The Shadowed Legacy Of The Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 87

Ismail disliked Azadin from head to toe.

The young boys and girls of the Messenger Clan were driven into fierce competition from a young age. Especially for those with nothing and no family background, if they couldn’t prove their abilities in the messenger selection process, they would have to live as losers for the rest of their lives.

But someone who should have been a loser for life after failing the selection process became a messenger. Even though the elder was his patron, everyone was dissatisfied with this unconventional appointment, yet the person in question was seeking the honor of the Emperor’s messenger.

‘Those people of Hybris insist that the Aragasans have no soul, so what honor is there in protecting such people?’

The entire Aragasans would reject it. Why is Azadin, who failed the messenger selection test and is a heretic who can’t even use magic, making such decisions?

‘Well, I can’t deny his skills…’

When Ismail thought of the time when Azadin subdued Count Salasma, he had to admit his skills. Nevertheless, when Ismail saw Azadin, he felt a sense of disgust, as if bugs were crawling on his skin.

“Azadin is right. We are the Emperor’s messengers, and our original mission was a very honorable one. We’ve been persecuted so much that we’ve forgotten it.”

What annoyed Ismail even more was that Midiam had been siding with Azadin since some point. He could sense an undeniable favor in her, defending Azadin’s words and actions. That was especially displeasing.

Why is it that Azadin, whom she had only met briefly, attracts her more than he, who is always by Midiam’s side, attending to her? Azadin doesn’t even have eyes!

“Is there any reason to cling to an honor that no one recognizes? Huh?”

Just as Ismail was being sarcastic, the feeling of the Seer suddenly cut off.

“Huh?!”

Something had attacked and eliminated the Seer. But how?

The Seer’s magic was a spell that sent an artificial spirit, the Seer, into the sky and shared its senses for reconnaissance. This artificial spirit was a wind spirit so transparent that it was barely visible on the ground.

But for someone to find and attack it meant that they were no ordinary foe.

“This is bad! Everyone, get up!”

Midiam woke up the exhausted women.

“What’s going on?”

Delmer asked.

“The enemy is coming!”

“Oh, great.”

Naga woman, Shati, also frowned at the ominous energy she felt from behind.

“Everyone, move along the stream!”

Brand shouted to the people.

“But then the enemy will know too…”

Except for the stream, the area was overgrown with bushes, so if they were to move at night without lighting a fire, there was no other choice. But wouldn’t that be the same for the enemy?

“Those who can fight, stay here and hold off the enemies!”

Brand said, swinging his crowbar in the air.

‘This old man is out of his mind. Oh, right, he was always crazy.’

Ismail really didn’t like any of this.

*********

It took a long time for the runaway slaves to prepare to escape, just gathering their belongings and packing up. Just as they managed to pick up their luggage, an arrow flew from the bushes. The arrow hit the crowbar in Brand’s hand, slipped, and split the brass washbasin [referring to his helmet].

“Kuh-erk!”

Lord Brand, bleeding profusely from his forehead, staggered backward. It was a power comparable to the Messenger Clan’s archers. It was an arrow fired from an Ashwood longbow.

‘But Azadin cut off the fingers of the guy who used that bow? Was there another archer?’

Ismail was bewildered and ducked down.

“Kyaaak!”

The women were startled by Lord Brand’s bleeding and instead stood up. They were perfect targets for the arrow-shooting enemy.

‘Annoying!’

Ismail was angry at the sight.

‘Useless and pathetic things. They should run away quickly, but they’re making a fuss just because they saw some blood. If they were Aragasans, even a twelve-year-old boy would… even if stabbed in the stomach, they would run away first and then sew up their stomach with a fishhook!’

As Ismail glared at them in anger, Midiam shook him.

“Ismail, don’t get worked up, into the bushes!”

“Ah, yes!”

Ismail was ashamed that he had gotten worked up. He seemed to have gotten angry because he hated the weak so much. If he was like this, he was no different from the weaklings he hated. But why was he so angry that he couldn’t stand it?

While Lord Brand collapsed and the runaway slaves were making a commotion, the bandits emerged from the bushes.

“How dare you set fire to our den?”

“We’ve been treating you like gold and jade, and you’ve lost your minds?”

The bandits grinned, looking like a pack of jackals in the forest. Their eyes, gleaming in the darkness, were filled with violence and greed.

“Donair… how much more evil do you have to commit to be satisfied!”

“Wow, Lord Brand. I thought you were always joking. I didn’t know you were serious. We didn’t recognize a true knight.”

The bandit leader, Donair, laughed cheerfully and walked out from under the shadows of the forest. His face, visible under the faint starlight, looked like a gilded bronze mask.

“So, you dare to run away. Where do you think you’re going? Lantark? What are you going to do there?”

