《The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger》 CH 1 Yaegas, the Eight Heavenly Kings. It was a land ruled by cruel and ancient Gods. The Eight Kings were the saviors who freed the people of the land from the divinity¡¯s rule and placed eight thrones across the continent. ¡®When a righteous king ascends the throne, the great ruler¡¯s virtue will illuminate the world under its protection.¡¯ Those who sat on the thrones were considered holders of that great power and were worshiped by all. But then came a king named Yaeslat. He defeated the other kings who had been close to him like brothers and took on all eight thrones of the Heavenly Kings for himself. After that, he needed people who would follow his command to kill the Heavenly Gods, Yaegas¡­ The denizens of the land did not forget the kindness that the Heavenly Kings, Yaegas, had bestowed upon them. They refused to dirty their hands by committing the sinful act of killing God. At that time, a tribe called the ¡®Aragasa¡¯ came from a distant continent on five sailboats that were wrecked during their travels. The emperor approached these tribes with an offer to become his subordinates. Following this, they agreed to the proposal and murdered the Heavenly God, Yaegas, with no qualms about their sinful act. They did not hesitate to have his holy blood on their hands. The people called them the messengers of the emperor and called them the ¡®Messenger Clan¡¯. People of this race were despised by natives of the land. When the emperor died, the empire once more became eight kingdoms, each ruled by its kings. Then the fall of the Messenger Clan came once more. Once the empire collapsed, those of the Messenger Clan lost all of their authority and were persecuted throughout the land. Among those of the Messenger Clan, two siblings, in particular, were heavily persectured¡­ They were children of the traitor to the Messenger Clan. The girl was called Arael. The boy was called Azadine. They were key figures of a myth that the Messenger Clan had believed in even before their arrival on this continent. It was told that the angel of justice, Arael, and the eyeless dragon, Azadine, were locked in a constant battle to defeat and kill each other from the conception of the world to its end. The hatred the Messenger Clan held for siblings associated with the ¡®Battle to Victory and Death¡¯ could only be imagined. Yet the girl was someone with a distinguished appearance, remarkable abilities, intense magical prowess, and an arrogant attitude. Her existence was something that could not be dismissed nor underestimated. On the other hand, Azadine was a boy with no eyes and was incompetent from birth. Martial arts and respect for it increased, turning it into a cruel method of beating the weak and disadvantaged. The world then became an even more merciless and harsh place for the weakest boy in the clan. Once, when the boy groaned because of the pain of the wounds to his mind and body, someone came to him. ¡°I see; these ignorant idiots are letting this jewel roll around in this dirt. They don¡¯t even know this kid¡¯s real worth. Tch.¡± He stretched out his hand towards the boy. ¡°You should be happy, kiddo. I, the great Kazas, have chosen you as my disciple. I¡¯ll turn you into the strongest messenger.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the ¡®Eh?¡¯ huh? You should be crying tears of joy and gratitude right now. I don¡¯t just take in disciples every other day. This is a rare opportunity.¡± ¡°By the strongest messenger, you mean even stronger than Arael?¡± ¡°Of course, you need to beat your older sister to become the strongest messenger, don¡¯t you? ¡°Um, she¡¯s not older than me. She¡¯s my little sister.¡± ¡°Huh, look at this gutsy punk. Do I need to know every little detail about you? Let go of the little stuff. So, tell me, will you be my disciple? Or not?¡± ¡°Can I become a Rescue Knight too?¡± Despite being a member of the messenger clan, the boy had great reverence for the Rescue Knights. The Rescue Knights practiced the virtues of courage, wisdom, and mercy. They also used the strength of their pure magic spells to help those in need without any discrimination. The boy¡¯s faith in the rescue knights was his mental support. It helped him endure the cruel torment he suffered at the hand of others. ¡°Rescue Knights? Those idiots? Of course, you can become one. Though I wouldn¡¯t recommend it.¡± Word began to spread. Elder Kazas was famous, but he was a mystery to the people who only knew of his name. It didn¡¯t take long before rumors that Kazas had taken in an eyeless, incompetent, and powerless disciple spread across the holy land. Those of the Messenger Clan were quite curious about the details and showed a lot of interest, but as the years passed, little news came from it. Then, after 10 years. Elder Kazas used his authority to forcefully appoint Azadine as one of the 108 without following proper procedure. Within a single generation, only 108 people could become the ¡®Emperor¡¯s Messengers¡¯, a position of both honor and a curse to the people of the clan. Countless people would expend great effort and compete with others. Yet even those would remain unsure of taking up the position of an Emperor¡¯s Messenger. That was why fierce opposition came from the public when the incompetent Azadine was forcefully made a messenger. But that no longer mattered by then, as Azadine was already on his way to the southeastern frontier alongside the others of the 108. CH 2 A young girl received a gift from her fiance. It was a gold coin engraved with a man¡¯s face she didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Her fiance became extremely cautious and looked around them. The only things there were the rocky mountains and sheep, yet he seemed afraid someone might hear him. ¡°It¡¯s the ¡®Emperor¡¯s Golden Coin¡¯.¡± ¡°Emperor¡¯s Golden Coin?¡± ¡°Yeah. Um, do you know about the Messenger Clan?¡± ¡°Ah, you mean those soulless ones?¡± The Messenger Clan was part of folklore and was branded with a variety of hideous names, such as Murderers of the Heavenly Kings, the soulless ones, the ominous ones, and so on. Even uneducated young girls knew of these names as they were part of common wives¡¯ tales that were told to children to scare them. ¡°Exactly. This golden coin can summon the soulless ones. But be careful with it. Anyone who possesses it is charged with heresy for going against our God by the heresy investigation officials at the King¡¯s church and then executed.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The girl was so shocked she almost dropped the coin. ¡°Why would you give me something so dangerous?¡± ¡°Haha. Shocked, huh? But we never know, right. If, by any chance, something bad happens to us¡­ draw a triangle in the ground, and place the coin at its center. Legend says that the messengers will come to help you if you do that.¡± After saying that, her fiance smiled. ¡°Just pray something like that doesn¡¯t happen.¡± In that same year, during the spring, a harsh drought spread over the land. Not a single drop of rain fell as all of the wells dried up. This continued until the time when the peasantry needed to begin to sow for the next harvest, causing the panicked people to flee in desperation. As the villagers fled, the ruler of this land, Magrave Casel, considered this act a serious crime and sent out his soldiers to punish them. The soldiers were led by Margrave Casel¡¯s son, the Young Master Kozel. He was said to be a remarkable wizard who had the blood of a Heavenly King flowing through his veins. They hung people who tried to flee the village from a tree and seized all their possessions. They also set up a camp in the village¡¯s assembly hall and called over a young married woman from the village to help. The soldiers that had come with the young master were no different than a band of bandits. They dragged away the young woman and violated her. When she left the hall in a pathetic state, the villagers were left even more petrified in fear. The young girl with the golden coin planned to escape with her fiance and his family. However, the Margrave¡¯s son, Young Master Kozel, was blocking the alleyway they were escaping through, appearing like a real wizard. ¡°See, this is the problem.¡± Kozel acted as if he was trimming his mustache with the blade of his long sword. He looked down at the petrified farmers with a condescending gaze. ¡°It-It¡¯s not what you think.¡± ¡°Please, just the children¡­¡± The elders of the families came forward to beg while the soldiers kept laughing. Then their laughter stopped, and they sent the children flying through the windows in one swoop. ¡°Stop!¡± The Young Master Kozel stopped them at that moment. ¡°You morons, how come you can¡¯t even think, huh? You really don¡¯t know how to have fun, do you?¡± ¡°Ah, Young Master.¡± ¡°We¡¯re ignorant, so we don¡¯t know as much. What do we do to make it fun?¡± The soldiers were acting like evil brats. They laughed as they kicked the dead children stuck through the windows and picked them out. ¡°First, you hang the people on a tall tree. And then, for the parents, use the children to support their hanging bodies, and for a husband, use his wife. See?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The soldiers thought over the Young Master Kozel¡¯s words and expressed their admiration. Soon, a trap was built on the Cottonwood tree along the village¡¯s boundary using skillful workmanship. The branches of the tree weren¡¯t even that sturdy, yet they managed to hang people with ease. Exactly how many people had they hung for them to be so good at it? They wouldn¡¯t have this kind of idea by just hanging one or two people. ¡°No¡­. No. Safia! Run away!¡± Her fiance was terrified as the soldiers approached them and told the young girl to flee. However, a sharp blade pierced his skin at that moment and made him cry in pain. Kozel sliced his back into two parts. ¡°Ah! Oh, if we do this touching up now, you might die too quickly¡­ My bad.¡± The Young Master Kozel drew closer while laughing as he held the blood-stained sword. ¡°That¡¯s okay. For this punk, tie the rope around his waist to hang him so that he¡¯ll be able to last as long as the others.¡± The soldiers, who kept talking and laughing, tied the rope along her fiance¡¯s waist. His back was bleeding, but he was still alive. They then suspended a sack of sand to his ankle and hung him from the tree. The families of both the young girl and her fiance were hung from the trap by their necks. Below them were the little children, who supported them while panting heavily. ¡°Okay now, the peasant woman. Come and support your partner now, or else he¡¯ll die. He won¡¯t last long, and his veins will burst, hanging like that.¡± They made the young girl stand under her fiance¡¯s feet. She couldn¡¯t even move an inch to lessen the pressure on her fiance¡¯s body. ¡°That¡¯s right, keep supporting your fiance, okay? Don¡¯t move. Got it?¡± ¡°Hihihihi¡­¡± Just then, among the soldiers, a knight with a firm expression spoke in a low voice. ¡°Please don¡¯t shed the Heavenly King¡¯s blood so carelessly.¡± ¡°Um?¡± The Young Master Kozel stopped laughing. With his silver-gray hair, the soldier looked old for his age. He was a northerner in his early 30¡¯s. Silver hair meant that one was a close descendant of the Heavenly King Yaegas, but the man¡¯s hair was closer to just being salt and pepper hair or simply gray. With eyes that had a more grayish tint than blue, his gaze always seemed to be looking somewhere far, not at the person in front of him. His whole body gave off the feeling of prolonged fatigue. However, the man had hidden extraordinarily keen senses, which made him similar to a sword kept inside its sheath for a long time. ¡°Oh, look who it is. Isn¡¯t that Sir Zebec? The one who trained me in swordsmanship.¡± ¡°Do you really have to go that far to punish them? As a noble who inherited the Heavenly King¡¯s blood, at the least, you should maintain your dignity.¡± ¡°Maintain dignity? You shouldn¡¯t be saying that to me. As long as the news of the incident here doesn¡¯t leak, wouldn¡¯t that protect my dignity? Or else what? Will you, Sir Zebec, go around talking about me? You, a royal knight, would smear the name of a noble from a family recognized by the King¡¯s church. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°The truth always finds a way to reveal itself. Is it that hard to protect one¡¯s dignity?¡± ¡°See, the thing is, I¡¯m quite a hot-blooded person, so I get easily excited. I prefer those who speak when I want them to and shut up when I don¡¯t. So what I mean is¡­¡± ¡°How about we wrap this up?¡± Armed soldiers started to gather around the man named Sir Zebec. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that. Look here, teacher, I¡¯ll save your life as a token of affection for our bond in my childhood. Okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The insulted knight¡¯s expression changed to one of shock and dismay. ¡°Whip.¡± The moment Young Master Kozel asked for a whip, a soldier handed him one. He used it to strike the young girl. -Snap! The pain of her skin being slashed made the girl groan and wobble. Despite that, she didn¡¯t collapse and endured the pain while struggling to support her fiance¡¯s weight. ¡°See, satisfied now? Relax your face, teacher. Let¡¯s have some fun while we live, yeah.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s last as long as we can, okay, my dear peasant woman?¡± The Margrave¡¯s son, Kozel, and his soldiers left the young girl¡¯s family hanging from the tree to attempt to flee and left with their possessions. The young girl withstood the horrible pain, endured the weight, bore the suffering and humiliation of it all, and kept standing there. ¡°Safia, there¡¯s no hope for me¡­ just run away.¡± ¡°Ifan.¡± The young girl shook her head after calling out her fiance¡¯s name. Blood kept dripping down her feet. The pain from her wounds kept getting worse. The girl felt she could no longer live, even if she were to abandon her fiance and escape. ¡°¡­¡± All of a sudden, she realized that she still had the emperor¡¯s golden coin on her. She had kept it in a pocket sewn to the inner part of her clothes. ¡°Will the Emperor¡¯s messenger, the people of the Messenger Clan, really come?¡± Her curiosity got the better of her, and with barely any strength left, she grew a triangle in the dirt with her toe. All she did was draw a triangle in the dirt, yet her blood continued to drip on the dry, barren ground as she did. After drawing the triangle with difficulty, she used the sandbag as support, took out the golden coin, and threw it over the triangle. When the coin fell inside the triangle, a soft light shone from it. ¡°Ah!¡± The legend was true. In her bewilderment, the girl called for her fiance. ¡°Ifan, did you see it?¡±¡° ¡°¡­¡± But she didn¡¯t hear a reply from her fiance. The golden coin slowly slipped away and was sucked into the sand. After a few moments¡­ An owl, a rarity in that place, flew and sat in front of the Cottonwood tree. [The one who requested the Emperor¡¯s Justice.] A sound came from the owl. [The closest messenger will arrive after two days. Kindly bear with it until then.] ¡°Tw-two days?¡± The girl was shocked to her core. It was nearly impossible for them to last that long, considering the state of her and her fiance. ¡°What if we can¡¯t last that long?¡± [The request shall be canceled, and the golden coin will be given to the messenger as a deposit.] ¡°Ho-How¡­¡± Far from feeling happy at this magical event, the young girl realized she would need to last through the two gruesome days of her life. Standing in the dry winds that parched the lands and made even stones brittle, the girl endured circumstances more painful than death. She stood there while lifting a sandbag, unable to sleep with wounds all over her body. When the sun began to set, she could see the traces of a person¡¯s shadow approaching her. She couldn¡¯t see the person clearly because of either the darkness or her own murky vision. A cold liquid then wetted the girl¡¯s lips. It was water. ¡°Wh-Who¡­¡± ¡°Shh.¡± A person she didn¡¯t recognize signaled her to be quiet and gave her a cane to reduce the weight of her burden. The woman collapsed on the ground after feeling the weight suddenly leave her shoulders. ¡°Can you eat?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, but it seems your husband won¡¯t be able to survive. His wounds are too deep. But with the proper treatment, you may be able to live.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I came here secretly. If I get caught by the Young Master, he¡¯ll strip away my title as a knight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The girl realized that this was one of the soldiers, the one who had objected to the young master¡¯s actions, the one called Zebec. ¡°Eat this.¡± The man fed her dried fruit and settled down next to her. ¡°Is it okay if I treat your wounds?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The young girl was shocked. The fact that one of the enemies was showing mercy was something she couldn¡¯t understand. Her head was fuzzy, and her senses were completely gone. But the one thing she knew was that she had to endure till the messenger arrived. ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He wiped her wounds with a wet bandage and applied ointment to them. ¡°If I tie the bandage, it¡¯ll be too obvious. Sleep for a while. I¡¯ll be here with you till sunrise and be on the lookout.¡± The young girl didn¡¯t trust this man, but before she knew it, her eyes closed, and she fell into a deep sleep. CH 3 As sunrise approached, the knight woke the young girl up. ¡°Get up now. I am leaving soon to head back to his service, but¡­.¡± The knight looked at her fiance, who was hanging by the rope. ¡°I don¡¯t think you will need to be supporting him anymore.¡± Her fiance had already passed away. However, with her body that had not yet recovered, the girl stubbornly pushed her body under his corpse. ¡°Haa.¡± The knight shook his head and turned around. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°I am ashamed to speak of my name.¡± ¡°I still need to know your name. The Messenger Clan will arrive soon, and I will ask them for help.¡± ¡°Hmm? The Messenger Clan?¡± When the knight heard that name, he clicked his tongue. ¡°The Heavenly King Slayers, the people with no souls? Did you ask for them? I do not know if they are nearby, but even if they do arrive¡­ There are 20 armed soldiers under Lord Kozel¡¯s command. I will be there too. Within Lord Kozel¡­ flows the blood of kings.¡± The blood of kings, this was neither sarcasm nor lies. The nobility and royalty who could use magic had the blood of gods within them, blood inherited from a tribe descended by the God, Yaegas. Normal humans could not fight against someone who could use magic and unnatural powers. But the girl simply smiled weakly. ¡°A mage can be killed by those from the Messenger Clan. They, too, are mages.¡± The girl had seen the gold coin disappear and a bird who spoke the language of humans. If that wasn¡¯t enough proof that the Messenger Clan could use magic, what more could she say? After all, they were called the Slayers of the Heavenly Gods, but didn¡¯t they receive that name because they had killed kings with the blood of gods? When the messenger came to intervene, they would avenge what had happened. Until then, she would need to endure it. ¡°Hmm, you don¡¯t seem to be sane. Well, too many things have happened, and it is too much for just one person to handle it all.¡± The knight was clearly upset to learn that the girl¡¯s condition was no longer normal. ¡°I will come to find you again tonight. My name is Zebec, a holy knight of the King¡¯s Church. I am not giving you my name, so I would be spared against a Heavenly King Slayer. If he comes, I will fight him with all my might.¡± ¡°¡­¡± This self-proclaimed knight lowered himself as the sun rose and returned while hiding in the morning dusk. It was an unusually hot and sunny day. Knight Zebec was concerned for the girl and how she would survive today¡­ Yet he couldn¡¯t show that concern with the Margrave¡¯s son, Kozel, by his side. ¡°Look here, teacher, smile. Aren¡¯t you happy?¡± Kozel began to draw water from a dry well and splashed it on himself. ¡°If the people are killed, taxes cannot be collected.¡± ¡°If you let uncivilized nomads roam, then thieves will only increase.¡± ¡°The margrave has other lands which are still fertile. If the people here are evacuated, then they will be able to survive this drought.¡± ¡°Why do the children born in the fertile lands have to take on damage for these lowly bastards? Shouldn¡¯t this land be given to those born in a place of plenty? They had made their mark here and made mistakes.¡± ¡°Farming isn¡¯t something that could be determined by a single person. It is something decided by the soil, climate, and sky.¡± ¡°And the light of the royal flowers also governs this decision. Isn¡¯t that taught by the King¡¯s Church?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°They are suffering from drought because they are unfaithful to the Church. This is true according to doctrine, right?¡± ¡°That is an extended assumption.¡± Zebec replied carefully with this¡­ Even in the King¡¯s Church, he, who had a low status, could not say any more to Lord Kozel, within whom the Blood of God flowed. The real issue was that there were more people than farmland available. It was better to kill and confiscate the land and relocate people here rather than allow the previous inhabitants to escape and become thieves who would disrupt the peace of the land. Kozel had simply come here to exercise the Margrave¡¯s wishes. The villagers, who did not realize what was happening, still believed they would be spared if they stayed quiet and didn¡¯t resist. Those who had died thus far were simply paying the price for trying to resist the great nobles. ¡°I am simply doing this to save the people, teacher. If you want to live, even by disobeying my orders, teachers, then do go ahead and try.¡± ¡°Wahahaha!¡± The soldiers around them burst into laughter. They were fond of distributing the loot and taking the wine and meat. This man, Kozel, was a good employer for them. Loyalty was only expected as the loot they plundered was also given to them. However, all of this was almost unbearable for Knight Zebec. Alas, he was bound by the weight of his duties. That night, Zebec went to the village entrance to try to help the girl once more but frowned as he arrived at the tree. Despite his treatment and help last night, she had failed to make it. The girl lay dead on the ground, and her burden swayed in the wind, dancing along the chilling whistle of the air. ¡°In the end, she couldn¡¯t survive. Even calling on the real Messenger Clan would have been useless if this was the case.¡± Sir Zebec mumbled as feelings of regret filled him. For what, though? For a knight who belonged to the Church, mentioning such things was disrespectful. Did he really expect a messenger to arrive and punish Kozel? ¡°Such an idiot.¡± Sir Zebec sighed and approached the fallen girl. It was then¡­ Srng. A blue blade touched his neck before he even realized it. ¡°Stop. Move, and I will cut you down. Do not even look here.¡± A young man¡¯s voice spoke in a warning. Sir Zebec was startled at the blade, which was suddenly touching his vitals. He sensed no one in this desolate place beside a couple of trees. Yet now, someone was holding their blade to him? It was as if a ghost had approached him. ¡°A member of the Messenger Clan? Really?¡± ¡°That is true. But you don¡¯t seem like the petitioner? A knight? One of the Rescue Knights, by any chance?¡± ¡°I am Zebec of the King¡¯s Church.¡± ¡°¡­ ah.¡± The young man¡¯s voice communicated his clear disappointment. ¡°I am asking to make sure, but you are not the petitioner? No, if you are a knight of that Church and had made a petition, that would be insanity.¡± ¡°Are you making fun of me!?¡± Zebec was enraged. ¡°The petitioner is dead then. Well, I received the gold coin for free, but¡­ may I know of the situation?¡± ¡°If you would remove that blade from my neck and give me some space, I would gladly tell you.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ You must have had some confidence that you wouldn¡¯t be ambushed. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be suffering this indignity. If you are a knight of the Church, you should have at least that much confidence.¡± The young man¡¯s body seemed to blur for a moment, and he had moved away before Zebec could realize it. ¡°Shocking.¡± Sir Zebec was stunned by how quick the boy was. Was he a ghost, or was it magic? ¡°A mage?¡± ¡°All from the Messenger Clan have their own magic. Except for me¡­¡± ¡°Not magic?¡± ¡°Superhuman physical strength is difficult to distinguish from magic.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. What is your name? What is your rank?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I already told you my name. I am Zebec of the King¡¯s Church.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so? Excuse me. I am the Emperor¡¯s Messenger, the 108th, Azadine. In the eastern dialect, it is Ashadin.¡± The young man politely bowed. He was tall for his age and wore a bird-shaped mask over his eyes and nose and a hat capped by pheasant feathers. ¡°If you are the 108th¡­¡± The maximum number of messengers under the Emperor was 108. In other words, the one in front of Zebec was the lowest ranking. However, judging from how he had moved so swiftly, he wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. ¡°Then, as promised, speak about what happened here.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Zebec then told the tale of the girl and her family from what he knew. ¡°Ah, it was like that¡­.¡± Azadine of the Messenger Clan clicked his tongue after hearing this story. An owl then flew in and landed in front of him. [The contract was established. The gold coin is yours. No. 108, Azadine, move on to the next mission.] The moment he heard the bird speak, Sir Zebec was shocked. It wasn¡¯t unusual for a bird to speak, but the content of its message was what shocked him. ¡°You will just leave after receiving the coin just because the person died?¡± ¡°Ah, it must mean that this knight of the Church wishes for the petition to be granted. If the petition is granted, something will happen to your lord¡¯s son, you know?¡± ¡°Euk.¡± Sie Zebec realized that he had spoken wrongly and drew his sword. ¡°No such thing will happen, soulless one. I will take you down.¡± ¡°What?¡± Azadine smiled bitterly at the knight who was aiming his sword at him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you sad to see blood with that sword which was silent in the face of injustice?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Are you angry? At whom? Me? Or are you angry at yourself for staying silent?¡± ¡°What do you know¡­.¡± ¡°I know nothing, but I think I know more than you realize.¡± Azadine pointed to the sky. ¡°Do you know the constellations in the night sky? Of the myths that are tied to the names of the stars?¡± ¡°What are you trying to do by saying this? What do you expect me to say?¡± Sir Zebec was shocked by these words. This young man, what was he talking about? ¡°Depending on whether or not people have a sense of beauty, they would feel different things while seeing the same thing. To some, the hero of a myth. To others, just a pale light that shines in the darkness, just like mana.¡± Azadine pointed to the corpses. ¡°Just like how you and the other soldiers saw these people being trampled upon differently.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t different. I just couldn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t that. You healed the petitioner and even waited for me.¡± ¡°I am a Knight of the King¡¯s Church. We are sworn to serve those who inherited the blood of the Heavenly Kings!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wish to fight you either, sir knight. If you had pity on that girl, then realize that your sword is now the enemy.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± As Sir Zebec fell silent, Azadine turned around. It was a clear situation for a strike to his back. It was an advantageous situation, but Sir Zebec didn¡¯t swing his sword. Azadine moved his hand. A black light flashed, and the ropes were cut, dropping the corpse that had dangled on them. Azadine lifted the male corpse into the air with just one hand and extended one foot to catch it before it fell to the ground. ¡°¡­.¡± Such amazing skill and sword technique. Sir Zebec was confident in his own skills, but even he could tell that the man in front of him was a true monster, one that was several levels above him. Was this what was expected of the Messenger Clan? Wouldn¡¯t it be almost difficult to kill someone who had such power? CH 4 ¡°Is there a shovel?¡± ¡°Shovel? Are you going to bury them?¡± Sir Zebec was puzzled. This messenger had already accepted the gold coin and could ignore the request now that the petitioner was dead. There was no obligation on his side to take care of them anymore. Now he was going to bury them? ¡°There is nothing I shouldn¡¯t do.¡± Azadine looked at Sir Zebec and began to dig. ¡°¡­¡± Was he really going to bury the bodies? This act itself was already a challenge to Lord Kozel¡¯s position. Corpses hung from trees all over the village entrance. Evil magic would also turn them into something close to undead until they scream themselves to death. Lord Kozel would try to confirm his power through the undead that was still hanging from the tree. If someone attempted a funeral now, it would displease him. Doubly so if it were someone of the Messenger Clan. As Sir Zebec began to panic, the young man had finished digging a hole for one person and buried a body in it. ¡°Ah.¡± Seeing this, Sir Zebec could not help but point his sword at the young man. How could he point his sword at the hanging corpses which had been left to rot? Those who hadn¡¯t been treated as humans and had been hung on trees to satisfy the sadistic tyrants who ruled the land? Those same corpses that were being lowered and buried now? As he thought about it, he suddenly felt like a coward. Wasn¡¯t he in a position where he had pledged his allegiance to a tyrant who did such terrible deeds? Sir Zebec sheathed his sword, approached Azadine, and began to dig with his hands. A Knight of the King¡¯s Church and a young man of the Messenger Clan dug at the ground together to bury the victims of tyranny. Azadine then placed his palms together to pray for the victims. Sir Zebec was startled for a moment. He held some doubts that this young man might have been burying people to cast a strange form of magic. Until just a moment ago, those confident words might have been a trick to make him play along. Wouldn¡¯t this follower of the Emperor, one of the Messenger Clan, one who was unmatched by anything? But then the young man said something unexpected. ¡°Archangel of Wisdom, Courage, and Mercy. Please have pity on this poor sinner.¡± Surprisingly, the young man started reciting a prayer used by the Rescue Knights. ¡°Rescue Knights?¡± ¡°I was born in the Messenger Clan, but my ideals are that of the Rescue Knights¡­.¡± ¡°What a frivolous person you are. You are trying to abandon the fate of the clan you were born into to serve your own beliefs?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t stick to what I consider right, then being born is meaningless.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± He was a strange young man. He didn¡¯t want to lose a single fight using words, but his heart was as brittle as an aged man¡¯s. What was the story behind this young man? While Sir Zebec watched, Azadine finished sending off the dead with his prayers. ¡°It is a clumsy informal funeral, but it could prevent them from becoming undead.¡± Those who died an unjust death without receiving even a funeral were likely to transform into the undead. But, will this funeral that this young man held in the style of the Rescue Knights, even if he was a member of the Messenger Clan, have any effect? Would his beliefs really help? The Rescue Knights were a church order that served the three great archangels who protected Virtue. It was a church that claimed to hold white magic by maintaining the ideals of wisdom, courage, and mercy despite the status of birth. Since the King¡¯s Church defined itself as the only sect that ruled within its ideology, the Rescue Knights were initially regarded as heresy, and many tried to punish them. However, when demons appeared from the sea, the Rescue Knights defended against them with their bodies. They carried out various relief activities for the sake of the poor. In addition, many sons of the nobility would also enter their order, further mixing the bloodlines. Now, King¡¯s Church and the Rescue Knights members shared many similar characteristics, making it difficult to refer to them as heretics. The Rescue Knights respected the Heavenly King, whom the King¡¯s Church considered sacred. The two churches then agreed to respect each other by not interfering with the other¡¯s beliefs. ¡°Do you really have the faith of one of the Rescue Knights? Enough so that you could stop them from becoming undead?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you suspecting me too much?¡± ¡°What do you like about them?¡± ¡°I like that a person of a noble status does not really need it and is judged not by their birth but rather by their beliefs and actions. A man who rapes and massacres people simply because he inherited the Blood of God cannot be called noble.¡± ¡°¡­ You.¡± Zebec was sure that Azadine was simply mocking the man he served. Still, he was unsure about drawing his swords after they had buried two people together. At that moment, Azadine took something from his waist. At a closer look, it seemed to be a bow. He had wrapped it around his waist because the bowstring could snap back. With skillful lands, he drew the bowstring instantly and took something out of his back. He untied a leather strap holding the arrow and tied it around his waist. ¡°Are you preparing to fight? Good.¡± A member of the Messenger Clan who was kind. However, this was a difficult situation. For a knight, this man was an enemy to be punished. It would be better if he was clearly hostile. However, he wasn¡¯t the enemy that Azadine was getting ready for. A light was approaching them from the village. ¡°What, teacher? Could it be that you liked her? We could have talked if that was the case.¡± Kozel was speaking while leading his men. ¡°Well, being in such a place was a waste.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Kozel¡¯s men pulled out their spears. ¡°But who is that one?¡± The soldiers approached while joking among themselves. Their numbers weren¡¯t small. Indeed, all of Kozel¡¯s subordinates had come fully armed. Seeing that they had come here fully armed at this late hour, it meant that Zebec¡¯s care toward the girl had been noticed. ¡®This is bad.¡¯ Sir Zebec clicked his tongue. Kozel¡¯s men were heavily armed, even more than what a knight would wear. While Sir Zebec was confident in his skills, twenty heavily armed men being in front of him meant that he had little hope of doing much. What would help even the odds? Wasn¡¯t there a member of the Messenger Clan here? Azadine began to move. -swish! Arrows flew through the air in an instant toward the soldiers in the lead. The shot flew quick and true, easily killing any normal soldier. Kozel¡¯s soldiers were closer to knights. They had prepared shields, and these soldiers were used to murder and plunder. Swish! Azadine¡¯s arrows pushed through the wind and flew past the shields as if they were living snakes. Puak! Surprisingly, the arrow managed to hit the spearmen standing behind the shields. ¡°Ack!¡± The spearman¡¯s face was torn apart. The arrow clawed at the helmet, tearing it apart and bringing the nose and eyes below with it. ¡°WHAT!?!¡± Despite the shocking way the arrows twisted in the air, they still contained enough force to kill. Just how strong would someone need to be to do this. Sir Zebec was shocked. Azadine again drew his bowstring and readied an arrow. One was shot into the sky while another flew towards a shield-holding soldier. The soldier raised his shield again but was stunned as numbness filled his hand as the arrow clashed with his shield. He had just blocked an arrow, but it tore through the shield and pierced him through the lower abdomen and crotch. This, too, was shocking. Puak! An arrow then fell from the sky and hit his collarbone. Two arrows had hit the same target at the same moment. ¡°Kwaak!¡± The soldier rolled on the ground as pain tore through his crotch and shoulders. ¡°N-no way!¡± ¡°What is that bow! It is making armor look like paper¡­¡± ¡°Stop him, so he doesn¡¯t use that bow!¡± The soldiers rushed toward Azadine, but he simply backed away and launched another arrow. His speed was so quick that the soldiers couldn¡¯t approach and were simply trampled down. Puak! The eyes. Puak! Then the knees. ¡°¡­.¡± The soldiers noticed this. The man wasn¡¯t trying to kill them but aimed to cripple them forever instead. ¡®Is he insane?¡¯ ¡®Even if he tried to kill us, he would lose fewer arrows.¡¯ The soldiers were relieved that their opponent was wasting arrows but also felt fear and anger. What would happen if they were hit and lost an eye? They would become more helpless than the farmers they¡¯ve killed. Would they be able to survive? ¡°It is fine! He is out of arrows!¡± Kozel encouraged his frightened soldiers. Azadine¡¯s arrow pouch was visible so that anyone could see inside. Indeed, he had run out of arrows. ¡°Nice!¡± The soldiers moved in with renewed confidence. ¡°What will you do? You are out of arrows¡­¡± ¡°So what?¡± Azadine struck the face of the soldiers rushing towards him with his fists. ¡°Kuak!?¡± The blow of his fist caved in the helmet, and the fragments shattered into the man¡¯s eyes. Everyone was shocked when they saw the soldier collapse to the ground, bleeding. ¡°I reduced the number enough with arrows¡­ Come at me if you have courage.¡± Azadine loosened the bowstring once more, placed the bow into the circle belt around his waist, and then picked up the sword of a fallen soldier. ¡°Ah, I almost forgot.¡± He casually thrust the sword toward the blinded soldier¡¯s crotch. It looked like a casual blow, but it was precise. ¡®Why is that man obsessed with castrating?¡¯ ¡®H-he is crazy.¡¯ The soldiers were shocked at this sight. ¡°As expected of the Messenger Clan!¡± Sir Zebek, who had followed along, shouted this. ¡°W-what?? M-Messenger Clan?¡± ¡°Those soulless ones?!¡± Some soldiers knew about them because they had heard the many evil rumors surrounding the clan. Yet this man was one of them? ¡°Do not be afraid, you bastards! If you try to escape, I will fucking kill you with my own hands! If you are going to die, try and make sure to defeat him and live¡­¡± Lord Kozel threatened his soldiers, but Azadine was moving forward while swinging his sword. ¡°C-cover your eyes!¡± Those soldiers who had injured their eyes would get their groin damaged, kicked, and their knees were broken. While the face contorted in pain, the sword would pick out their eyes. This kind of attack was much more complex and difficult than killing with a single movement. Delaying the final blow by inflicting multiple wounds should reveal a gap¡­ but no one could even touch him. ¡°What? Where is the spear?¡± ¡°That¡­.¡± Azadine¡¯s pace meant that the spearman couldn¡¯t ready the spears properly. In addition, Azadine¡¯s arrows had hit those soldiers who held the spears, and most were eliminated. ¡®This bastard, he was aiming for this from the start.¡¯ CH 5 The soldiers were terrified to realize that this bizarre member of the Messenger Clan had no intention of letting them leave unharmed. ¡°KWAAKK!¡± A sharp scream escaped from all the soldiers who remained. In the end, only after the last soldier had been blinded and castrated did Azadine turn his attention to the Margrave¡¯s son. ¡°Phew. I waited so long for this, you trash that only adds to the people¡¯s suffering.¡± He had indeed defeated twenty heavily armed soldiers. He didn¡¯t even kill them but blinded and castrated them. ¡°Y-You bastard!¡± Lord Kozel was frightened by Azadine¡¯s brutal actions. ¡°I am a noble! Not like the others! Do you think you will be able to handle the repercussions?¡± At that moment, a blinding light appeared, and Kozel used magic to increase its intensity. ¡°ACKKK!¡± ¡°L-Lord!¡± The light was so intense that even the blinded soldiers were screaming. Even Sir Zebec, who knew of this kind of magic, felt he was becoming dizzy. Even though he had covered his eyes beforehand, the light still felt blinding. ¡°AH, ACKKK!¡± Azadine¡¯s blade had pierced through the young lord¡¯s groin. ¡°Y-You bastard! M-My¡­ MY¡­..¡± ¡°Oh, my bad.¡± Azadine¡¯s blade moved again and went towards Kozel¡¯s eye and nose. ¡°Kwak!¡± As Kozel struggled, Azadine approached him, pulled him up, and raised him to his feet. ¡°AHHHH. You, you bastard¡­ how dare you put your hands on me?¡± ¡°Is something wrong with your body? You don¡¯t know what it is to be weak? Well, maybe you have a disease that doesn¡¯t allow you to feel pain.¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± Kozel shook off Azadine¡¯s hand and stepped back while shouting. ¡°W-wait!¡± He had one eye remaining, so he should be able to keep it. If he lost this, then his entire life would be plunged into darkness. ¡°W-what do you want? Money? Women? A sword? Name anything. I am a noble! A descendant of Yaegas, a Heavenly King!¡± ¡°Is that so? Coincidentally, I am one of those who slay the Heavenly Kings, a member of the Messenger Clan. It is fine. I won¡¯t be killing you.¡± As Azadine smiled and came closer, Lord Kozel turned towards Sir Zebec. ¡°T-teacher! W-what are you doing!? Help!¡± ¡°¡­ I cannot see.¡± Sir Zebec had been blinded by Kozel¡¯s light magic. Of course, he could still see blurred shadows, meaning he could still move if he needed to fight. However, there would be no chance of victory. The image of Kozel¡¯s cruel actions against the villagers also still remained in his mind and body. There was no way he could fight and win against such a monster. ¡°I-I am noble! A divine lineage! What are you lowly people doing to me!¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ I see that you are still full of energy. It looks like you¡¯ll be able to live well with the amount of physical damage I did to you. Good, that is a good attitude and good positive thinking. You will need a lot more of that.¡± ¡°KWAKKK!¡± In the end, Kozel lost his other eye. Azadine, a member of the Messenger Clan, didn¡¯t kill anyone. He just did permanent damage. The sword was only pulled back after he had castrated them, gouged out their eyes, cut their limbs, or crushed them down enough so that they would no longer be able to harm the people. ¡°There is no petitioner, but this shows my sincerity. The Emperor¡¯s Law has been fulfilled.¡± Declaring the Emperor¡¯s Law that stated that even those who inherited the blood of the Heavenly King must perish if they committed a crime, Azadine then turned around. The sound of a sword being drawn came from behind him as Sir Zebec readied his blade. ¡°Even so¡­¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Even if what you did was right, I am a Knight of the King¡¯s Church. I cannot agree with your actions, even if it is the Emperor¡¯s Law.¡± ¡°Ah, for real.¡± Azadine smiled at Sir Zebec¡¯s stubbornness. ¡°You are an upright knight. So unlike the normal knights that the Church has these days.¡± ¡°You bastard, how dare you to mock me?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a compliment, though? The other knights that belong there are¡­ how shall I put it? Bastards who were forced to leave home to earn their inheritance rights.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Zebec was no different. He was a second son, though closer to an illegitimate son, with no estate or title to inherit. He was of the bloodline of the Hanmihan family, a noble line so far removed that it embarrassed him to call himself descended from the bloodline of a Heavenly King. This was why he felt shame from Azadine¡¯s words. Most of all, his feelings were mixed as the man before him was clearly more chivalrous than anyone else he had met. ¡°But, can you first wear your armor and then come again?¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°I am leaving. See you at future work, Sir Zebec.¡± With those words, Azadine turned around and began to run. His speed was such that he disappeared within moments beyond the darkness and into the night. ¡°Ugh?!¡± Sir Zebec tried to pursue him but was hindered by the bodies of the blinded and castrated men in his way. He would need to stop if he didn¡¯t want to trample them. ¡°This is comforting.¡± Sir Zebec smiled unconsciously. Count Casel was Lord of the border city of Salasma and its surrounding villages. In recent times, that area had not been touched by rain for an entire month, causing many of its citizens to come to petition their lord. ¡°My Lord, please exempt us from taxes this year.¡± ¡°Please, my lord. The villagers will run and turn to thievery. The withered dead is also wandering the streets as undead.