of the grimoire Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon.

“Perhaps those who are born with this curse of service are not supposed to be twins. Originally, Araelle and Azadin were one. But as they split into two, the Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon was not fully given.”

“…Is that so?”

“Instead, the grimoire and magic power that Araelle possesses are… amazing. To be honest, isn’t she the best ever?”

“Is the ‘Reincarnation of Harkonia’ saying that?”

The elders asked.

“She is stronger than me. This child will become the strongest herald ever. Perhaps the title ‘Reincarnation of Harkonia’ will belong to this child, not me.”

Aldis looked bitter as she said that.

“Are you resentful that a rival has appeared?”

“No. It’s not that… I feel sorry for Azadin. What he should have had was given to Araelle. Compared to Araelle, Azadin doesn’t even meet the basics of children his age, except for his eyes and magic resistance.”

“Magic resistance?”

“Yes. The incomplete grimoire is randomly emitting all kinds of magic power within his body, so various magic powers are swirling chaotically within him. This gives him resistance to magic… but he won’t be able to handle any magic.”

“It seems Araelle took what was Azadin’s. How cruel. She took his eyes and his grimoire, everything?”

Araelle opened her eyes and recognized things from birth. When she took her first steps, everyone around her realized. This child would become a peerless beauty.

Her powerful magic was unmatched, and her excellent strategy, outstanding archery, and overwhelming martial arts were unmatched by anyone of her age. On the other hand, Azadin was similar to an ordinary child of Hybris.

“A harsh fate awaits him.”

The elders said that, but no one pitied Azadin.

He was the child of the traitor Acre, a guy who was fine whether he lived or died. However, everyone showed deep interest in Araelle’s talent.

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When basic training began, the children disliked Araelle and Azadin, who were orphans without a family. But Araelle, who had outstanding skills and peerless beauty, quickly captivated those around her…

It took less than a month to turn all her peers in basic training into followers. Those who didn’t become followers were defeated by her skills, regardless of whether they were seniors or not. Even the instructors either died in accidents or had no choice but to become Araelle’s followers.

On the other hand, Azadin was in serious trouble.

The Aragasa are all toilet-trained by the age of four. By the age of eight, they can draw a white bow, by the age of twelve, they can unfold a double bow, dive for two minutes, and jump their own height.

However, Azadin was still wetting the bed at the age of eight, and he couldn’t even throw a stone properly, let alone draw a white bow. He was at the level of an ordinary child of Hybris, not an Aragasa. The children of the herald clan couldn’t tolerate this Azadin.

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The Aragasa are clearly stronger than the people of Hybris. Although their blood has become diluted by intermarrying with them since they came to Hybris, the Aragasa are still excellent marksmen and have outstanding physical abilities, and they also have the service contract.

The purpose of becoming the Emperor’s herald with the grimoire Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon, combined with persecution from the outside, has given the entire clan a spirit of constant martial arts. But this spirit of martial arts often degenerates into persecution of the weak.

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“Hey, you idiot!”

“Ugh. You cripple. Are you still wetting the bed?”

“Try stringing the bow, you moron!”

“Hehehe, did you see that? He’s dying after running a little on the mountain path, with snot dripping down his face?”

The basic training course is difficult and arduous even for the Aragasa. In fact, about 20% of the total drop out of basic training, and most of them are children of the lower class. But even those children of the lower class despised and bullied Azadin.

He was the child of the clan’s traitor, Acre, and the most inferior being.

In fact, he would have been just an ordinary child among the people of Hybris. But among the Aragasa, Azadin was nothing more than a severely underdeveloped child.

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“Ugh… Ughhh…”

Under the waterfall in the sanctuary where the herald clan hid. Azadin was crying because he was in so much pain. He couldn’t shed tears because he had no eyes, but he just let out the screams of his dying heart.

An orphan, persecuted by everyone. Moreover, in this process called ‘basic training,’ which made him hate the fact that he was the most inferior and powerless being, his heart felt like it was dying.

He wanted to run away right now, but there was nowhere to run. Before basic training started, Araelle had protected Azadin. Whenever other children tried to bully him, Araelle would appear like lightning and beat them all up.

Even when the older children who had already entered basic training came out, no one could match Araelle. But as basic training began, Araelle no longer protected Azadin.

When Araelle distanced herself from Azadin, the other children gradually watched her and tried to bully Azadin. Still, Araelle ignored the situation. Eventually, some couldn’t stand it and openly hit Azadin, but Araelle just smirked and focused on her own work.

‘Araelle has finally abandoned Azadin.’

Everyone became convinced. The basic training process was psychologically and physically burdensome even for the strong Aragasa children, so they needed someone to relieve their stress.

Azadin was a very good target for venting their anger.