Donair sneered.

“Lord Brand, as you know, I am a person who came here under the orders of Count Lantark. All my actions were under the orders of Count Lantark. But if you run away to Count Lantark’s territory, do you think you’ll survive?”

“Hic!?”

The runaway slaves were terrified at those words.

That Count Lantark was behind this bandit? If that was true, they wouldn’t be saved anywhere even if they ran to Count Lantark’s territory.

“Only I can save you. I’ll sell you as slaves. You’ll become servants of rich people, but if you’re lucky, you might become a concubine. It’s not a good life, but wasn’t your life miserable before anyway?”

Donair also smiled bitterly as he said that.

“Unless you’re a noble, everyone in Hybris is miserable. Moreover, aren’t you monsters who ate the flesh of your families? Cannibalism is a serious crime. If the Holy Knights find out, you’ll be burned alive.”

The runaway slaves were disgusted by Donair’s vile nature. He forced people to kill and eat their families, and now he was threatening them with it!

“Cannibalism?”

But Brand was horrified at those words. The terrible tragedy he had tried so hard to erase from his mind seemed to resurface.

“Ah…”

The crowbar fell from Brand’s hand.

“Yes, it seems you remember now. All of you here are guilty of cannibalism. And of your own families. You’re no exception, Lord Brand. What a great knight you are.”

“Ah… No, it’s a lie! I…”

“Hehehe. I can’t stand it. It’s so fun to watch, that’s why I kept you alive.”

Donair burst into laughter as he watched Brand shudder. At that moment, an arrow pierced through the bushes and flew towards Donair’s head.

*********

The arrows were fired simultaneously by Midiam and Ismail, who were hiding in the bushes.

“Oh, no…”

Donair drew his sword, deflected one arrow, and dodged the other. To handle two incoming arrows in one motion was no ordinary feat. Indeed, he was skilled enough to be the leader of the agents planted by Count Lantark.

But Donair groaned after deflecting the arrows.

“Kuh!”

Another arrow was already lodged in his head.

The Messenger Clan’s skill, the Hidden Arrow.

They had hidden other arrows in the shadow of one arrow. It was a technique difficult to block even in broad daylight, so it was no wonder he was caught off guard when it was shot in the dark of night.

-Thud!

The bandits were terrified when Donair fell.

“Huh?! L-Leader?”

“This can’t be!”

Arrows began to fly from the bushes again.

-Thwack!

The bandits were helplessly hit by the arrows. But….

“Huh?”

“It doesn’t hurt much?”

“W-Wait a minute! It’s stuck in my head!”

The bandits were horrified as they looked at the arrows stuck in their bodies. But strangely, it didn’t hurt. Moreover, worm-like bugs rose from the wound and filled it, and only a little blood flowed.

“You idiots.”

Donair, unable to watch any longer, got up.

“If you act like that, all my acting will be for nothing. How can you be so clueless?”

He pulled out the arrow that was stuck in his head himself. Worm-like bugs could be seen wriggling from the wound and filling the hole.

A monster who could get up unharmed even with an arrow in his skull, and whose wounds were filled by bugs!

“Leader!”

“You were too stupid to lure out the small fry. They must be the kids that the Messenger Clan was traveling with.”

Donair remembered the situation when he met Azadin. The young boy and girl who looked still young that the messenger Azadin was leading, it must have been their handiwork.

“What should we do?”

“You, you.”

“Yes?!”

“Go into the bushes and find them. Two kids.”

“Ah, yes!”

“Understood.”

The bandits listened to Donair and ran into the bushes.

“Ugh… Vile!”

Brand regained his senses and got up, but Donair walked out with his sword and struck Brand with the hilt.

“Kyahahaha! What a great knight you are! Brass Knight!”

Brand fell to the ground. As Donair was about to kick the fallen Brand, Delmer jumped out from behind and stabbed him with her sword. But Donair easily blocked that attack as well and grabbed Delmer by the neck.

“Kuh!”

“Hey, Delmer. It’s not your turn yet. No matter how bored you are, you should have stayed put.”

“Y-You bastard! Donair!”

Delmer resisted, but Donair lifted her up with just one hand. It was a superhuman strength.

At that moment, Donair noticed an unfamiliar bag on Delmer’s side.

“Huh? What’s this bag? A Naga woman’s bag?”

Donair opened the bag. A dazzling light was emanating from inside the bag.

“Hmm. Is this the thing that the knight wanted? A scroll that emits light on its own.”

Donair took out the glowing papers from the bag and looked at them, puzzled.

“Could this be?”

“Yes, it’s a copy of the Divine King’s Scripture!”

The Naga woman, Shati, who was among the runaway slaves, revealed herself.