The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 78

It was absurd to Azadin. It was true that he had killed Sir Gazrek, but Gazrek was a criminal who had murdered civilians. And above all, was this their chosen method of investigation? Using an undead to track down the killer?

‘This Sir Gazrek looks like an evil undead, doesn’t he? Aren’t there any additional damages? He only targets his enemies and doesn’t attack other humans?’

‘Of course, if there are no enemies or if he cannot absorb blood or flesh to form his body, he will attack anyone nearby, but don’t worry. We are managing him well.’

‘Is it okay for a holy knight to do that? Raising the dead with black magic and using them? If you can’t control him, he’ll attack innocent civilians!’

Azadin posed a fundamental question to the holy knight before him.

‘It’s not like I raised him; it’s just an unfortunate accident.’

‘…….’

Azadin inhaled sharply. It was the familiar smell of embalming fluid.

The same smell as the embalming fluid that Count Kozel had prepared in his palace.

The Sir Gazrek before him was an undead created by removing his internal organs and soaking his body in embalming fluid. An undead artificially enhanced by removing decaying parts and applying magic and embalming treatments. He was artificially manipulated to be used for a long time, and he definitely did not rise on his own.

Moreover, this holy knight in front of him used black magic and yet shamelessly spouted such nonsense.

‘In this case, I think it would be right to resolve Sir Gazrek’s resentment and then give him rest. Above all, we cannot tolerate dangerous individuals like the Messenger Clan roaming around, can we?’

Both Sir Zekt and Azadin were holding back what they wanted to say, talking about other things and testing each other. However, there was one thing that could be seen at a glance when looking at this holy knight….

‘He’s incredibly strong.’

You could feel it just by looking at him. He was an incredibly powerful being. This must be the Judge, Sir Zekt.

Thanks to the magic he used, Sir Gazrek had become very powerful. His entire body was filled with black magic, making his body as hard as steel, and with his plate armor, he was incomparably stronger than a human.

‘That’s the one who killed my father. A Messenger Clan member pretending to be a pilgrim!’

Chief Aide Meya glared at Azadin from beside him. Sir Zibek, with a troubled expression, stepped back and just watched Azadin.

‘How dare you kill my father in front of me and pretend you don’t know!’

Meya, enraged, drew her sword.

‘Your father was a piece of trash who murdered civilians. He massacred innocent farmers.’

‘Lies! How dare you take my father’s life and then defame his honor?’

As she took an agitated step forward, Sir Zibek stopped her.

‘Wait, Sir Meya. You alone….’

‘Let’s attack together. After all, that guy is a soulless blasphemer! We don’t need to worry about knightly honor or anything like that!’

Meya was very worked up. The fact that Azadin had deceived and tricked her right in front of her eyes seemed to bother her more than the fact that the holy knight was using black magic.

‘Let’s first give Sir Gazrek a chance to resolve his own resentment.’

As Sir Zekt said that, Sir Gazrek rushed at Azadin.

*********

Sir Gazrek was excited and trying to rush at Azadin as soon as he saw him, but the holy knight behind him, Sir Zekt, was controlling him. He had released the leash of that control at this timing.

Like a rabid dog that had been unleashed, Sir Gazrek rushed at Azadin, thrashing like a beast. It was a bestial movement that did not fit the principles of swordsmanship at all.

Powerful and heavy blows that would send ordinary humans flying with just a graze rained down on Azadin like a storm. But Azadin lightly deflected the attacks with his sword.

Azadin also possessed strength that transcended ordinary humans, so deflecting those attacks was not that difficult. The real problem now was the holy knights watching from behind, not Sir Gazrek.

‘Hmm, he’s skilled. It’s rare to see someone handle Sir Gazrek so easily.’

Sir Zekt drew a censer [a container for burning incense] in his left hand and a sword in his right. Despite being a huge two-handed sword with a blade as long as a child’s height, he held it lightly in one hand and cast a spell using the censer as a catalyst.

-Chain Magic Missile!

Despite being a holy knight, he was using colorless magic. Unlike white magic, which is powered by prayer and supplication, colorless magic can only be cast by thoroughly studying magic itself.

In other words, Sir Zekt must also have considerable talent as a mage.

Azadin deflected the charge of the undead Sir Gazrek, reached out, and grabbed his helmet. At the same time, he twisted it with a flick, easily changing Sir Gazrek’s direction and throwing him into the Chain Magic Missile.

He lightly threw the rampaging undead to use his body to block the magic!

That was when it happened.

-Variation!

The magic missiles scattered like a flock of starlings, then regrouped and flew towards Azadin. Azadin quickly unfurled his cloak, swung it, and struck it with a palm strike.

-‘Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon, Azure Sky Thunder, Kazas, Hesh!’

The magic missiles that touched the cloak exploded all at once. Even as that happened, Sir Zekt was approaching.

‘Interesting. You’re not using Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon, are you? It looks similar, but it’s not Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon at all.’

‘…….’

Azadin was taken aback that Sir Zekt, having seen it only once, knew that what he was using was not magic.

The Azure Sky Thunder Kazas Hesh that Azadin used looked no different from magic on the surface, so no one had ever recognized it as a martial art at once. But Sir Zekt had recognized it instantly.

He had experience fighting the Messenger Clan. And quite a lot of it.

‘He really is a Judge.’

Azadin glanced at the retreat route of Midiam and Ishmael. Because this area was elevated, he could still see the children escaping. If he didn’t buy more time, they wouldn’t be able to escape.