¡± ¡°We are incapable of paying taxes with the number of monsters and thieves around.¡± The village chiefs of each nearby village took the lead without hesitation and requested tax exemption. However, Count Casel simply looked at them with indifferent eyes. ¡°You are asking me for tax exemption? How shameless. What¡¯s next? Food support?¡± Count Casel had said this sarcastically, but the village chiefs responded to that too. ¡°¡­we would appreciate it if that was also possible.¡± ¡°We apologize, but our condition right now is so precarious.¡± ¡°Ha, fine. You fools, there is nothing else that can be done. What can I even do if the roots come and act so shamelessly in front of me? This lowly blood running through you must be the reason.¡± Count Casel simply laughed at them. Despite knowing his personality, these peasants dared to stand before him and ask for aid and food. That was how troubled the people were. ¡°If you people want help, I can do it.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± ¡°But if you don¡¯t do as I ask, I will hang all of you for failure to pay taxes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Think about it. All I want from you is a piece of paper.¡± ¡°J-Just a paper?¡± ¡°Correct, just like this magic one.¡± Count Casel reached out his hand. It was empty until sheets appeared on it and began to spin, creating a small wind on its own. Seeing the paper move by itself, like plants in the water, the petitioners were shocked. ¡°A m-magic book¡­¡± ¡°We are people unfamiliar with things like magic.¡± ¡°No, this is something that all of you can find. If you really wanted to, then you could find it. If you find a magic book like this, your village will be exempted from taxes for 3 years and will be given 50 bushels of wheat, barley, and oats.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The three-year exemption was already shocking, but what shocked them even more, was the promise of material support. This kindness was unheard of by the usually cruel Count Casel. Which only showed how important this magic book was. But how would they find it? ¡°E-excuse me, but what is the name of the magic book?¡± ¡°Huh? Do you think ignorant fools like you will get a chance to look at it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, my lord. However, shouldn¡¯t we know of it if we are to figure out a difference in the text?¡± ¡°It is a copy of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth.¡± ¡°UH?!¡± Everyone there was filled with surprise. There were eight thrones on the Continent of Hubris. These thrones were brought by the Heavenly Gods, Yaegas, when they came from their lands. When a righteous King sits upon one, it is said that it will drive away demons through the light of the Royal Flower. The world would be purified with white magic, which would also bestow white magic power to those loyal to the King. For the King who took the throne, a powerful magic book would also be imprinted directly into their minds. That book was the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth, a magic book for kings. But now Count Casel desired it? ¡°If you peasants search for it, it is said that a copy would respond to your calls when you are in trouble.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The village chiefs felt a chill run down their spines upon hearing Count Casel¡¯s words. Count Casel wasn¡¯t interested in the suffering of the people. He simply wanted to take advantage of this situation where the people suffered from a disaster to get his hands on the magic book. ¡°Ah, yes, we understand. Then we will immediately return to the village and search for the copy together.¡± ¡°Yes. We too¡­¡± ¡°R-right.¡± The village chiefs, all of whom were suffering from the drought, were shocked to realize that the Count wanted the book to the extent of offering a tax exemption. With this in mind, they all left. As the village chiefs left, a snake appeared behind a curtain near the Count. The snake straightened its body, transforming into a beautiful young woman with tanned skin. ¡°You were careless in mentioning that book, Count.¡± ¡°Nonsense. Aren¡¯t you people already searching for those magic books? The rumor will soon spread across the continent. I simply want to find another chapter of this book as soon as possible. What of it?¡± ¡°I am sorry to be the one to deliver this news¡­ but it appears that one of your sons has been hurt. It is Lord Kozel in the Hinterlands¡­¡± ¡°Kozel?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible with the forces that Kozel has with him. Sir Zebec was also with him. Who was the opponent? Thieves? Monsters?¡± ¡°A member of the Messenger Clan.¡± ¡°Messenger Clan?¡± Count Casel frowned. ¡°Well, they must desire the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth book as well. They need to find it to break their curse of servitude.¡± ¡°It was their actions that led to a copy of the book being released into this world in the first place. From their point of view, they must simply be looking to retrieve the copy.¡± ¡°Is Kozel dead?¡± ¡°That¡­ the reports stated that his eyes were quite damaged as well as his reproductive organs¡­¡± ¡°He was castrated?¡± Count Casel clicked his tongue at this news. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± ¡°We will need to station soldiers near Kozel¡¯s lands. Perhaps even try to capture that clan member. Perhaps they have copies of the book already.¡± ¡°I understand. Do I contact the chief?¡± ¡°No, no. Let the other one give the order and¡­¡± Count Casel laughed and gave her a sly look. ¡°If one child is castrated, I just need to make a new one.¡± CH 6 ¡°Ah.¡± Azadine looked disappointed as he brought the can to his mouth. It only had a drop or two of water which barely moistened his lips. ¡°This is bad.¡± He sighed and placed the can back into his backpack. ¡°Why did you claim that we¡¯d arrive in two days? Now I have to take responsibility for your mess, you stupid spirit.¡± [To say such things to the Emperor¡¯s Voice.] Voices appeared from around Azadine. They were known as the Emperor¡¯s Voice. This spirit listened to petitioners¡¯ petitions and connected them to the artificial spirit created by the Emperor. Its power also extended throughout the Continent of Hubris. The spirit¡¯s power remained strong without decline even after the passing of hundreds of years since the death of the Emperor. This was proof of the Emperor¡¯s strength, of how much he was like a god. However, Azadine of the Messenger Clan was sneering at the Emperor as he followed the spirit. ¡°To put it bluntly, people from all around the world hate us since we are the messengers of the Emperor because he died without giving a proper solution! The Heavenly King Slayer and the Soulless Blasphemers, that¡¯s what we¡¯re called. Since you made a promise about the petition, I had to leave all my things to run and play with you. Thanks to you, I am now dying of thirst. Everything I eat is dry, but if I don¡¯t have this right now, I won¡¯t be able to digest it, and I will die.¡± [¡­. I am sorry about that, but do not worry. Your servant will soon arrive.] ¡°Servant? I don¡¯t have one, though?¡± Not every member of the Messenger Clan could serve as messengers. Only 108 were chosen to be members, in accordance with the 108 orders made by the Emperor¡¯s Voice. The rest either become servants to help the messengers or earn a livelihood to preserve the clan itself. However, Azadine was so unpopular within the Messenger Clan that no one had agreed to be his servant. [Two people had recently applied for the job. They are young and talented.] ¡°Hmm¡­ no sane bastard would apply for it. You said they¡¯re talented? I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Azadine grumbled and stopped in the middle of the dusty road. A devastated village with the remnants of a well came into view. At the entrance, human-like shadows could be seen. ¡°Spirit?¡± Azadine placed his hand on his waist. [Not an enemy. It¡¯s a petitioner.] ¡°¡­ really? As Azadine approached closer, a face emerged from the shadows. It seemed they were the people that had been hung from the cottonwood trees at the village entrance that he had reached after receiving the petition. A young girl, her lover, and their family stood on the side of the road like travelers. When Azadine approached, they clapped their hands together and greeted him. Azadine, too, responded with a light nod. ¡°This land has neither the light of a King nor the protection of the Archangels. Staying here for too long isn¡¯t good for any of you. I have paid for your grievances, so please go to the other side.¡± Azadine made to move, but the spirits pointed towards the well of this abandoned village. ¡°Ah, would you like me to take some water? No, it was true that I wanted water, but¡­ I also need to rest soon.¡± He said this, but Azadine took the can from his bag and excitedly approached the well. When he pulled the bucket out, it felt heavy. Such heaviness from a well was normal when it had dried. ¡°Haa¡­ it is a dry well anyway you look at it. But the spirits must have worked hard to get some water out.¡± Azadine was excited and continued pulling up the bucket¡­ but the only thing inside it was a piece of paper and some sand. ¡°¡­¡± [Ah, that must be the copy of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth.] ¡°Copy of what?¡± Azadine was shocked. ¡°Why is that¡­.¡± Azadine felt his lips tremble, but something flashed in front of him at that moment. ¡°No, well, thank you¡­.¡± He turned to the spirits as they greeted him and walked towards the storm before disappearing. They had found a copy of the magic book and left it to Azadine. He, who had granted the petition of the dead petitioner, didn¡¯t need to hear anything more. It was good to repay a favor, even when one had become a ghost, but Azadine licked his lips with a pained expression. As he moved his tongue over his dry mouth, his lips cracked to the point of bleeding. ¡°Thank you for this but¡­ for me?¡± Azadine clicked his tongue while holding the page from the magic book. The paper, which had something written on it, was shining, but reading it with a human mind was impossible. That was at the core of the magic books. It was impossible to fully comprehend books of magic without prior knowledge. Therefore, most books had to be learned indirectly through interpretation books called the Haeso. [Are you not happy? Isn¡¯t this what a messenger yearns for?] The Emperor¡¯s Voice asked this calmly. ¡°I am not in a position where I could be happy.¡± Looking at the page of the magic book in his hand, Azadine felt the odd touch of fate. The Messenger Clan was descended from a people called the Aragasa. They were descendants of a shipwrecked people that had gone through a typhoon from a continent similar to Hubris. They had sworn allegiance to the Emperor, who had welcomed their arrival and appointed them as his messengers. The Emperor bestowed upon them a magic book called the Flower and Bird Tempting Moon and also gave them a spirit named the Emperor¡¯s Voice. That was how the Messenger Clan became the Emperor¡¯s sword and executioners. They directly executed and prosecuted reckless nobles who violated the Emperor¡¯s Law. However, following the death of the Emperor, the empire began to disintegrate, making things incredibly treacherous. The people of Hubris believed in an afterlife. If one accumulated enough good karma, they were reborn into a noble in the afterlife, as nobility and royalty were considered the highest levels of reincarnation. To harm them would be to destroy the very bonds of the soul. So, no one could resist even when the kings and nobles plundered and killed the common people. The kings and nobles were also powerful mages, and the faith of the common people considered going against those who had inherited the blood of the divine to be a sin. However, the Emperor needed someone to commit such acts without a second thought. In order to govern over the Eight Kingdoms under the Emperor¡¯s Law, he needed someone who could punish members of the royal families and nobility who became corrupt. That was why the Emperor warmly welcomed these strangers, the Messenger Clan, and gave them power by bestowing upon them books of magic. They didn¡¯t know, or perhaps they did, but they were intoxicated by the Emperor¡¯s favor. Those of the Messenger Clan who smeared their hands in the blood of the gods without a second thought were called the Heavenly King Slayers. They were also despised by all. People began to discriminate against them by referring to them as soulless beings who committed blasphemy that was unheard of within the faith held by the people of Hubris. There was even a belief that any crimes committed against the soulless members of the Messenger Clan would not be considered karma. Once the Emperor passed and they lost their power, this hatred was paid back in full against the Messenger Clan. The oath they made with the Emperor also became a problem. Even after the Emperor¡¯s death and the collapse of his empire, the oath and promises made to him continued to bind them for generations. Even after his death, the Messenger Clan continued to perform their mission as messengers of the Emperor. If the clan wished to cancel their contract, they would need to pay 100,000 gold to the Emperor. However, the empire had fallen and vanished, and the coins disappeared along with it. When it became impossible to collect the gold coins to break their bonds of servitude, the Messenger Clan began to make other plans. What was the source of the Emperor¡¯s power? For Kings of the Yaegas clan, their power came from the magic books which were handed down alongside their thrones. The Emperor must have exercised his power through these books. In other words, if they could obtain and study the book, they could overcome the oath made through the Emperor¡¯s magic. The clan then made it their goal to retrieve this book. They searched for the book while carrying out their service contracts with the aim of being freed from their curse. Such was the goal of the Messenger Clan. In other words, the book was an important thing that any member of the Messenger Clan would risk their lives to attain. Azadine, however, did not look too pleased. ¡°I appreciate what the spirits did for me. It is nice that the dead are giving me presents before they seek their rest. I am just worried that this will end up unraveling the world. After all, the reason why this was released into the world is¡­¡± He looked down at the paper and rolled it as he placed it into his backpack. ¡°Well, thanks to them, I found it. I cannot leave it here, so I will take it.¡± Azadine left the village and began to walk on the road. The road would take him two days to return to his original path. He had moved in a hurry without thinking of dehydration and moved to villages with no water remaining. He had to properly conserve his physical strength before moving again. ¡®But if I can cross the mountain¡­ there should be water over it¡­¡¯ Azadine looked at the mountain path before him and felt dizzy at the seemingly unending road. How much more did he need to cross in the future. Would he be able to return safely without dying? Just as those doubts began to fill him¡­ -swish! An arrow suddenly flew at Azadine. Two goats the size of ponies were moving steadily down a mountain path. Saddles were on their backs, and a boy and girl who appeared to be in their early teens were riding on them. Even though the road was steep, their bodies didn¡¯t seem unstable. ¡°Wow, this is so desolate.¡± The land below the mountain road was a wasteland. ¡°I heard there hasn¡¯t been a drop of rain in a month. I guess it was true.¡± The girl stuck out her tongue as she watched the dust rise. At the bottom of the mountain, abandoned villages and farms were slowly being covered by dust. ¡°Miss Mediam!¡± The boy shouted after the girl. ¡°Let us head back! It isn¡¯t too late now!¡± The boy followed the girl before him and tried to change her mind. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. What are you talking about after coming all this way?¡± ¡°As someone descended from the founder, why do you have to be a lowly servant to the lowest-ranking messenger?! Just say that you refuse and head back.¡± ¡°No. Do you want me to just sit and suck my thumb in the boring sanctuary? Don¡¯t speak such nonsense. I want to see the world.¡± The girl insisted on this but clicked her tongue as she looked back at the scene in front of her. ¡°But the situation doesn¡¯t seem so good. Can you say it is better than the sanctuary?¡± The eastern side of the continent was where crops had dried up with no rain in sight. It was a wasteland on the edge of crumbling. Of course, when the twilight cast shadows on the wastelands, their appearance stimulated images of the supernatural. Youths of both genders were more interested in things that were achieved by human hands instead of the wonders of the land. ¡°If we go further, it will become dangerous as there is no water. The goats we ride drink ten times more than an average human..¡± ¡°But that stupid messenger went in, right?¡± ¡°He must have released the goats and decided to walk.¡± The Kerim goats had great endurance but were vulnerable to heat and dry weather. One could not enter barren lands with these goats who drank ten times more water than humans. ¡°Then you head back. Once we meet the messenger and tell him I will be his servant, I will not return. Besides, isn¡¯t our target ¡®Azadine the Cursed¡¯?¡± The boy shuddered at the mention of Azadine¡¯s name. CH 7 The Curse of Service. It was a contract between the Emperor and the Messenger Clan. In exchange for the Emperor providing them with all kinds of benefits and magic books, the clan would continue to provide the right type of talent to act as messengers. The primary condition of the contract was that the whole clan would cooperate with the system made by the Emperor to their utmost limits. However, this contract would also inflict death on any who betrayed the clan and the Emperor. Throughout the existence of the contract, only one person suffered this. He was Azadine¡¯s father, Acre the Traitor. In an attempt to be free of the Curse of Service, the Messenger Clan participated in the war of the Tarasar Kingdom. After many sacrifices, they finally attained the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth. However, a member of the clan managed to steal the book and escape with it. This person was Acre. In response to his actions, the clan elders and leaders threatened him by invoking the Curse of Service. By that point, Acre had already scattered the book into the sky from atop the Heart Mountains of the World and spread it all over the Eight Kingdoms. Ultimately, the elders and leaders who had lost the book maintained the curse. Acre, who had given birth to twins in a male body, died from the curse and left behind the twins Azadine and Arael. As ironic as it was, the superior twin as they grew up was Arael. She was a peerless beauty, a powerful mage, a genius swordsman, and the clan¡¯s strongest messenger. Whereas Azadine was simply a misanthrope. Arael was blessed in all aspects of power. At the same time, Azadine was incompetent, possessing skills even lesser than an average messenger of the clan. Everyone in the clan studied the bow at the age of 8 and would be able to make skillful shots by 12. A common skill would allow an archer to shoot down their first arrow with a second. This showed mastery of the bow. Azadine, however, still wet the bed until the age of 8, never mind being able to hold a bow. This wasn¡¯t very strange for the people of Hubris, but for the Messenger Clan, it was a weakness. In the end, Azadine ranked at the bottom of the trainees in the Messenger Clan and was inevitably bullied. At the age of 12, however, he was picked up by Elder Kazas, and this marked his starting point. Just three months ago, Azadine was appointed as a full-fledged messenger due to the influence of Elder Kazas. Although he had been made one due to the elder¡¯s influence, it was still a distinguished position for a member of the Messenger Clan. Everyone within the clan struggled to become a messenger. The moment a child reached the age of 8, they would go through numerous selection processes where they were constantly tested and evaluated. Azadine was eliminated during that process. ¡®Azadine is the dullest and stupidest child of the clan.¡¯ ¡®This child couldn¡¯t even lift a bow until he turned 12, much less do the required shot.¡¯ ¡®There is no way he can perform missions like other messengers.¡¯ ¡®He is no messenger. He¡¯s not even fit to be a servant.¡¯ Those who spent their childhood alongside Azadine spoke endlessly of his weakness, helplessness, and cowardice. They also complained about how unfair it was that he became a messenger. In fact, parents within the Messenger Clan used his name to scare their daughters. ¡®Keep doing that, and I will marry you to Azadine.¡¯ In other words, the entire clan saw Azadine in a negative light. The cursed incompetent, Azadine. This was what the clan thought of him. ¡°Is he really incapable of using magic like the rumors? That he is cursed?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s actually cursed, but they say he is incapable of magic. However, Elder Kazas paid close attention to him and took him in.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s see¡­ He¡¯s the son of a traitor, right? A traitor¡¯s son who is incapable of using magic. Isn¡¯t it because he is a person who only likes to deal with only one thing? His appointment resulted in a competent person like me not being able to become a messenger. If we ever meet, we should test his skills.¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t.¡± The boy became terrified at the girl¡¯s words. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°A servant cannot attack their messenger.¡± ¡°A duel, though?¡± ¡°If a servant challenges a messenger and loses, they would be punished. Your life and death will be in their hands.¡± ¡°That¡¯s if I lose, right? Hehe. There is no way I could lose to someone who can¡¯t even use magic.¡± ¡°But Elder Kazas is notorious for being mysterious with his actions. Although he is well known among the Elders¡¯ Senate, no one has ever met him in person. There is also a rumor of him being an elf, so perhaps he pushed for Azadine to become a messenger for a reason?¡± ¡°So? The elder took in and trained an idiot who couldn¡¯t lift a bow until he was 12. He then dismissed him at the beginning of the year or at the end of last year, so just how much did he train him? You think the idiot will turn into someone powerful after just 10 years of training?¡± ¡°That¡­.¡± If that was possible, then it would be a good thing, but that wasn¡¯t realistically possible. The Messenger Clan¡¯s training method was nearly perfect, so there were a few cases when the orders were changed at the last moment. However, if there was a shocking difference at the age of 12, then the same skill would grow stably instead of exponentially. At least if, by the age of 12, one didn¡¯t fall out of practice and could keep up with the others, then there was a chance to make progress. At that moment, a bird came over her head and landed on her shoulder. The bird was covered in a soft, translucent light that indicated it was a spirit. A spirit that was artificially created with magic. It could share its vision and also monitor the surrounding area. Its translucent body also meant that few, if anyone, would notice it. ¡°Hmmm¡­ I think I found the rumored messenger. Nice. Ismail, go hide behind the rocks with the goats.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°I will check out Azadine¡¯s skills.¡± The girl took out her Moon Horn Bow from around her waist. ¡°Ah, oh my. Miss Midam¡­¡± The boy panicked but couldn¡¯t refuse the girl¡¯s orders, so he simply hid as she instructed. ¡°Okay then!¡± The girl took out two arrows from her pouch and prepared one. ¡°There is no way it would, but I would probably be in trouble if I hit him. Should I greet him like this?¡± She fired one arrow high and the other at a slightly lower angle. It was the Messenger Clan¡¯s two-arrow shot and could even be adjusted for a simultaneous hit on mountainous terrain. After firing both arrows, the girl also hid behind a rock. -Swish! Arrows were flying at Azadine. ¡°Euk?!¡± He shifted his body to the side and caught the flying arrows. Both the high and low shots were captured into his hand. Two arrows had been shot at him. Using the skill of the Messenger Clan as well¡­ An arrow had hit the bottom of the wooden plant that he used but didn¡¯t penetrate through. It seemed that it was an arrow with no arrowhead. Still, if it had hit, then it might have been disastrous. ¡°Who is it?¡± The two who had been hiding behind a rock appeared in the open. They were a boy and a girl alongside two goats. ¡°Hmm¡­ the rumors say that he is a half-man who could not use magic, but a messenger is a messenger, I guess?¡± The girl came closer to him. She had bright blonde hair and a condescending attitude, but her beauty was like a fairy. Judging from the fact that she had a Moon Horn Bow, the signature bow of the Messenger Clan, she seemed to have been the person who shot the arrows. ¡°You shot these arrows?¡± ¡°Yes, I sent them as a small hello. How was it? My greetings?¡± ¡°Ach. I-I¡­.¡± The boy who followed behind her was scared, unlike the girl. He had brown hair and droopy eyes and seemed to be of lower status to the girl. ¡°Your names?¡± ¡°Mediam of Ethar.¡± ¡°I am Ismail. This time, I will be assisting you as a servant.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Azadine burst into laughter at the actions of this reckless pair. Being the son of a traitor who had betrayed the clan, he had been bullied by his peers since childhood, so he was used to this kind of treatment. Yet did he ever think kids who claimed to be his servants would attack him? ¡°We want to point out that we took off the arrowheads. Aren¡¯t we thoughtful?¡± The girl used her words to boldly defend her actions. ¡°There¡¯s no way a messenger could die from an arrow with no head that was shot from such a distance, right? If you did, you wouldn¡¯t be qualified to be a messenger, right?¡± ¡°Are you smiling?¡± Azadine¡¯s expression became stiff. Even though the arrows had no head, it was still a surprise attack. He had felt keenly in the past how much he was despised by the clan, but he wasn¡¯t someone who would stay silent after being insulted by a child. ¡°First, Mediam, apologize for the rudeness. Otherwise, there will be no conversation.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t talk? But¡­.¡± Azadine was about to ask again. Mediam was trying to speak but realized Azadine was not joking. The girl proceeded to apologize. ¡°Mediam of Ethar apologizes for the rudeness, Messenger Azadine. I am Aragasa.¡± Within the Contract of Service, all of the Aragasa were one. The tribe would treat its fellows as an ally, not an enemy. ¡°Good, I accept your apology. However, do not recklessly use a weapon at anyone from now on. If I had decided to fight back, my arrows would have come for you, get it? Do not use your weapon if you don¡¯t plan to kill.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Azadine¡¯s warning rang true. Within the Messenger Clan, it was common to harass someone by removing the head from an arrow. In a way, it was similar to bullying someone to show their worth. However, once an arrow flew in other places, it was no different from saying that you wished to kill one another. This girl wasn¡¯t a fool, so she immediately understood Azadine¡¯s point. ¡°By the way, do you have water?¡± He showed clear signs of dehydration and felt dizzy because he had moved swiftly to deal with the arrows. ¡°Ah, yes. H-here.¡± Ismail dismounted from his goat, took out his water can, and handed it to Azadine. Azadine then took the can and brought it to his mouth. He carefully held the water in his mouth to let his body get used to it. That alone restored some life to him. ¡°Looks like your throat hurts.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The boy and girl waited for an answer while Azadine drank his water. He drank the water slowly to avoid hurting his body and sat down. ¡®So different from the rumors.¡¯ Mediam felt embarrassed. Azadine the Cursed was an object of ridicule among the messengers. The only time a messenger who was known to lack a sense of humor had laughed was due to a joke made about Azadine. However, she had come this far. She couldn¡¯t turn back now. CH 8 ¡°Phew, I might actually live.¡± Azadine, sitting down after drinking some water, placed the stopper back on the can and returned it to the boy. ¡°So little lady and droopy eyes. What are you doing?¡± ¡°Little lady? That is very unpleasant. Are you really doing this after knowing I am of the Ethar?¡± Mediam was upset that she was being treated like a child. The Ethar clan was one of the five founding families of the Messenger Clan. It was a family that not only produced messengers for generations but also possessed enormous wealth from their activities. It was a family that would not fall behind in terms of heritage, wealth, or power. ¡°Since you are a servant, you aren¡¯t of the blood of Ethar but are just a subordinate of mine. Do you want to be respected like a member of the founding families? Give up being a servant, and I will treat you like a lady of Ethar. Ah, by the way, did you know that messengers are officially untouchable by any blood relatives of the five families?¡± Azadine made it clear to the girl of her position. Even if she was descended from a great family, Azadine was the messenger. As she was a servant, there was no reason for her to receive respect. Even if she wasn¡¯t a servant, the laws of the system meant that he didn¡¯t need to give her respect either. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°It looks like you volunteered to be my servant because you were bored with your duties in the Sanctuary. You weren¡¯t thinking of challenging me to a duel, were you?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Mediam was surprised. She had clearly intended to do just that. Azadine, the son of the traitor, was a disgrace to the Messenger Clan. She heard that he was even bullied by his peers of the same generation and that he could not use magic. The fact that this incompetent had been suddenly pushed into the role of a messenger made the young members of the clan protest against him. Contrary to the rumors, however, the Azadine in front of her was bold and confident. He had been unfazed by the sudden arrows and spoke and acted aggressively. Aside from that, he also oozed confidence. ¡°Ah, you really mean to challenge me. Has Arael¡¯s example emboldened all the children? Never mind, why are you even looking down on me to this extent?¡± Azadine could guess what these children were thinking and clicked his tongue. Azadine¡¯s twin, Arael, was also a child of a traitor, but unlike him, she was considered a genius. She possessed absolute beauty, power, magic, and swordsmanship. Being someone gifted with everything, she had taken up the posting of a servant and then easily won against the messenger she had been assigned to. She had defeated an adult messenger and took his place at the age of 13. Just like any group, the Messenger Clan highly valued its hierarchy. Arael¡¯s unconventional move was not seen well by the Elders. However, a duel within the clan was a right guaranteed by the Voice of the Emperor. Arael had proudly acquired her position and, as a result, continued to knock down the elders with their slanders and schemes, solidifying her position within the clan. Perhaps due to her existence, the dream of becoming a messenger through duel was no longer a fairy tale among the younger members of the clan. ¡°I will not say anything bad about you, so just give up and head back to Sanctuary. Working alongside a servant who has no intention of respecting me is worse than working alone.¡± That was the theory, anyway. However, there was no way that Mediam, who had come this far, would just head back. But¡­ ¡°Mediam, No, this man¡­.¡± Ismail, the boy, tried to stop her. Rumors stated that Azadine was incompetent and unskilled. Mediam¡¯s ability was also superior to those of the same age. Even considering all that, their instincts clearly told them something different. The man in front of them was dangerous. Mediam could feel it. A man who was completely different from the rumors. Azadine was no fool. He was a clever man who fully understood his limits. But¡­. ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be a disgrace if I didn¡¯t challenge him simply because he was too strong?¡¯ She was the one who decided to duel him in the first place. Yet, after seeing her opponent, she felt fear and yet did not wish to give in. He would break them again and again. Despite her fear, she challenged Azadine to a duel. ¡°Messenger Azadine, I, Mediam of the Ethar, formally challenge you for your role as messenger.¡± ¡°Are you serious? If I win, this position will go to you, but you know what will happen if I win, right?¡± ¡°I do. My life and death will become yours. Everything I own will be yours. That promise is made, and when the time comes, I will commit¡­¡± Puak! Mediam fell off her goat in an instant. Azadine had lightly flicked a stone that landed perfectly between her eyebrows. It had moved quickly and powerfully despite being flicked by a finger. ¡°Kuak!?¡± ¡°Little lady, no one who thinks so little of life should take up a weapon.¡± ¡°Uh? Miss Mediam¡­¡± Even Ismail was shocked. It had happened right before his eyes, but he couldn¡¯t spot the movement. ¡°I will arrange it, so just go back to Sanctuary. If you accept every challenge with that mentality, no one will be left in the clan.¡± Azadine gave the children his earnest advice, but Mediam was enraged by the sudden attack. ¡°What is this rude attitude of ambushing someone who asked for a duel!?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Azadine was surprised to hear her response. ¡°That is true, but is that something a person who shot me with an arrow while I was just walking down this road could say?¡± ¡°That is different.¡± ¡°No, you should be ashamed. You ambushed me without me knowing about it. You were ambushed by someone right in front of you. Which of us was more careless?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Give up. Once you start a duel, then there is no turning back. I am sorry, but you are weaker than me. Beating an adult at the age of 13 is only possible for Arael. I know my reputation is low within the clan, but no matter what you do, I will not give up my position as a messenger to someone who could lose to a 13-year-old.¡± Azadine tried to refuse the duel again, but Mediam simply shook her head. ¡°Will you accept my duel or not? I think it is disgraceful to surprise me while I was making a formal duel request for the position of a messenger. Azadine! The duel will start once we are a hundred paces away from each other! How dare you tarnish an honorable duel through such a dishonorable act!¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ you¡¯re being serious?¡± Azadine scratched his nose. ¡°Yes! Now take this seriously!¡± Mediam moved backward upon the path and began to distance herself from Azadine. At about a hundred paces, she dismounted from her mountain goat. ¡°Now we are at a hundred steps! Azadine, I challenge you for the position of messenger!¡± ¡°Are you really going to do it?¡± While Azadine looked in shock, a ghostly voice filled the air. [The duel has been proffered, Messenger Azadine. Accept the challenge.] ¡°Ah, oh my.¡± ¡°¡­ V-voice of the Emperor?!¡± Ismail was shocked at the appearance of the voice. The Voice of the Emperor was a spirit that attached itself to each messenger. That was the voice he heard. Now that the Emperor¡¯s Voice had stood witness, this could no longer be dismissed as just a child¡¯s prank. ¡®This is bad.¡¯ Ismail became anxious. He was part of a family that had been in service to Mediam¡¯s clan from the time of his parents. Following Mediam, applying to become Azadine¡¯s servant and to return her safely home fell under his responsibilities. However, Ismail was careless. Suppose Azadine was really the idiot of rumors and had become a messenger due to an elder¡¯s whim. In that case, Mediam should be able to win. No, not just Mediam. Any challenger would be able to, in fact. All of Ismail¡¯s peers dreamed of becoming a messenger by challenging Azadine whenever the chance was afforded to them. However, the Azadine he was seeing now was a completely different person than what the rumors had painted him to be. ¡®Yet from Miss Mediam¡¯s point of view, she would be intimidated by seeing the other person and think that it was an insult to reject her initial challenge.¡¯ The Messenger Clan regarded fear as shameful and would try to break through it head-on. It was a common tendency among the young children who were still ignorant of the world and did not know of the frustrations inherent in the process. The problem was that this duel wasn¡¯t something that could be committed too lightly. If you failed just once, then you would become a slave. To become a slave to Azadine, the most ridiculed person within the Messenger Clan, would be an insult worse than death. Now that the Emperor¡¯s Voice had intervened, it was impossible to undo this challenge. If Mediam won, then it would be good, but her defeat would bring about an entirely new level of chaos. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to achieve victory!¡± At that moment, Mediam notched an arrow on her bow. ¡®This man was definitely someone who trained in martial arts instead of magic. Then I just have to keep my distance and fight!¡¯ Mediam cast a spell on her arrow. ¡®White Crane!¡¯ Shoot an arrow high¡­ ¡®Yellow Crane!¡¯ Then shoot an arrow low. It was the same attack as before, but if someone tried to catch these magic arrows, they would suffer injuries. ¡®This skill would end it. I had shot two arrows at him earlier. Now that these two are shot using a different form, and from a further distance, he would want to catch these arrows as well!¡¯ In a duel between members of the Messenger Clan, the number of arrows carried by your opponent was very important. Azadine would undoubtedly try to catch the arrows. Indeed¡­ Azadine didn¡¯t move to dodge but simply waited for the arrow to come. ¡®Hmm? He seems confident in his skills.¡¯ While they thought as such, Azadine placed an arrow on his bowstring. He then ran forward and shot it high. -swish! With the sound of the wind cutting through, Azadine¡¯s arrow shot down Mediam¡¯s arrow in the air. Shockingly, it didn¡¯t even make a direct hit but had instead just flown up and was cut down by the wind. Mediam¡¯s arrow lost its strength and fell limply to the ground. Azadine, following a pattern to catch the falling arrow, had picked up a stone from the ground and placed it on his bowstring. ¡®Not possible.¡¯ Ismail, who was observing the duel, laughed as he saw Azadine about to launch a stone using a bow. There was a special type of bow that was used to shoot stones. It was called an Iron Bow and had strings attached to it differently to allow it to shoot stones as well as other objects. The bowstring also had a screen that allowed an even transmission of power. If someone placed a stone on a normal bow, it would only lead to a hand breaking from the force. But¡­ -Kwak! Azadin simply shot it. ¡®Uh?¡¯ Azadine clenched his hand tightly on his bow and then pulled it away. ¡®Extreme Aragasa shooting?!¡¯ It was a battlefield archery technique that lowered one¡¯s accuracy due to the bow being grabbed for maximum shooting speed. Those of the Messenger Clan were also renowned for their precision. CH 9 Precision shooting used a large angle to ensure that objects fired from the bow line didn¡¯t hit the archer¡¯s hand. It simply required a strong grip, great forearm strength, and an impeccable sense of timing. Azadine was treating his bow as if it was a catapult imbued with high-class magic and fired the stone. The stone that flew from his bow acted as if it had been pierced with an arrow. ¡°Euk?!¡± Unlike an arrow, a stone was not designed to fly. As Mediam flinched from her panic, the stone hit the ground, bounced, and split into several fragments toward her. -¡®Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon! Halo!¡¯ Mediam created a soft moonlight shield to block the stone fragments and stepped back. It was just stone dust and fragments, but the split pieces of the rock flew with terrifying speed. ¡®Uh?!¡¯ Mediam then realized that Azadine¡¯s form had disappeared from sight. He had taken a slight detour through the mountain path in the desolate, barren lands. Another stone flew through the air. Swish! Mediam was terrified of the flying stones and twisted her body freely in the air. ¡®The Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon, and Hail? I thought he could not use magic?¡¯ Azadine demonstrated a special skill of the Messenger Clan, the ability to bend projectiles using magic. However, Azadine was not a mage. He had simply created an effect similar to magic by using force to spin the projectile. ¡°What is this!?¡± Mediam panicked further and began to dodge the fragments. Even though her opponent was out of sight, the stones flew from all directions. ¡°Mediam! To the left!¡± Ismail, in his worry, shouted out a warning. [Serious Infringement!] The Emperor¡¯s Voice sharply rushed in. Ismail had made the mistake of providing help during a duel. ¡°Don¡¯t meddle, Ismail! If you stain this duel, you will also be punished.¡± Mediam freed her hand to pull out the sword from her waist. While she did this, Azadine had already jumped in and launched his finger toward the center of her eye. Mediam reflexively slashed her sword but only cut down an afterimage left by Azadine. Surprisingly, Azadine had twisted in the air and, as expected, lightly dodged her attack. Actually, Azadine¡¯s stabbing speed was much faster, and he could have gouged out her eyes if he wanted to. Instead, he simply poked her between her eyes and then waited to snatch her wrist as she struck. And¡­ ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± ¡°What?¡± In an instant, Azadin¡¯s fist slammed into Mediam¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Ah!¡± Her hand was caught, and there was no escape! Azadine held her by the arm and then punched her. Kwang! A roaring scream ¡°WAKKK!¡± Mediam screamed as she closed her eyes. ¡°Miss Mediam!¡± Ismail, who had been watching, could no longer stand it and rushed in. A duel within the Messenger Clan was sacred. Yet, no matter how much of the traitor¡¯s blood flowed, would it be right to kill a daughter of one of the clan¡¯s noblest families? ¡®I will never forgive you, you trash that dare to do this!¡¯ Ismail bared his teeth at Azadine and rushed in to save Mediam. Mediam had closed her eyes tightly. That roar wasn¡¯t the sound that came from a person who was being hit. ¡®Ah, I am dead. If it is this loud, then I should be in pieces. Is it somewhat painless because it is so powerful?¡¯ She closed her eyes¡­ and yet nothing happened. ¡°Uh?¡± As Mediam opened her eyes in surprise, she saw that Azadine had already turned away. She held out her hand at Ismail, who had jumped towards them in anger. ¡°Stop now, Ismail. Will you be making the challenge too? I think you already did something quite reckless.¡± ¡°No, wait! I am fine. It isn¡¯t finished yet!¡± Mediam insisted on this and took a step forward. Yet, at that moment, something unexpected happened. -rumble The tall stone pillar behind her had broken and collapsed. ¡°Uh?¡± While Mediam had been the one hit, the impact had pierced through her and smashed through the rock behind her. What kind of technique was this? Mediam tried to recall every magic used by the Messenger Clan from her memory. ¡®I think it is similar to the Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon, right? But this man can¡¯t use magic.¡¯ One thing was certain. If that power had been directed at Mediam, she would not have survived. [The duel has ended.] The Emperor¡¯s Voice, who had stood witness for the duel, made its declaration. [Mediam of the Ethar. As a servant, you challenged the messenger and were defeated. Your fate now belongs to the messenger, Azadine. Unless he frees you, you are no longer a free person. And since you, Ismail, interjected yourself in the duel, you have made yourself a slave to the messenger alongside Mediam.] The Emperor¡¯s Voice announced the duel¡¯s conclusion and outcome. ¡°Euk!¡± Mediam sat down on the ground. A slave? Would a child of the Ethar, one of the first five families of Aragasa, a pre-eminent member of the Messenger Clan, become a slave to a traitor¡¯s son? A single rash action had ruined her life. Azadine¡¯s skills were clearly superior to hers. They had been too careless and believed rumors while ignoring the aura of the man in front of her and the warning of her instincts. These thoughts made her feel pathetic and stupid to the point that she could no longer stand this. ¡°How can I be humiliated like this?¡± She pulled out her dagger and moved to stab herself in the throat. ¡°Miss Mediam!