The Shadowed Legacy Of The Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 94

No, he was about to draw it. But Azadin was faster. Azadin extended his foot, preventing the Count’s sword hilt from leaving the scabbard, and lightly drew his own sword, swinging it towards the Count’s neck.

It was truly lightning-fast and packed a terrifying force. However…

-Clang!

Azadin’s sword merely grazed the Count’s armor, cutting through the neck guard. Nephti, the 75th of the messenger clan, subtly pulled him back, causing him to evade the attack.

“You’ve crossed the line!”

At that moment, Nephti drew her sword.

“Now, now, stop it. You shouldn’t attack your opponent during negotiations!”

Nephti turned the Count back with one hand and pointed her sword at Azadin’s neck with the other. It was a thin, spear-like sword specialized for piercing armor. Though slender, it was surprisingly heavy, yet she wielded it lightly with one hand, as if it were an extension of her body.

However, Azadin was also blocking Nephti’s sword path with the end of his sword hilt.

“We’re under a white flag, negotiating. Even if the other side is infuriating, you shouldn’t make the first move, right? It’s just a minor provocation. If you fall for that and do something foolish, I’ll kill you no matter how noble your lineage is, even if you’re Ara’el’s sibling, or from any prestigious bloodline. No, I’ll torture and abuse you so much that you’ll beg for death, making you regret being born.”

Nephti smiled at Azadin while pointing her sword at him.

“That’s right. You shouldn’t be a fool who attacks during negotiations under a white flag…”

Azadin and Nephti simultaneously lowered their swords.

“You, you bastards!”

Count Rantaric was furious, realizing that Nephti and Azadin’s words were directed at him. But Nephti’s words bothered him.

No matter what bloodline you were born with, you will be punished.

Wasn’t that meant for the Count to hear?

“So, Kahsan was defeated, and you’re quite skilled. But Azadin, it seems you’re not in perfect condition either? You’re sweating cold sweat.”

“I just get hot easily…”

Azadin avoided Nephti’s gaze as she smirked, noticing his injury.

“So, why did Ara’el join hands with the Count?”

“That’s confidential. If you’re curious, why don’t you join us? Then I can tell you everything.”

“At least it wasn’t for gold, was it? Just by seeing you allied with this Count, I have enough reason not to trust Ara’el.”

“That’s unfair. Do you think the other messenger clans, not on Ara’el’s side, are clean?”

“If you’re rebelling against the existing power, you should at least raise a different colored flag. Asking us to switch sides while holding the same flag seems a bit unreasonable. Besides, do you know who left a scar on my face? It was the great Ara’el.”

“It made you look very handsome, though?”

“It seems our conversation ends here. Guarantee the lives of everyone inside the fortress and the civilians held captive by the Count’s army. That’s my only demand.”

Azadin glared at Nephti and turned away.

“You’ll regret this, you young messenger.”

The Count threatened Azadin.

The negotiation with the Count had failed. It was inevitable, considering they had drawn their swords at each other’s throats during the negotiation.

The Count tried to draw his sword first, but Azadin used that as an excuse to kill him on the spot.

This guy is beyond redemption.

He has no qualms about unleashing bandits to harass civilians, loot, and massacre people. If such a great noble is left alive, the number of victims will only increase.

So, Azadin was prepared to kill him, even if it meant violating the rules of negotiation and facing universal condemnation, but Nephti interfered.

Still, Nephti defended Azadin. The Count was the first to break the rules of negotiation. So, she dismissed it as a simple incident, and Azadin implicitly agreed with her.

“Well, then…”

Azadin’s group returned to the fortress and locked the gates again.

The soldiers, like chicks waiting for feed, rushed over, only to be surprised to see their commander unconscious.

“H-how did the negotiations go?”

“It’s a failure for now.”

Azadin said boldly, found a spot, and lay down.

“What?!”

“The Count is underestimating the fortress’s defenses. He believes he can force the gates open even if we don’t open them, so he’s offering too little for opening the gates.”

Everyone was skeptical when Azadin said that while lying down. Then, the guard captain, who had just regained consciousness, was horrified.

“Ugh, ugh… what’s going on?”

“Captain?!”

“They say the negotiations failed, is that true?”

“Negotiations failed? Ah, damn it! Hey!”

The guard captain, who had been unconscious, suddenly got up and looked around.

“Messenger clan! Why did you reject the Count’s offer?”

“What are you talking about?”

Azadin turned to his side and looked at the guard captain.

“They said they’d release us if we handed over one old man, right?”

All the soldiers were shocked by the guard captain’s words.

It was different from what the messenger clan had said. No, the messenger clan had only spoken vaguely. But if the guard captain’s words were true, they could have lived, but the negotiations had failed?

“You were unconscious, so you didn’t know, but the Count also demanded your lives afterward. He said that knights and soldiers who betray their masters don’t deserve to live, and if we hand over the fortress guards, he’d spare all the people trapped here.”