Fighting together would certainly be beneficial, but… Azadin glared at Judge Zekt.

‘This guy is dangerous. He uses white magic, black magic, and colorless magic, has a good eye, and above all, he exudes the composure of an absolute powerhouse.’

It would be beneficial to have Midiam and Ishmael provide support fire, but if things went wrong, they could be killed in one shot.

For example, what if Sir Zekt or another holy knight suddenly attacked them while Midiam and Ishmael were providing support with arrows from afar?

If the attack power exceeded the defense power, it would become dangerous. It would be better to buy time alone and then escape.

It seemed that Sir Zekt was thinking the same thing as Azadin, who wanted to buy time. He was holding his sword and preventing Meya and Zibek from stepping forward.

‘Ah, Sir Zekt. I….’

As Meya tried to step forward with her sword and shield, Sir Zekt stopped her.

‘If you get within his range, you’ll be captured and used as a hostage in one move.’

‘What?’

‘He’s strong. Don’t approach him unless you have a weapon like a spear.’

It was an insulting remark, but it was the Judge who was saying it. Unable to defy him, Meya stepped back.

‘What should I do?’

Zibek was inwardly troubled.

He was acquainted with Azadin. When they first met, Azadin was a suspicious member of the Messenger Clan, an enemy that a holy knight of the King’s Church should have executed on sight. But after seeing what Azadin had done, he couldn’t help but acknowledge him.

But now, they were turning a fellow holy knight’s corpse into a monster to pursue him. He couldn’t ignore the King’s Church and side with Azadin, so he was playing dumb, staying far away and remaining a bystander.

‘Sir Zibek, please step back as well. Sir Gazrek too. Our officers will arrive soon, so let’s wait until then. I’ll keep this one tied up by myself for now.’

Azadin wanted to buy time for Midiam and Ishmael to escape, and Sir Zekt wanted to buy time for the officers to arrive. They both agreed on the point of buying time.

Azadin adjusted his grip on his sword.

‘Are you the Judge, Sir Zekt?’

‘That’s right, Messenger. And you are?’

‘The Emperor’s Messenger, 108th Order, Azadin.’

‘108th Order? With that skill? I thought you’d be higher?’

Sir Zekt tilted his head.

‘Well, I don’t know the internal affairs of your organization. Shall we get started then? After all, you won’t spit out the copy of the Divine King’s Scripture until you die.’

Sir Zekt’s sword tip began to waver. Although his face was not visible behind his helmet, Azadin felt that he was smiling.

Without either of them moving first, Azadin and Zekt moved at the same time.

Sir Zekt launched a clean thrust. It was a textbook example of a thrust. It was an accurate thrust that felt as if only the sword was extending to attack without any preparatory movement.

A ghostly strike that was so silent until the thrust was launched that it chilled the bones of those who were watching!

Azadin placed his hand on the sword’s blade and deflected the attack by lifting the sword.

‘Oh? He blocked that?’

Sir Zekt smiled and swung the censer. Before Azadin could counterattack, the censer flew towards his face.

‘Hmm?!’

Azadin was wearing a helmet, so he would be fine even if he was hit by the censer, but this was the catalyst that Sir Zekt used when casting magic. Sure enough, Sir Zekt cast Chain Magic Missile.

It was too close to dodge!

As the Chain Magic Missiles hit his body in succession, Azadin swung his sword horizontally and struck Sir Zekt.

An exchange of sword and magic! However, Sir Zekt blocked Azadin’s attack with his own sword. Sir Zekt’s body was pushed to the side, unable to withstand Azadin’s monstrous strength. But from this, it was clear that Azadin was at a disadvantage.

‘Amazing.’

Sir Zekt said as he stepped back.

‘To have no damage after being hit by my magic.’

Azadin had endured six magic missiles that could have killed an ordinary person with just one hit.

‘Tch!’

Azadin threw the sword in his hand at Sir Zekt.

-Whoosh!

Sir Zekt lightly deflected the sword that flew with a sound of cutting through the wind with his own sword. The sword that Azadin threw broke into two pieces. It had already been broken by his sword when he struck Sir Zekt.

-Crack!

The fragments flew towards Meya and Gazrek, who were taking refuge behind Sir Zekt.

-Thud!

Gazrek was hit in the head by the sword, and Sir Zibek deflected the one that flew towards Meya with his sword.

‘Ah, th-thank you, Sir Zibek.’

‘Focus! Against a Messenger Clan member, your life can be taken in a moment of carelessness.’

As Sir Zibek said that, Azadin leaped back and mounted the Kerim Mountain Goat.

‘Let’s go! Sweater!’

The Kerim Mountain Goat began to run.

‘You’re planning to escape….’

At that moment, Azadin drew a new sword and threw it at Sir Zekt. Again, Sir Zekt easily deflected the sword, but in that gap, Azadin pulled out the bow from his waist and strung it.

‘Ah! This is bad.’

Sir Zekt frowned as he saw Azadin switch to a bow.

-Whoosh!

Azadin pulled an arrow from his saddle and shot it with his bow. An arrow danced like a snake and grazed the necks of the horses that Sir Zibek and Sir Meya had brought.

‘What?!’

‘Ah!’

The horses began to panic and thrash. While the holy knights were flustered and trying to control their horses, Azadin widened the distance and shot another arrow. This arrow was fired to pierce Sir Zekt’s neck.