¡± Ismail rushed towards her in panic, but¡­ Tang! The dagger flew out of her hand with a metallic sound. Azadine had thrown a stone and knocked the dagger out of her hand. ¡°How could you even think of doing that?¡± Azadine had also predicted that Mediam would attempt something like this after their duel. ¡°I am sorry, little one, but your life is mine now. So can you please not carelessly damage my property?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Did you fight in our duel with only that much determination?¡± Mediam pressed her trembling hand with her other hand to calm it. ¡®What kind of stone¡­¡¯ It had flown as strong and accurately as if shot from a bow. Azadine then walked over. ¡°Since you have lost the duel, you do not have the choice to die. You will die only when I desire it or when your life is in true danger. Besides, you must now be faithful and loyal to my orders, whether they be personal or business. Not as servants, but as my slaves.¡± ¡°Euk.¡± Mediam shuddered at this. As was stated, her very existence was now in Azadine¡¯s palm, and she no longer had the luxury to even die. The terrifying way that this duel had ended also made her groan in pain. She had thought she would win easily, but she never thought she would be defeated so easily by the weakest person in the clan. ¡®What can I do next? Should I try to kill him for my freedom? But the Emperor¡¯s Voice always watches over the messenger.¡¯ Mediam suddenly became truly worried about the tough future in front of her. ¡®Well, isn¡¯t this kid surprising?¡¯ Azadine grinned as he watched Mediam¡¯s face crinkle. ¡°Now then, what was the lesson of all this? Anyways, it¡¯s fine. I will set you free. Mediam of the Ethar clan and Ismail, you are both free.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Ismail, who had watched all of this, became shocked. The reason why servants and fellow messengers in the clan were allowed to challenge a ranking messenger was because the position required skill. However, if everyone was allowed to make these challenges easily, the hierarchy within the system would be destroyed. This was why a losing challenger would be enslaved. Yet Azadine was freeing Mediam despite her rude challenge? ¡°ON top of that, let¡¯s pretend that today¡¯s duel never happened. It would be troublesome if there were records of your quarreling with a messenger for no reason, right?¡± ¡°Ah, no, but why?¡± Mediam could not understand why Azadine had done this. ¡°A girl like me, with beauty and talent, is enslaved and released on the same day with nothing being done to me?¡± ¡°Beauty and talent?¡± Azadine snorted in amusement. ¡°I don¡¯t know about your beauty, but you didn¡¯t think you¡¯d end up like Arael with this level of talent, right?¡± ¡°Euk.¡± Mediam blushed in embarrassment at his words. ¡°S-still, I am pretty, right? And I was right before¡­¡± ¡°It was done to intimidate you. How was it? Weren¡¯t you scared of that little threat just now? I note that the little lady could not help but flinch.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re safe with me, but there are people in the world who prefer young girls, and many cultures have traditions of marriage at an early age. When you do something like a duel, do it after careful thought. Actually, don¡¯t do anything like a duel for the rest of your life. If you need to kill someone, assassinate them. Don¡¯t fight them head-on.¡± ¡°Still, why are you letting us go?¡± ¡°Because it is annoying.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°I hate having to take care of kids.¡± ¡®W-hat is with this person?¡¯ Mediam was taken aback by Azadine¡¯s attitude that they were seeing for the first time. It was quite¡­ fresh. ¡°We are not kids!¡± ¡°You¡¯re children enough. Even though I warned you several times to not be rude, you ignored it all and ended up challenging me anyway, right? Moreover, this kid¡­¡± Azadine pointed to Ismail. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he trying to interfere in the duel and ended up becoming a slave with you? You two come as a pair.¡± ¡°Kuak.¡± This was an undeniable fact. Wouldn¡¯t this mean that Azadine, the most neglected of messengers, did not have any need for them? It was so insulting to Mediam that she ended up making an appeal. ¡°But don¡¯t you want to have a talented servant like me around?¡± ¡°Are you calling yourself talented with your own mouth?¡± ¡°I am just stating a fact!¡± ¡°Whatever, you are just a child.¡± ¡°I will not deny that I am a little too youthful now. However, if you wait a bit longer, it will greatly help you, right? Besides, I am an Ethar. If you take me as your slave, everyone in the clan will see you for who you really are.¡± Azadine was stunned by Mediam¡¯s words. ¡°Are you suggesting that I take you as a slave? Do you want to be a slave?¡± ¡°W-well, that isn¡¯t it either! It¡¯s because it¡¯s hard to understand your behavior. I¡¯d rather lose money in a way I understand instead of profiting from something I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°That is such a stupid idea. What would you do if I really took back the offer to release you?¡± Azadine was puzzled by Mediam¡¯s stubbornness and tilted his head. ¡°So, if I tell you why I am freeing you, you will understand?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°So what I¡¯m saying is, since you are of the Ethar, you don¡¯t stand out.¡± Azadine laughed at her. ¡°Now think about that yourself.¡± Azadine concluded as such and began to climb up the path. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Mediam was shocked and asked Ismail. ¡°What is it? He said that we should head back?¡± ¡°T-that is a bit¡­¡± Mediam panicked and ran after Azadine. CH 10 Mediam and Ismail followed behind Azadine and walked while observing him. At that moment, the two remembered what they had been entrusted with. ¡°Ah, wait, Azadine.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Azadien didn¡¯t answer them. ¡°Mr. Messenger?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°The nice guy walking on the road?¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Ismail burst into laughter while Azadine sighed and stopped. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°There was something I forgot. I have a letter for you.¡± ¡°A letter? Who sent it?¡± ¡°Salasma, the district chief.¡± ¡°Tch.¡± Azadine was clearly disappointed to hear that the letter was from the district chief. ¡°I guess you were expecting a letter from someone else?¡± ¡°No.¡± Azadine shook his head. ¡°Sigh. Fine, give that here.¡± Azadine received the letter from Ismail and opened it. The content mainly was a reprimand for omissions to his report and information about a voice stating that the copies of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth had been appearing around the world recently. Recovery of these copies would be reflected as part of the messenger¡¯s personal evaluation. ¡®If they wrote it down in a letter, then all the other messengers would already know.¡¯ Azadine sighed again after he read the letter. ¡°Do you people know of the contents too?¡± ¡°Uh? We didn¡¯t read the letter, though?¡± ¡°I heard that copies of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth have been appearing worldwide recently.¡± ¡°Ah! I know of that news. If it¡¯s that book, it must be the one your father betrayed the clan for and dispersed around the world¡­ ouch!¡± As Mediam had spoken without tact, Ismail responded by stepping on her foot. ¡°What is it with you? What is it?¡± Yet she still didn¡¯t grasp the situation. ¡°Ah, enough. So, you people know, too, right?¡± A lot of the members of the Messenger Clan would also know of the book if they knew someone who was a candidate for messenger. That meant even kids who weren¡¯t formally trained would get the information from somewhere. ¡°How much are you getting? It said that it would be reflected in your personal evaluation, but in what form? ¡°The pages? That, well?¡± ¡°Do you not know? Hmm, I guess I need to see the district chief then.¡± Azadine lamented that he had to go see the chief to discuss the letter. ¡°Good. Thank you for getting this letter to me. I received it properly.¡± ¡°Then, can you give me an acknowledgment of the letter?¡± ¡°Acknowledgement?¡± ¡°Yes, please take me in as your servant.¡± ¡°No, that is a no.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°First of all, your motives for coming to me are very impure.¡± ¡°What motives?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you come to challenge me to a duel because I looked like an easy target? Why should I take you in as my servant?¡± ¡°Right, that is my fault. But the messenger does need a servant anyway, right?¡± ¡°That is the second reason. In principle, the relationship between the messenger and their servant is a matter only for those involved. But customarily, it is something that is considered and arranged by their families. Little lady, will the Ethar really recognize me as your master? I am Azadine, the one who is hated and mocked within the clan. Did you tell your family head that you were coming to serve me and receive his permission to come here?¡± ¡°Ah, I-I didn¡¯t.¡± Mediam had simply rushed onward without a second thought as she was confident of beating Azadine and becoming a messenger. When Azadine pointed that out, she was shocked. ¡°Right? I don¡¯t want to be involved with a mess of your own making.¡± ¡°Then is it because I am of the Ethar that you won¡¯t accept me as a slave?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a contributing factor, but I don¡¯t normally like slavery.¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± Mediam was speechless at Azadine¡¯s words. ¡°So, since you understand now, can you back away?¡± ¡°Uh. Hmm.¡± Mediam, still in shock, then asked. ¡°Then, can I not be your companion all the way there?¡± ¡°Companion? Why should I?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I can also tell you about what happened in the clan.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ismail watched with wonder as Mediam began to beg. Mediam of the Ethar was originally an arrogant child. Yet, after Azadine had ignored her, she tried hard to go along with Azadine. ¡°Since the path, we¡¯ll be taking is the same, can¡¯t we just go there?¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t make this road, so feel free to do whatever you please.¡± And with that, Azadine began to walk forward. In addition to the 108 Messengers, the Messenger Clan also included those who accompanied the messengers and ordinary people making their livelihoods. Among them, those engaged in commerce were spread out and formed guilds all around the world to support the messengers. Among those guild branch offices was the regional headquarters. A messenger stationed there would be referred to as the local chief. While it was originally created to support the messengers, commerce couldn¡¯t be done clumsily. The guild began to operate where good business opportunities were available. The structure has changed to the point where he wondered if the messengers now only existed to support the guild as its main objectives changed. The system now worked like this. ¡®Because we are doing business for the first time here, the attitude of the territory and existing guilds is a bit severe. I will have to kidnap the families of existing guilds and use them as collateral.¡¯ ¡®The controller for access to Area XX demanded a bribe and seized the goods. If you bribe them once, then you will have to continue it in the future. I want you to warn them by killing them. Kill their whole family brutally and put it on display.¡¯ These offices would send messengers on such missions. Azadine didn¡¯t like it. Although the entire clan was bound by the Curse of Service, what the Emperor wanted from the clan was to maintain the peace, not perform assassinations, kidnapping, blackmailing, or intimidation. Wouldn¡¯t that make them no different than a hired assassin? After Azadine had refused several requests made by the chief in Salasma, the whole district began to treat him differently. Since he was also the son of a traitor, he was treated with anger each time he visited. Inevitably, his relationship with the chief deteriorated. That was why he always avoided coming to this place. However, the letter he received about the spread of the magic book seemed to make it a priority for the whole clan. He had been ordered to head for and meet with the chief. Still, Azadine was currently located at a place that was on the border of the Margrave¡¯s territory. Even if he walked along the road, he wasn¡¯t sure how long it would take to reach Salasma. Additionally, nearby villages were also abandoned, perhaps due to the dry weather of the past month. All of the tea houses and inns along the road were empty. As they continued walking down the road, the temperature began to cool as the sun went down. Azadine decided to camp by the road and began making preparations for it. He had been in a hurry to leave alone, so he hadn¡¯t bothered to prepare proper supplies. He laid his cloak down and sat down by a rock, sheltering himself from the wind. However, Mediam and Ismail stayed close to their goats. ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°No.¡± Azadine responded to Mediam and Ismail¡¯s offer to approach, but he refused to move. Seeing this chance, Mediam told Azadine. ¡°We are of the same clan. Isn¡¯t it strange that people of the same clan would meet each other in this faraway town of Manita and choose to stay apart?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Ismail was shocked at her words. Was this the same arrogant girl he knew? He had been regretful that she was defeated by Azadine, but now he threw those feelings away. Mediam had never treated anyone like that before, and here she was, trying to appeal to Azadine. ¡°You don¡¯t need water? I have some in the can¡­.¡± ¡°¡­. Azadine sighed and moved slowly closer to the Kerim Goats. Just approaching them filled him with warmth. ¡°Well, since I¡¯ve met my family here, this much should be fine.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Mediam laughed aloud and handed the can to Azadine. ¡°Ah, I feel sleepy. Shall we set a night watch rotation?¡± ¡°The Emperor¡¯s Voice will give a warning, so messengers don¡¯t need to stay alert.¡± Azadine answered as such. Mediam then glanced over at him and looked up at the night sky. She looked back at Azadine¡¯s face. Under the bird-shaped mask, which was the standard feature of a messenger, his lower visage looked quite youthful, and his skin was smooth with almost no beard. Looking at his appearance under the mask, she could assume he was handsome. ¡®I don¡¯t know what he has hidden under that mask. The part that¡¯s visible, though¡­ he must be really handsome. I want to see what¡¯s behind that mask.¡¯ Mediam went to sleep with such thoughts. They were tired from the long journey. When their eyes opened, the morning sun was already streaming in. They must have had a good and dreamless sleep. ¡°Now, now, little lady and droopy eyes. Wake up now.¡± Azadine had woken up first and was now warming up. He had an amazing sleep wrapped in the warm fur of the Kerim Goats. At first, he had clung to the goat as he woke up and came to his senses. He was slightly embarrassed and cleared his throat while he looked at the sunrise. ¡°Little lady. My name is Mediam, but if that is an affectionate nickname, I will accept it happily.¡± ¡°Right, Mediam.¡± If he continued to call her that now, she would continue saying the same thing. Azadine, therefore, decided to call her by name. ¡°Ah, I am Ismail. You can call me¡­.¡± ¡°You shut it, droopy eyes.¡± Ismail had followed Mediam for some reason but could not make the efforts worth the journey. Azadine then looked at the goats and said. ¡°Last night, I really slept warmly, thanks to the goats. Thank you.¡± ¡°For what? I met my own people by chance in Manita. That is all.¡± Mediam laughed at that. ¡°But these goats don¡¯t have shoes.¡± ¡°Horseshoes?¡± ¡°If you put it in, the goats will not be able to go up the mountain trail, right?¡± ¡°But you two followed the Emperor¡¯s Path, right?¡± Azadine pointed this out. ¡°If you walk along the paved road with bare hooves, they will quickly become worn out. There are horseshoes among our belongings, so for now, walk without riding them. The goats seem thirsty, so if we don¡¯t quickly get over the mountain and return to a place with plenty of water, they will die.¡± Azadine began to speed up. ¡°Ah, the-then?¡± As Mediam excitedly chased after him, Azadine drew a line. ¡°Until we meet other people nearby, you two can continue, got it?¡± ¡°Ah. Yes.¡± Mediam looked at Azadine with stiff eyes. Azadine walked along the path, his steps swift. Each step was also large enough that there was no difference in speed compared to the two riding the goat. Mediam continued to stare at Azadine¡¯s face while urging the goats to move at the same speed. CH 11 The rumors said that Azadine was the weakest messenger in the history of the Messenger Clan. Adults threatened their daughters by saying that they would be married off to him. However, the Azadine before Mediam was wise, skilled, and experienced. It was hard to believe that he only had three months of experience as a messenger. ¡°What is it? Why do you keep looking at my face? Is there something on my face?¡± ¡°The rumors say that you are cursed, and the marks of it are left on your face.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°But looking at it now, it all looks good. Actually, your older sister Arael is a peerless beauty, right?¡± ¡°Ack.¡± At the mention of his sister¡¯s name, Azadine pretended to gag. ¡°She isn¡¯t the older sister, but the younger one.¡± It is a custom of the Messenger Clan that the firstborn of a family needs to take on greater responsibility and authority. ¡°She claims to be your elder sister.¡± ¡°Have you met her?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t meet her, but I heard this.¡± ¡°Then you just heard rumors.¡± Azadine declared this and began to walk. The Messenger Clan was also composed of noble families below the five founding families. Below them came the commoners and those of low status. Azadine and Arael were both born at the bottom of the hierarchy, as their father had been a traitor. They had nothing to inherit and no honor to maintain. Yet, both of them insisted on being the elder to the other. ¡°Huhu.¡± Mediam smiled as Azadine¡¯s appearance was now amusing to her. ¡°¡­¡± On the other hand, Ismail was silent as he watched her laugh. After walking through the hill for half a day, vegetation could be seen around them. In addition, water was also flowing nearby as the road looked wet. ¡°Ah, this?¡± ¡°There is a fountain close by. I happened to leave my supplies there. Shall we go and get them? Shouldn¡¯t you people be giving water to the goats?¡± Azadine led the two of them to the water spring. It was a bit of a stretch to call it a spring since it was just some water flowing through the rocks. ¡°The quantity went down a lot. This is bad.¡± There was less water than when Azadine first spotted it. Still, the situation was better than on the eastern side of the mountains. That side was turning into a desert. ¡°It should be around here? Ah, there it is.¡± A Kerim Goat was grazing around the spring. It recognized Azadine and came running to him. ¡°Nice. Sweater, did you wait?¡± A Kerim Goat had better balance and could jump further than horses. They were also good at traveling through rough terrain but were vulnerable to heat and dryness due to their long hair. Azadine had deliberately released the goat near water so they could feed on the grass and had moved alone to the dry lands to carry out his mission. There was a possibility that the goat might have been killed by bandits or wild beasts. Still, it had thankfully survived safely because the area was less populated. Azadine patted it and looked around. ¡°Let us take a break here. I will have to get my supplies back.¡± ¡°Supplies?¡± Azadine picked up a large rock near the spring and pulled out a sack that was hidden under it. ¡°Nice. The supplies seem to be in good condition.¡± The Emperor¡¯s Voice had given him limited time, so he had to rush and leave many of the items he typically carried with him. Having recovered them safely, Azadine could breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°Um, I was just wondering if I could wash up.¡± Mediam looked in disappointment at the small stream of water trickling from the rocks. ¡°As we head down the mountain, the quantity will increase slowly. For now, be content with watering the goats.¡± At that moment, the bushes nearby began to shake. ¡°Kuak, what is this now?¡± ¡°Look here! Who gave you permission to fetch water from our spring?¡± No matter who saw them, the six people that appeared clearly looked like bandits. There was blood on their mismatched armor, most likely from the soldiers they had killed or from commoners who had picked them up. Mediam and Ismail looked at Azadine, who had put his hand on his weapon. He then asked them. ¡°I have no intention of fighting. What do you people want?¡± ¡°We want it all.¡± ¡°Yeah, catch the woman and kill the boys!¡± The men approached confidently, confident they would win because they outnumbered them by three. They were confident that Azadine was the only person who could fight properly. His unguarded state gave them confidence. At that moment, Azadine kicked a stone off the ground and held it in his hand. ¡°I am asking just in case, is there really no room for compromise?¡± ¡°What is this guy on about?¡± ¡°Seeing you have a mask on your face, what are you? A clown?¡± ¡°You think so?¡± Azadine grabbed the stone in one hand and split it into pieces. At the same moment, the fragments were shot out like bullets and impacted with the lead bandits in their crotch. ¡°KUAK?!¡± ¡°ACK!¡± Two of the men grabbed onto their crotch and knelt in pain. ¡°AHHH¡­.¡± ¡°I-it pierced!¡± Their pants were pierced in the crotch area and were stained with blood. ¡°Y-You bastard!¡± The enraged bandits tried to swing their weapons, but Azadine simply pushed them aside and approached their leader. He had been the one who had ordered the girl to be captured and the men to be killed. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Man¡­¡± Azadine punched lightly, causing a gust of wind to move with his fist. Swish! Blood splattered as the leader fell down, screaming. ¡°KWAAKK!¡± ¡°B-Boss?!¡± ¡°What?¡± They couldn¡¯t understand why their boss was reacting so severely when he had just been hit by one light punch. With this in mind, those who approached Azadine were startled. Their leader¡¯s face had been ripped in half. His nose was torn, and his cheekbones were crushed inwards. Bones were visible in the open, and his eyeballs dangled out the side as if they had been pulled out. It was a sight that no one wanted to see as if he had been mauled by a bear¡¯s paw instead of a human¡¯s fist. ¡°KWAKKKK!¡± ¡°Euk¡­ W-what?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The bandits weren¡¯t the only ones surprised at the sight. The two children were also shocked. ¡®What is that power?¡¯ ¡®Is it really not magic and just a punch?¡¯ Mediam and Ismail felt fear. Three bandits had fallen instantly, and only three were left now. Those who remained were no longer motivated to fight. ¡°W-we apologize.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t recognize you!¡± ¡°But you people wanted everything? You said you didn¡¯t want to compromise, though?¡± ¡°Oh, not at all.¡± ¡°Then why are you carrying a weapon?¡± ¡°Euk!¡± The bandits immediately laid down their arms and knelt on the ground. ¡°Mediam and droopy eyes. Take their weapons.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Seeing that he called Mediam by her name and Ismail as droopy eyes, he was still insistent on not calling her by a nickname. Mediam and Ismail took the weapons and moved to Azadine¡¯s side. ¡°Now, shall we ask questions? Why are you people here? As I see it, you don¡¯t seem like thieves.¡± ¡®Uh? They aren¡¯t thieves?¡¯ ¡®Not thieves?¡¯ Mediam and Ismail were shocked by this, but the bandits who heard this looked elated. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We are actually good people.¡± No matter how much they claimed, they clearly weren¡¯t good people. Mediam frowned at them, but they began to say anything they could think of out of a desire to live. ¡°We were conscripted.¡± ¡°Conscripted?¡± ¡°Yes. Those bastards from the Margrave¡¯s Castle¡­ what was it? They were conscripting people to search for the pages of some book and were sending us towards random things.¡± ¡°Still, no rain has fallen in these lands. Everyone is becoming either wanderers or bandits.¡± ¡°We received an order to scout around to find an object for which we had no way of finding. As we turned around, we ended up meeting your noble self.¡± They praised Azadine¡¯s party as nobility, perhaps hoping that flattery would work. There was no way they were happy after encountering Azadine. They had transformed into boot-licking machines because they saw what had happened to their leader. But what they said through flattery was the truth, and there was no lie in it. Count Casel was trying to find a copy of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth. ¡°You are just thieves making excuses, right?¡± ¡°Impossible! This isn¡¯t a road that mercenaries use either.¡± The eastern lands had not seen rain in a month. Even if they were trying to rob people, they wouldn¡¯t use this less populated path. ¡°Then we have no choice but to kill them to shut them up.¡± Mediam clearly thought little of killing. ¡°Wait, Mediam. I don¡¯t kill people that easily.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°We need to kill them. Even if they are people who might change, if we let them live now, our movements would be exposed.¡± Ismail noted that the bandits should be killed even if they were disciplined. ¡°N-No!¡± ¡°Wait, please stop¡­ how can you people think like that?¡± The bandits bowed in fear as everyone there waited for Azadine to decide. ¡°The life of a person, once taken, cannot be brought back, so how can you think of killing someone that easily? Everyone should have a second chance.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± Ismail and Mediam sighed. There were sometimes those who chose not to kill people. Yet did anyone ever imagine the Messenger Clan to have one of those in their ranks? Meanwhile, the bandits were very happy. ¡°R-right. Ahem! Human life is precious.¡± ¡°As expected, elder! You are such a generous man.¡± ¡°Because of the elder¡¯s mercy, I hope your family will be blessed for generations.¡± ¡°We will keep our mouths shut!¡± ¡°Ahem! How could we leave such a benefactor without showing our thanks? We are not shameless. If we betray this ever bright, merciful, and great person, we will end up in hell.¡± Since when did Azadine become a person who enjoyed flattery? It felt as if the bandits were ready to become eunuchs for him. Besides, weren¡¯t two of their number already castrated now? Azadine looked back and smiled. ¡°Well, if I used energy to inflict permanent damage to each of you, you wouldn¡¯t be able to harm others even if you don¡¯t repent immediately. That is the only way we can ensure they repent for the rest of their lives.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Do not move too much. If you move, then not just your eyes, but even your face would fly off.¡± ¡°Euk!?¡± ¡°D-do not joke around!¡± The bandits tried to resist, but Azadine¡¯s fist struck the first one who tried to stand. Blood and flesh splattered onto his comrades¡¯ faces. ¡°KWAAKKKK!¡± ¡°I told you to be still; otherwise, your noses would end up flying. Stay calm, and it will end with just one eyeball.¡± Azadine felt sorry for the one who received more damage than necessary, but he wasn¡¯t going to stop. ¡°Kuak!¡± Terrible screams echoed through the trees in the forest. CH 12 ¡°You son of a bitch!¡± ¡°I will curse you until I die!¡± Those who had lost one eye spat out curses that showed their flattery as lies. Many creative curses came out, impressing even Azadine. ¡°It is good to be hot-blooded, but wrap up that wound, so you don¡¯t lose too much. Wash the wound cleanly. It is important to wash the part where optic nerves were severed using alcohol. Don¡¯t drink until you get better.¡± Azadine was giving the bandits advice to avoid worsening their wounds any further as he led his goat away. Mediam and Ismail followed behind him with their own goats in tow. The goats normally walked without complaint after being fed enough water and grass to recover their bodies. Mediam laughed at the bandits they left behind. ¡°At first, I was surprised to see that they were given a way out without punishment. But after seeing what you did, I think it was good.¡± ¡°Those who harass and plunder from the weak will know how it feels when they too become weak. If you take one eye, their perspective will be lost, and they will face difficulties in the future when it comes to fighting. In this case, those who were once strong and now became weak will inevitably repent. Humans don¡¯t understand another¡¯s point of view unless their positions are changed.¡± ¡°In other words, what you are doing is not just saving their lives but their souls. To give them a real chance to repent. Well, if it was other people from the clan, we would have just killed them, but is there now a plan to save them? Ah, but what if their wounds worsened and they died?¡± ¡°Well, all I did was create a promise of an afterlife. I am a helpless human as well. I cannot do anything that I am not made to do.¡± Azadine was a good man, but he was not an almighty teacher. Those who needed to be punished would be punished. As a result, he would accept the inevitable loss of lives. In some ways, his method was more brutal than cleanly killing them. ¡°Is it alright if we just leave them alive? What if they hold a grudge?¡± Ismail was still feeling uneasy and had difficulty agreeing with Azadine¡¯s methods. He then shook his head. ¡°Well, they might be able to make it off the mountain alive, but once they get to the point where they could accuse me, it would be too late. Still, something bothers me.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Margrave Kazel is looking for the book as well. Of course, wanting the book is not unusual, but if it is a noble of that level, we must be careful, right?¡± ¡°I heard about Margrave Kazel on the way here. It was said that he had been high on the line of succession for the throne of Korassar. However, after losing the battle for the throne, most of his territories were taken away, and he was reduced to a Margrave.¡± Just as Ismail said, rumors about the man were around. ¡°He had lost the political fight for succession. Since he could not take that path, he is trying to climb back up using the magic book, somehow?¡± ¡°That is the odd thing. King Korassar is younger than Kazel. There are no problems with his health. If he is still trying to get the book, then¡­ he is dangerous. We need to be careful until we leave Kazel¡¯s territory. I should take this mask off.¡± The bird mask, a symbol of the messenger, left a strong impression on all who saw it. Therefore it was necessary to take it off to hide his identity. ¡°Ah, finally, we get to see his bare face.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look forward to it too much. It¡¯s quite ugly.¡± Azadine said this and took his mask off. A moment after, Mediam and Ismail were visibly shocked. The face behind the mask was beautiful, with a high nose and sharp eyebrows. The glaring contrast was the long scar where his eyes should be. ¡°Y-You don¡¯t have eyes?¡± ¡°Azadine is¡­¡± Azadine was the name of the eyeless evil dragon from the old myths of the Messenger Clan. Azadine, the incarnation of the God of Death, the Dragon of Muan, struggled eternally against the righteous angel Arael. Their struggle between good and evil would last until the final day of the world when they both would die and end the age of myths. To him, who was without eyes, the name of Azadine, Dragon of Muan, was morbidly suitable. ¡°But you didn¡¯t seem blind.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing¡­ I can see. Little La- Mediam.¡± ¡°You can see without eyes? How?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. However, I have always been able to see without eyes. Hence the name Azadine.¡± Azadine placed the mask into his pocket and pulled a staff from the saddle on the Kerim Goat. ¡°Thanks to that, I can easily move anywhere. If I pretend to be blind, even the soldiers don¡¯t bother with me. So I have no problem when traveling alone. But this time, you two are coming along¡­ so I hope we can match our stories.¡± Azadine clicked his tongue as he said this. ¡°Actually, why am I with you people? Let¡¯s just get to a safe place and separate from there, okay?¡± ¡°Ehh, seriously. Can you not just accept us as servants? You already know a lot.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Because it is annoying.¡± Azadine ignored Mediam¡¯s blatant attempts to charm him and unequipped his bow and arrow. ¡°It would be odd for a blind man to carry a bow, so the arrows and¡­.¡± Azadine stored his arrows and walked with the cane. He looked to all the world like a blind pilgrim. The Emperor¡¯s Road. It was a road that Emperor Yaeslat had made after unifying the continent. The route, which ran through the major cities on the continent, was an amazing feat of engineering and magic. It had been 300 years since its construction but it was still in good condition despite minimal maintenance. The King¡¯s Church had changed the name of this road to the continental road, but the people still feared the power of Yaeslat. The Emperor who built this road was feared and honored, especially in places outside the church¡¯s reach. On that road, the pilgrims walked. The King¡¯s Church, the Faith of the Rescue Knights, and the Gods of Yaegas. ¡°What?¡± Regardless of the differing doctrines of the various churches, the people of Hubris believed in reincarnation. The ultimate aim of life was to be reborn in a higher status through a repeated cycle of reincarnation and the accumulation of karma throughout one¡¯s life. Pilgrimage to build up merit was an act acknowledged by both the King¡¯s Church and the Rescue Knights. Azadine¡¯s party pretended to be another pilgrimage and walked through the Emperor¡¯s Road. ¡°Yah- stop watching.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s worth seeing your face just for the eyes. Still, you are quite handsome, so it just looks like an injury from an unexpected accident. You are very good-looking, you know?¡± ¡°I think it is better to have those scars than clumsy-looking eyes. Can my imagination fill up the space where the scars are? The character in my head is what looks good.¡± Mediam was admiring Azadine¡¯s face. ¡°You speak like Arael.¡± ¡°I speak like her? Did she say the same?¡± ¡°No.¡± Azadine shook his head. ¡°She was the one who hurt my face.¡± Azadine caressed his wound. A junction of side roads led to the Eastern Lands on the Emperor¡¯s Road. At the entrance of it was a large village with around 300 families. In the north, where the population was typically low, this place would be considered a fairly large city. Here, in the center, where the population was quite high, a village of just 300 families was nearly insignificant. People referred to the village as the Gateway to the East. The village was currently occupied by a mercenary group led by Tarki, Margave Kazel¡¯s illegitimate son, who was searching through the villagers¡¯ belongings and passersby for the book. Of course, if the mercenaries could not find the book while searching through these things, there was no chance that they would return things in an orderly manner. Instead, if any valuables or money were in the luggage, they would be taken away without hesitation. In other words, it was open looting. As its name implied, the Gateway to the East was a gateway to the roads leading to the Emperor¡¯s Road. As a search and check process was being done, Mediam and Ismail were quite shocked. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°But this wasn¡¯t there¡­.¡± Such things weren¡¯t being done when they had crossed the gate before. It was simply a place to pay a toll and move on. Yet now, undisciplined mercenaries were using the spot to openly plunder. ¡°Hmm.¡± Azadine, who pretended to be blind while walking with the cane, was also shocked. ¡®Was it because I hurt Lord Kozel? No, it¡¯s only been a short time since I injured him. There¡¯s no way they could already know about it, right?¡¯ Just then, a merchant next to Azadine said to him, ¡°Look here. You cannot see?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°And the children?¡± ¡°They are orphans who came onto this pilgrimage with me.¡± Azadine said this while crossing his arms, a sign marking his faith in the angels and the Rescue Knights. ¡°Ah, I see? Then you are taking care of the orphans. You must be a noble.¡± ¡°I am not a noble¡­ just a wandering person hoping for some miracle.¡± ¡°In this world¡­ may the protection of the three great archangels be with you.¡± The merchant repeated the sign Azadine had made. ¡°But what is happening?¡± ¡°You are asking what is happening? Did you not hear the rumors about the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth?¡± ¡°The magic book?¡± ¡°Yes. Rumor has it that a member of the Messenger Clan had stolen the book and made copies of it, resulting in them appearing all over the world. Magrave Kazel¡¯s illegitimate sons are scouring the land to look for them. Well, if you found a copy of it, wouldn¡¯t sending it to the King¡¯s Church lead to a knighthood or something?¡± The inheritance law of the Eight Kingdoms gave the eldest son full inheritance rights. Titles and kingdoms were not divided; the eldest would receive it all. Those not lucky enough to inherit would be lucky to become vassals to their eldest brother¡­ If the eldest had no intention of distributing positions, they would become an adventurer, merchant, or priest in the church. Being a priest of the King¡¯s Church might sound nice, but it was a position most avoided due to a high number of missions and few benefits. Even if one was an illegitimate son of a noble and didn¡¯t have a comfortable life, their life was much freer than a knight of the church. So, if one of these children didn¡¯t wish to be forced to leave the house, they had no choice but to search for the book now. Or, using the pretext of searching for the book, they could plunder money. ¡®Isn¡¯t this bad?¡¯ Azadine¡¯s problem now was that he had a copy of the book. He hid it in a secret pocket, but taking that kind of chance wasn¡¯t an amusing thought. Even now, right in front of his eyes, a mercenary was stealing a jewel that a merchant had hidden inside their underwear. CH 13 ¡°T-that is my emergency fund! Give it back! What is this tyranny? Didn¡¯t you say you were looking for a book?¡± ¡°No! You don¡¯t know how and when the book will appear! Maybe this is it? Is it a magic book in the shape of a jewel?¡± ¡°You said it would be returned after examining it closely, and it clearly isn¡¯t the book.¡± The man said this, but there was no way the mercenaries would return the items they took. ¡®Even robbing their underwear. Will they take this too?¡¯ Azadine clicked his tongue as he thought of the copy of the book on him. He would definitely be caught. What should he do? Should he reveal his identity and punish them? If he did that, first it was Lord Kozel, and now these people, a future of him being pursued was obvious. As Azadine hesitated, the two children approached him. ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°Fight?¡± ¡°Wait. Just wait for a moment.¡± Azadine stopped the two children. It was because he could see a messenger approaching and talking to the mercenaries. The mercenaries panicked and began to collect all of the loot. ¡°T-that is it for today.¡± They allowed those who had been searched to pass through, and those who weren¡¯t finding places to stay outside also began to move closer. ¡°What is happening?¡± The merchants were shocked at this. ¡°I heard there¡¯s an ogre nearby.¡± Azadine told the merchants this. ¡°Uh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I have good hearing, so I could hear what they said.¡± ¡°What?¡± The merchants and travelers who had planned to stay outside suddenly looked scared. ¡°No¡­ what is that though¡­.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Once Azadine mentioned an ogre, the mercenaries clicked their tongues. They headed towards the gates while the merchants and travelers watched them closely. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Let us talk!¡± The merchants moved closer, but the soldiers didn¡¯t respond. ¡°What is this¡­¡± ¡°T-they are doing it for real.¡± Looking at how the mercenaries were reacting, it was clear that an ogre had indeed appeared. Everyone outside fell into deep thought. In the Eastern Hinterland, there was a high plain basin that was adjacent to the Anukai Desert. The area was known to be quite fertile due to the winds that blew the sand into the desert and the rains that fell during the rainy season. However, people who lived there had no choice but to be driven away as ogres came down from the Black Tooth Mountains to take control of the lands and settle there. Ogres were muscular giants twice as tall as men and weighed ten times more. They possessed superpowers that couldn¡¯t be compared to humans. Despite lacking in intelligence, they were a ferocious race. One of the primary duties of the Count of Casel was to serve as a bulwark to prevent ogres from entering human territory. Fortunately, the monsters could not unify or organize enough to make long-distance marches. Additionally, ogres of the highlands also attacked and ate one another instead of humans. Fighting amongst themselves was the main priority. Taking advantage of this, successive Margraves of Salasma had begun building villages beyond the Gateway to the East. However, due to the recent unending drought, even the ogres had started to suffer. Although ogres were not the most intelligent monsters and could not make long distant journeys, the lack of water motivated them to put aside their infighting and search for better lands. ¡°Ogres? How many of them?¡± Tarki, the illegitimate son of Count Casel, asked the scout who had come to report. ¡°We only identified one. However, it has hobgoblins and goblin soldiers under its command. The number of these is unknown, but according to what the scouts saw, there were more than 10¡­¡± ¡°That is bad. If there are more than 10 of them, isn¡¯t that a full troop?¡± Proper ogres would have goblins and hobgoblins as their subordinates. In other words, the one they had found this time wasn¡¯t a runaway ogre but one that commanded its own troop. An ogre alone was a formidable opponent, but with goblins under its lead, it would make it even tougher for humans to deal with. Of course, this was a gateway path, so an ogre could do nothing if they used the fortress walls. There was no reason for Tarki to fight and waste his men either. It didn¡¯t make him money, and sending his men to battle would cost him more. There was a rule that the payment rate would double if a fight were to occur. ¡°It cannot be helped. Let¡¯s head back with the loot.¡± Tarki had decided to leave the place immediately. However, a man entered the town hall at that moment. It was the hunter who also served as the village chief. ¡°Sir Tarki, we have a problem.¡± ¡°Problem? What is it? Did the ogre arrive?¡± ¡°No, the people outside the gates are causing havoc. It seems like they had found out about the ogre.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean? What idiot let them know?¡± Tarki was shocked. The ogres were heading south from the north, and the gate extended until the southeast. In other words, refugees and merchants outside the gates were also located in the southeast. This meant they could not see the ogre¡¯s approach, so how would they know? ¡°No one told them.¡± ¡°Someone must have overheard the words of the messenger.¡± ¡°Urgh, stupid idiots¡­.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°What can you do? What can you people even do? Close the gate! Fucking cheeky idiots.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± The hunter was dumbfounded at the order to lock the gate. Once the ogres approached, the people protesting outside would be defenseless in a fight. It was as if he was leaving those people to die. ¡°Now that we confirmed that none of them have a copy of the magic book, we can leave. Let those people stop the ogres and other beasts from getting close.¡± ¡°What is this¡­¡± The hunter was embarrassed. From the moment the man had begun plundering, he knew that he was no real knight or even had the mindset of one. Yet he didn¡¯t expect the man to be this shameless. ¡°Didn¡¯t you enlist useful young people?¡± ¡°I will be leaving them behind. Well, since they are trained as soldiers, they should be of good enough use now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He had conscripted them as soldiers for a day and spoke as if they were trained. It was truly shameless, but the hunter could say nothing. ¡°Then let¡¯s at least bring the people outside inside. I will be in command of defense here.