“…”

Jibek clicked his tongue. To lie so blatantly and shamelessly.

“What? Nonsense! Why would a great noble like the Count want the life of a low-ranking knight like me?”

“Then why would he want the life of a senile scribe? Count Rantaric is a very emotional and scary person. He told us to choose whether the soldiers would all die or the people would all die. He seems confident that breaking open this fortress is a piece of cake, so he’s talking so arrogantly.”

Everyone listening was swayed by Azadin’s eloquence.

When you think about it, it makes sense, doesn’t it?

Count Rantaric looked down on this fortress and insulted the negotiators who were demanding safety in exchange for opening the gates.

If you think about it that way, it all fits. However, Jibek, who knew the truth, was struggling to keep a straight face.

‘How can he lie so skillfully?’

But Azadin spoke so calmly that no one thought that far.

“W-wait a minute! Is that really what happened, Holy Knight?”

The guard captain asked Jibek.

“It would be difficult for a commander to say such things in this situation…”

Jibek was also a Holy Knight, so he didn’t lie. He just avoided answering.

When Sir Jibek trailed off, everyone understood that Azadin was telling the truth and moved on.

“Ugh…”

They were eager to give up others’ lives, but when their own lives were at stake, the fortress guards quickly became docile.

Will the people be massacred and the guards survive?

Or will the guards be massacred and the people survive?

If the Count made such an offer, neither side could be chosen.

As Azadin said, they should show the fortress’s defenses and inflict more damage on the Count’s army. That way, he’ll understand that opening the gates is a great benefit.

Just then, the Count’s army began to move.

*********

Unable to contain his anger at being insulted by Azadin, the Count immediately began sending soldiers towards the fortress.

“Is he out of his mind?”

Azadin clicked his tongue, watching the approaching forces. Such a small fortress is actually more difficult to besiege. A large castle has gates everywhere, making it difficult to defend.

But this place is like a guard tower built by the Emperor to control the road, with only one entrance, and the rest is made of solid stone walls. It’s actually a fortress that can be ignored without much problem, but just because Azadin insulted him, he’s charging head-on.

“Everyone, step back from the walls.”

Azadin made the regular soldiers retreat.

“Are you out of your mind?”

The guard captain said, standing on the wall with a bow and stones. At that moment, an archer hidden among the attacking soldiers fired an arrow.

-Swish!

The arrow flew with terrifying force, knocking off the guard captain’s helmet. Azadin quickly grabbed the guard captain’s clothes and pulled him back, preventing his death, but he couldn’t stop the arrow from tearing through the helmet and creating a long wound on his ear and sideburns.

“Oh, dear.”

It was Nephti’s greeting. When Azadin attacked the Count, Nephti was able to protect him from injury.

In comparison, Azadin managed to protect the guard captain, but he still inflicted a significant wound.

“Aaaah! It hurts! Poison… it’s a poisoned arrow!”

“No, it’s just an arrow. Stop exaggerating.”

Azadin made the guard captain lean to the side and examined the arrow that had torn his helmet.

“It’s a Cheonggang arrow. They’re using good stuff?”

Usually, arrows are divided into hunting arrows with light tips and combat arrows with steel tips for piercing armor.

The messenger clan had two types of arrows: Cheonggang arrows made of high-quality Cheonggang [a type of high-quality steel], and Heukgang arrows coated with powerful poison that could kill almost anything and tear through armor like paper.

Three Cheonggang arrows cost one gold coin.

That’s how expensive Cheonggang arrows were.

“Shall we return the favor?”

Azadin fired an arrow. It was aimed at the archers who were providing cover for those approaching the wall from below.

The soldiers next to them tried to protect the archers with shields, but Azadin had already predicted their movements.

-Hwajopungwol, Kajas Heseo! Hwanghak! [A martial arts technique]

The arrow, curving sideways, began to cut through the archers’ bows and fingers.

“Kyak!”

Surprisingly, Azadin’s arrow cut off a person’s fingers or bow with a single shot, and without losing momentum, it flew on to strike other archers. However…

-Thud!

One person moved among the archers and caught the arrow.

It wasn’t Nephti, but another messenger clan member who was among the archers and caught the incoming arrow.

“Is this Kajas Heseo? It moves with a trajectory and power similar to Hwanghak [a martial arts technique] without any magic?”

A boy, taller than the farmers of Hybris but not very tall among the large Aragasas [a race of people], caught the arrow and giggled.

“Don’t grab it carelessly. Azadin’s skills are unknown. What if you grabbed the arrow and tore your hand?”

“No, I was just curious. I heard Kahsan was defeated…”

Here and there among the Count’s soldiers, messenger clan members could be seen. They were Ara’el’s subordinates.

“I see…”

Azadin frowned.

“You’ve been preparing for rebellion for a long time.”

In Azadin’s ears, the confident voice of a girl, Ara’el’s voice, echoed vividly.