¡± As the hunter suggested this, Tarki snorted. ¡°What can you even do when you aren¡¯t even a knight?¡± Is this what this man, a knight, was saying while preparing to run away? The hunter didn¡¯t ask it out loud, though. ¡°Fine. I will entrust the defense to you!¡± Tarki said this and called in his mercenaries. They proceeded to commandeer horses and oxen from the village and loaded their loot into carts. The travelers and merchants outside were shocked by the word of an ogre¡¯s approach. ¡°Oh my, everyone will die.¡± ¡°What? Shall we get out of the way and run to another place now?¡± ¡°But the sun will soon set¡­.¡± Crossing the mountain once the sun had set was no less than suicide. No one would know where beasts and monsters would approach on the roadside. Even stepping on a misplaced stone could lead to death or injury. Traveling at night was only possible on a well-laid road. Alternatively, they would need to have great vision, like the dwarves and elves. However, as the people began to panic, the gate in front of them suddenly opened. The villagers who opened the gate were aged, with nary a sight of the young among them. ¡°W-what is it?¡± ¡°Knights?¡± ¡°The knights and mercenaries left.¡± ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Come inside now.¡± The man who looked like a hunter gave them permission to enter. Azadine pretended to be blind and walked with his cane and goat. The mood in the village was quite low. It seemed like their young men had been conscripted, and the village had been looted. Those who had stayed behind were those who loved their lands, a handful of old men who were preparing to defend their homes. ¡°As you can see, we are in a tough spot now. Saying this, would you be fine with helping to defend the village?¡± The hunter said this politely, but the spear-wielding people around him had scary expressions. ¡°Help? Of what kind?¡± ¡°Those who can fight will do so, while those who can¡¯t fight will support the others.¡± ¡°Euk?!¡± The merchants were shocked when they heard this. ¡°No, wait¡­.¡± ¡°Usually, when we decide to help, it would be to become a battle merchant.¡± When a merchant was drafted into war, they would become battle merchants. They played the role of one who would be able to buy or sell necessary goods along the battlefield, but they would not be expected to fight using their skills. This was more advantageous rather than having them fight. In other words, the merchants would bring supplies to the soldiers who fought. However, that only applied to a long-term war. Merchants were useless in a small conflict such as this, where they had to protect a gate from a dangerous enemy. ¡°What do we do then?¡± A blind man asked this. He was a young man with a horizontal scar on his face. Behind him were two children, a boy, and a girl, wearing dusty cloaks. Both seemed to be in their early teens. People of the south had a custom of early marriage, but even these children looked too young. ¡°The blind and children¡­ please go with the weak and elderly.¡± The hunter said this and began devising a strategy. An ogre came while carrying the flag of the Broken Tooth Clan on its back and descended the mountain path. The path through the Desert¡¯s Backbone mountain range, which formed the border between the Kingdom of Korassar and the eastern lands, was quite rugged. Anyone who detoured to avoid the mountain peaks would inevitably arrive at the village gate. The ogres were approaching through various paths and were able to capture humans whose eyes were removed and their feet broken. ¡°You, the portable rations. They belong to me.¡± They captured the fleeing humans in large boxes of meat that they carried on their backs. The captured screamed as they fell into a large box filled with parts of human, goblin, and animal corpses. ¡°S-save me!¡± ¡°Damn it! Damn that Messenger Clan bastard.¡± ¡°AHHHH¡­ Heavenly Kings! Please save me!¡± Those trapped among the corpses screamed for help. CH 14 Everyone would lose their fighting spirit and tremble in fear when encountering a terrifying monster. The ogre carried a large black stone axe and devoured animals by tearing them apart alive. Azadine had gouged out their eyes, but the scene before them was so horrific that their remaining eye resented it. They tried to twist their way through the cracks in the box they had been trapped in. Still, any idea of escape left their mind when they saw the goblins following behind them, scrambling to eat any blood and flesh that seeped through the cracks. If they tried to escape here, the goblins would become their doom. At that moment, the ogre¡­ ¡°Human village. Big. Strong place. Lots of meat.¡± The ogre patted his stomach as he said this. ¡°Boss, what do we do now?¡± ¡°What?¡± The prisoners were surprised. Usually, the strongest ogre would lead a group of ogres, hobgoblins, and goblins. Yet this ogre was now referring to one of the goblins as its boss. At that moment, the goblin stood up. It wasn¡¯t even a human-sized hobgoblin but a goblin the size of a human child with dark blue skin covered in tattoos. It was also holding a staff which was made of animal bones. ¡°The King of Great Tooth wants the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth. There is a piece of the book in¡­ that¡­ village¡­ the King¡­ Uhhhhh!¡± The goblin, who was talking like a human, began to scratch its face with its nails, harming itself to the point of bleeding as it pulled off flesh and opened its eyes wide. ¡°That book! Mine! It is mine! King of Tooth! I will be the King of Tooth with it! Eat shit! I will be the king who is far and near at the same time! The New King¡­.¡± The goblin held its staff tightly as an ominous yellow flame rose around it. The goblin then wagged its tail in the wind and pointed toward the village. ¡°I will have the book! Let¡¯s head there!¡± The goblin spoke as such and brushed at the ogre. ¡°Goldu. Save the meat. Do not eat it all at once. Store it, and we eat for a long time. A smart ogre who knows how to invest can prepare for a crisis.¡± The ogre pounded its stomach and moved forward with the other goblins. Soon, the gates lit by a bonfire appeared in front of them. The town¡¯s guards stood atop the watchtowers, looking for the ogre army. ¡°¡­ damn.¡± ¡°So many.¡± They spotted one ogre, three hobgoblins, and around ten goblins that wore cloth decorated with the patterns of their clan. These weren¡¯t simply wandering monsters but members of an actual clan. They were likely an advance party. ¡°It is fine. Our gate is strong¡­.¡± Just as the hunter said this. Woong! A large rock flew and crashed into the gateway. The ogre had picked it up and thrown it from a distance. The gate held, but the bolts holding it were shaking as dust and wood splinters broke off from it. ¡°Eik?!¡± ¡°This!¡± ¡°Shoot!¡± Following the hunter¡¯s orders, the archers began to shoot their arrows. However, the ogre swung the meat box made of large trees and blocked all of them. ¡°Ach!¡± The ogre then picked up another rock. The hobgoblins approached the gate with shields raised as the goblins readied to charge behind them. ¡°Kuak!¡± The archers had made a mistake by focusing their first volley on the ogre. The second and third volleys had taken down some of the goblins, but the enemies were moving closer to the gate. The hobgoblins had their shields above their heads while the goblins were working to open the gate. ¡°Again!¡± The ogre threw another rock. This time, the rock flew high above the gate and was aimed at the archers. ¡°Euk!¡± ¡°Ack!¡± At that moment, a hand appeared from below the wall, grabbed a guard¡¯s belt, and pulled him back. The rock passed over their head and hit a nearby tower. ¡°EIK?!¡± ¡°Y-You are?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Everyone was surprised. Was this man wearing a falcon mask hanging from the wall with one hand while holding onto the guard by the belt? This man was a monster. It wasn¡¯t unusual to lift a person using one hand, but his other hand supported the weight of two people. Besides, what was with his bird face mask? ¡°Can I go down?¡± He placed the burden in his hand below the barrier and climbed up. ¡°I will be joining the defense of the gate.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°A passing by¡­ Emperor¡¯s messenger.¡± He unhooked his bow from his waist as he said this and prepared the bowstring. For an average man, stringing a bowstring would require holding the bow between the legs and using the entire body to pull. Yet this man was stringing the bow lightly with his hand as if it was a child¡¯s toy. ¡°A messenger from the Emperor?¡± ¡°The Messenger Clan?!¡± ¡°Yes, the Messenger Clan.¡± The man who had suddenly appeared had claimed to be from the Messenger Clan and proceeded to pick up the archer¡¯s quiver from the floor. ¡°Be careful.¡± A woman with a lantern carefully lit the way while worrying about Azadine. The refugees comprised the elderly, the children, and the women. The young women with small physiques carried lanterns to light the way. Two of them accompanied Azadine, Mediam, and Ismail, people they had never seen before. ¡°It is fine.¡± Azadine was grateful for the kindness of those who distributed two of the sorely-needed lanterns in consideration of them. ¡°Pitiful.¡± Mediam clicked her tongue. ¡°What?¡± ¡°To think that a knight who eats from the people¡¯s taxes would throw them away. It is not elegant at all. Just ugly.¡± ¡°That means you think protecting the people of Hubris is more beautiful than abandoning them.¡± ¡°¡­ ah.¡± The people of the Aragasa, the Messenger Clan, had differing opinions internally about their future. Among them was the topic of how they should interact with the people of Hubris who lived on this continent. Opinions about that were always divided. The people persecute us, so we must hate them. They are inferior to us, and we who are superior must rule over them. To the people of Aragasa, who had been cursed and persecuted, the people of Hubris were disgusting things who moved to attack the weak without knowing what they were up against. But¡­ Nonetheless, Mediam made her stance clear. A knight who abandoned their people was a disgrace. Those of the Aragasa hated the people of Hubris due to their long-standing oppression. Yet, a saying stated that it was difficult to save and protect. ¡°That is true. Is it strange that I, an Aragasa, sympathize with the people of Hubris?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Because I think the same.¡± Azadine took out the mask from his pocket as he said this. ¡°Anyway, people are too kind when you act blind.¡± When you acted like a blind person, you are often met with kindness. As someone of the Aragasa who had been persecuted by the people of Hubris, they wished they could simply hate all of them equally. Yet it became difficult to hate everyone after experiencing such kindness. Well, even people kind to the blind would throw stones if they found they were messengers. This was unavoidable since the King¡¯s Church still ruled over the people. [Will you be protecting the people?] The Emperor¡¯s Voice called out as it watched Azadine climb the mountain path toward the gateway village. [Do wonders, my messenger!] ¡°Then how about one gold coin?¡± [No, that¡¯s not possible. Anyway, good job. My praise is the praise of the Emperor, isn¡¯t it nice.] ¡°Without giving in a coin or even a public declaration¡­¡± Azadine grumbled as he climbed the rocky path and returned alone. He changed his appearance by grabbing some clothes used by pilgrims. He stretched out his body and covered his face using the mask. He rushed into the village, saved a person about to be killed, and climbed up to the wall. ¡°Messenger Clan?¡± ¡°Demon of the gold coins?¡± ¡°A soulless one¡­ why?¡± As the people looked at him in puzzlement, Azadine kicked the archer¡¯s quiver of the guard he had rescued. Arrows flew into the sky, and Azadine reached out, grabbed them out of the air, and fired them at the ogre. Swish! ¡°It doesn¡¯t work¡­.¡± The guards had launched numerous arrows, but the ogre had used its wooden box like a shield to block, and their attack had no effect due to the thick layers of fat inside. But¡­ Puak! Two arrows pierced through the ogre¡¯s eyes at the same time. ¡°KUAKKKKKK!¡± The ogre screamed as it fell backward, and people were tossed out of the box in its hand. ¡°Huk?!¡± ¡°What is that?¡± The attack had seemed akin to magic. The Messenger Clan¡¯s special arrow technique was to launch two arrows and make them hit simultaneously. If not for this, the ogre would have moved its body to protect its eye from the second arrow after the first hit. But Azadine had made sure to take out both eyes simultaneously. ¡°Kwaaak! My eyes!¡± The ogre staggered with its axe flailing around. Losing its eyes had made it unable to walk properly. The ogre tripped on a rock and stumbled on the mountain path, shocking the goblins nearby. ¡°A-amazing!¡± The atmosphere suddenly changed as if the table had been flipped. The ogre, the strongest monster there, had been removed, making defeating the rest possible. But¡­ While the guards were still in awe, the messenger who had taken out the ogre¡¯s eyes leaped down towards the goblin troops. ¡°Why?!¡± ¡°He is insane¡­.¡± This was suicide. In the darkness of the night, there was no reason for someone who had hit an ogre from a distance to throw away the advantage of range by jumping down to the fray. Shooting enemies from long range was different from jumping down to fight them at close range. A roar of concern rang out at the towers. Thud! Azadine jumped below the barrier. ¡°Uh?¡± He then landed on top of a hobgoblin¡¯s shield and trampled it. Azadine had stepped on the hobgoblin and its shield as if he was stomping on an ant. From his new vantage point, he looked at the goblins around him. That arrogant and strong figure¡­ It drew the attention of the people of Hubris, who had been hostile to him because of his role as the Messenger of the Emperor. ¡°Amazing.¡± A sense of admiration filled the guards. CH 15 -crack! Azadine crushed the hobgoblin¡¯s shoulder with a single stomp and smashed its body into the ground. ¡°Kuaaak!¡± ¡°K-Kill!¡± The goblins charged at Azadine, who had boldly landed among them. In their hands were stone axes and rusted knives. However, Azadine managed to dodge them or even grab the hands holding the weapons as they swung. -Swish. A tight grip around their hands crushed the fingers that held the weapons. Blood, flesh, and even broken pieces of bone hung from the wooden handles. Azadine picked up a stone axe alongside the goblin holding it in that state and brandished them. The stone axe split the top of another goblin¡¯s head with a single stroke while the goblin¡¯s body was blown apart. ¡°Kuak!?¡± Azadine swung the goblin¡¯s battered body horizontally. Its shape was barely recognizable. It was simply a piece of meat that had lost its shape. Azadine swung the piece of meat around, transforming anything within range into the same shape. The bones throughout its body were shattered, yet its muscle fibers weren¡¯t severed despite this rough treatment. The other goblins caught by the meat club merged into a single large club of goblin corpses covered with spikes made of bones. The other goblins were either blown away or joined the mass. After Azadine cleared the goblins around him, he raised his hand into the sky. Arrows started falling from the sky. At first, the arrows that fell were held in his hand. In his other hand was a bow. Swish! Every time he pulled an arrow from the quiver, the bow launched them forward. Each time Azadine drew the bow, the arrow would split the air with a terrifying sound and pierce the goblins. In an instant, he had shot down the goblins and hobgoblins with the arrows before jumping on the gate as if it was a flat surface and climbing back up. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Messenger Clan.¡± The guards who watched this happen were shocked. This was clearly a dark force that wished for their destruction. Yet a single person had defeated the ogre and its subordinate monsters in one go. It only took a second for the people to understand. ¡°As expected of the Heavenly King Slayer¡­¡± They were able to kill the Heavenly Kings because they had such abilities. Yet, despite all of the guards feeling such, Azadine wasn¡¯t convinced. A terrible feeling still lingered in the air. ¡°Everyone be alert. Something is coming.¡± The goblin that had carried the bone staff had been struck by the obsidian axe wielded by the blinded ogre. It didn¡¯t die but was seriously injured as the axe had torn away its skin and broken its bones. It had rolled over, but the humans who jumped out of the meat box rushed towards the goblins. ¡°Yah! W-what do we do?¡± ¡°For now, take that bastard¡¯s staff!¡± ¡°R-right!¡± The crippled humans pounced on the wounded and winded goblins, attacking them using kicks and punches. ¡°No weapons? Weapons?¡± ¡°Just kill them!¡± ¡°Why did you let go of him!¡± They were attacking the goblin while trying to snatch the bone staff from its hands. This was because the bone staff looked unusual even to their eyes. These people, who had been disfigured by Azadine, had to somehow make time to escape. But¡­ As they said that, the goblin scratched itself. Crack! An odd thing then happened. ¡°Uh?¡± The bandits who had escaped from the ogre¡¯s meat box could not trust their eyes. One of their comrades had been instantly dismembered right in front of them. His wobbling limbs stood straight for a moment before falling limply on the ground. In front of them was a monster with its arm extended while baring its sharp teeth. The goblin¡¯s entire arm had become the mouth of a beast. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What is this?!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± A chunk of flesh extended from the goblin¡¯s body like a rope. Sharp teeth sprouted from it and began to tear the human bodies apart. ¡°Kuaak!¡± ¡°Ack!¡± The bandits who had rushed in to seize the staff began to be eviscerated one by one. The goblin had become a being that could no longer be called a goblin. Its arms and legs had become teeth-lined tentacles. It used the meat it consumed to grow in size. It then absorbed the ogre¡¯s meat box that had fallen to the ground. Eventually, even the blind ogre was consumed by its teeth. ¡°Kuaaaak! N-No! Do not. I don¡¯t want to be eaten!¡± The blind ogre struggled, but the teeth consumed it alive, devouring it whole instantly. ¡°Ack!¡± ¡°W-what is that thing?!¡± The villagers were dumbstruck at what they saw happening in front of their eyes. Bright red flesh began to move around the ogre, tearing it apart with sharp teeth. When that wasn¡¯t enough, it also consumed the goblin corpses around it. Azadine clicked his tongue at this sight. ¡°Kurts, the King of Tooth.¡± The Kurt race was a barbaric race whose gods ruled the land before the arrival of the Gods of Yaegas on the continent. Their servants were made up of many monsters. As the Gods of Yaegas drove out the Gods of Kurt, their followers fled to remote places outside the reach of humans, but they still lived. ¡°This has become too much of a demerit to do without getting any gold coins!¡± Azadine said in complaint as he began to observe the monster. The monster continued to devour the corpses as a goblin¡¯s head emerged from within. The goblin held a staff that glowed with an amber flame. ¡°Now, servants of Yaegas! Deliver to me the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth. If you do that, I will give you a painless death.¡± Puak! Before it could say anything more, Azadine¡¯s arrow pierced the goblin¡¯s head. The first shot went through the head, and the second went through the monster¡¯s forearm. Azadine then quickly jumped down the wall and picked up the staff that had been dropped. ¡®These things were also looking for the book? Just what is going on in everyone¡¯s minds?¡¯ Azadine was surprised and rushed to seize the staff. At that moment¡­ -Swish! A mass of flesh moved like a whip at Azadine. A grotesque piece of flesh covered in teeth was aimed at Azadine. If it hit him, Azadine would bleed. However, Azadine dodged the whip-like attack at such speed that his body seemed to blur. His movement allowed him to retreat in the same motion while baiting a whip attack. The tentacle bounced off the ground and moved towards Azadine again, but he had already picked up a sword on the ground. -Swish! Azadine sliced away the gums that held the teeth to the tentacle with a slash. ¡°Your teeth are too big for your flesh. A tooth with a shallow root is weak.¡± The teeth that sprouted from the tentacles were too large for the width and thickness of its base. Moreover, the tentacles had no bones, meaning the teeth had no solid foundation to tie themselves to. Of course, that would still be enough to rip apart human flesh with enough force. Using a proper steel sword, however, the teeth wouldn¡¯t last long either. ¡°You cheeky bastard! I am the King of Tooth!¡± ¡°No, you are just a worthless follower created by him.¡± Azadine corrected the goblin. ¡°Kuaak!¡± The whip-like tentacles wrapped around the fallen staff as the goblin struggled with the verbal attack. Amber flames once again erupted from its tip. ¡°Kuaak! You, people, have the New King¡­¡± Puak! At that moment, Azadine threw a dagger right through the goblin¡¯s head in surprise. Did it realize that he had a page? ¡®Just how did it realize this?¡¯ Azadine calmly reviewed the situation. ¡®I think that flame is moving towards me? Is that why? No??¡¯ Azadine deduced that the staff had the power to find the book. ¡°KUAAK! KILL YOU!¡± Now part of the King of Tooth, the goblin created explosive whips and swung them at Azadine. Countless attacks by sharp teeth whirled around to tear Azadine apart. ¡°You!¡± ¡°Be careful!¡± Was it because of how fast those tentacles moved? The people of Hubris could not tolerate the Messenger Clan, yet all the village guards survived due to Azadine¡¯s skills. ¡®The attack seems swift and numerous, but¡­¡¯ Azadine easily dodged all of the whip attacks that came flying at him. ¡®If I don¡¯t want to get tangled by these whips, it will need to be one-sided.¡¯ Azadine¡¯s physical abilities were in a realm beyond human imagination. He lightly dodged the attacks, and any that got close to him were cut down by the rusty iron sword in his hand. At that moment, teeth were ripped out in clumps and fell to the ground. Azadine made it seem so simple, but this attack was incomparably faster than the previous ones that normal people could not even think about countering. Even though the ogre was blind, the attack behind the whips had such power that it couldn¡¯t resist being consumed. Azadine, on the other hand, dealt with it easily, pushing it away with a delicate motion as if he was herding a running bison using a feather. -Chhik! Meanwhile, smoke began to rise from Azadine¡¯s sword. The metal could not withstand the tentacles for long due to the digestive juices it secreted. ¡°Tch.¡± After looking around to spot other weapons, Azadine realized that there were none left and had no choice but to pull out a sword from a fallen soldier. It was a weapon used by Lord Kozel¡¯s soldiers, those who had worn armor and were armed as heavily as knights. It was a smooth, straight, steel sword that looked of good quality at a glance. It was dense, but it would undoubtedly be spoiled if he used it to fight this acidic whip. However, there was no time to spare in the face of the vicious attack. ¡®It is a pity, but it would be better to use this here instead of wasting my body. Well, I do have some knives on me.¡¯ Azadine dealt with the attack by slicing through the toothy tentacles with the sword. As expected, no matter how good a sword was, it would start to corrode. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°T-that!¡± ¡°What?¡± The villagers who were watching were shocked. ¡°Let¡¯s shoot an arrow. First of all, let us help that Messenger Clan person somehow.¡± The leader, the hunter, shouted this. ¡°B-But helping a messenger¡­.¡± Actually, if the fact that they helped a messenger was revealed to the King¡¯s Church, then they would be treated as traitors. They could even die. It was a serious crime, and yet the hunter snorted in derision. It was a noble of the Heavenly King¡¯s lineage, one held sacred by the King¡¯s Church, that had plundered and abandoned the village. On the other hand, the one they called soulless blasphemers, one of those, had come to help them for no apparent reason. Was it not clear what they should do in this situation? CH 16 ¡°We just want to attack the monsters! After defeating the monsters, let us catch the messenger clan person or whatever!¡± ¡°Ah! R-right!¡± ¡°Let us attack the monsters first!¡± The villagers all took up their bows and started shooting arrows. Azadin smiled bitterly as he watched the arrows fly over his head. Compared to his shooting, everyone else had worthless kills. Some used longbows, but even those could not penetrate the flesh and simply bounced off layers of teeth. The villagers seemed to be shooting their bows to help, but Azadine wasn¡¯t happy. ¡®Just give me the arrows.¡¯ However, he could see the people¡¯s determination as their attacks were strictly focused on the monster. At least until they finished with the monsters, they were on his side. It might change once the monster was defeated, but Azadine was now satisfied that they recognized him as an ally. ¡°Then¡­¡± Azadine began to relax his shoulders, taking advantage of the gaps now that he had a little more time to spare and move. He stretched out his arm and loosened it while avoiding the incoming attacks. ¡°What are you doing! ARGHHH!¡± The goblin, who claimed to be the King of Tooth, moved forward in irritation. Knowing that Azadine was slashing the edge of its tentacles before it reached, it tried to reduce the distance. However, the closer it got, the more arrows the villagers shot. The accuracy of the attacks increased, along with the power of each arrow. Thanks to this, Azadine found that there was time to relax his body. ¡°Nice. Then¡­¡± Azadine set down the sword that was drenched in digestive liquid. ¡°Shall we start? I haven¡¯t fully relaxed yet¡­ but this much should do!¡± He threw the sword that had begun to corrode onto the ground and instead picked up a fallen tooth. It was shaped like a triangular axe head and was sharp. Picking up something resembling a shark¡¯s tooth, Azadine threw it with a sideways swing from his relaxed shoulder. -swish! The teeth flew through the wind and tore through the tentacles. Puak! The King of Tooth was suddenly pushed into its body. ¡°Kuaaak!¡± Its attendants struggled furiously at the sudden pain. ¡°This is fine! It is good enough.¡± Azadine picked up the teeth he had cut down with his sword and began throwing them. He didn¡¯t throw it with all his power yet because his shoulder and elbow were not yet fully relaxed. Instead, he threw it using a shift of his core strength combined with precise timing. This allowed him to throw without putting too much strain on his shoulder and elbow. The tooth, thrown from Azadine¡¯s hand, flew sharply and gnawed at the King of Tooth. ¡°Kuaaak!¡± The goblin head that protruded from the flesh chunk of its subordinates couldn¡¯t stand the pain. ¡°Y-You! I will be the King. I was reborn as a greater being, a God, but because of just one human¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a surprise. Coincidentally, I am a Heavenly King slayer, so¡­¡± Azadine answered the goblin and threw another sharp tooth, splitting its head open. Even after the goblin¡¯s head was cut off, the King of Tooth clan members continued to live. The battle, however, was over. Azadin¡¯s attacks were countless, and the monster¡¯s attack couldn¡¯t touch him. The only thing left to do was for the goblin to do something. Still, Azadine destroyed the head as soon as it reappeared, further shortening its life span. ¡°N-No! King of Tooth, Karalon! NOO!¡± The goblins, who were members of this clan, were willing to give themselves up to ensure the king¡¯s survival, but it was clear that the king was dying. In the end¡­ Rumble. Large chunks of flesh and teeth began to disintegrate. ¡®There are still concerns about the lesser demons, so¡­.¡¯ Azadine took a careful step to avoid the blood and flesh and retrieved the fallen staff. ¡®I don¡¯t know what it is, but the goblin definitely used this to find the magic book.¡¯ If it could really identify the location of the book¡­ then Azadine could use it as well. ¡®But since this was something used by a monster, it might be a fairly common item among them. Whatever it is, I need to take this.¡¯ Azadine turned around while holding the staff. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Soulless blasphemer.¡± The people of the village were glaring at him. Some even had already pulled their bows and arrows. ¡®They lack manners. Pulling a bowstring like that means they could accidentally shoot.¡¯ Azadine sighed. It had been possible to fight together while the monsters were there, but in the end, they would try to take him down because he was of the Messenger Clan. Among the people, there were those who would thank and welcome him for his aid, but some would doubt him. The hunter, who seemed to be the leader, asked a question. ¡°What are you thinking? Why did you get¡­ rid of the monsters?¡± ¡°They have to be the monsters he brought over!¡± ¡°Right! Wasn¡¯t it strange? A monster suddenly made its way here!¡± Some members of the Messenger Clan would act out of control. Some would think this way since the messengers were considered soulless people who did impious and horrible things to others and deserved death. Those who lived in the countryside and weren¡¯t properly educated were forced to follow the church¡¯s teachings, even if they were just looted by people from the King¡¯s Church. ¡°As you all know¡­¡± Azadine raised his voice. ¡°I am only fulfilling my mission according to the gold coins of the Emperor. Someone made a wish using the Emperor¡¯s Gold Coin for you people.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°T-they are among us?¡± ¡°I have no obligation to answer that, and I have no right to speak of it.¡± Azadine ignored the bewildered people and stood in front of the gate. No arrows or stones rained on him. ¡°My task is done, so can I go now?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Or will you fight me for the King¡¯s Church? That illegitimate son of the noble who looted you a short while ago?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Do not insult our faith.¡± ¡°Right, you are faithful people. You sure are.¡± Azadine yawned. He had been forced by a gold coin mission to march toward a dead village, and now he had to fight like this. Even a well-trained messenger would feel tired. ¡°So, I will just pass.¡± ¡°Euk?!¡± One who had pulled their arrow was ready to fire, but the hunter stopped him. In the meantime, Azadine lightly moved across the gate and climbed up by touching the wall. ¡°Can I take some arrows?¡± Azadine grabbed a handful of arrows from the quiver. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°A Devil of the Gold Coins helped us?¡± ¡°Someone among the villagers used a gold coin?¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± The villagers looked at each other in suspicion. Of course, there was no such person. ¡®As it is a lie.¡¯ Azadine shrugged and jumped off the gate. He then heard a mumble from behind him. ¡°¡­ thanks.¡± This came from the hunter and wasn¡¯t heard by the others. It seemed like he realized that Azadine had lied. Or perhaps he just wanted to show gratitude for the aid, although it was paid for. Being part of the King¡¯s Church meant that getting close to a messenger was punishable by death. It was very dangerous for the hunter to say this. ¡°Hmm, it was nothing.¡± Azadine waved his hand and began to run for the road. [What Gold Coin¡­ you lied with a straight face,] The Emperor¡¯s Voice spoke to him. ¡°If I didn¡¯t say that, the people wouldn¡¯t realize it and would just continue to fear us because of the church.¡± [Do you not hate them? You defeated the monsters, but what is with their attitude?] ¡°Well, everyone is weak. I am just fine with being able to feel some kindness when I pretend to be blind. If someone is kind to the helpless, don¡¯t they deserve the same treatment back?¡± Azadine said this as he moved away from the people. ¡°Ah, I am so tired, though. I feel like I could pass the gates with the blind act, but this time I took up such a difficult task.¡± Azadine, who defended the Gateway to the East from the King of Tooth, ran onwards and found the boy and girl pulling the Kerim Goats. Mediam and Ismail were returning down the path while carrying a torch when Azadine found them. ¡°Ah! Azadine! You came!¡± Mediam greeted him with a bright smile. ¡°Are you fine? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°Did you two come back after waiting? You should have left.¡± They were only companions for a short time. If the two of them could find Azadine, they should have been able to head back to Sanctuary without difficulty, either. But Mediam shook her head. ¡°I am sad that you said that.¡± ¡°What? What is there to be sad about? What¡¯s with the torch?¡± ¡°The people gave it to me because one of our party disappeared. It was hard to convince them that you would return, so they sent us after you.¡± ¡°They told me to take this.¡± After they had explained that Azadine was separated from them and got lost on the mountain trail, they gave Mediam and Ismail a torch to find him. ¡°How did you do it? The people wouldn¡¯t have let you go because you were kids.¡± ¡°Yes. Since we said that we had defeated monsters using the goats, they seemed to understand. I was worried because they are people of Hubris, but since they didn¡¯t know that we are of the Aragasa and are young¡­ no, because I was pretty, everyone was kind to me.¡± ¡°Huhu. Did they treat you kindly because you are pretty and not young?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mediam pouted. ¡°I am not that young. I am 13. In the north, a queen is my age and married.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t earn gold coins, so you only needlessly waste your strength. It is true that they were kind, but that doesn¡¯t mean you had to push yourself.¡± Ismail looked as if he was about to throw up. He clearly hated the relationship between Azadine and Mediam. ¡°When I acted as a blind person, they helped me without expecting anything in return. That is why I ignored any potential gains and helped them. As Mediam said, helping and protecting the people is a beautiful thing. Without that, life would be pretty boring.¡± ¡°So what happened? What about the monsters? How long were you there? Did the people thank you after you defeated the monsters?¡± Mediam asked this curiously. She was an arrogant member of the Ethar founding family, but she was enjoying this new world outside just like a child. ¡®She can be cute sometimes. Well, children from the clan, even if they are of the founding families, grow up with too much training in Sanctuary. They are still at an age to be curious about the world.¡¯ Azadine answered her question. ¡°It was one ogre and a troop of goblins? There was also one of the Kurt.¡± ¡°Huh? Someone of the Kurt?¡± ¡°You defeated a goblin of the Kurt?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that strong.¡± Azadine shrugged the matter off as if it was unimportant. CH 17 Azadine continued his pace, despite feelings of exhaustion and tiredness. Mediam and Ismail, who were moving behind him, asked, ¡°The fact that an ogre and the King of Tooth appeared means that an army of monsters might be moving into the Central Hinterland, right?¡± ¡°There is a chance.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°From what I saw, there were ogres, magic-using goblins, and hobgoblins as squad leaders. It felt like a regular army.¡± Azadine spoke of what he saw, remembering they were aiming for a copy of the magic book. A scout troop of monsters had been sent to search for the copy. In light of this, everything made sense. ¡®Does this mean that they have a bunch of these staves?¡¯ Azadine was curious and took out the staff. ¡°So, Mediam, can you tell what this is?¡± ¡°Um, a magic staff?¡± Mediam took the bone staff that Azadine had pulled out. ¡°I think I would need to focus on it to study it in earnest. I am a bit tired now, but if you ask me to do this, is it like you acknowledging me as a servant?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this the same as meeting kinsmen in the town of Manita and asking for a favor? Can I not ask this much?¡± ¡°Hmmph, you are still acting like this. May I ask you for a favor too?¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Hmm. W-well? Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t have anything else to ask you other than to accept me as a servant?¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Then, if I can think of something, I will ask later.¡± ¡°That is a bit¡­¡± ¡°Well, I think it will take some concentration to study this. So can I do this after a good sleep?¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired from the constant battles as well. I have also been walking.¡± ¡°Should we rest here then?¡± ¡°No, let us hurry. The goats¡¯ feed cost is high, so let us not delay any longer.¡± They had arrived at the gateway and pretended to be a blind person and some pilgrims. They fed the goats using cow feed at an inn and bought supplies for themselves. Travel was, after all, a journey of constantly spending money. ¡°Follow me. Ah, before that, I think we need to start with the disguise again.¡± Azadine began to change into his blind person disguise again. He wore his clothes loosely and crouched down, shrinking his height by bending his body. The relative length of his arms and legs also made them look weak and small. His body was quite flexible, so Azadine changed how he stood to change his appearance. After returning to his blind disguise, Azadine caught up with the people who were evacuating down the road. It didn¡¯t take long for them to find the group since there were a lot of people traveling at night. ¡°Ah, you are safe.¡± ¡°Fortunately.¡± They were happy that Azadine and his party were safe. ¡°Yes. I have good ears and heard the shouts of victory from the village.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°I think we can head back to the village. Could you possibly contact them with a signal or lantern or something?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°If there is a side where we can see the village, I think we can check it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The people who were evacuating seemed shocked at these words. However, they knew the village was safe when they noticed the lanterns at the gateway were lit. ¡°I think sending a few people to the village to check it out would be alright.¡± Azadine¡¯s suggestion made sense to the people. It was important to evacuate in the case of a monster invasion. Still, it wasn¡¯t good for the women and elderly to leave the village and take such steep roads. Count Casel of Salasma was not a merciful person. There would be no chance that people who had abandoned their village would be given refuge. Therefore, it was everyone¡¯s opinion that they wanted to return to the village as soon as it was safe. ¡°R-right.¡± The people decided to stop their evacuation and sent a swift person from the group to check the state of the village. They would then meet with a runner halfway and learn of the situation. Once the ogre invasion was resolved, the village sent a dispatch to inform the evacuating villagers. ¡°A member of the Messenger Clan appeared and defeated the ogre?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The ogre wasn¡¯t even the main problem. Bone! A large monster appeared. How should I describe it¡­ Anyways, someone from the village must have called on the Messenger Clan. That is why we need to check with the outsiders.¡± ¡°The foreign merchants? Or the pilgrims?¡± ¡°Right. Where are those pilgrims?¡± ¡°Uh? Ah? What?¡± ¡°Wait, now that you mention it?¡± The people were taken aback as the pilgrims had disappeared without them realizing it. It wasn¡¯t too difficult to make their way out under the cover of the night. Azadine changed his disguise again and grumbled. ¡°This is annoying.¡± ¡°Still, it is amazing, just dressing up. Your impression changes drastically, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Well, the clothes are still loose, so there is a lot of room to hide things. You can¡¯t do this in hot climates, so I need to be careful.¡± Azadine said this and headed down the mountain path. ¡°Why did we send the people back to the village when there¡¯s a chance the ogres might come back? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be dangerous?¡± ¡°No, they had to go back. They¡¯re family. If they are going to leave the village, they should do it together. It is better to evacuate with their family. When and where would they meet again if they scattered during the evacuation?¡± ¡°Still, if they stayed in the village and it ended up being attacked¡­¡± ¡°The leader there is a seasoned hunter. He can understand the situation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright then. Didn¡¯t you get into a fight, though? Are you not tired?¡± ¡°I am tired, but I have to earn money for our traveling.¡± ¡°Earning money?¡± ¡°That.¡± Azadine pointed his finger down the mountain path. The illegitimate son of the Margrave, who had plundered the village, came into sight along with his mercenaries. ¡°As the Emperor¡¯s Messenger, you shouldn¡¯t commit robbery. However, it is alright if we take a small amount from people who looted a village.¡± ¡°In the end¡­ this is it.¡± Ismail clicked his tongue. The illegitimate son and his men numbered around 20. All of them were strong mercenaries, and the children of the Messenger Clan considered them to be potentially strong opponents. Even more so considering Azadine had built up fatigue. ¡®Even if he can beat them in perfect condition, it doesn¡¯t mean a guaranteed win.¡¯ It was dangerous to go against many people when you were alone. This was especially true when the body was exhausted, and concentration was low. Actually, in many cases, fatalities among messengers didn¡¯t happen because of fighting strong people but from such trivial encounters. ¡°Isn¡¯t it bad to be careless?¡± ¡°It is fine. Take a good look.¡± Azadine clicked his tongue. Despite not being his job, he will set an example for these children. Tarki and the mercenaries under his command were all exhausted. The mercenaries were tired from carrying the loot from the village down the mountain path. Still, they were all aware of the horrors of the mountain roads, which was why they were taking a break in an orderly manner. The guards looked out to the darkness while speaking. ¡°Don¡¯t ogres move south during a drought? I think this is the end for us since we abandoned the frontier protection mission to help protect the lord while he searches for the book.¡± ¡°It is alright for us to get out of here.¡± ¡°Would you like to get out? To end up not making as much money? Besides, our employer hasn¡¯t found the book yet, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s quite over.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to be employed long-term with high salaries.¡± ¡°Does it feel like danger is approaching?¡± As they said this, they stood at the ready. Someone was watching them in the dark. ¡®They are quite skilled. They aren¡¯t as well-armed as Kozel¡¯s men, but they¡¯re better. I am too tired for this too¡­¡¯ Azadine, who had hidden at the base of the path, counted the number of targets and searched for a route in. ¡®Do not overdo it. How many men should I take down?¡¯ He drew a string across the tree branch and pulled it apart slightly. -Bsss The wood made a sound as it rubbed against each other. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°What?¡± Two guards came his way, and Azadine hid back in the bushes. As the guards approached, he grabbed them by the vital points in their necks. ¡°Kuak?!¡± ¡°Euk?!¡± The two mercenaries collapsed without being able to resist. It was good that he was able to grab their vital spots because there was no armor around their necks. ¡®Nice. Shall I just rob their valuables quickly?¡¯ He approached the mercenary¡¯s cart and searched through the box within. The box was locked, but he could unlock it without difficulty. Treasures that had been looted from the villagers were inside, such as silver candlesticks and bulky plates. There was also money, but it wasn¡¯t comparable to things made of gold. ¡®Did Lord Kozel plunder the gold first? That gang didn¡¯t look too rich, though. Ah, they must have sold it to merchants passing through the gate, and the money was sent home.¡¯ Azadine took the silver candlestick and plate and then searched for other treasures. There were also boxes of fragrant wood, well-made dressing tables, and small bookshelves covered with silver leaf. These were worthwhile, but they were too big and heavy. Additionally, the shapes were noticeable, meaning it would be obvious that they were stolen when he tried to sell them. Wouldn¡¯t a merchant know of things like bookshelves and tables? ¡®The silver candlestick is the best value for money compared to its weight. Well, that¡¯s the loot covered. Should I look into their supplies?¡¯ Azadine approached the mercenaries¡¯ belongings and began to rifle through them. Beans, oats, arrowheads, and goods to feed their horses. ¡®Oh, this is nice. They have arrowheads here. Nice. Not the cheap ones but real steel ones, right?¡¯ Azadine was excited and took those things as well. His load was heavy now. Although Azadine had greater strength compared to real humans, there were limits to what he could carry. If he wanted to leave without a trace, he should relinquish his greed and only take things he could. However, as Azadine dug through the mercenaries¡¯ cargo, he found something strange. ¡®Uh? What is this now?¡¯ A staff made of bone. It was a staff identical to the one he had taken from the goblin. ¡®The fact that it is here meant that this wasn¡¯t plundered. This was something they had from the start.¡¯ As Azadine stood in shock. ¡°Ah, You!¡± A voice suddenly came from behind him. Tariki woke up, climbed out of his sleeping bag, and peed into a bush. ¡°Ah, damn it. Is it wrong to drink before bed? It is so cold when I wake up¡­¡± He grumbled about the conditions and went around the camp to discover that the guards were gone. He had set two people to watch his tent, but they were nowhere to be seen. CH 18 ¡°These bastards¡­¡± Tarki looked at the surroundings, just in case, but could not see the signs of any attack. With his sword in hand, he rolled up his blankets. He walked slowly around the sleeping mercenaries and found the two guards lying asleep on the rocks behind the campfire. ¡°Phew. You two are just taking my money from me.¡± Tarki woke the guards with his feet. ¡°Huk?!¡± ¡°You brats, you are sleeping here?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ L-Lord.¡± ¡°Lord, what? Call me knight. I am still in training. Hm?¡± Tarki realized that the condition of his mercenaries was somewhat strange. The mercenaries recalled the situation and claimed they didn¡¯t fall asleep but had passed out after being attacked. ¡°Yes. T-that¡­¡± ¡°L-looks like we were attacked.¡± ¡°Really? It wasn¡¯t a dream?¡± ¡°It was real.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± Tarki took his men and looked around the camp but found no other signs. It was because Azadine had cleanly packed and left everything. ¡°Kuak? What? The loot!¡± Tarki was horrified to see that their loot box had been opened. ¡®Looking at his reaction, it seems like it¡¯s not him. Was it one of the mercenaries??¡¯ Azadine was observing the mercenary camp from afar. ¡®No matter how I look at it¡­ this staff seemed to originate from the Kurt clan.¡¯ Even though he could not use magic, he had been trained in it. The feeling and scent of magical objects and the subtle aura he could see indicated that this was an object made using the magic of the Kurt Gods. ¡°It¡¯s just like the sudden appearance of the magic book. Emperor¡¯s Voice, can¡¯t you give any kind of insight?¡± [That doesn¡¯t exist. It is the job of humans to investigate. I am simply a created spirit.] ¡°You are completely useless.¡± [Wouldn¡¯t I be very useful in letting you feel safe without worry at night? Besides, don¡¯t I tell you the exact time?] ¡°However.¡± Azadine sighed. The messenger of the Emperor may seem like a superhuman to ordinary people, but he was also a human. Fatigue inevitably builds up. ¡°I guess I have no choice but to take a break and ask those kids. I wish I could use magic too. I said I don¡¯t need a servant, but I end up relying on them.¡± Azadine withdrew with some regret. He had wanted to observe the mercenaries a little more. However, if there really was someone there who used the Kurt¡¯s magic, they would not be easy to deal with. ¡®There is also a chance of being caught while on the path. Hmm, things feel like they¡¯re becoming complicated.¡¯ The next day, Azadine pushed his blankets off. ¡°Yawn¡­ the more I sleep, the sleepier I get. Teacher always said it as well.¡± He got up and looked around. Mediam and Ismail were still asleep. ¡°What time is it?¡± [It¡¯s 2:04 pm.] The Emperor¡¯s Voice announced the time. [My utility is great just by telling you the exact time to this level. Be grateful to me.] ¡°¡­ ah, yes, yes, yes. I guess so.¡± Azadine answered dryly and then laid down again. ¡°Get up, kids.¡± ¡°Euk!¡± ¡°Uh?¡± The two children got up to their feet. ¡°Did you not decide to appraise the bone staff?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Right. Give it here.¡± ¡°It might be a cursed item, so I will do it.¡± Ismail received the bone staff from Mediam and began to push magic into it. ¡°What do you see?¡± ¡°I can see a green and black magic.¡± ¡°Green and black magic? If it was the King of Tooth, red magic would be mixed. Is it from another Kurt?¡± ¡°Yes. The ability that is imbued in it¡­ is to look for a specific thing. The magical power inside is limited, so it will soon break when used. It isn¡¯t very strong. It¡¯s a mass-produced item, but¡­ nonetheless, its creator has amazing skill. This is well made despite using cheap materials.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Azadine heard this and clicked his tongue. ¡°Well¡­ since it¡¯s made of bones and was held by someone of the Kurt, I know that it is an item that belongs to them. It has become clearer. This¡­¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°No. Let me take care of it.¡± Perhaps the ogre holding this wand had come looking for the page in Azadine¡¯s possession. However, if he told Mediam and Ismail about the staff¡¯s function, they would want to try it out. This would inevitably show them the closest copy of the book¡­ which was on Azadine. ¡®There is no need to tell these kids I have it. Wait. Then if I have the page, I will get targeted again and again¡­¡¯ More people would be after him. He had to hurry. ¡°We need to head to Salasma soon.¡± ¡°Do we leave now?¡± ¡°No. Let us go after we are done eating and clearing things up.¡± They were busy, but since they had destroyed the monster¡¯s scouting unit and retrieved the staff from the mercenaries, there was no need to rush without a meal. Besides, if someone among the mercenaries could use this bone staff¡­ they probably needed to do something since it had disappeared. ¡®If I keep my distance and chase after them, I think I will see something interesting.¡¯ ¡°Is this a joke, you bastards!?¡± Tarki was furious. Expensive silver candlesticks and plates had vanished from the looted goods, and his mercenaries had an injured expression. ¡°You hid it somewhere to take it later! You bastards! If I come to¡­.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°We were really attacked. Look at this.¡± The mercenaries who had stood guard last night showed their necks and expressed their denial. There were clear handprints on their necks, but Tarki ignored them. ¡°To claim that there was a thief we haven¡¯t discovered by now and show off those scars to your advantage! If what you are saying is true, do you mean to say that a thief snuck into an armed mercenary camp, didn¡¯t attack you with a poisoned dagger, but had instead grabbed you and knocked you out?¡± ¡°No, tha¡­¡± ¡°R-right.¡± The captain of the mercenaries clicked his tongue. ¡°Aside from that, the arrowheads and some grains are missing too.¡± ¡°Grains?¡± ¡°Yes. Also¡­ one of my possessions disappeared. No matter how I see it, this was no normal thief.¡± Tarki was no fool either. It didn¡¯t matter whether the mercenary captain was telling the truth. The problem was his feelings. If he felt insulted, the mercenaries would immediately turn against Tarki. ¡®We will have to end this discussion here.¡¯ They didn¡¯t know who had targeted their loot. Still, they would inevitably react if he scolded the mercenaries more than this. ¡°Tch, fine. Well, then, pretend that you got attacked. As punishment, I will cut the salaries of those who stood guard. Will that be enough?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± The mercenaries who lost part of their salaries looked dissatisfied. However, their opponent was the illegitimate child of a noble, so it was impossible to protest further. ¡°Hmm.¡± However, the mercenary captain, who wasn¡¯t affected by the pay cut, didn¡¯t seem to like it. ¡°For now, it is fine to punish the subordinates for their failure in vigilance. The problem is with what we lost.¡± ¡°Uh? What is it?¡± ¡°Hahaha. It is impossible to say.¡± The mercenary captain burst out laughing. ¡°Really? It doesn¡¯t seem like a huge deal.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t that¡­ Perhaps the thief is headed to a nearby village? Could we take the village by your order, Lord Tarki?¡± ¡°What? A village nearby, you mean the one we came down from? It is difficult to take that one over.¡± Farming villages and peasant hamlets could be erased from the map anytime, so there were no problems looting them. However, villages at the border acted as gateways and could not be easily touched. A major gate such as that is noticed on the King¡¯s map and is often monitored. The Gateway of the East Village they had looted until just yesterday was not named in passing. It actually had a gate but was not yet engraved on the map. It wasn¡¯t a gate to the borders but to a barren land. It wasn¡¯t a village that was untouchable and could be plundered. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Even if Lord Tarki disagrees, we will plunder at your command.¡± ¡°Uh? What? What is that supposed to mean?¡± Tarki became puzzled when he saw the mercenary captain attempting to take the lead. But then¡­ Puak! The mercenary captain pulled a dagger and thrust it into Tarki¡¯s lower abdomen. ¡°Kuak?!¡± ¡°Uh? Captain!¡± The mercenaries were also surprised at this sudden exchange. He had suddenly stabbed their employer in the stomach with a knife. ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± ¡°Relax. This¡­ is a dagger given by a witch to me.¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Tarki was startled. He could feel the cold sensation in his stomach¡­ but there was no blood or wound. The dagger stuck in his stomach then suddenly transformed into a strange spider. Kakaka! And went inside. ¡°Hee?!¡± ¡°D-did you see it?¡± ¡°Spider!¡± ¡°What you saw.¡± The captain smiled at the lord. ¡°This present is harmless right?¡± ¡°Yo-You. What did you¡­¡± Tarki drew his sword in indignation. Even though he was an illegitimate child, Tarki was a child born out of wedlock to a noble who had enough money to hire mercenaries. He had trained faithfully in swordsmanship since childhood, and even seasoned mercenaries could not ignore his skills. However, the fight never started. ¡°Would you like to stay silent?¡± The mercenary captain blew a whistle. ¡°Kuak!?¡± A piercing pain shot through his stomach, and Tarki slumped forward. The sword fell from his hand and rolled away. ¡°Now, now, let us calm down.¡± ¡°T-this¡­¡± Tarki¡¯s face was drenched in a cold sweat. He had been fine when pierced by the dagger but was now in indescribable pain. ¡°The spider in your stomach just bit the flesh inside.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t listen to me, the spider will lay eggs in your stomach. Ah, I have seen the body of someone who died from that, and it was quite gruesome. Even I had to drown in a drink to forget what I saw then.¡± ¡°What are you even saying when you were the one who stabbed me? No, before even that, what is this? What magic is this? Is this Kurt magic? Something related to spiders?¡± ¡°I just got it from a passing witch. I don¡¯t know about the other things.¡± ¡°B-bullshit!¡± ¡°Oh, now, be careful with your words.¡± The mercenary captain blew his whistle again. ¡°Kuaaak!¡± Tarki trembled in pain and rolled on the ground. CH 19 ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°C-captain?¡¯ The mercenaries looked at him in horror, wondering if this man was really their captain. The face of the captain, however, became stiff. ¡°W-what do you want from me?¡± ¡°I want you to find the person who came from the previous village and looted things that were mine.¡± The mercenary captain smiled as he said this, but his eyes shone viciously. ¡°To do that in my name? Then¡­.¡± The King¡¯s Church would seek to punish Tarki and his father, Count Casel. Perhaps King Korassar himself would drop the hammer. ¡°It is fine. I just need to quickly find my things before this situation gets worse. Moreover¡­. Isn¡¯t your father full of thoughts of rebelling against the king anyway? So, you must be looking for the book for that reason.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°This method is good for finding my belongings, but it will also be good for finding the book. Otherwise we¡­.¡± He blew the whistle again, and Tarki had no choice but to crumple down while clutching his stomach. The pain of flesh being eaten from the inside was too much. ¡°Kuak! F-fine! Let us do it!¡± The pain was so intense that Tarki immediately gave in to alleviate it. ¡°Fine then, young master. Let us do this together.¡± The mercenary captain stretched his hand to Tarki with a smile, perhaps looking to confirm the newly established master and servant relationship. Tarki had no choice but to hold that hand. ¡°Hmm?¡± Azadine, who stood atop a tree to watch the mercenaries from a distance, felt a strange sensation. ¡°I guess it would be impossible to get any closer than this?¡± The attitude of Tarki and his mercenaries had changed. They had taken out their weapons and were further sharpening them. They cut down the trees around to make them into arrows, wiped off the rust of their swords, sharpened them, touched up their armor, and did other checks. They were also preparing food. They were about to eat a proper meal and utilize well-groomed weapons. In other words, it seemed like they were preparing for something major. Even so, their scouting was thorough. If one only watched them halfway, this side could end up quite exposed. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t approach them with the sun up. They are pretty skilled, right? There are guards posted at every corner approaching the mercenary camp.¡± Mediam, too, made her judgment as she saw the mercenaries preparing for war. ¡°Then what are you going to do now? Let¡¯s keep an eye on them. Will you go away and come back at night?¡± ¡°No, we should probably head to the village first.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Maybe they are planning to raid the village.¡± ¡°But that village down there has people, right? Aren¡¯t most of them adults?¡± It was a village of over 500 families. This would be called a decent-sized city in the north, where the population was low. The King¡¯s Church would be quite enraged if a mercenary group tried to plunder this place. Mediam and Ismail thought this, but Azadine knew something that they didn¡¯t. ¡®They had a bone staff made using Kurt magic. If they had looked at the supplies, they¡¯d see that it wasn¡¯t just the loot, but there were a few items from members of the Kur clan.¡¯ If there had just been one clan, that person would have kept the bone staff on their body instead of the supplies. In other words, it was clear that the Kurt magic tool was being used by someone who could manage and touch the mercenary supplies at will. ¡®Looking at the staff¡¯s performance and the magic imbued in it, their purpose is likely to find the magic book? But now that the staff is gone, if a Kurt clan member is there, they will reveal their true colors soon.¡¯ With this information that his companions didn¡¯t know of, Azadine deduced that the mercenary group would move to occupy the nearby village. The village was located near where all the roads in the area merged and were also the best location to check any passing people. Above all, the member of the Kurt clan would have no reason to hide anymore since their bone staff was lost. They would be trying to salvage the situation. ¡°I have a good reason to act, so let us avoid the mercenaries and head to the village first.¡± Azadine hurried to move without telling them of the staff. The sun was slowly moving to the west. Azadine once again pretended to be blind this time and went through the gate without difficulty and entered the village. Since he appeared blind, he wasn¡¯t considered a dangerous person. Besides, the people of Hubris believed in an afterlife. If they saw a blind pilgrim, they would treat them kindly since it was a chance to attain karma. There was a market in the village at the moment, and various caravans were being set up with wagons and camps spread in an empty lot near the village¡¯s entrance. ¡°Ah, that is?¡± ¡°The Korasar Peddler Guild has arrived. That¡¯s good.¡± The children were delighted to see the guild flag. The Korasar Peddler Guild originally started as an association of small merchants that traveled using backpacks. Now, however, the merchants had more funds, and the guild had become prosperous within Korassar in terms of financial strength and organizational power. This particular guild was also one of the fronts run by the Messenger Clan, the people of Aragasa. ¡°Hmm. If it is the peddlers¡­¡± Azadine wore a bitter smile as he headed for a wagon. The caravan of the Krasar Peddler Guild was encircled by five wagons. It was as if it was a bison herd defending its children. When they camped in the plains, it was a defensive formation that used the wagons as barriers. A large encampment was set up in the middle of it while the wagons that faced outside became stores that served the people. Outside of the store, people were performing acrobats to engage the customers. Both the performer and the store clerk were of the Messenger Clan. The two noticed Azadine as he approached them, and they laughed. ¡°No, what is this now?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he the famous 108th, Azadine?¡± ¡°Hehehehe.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know that he¡¯s been acting as a messenger for around 3 months now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Azadine sighed. It was always the same. From the point of view of the Messenger Clan, they couldn¡¯t bear to see Azadine, the son of the traitor Acre, forget about how he ruined their chances. On such topics, everyone would speak for Arael as if they were willing to take their hearts out. She had proven her strength, beauty, and talent. In the past, a man had his jaw broken for acting sarcastically toward Arael. She made sure that any who challenged her would be made to pay the price. Azadine did not. Eventually, all of the abuse was heaped upon him. Now that Mediam and Ismail followed him, they were being laughed at even more. ¡°Ah, he even has servants? Right, you are good at juggling?¡± ¡°Enough. These kids aren¡¯t with me.¡± ¡°Oh, they aren¡¯t?¡± ¡°Right. Still, since we are in the clan, place a pair of horseshoes for the goat. Can you do that much?¡± ¡°Sure. Whose order will it be?¡± ¡°Under the recommendation of Elder Kazas, despite having failed basic training, this person became a messenger without any formal procedures. How could we ignore the orders of such a person?¡± Everyone was speaking with knives in their words, but Azadine took out a silver candlestick from the saddlebag that was on his goat. ¡°Change this into money. And can you pass them on if you have some blue steel nibs?¡± ¡°Ohhh. Seems like you brought something pricey?¡± ¡°Where did you steal this from? A messenger should have pride.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Azadine could deal with sarcasm, but this was still too much. The children looked at each other. They knew that Azadine was hated by members of the Messenger Clan, but this was definitely too much. These merchant guilds were originally made by the clan to support the messengers. Of course, there were some changes in the relationship between host and guest nowadays. However, it would still be the mission of the Kosarar Peddler Guild to support a messenger with goods, funds, and shelter. But these people didn¡¯t seem to like this arrangement. ¡°I need to change clothes. And can you do some laundry?¡± Azadine handed over his clothes to them and took a change of clothes. But what he received was women¡¯s clothing. ¡°What are we doing?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have any other clothing. Just wear it, okay?¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that quite obvious? Hehehe.¡± ¡°Sigh. Do not do childish things. I am not doing anything to you because I am exhausted from working. More than anything else, I will continue to be indebted to your guild, so I do not want to hold bad feelings for the organization just because of some half-assed bastards.¡± Azadine sighed and returned the clothes. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Just because we are letting you speak, are you asking us to wear women¡¯s clothes then? Are you insulting us?¡± ¡°You made us into half-assed workers. Are you insulting us?¡± They were only returning the insults that had been thrown at them. Yet it was clear that they only cared about speaking the insults, not how Azadine would feel about it. ¡°This bastard was lucky enough to be a messenger with a recommendation from Elder Kazas¡­¡± ¡°Why did you become a messenger when we are servants?¡± ¡°You are the one who failed to pass through basic training! But do you think it is fair for you to be a messenger?¡± It seemed that the employees of this guild were Azadine¡¯s training mates. Those who had seen Azadine fall behind without receiving basic training within the Messenger Clan were clearly dissatisfied. They were displeased that Azadine had become a messenger when they couldn¡¯t. Mediam, who was watching the scene, then asked. ¡°If you feel this is unfair, why don¡¯t you challenge him to a duel?¡± ¡°Duel? Did this kid say this? Are you talking to us now?¡± ¡°Do you want to get scolded first?¡± Everyone looked at Mediam with stern faces, but she was unconcerned. ¡°It seems that none of you have any intention of taking the risk of a duel. Instead, you¡¯re all just chatting behind his back in the dark.¡± Azadine heard this and smiled. ¡®The risk of a duel? That sounds good, but that¡¯s not what you are saying, right?¡¯ Indeed, when the duel was mentioned, his peers simply sneered. ¡°Kuak. I wasn¡¯t even planning on dueling Azadine.¡± ¡°If we beat this guy, don¡¯t we become messengers? Isn¡¯t that it?¡± ¡°The question is, which of us will go first? Doesn¡¯t the first one have the advantage? Hehehe.¡± Everyone looked at Azadine as if he was an easy target. Seeing this, Mediam laughed. ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± At that moment¡­ Mediam made her move. CH 20 -Srng! Mediam pulled out her dagger and vanished before their eyes using the Mistletoe Technique. She climbed onto the back of one of Azadine¡¯s peers in an instant and pointed her blade at his neck. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Everyone, including Azadine, was shocked at her boldness. ¡®I knew she was going to do something, but I didn¡¯t think she would go this far!¡¯ While everyone was flustered, Mediam¡¯s young voice rang out clearly. ¡°Yah, how dare you servants dare to keep acting sarcastic to the messenger?¡± ¡°N-No, this little girl?¡± At that moment, Mediam¡¯s blade moved slightly. -Swish! Blood flowed from the lightly cut skin. ¡°Little girl? Can you not understand the situation? I am of the Ethar Clan. How dare a servant make such funny sounds?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°What? Do you dislike the messenger? Then try this before insulting him. If you win, you might become the messenger, right? Why aren¡¯t you taking on the challenge in earnest instead of trying to insult him by being sarcastic? What? Do you want to set an order amongst yourself? Don¡¯t make me laugh. Does being a messenger look easy?¡± The members of the peddlers guild were quite flustered at Mediam¡¯s aggressiveness. It looked as if she was ready to kill. Mediam¡¯s words were, strictly speaking, correct. A messenger was at the top of the clan¡¯s hierarchy, and this group was one that was created to assist them. It was an organization that was created to gather information and money. However, those who ran the guild¡¯s operations had a different idea. After all, the Emperor was dead, and the messengers were forced to act because of a curse that no longer had meaning. The important thing was money and the social credit that could be obtained through it. In any organization, those who earned money would eventually become leader. Still, those within the society didn¡¯t ignore the messengers. Azadine was simply an exception. However, Meriam¡¯s words were still on point. ¡°What is your mission? Is your mission not to support the Emperor¡¯s messengers for the clan¡¯s sake? Then why are you insulting a messenger as if they meant nothing? Is this how you perform your mission?¡± ¡°No, that¡­.¡± ¡°If you dislike Azadine but aren¡¯t confident enough to challenge him, don¡¯t act out. Just smile pleasantly like the people of Hubris when they do business. Can you even do that? If you can¡¯t, you aren¡¯t good enough to even be a servant. Go farm in Sanctuary or just die at my hands now. You¡¯re not a messenger but a child who doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s right. All your dreams are just in vain!¡± Mediam snorted in derision, removed her blade from his neck, and walked back towards Azadine before they realized. ¡°Euk¡­.¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Azadine¡¯s former peers, who had returned to their senses, considered whether or not to retaliate against her, but¡­ ¡°Yah. She¡¯s¡­ Ethar.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Shit. Someone in our position can¡¯t touch anyone from the Ethar.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Azadine¡¯s peers forced down their anger as they realized Mediam¡¯s status as a member of the Ethar Clan. ¡°Here is a cloak. How about using this?¡± Mediam, while ignoring Azadine¡¯s motives for looking at them, picked up a cloak for sale at the caravan. ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± Azadine accepted the cloak and headed towards the bath at the back of the caravan. ¡°Azadine is here?¡± At the southern side of the Korasar Peddler Guild caravan was a man named Derek, who was their leader. In the past, he had attacked Arael, a promising clan member, and was injured when she responded. His ankle, in particular, had been fractured, and he couldn¡¯t move normally even after it was healed, making it impossible for him to function as a messenger. Because of that incident, the clan elders sent Derek away as an adopted son to a merchant family. They made him step back as a messenger. They did this since they considered him no longer qualified to carry out the duties of a messenger. It was a humiliating punishment but also a lenient one at the same time. There were arguments between messengers that no one in the clan would touch, even if there was a reason. Derek¡¯s attack on Arael had been for personal reasons. Since he was defeated fairly, he couldn¡¯t say anything even if he had died. However, thanks to the Savan family¡¯s support, Derek could continue to live by transitioning from a messenger to a merchant. ¡°Yes. Azadine came and requested a simple maintenance.¡± ¡°Deal with it. Helping messengers is the mission of our organization.¡± ¡°Is that alright? This is the man who ignored all the procedures and was made a messenger just 3 months ago. Everyone hates him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Besides, he won¡¯t stay as a messenger for a long time, right? Didn¡¯t a daughter of the Ethar clan apply to become his servant? A duel would inevitably happen there. Must have been a bold child? Did she want to set a record by becoming a messenger at 13 like Arael?¡± Derek laughed slyly. A record similar to that of Arael¡¯s would be set by Azadine. But this time, Azadine would be on the receiving end. If that happened, a very pleasant scene would happen for Derek, who hated Arael. However, the servant reporting to him was in a state of shock. ¡°B-But you see.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That same daughter of the Ethar clan caused some havoc around the barracks.¡± ¡°Caused havoc? For what?¡± ¡°I heard that when some of Azadine¡¯s peers were insulting him, she threatened to cut their throats?¡± ¡°What?¡± Derek groaned when he heard this. It was clear what the situation implied. The daughter of Ethar, Mediam, was not Azadine¡¯s servant. ¡°Hmm? I heard he was incompetent, but he defeated someone from the Ethar Clan? Or has she not challenged him to a duel? Perhaps she¡¯s waiting to confirm his skills?¡± Derek tried to understand her intentions. A brave girl who had come to win a position as a messenger through a duel. From Derek¡¯s point of view, Mediam was an arrogant girl who could defeat Azadine. No matter how much Azadine was hated by the Messenger Clan, a messenger for the Emperor needed to be respected. For a young girl who had just finished training to challenge a messenger¡­ was an act that could harm the clan¡¯s hierarchy. The elders, naturally, would disapprove. Derek, however, had actively helped her. If Azadine lost to Mediam, then his disgrace would also disgrace Arael. But to think that she was working for Azadine. ¡°Perhaps it is simply too insane of an idea to challenge him to a duel, so she is observing the situation first? Or maybe she likes him, I don¡¯t know. Besides, she¡¯s a person who can become a messenger once the summer comes.¡± ¡°Right? Hmm. I thought she was a fool with no thoughts, but she must have recognized something. What is Azadine doing?¡± ¡°Taking a bath.¡± ¡°Really? Then ask if he would like to have dinner together and invite him to my table.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The man left to relay Derek¡¯s words to Azadine. The caravan campsite was made up of several tents. Azadine placed a bathtub between two of them and took a bath. Azadine handed over his clothes to the servants and soaked in the tub. ¡°Excuse me, Azadine?¡± A servant had arrived. Due to the polite tone, it seemed like he wasn¡¯t Aragasa but was just an employee. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Mr. Derek wants to have dinner with you.¡± ¡°Derek? Alright. I do have something to say to him.¡± Azadine agreed to the meal with Derek. When he arrived, Derek was eating in a fancy tent at the center of the caravan. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it an invitation for dinner? Not even waiting until the guest arrived.¡± Azadine was slightly taken aback at seeing that Derek was already eating. ¡°Um. I eat early. Why don¡¯t you take a seat?¡± Derek wiped his mouth and invited Azadine. This, too, was a stone being thrown. Azadine sighed at how openly Derek was insulting him. ¡°Derek.¡± ¡°Endure it. Your servant attacked a member of our guild, right? Did she touch them knowing that they were employees of the Savan family?¡± This was the problem. Obviously, for a messenger family, the role of a messenger was a priority. It was a position that transcended blood. In other words, it was an official position beyond social classes and an appointment based on the system and skills. But for the bloodlines of the five founders and those working for them, the focus had shifted slightly towards money and power. They prioritized their own authority over the honor of the messenger. The problem was that if one ignored this, the backlash would be extremely strong. ¡°Fine. Mediam indeed was rude today, so end the rudeness with me.¡± Actually, Mediam wasn¡¯t even his servant. Still, he decided to take responsibility for her as he put a spoon of food in his mouth. ¡°Now, get to that point already. I had to deal with ogres and goblins recently¡­¡± ¡°You did?¡± ¡°I got caught in a situation.¡± Azadine placed the bone staff on the table. ¡°Have you ever seen this?¡± ¡°Ah, this.¡± Derek nodded. ¡°Even if you couldn¡¯t contact the chief, this was why I called you, Azadine. Members of the Kurt clan are looking for pieces of the magic book, Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth¡­ this is their tool for that..¡± ¡°I guess everyone knows now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You didn¡¯t think you were the only one who knew and decided not to report it, right?¡± ¡°Would I enjoy reporting anything when the people are only eager to see me to insult me?¡± ¡°And you came here for something like that.¡± ¡°It was on the way.¡± ¡°Well, bringing the staff is a decently good thing. I will praise you for that. Did you get the book?¡± ¡°No, not from them.¡± ¡°Is that so? You speak as if you found it somewhere else.¡± ¡°Somewhere else? Did no other messenger find it yet?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Derek¡¯s eyes widened at Azadine¡¯s words. ¡°What?¡± ¡°T-then you have it?¡± ¡°Just one page.¡± Derek looked shocked as he said. ¡°W-where did you get it from?¡± ¡°Looking at your reaction, it seems like everyone is progressing slowly.¡± ¡°How and where did you get it?!¡± ¡°Inside a well in an abandoned frontier village.¡± ¡°Is that so? Damn it. You got one that easily?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t so easy.¡± If the spirits hadn¡¯t guided him, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to obtain this copy even if he had dug through the well. However, he wasn¡¯t about to speak of the details here. ¡°Ah, you see, if I have it, I¡¯ll get chased by those with this staff, right? If you are collecting the pieces, then you need to avoid being tracked.¡± ¡°Never mind that. If you have the copy of the book, hand it over.¡± Derek asked Azadine to hand over the piece. However, Azadine found it odd how desperate Derek seemed. CH 21 ¡°Derek, do you have the authority?¡± ¡°What is that supposed to mean? Are you asking if I am going above my powers?¡± ¡°No, I think I should give it to the district chief. Besides, I saw some unruly ones on my way here.¡± ¡°Unruly ones?¡± ¡°It was one of Count Casel¡¯s illegitimate sons. He also plundered the gateway village with a mercenary group. There are members of the Kurt clan in that group.¡± ¡°So you got scared of them and came running here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. However, they will eventually attack.¡± ¡°Sigh. Is that how it is? Although I was a mess after your sister beat me, I am still a former messenger. Besides, your peers here are more than a match for average mercenary trash.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if rumors spread that people from the Korasar Peddler Guild can fight too?¡± Azadine shrugged. ¡°I am not talking about that! Just hand it over to me now so we can fully protect it! Unless you want to undo a deed, you were lucky enough to get your hands on.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t really want to hand it over to you, though? I¡¯ll talk to the district chief later.¡± ¡°This brat¡­ you are acting up! You can¡¯t protect that with your skills! Haven¡¯t you just been playing around for the past 3 months without doing anything befitting a messenger?¡± Derek clearly held resentment for Azadine. ¡°No? I have been rescuing people here and there.¡± ¡°You foolish man! How can you say such a thing? We should destroy rival guilds and assassinate those who try to go after us! We should set fire to someone¡¯s warehouse so that the market price of the goods we sell can be adjusted!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± It seemed like there was a large gap between Azadine and Derek¡¯s perceptions of the duties of a messenger. ¡°I don¡¯t know where we could start considering this difference of opinion. Anyway, I won¡¯t hand it over to you.¡± ¡°You cheeky bastard. Aren¡¯t you 2 years younger? How dare you say such words to me?¡± Derek, after all, had to retire after being defeated by Arael. There was no way Azadine, a blood relative of Arael, would look good in front of him. But since he was doing something like this¡­ However, just as Derek and Azadine began to raise their voices to push their own opinion, a commotion erupted. The Post Village was under the rulership of Sir Jeran, a knight under the financial control of Count Salasma. He was a 25-year-old son of a baron with territory nearby. Although he was in his prime, his father had shown no signs of dying. His mother had passed away when he was 15, and now that his father had a child with his second wife, Sir Jeran was becoming anxious. Although he was still heir in name, he was worried that his father, who had fallen under his second wife¡¯s sway, might force him into church service and pass the estate to his younger brother. He had to work, work, and work some more to assuage this fear. So while he guarded the gates of this village, he took small bribes from the merchants passing by. Some tariffs were waived if he received a bribe, and the passage was made simple. However, a young knight leading a group of mercenaries came at sunset. It was Tarki, the illegitimate son of Count Casel, and his mercenary troops. ¡°What? So heavily armed as well? There are too many of you. It is close to sunset, so please either rest in an inn outside or camp in an open field and come back tomorrow.¡± Sir Jeran was being particularly picky, but he wasn¡¯t wrong with his words. But with that said, most travelers would simply offer bribes, and, as expected, Tarki gave him a bribe. ¡°Well, let¡¯s not consider that and just take this.¡± ¡°Hehehe, Lord Tarki. This is troublesome. You are also a knight, after all.¡± Wasn¡¯t he also the illegitimate son of his current employer, the count? ¡°If we commit wrongdoing, won¡¯t we both be sent to the King¡¯s Church? Please consider this a situation where we¡¯re both on the same side.¡± ¡°Hmm, if you say so.¡± Sir Jeran accepted these words and allowed the group to enter the gate. The moment they entered, however. Chak! Blood splattered on the ground. ¡°Uh?¡± Sir Jeran hurriedly tried to draw his sword in surprise, but the mercenary captain had drawn his twin swords and rushed in to slash at Sir Jeran¡¯s head. -Tun! His eyes were intensely focused on the ground. A sense of numbness filled his body along with a dull pain, but Sir Jeran was still a knight. He grabbed the longsword with both hands, pushed forward, and stabbed through without removing the sheath. The mercenary captain stepped back and raised his sword, aiming for Sir Jeran¡¯s chin. ¡°Euk! You bastards!¡± Sir Jeran succeeded in avoiding the attack and drew his sword. However, the mercenaries who had already entered the gate were attacking his soldiers. Moreover¡­ Puak! Tarki swung his longsword and slashed at Sir Jeran¡¯s hamstrings behind his knee. The attack had been aimed at the folds of his armor, so Sir Jeran felt less than a minor tingle. ¡®T-the ligament¡­¡¯ The twin swords flashed once more and stabbed through the gap of Sir Jeran¡¯s helmet, killing him. ¡°Look here! To be this reckless¡­.¡± Tarki was scared. He had only intended to detain Jeran, not kill him. But while he was incapacitating the man, the mercenary captain killed Sir Jeran. This was a fairly large town, but to attack the gateway and kill the knight guarding it? Was he insane? If one committed such an unlawful act, they would be considered traitors and could be killed by any who noticed. This wasn¡¯t a territorial war or a duel for honor but just a reasonless assault? ¡°You did well, young master. Quite talented.¡± ¡°Are you insane? Like this¡­¡± Tarki also looked like a traitor. ¡°Take it easy. Shouldn¡¯t there be a lot of distance we need to cover and loot? You will be making a huge fortune.¡± The mercenary captain laughed meanly. They could see a full campsite near the entrance to the gate. ¡°Merchants. If you want to start looting, that should be the place, but¡­¡± What the mercenary captain wanted was control of the gateway. Now that he had lost the staff needed to find the magic book, he needed to take control of this land. ¡°First, let¡¯s kill the station attendant and seize it. You don¡¯t have to engage with the merchant guards immediately to loot them. It is important to get control of the town first.¡± ¡°It is impossible for us to do it alone! We managed to take this gate by surprise, but there are three more!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush it. We have more power to do it.¡± The mercenary captain said this and spread his hands. Something similar to a black spot began to shine on his hand. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°A spider.¡± Tiny spiders were clinging together on his hand, and he blew the spiders to send them toward his men. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Eik!?¡± ¡°Get them off me!¡± The mercenaries were startled and tried to avoid them. Still, the spiders the mercenary captain sent their way made contact as they danced through the air. ¡°What?¡± ¡°A t-thread is connected?¡± At that moment, they realized that there were threads connecting their bodies. That wasn¡¯t all, either. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°When?¡± They noticed that these small spiders were the size of millet grains and were releasing something from their bodies. That something was going around their armpits and groin. It wasn¡¯t the spider that the captain had sent to them. Many more were already within their bodies. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to shake them off. In fact, they¡¯ve all grown up by feeding on your blood and flesh for a long time.¡± ¡°Euk?!¡± ¡°S-save me!¡± The mercenaries became terrified and tried to remove the spiders from their bodies. However, the spiders continued to appear from their hair and around their bodies. Didn¡¯t they realize that these things were buried under their skin? When the spiders touched the ground, they began to glow a soft green. It was as if the spider that the captain sent out was sharing its light. The spiders that had emerged from the mercenaries¡¯ bodies were shining green and then began to enter their bodies once more. ¡°AH!?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt?¡± ¡°I told you. Those spiders have grown up on your flesh and blood for a long time. These spiders are a part of you. And with this¡­¡± The captain kicked a corpse on the ground and lifted it up. It was a soldier who had guarded the gate. Kicking a corpse and lifting it off the ground was impossible for normal humans. The corpse also wore armor, so the weight should have been staggering. Even so, he kicked the corpse up until his head height, as if kicking a small ball. The twin swords flashed, and he dismembered the body. This man was clearly a monster. ¡°Now you guys can do this much.¡± ¡°Uh¡­.¡± ¡°Such strength.¡± The mercenaries were shocked as they felt their bodies overflow with power. ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°R-right, but¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to resist it? That would feel nice too.¡± When the mercenary captain blew his whistle, the mercenaries were shocked by the pain coursing through their body. ¡°Kuak!?¡± ¡°H-Hurts!¡± ¡°S-save me!¡± ¡°Now, do you get it?¡± When the captain stopped whistling, the pain vanished. ¡°Your life is in my hands. Let go now and subdue the station attendant quickly. Some of you split up and take down the other gates¡­.¡± The captain divided their roles and gave them instructions for this raid. Tarki, who saw this, clicked his tongue. ¡°Now I see you are of the Kurt clan.¡± ¡°Ah, you must be so clever to realize it now.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Now let us cooperate. You don¡¯t want to be dragged into the church, right? Take care of the money around the limit and get revenge on the Count who abandoned and insulted you. I would like to get my hands on a copy of that book. Isn¡¯t it nice to help each other? Anyway¡­¡± When the captain whistled, Tarki felt a pain surge in his stomach. ¡°Ackk!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice here. The Kurt isn¡¯t the only threat around here. Actually, we are more flexible than the King¡¯s Church.¡± ¡°Kuak¡­ you bastard!¡± Tarki was irate at this, but now that the spider had gone into his body, he could do nothing. ¡°What in the world is this? This is a mess!¡± Azadine climbed up the ladder and looked around atop the wagon. ¡°The east gate was captured. They are here.¡± As Azadine expected, the mercenary group infiltrated by the Kurt clan had come to raid the town. CH 22 ¡°Are they the mercenaries you spoke of?¡± Derek frowned. ¡°It looks like they are trying to enter the village, take over, and plunder. Which means¡­.¡± They haven¡¯t realized who stole their staff. That was why it was clear that they wanted to dominate the town to thoroughly investigate it. ¡°There aren¡¯t many of them, but they managed to break through the gate? Isn¡¯t this a bit shocking? If not¡­ did the Heavenly King¡¯s blood awaken in the count¡¯s illegitimate son?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Then it has to be the Kurt clan. They attacked the town because they assumed they had a good chance of winning, right? Then you should probably escape now.¡± Derek spoke calmly. As expected of a former messenger. Although he was forced to retire because of his defeat against Arael, he had excellent judgment. ¡°Then I will act separately.¡± ¡°No, before that¡­ hand over the paper.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Do you think I will steal your merit?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, there is that¡­ If you take the copy of the book, wouldn¡¯t you become a target for those who use tracking magic??¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a problem.¡± ¡°Not a problem, you say? You will fight, then? The merchants of the Korasar Peddler Guild showed their true colors. If those kinds of rumors spread, the merchant guild you worked so hard to build would crumble. Am I wrong?¡± In the caravan at the moment were two former messengers, Derek himself, and two people who had finished their training. However, the guild they were a part of now was a merchants guild. There was no reason for them to show that they were able to fight. Even more, if they showed that they were related to the Messenger Clan, it would only result in damages for them. The guild had spent an immense effort to rise to this level. ¡°You.¡± Derek was furious at Azadine¡¯s words because he was right. If he received the book now, there was a chance that his men would have to fight. This would inevitably lead to the identity of his guild becoming exposed. ¡°I will serve as bait, so do not worry too much.¡± Azadine said this and headed down to where the servants were walking around. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since I dropped off my laundry, so I need new clothes. I¡¯ll just take them, alright?¡± While Azadine was packing his equipment, Mediam and Ismail brought over their goats, who had received new horseshoes. ¡°What is happening? I was having a good rest.¡± ¡°You two, get your food from the table in that tent.¡± Azadine pointed towards the tent where he and Derek had been eating. ¡°Food in this situation?¡± ¡°There are so many people starving to death in this world. You shouldn¡¯t be taking food so lightly. Go take it.¡± As Azadine said this, two armed men approached the wagons. ¡°Now, now, calm down, everyone! We cannot allow you to leave the village!¡± ¡°If you stay still, nothing will happen. Everyone calm down, please.¡± Despite trying to speak calmly, the two men carried a mace and longsword. ¡®No, they¡¯re acting like this?¡¯ Azadine knew how many mercenaries were under Tarki¡¯s command. They had conscripted a few youths from some villages and bulked up their numbers, but there were only around 20 of them. It was strange to send troops out to subdue the caravans when they should be taking over the gates. Besides, just two of them? Unsurprisingly, the merchants of the guild fought back. ¡°Yah! I will handle it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Guards from the other merchant groups surrounded the mercenaries. ¡°Did you think merchants would be able to avoid conflict? Do not make me laugh.¡± ¡°How amusing, you bastards attacked the gate! We can kill you right now!¡± The merchant guards attacked the mercenaries. It was five against two. By the numbers, who would win was clear, but then something unexpected happened. Puak! The guards who were attacking were blown away. The mercenaries swung their weapons, and when the weapons clashed, the steel became bent, and the guards flew through the air. ¡°Ah, this.¡± ¡°No weapon can withstand this power.¡± The mercenaries threw away their broken sword and mace, took new weapons from the fallen guards, and attacked the rest of them. ¡°W-wait!¡± ¡°I surrender!¡± ¡°Ack!¡± Even the guards who surrendered and begged for their lives were killed instantly. ¡°Eik?!¡± ¡°O-Oh my!¡± The merchants had gone out for the confrontation without much thought. The mercenaries simply laughed. ¡°Relax now. We will not kill the merchants.¡± ¡°Yes, but um¡­¡± ¡°Uh.¡± The mercenaries, who had been talking, suddenly stood blankly. Their eyes lost focus as they looked into the air before turning to the fallen corpses. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­ I feel hungry.¡± They fell to the ground, crawled to the corpses on all fours, and jumped And¡­ Bite! They began to consume the bodies. ¡°Kuaaauk!¡± The screams of the women in the merchant caravan filled the air. Screams began to come from all around the town. The mercenaries, who had spiders implanted in their bodies, possessed terrifying strength and could slaughter the soldiers instantly. However, none of them could overcome their hunger and began consuming humans. They had first jumped on the corpses and bit off flesh from there, but then they began to consume more and more as their hunger became unbearable. The amount of meat consumed meant that a normal human mouth could not handle its texture. The moment they realized this, the mercenaries began to transform. Their bodies changed as two legs with sharp claws grew from them. New long legs, resembling an exoskeleton, grew from their backs to make it easier for them to tear apart the corpses and consume them. Their jaws split open to make their mouths wider. Sharp teeth also began to grow, allowing them to chew and swallow meat more quickly. A greater sense of hunger then also rose from within. ¡°Meat¡­.¡± ¡°More meat!¡± They looked around for things to sate their cravings for meat as their eyes slowly transformed into that of a spider¡¯s. ¡°Eik¡­¡± The merchants were frozen in fear as the humans in front of their eyes began to transform into abominations. The two mercenaries had transformed into hideous monsters before anyone could realize it, and they were now consuming the corpses. ¡°I will use this.¡± Seeing this, Azadine picked up a javelin and threw it. Puak! It penetrated through the spine of one of the mercenaries preoccupied with consuming the corpses. It was a shocking injury that should cause instant death to the target as it tore apart the nervous system. But this mercenary didn¡¯t die. ¡°What is that?¡± Even with a spear stuck in them, the mercenary reacted as if it hadn¡¯t hurt much and pulled out the spear with his hand. Countless spiders began to crawl around and filled the wound. ¡°Who are you?¡± The mercenary was so preoccupied that he didn¡¯t even mention the javelin that had been thrown. No, even if he did see it, he couldn¡¯t see Azadine. As soon as Azadine had thrown the javelin, he had turned to hide behind the wagons. ¡°It¡¯s the descendant of Astra, the Spider Queen of the Kurt Clan.¡± Derek gave this warning to Azadine as he moved behind the wagon. ¡°I realize that now since they look like spiders. You stay still, Derek. Pretend to be a helpless merchant.¡± Azadine replied to the warning and began moving from wagon to wagon. ¡°Their bodies are no different from corpses now. Those small spiders are making up their nervous system through magic. Be careful, Azadine. Even though you are a loser, you are still Aragasa¡¯s 108th messenger.¡± Your failure would disgrace the clan. That was what Derek meant. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it!¡± Azadine picked up a roll of cloth from a nearby wagon, stood on the roof of a wagon, and then jumped down. He spread the cloth in the air, attacked the two mercenaries, and¡­ ¡°Huh!¡± He hit the ground with both legs and landed his attack on the cloth. A high shot, followed by a low shout. Pung! A sound akin to an explosion filled the air. The mercenaries could not ignore this attack from Azadine. Even if they were spiders, Azadine¡¯s attack had been done using the cloth as a medium and had hit their whole body equally. But that wasn¡¯t enough. Chak! New arms and spider legs began to grow from their bodies and pierced the cloth as they aimed for Azadine. Azadine was forced to back away, but the mercenaries began moving and tore away the cloth on them. ¡°This is bad.¡± Azadine mumbled. ¡°Here!¡± Mediam quickly pulled out a torch from a wagon and threw it. At that moment, the mercenaries screamed in pain from the heat as the tiny spiders were vulnerable to flame. The small bugs could be burnt thoroughly with just a little heat. ¡®I know, but it isn¡¯t that easy to just light a fire.¡¯ The merchant wagons formed a wall in this caravan camp. If one caught on fire, it would become a mess. As Azadine hesitated, Ismail brought out several more torches and threw them after lighting them. ¡°Kuaaaak!¡± ¡°Ack! What is this!¡± The mercenaries panicked and tried to escape, but Azadine forced them closer. ¡°Go there and stay warm.¡± The spiders tried to escape the mercenaries¡¯ bodies as they were shocked by the heat, leaving their safe house and food source in their panic. However, if they tried to hide inside another body, they would dig into the flesh of a human who had not yet mutated, causing rejection and pain. ¡°How is it? Are we worth it?¡± Mediam asked Azadine. ¡°It isn¡¯t over yet, be careful.¡± Saying this, Azadine set a torn piece of cloth on fire. The other merchants had brought something to burn and threw them. Meanwhile, they were also digging the ground with shovels and gathered sand to smother the flame from spreading more. In the end, the two mercenaries burned up without much struggle. ¡°Urgh, what is this?¡± The merchants were horrified at the sight of the burned-up monsters. Humans with spider legs growing from their backs were burning. It was a horrifying sight to witness. ¡°But who are you? Uh?¡± When the merchants turned to question Azadine, he had already vanished. ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Such strange people.¡± ¡°What about my help? Was it right on time? You don¡¯t have to thank me. Whenever I¡­¡± As Mediam followed him with a smile, Azadine gave her praise. ¡°Good job. After all, we are people who met in the town of Manita.¡± ¡°That again. Can¡¯t you just accept me as your servant now?¡± CH 23 Azadine snorted at Mediam¡¯s request. ¡°If I take you in as a servant, what happened here today becomes my responsibility. You beat them up despite being a servant. You probably didn¡¯t know the Savan family was behind them, right? Are you trying to draw me into a confrontation with the Savan family?¡± ¡°N-No, it isn¡¯t like that.¡± Mediam was shocked when Azadine questioned her in return. ¡°I just couldn¡¯t stand it when they insulted you like that.¡± ¡°Sure, and I do thank you for that. However, for me to remain grateful, you cannot become my servant. I would be thankful if you beat them up as Mediam of the Ethar. However, if you were my servant, I would need to discipline you. Should I hit you on the cheek?¡± ¡°Euk, that is too much. Why are you so kind to the people of Hubris and are like this to me?¡± ¡°Because you aren¡¯t a civilian?¡± Azadine then stopped as the Emperor¡¯s Voice spoke to him. [A petitioner appeared but¡­] ¡°Dead? Which direction?¡± [West. Ah, they just breathed their last breath.] ¡°Damn it.¡± Azadine ran towards the west gate and looked around. A terrible massacre had happened there. The soldiers had been torn apart, and the monster mercenaries were eating the corpses. ¡°GRRR!?¡± ¡°Meat!?¡± The mercenaries had transformed into monsters with four spider legs. ¡°The ones before only had two legs.¡± ¡°Looks like they change over time.¡± Azadine took his cloak off and wrapped it around his arm. ¡°You two, prepare the fire.¡± Azadine gave the children their orders and walked forward. ¡°Grrr!¡± The mercenary, who had transformed into a spider monster, attacked him. However, the moment he entered Azadine¡¯s range, the monster was kicked in the chin. Puak! It was so quick that it only seemed like a blur of shadows. The mercenary¡¯s neck was broken, and its body rolled back. The vertebrae were visibly broken, severing the nerves and sending the body into convulsions. This attack, however, was slightly challenging for Azadine. Since he had exerted a burst of power, the speed of his attack was quick, but his body could not control it. The other spider monsters approached. ¡°Huh!¡± Azadine pulled out his curved blade and swung it, making it seem like a leaf falling from above. Chak! The spider monster¡¯s arms and legs were served, splattering blood everywhere. Once Azadine returned to the ground, he rolled away to avoid the blood. He had defeated two of the mercenaries who had transformed into monsters in an instant. ¡°Kuak!¡± ¡°Grrrk¡­¡± The mercenaries slowly stood back up. While their necks were broken, the infested spiders replaced the broken parts, including the nervous systems. The one with hacked-off limbs had been forcefully stopped from bleeding by those spiders. Both monsters were still moving despite the extent of the wounds on their body. ¡°It looks like they could be cut into pieces.¡± Azadine glanced at them, took his blade out again, and swung it again. His blade was slowly being chipped away. It was the price for cutting off the limbs of a spider monster with a single slash. ¡°Hmm.¡± Azadine reversed the blade and gripped it again. ¡°Kuak!¡± ¡°Kuack!¡± The spider mercenaries rushed towards him again. Azadine held his weapon and swung toward the legs as he lowered his stance and moved. -Twilight! His body blurred, and he quickly passed between the spider mercenaries. One of the spider mercenaries was bisected at the waist and cut in two. The other was also cut in half, but his sword broke inside his body and became stuck. ¡°This was a good blade¡­ but ended up breaking here.¡± Azadine grabbed the half-broken blade and clicked his tongue. The mercenary who had been bisected continued to wriggle and crawl on the ground. Still, the wound was too large, and he eventually died. However, the other one with the blade stuck in his torso ignored the wound and jumped at Azadine. At that moment, an arrow flew past him and hit the monster. -Thunderbolt! Electric sparks flew and fried the spiders in an instant. ¡°Kyaak!¡± The mercenary struggled as he fell to the ground, unable to get back up. ¡°As I thought! I thought that if they were weak to fire, they should be weak against electricity! Because the spiders are small¡­¡± Mediam began to speak but felt dizzy and stumbled. As she was about to fall, Ismail tried to catch her, but Azadine was faster. Azadine raised his foot to brace Mediam to stop her from collapsing. It was as if he was supporting a rotting door. ¡°Be careful. Flower Bird Wind Moon is a colorless magic. Lightning, like magic which creates electricity, is too inefficient. Just because it is in a magic book doesn¡¯t mean you can use it. Still, it is impressive to use Thunderbolt at your age. Indeed, as expected of an Ethar, admirable.¡± ¡°!¡± When Mediam heard this phrase, she shrugged. ¡°Right? There aren¡¯t many people my age who can use it. With this beauty and talent, even when I think about myself¡­ I have to say that I am a sinful woman.¡± ¡°Get some rest. Your head hurts from using too much magic.¡± Azadine praised Mediam and then picked up the weapons that had fallen on the ground. ¡°Should we burn the spider?¡± Azadine gathered a handful of hay, sprinkled them on the corpses, and lit them on fire with the torch. The hay burned instantly, leaving only soot behind while the corpses burnt. ¡°This kind of handling is great, but what if there are many enemies at once?¡± Ismail asked coldly. It was fine since there were only two, but what if there were more? Azadine couldn¡¯t use magic, so there was a limit to how much he could do alone. Wasn¡¯t this a situation where Azadine was more in need of servants who could use magic? ¡°Just stop it and accept¡­¡± ¡°I try to do as much as I can. Well, the people I met in Manita Town wouldn¡¯t ignore me, would they?¡± Azadine still refused to answer them as servants until the end and continued to gather weapons from the ground. These weapons, too, were in poor condition. The mercenaries had damaged them due to their monstrous strength after being contaminated by the Kurt tribe spiders. ¡°An axe or halberd would be better.¡± Azadine grabbed the weapons and headed for the western gate. The western gate had descended further into a scene of slaughter. Once the mercenaries saw blood, they could not control their excitement and began slaughtering and consuming humans indiscriminately. The more they did this, the faster the mutation took hold. Before they realized it, six spider legs had sprouted from their backs. The mercenary captain and Tarki were watching them. ¡°Is this fine? You said you were looking for the book? Then some more¡­¡± Tarki questioned the mercenary captain and waited for an answer. ¡°Hmm. It is a little different from what I expected¡­ but it is going well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s going well!? Look here, there is no way the person with the book would come to the village now, right? Wouldn¡¯t people come only when things look peaceful from the outside?¡± ¡°The bodies just have to be removed. We just need to eliminate the resistance quickly and clean up.¡± As he said that, the mercenary captain passed by some corpses and noted a triangle drawn on the ground. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Triangle on the ground¡­¡± Blood was smeared around the triangle, and the mercenaries were eating the corpses. Tarki then mumbled in surprise. ¡°Devil of Gold Coins?¡± ¡°If it is the Devil of the Gold Coin, is it the Emperor¡¯s Messenger? The Messenger Clan?¡± The mercenary captain tilted his head. ¡°Come to think of it, didn¡¯t they say that the book was scattered around the world because of the Messenger Clan? They must be frantically looking for it¡­ perhaps the Messenger Clan might have it.¡± ¡°Are you going to fight the Devil of the Gold Coin?¡± Tarki asked in shock. ¡°Of course, come to think of it, there are a rare few aside from those people that could break into our camp, neatly steal our belongings, then run away. It is not the brainless action of a passing thief.¡± The mercenary captain said this and then kicked his subordinate, who was eating the corpse. The mercenary screamed and rolled away. ¡°Let¡¯s see. No gold coins. Did you use it? If you did, that is fine. A messenger will come.¡± The captain laughed. ¡°If you know when the enemy is coming, our side has the advantage. Shall we prepare a trap?¡± But before he could finish his words, an arrow flew towards the mercenary captain¡¯s head. ¡°This¡­¡± The mercenary captain caught the arrow with his hand and blocked it easily. ¡°Funny. That was quick. Our movements were being watched after all.¡± The mercenary captain threw away the arrow as another flew for his face. ¡°Can you not see that this is useless?¡± The captain laughed and moved to catch the flying arrow. However, it was different this time. The arrows were slippier as it was coated in oil, making stopping them difficult. Moreover, it was stronger than the first arrow. The first arrow had probably been shot weakly by design to distract him, while this second arrow was shot properly. ¡°Euk?!¡± Puak! The arrow slipped through and impacted the captain¡¯s face. The spot between his brows and his eyeball shattered, causing both eyes to droop. The muscles tried to focus, but the inner eye muscles had been cut off. At the same moment, a man with a falcon mask dashed in. Surprised, Tarki grabbed his sword, but¡­ ¡®Uh? But do I really have to protect these ones?¡¯ Seeing Tarki hesitate, the man avoided him and jumped at the captain. A sword flashed and swung towards his head. Crack! However, only the blade flew away. Instead, spider legs sprouted from the mercenary captain¡¯s chest, piercing his body. ¡°Ha, this is the Emperor¡¯s Messenger? Fun.¡± The mercenary captain launched his spider legs to the left and right. It was an attack meant to pierce the opponent apart. But¡­ Tuk! A spider leg fell to the ground. ¡°¡­.¡± He thought he had pierced the man¡¯s chest, but the first clash had severed a spider leg instead. The leg that was severed lost its power and hung limply from his chest. ¡°You are quite funny too, Kurt clan.¡± ¡°This is.¡± The mercenary captain withdrew his spider legs and pulled out his sword, but his opponent was faster. The falcon-masked man reached the hilt at the mercenary¡¯s captain¡¯s waist first and pulled his sword out with his other hand. Check! A single blow broke the captain¡¯s jaw. However, instead of losing consciousness, the captain was fine as the spiders within his body reacted quickly. ¡°A monster!¡± The captain was a monster, but he was still rather surprised by the messenger¡¯s power. He gathered all his strength and reached out using his spider legs. He sent two behind him to support his collapsing body while two shot forward in attack. However, his foe had already vanished. CH 24 ¡°Uh!?¡± -Mistletoe! An attack landed on the enemy¡¯s back. ¡°You bastard!¡± The spider legs shot towards the target, but it didn¡¯t reach. ¡°A spider cannot scratch their backs.¡± The sword flashed along with the messenger¡¯s sarcastic words. Puak! The mercenary captain¡¯s head was blown off, and small spiders began to come out from where he had been cut to try and rebuild it. However, it was useless since the head had been cut away. The Messenger Clan member, who had cut off the captain¡¯s head with a single swing, leaned forward and trampled on the opponent with a cloak over the wound. Puak! When he stepped on the cloak, blood poured out and soaked it. ¡°Uh¡­ eee.¡± Tarki, who saw this happening, was shocked at how easily the man had killed the captain. ¡°Was this guy the leader? He didn¡¯t lose his sanity despite becoming a spider. He must have been a fairly high-level Kurt clan member.¡± He said this and then turned his head to look at Tarki, who didn¡¯t lose his sanity either. Besides, the employer of the mercenaries was also suspicious. ¡°Ah, w-wait. I am¡­¡± Srng The sword that had killed the mercenary captain was not pointed at Tarki. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a messenger? Then do not kill me, because¡­ l-look at this!¡± He hurriedly pulled a necklace from his pocket and shook the small leather pouch attached to it. ¡°Ah, you cannot see like this. Wait.¡± Tarki pulled something out from inside the pouch. A Gold Coin. ¡°¡­¡± The messenger became silent. ¡°A-as I thought. My mother told me this! You can make a request to the Messenger Clan using the Emperor¡¯s Gold Coin.¡± ¡°Even if you have a gold coin, it doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t make a petition.¡± ¡°Ah, damn it! Fine.¡± Tarki grumbled and tossed the gold coin into the triangle shape on the ground nearby. The gold coin disappeared, and a golden light shone inside the triangle. The messenger sighed and sheathed his sword as he approached. ¡°H-How is that? I am your employer now, right?¡± ¡°The right word is petitioner, not an employer. So what is the content of your petition?¡± ¡°I was infected by that spider. Help me!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The messenger sighed. ¡°Ah, this¡­¡± [The petition has been accepted.] The Emperor¡¯s Voice announced this. Azadine sighed. ¡°Why do I have to accept a petition from this piece of trash?¡± ¡°Trash is a bit too much.¡± Tarki, who heard this, protested but then went silent when Azadine glared at him. ¡°Where did you get the Gold Coin?¡± ¡°My mother gave them to me.¡± ¡°And the mercenaries?¡± ¡°My mother hired¡­.¡± Tarki was an illegitimate child, but his mother came from a wealthy background. When she heard that she would be officially brought into her husband¡¯s family if she found a copy of the magic book, she hired mercenaries for Tarki and gave him some Emperor¡¯s Gold Coins. ¡°Mother did this, mother did that. Is this what a man who plundered a village is saying? You are a child.¡± ¡°What? You bastard, how can you talk to your employer¡­.¡± Srng Azadine¡¯s blade moved past Tarki¡¯s nose. ¡°Euk!?¡± Tarki felt like his body could be cut as quickly as wool. He was like a literal piece of paper. Any more movement and his neck could be next. ¡°It is troublesome if you treat me like some servant just because you paid one coin. The Emperor¡¯s Petition does not give you a slave in exchange for one coin, just protection.¡± ¡°T-then, what will you do?¡± ¡°Before that, are you unable to do magic?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Your step-brother is Kozel, right?¡± ¡°You know Kozel?¡± ¡°Anyway. No matter how low your position is, if you are descended from the Eight Heavenly Kings, you can do magic to some extent, right? Ah, damn it.¡± Azadine turned to see that the girl had followed him. ¡°Mediam.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Thunderbolt. Weak. Please.¡± ¡°Uh, me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Azadine had asked Tarki if he could use magic, but he himself could not. ¡®I have some secret tricks, but even with those¡­ it would be difficult to kill the spiders without harming the person.¡¯ Therefore he had asked Mediam, but she was hesitating. ¡°I mean, as a fellow person from Manita Town, I can help you. However, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little too much to accept a gold coin contract that binds you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Mediam pointed out the part Azadine didn¡¯t want her to say. ¡°R-right?¡± ¡°Can you just not take me in as a servant? If you do that, then I will use Thunderbolt.¡± Mediam was someone who knew how to target a person¡¯s guilt. If he didn¡¯t recognize her as a servant, she wouldn¡¯t use Thunderbolt. With that said, Azadine will have to think of something. Whether or not he acknowledged her as a servant, just so she could use her magic. Could he even refuse this now? ¡°Ergh, you two¡­ What would you even do after becoming my servant? Fine. I accept you.¡± ¡°Ah, t-thank you! I will work hard!¡± She cast her magic excitedly. ¡°Hmmm.¡± Ismail groaned in pain. Every word and action that Mediam gave to Azadine made his heart hurt. He didn¡¯t feel much until now because Mediam hadn¡¯t shown any interest in her peers. Mediam had always been like that. She was never interested in those around her, her eyes locked toward the world beyond. Which was why Ismail longed for her. Arael was called the clan¡¯s genius, but he had never seen her. Mediam was pretty, daring, and skillful. Above all, she had a right to challenge anyone because she was from the Ethar clan. When Ismail was young, he would jump off waterfalls to get her attention. Still, she was indifferent to him. However, she was pushing herself to Azadine now. When he saw that, it felt like he was falling a billion times. ¡°What is with him again?¡± Azadine sighed while he looked at Ismail, who seemed unwell. ¡°Kuaaaal!¡± Tarki, who was hit directly by Mediam¡¯s Thunderbolt, fell down screaming as the dead spiders began to ooze out of his body. As expected, the Thunderbolt could expel the spiders in his body. Even if his body hurt, it was better than dying to these spiders. ¡°Phew. It is quite difficult to control the power to not kill a person. Anyway, mission accomplished. Isn¡¯t it great?¡± Mediam said this to Azadine as she stumbled slightly. He moved in to support her. ¡°Are you fine? Sorry. Seems like I overworked you.¡± ¡°N-no. Some rest, and I will be fine. Daughters of Ethar aren¡¯t so weak.¡± Mediam chuckled and laid down. ¡°Then, since the petition is done, shall we kill him now?¡± Ismail asked this, annoyed at seeing Mediam close and happy with Azadine. ¡°What, you brat? Euk!?¡± Tarki was shocked at these words, but he was suffering from the aftereffects of Thunderbolt and felt no power in his limbs. Even if a child like this tried to kill him, he would have no choice but to die. Besides, seeing that little girl use magic¡­ even if his body was in good condition, he couldn¡¯t fight back. ¡®Isn¡¯t this shocking? I cannot even be compared to them. I wonder if a Heavenly King Slayer could do this much.¡¯ It was the same for the man that killed the mercenary captain¡­ Tarki now realized that he had no way of fighting back. ¡°Ismail, don¡¯t speak nonsense.¡± ¡°His petition was granted. Then can we not take his life now?¡± ¡°No. Once they become our petitioners, we do our best for them, even after we finish it. Killing them right after isn¡¯t the right way to show our sincerity. Besides, the Emperor¡¯s Voice hasn¡¯t spoken yet.¡± Azadine said no to Ismail¡¯s request. ¡°Even though he breaks the Emperor¡¯s Law and hurts people?¡± ¡°If that was the case, he couldn¡¯t have made a petition no matter how many Gold Coins he had. At least this means that he won¡¯t violate the nation¡¯s laws too much in the future.¡± A petition made using a gold coin wasn¡¯t just a magic spell. It was done when the petitioner did it with a sincere need. It was not some magic that would trigger when they threw a gold coin into the triangle. The Emperor¡¯s Voice assessed the wishes and goals of the person before deciding to accept it. If not, the holy knights or a heretic hunter from the King¡¯s Church could make a trap for messengers using the gold coins. If they petition the Messenger Clan, they become people who would side with the clan even if they don¡¯t like it. ¡®That was why I provoked him to make a petition, but I didn¡¯t think he would actually do it.¡¯ Azadine didn¡¯t like Tarki, but seeing his petition succeed in front of his eyes meant there was no reason to ignore the petition. ¡®Well, if I think about it, this is good. Didn¡¯t I already earn two gold coins in one day?¡¯ When the village was attacked, a villager had made a petition there. However, they had died before Azadine arrived, so he was still given the gold coin. Tarki, who he saw later, did it right before him, and the petition was cleared by using Mediam. This way, he had earned two coins. This could be a happy moment. ¡®I do feel bad for the victims who lost their lives after spending a gold coin. But if those who wronged them were punished, they would be happy. It is just that I personally do not like this one.¡¯ Azadine glared at Tarki. ¡°W-wait. Aren¡¯t you saying too much when you plundered some from me?¡± Tarki realized neither Azadine nor Ismail liked him and tried to make excuses. However, this was just a baseless statement. ¡°What? What does that mean?¡± ¡°No, aren¡¯t you just lazy, incompetent, and an idiot?¡± Tarki was revealing his noble actions right in front of them. Those who lived at the border had to clear a barren land while exposed to dangerous monsters. Lords with foresight who wanted to expand their territory through land clearing would inevitably reduce their taxes and station troops to ensure their safety. It was a place where the work was more difficult than in other places. Even though the profit was there, the work was equally hard. That was because someday, when the people gathered, the fields would bloom, and the dangerous animals would be driven out. The place would then become as productive as other cities. However, most lords wouldn¡¯t wait that long. From their point of view, the frontier was just where a lot of lazy people gathered near the border. They didn¡¯t care that cultivating land which wasn¡¯t farmland was a tough endeavor. This wasn¡¯t limited to just Casel, but was a prejudice held by most nobles. This was why Count Casel gave the refugees who abandoned their lands and evacuated due to drought a cold reception. CH 25 ¡°So the people are lazy, but they say they want to go from this place and live on the fertile lands which others worked hard to flourish just because there¡¯s a bit less rain? Would the Lord listen now?¡± Tarki didn¡¯t hide his discrimination, prejudice, or hatred toward farmers. Clearly, he didn¡¯t care about hiding them in the first place. ¡°All poor people are poor for a reason.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Azadine clicked his tongue after hearing those words. ¡°If you lose the battle of succession and end up going to the King¡¯s Church, there must be a reason for that as well, right?¡± ¡°What? Are you going to insult me?¡± ¡°Huh. That would be insulting. Why would he do it?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­ but I¡¯m the one who made a petition using a gold coin.¡± Tarki didn¡¯t care to fight back against Azadine, knowing he wasn¡¯t a match at all. ¡°I envy your attitude towards life, where one could look down on others even when they are an illegitimate child. If I had such an underdeveloped brain, would I have lived every moment happily without care? Why are you even acting like you earned the coin with your own efforts?¡± ¡°No! I am still a noble! My father is Count Casel, the Margrave of Salasma, and my mother is the daughter of Baron Nort and¡­¡± ¡°My job is to kill nobles. Do you still want to brag about your noble blood if you knew why our clan was called the Heavenly King Slayers?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. He¡¯s bragging about being of the nobility in front of a man who killed nobles for a living. ¡°Fortunately, you aren¡¯t fully nobility. If you were a full noble, I would have just burned out the Astra clan members working magic through you.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you make the kid do it for you?¡± ¡°This is why I don¡¯t ignore the poor. Be humble in front of fate. You were lucky enough to be born into a noble family and grow up without suffering from starvation. Thank your circumstances for the situation that allowed you to be lucky enough to stay alive when your head couldn¡¯t even understand why there was a lack of fertile soil.¡± Azadine lashed out at Tarki as he picked up a halberd from the corpse of a nearby soldier and examined it. It had belonged to the guard captain and was well made. Azadine took the weapon and approached the spider mercenary, who was still causing a massacre near the gate. They didn¡¯t attack just because he got close. They were moving close by using cover before climbing a wall to jump down to strike at the monster. Puak! The mercenary¡¯s head was cut off in a single bow. ¡°Looks like it¡¯ll go fine if the neck is cut off.¡± Azadine decapitated the spider mercenary, quickly scattered straw around its corpse, and then threw a torch to set it on fire. The spider mercenaries could not keep their senses with their captain gone and were preoccupied with filling their appetites. Thanks to this, the damage wasn¡¯t as great as they had expected. The monsters weren¡¯t killing any new people but were focusing on satisfying their hunger. However, when the people who were sick of the sight tried to attack them, the monsters would attack back and kill their attackers. This made the rest of the people flee from them. Azadine killed the spider mercenaries one after another while avoiding the eyes of the populace. ¡°¡­ the petition has also been resolved, and the number has been moderately reduced, so it is pointless to kill them anymore.¡± Ismail gave this advice to Azadine while supporting Mediam. He implied they should let the village be plundered by the monsters, no matter the casualties. ¡®This kid is so cold-hearted for his age. Or is it because Mediam is irritating him?¡¯ Azadine answered while keeping Ismail¡¯s advice in mind. ¡°Sorry, but I think this is what the person who was murdered after they petitioned would have wanted. Even if the petitioner is dead, I don¡¯t want to take the gold coins for free.¡± ¡°As if. They probably wanted to live for a long time, like that illegitimate child.¡± ¡°I-Illegitimate child? Did you just say that?¡± Tarki was angry at Ismail, who had called him an illegitimate child. He was very angry at this child who had spoken so carelessly. ¡°Enough. That is enough.¡± Azadine aimed his halberd at Tarki. ¡°Say no more. I admit that these children are rude, but it¡¯s enough to call you an illegitimate child.¡± ¡°What? No, you should at least call me by name.¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t want to waste memory space in my head with unneeded things. Illegitimate child is enough for you.¡± Azadine forced Tarki to shut up as he approached the other spider mercenaries. All of them were busy eating meat, so they were quite spread out. This made it possible to get rid of them one by one. ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s get rid of it.¡± Azadine approached the spider mercenary, who was busy eating a corpse with his back turned to him. After reaching a certain distance, the spider mercenary became aware of Azadine. It was as if it was a beast that became wary of a hunter entering its territory. But even that alertness didn¡¯t matter. -Twilight! Azadine¡¯s body blurred, and he closed the gap with the spider mercenary. With a single blow of the halberd, its head was cut off. Small spiders tried to stem the bleeding by filling its neck, but they couldn¡¯t do anything about the part that had been cut. ¡°Grrrk!¡± Another spider mercenary jumped at Azadine, but a single diagonal swing of the halberd had cut off its spider legs and neck. ¡°It is difficult to deal with at first, but I am continuing to get used to it. But¡­¡± Azadine felt the rattling of the halberd. Cutting off human neck bones, protruding arm bones, and exo-skeletal spider legs put a lot of strain on the weapon¡¯s hilt. The wooden hilt was broken and twisted, so Azadine took off the halberd¡¯s top and picked up another sword. ¡°How long do you need, you bastard?¡± When Azadine asked this, Tarki was taken aback. ¡®A-amazing! This bastard, is this what is meant by the Messenger Clan?¡¯ Tarki was awed by Azadine¡¯s skills. He didn¡¯t like it when he was called a bastard, but he wouldn¡¯t provoke the man. Azadine took the time to catch his breath and looked around. The north became loud. ¡°King¡¯s Church!¡± ¡°The King¡¯s Church has appeared to save the people!¡± ¡°We are finally safe now!¡± Judging by the cheers, it seemed that a rescue team from the nearby King¡¯s Church had come. Originally, the King¡¯s Church was a holy knight order that was made to protect the people from the Kurt Gods, monsters and to uphold the King¡¯s Law. Lords who had their own territory were interested in their own estates. This was why they needed holy knights who didn¡¯t have an estate. Though they started with such a mission, the King¡¯s Church was now completely secularized. This was because the King¡¯s Church comprised three types of members. First, criminals. Those descended from nobility who had violated the royal law could escape punishment by entering the King¡¯s Church. The second were those pushed out during internal power struggles. During disputes between those who were not the inheritors of their families, children were often massacred by assassins. However, if they didn¡¯t want to die, they had no choice but to give up their inheritance and enter the King¡¯s Church. The third type was illegitimate children. Although they could use white magic due to inheriting noble blood, illegitimate children could not participate in an inheritance battle. They were inevitably bound for the King¡¯s Church. And so, many people devoted themselves to the King¡¯s Church. Inevitably the church grew in power and became the seed of discord. A lot of money was necessary to feed the Church¡¯s holy knights. The King¡¯s Church, which had become a powerful armed force, extorted those resources from the King and nobility. They then further strengthened their power by joining the succession wars between the nobles. For this reason, the Rescue Knights, initially regarded as a heresy, received formal approval from the Eight Kingdoms. If fallen nobility and illegitimate children were only sent to the King¡¯s Church, power and military strength would inevitably be concentrated on them. Therefore another type of Holy Knight was needed to keep them in check. For this reason, the King¡¯s Church, which was normally an object of fear, was welcomed in this situation. ¡°The King¡¯s Church?¡± However, they were just an annoyance for Azadine, who was of the Messenger Clan. He had already dealt with a lot of the monsters, but they were only appearing now? ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well, the King¡¯s Church would do well against the Kurt clan. Let¡¯s just leave the rest to them. There is nothing good about meeting them.¡± Azadine gave up on killing the spider mercenaries and called over his Kerim Goat. ¡°Then the petition was granted, petitioner.¡± Azadine turned to Tarki and said, ¡°Ah¡­ uh. T-that.¡± ¡°Do you have any additional requests? Please don¡¯t ask for something stupid like requesting to make you count.¡± ¡°T¡­ then let¡¯s run away from here.¡± Tarki seemed to be frightened of Azadine, so he spoke politely. ¡°When the King¡¯s Church begins their investigation, they will find out I brought these mercenaries here. Then¡­ there! We should at least try to run away to a place where they¡¯re not at.¡± ¡°Alright. In any case, I can¡¯t allow a petitioner who has given me a gold coin to die in the hands of the King¡¯s Church.¡± Azadine allowed Tarki to accompany him. He wouldn¡¯t have listened to a request to make him a count, but he couldn¡¯t allow him to be captured, either. If he was tortured, then he would speak right away. ¡°Then do we escape?¡± Azadine¡¯s party escaped from the post village through the western gate and advanced west. It wasn¡¯t only Azadine but everyone else was also exhausted from the continuous battles and forced marches. ¡°Ah, I just bathed and changed into new clothes.¡± Mediam was sweating and irritated. The fact that she had taken a bath and changed into fresh clothes yesterday now seemed like a lie. That freshness had disappeared just after a day, her new clothes becoming a mess due to sweat and dust. ¡°That¡¯s fine. The sun is rising. We¡¯ve come this far, so you don¡¯t have to worry about the King¡¯s Church. Let¡¯s get some rest.¡± Azadine ordered a break and stopped at the side of the road. Some buildings could be seen nearby, but hounds guarded the entrance. Perhaps once the farmers began to work, it would be possible to rent a stable to rest in? As he thought this, the sun rose slowly from the east, and the world was dyed purple. Azadine leaned against a tree and stared blankly at the sunrise. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Mediam asked. ¡°Watching the sunrise. The sight of the sun driving away the darkness across the sky is so amazing every time I see it.¡± Azadine pondered this as he answered Mediam¡¯s question. He was definitely tired, but his exhaustion wasn¡¯t extreme enough that it would disturb his sleep. ¡®I am in surprisingly good shape despite the situation.¡¯ CH 26 Azadine asked Ismail. ¡°Did you bring any food from Derek?¡± ¡°Ah, you mean that?¡± They had taken the food that had been prepared when Derek invited them for dinner. ¡°Let¡¯s have everyone eat this. When the farmers wake up, let¡¯s go over there and ask if we can get some rest..¡± Azadine kept his gaze on the sky. After eating during the sunrise, Azadine took out a helmet and placed it on instead of the falcon mask. ¡°People from the King¡¯s Church might recognize the mask when they see it. Not to mention there¡¯s a scar over my eyes.¡± Azadine covered his face with the helmet and headed to the nearby farm with his party. When the dogs barked at their approach, the farmers who had been out to work in the morning became startled as they saw Azadine and his company. The farmers froze in fear at just a glimpse of Tarki, who was visibly a knight. With how terrifying knights were, how could they not be scared? ¡°W-what is it?¡± ¡°We are traveling and wish to rent a farm.¡± When Tarki said this, the people could not understand his intentions. When someone wished to rent a farm, it could mean they wanted to camp, plunder, or even just sleep. ¡°We need a place to rest.¡± Azadine explained Tarki¡¯s words in a way that was easier to understand. ¡°Ah, if that is the case, please use our cabin. We need to work the fields anyway.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a couple of shabby bedrooms¡­¡± ¡°Hmm. A shabby bedroom. Well, it is definitely better than a pigsty¡­.¡± When Tarki said this, Azadine stabbed his elbow to his side to silence him. ¡°A barn or shed would be fine.¡± ¡°Why are you like that? The farmers will only use the house if they work their fields all day. Can we just not rest inside?¡± ¡°And what if we end up taking a long rest?¡± ¡°Then how about what the farmers are using the barn for? They raise pigs there. How could we use such a place?¡± Tarki, who had spoken this naturally, seemed to need to be made aware of the problem. ¡°Enough. What can I even do with you?¡± Azadine gave up talking to Tarki and gave a silver coin to the farmer. ¡°T-this?¡± ¡°For troubling you. Please prepare some dinner for us. ¡°Ah, o-of course.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Azadine bowed to them and headed to the barn. Pigs and livestock slept on the ground floor of the barn. A ladder led to the upper floor where the hay was stored. Azadine headed up, spread a blanket over the hay, and covered himself. There were all sorts of vermin in the hay, so he could feel them moving even though his blankets were thick. ¡°Ah, what if my teeth get infected.¡± ¡°Most of them are just slugs.¡± Azadine lay on the bed he had and fell asleep like he was dead. The farms in this area were designated to be under the fiefdom of the knight Sir Jeran. He held the right to collect the taxes from the farms here. He did so twice a year, in the spring and fall, as needed. He would also give the people work by creating part-time jobs when required. In exchange, Sir Jeran was obliged to take charge of the security of the people by hunting monsters. But¡­. ¡°Um, it is huge.¡± The farmers frowned when they discovered that a fence to the farm had been broken. The drought, which started in the eastern lands, was spreading like a plague into the borders of Salasma. The situation had already led to many refugees. However, as the drought continued, animals not native to the territory began invading the farm. ¡°Should I contact Sir Jeran?¡± ¡°The knights say they won¡¯t touch anything unless they can find them immediately. They will only do something if we can catch it in one day. Would they even deign to wander around the mountains and fields looking for animals? If we had to stay in the village for a long time, we might lose some things. The farmers were afraid of knights and nobles. The law of the Kingdoms, established by the Yaegas Clan, forbade any unfair exploitation, abuse, and rape of farmers and their families. However, this safety was only applied to those who lived in the cities. Peasants in the suburbs, borders, and private fiefs were no different than private property. Sir Jeran was at least slightly better than the nobility, but he was still someone the commoners didn¡¯t want to see that much. ¡°Still, if we do something wrong, people will die.¡± The farmer¡¯s son lifted the fence and looked at it. There were huge claw marks on the fence. Considering the spacing, it was clearly a large monster. ¡°Then do you want to go talk to Sir Jeran? You should go try and actually make him understand.¡± ¡°¡­ we can repair the fence.¡± Instead of telling the knight such a story, it would be better if they repaired the fence and hoped the monster didn¡¯t come again. Just as all of the farmers there had begun to reach an agreement. ¡°Hey!¡± The man who pulled a cart to sell vegetables in town in the mornings had returned. ¡°It¡¯s insane! They said some monsters had attacked the post town last night!¡± ¡°What? No way, there was a monster there? Is that true?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Sir Jeran is also dead.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Would I even joke about something like this?¡± ¡°What will happen to us if Sir Jeran is dead?¡± ¡°More than that, the beasts destroyed the town. Shouldn¡¯t we run too?¡± ¡°Ah, speaking of which, the holy knights had come and destroyed all the monsters.¡± ¡°Thank goodness¡­ will the holy knights be coming this way?¡± holy knights were worse than knights. Those who roamed without a land of their own were greedier and had no sense of responsibility. ¡°Well, they were there. I don¡¯t know now. Moreover¡­¡± Suddenly, the farmer who was speaking opened his eyes wide. An arrow had sprouted from his head. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Eik!¡± ¡°ACKKK!¡± The farmers¡¯ screams began to echo through the forest. When the children of nobility entered the King¡¯s Church, they were considered trainee knights. Even those who had originally trained as knights or had received knighthoods would start as trainee knights of the Holy Knight order when they entered the church. At this time, there would be a chain of hierarchy that required no speech. The trainees would then carry out missions alongside bishops, clerics, or other holy knights of the church. Kazrek, a holy knight of the King¡¯s Church, was a senior knight who fostered trainees. Originally, the Holy Knights of the church had an education system with a strong and deep connection where a single trainee attached to a senior knight became a mentor and disciple. The knowledge about swordsmanship, monsters, and a knight¡¯s chivalry was passed down. However, the process had now changed where a senior knight was assigned several trainees to ensure that trainees quickly became a knight. A system that focused on performance. This wasn¡¯t because the number of bastard children made by the nobility had increased, but simply because the King¡¯s Church was notorious for being crowded. Lord Kazrek¡¯s mission now was to subdue a beast alongside five trainees. ¡°Ugh, I hate it so much. So bothersome.¡± Even if they called it a beast, it wasn¡¯t a real beast, but rather they were hunting bears and wolves. A noble who operated a sawmill in the forest had donated money to the King¡¯s Church and requested that he hunt dangerous beasts that appeared in the middle of his estate. The issue wasn¡¯t catching the beast but finding it. No matter how scary this beast was, if humans who smelled like metal were around, they would hide. It was a tedious task that involved walking around the forest with a long spear and bows until the animal was exhausted. ¡°Sir Kazrek, I expected this to be a monster subjugation¡­ how long do we have to keep doing this?¡± Tasik, a trainee, expressed his dissatisfaction on behalf of the party. ¡°Be quiet. If the beasts hear you, they will run.¡± ¡°Excuse me, Sir. Our weapons and gear must already be making enough noise. Even the beast knows this. Actually, we haven¡¯t even seen a rabbit here, right?¡± ¡°Ah, there.¡± At that moment, another trainee knight shot his bow. It pierced a rabbit in the torso as it passed by. ¡°¡­ you said we haven¡¯t seen a rabbit??¡± ¡°Ah- no¡­ Yah, Ben, you¡¯re good at shooting the bow?¡± ¡°I practiced.¡± The trainee called Ben approached and pulled out the arrow from the rabbit. He then tied his hunt to his backpack. ¡°Let us cook this as a snack later.¡± ¡°But you see, Sir Kazrek.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your daughter is very beautiful.¡± ¡°Enough of your antics.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he our superior? Is that even possible?¡± Nobles who entered the church were assigned as holy knights if they had no children. If they had children or were married, they would become a priest. But Sir Kazrek, a holy knight like them, had a daughter of a higher rank than her father. ¡°Why? She was born when I was a holy knight.¡± ¡°Kyaha, amazing.¡± ¡°Huh. Do you want to keep acting out in front of the Head of Education? In front of her father?¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it possible for your daughter to like us?¡± ¡°Right, right. Free love is inevitable.¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense and train properly. Uh?¡± Sir Kazrek looked at the pathetic state of his trainees. Even during his time, holy knights tried to learn powerful holy magic by studying sword techniques, speech, and other knightly training. He had become a knight only after receiving such training. Recently, however, the new Bishop of Salasma changed the policy. They received more knights for training and took donations from the families. Since the knights¡¯ training also cost money, they were made to go around the villages and towns to collect money. They were also made to make money themselves. Actually, this was closer to aiding plunder. ¡®Well, I am in no position to talk about anyone.¡¯ Sir Kazrek was also taking bribes from the trainee knights under him to manipulate their rankings and the results of training missions. He looked back on this mission and thought of ending it by defeating the beast. It was then. -Wohw?! The oddest sound came from above them. ¡°Ah, this..shh!¡± Hearing this, Sir Kazerk cursed. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yah, be quiet. It is a wyvern.¡± ¡°Uh?!¡± ¡°Eik!?¡± The trainee knights fell silent. -Wong? Wong? It was definitely getting louder, and everyone tensed up as they drew their swords. Clench! A branch snapped, and they saw a black-scaled wyvern moving in the trees. It was a small one, but it was still a wyvern. It was well known that young wyverns had stingers with poison on their tails. This poison was as strong as the sting of a thousand wasps. Their teeth were also as sharp as daggers. No matter how strong a man was in combat, they would inevitably die in pain from the poison. It was a powerful beast that no one could look down on. The problem was, if such a young wyvern was roaming around here, a full-grown one was also in the forest¡­ ¡°Yah! Shoot!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± In fear, the knights began to shoot their arrows. CH 27 In an instant, the wyvern ran up the tree to avoid their arrows and disappeared from sight. ¡°It is a wyvern, so why isn¡¯t it flying?¡± ¡°It seems to be pretty smart. Probably only flies at night..¡± Wyverns with black scales were almost invisible when flying at night. They would be immediately spotted if they flew around during the day. ¡°Shh. My back hurts. Even if the farmers saw the wyvern, I would¡¯ve considered their words nonsense ¡­¡± The farmers had reported seeing a dragon around. Still, when the knights checked, they only found crocodiles and lizardmen. But this time, those reports were accurate. ¡°If a young one is wandering here alone, it means there are quite a few adult or near-adult wyverns.¡± Sir Kazrek grumbled and walked toward where the wyvern had disappeared. He soon reached the end of the forest and saw the outskirts of the farm. There seemed to be some farmers lying on the ground. Were they groaning after being hit by the arrows? ¡°¡­¡± The arrows they had shot at the wyvern seemed to have flown over the tree and hit the farmers. ¡°Damn it. Why were the arrows so powerful?¡± When they shot to kill people, there would be cases where the target could dodge even ten arrows. Yet a human would die in one hit when it was a mistake. As Sir Kazrek looked over this scene, the trainee knights came up behind him and saw it as well. ¡°Huk!?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Oh shit!¡± ¡°Eight Kingdoms¡­.¡± The trainee knights who realized their mistake were shocked. Sir Kazrek let out a long sigh and looked around. ¡°Uhhh¡­.¡± ¡°S-save me. We did nothing wrong.¡± One farmer had been killed by the arrow, and two others were wounded. They begged for help when they saw the knights. ¡°W-what do we do, Sir Kazrek?¡± ¡®Is this bastard this stupid? Why is he calling me by name right now?¡¯ Sir Kazrek pointed using his chin at Tasik, who had called him by name and gave him an irritated look. ¡°This is a cult. End their breathing, Tasik.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Why would farmers come into the forest? They are a cult.¡± The trainees felt a shock run through their bodies when he said this. However, Tasik, who had been ordered to kill, understood the situation, and acted accordingly. ¡°Ah! I-I see. I understand.¡± Tasik raised his hunting spear and ended the farmers¡¯ lives. ¡°¡­.¡± The trainee knights gasped in shock. Their conscience was screaming after having killed innocent civilians. Even Sir Kazrek had a bitter smile. ¡°Now, everyone, calm down. We fixed the trouble you people created.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Who shot the arrows?¡± The trainees had shot them. ¡°You shot the arrows and hit them. So you killed them.¡± Sir Kazrek threatened his trainees. ¡°Speak of the disciplinary code of the Knights.¡± ¡°W-we¡­¡± ¡°What happens when you kill an innocent civilian?¡± ¡°D-death by hanging.¡± ¡°And do you want to be hanged?¡± ¡°Ah, no, but¡­.¡± Wasn¡¯t the murder of innocents by accusing them of being members of a cult an equal amount of sin? Besides, if a trainee knight accidentally killed someone, there was a way to repent. This method was to become a penitent knight. A penitent knight underwent penance to atone for their sins. In this position, a knight had to travel around the world without support from the church, defeat any monsters, help the people, sleep in the open, and wander the wilderness until they were pardoned by the bishop. Very few of the penitent knights succeeded in their journey and became reinstated. Most become corrupt and turn to banditry or die on the road. Even so, the bishop was a fine person who would allow a knight a chance to change. However, considering the tendency of the Bishop of Salasma, those from mediocre family backgrounds were inevitably bound to the gallows. ¡®Damn it. I cannot be a penitent knight at this age. It is like ruining my daughter¡¯s future.¡¯ Sir Kazrek already had his detractors as he had committed adultery and had fathered an illegitimate child. If the fact that he had killed civilians here came out, he would be pushed to the edge. If he became a penitent knight, his daughter would go through a tough time. ¡°Then you call these things cult members.¡± At that moment, Tasik, who had been in charge of the final blows, wiped the blood from his spear and asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t there many types of cultists, though? How do we explain that?¡± ¡°They¡¯re the followers of Kurt Gods.¡± Saying that, Sir Kazrek looked around, slightly startled. ¡°¡­.¡± A pair of clogs were hanging from the trunk of a tree. Anyone could see it was just removed because the insides were clean. A pair of footprints on the land led into the water. ¡°Ah, this is really¡­¡± He covered his face with a hand. ¡°Do you guys really want to do something like this?¡± ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Sir Kazrek counted the number of footprints. ¡°This looks like a normal farm, so there should be around two families? The number of people who died here is 3¡­¡± He roughly made some calculations and clicked his tongue. ¡°I hope there aren¡¯t many children in this place.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Go, you people.¡± Sir Kazrek led his hesitant trainee knights toward the farm. He was reluctant to make this choice, but he would do anything for his daughter. Azadine lay down, groaning at his muscle pains. The past week had been a series of forced battles and missions. He had collected three Emperor¡¯s Gold Coins, which was difficult to collect for a normal messenger even after ten years. People who knew of the King¡¯s Church and its workings typically kept the gold coins to make petitions in times of crisis. However, with the change in taboos and the world¡¯s norms shifting, things changed. His body throbbed. The Aragasa¡¯s training, as well as their innate skill and talent, made them into something similar to transcendent beings, but they were also humans. Azadine, in particular, was more human than others. After all, he had to pay more of a price to do something similar to other messengers. But¡­ [A mission is calling.] The Emperor¡¯s Voice spoke. [Only those who respond when justice calls are worthy of being my messenger.] ¡°¡­ have you seen people like that?¡± Most of the Emperor¡¯s Messengers he had seen never enthusiastically responded to the call. Azadine regarded himself as a human who could not resist justice, but the other messengers had even fewer emotions. It was the nature of the contract that disregarded intent. Their blood inherited the contract, so the Emperor¡¯s Voice was never wrong. But now wasn¡¯t the time for the voice to say such a thing. When someone called for help, that meant that someone was suffering. ¡°Damn it. There is no time to rest.¡± Azadine woke up from his sleep and touched his exhausted body. The son of the farmer then ran inside. ¡°S-save me!¡± ¡°What is happening?¡± Azadine jumped down to the ground floor, startling the chickens, and began moving. ¡°Hmmm.¡± ¡°Oh god¡­¡± Mediam, Ismail, and Tarki were still turning around in their blankets. ¡°Father has been murdered! In the woods!¡± The child was in tears. His skin was flushed from running, and he was bathed in sweat. His legs were also trembling, and his shoes were missing. ¡°Murdered, by what?¡± ¡°Arrow!¡± ¡°Arrow?¡± Azadine frowned. ¡°Kyaak!¡± Another scream came from the farm outside. When he walked out, a trainee knight wearing armor and the symbol of the King¡¯s Church on his chest had just killed a woman working in the field with a spear. ¡°This!¡± Azadine immediately rushed forward, picked up a stone from the ground, and threw it. Swish! The stone flew, tearing through the air. The throw was fierce, but the trainee knight pulled out the spear he had used to stab the woman and then blocked the stone. Tung! The stone hit the spear and bounced off. ¡°What is this brat? You want to try?¡± The trainee knight, however, also looked wary. The stone Azadine had thrown had enough force to numb his hand. ¡®Tch. I just woke up and then did this.¡¯ Azadine had been warned by his master to not throw anything with all his strength until he relaxed his shoulder. He had been able to break armor and throw with enough power to kill people with the strength of his wrist alone without using his elbows or shoulders¡­ As expected, Holy Knights from the King¡¯s Church were not easy. But he couldn¡¯t stay still since he saw them killing civilians in front of his eyes. Azadine ran across the ground and jumped at the knight. ¡°You insane bastard!¡± The trainee knight fixed the spear in his hand and moved to kill Azadine with a stab. On the other hand, Azadine was bare-handed. The only weapon he had was the short dagger on his waist. ¡°Huh!¡± The trainee knight¡¯s spear was lightly stabbed at Azadine. When it was evaded, the spear was pulled back quickly and stabbed out in succession, hissing like a snake. It was an unusual skill. Besides, this was a fight between empty hands and a spear. No matter how Azadine was, this range difference made the fight feel hopeless. However, Azadine evaded the spear¡¯s attack like flowing water. He then picked a stone off the ground and launched it from his hand like a catapult. ¡°What!¡± The knight saw Azadine¡¯s stance and turned his head to avoid the stone. At least, he should have¡­ Puak! The stone hit the knight. As the stone thrown by Azadine turned in the air, it penetrated through his body despite the trainee having predicted it not to. -The Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon Kazas style! It wasn¡¯t using magical energy to shift the attack. Still, it was purely a way to break the air by moving through it, making the results similar. However, smooth stones didn¡¯t bend well, so to change the angle of movement, they needed to have mud on them. Azadine had put a lot of wax on his skin on purpose. Before throwing the stone, he had rubbed the wax on his skin again and succeeded. CH 28 ¡°Kuak?!¡± As the trainee knight stumbled, Azadine grabbed the head of the spear. ¡®Got a hit in!¡¯ The trainee knight looked at Azadine, grabbed onto his spear, and, flustered, pulled out the short sword he was wearing. The trainee knight was trying to draw his short sword against Azadine. Just as the two were about to clash, something interrupted them. Swish! Another spear came from the knight¡¯s side and attacked Azadine. Another trainee, who had discovered his colleague in danger, rushed at a frightening speed and stabbed his spear. ¡®As expected, holy knights are formidable..¡¯ Azadine had no choice but to give up the attack and retreat. However, it wasn¡¯t without a result. He had hit a trainee knight with a stone and stole his weapon. ¡°Ah! Tasik! Step back!¡± ¡°Be careful! This guy is no joke!¡± The trainee knight named Tasik stepped back and tried to calm down. Even though he had been wearing a helmet, the stone thrown by Azadine had terrifying power. His eyes were shaking from the shock. ¡°Are you fine? Why did you lose your weapon?¡± ¡°You try it. That one isn¡¯t normal.¡± ¡°What are you saying? Is he a wanderer?¡± The trainee knights, who had been busy massacring people all over the farm, began to flock in one after another. The trainee knights of the King¡¯s Church frowned at the sight. They hadn¡¯t wanted to escalate things and were trying to finish things as quickly as possible. Yet suddenly, this powerful person appeared. ¡°Look, are you making a fuss about this, knowing that we are holy knights of the King¡¯s Church?¡± Sir Kazrek spoke to Azadine. ¡°Those who go around killing the people of Hubris are holy knights?¡± ¡°They are cult members!¡± ¡°You got proof?¡± When Azadine asked this, the trainee knights fell silent. They actually had no intention of taking things this far. They had shot one stray arrow and tried to cover it by killing everyone. However, one of them had run off to warn the rest of the people. That was why they ended up massacring the entire farm. ¡®Thinking about it, this is all so stupid.¡¯ ¡®But it cannot be changed once you step into it.¡¯ ¡®Damn it. I didn¡¯t think it was even my arrow. We just needed to check who had shot the arrows and turn those people into penitent knights.¡¯ As the trainee knights stood in shock, Sir Kazrek stepped forward. ¡°We are holy knights, and I am an expert in identifying cult members. You question our judgment? Are you a member of the cult too? You dare to try and question a holy knight¡¯s decision?¡± ¡°You are forcing it. If you are accused of being a cult member without proof, then you become part of the cult? Are you really using that excuse?¡± ¡°Anyways, it seems like you are someone who doesn¡¯t recognize the authority of the King¡¯s Church.¡± Sir Kazrek drew his sword. ¡°You are a cultist too?¡± Azadine raised his spear to eye level. ¡°No. Just a normal pilgrim.¡± The spear swayed like a blade of grass in Azadine¡¯s hand, leaving afterimages in its wake. ¡°Hmm! You seem to be a little skilled!¡± Sir Kazrek made the decision as he held his sword. A dazzling light shone from the sword and blinded everyone nearby. At the same time, he moved to the side and charged toward Azadine. ¡®Is that a trick?¡¯ Azadine had already experienced this once in the battle against Lord Kozel. It was a simple magic and sword combo attack used by holy knights to blind their opponents before attacking. It was simple and very effective. However, it was completely useless against Azadine. His sight wasn¡¯t a physical one but an abnormal ability. Therefore, the light didn¡¯t even bother him, but Azadine deliberately acted like he was in pain. This man seemed to be the leader of this group, this Sir Kazrek. He also seemed to aim to take him down in one go. However, Sir Kazrek, who was charging in, suddenly backed away. ¡°Damn it.¡± Two arrows flew in as the flash blinded Azadine. Both of them flew toward the weak spot on his armor. One was aimed at the inside of the thigh, and another was at the neck joint. It was an attack that couldn¡¯t be expected unless the person was skilled. Sir Kazrek, however, parried the arrow with the thick part of the armor and moved away. ¡°Are you fine?¡± ¡°All fine?¡± Seeing that Azadine was surrounded by a large number of enemies, Ismail and Mediam joined in by using their arrows. ¡®Shit. Stay still.¡¯ Azadine regretted that Sir Kazrek managed to escape from the trap he had made, but he couldn¡¯t lose his cool now when he was offered help. ¡°Be careful! These people are from the Messenger Clan!¡± Kazrek seemed to have noticed Azadine¡¯s party¡¯s real identity. ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°Why? Only the messengers have kids who shoot such bows with precision!¡± Sir Kazrek declared this when he saw the arrows that had been shot by the two children. The trainees then hissed out. ¡°M-Messenger Clan?¡± ¡°Then we did nothing wrong!¡± ¡°Yes! Since the Messenger Clan is on this farm, they must be cultists!¡± ¡°Imperial Follower!¡± Sir Kazrek ordered the trainee knights. ¡°You bastards! Stop talking shit and surround them!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The trainee knights, relieved by the weight of their conscience, began to move quickly, unlike when they regretted their actions. They split in half, with some helping their captain against Azadine while the others rushed for the children. ¡°This.¡± As Azadine panicked, Sir Kazrek drew his sword. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see the power of the Emperor¡¯s Messenger!¡± He rushed in with his sword, moving as fast as lightning. At the same time, the trainee knights who had surrounded him threw their spears. Azadine broke away and then attempted to escape. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Catch him!¡± The knights began chasing after Azadine. At that moment, he approached the trainee knights who had half-surrounded him and attacked the knight at the end. Azadine¡¯s short spear touched the knight¡¯s spear, making fun of him. ¡°This bastard!¡± The trainee knight lost control and tried to strike down Azadine¡¯s spear. At that moment, Azadine¡¯s spear wrapped itself around the knight¡¯s spear and pushed it into the ground, turning it into a stab. Surprised by the counter-attack, the trainee knight lifted the spear and tried to attack again. But that, too, was also caught by Azadine. He had expected up to three moves ahead. Tak! He slashed the trainee knight¡¯s spear to the side. ¡°Euk!¡± The trainee knight lost his balance and moved a step back to regain it, blocking the path of his comrades. The trainee knights surrounding Azadine could not launch an effective attack as their ally stood in their path. Then Azadine turned around and began to run. Was he running away? ¡°Where are you going!¡± The trainee knights tried to chase him. At that moment, however, Azadine threw a spear. ¡°Uh?¡± Surprisingly, the spear that Azadine threw wasn¡¯t intended for the knights surrounding him. It was thrown over them and flew towards the other trainees who had been aiming for the children. Puak! The spear was thrown cleanly enough that it pierced through a trainee knight¡¯s thigh. The spear¡¯s power was so powerful that it tore through the thigh, the hamstring, and the bone. ¡°Kwaakkk!¡± The trainee knight hit by the spear fell, screaming from the excruciating pain. When the spear that had pierced his leg touched the ground, the wound was opened to the outside, causing him to panic. ¡°You bastard!¡± ¡°What do you take us for!¡± The trainee knights were furious at Azadine, who had ignored them and had thrown his spear at another target instead. Everyone attacked Azadine simultaneously, but he started running again. ¡°Euk?¡± ¡°So fast.¡± Azadine quickly distanced himself from them. His pursuers wore armor and carried spears, making them unable to keep a close range with the lightly-armored Azadine. ¡°This makes no sense!¡± They also couldn¡¯t risk throwing their spears at Azadine. There were no guarantees that it would land. They also hadn¡¯t practiced spear-throwing before, so they weren¡¯t confident. It would be like giving a weapon to someone who could throw it back and leave them empty-handed. ¡°No! Does this make sense?¡± The trainee knights who were approaching Mediam and Ismail were shocked. They were obviously outnumbering their opponents, but it now felt like they were the ones outnumbered. In front of them were children of the Messenger Clan, clearly a young boy and girl, but they were excellent archers. The adult Messenger Clan person behind them had defeated one of their allies and was rushing in, surrounding them from both sides. The comrades who were supposed to help them were struggling to catch the quick-moving messenger. In their confusion, Azadine rushed in. Surprisingly for one of the trainees, Azadine¡¯s target wasn¡¯t him, but his comrade beside him. ¡°Kwaaaak!¡± Azadine pulled the dagger from his waist as he approached the trainee knight whom he had pierced through the leg. He, who did not need to be flashy, immediately charged for a trainee knight in good shape. ¡°D-Do not come!¡± That trainee knight tried to stab Azadine with his spear, but his mind was no longer calm. It was a natural reaction when one didn¡¯t know when an arrow would fly in. Azadine raised his dagger and took the sheath, parting them like a cross on the spear. Using the hilt of the dagger at the top, he received the trainee knight¡¯s spear. The spear was then caught between the handle and the sheath, allowing Azadine to slide and push the spear into the ground. Puak! The trainee knight¡¯s spear pierced the ground. ¡°Damn it!¡± It was too late for him to pull back now. The trainee knight made a quick decision and pulled out his short sword. In the meantime, however, Azadine had reached him. -Tuk! Azadine held his dagger upside down and swung it like a mace, striking the trainee on his head. The helmet became distorted, and the trainee collapsed to the ground. A single blow had knocked out a holy knight. There were apparently a lot of holy knights, but¡­ When they came to their senses, they were all being defeated individually. ¡°Shit. He is very good at fighting. I guess that is inevitable since he is an Emperor¡¯s Messenger.¡± Sir Kazrek realized that he had made a mistake. The opponent was untouched, but their own strengths were exposed. Azadine¡¯s tactics also showed why armored knights shouldn¡¯t use spears. Knights wearing armor and using spears moved too slowly. It would be easy to outrun them by running lightly. Azadine was so mobile that he could defeat them individually. ¡®The reputation of the Heavenly King Slayer wasn¡¯t for nothing. Yet there are more of us¡­¡¯ For the first time, Sir Kazrek thought he might just die there. CH 29 How could the crime of murdering an innocent civilian in a mishap be used as an excuse? Since they were farmers of these Messenger Clan bastards, it was no different from fighting cultists from the King¡¯s Church¡¯s point of view. However, it felt like they would all die fighting this one messenger. But¡­. They all looked at the messenger, who was just looking at them and not attacking. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It looks like you all came here to hunt. Holy Knights with spears and bows. Besides, even if the trainee knights are out of line, I don¡¯t believe an official Holy Knight would stay this silent.¡± ¡°¡­ What is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Why had you come out to hunt and are suddenly massacring farmers?¡± ¡°Because they belonged to a cult.¡± ¡°No, you all didn¡¯t even realize I was a messenger until we fought. It wasn¡¯t until after those kids began to shoot arrows did you realize I was part of the Messenger Clan. In other words¡­¡± Azadine analyzed the situation and clicked his tongue. ¡°You accidentally killed someone and are now trying to silence them.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Was that right?¡± Seeing the holy knight¡¯s reaction, Mediam realized that Azadine was accurate in his deduction. ¡°Perhaps they mistook some people digging for herbs as animals and shot them. After chasing to silence them, they chose to massacre the entire farm.¡± ¡°Shut up, you blaspheming soulless one.¡± Sir Kazrek, who had been figured out, shouted. To be exact, it had been a wayward arrow during a hunt that had killed a farmer who was checking his fence. However, he didn¡¯t want to reveal this to someone from the Messenger Clan. ¡°It would be difficult to kill me and shut my mouth, right?¡± Azadine picked up a spear from a trainee knight who fainted after being hit by his short sword. He then aimed that hunting spear toward Sir Kazrek. ¡°If you men stop harming the farmers here and pay your penance to become penitent knights, I will finish this without killing you. I haven¡¯t killed this one yet.¡± Azadine spun the spear in the air and aimed it at the trainee knight again. ¡°¡­ it isn¡¯t so hard to kill you all, you know.¡± Although two trainee knights had been taken down, the number of opponents was still high. Azadine couldn¡¯t think of fighting on endurance alone. ¡®Is he insane? We won¡¯t be hard to kill? Has he been watching us and saying such things?¡¯ The Holy Knights of the King¡¯s Church held absolute superiority over normal knights due to their skills. This was because most knights could not improve their skills due to a lack of sparring partners. The Holy Knights, however, were renowned for improving all their skills. Did he mean he would fight against such people now? ¡°You are funny. If we back down in fear of one of you¡­ we will be punished for it.¡± ¡°Would you continue to commit such crimes because you fear punishment?¡± ¡°If we capture you, then everything will be solved! Judging from the skills, you must be a high-ranking messenger, right? If I catch you, then everything will be resolved. These villagers are followers of the Emperor, so they deserve to die!¡± Mediam and Ismail, who were listening to this, had to hold back their laughter. Azadine was ranked 108th, meaning he was the lowest-ranked among the messengers. Not to mention, he was also shunned by the clan? Was this man overestimating Azadine¡¯s skills? However, seeing that the holy knights were tough opponents, their own evaluation was proven right. Both children agreed that Azadine¡¯s skills were not inferior. Azadine drew his spear. ¡°Huh!¡± Sir Kazrek simply slashed away the hunting spear and cast a spell on Azadine. This time, the Hammer of Divine Light came falling on his head. Azadine dodged it, but the light exploded and swept the ground away. However, Azadine calmly unhooked the bow from his waist, drew a bowstring over it, and drew a hunting arrow that he had taken from a fallen knight. Trainee knights don¡¯t carry many arrows, so this one just had three. ¡°Can you hit me by firing that from the front?¡± Sir Kazrek charged. ¡°Is that so?¡± Azadine raised the bow to the sky and shot high. Was he preparing to use the two-arrow technique? He was too defenseless for that. ¡°It is dangerous!¡± Mediam shot an arrow at Sir Kazrek to aid Azadine, but the holy knight slashed the arrow away easily. ¡°Ah!¡± Shocked, Mediam shot another arrow, but Azadine got between the arrow and the target this time. ¡°Ah?!¡± Azadine grabbed the flying arrow from the air and turned it around as he put it on his own bow. The paladin, who had raised his sword to cut down Mediam¡¯s arrow, couldn¡¯t react to Azadine¡¯s shot that came from the side. Sir Kazrek fell forward as the arrow pierced his forehead. ¡°Kuak¡­¡± ¡°No way!¡± The rest of the trainee knights were taken aback by Azadine¡¯s techniques. Sir Kazrek had shown great strength to parry the arrows flying at him. But to be subdued in this way when an arrow was shot at close range? It was like the work of a devil. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°W-what is that?¡± Even one from the Messenger Clan, Mediam, was shocked and then asked. ¡°Reshooting an arrow?¡± ¡°Reshooting an arrow? Did you learn that from Kazas?¡± ¡°No, this was something I made. Well, it isn¡¯t so different, so you should be able to do it with enough practice.¡± Azadine calmly explained his technique to Mediam before turning to look at the trainee knights. ¡°So what are you people going to do?¡± As Azadine raised his hand to the sky, the arrow he had shot high fell into his hand. He must have shot for this purpose. It was a trap meant for enemies who carelessly attacked Azadine while his bow was empty. However, before he could use the trap, he snatched Mediam¡¯s arrow and used it to kill Sir Kazrek. ¡°T-that¡­.¡± ¡°If you compensate the families of the farmers you harmed and become penitent knights, I will not kill you.¡± When Azadine said that, the trainee knights looked at each other in shock and at their dead captain. Seeing that even Sir Kazrek had been killed by the messenger¡­ this was no joke. These ones would kill them. ¡®But if we become penitent knights, will we be spared? What if we run away and file a report about the messenger?¡¯ ¡®All I have to do is to avoid this place. Do I need to become a penitent knight?¡¯ The trainee knights fell deep in thought at Azadine¡¯s words. At that moment¡­ ¡°That¡¯s not possible!¡± The sons and daughters of the farmers appeared from behind them. ¡°Those people were our fathers!¡± ¡°They killed my mother and brother-in-law!¡± ¡°They killed us like animals to cover up their mistakes! I don¡¯t even want any compensation!¡± ¡°They need to be killed! We want blood over gold!¡± The farmers demanded angrily for Azadine to kill the trainee knights. ¡°These peasants!¡± The holy knights became angry. ¡°Looks like there is no room for negotiation.¡± Azadine knew that things were going south. ¡®I know these farmers are vengeful, but if they push us to kill the knights, they would have to abandon their livelihoods here and become wanderers.¡¯ Farmer boys in Hubris often dreamt of becoming mercenaries or adventurers. However, living as wanderers who cannot stop moving for the rest of their lives is a harsh reality for these children. And becoming a mercenary or an adventurer wasn¡¯t easy either. Even children of fallen nobility couldn¡¯t get those kinds of jobs. They had no money to become mercenaries, weapons, or training. The only group these children would be accepted into were bandit groups. ¡®The life of a wanderer is hard. Are they prepared for that and want their revenge now?¡¯ However, if the victims demanded it, then Azadine could not say no. The enraged families of the farmers would kill the knights even with stones and axes. ¡°These stupid bastards! How dare you say this¡­.. to church knights! You will all be cursed!¡± The knights tried to attack the farmers, but Azadine¡¯s arrows prevented them. The peasants then attacked the knights and beat them to death. Azadine simply clicked his tongue as he watched this. The farmers decided to collect the bodies of the dead knights. They had wanted to desecrate the bodies due to the violence they had suffered, but Azadine stopped them. ¡°A corpse is a corpse. You cannot hate it so much if you want to live. You don¡¯t have to be tied up to hating the dead more than needed. Don¡¯t the people of Hubris believe in an afterlife? Do not bring bad karma on yourself by doing that.¡± ¡°But shouldn¡¯t the bodies be buried?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it. I will. There is nothing wrong with stopping them from becoming undead. There is also nothing wrong with showing compassion for a place where evil has happened, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Heeding Azadine¡¯s words, the people began to collect the bodies of their families. As they did so, Azadine collected the bodies of the holy knights. ¡°Such a unique person.¡± Mediam also began helping Azadine. Ismail searched the holy knights for their weapons. ¡°It is better to not touch their things. Most of them came from the church. Let¡¯s just bury them together with their things and use them as tombstones.¡± Azadine decided to use the swords and armor that the knights wore as burial items. He then wrapped the corpses in cloth and buried them according to Rescue Knights tradition. ¡®¡­I wonder if it¡¯s wrong to bury knights of the King¡¯s Church this way?¡¯ Mediam thought it might be but said nothing. ¡°Phew.¡± Azadine slumped at a tree stump after finishing the burial. He wanted to train before resting but was no longer in the mood. ¡°Did you intend to forgive them if they became penitent knights?¡± Mediam asked Azadine. ¡°Forgiveness isn¡¯t something I get to do, so what can I say?¡± ¡°Holy Knights of the King¡¯s Church can make false promises, right? After all, they regard us of the Aragasa as soulless beings. They believe that no matter how many promises they break to us, it isn¡¯t a sin, right?¡± The soulless blasphemers, a name for the Messenger Clan, had a meaning after all. CH 30 When a promise was made to someone from the Messenger Clan, it went like this. If someone made a promise with a rock on the road, should they be punished for breaking that promise? A promise made with the Messenger Clan was the same. They were soulless beings, rocks on the road. No, rocks wouldn¡¯t even bother anyone. As followers of the Emperor, they were worse than rocks. Any serious promise made with such scum would be meaningless. They would be excused if they broke a promise or treated them with prejudice as long as the target was the Messenger Clan. In this way, the people of Hubris claimed the Messenger Clan were soulless beings. They refused to give them even the minimum amount of respect and honor. In such a situation, even if Azadine had made them promise, would the trainee knights even keep their promise? Still, he sympathized with the common people of Hubris. ¡°The people of Hubris would be in trouble if we didn¡¯t deal with them properly. These people would be forced to abandon their lands and flee in exchange for acting against the knights. It would be a tiring life for them, so I could not make that decision.¡± ¡°If you say it like that, it seemed like you didn¡¯t want to kill the knights.¡± Azadine nodded at Ismail¡¯s words. ¡°It is painful to know that an opponent who is lacking would die. It would be no different than an unnecessary murder.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± This confidence that he was showing. It wasn¡¯t easy for a messenger to show such confidence against the church¡¯s holy knights. Actually, the knights had slashed away Mediam and Ismail¡¯s arrows and avoided the spear that Azadine had thrown. The trainee knight who had been hit by the spear had been caught by surprise. How did this man have such calmness while dealing with such high-skilled holy knights? ¡°Living as a wanderer is hard. Didn¡¯t we want to deal with it under Hubris¡¯ system as much as possible?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Um, by the way, the funeral is finished. Where did that one go?¡± After a few moments, Tarki returned. ¡°Ah, looks like it is done.¡± ¡°You are back? I thought you¡¯d just run.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s because I can¡¯t fight against holy knights from the King¡¯s Church.¡± ¡°If that is the case, it¡¯d be difficult to keep moving with us.¡± Mediam said this bitterly. Traveling with a messenger was heresy enough to be executed over¡­ from Tarki¡¯s point of view, traveling with Azadine was bad. Tarki couldn¡¯t say much and felt slightly taken aback at Mediam¡¯s words. He had intended to travel with Azadine because he was afraid. Now that the mercenaries protecting him were gone, he would need to travel alone and deal with bandits, monsters, and assassins sent by his half-brothers. Yet Azadine also needed Tarki? ¡®Didn¡¯t his mother give him an Emperor¡¯s gold coin? Besides, she also hired mercenaries for him. I need to investigate this. He has also become a petitioner once he offered the gold coin, so he would not betray us. He avoided fighting the knights since he is a noble; there is nothing we can do.¡¯ Azadine understood the situation and gave Tarki instructions. ¡°For now, let us finish cleaning up and handling everything as much as possible. Go wash, change your clothes, pick up some arrows¡­¡± Azadine made sure to do as much maintenance as he could while the farmers were still collecting bodies. The survivors from the farm were preparing to depart along with their valuables. They had participated in the killing of holy knights and had made a deal with Azadine, one of the Messenger Clan. They could not stay here any longer. ¡°All because of you!¡± A young girl who was leading a sheep yelled at Azadine. ¡°If you didn¡¯t come to our farm! Mom and Dad wouldn¡¯t have died!¡± ¡°Shhh.¡± A young man who appeared to be her brother came and covered her mouth. ¡°Excuse her for this. She is just a child, so¡­¡± The farmer¡¯s son looked at Azadine in fear. He was worried that Azadine would retaliate at the girl¡¯s harsh words. However, Azadine didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°So what will you do now?¡± Mediam asked the farmers in curiosity. ¡°I will go to a relative¡¯s home nearby and take refuge there. I will marry off the children who can marry and ensure they can get jobs¡­ This land¡­ the drought has worsened with time, so even farming has become troublesome.¡± The farmer¡¯s son pointed toward the direction he was going, which was southwest. ¡°Then we must part here. We will leave too.¡± ¡°Yes. May the messenger be blessed by the Emperor.¡± When the boy said this, all the children looked at him in fright. Perhaps it was because he spoke of the Emperor¡¯s blessing. It was scary enough to make the children deathly afraid. [The people are treating me as if I¡¯m some kind of plague. I simply tried to bring civilization to the land and wisdom to the people.] The Emperor¡¯s Voice seemed a bit taken aback. ¡°Those that were in power and didn¡¯t decide on a succession structure would be criticized, no matter how wise they are.¡± [I acknowledge that. Yet even a single generation of peace that I achieved was priceless. Not to mention, a single generation for the Yaegas clan is quite good.] ¡°Sure.¡± From the current location of Azadine¡¯s party, there were two ways to Salasma. One was a path north, and the other was a path west. The path north went along the Gray River, which ran through Korasar. Azadine decided to head west before taking a northerly route along the Gray River. ¡°It is a bit of a detour, but since a lot of refugees move this way, it would be easier to mix with them. We can also determine the drought¡¯s severity by seeing how much the river¡¯s water has decreased. As a messenger, obtaining information is important.¡± Azadine decided on the path and walked along the road. The eastern part of the Backbone of the Desert mountain range was less affected by the drought, but some effects could be felt even here. Even though it was spring, the grass, and trees were dry and twisted along the road. Tarki had begun to flatter Azadine even more now. It was as if he didn¡¯t want Azadine to hold ill thoughts of him for running away during the fight. ¡°How amazing it was! The holy knights of the King¡¯s Church were full of life since they were young, and you managed to kill them all.¡± ¡°Did you even see how we fought?¡± Mediam asked curiously. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t see it with my own eyes¡­.¡± ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t see because you ran away.¡± ¡°Euk.¡± Tarki was taken aback when Mediam lobbed this accusation at him. If it was his original personality, he wouldn¡¯t have stayed silent. Still, he couldn¡¯t recklessly show off his temper to Mediam, who was a member of the Messenger Clan, in his current situation. ¡°Hmm. Be quiet. I am tired.¡± In Azadine¡¯s case, it would be too much to reach the destination while riding on a Kerim Goat that was carrying a large number of weapons and equipment already. So he had simply grabbed the reins and walked. Yet, no matter how strong Azadine was, he was exhausted from the repeated battles. ¡°So many people are passing by, so don¡¯t speak of such nonsense. Saying things like killing holy knights or something¡­¡± Azadine mimed a slitting move across his throat. However, the merchants around them began to speak to Azadine. ¡°The people who are walking there, come have a cup of tea.¡± They were normal street peddlers selling tea. Tea was a popular drink throughout the Eight Kingdoms. In fact, it was considered a daily necessity. Except for a few exceptions where the water was clear, most of the water in the kingdoms was harsh and contained a lot of impurities. People would become sick from drinking it straight. When water was boiled with tea leaves, the water would become purified and drinkable. Therefore the Gods of Yaegas encouraged the drinking of tea. Peddlers often made tea for travelers on the roadside and received payment for it. They would set up a stove on a table that could be carried by a single person and boil water there to brew some tea. Some also sold sweets made of mugwort and sugar. However, the merchant stall that had called Azadine over bore the flag of the Korasar Peddler Guild. ¡°Come on, the path ahead is long, and there isn¡¯t much water. Let us have a cup of tea.¡± Azadine took the tiny wooden chairs from the stall, placed them on the side of the road, and nodded as he sat down. The merchant glanced at Tarki. ¡°This knight?¡± ¡°A petitioner of the gold coins. It is fine. There will be no leakage of information.¡± Azadine vouched for Tarki. A petition made on the gold coin was a form of oath, and those who used it could not betray the messenger of their own will. If not, why would they stay patient with Azadine¡¯s personality? ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± The merchant¡¯s expression, which had been smiling, became stiff. There was a look of relief as he felt no need to maintain a business smile. ¡°So, this person who ignored all procedures to become a messenger three months ago, where are you headed?¡± Those words were laced with sarcasm. Originally, the Messenger Clan changed its ranks only during the biannual summer solstice. At that time, the old or injured who could no longer serve as messengers would retire. The vacancies left by those who died or retired were filled with young and capable people or those who had been recommended as servants of messengers. However, Azadine had ignored such things and became a messenger three months ago as a special case. It had happened because of the active and pushy recommendation made by Kazas, an elder in the clan. However, Azadine was the son of a traitor and was well-known as incompetent within the clan. What threat was worse for crying children than making them marry Azadine? Was that why even a peddler who was nothing but a servant was being sarcastic to Azadine? ¡®This merchant wouldn¡¯t be so disrespectful if he saw Azadine¡¯s skills.¡¯ Mediam thought this, but she had never heard rumors about Azadine¡¯s skills. Bad rumors had spread about him since childhood and continued circulating within the clan, making even servants ignore him. ¡°We are on the way to Salasma. Is something happening?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a mission you cannot refuse. Yet I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve rejected many missions from the district chief, and he hates you? Why are you a messenger if you want to refuse requests?¡± ¡°I only work for the Emperor¡¯s gold coins.¡± ¡°Haha. There won¡¯t be many of those.¡± ¡°¡­¡± CH 31 If it¡¯s gold coins, he had already earned them. Since he had three gold coins, he could have bragged about it and silenced the merchant, but Azadine held back. ¡°Instead, won¡¯t you give me some tea? I think the other travelers would think it strange if you don¡¯t give me tea.¡± ¡°Tea¡­ of course, I should.¡± The peddler grumbled and brewed some tea. ¡°Any sweets?¡± ¡°Yes, this is a sweet made from sugar wormwood. Ah, you can¡¯t even get money from this messenger, but he seems to keep taking valuables.¡± The peddler at the teahouse gave them some sweets, though Azadine felt slightly sorry about it. It was a cookie made by kneading a bitter and sweet herb called sugar wormwood into dough. Azadine gave it out to his party and asked while he continued to sit. ¡°So what is the mission?¡± ¡°The Rescue Knights are doing rescue work ahead of us. We are setting up camps for the refugees and distributing food to them.¡± ¡°You are doing a good job. You don¡¯t mean to kill those Rescue Knights, do you?¡± ¡°Yes. Well, it¡¯s not that. The only problem is that they are forcibly asking for donations from the merchants by saying they will use it to help the poor.¡± ¡°Hmm, well, that is about it.¡± Azadine considered it lightly. It was because he felt it was reasonable for Rescue Knights to forcibly ask for donations from the rich to aid the refugees. ¡®The Rescue Knight¡¯s rescue actions feel a bit like bandits. While it sounds fine on the surface, I hear that they usually take more in the end. It wasn¡¯t unusual for Azadine to be generous with others. Still, it seemed like he was especially generous with the Rescue Knights? Did his arms bend slightly because he believed in the archangels?¡¯ Mediam had some suspicions. The tea merchant, an informant of the Messenger Clan, continued to talk. ¡°So the merchants gathering at the front are turning around outside the road to make a detour. They¡¯ve noticed that a wyvern has been appearing recently.¡± ¡°A wyvern?¡± ¡°Yes. Refugees who fled because of the drought had become thieves nearby and also appeared¡­ The Rescue Knights are also looking for the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth.¡± ¡°And the mission?¡± ¡°I want you to deal with the wyverns and bandits on the detour route¡­ will you do it? Or will you refuse again?¡± ¡°This much I can do.¡± ¡°Ohh, this is surprising? What new wind is this?¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s not assassination, but about helping people.¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± The tea merchant laughed oddly. Azadine was now slyly criticizing the merchant¡¯s request. Of course, the tea merchant, who was only a servant in the Messenger Clan hierarchy, had also secretly chided the messenger Azadine. However, the tea merchant presumed himself to have a higher standard. Instead, the tea merchant was the one feeling insulted because he didn¡¯t acknowledge Azadine, who had been pushed forward to become a messenger. Mediam then asked. ¡°Azadine¡­ I cannot stand this any longer. Can I do it?¡± Azadine nodded at her request. The tea merchant was puzzled at this exchange. Srng! Mediam drew her knife and pointed it at the tea merchant¡¯s neck. ¡°Uh?!¡± Azadine simply continued to sip his tea in this situation. ¡°How dare a servant mess with a messenger? Are you actually messing with me?¡± ¡°N-No¡­¡± ¡°Be polite to the messenger. If not¡­¡± Mediam thrust forward at the merchant¡¯s neck with some force. The merchant had to lie flat on his back with his upper body fully bent to avoid his neck getting pierced. ¡°Stop.¡± Azadine stopped Mediam. ¡°Mediam, you are of the Ethar and are holding a servant position. However, your opponent has a higher social standing than you. Lineage and position are important, but our clan also values traditions. With that in mind, if you aren¡¯t going to kill him, then put the dagger away.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mediam wiped the blood off her knife and swung it around to sheathe it back before kneeling to Azadine. As a proud Ethar, she had deliberately knelt excessively to show her respect for Azadine. Of course, it was also for the tea merchant to see. ¡°¡­¡± The tea merchant was taken aback when he saw how polite Mediam was to Azadine. ¡°Sorry. The tea you served was delicious, but we showed you such a sight.¡± Azadine wasn¡¯t stupid. He knew exactly why Mediam had suddenly drawn her dagger and threatened the tea merchant. He calmly drank his tea and apologized. ¡°N-No.¡± The merchant looked puzzled while touching the wound on his neck. Azadine, the Emperor¡¯s messenger, had apologized on behalf of his rude servant, meaning that the tea merchant had no choice but to accept it. However, feelings were hurt, and the words were true, so the situation felt awkward. There was a person who lost and a person who apologized. In reality, the two were one and the same. After parting ways with the tea merchant, Azadine embarked again on the road. After they crossed a hill, he called Mediam over. ¡°Mediam¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°First of all, thanks.¡± ¡°Huhu, it is nothing. Now that I am a servant. Those who disrespect you will have to fight with me. Besides, the Korasar Peddler Guild belongs to the Savan, right?¡± Savan was one of the five founding families of the Messenger Clan, and they have been at odds with the Ethar for a long time for one reason or another. Mediam had simply taken a chance to show her true self. ¡°Still, thank you, but don¡¯t insult someone who has deep relationships with people from the Savan. As things get bigger, there are even rumors that a former messenger was purged because the Savan family hated them.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s just that, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Mediam said this but still showed signs of fear for the Savan. Was it because she was still young and full of confidence? ¡°But the Messenger Clan seems big and has many members. Was that tea merchant a messenger too?¡± Azadine clicked his tongue when Tarki asked this. ¡°Don¡¯t try to know too much. As you know, we can¡¯t expose too much of the organization from our standpoint.¡± ¡°Still, it seems really capable and powerful. If I had access to it, I¡¯d be well on my way to becoming Count¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°N-Nothing. It was nothing.¡± Tarki, who received a glare from Azadine, fell silent. He was becoming greedy after seeing Azadine¡¯s skills and the power of a messenger. If they actively helped him, he would easily become the Count. It was obvious what he was thinking, so Azadine sighed. ¡°You believed it when someone said you would become the Count¡¯s successor. Are you stupid?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Count Casel is still young. You don¡¯t want to determine an order of succession at a young age. You said your mother is from a family with money and low nobility ranking?¡± Otherwise, there would be no way he could have gotten the Emperor¡¯s Gold Coin and also hired some mercenaries. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Since the Count is the head of the family, everyone knows that the wife comes with property and would need to do what is necessary. Should we use this for a good reason for once? It isn¡¯t like the Count is an old man who will die in a couple of days. When the time comes, even new children born before then will gather and change the situation.¡± ¡°Then we cannot just give up without doing anything, right?¡± ¡°Please just give up. Wouldn¡¯t it be easier on your body and mind to sit back on the Count¡¯s time instead of pretending to be a knight and plundering people?¡± ¡°Being at the Count¡¯s court isn¡¯t comfortable.¡± ¡°Well, if more people like you who have bad personalities roam around, you¡¯d just end up harming normal civilians. If you feel uncomfortable about being in a mansion, just commit suicide and head to the afterlife. The people of Hubris, unlike the Aragasa, believe in the soul and an afterlife after all.¡± ¡°No, why are you being so abusive¡­.¡± ¡°Then be aware of the abuse that you are enduring! The civilians that you looted will end up starving to death. Ahh, there is an inn there. The merchant said something about it.¡± Azadine spotted the inn ahead of them as he was harassing Tarki. At a glance, it seemed to be an inn for those of higher ranks and adventurers to gather. Two people, a man and a woman, approached them. Their skin was of a darker shade. ¡°Brother Tarki!¡± ¡°Is it Tarki?¡± ¡°You two?¡± Tarki, who recognized them, looked at Azadine in shock. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°My half-siblings.¡± ¡°Your competitors.¡± Azadine¡¯s silent question asked if they were the half-siblings who went after Tarki¡¯s mother¡¯s lands after they overused their stipend from the Count. ¡°No, not them. They are members of the Cell Sword Guild.¡± The Cell Sword Guild was known to be a group of mercenaries and adventurers. It was said that at a young age, they had given up competing in an inheritance battle and joined to act like mercenaries or adventurers. He didn¡¯t know if they had a good sense of reality or if they had given up due to lacking support from their mothers. However, unlike Tarki, who acted like a noble, they wore lightweight armor and carried swords, bows, and spears. ¡°Hello, brother. Who are these people?¡± ¡°Ah, these people¡­¡± Azadine stepped forward and spoke. ¡°We are pilgrims. Fortunately, Sir Tarki is escorting us.¡± ¡°Uh? Brother is with pilgrims?¡± ¡°And the mercenaries?¡± ¡°Ah, those people betrayed me.¡± ¡°Betrayed?¡± ¡°We split up because they wouldn¡¯t listen to me.¡± Tarki gave them that excuse. After all, the truth was the mercenaries he had hired had become followers of the Kurt clan and turned an eastern village into a mess¡­ It would be better for him to avoid responsibility after claiming he had no more contact with them. ¡°Are you fine after they betrayed you?¡± Mercenaries often killed their employers when they chose betrayal. Under such conditions, there was little chance Tarki could have survived. ¡°No, those bastards abandoned me because our conditions didn¡¯t align. Honestly, I don¡¯t know if it can be called a betrayal.¡± ¡°I-is that so? Ah, I am Kaka.¡± ¡°I am Chico.¡± The two siblings introduced themselves to Azadine¡¯s group. ¡°I am Azadine, this is Mediam and Ismail.¡± Azadine didn¡¯t use any fake names but gave them their real names. ¡°So, what are you all doing here?¡± ¡°Ah, we are working at the Cell Sword Guild.¡± ¡°The merchants asked us to eliminate a wyvern spotted around here.¡± ¡°Wyvern? You aren¡¯t looking for the book?¡± ¡°We have no idea where that book even is.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be able to hear rumors or something when you travel around?¡± ¡°Are you also going to search for it and aim to be the count?¡± ¡°As if. Our mother isn¡¯t interested in us¡­ and we don¡¯t have the background to fight for that position.¡± ¡°If I find a copy of the book. I will sell it. I wish my brother would buy it from me. Brother Tarki is much better than Kozel.¡± Azadine, who heard this, laughed. CH 32 Perhaps Kozel was indeed trash-like among the Count¡¯s children. However, Tarki wasn¡¯t all that different, considering he plundered innocent people. But these two, Kaka and Chicho, must be saying these nice things because they felt close to Tarki. If they met Kozel, they would probably say the same things to him too. This was an obvious attitude, and, considering their actions, they were trying to not make many enemies within the family. ¡°So, where is brother heading to?¡± ¡°I am heading back to Salasma. I lost the mercenaries, and I have to move around alone¡­ coincidentally, these people were also heading in the same direction, so they are accompanying me.¡± ¡°Well, if you continue this way, the Rescue Knights are camped that way.¡± The two then turned towards Mediam and Ismail. ¡°¡­ such a beauty. A girl this pretty might get picked up by the Rescue Knights. You should try avoiding that.¡± The Rescue Knights recruited orphans from all over the world, and there were rumors that they often kidnapped healthy-looking children. Kaka and Chico must have warned her because she was the kind of pretty child that was quite in demand. ¡°Are you telling me to avoid that path and join the wyvern hunt? We aren¡¯t fighters, just simple pilgrims.¡± Azadine¡¯s group were now disguised as innocent pilgrims, helpless people who had asked Tarki to escort them. Yet with the threat of Mediam being dragged away by the Rescue Knights, they should join a hunt instead? ¡°Well, I am indeed asking you to do that. It just means joining a group that is taking a different route. Now that there are many people, bandits and monsters wouldn¡¯t recklessly attack you.¡± When trying to avoid packs of monsters and bandits, even strangers would group up to increase their numbers. However¡­ it was surprising that they would choose to avoid crossing paths with the Rescue Knights. Suppose the bandits and monsters were possible disasters that may or may not happen. Were the Rescue Knights a confirmed disaster? ¡°Even if it is a wyvern, it would avoid places people travel through. We are going to hunt it, but we¡¯ll do it separately. We will just go on the same path for now.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± However, Azadine, who had faith in the three archangels, asked curiously? ¡°But do we really need to avoid the Rescue Knights? Even by going off the path? No matter what kind of people they are, they wouldn¡¯t possibly force a child who didn¡¯t want to join them, right?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Kaka, Chico, and even Tarki were surprised. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re a sincere believer¡­¡± ¡°Is he stupid? Maybe that is why he is a pilgrim. What is he talking about?¡± ¡°Anyways, the Rescue Knights cadres blocking the path here are dangerous because they are the corrupt ones.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Azadine understood that. ¡°No matter what group there is, when they are working away from their principles, it is hard to reason with them.¡± ¡°Ahaha, r-right¡± Kaka let out a flustered laugh. ¡°Then let us head this way.¡± Azadine¡¯s party requested Kaka and Chico to let them join their group. The siblings then led them to join a party made up of their employers and merchants. ¡°It is good to have a lot of people. Even thieves and beasts won¡¯t attack us recklessly if we have a large party.¡± The merchants readily welcomed their new companions. While staying overnight at an inn, the merchants and adventurers invited Azadine to a drinking party. ¡°Aren¡¯t you pilgrims moving safely, thanks to our adventurers? Let¡¯s sit down and be friends for now.¡± They said they wanted to strengthen their bond, but it was more of them talking about sacrificing their bodies for money. They had hired the adventurers and paid for the security, but Azadine was just along for a free ride. ¡®Even if we are helpless pilgrims like they said, it would be important to fill the number into a large one to avoid thieves and beasts, right? Is it too much to hire mercenaries? The merchants don¡¯t seem that great.¡¯ The mood was already turning sour, so he was worried about how the situation would end up later. Of course, the man spoke without thinking because he was drunk. Still, he must be saying this to Azadine because he was acting meek. Azadine refused to drink. He wore a helmet to hide his wound and would have to show his face if he decided to drink. The scars on his face were memorable, so he didn¡¯t want to reveal them to others. ¡°Since I am a pilgrim, I have to refuse.¡± ¡°Huh. This young friend is being timid again.¡± ¡°It will be hard to be a pilgrim if we falter right from the start.¡± ¡°No, it is because we don¡¯t have a specific time or place for our pilgrimage. I am doing this to gain some enlightenment and gain good karma.¡± ¡°Ahh. He must have done something in his hometown.¡± ¡°Did you touch some noble¡¯s daughter?¡± When everyone saw Azadine, the pilgrim, they most likely saw him as a young man who had caused an accident in his hometown and fled under the pretext of a pilgrimage. ¡°Ehh, stop now. Do not mess with this boring friend. Do not expect anything from him.¡± Fearing that Azadine or Mediam would get angry, Tarki tried to stop them, but the drunk people continued to question Azadine. Azadine took his helmet off. Since he was traveling with them, it would be impossible to keep his helmet on when eating and drinking. Besides, if he had to show his face one day, it would be better to show it from the start instead in the middle. He had placed a blindfold over his eyes. ¡°Uh? What is that?¡± ¡°I have a wound there. The pus keeps coming out.¡± The blindfold looked wet as if something was leaking. It was oil from the Kerim Goats¡¯ hair mixed with wax that was applied together to resemble pus. But of course, the people there didn¡¯t need to know that. ¡°But can you see in front of you?¡± ¡°I can see through this gap. Very little.¡± Azadine lied again. No one was interested in touching a wet blindfold. They didn¡¯t even look at it for that long. ¡°Now, let us all have a drink!¡± The merchants and adventurers offered a drink to Azadine. ¡°Drinking alcohol when the wound is severe makes it worse.¡± ¡°It¡¯s bound to happen anyway, right? Is the pus oozing? So whether you drink or not, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Hehehe.¡± Everyone was drunk and went back to talking. ¡°Will you not drink? I will have to consider this as a party. You were moving with the children and didn¡¯t want them to be taken away by the Rescue Knights, right?¡± ¡°But are they your son and daughter? If not, your siblings? The girl is very pretty.¡± ¡°Siblings.¡± ¡°Is that so? You don¡¯t look alike. Even your hair color doesn¡¯t match.¡± ¡°We are cousins.¡± ¡°And you are on a journey with those children?¡± ¡°Yes, but I have other relatives, so we intend to meet with them.¡± ¡°Hahaha. If it is alright, how about sending her to our family as an adopted daughter?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Sending a child as an adopted daughter could be taken literally. Still, it could also be a vague proposal about raising a pretty child to be their future lover. Therefore there needed to be an understanding when making an adoption proposal to not cause mishaps and speak about how the child would be raised. These merchants don¡¯t seem to have good characters considering how they acted after a few drinks. ¡°You, drink, man!¡± The drunkards kept forcing Azadine to drink too. ¡°S-sorry for refusing so much.¡± Azadine finally accepted the drink. The drunken merchants were talking and joking around. ¡°But I heard there is a pretty nice woman where we are going this time?¡± ¡°Ah, right. There was this nice woman at the sawmill.¡± ¡°No, how can there be a nice woman in such a poor village?¡± ¡°She¡¯s someone from the Messenger Clan.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°What? The Messenger Clan?¡± ¡°To be precise, the head of the sawmill bought her because she is a woman from the Messenger Clan that was sold as a slave.¡± ¡°A woman from the Messenger Clan was sold into slavery? Does that make sense? Those bastards are monsters.¡± ¡°Did you see her?¡± ¡°I thought they were incredible when I was younger. How did such a woman get captured?¡± ¡°Ah, to be exact, she isn¡¯t a member of the Messenger Clan, but her father was. The man used to be part of the Messenger Clan and had gotten a woman pregnant. She then gave birth to the child, but her parents must have caught on.¡± One of the missions of someone of the Messenger Clan was to make an heir or find a spouse from a foreign tribe. The clan was relatively small. The genes would eventually weaken if blood was too intermixed within a clan. If only those within the clan married each other, it would eventually weaken the genes and people. Therefore, the clan had to intermingle with the people of Hubris. However, if they didn¡¯t take these children to a Sanctuary of the Messenger Clan, such problems inevitably occur. ¡°Hehe. Is she really from the Messenger Clan?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it just the daughter of some man who had an affair and then sold her by claiming she was from the Messenger Clan?¡± Even the Emperor and Kings forbade slavery. From their standpoint, the kings and officials knew that there was a decrease in productivity when slaves weren¡¯t acknowledged. It wasn¡¯t an environment where slaves could be acquired through wars; allowing it would simply lead to a rise in cults. There was no need to create more traitors when people were already siding with the Kurt clan and other dark forces. To the people of Hubris, however, the Messenger Clan were sinners. Just a rock on the side of the road. They would just kick it aside and enslave them with no thought. This was what it meant to be called Soulless Beings. Violence inflicted on them didn¡¯t even register as evil karma in the cycle of reincarnation. Against the Messenger Clan, any injustice, violence, or scams were justified. In other words, you could falsely accuse someone of being from the Messenger Clan to enslave them. ¡°Well, she was pretty. And if you give the head of the mill a bottle of alcohol, you can even hug her.¡± ¡°What? Is that true? Any alcohol would do?¡± ¡°Hehe. I want a slave like that too.¡± ¡°You can buy the Messenger Clan child she gives birth to. But it will be a bit pricey.¡± ¡°But, wouldn¡¯t there be almost no blood from the Messenger Clan?¡± ¡°So what? It will be a slave.¡± They all laughed. Clech! Suddenly, a loud noise came, and one of the talking adventurers turned his head. Azadine stood in front of him with a red face, visibly drunk. ¡°Euk! T-this brat!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± CH 33 Everyone stared at Azadine, but he continued to speak. ¡°Hic¡­ hic. Such bad actions.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What? Is he drunk?¡± ¡°Everyone! This is why people are so corrupt!¡± The merchants and adventurers looked at each other. ¡®This bastard, look at him.¡¯ ¡®Who asked this guy to drink?¡¯ Everyone looked at the person in charge as Azadine continued to rant. ¡°The three archangels pledged to grant the power of the white magic to those who stuck to the three virtues and sealed themselves to this land! Yet, as the people shun this, the Rescue Knights¡¯ powers are beginning to wane! Here comes the Age of Jupiter¡¯s dominance when the power of darkness will regain its strength, yet why is this world full of pleasure seekers blind to virtue?!¡± ¡°W-what is he saying?¡± ¡°Brat! We just wanted to earn some money and own some slaves¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It is that! Slaves! Slavery is illegal for the Rescue Knights and the Church! How can you say such cursed words?! Don¡¯t you know that such sin will lead us all into failure?!¡± ¡°Ah, t-that.¡± The merchants were embarrassed at Azadine, who was talking loudly and speaking about the Faith of the Rescue Knights. The Age of Jupiter was an apocalyptic story told by the Rescue Knights. It was a story that beggars and the poor liked to talk about. Of course, it was a story that fanatics of the Rescue Knights would love to speak about, but Azadine was now rambling as a drunk. ¡°The Age of Jupiter is coming! The three virtues! Stay away from pleasure, corruption, and prostitution!¡± ¡°No, didn¡¯t he have too much to drink?¡± ¡°W-we gave him how much we drank.¡± ¡°It is fine! There is nothing about sobriety in the virtues!¡± Azadine said this and tried to drink more, but the merchants stopped him. ¡°Woah!¡± ¡°What kind of power does he have?¡± ¡°H-he is tall! Such big bones!¡± The merchants barely managed to stop Azadine. ¡°Now, now, there is a long way to go tomorrow, so you can go in and rest!¡± ¡°T-that.¡± ¡°Ah- understood! I can walk on my own feet!¡± Azadine pushed back the merchants trying to support him and shambled into a bedroom. Once he entered, he placed his arms together, clasped his palms, and controlled his breathing. ¡°Phew.¡± His face had returned to normal in mere moments, and his expression was calm. He had deliberately pushed his heart rate higher and imitated the actions of a drunk. ¡°As expected, everyone hates fanatics.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they hate you for behaving like a drunk?¡± Mediam, who was on her bed, stuck her head out. ¡°You were watching? Not sleeping?¡± ¡°I am always ready to leave the inn, of course.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be difficult to act as a messenger with such a face?¡± Ismail also spoke to Azadine, as he was unable to sleep. ¡°I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re really talking about children of the Messenger Clan or if they just captured a helpless person and called them as such so they can sell them as slaves to the rich, but it is disgusting, and I want to kill them.¡± Mediam had tossed and turned in her bed with a cold expression when she heard about one from her clan being enslaved. ¡°We need to check on how genuine that is.¡± Even Azadine disliked the merchants and the head of the sawmill for what he had done. That was why he had deliberately pretended to be a fanatic and ruined the atmosphere, but just that much wouldn¡¯t relieve him. ¡°When you confirm it, will you kill them?¡± ¡°In some cases.¡± Azadine gave a slight confirmation. ¡°Because it is a messenger¡¯s mission to set the Emperor¡¯s laws right. Now, do we sleep for tomorrow?¡± Azadine brushed his teeth with tea and salt before lying on his bed. ¡®Who is this daughter of the Messenger Clan that they spoke about? Is she a messenger¡¯s child? I know nothing about her because I haven¡¯t heard of such a case. I will need to go and check.¡¯ Azadine calmed his troubled heart and closed his eyes. The following day, the merchants and adventurers were hungover as they packed their belongings and prepared for their journey. Everyone seemed used to this state as they likely drank a lot. Even though they suffered from a hangover, watching them pack their goods without breaking anything showed they were experienced. ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± This group seemed accustomed to moving on their own. The party left the Imperial Road and walked alongside a forest path. The path was quite nice for a forest path, and there were frequent traces of human travel. There were also tea vendors around that sold tea and sweets. Azadine asked a tea merchant. ¡°Is business going well?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s decent. If we do business on the main road, the officials won¡¯t stay still.¡± ¡°Any beasts or robbers?¡± ¡°Hahaha. There are, but they fly.¡± The tea merchant said this and made tea for the merchants. Azadine walked away quietly and told the children. ¡°The merchants are watching, so do not use your bows. Got it?¡± The children¡¯s use of their bows revealed their identity when they fought the holy knights. It wasn¡¯t normal in Hubris for 13-year-olds to use bows so skillfully. This also wasn¡¯t a place where they could reveal their identity. Azadine had warned them in advance and followed along silently as if he was an unbothered and unimportant pilgrim. Kaka and Chico were surveying ahead to check the road they were on for any possible traps. They also joked around with members of the Cell Sword Guild and shared some rumors with Tarki. Judging from their attitude, they acted like they had no trace of noble blood. Most importantly, they didn¡¯t join in on any talk about the slave woman of messenger descent. ¡®It might just be a coincidence, but that gives them good points for me. At least I prefer those two over Tarki. Since they didn¡¯t take part in the discussion about slaves, they should be careful to not die, right?¡¯ Azadine made that silent evaluation and continued to follow the merchants. As they went deeper into the forest, the light darkened, and the trees looked menacing. ¡°¡­¡± Azadine clicked his tongue at what he saw. There was some black magic entangled in all this. Traces of black magic. ¡°There is a sawmill near the back of this forest. They will tell us of any wyverns around this area if we go there. We will also sell some of our items to reduce our load¡­¡± The merchants explained this for the adventurers¡¯ understanding and protection. Could they go? To Azadine, this looked like a place infested with dangerous black magic. For the merchants, however, this was a normal forest. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t smell too good.¡± Mediam, who was a talented mage, covered her nose. ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t notice anything.¡± Seeing that Tarki was not bothered by the scent, it seemed like this was something ordinary people couldn¡¯t detect. ¡°Stay close to the Kerim Goat.¡± As he said this, Azadine prepared his weapon. He took out two swords he had taken from Kozel¡¯s soldiers and placed one on his wrist and the other on his back. He also picked up four hunting arrows and tucked them into his pants under his robe. While he did this, the merchants shouted. ¡°Ah, we arrived at the mill!¡± ¡°Ehh! Karim! I brought the drink¡­¡± However, the man at the mill¡¯s entrance was growling instead of replying¡­ ¡°Grrrr!¡± ¡°KRRRRRR!¡± Hounds with large claw marks on their backs and disemboweled guts ran from the sawmill in a fit of frenzy. ¡°Avoid that!¡± ¡°Oh god!¡± ¡°Undead!¡± The Cell Sword Guild immediately began to form a circle. Everyone had come to hunt, so they were armed with short spears. A strong defensive wall was soon formed as they created a circle around the group. However, the hounds that rushed at them didn¡¯t seem to care. Despite being undead, they began to circle the troops as if they still had their instincts from when they were alive. ¡°Eik!¡± ¡°B-be careful! Show your weakness and we are done!¡± A hound jumped into a gap it noticed. Suddenly, an enemy began to attack from the back, a weak point they could not cover immediately. ¡°Hm!¡± Surprisingly, it was Tarki who stopped it. He fended off the hound by swinging his sword randomly. The hound backed away from Tarki¡¯s sword and retreated when it felt that it was no longer a weak spot. ¡°Damn it! That is a tough thing!¡± Holding his longsword, Tarki stood at the rear to cover the weak point of the defensive circle. He swung the longsword in the air to block more hounds from approaching. ¡°Pretty good.¡± Azadine praised Tarki and analyzed the situation. The undead hounds had encircled and surrounded the group of adventurers and merchants. At the same time, human undead and zombie-like things were shambling from the village. These were probably residents of the village, as they were coming out with axes, knives, clubs, hunting spears, saws, and chisels. ¡°T-they are too many!¡± The undead hounds circled them, pinning down the adventurers and merchants behind their spears. In the meantime, the rest of the horde was coming closer, making everyone flustered. It wasn¡¯t easy to move with so many things happening. However, if they stayed still, they would become surrounded. ¡°S-shoot!¡± Those behind the spear wall took out their hunting bows and began to shoot. Azadine was watching this and thought that it was odd. Their arrows didn¡¯t fit the bow properly. They were not trained right and were wasting precious arrows. If they had poor shooting skills, they should have aimed for the slow-moving zombies. Azadine, who didn¡¯t like what he saw, picked up a stone from the ground. ¡°Move away for a second!¡± Azadine said this and threw the stone. Swish! A hound was hit on the head by the thrown stone. ¡°Kekeng!¡± The hound, which was undead, struggled on the ground as Azadine¡¯s stone throw was strong enough to shatter its head. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Wow?!¡± Swish! Another stone flew by and accurately hit a hound. ¡°Leave the hounds to me and aim at the zombies!¡± ¡°Ah! Yes!¡± ¡°Ehhh!¡± The others were incapable of hitting the fast-moving hound. Following Azadine¡¯s advice, they aimed at the slow zombies and landed their shots. However, their arrows were weak, so it was unable to stop them. The zombies continued to move even with arrows sticking out of them. Unless someone had a strong shooting technique that could destroy bones and muscles, the situation would devolve where the zombies would need to be hit from close range. CH 34 ¡°Hmm.¡± Azadine dealt with the hounds instantly and monitored how everyone was doing. After defeating the hounds disturbing the circle of protection, it was time to observe the remaining adventures¡¯ skills. Indeed, the adventurers used the power of their spear protection and were easily able to repel the zombies. ¡®As expected, the adventurers are extremely skilled. I brought a short spear along because we had to come hunting, but¡­¡¯ This was the heart of the forest. What if attacks were made from different angles that couldn¡¯t be dealt with a spear wall? What would they do? To be honest, if Tarki or Azadine hadn¡¯t joined to deal with the situation, then certain damage would have occurred. Azadine stood one step behind them and evaluated the adventurers¡¯ skills. The brief battle at the sawmill gates ended. The result was an overwhelming victory without a single injury or scratch. However, they were all extremely terrified and alert, so they had overexerted their physical strength. The undead was a disgusting existence, and just looking at them left ordinary people either frozen in fear or in a panic. ¡°Th-This is different from what you promised!¡± ¡°Ah, let¡¯s go back. This is too unreasonable.¡± The adventurers, hired by the merchants to guard them while they did business in the sawmill, were getting ready to return. Kaka, Chico, and the other Cell Sword Guild members were also panicking. ¡°We were hired to keep the wyvern away.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just leave so thoughtlessly!¡± ¡°Before we even go to the wyvern, there¡¯s undead. It¡¯s a whole different story!¡± ¡°Still, uh, all the undead have probably been dealt with by now.¡± ¡°No, the moment undead came out of this forest, it became a place where we don¡¯t know what else will show up. Now it¡¯s zombies, but later it could be phantoms or ghosts. Then what do we do? Are you confident you can handle it?¡± Everyone seemed to want to withdraw, whether due to the wyvern or whatever else. It was easy to hunt living creatures, but hunting the undead was difficult because even if you injured them, they didn¡¯t bleed. Only severing parts of their body could stop them. More than anything, according to the superstitions of the people of Hubris, only those who were murdered became undead. This made them a more fearsome foe than simple evil creatures. ¡°But, will you be able to go back?¡± Azadine asked them. ¡°Huh? What do you mean¡­¡± ¡°Uh?¡± The adventurers and merchants then noticed that the road back was nowhere to be seen. They had been sure they were walking along a forest road, but, at some point, only lush and dense trees remained behind them. ¡®The trees are at different positions.¡¯ Azadine knew this would happen when he felt a dark power in the forest. ¡®The spell caster is watching us. Seeing that they blocked the road for our return¡­¡¯ Azadine could sense the spell caster¡¯s hatred towards those merchants. ¡®Seems they want to kill them all.¡¯ If they had enslaved and exploited a woman, just because she came from the Messenger Clan, and even more, enslaved her children¡­ They deserved the death penalty. No matter how good a person Azadine was, he didn¡¯t want to save them. However¡­ ¡®Until the investigation advances further, I can¡¯t let them die. For now, I¡¯ll have to keep them alive until the investigation is done.¡¯ Thinking that, Azadine examined the expressions of the merchants. ¡°Uhaah! What happened?¡± ¡°We¡¯re all dead now!¡± ¡°Th-the road disappeared? But surely it was here?¡± The merchants, who were petrified, ordered the adventurers to return and look for the road they came from. The adventurers were displeased at being treated like human shields, but they went and looked anyway, though they soon returned. ¡°Th-the road has disappeared.¡± ¡°There are paths that are not really roads, but they¡¯re too narrow and dangerous.¡± With this many people walking down a narrow path, the line inevitably became longer. If an ambush happened now, they would be massacred. ¡°For now, this place is spacious, so let¡¯s stay in this village.¡± Azadine recommended this, but the merchants and adventurers shook their heads. ¡°N-No!¡± ¡°This is where that woman from the Messenger Clan is.¡± ¡°It-It¡¯s that woman. It¡¯s her, for sure. As expected of the cursed Messenger Clan. I knew it!¡± The merchants didn¡¯t even pretend to listen to Azadine and were terrified. ¡°Let¡¯s leave quickly. This village is ominous.¡± ¡°L-Let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡°But the path back seems too dangerous.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. We have a compass.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ll manage somehow, won¡¯t we?¡± The merchants ignored the adventurers¡¯ opposition and shouted for all of them to head back. Azadine thought that letting all these merchants die would be a cheap price to pay, but he couldn¡¯t let them die until he made things clear. He had no choice but to call Tarki to talk in private. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Hey, make these people calm down.¡± ¡°Huh? Me?¡± ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t do it, can I? You, a noble, must say it for it to sink in.¡± ¡°Ah, I understand. I¡¯ll try my best to do it.¡± Tarki, while hesitating, went forward to the merchants. ¡°Enough enough, you lowlifes. Focus here for a moment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The merchants, drowning in fear and panic, shut their mouths within a second. ¡°I am Tarki, the son of Count Casel. So, compared to the lives of you flies, my life is precious at a different level. A person like me is ready to die to investigate this place, so what is so valuable about the lives of you insignificant creatures that you¡¯re like this, huh? You¡¯ll be the living witness to the scene as we investigate together. Then I will dig up the secrets of this place, finally attaining the honor of becoming a knight. It will become a story for you lowly creatures to boast about to every generation after you.¡± Perhaps due to Tarki¡¯s ¡®motivational¡¯ speech, many of the merchants decided against the plan and returned to look for the road they had come from. The only ones left were the Cell Sword Guild members, who had received their own missions, Kaka, Chico, Azadine¡¯s party, and Tarki. Tarki was puzzled at why the merchants had ignored his plan even after he tried to persuade them. ¡°Why are these people like this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask. How, in that situation, can you speak like that?¡± Azadine, who was morbidly fascinated, was impressed at Tarki who was unrivaled when acting like his true self. When a person crosses a certain line, even their existence becomes fascinating. How could a man be so foul-mouthed? He wanted to examine his brain to find out. ¡°Well, thanks to you, I don¡¯t need to be cautious anymore.¡± Mediam said something terrifying while laughing. Even if their identity was discovered now, they could easily control Kaka and Chico¡¯s mouths. Of course, the other people would need to be killed or have their ability to speak removed. Kaka and Chico, who were unaware of this inside information, sighed. ¡°Oh, Brother Tarki. Why did you say that? Scattering people could be dangerous, won¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you guys go back to the merchants?¡± ¡°Because if there¡¯s a spell that blurs the path we came from, it¡¯d be more dangerous to go back looking for it.¡± Chico, after saying that, carefully took out a charm from his inner pocket. It was a dry lizard amulet made by the shamans of Vatuma. It was an ancient charm that could be eaten when hungry or made into a charm using its ashes. She scratched out some of the ashes and sprinkled them on the ground. The ashes moved without any wind, making waves as if it was an iron powder that was attracted by a magnet. ¡°A powerful black magic is spread over this whole area. Though that is expected considering that there are undead here.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Azadine clicked his tongue and looked around the sawmill. There were large saw wheels installed there to cut up the trees. Around the saw wheels, there were also workshops, accommodations, and warehouses. But¡­ The warehouse door was moving. Someone was pounding at the warehouse door that was latched from the outside, from the inside. Everyone took out their weapons as they nervously approached it. ¡°Is it the undead?¡± ¡°Is there someone out there? I¡¯m a human!¡± From the warehouse, a young woman¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°Is it an undead pretending to be a human?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really a human! I, um, I¡¯m a Holy Knight of the King¡¯s Church!¡± Azadine walked up to the door and unfastened the latch. The door burst open, and a young female knight emerged from inside. Judging from the metal armor she was wearing, she wasn¡¯t a trainee knight but an official knight armed with a shield and a mace. She must¡¯ve constantly been pushing the door. The moment Azadine unfastened the door latch, she tumbled onto the ground. ¡°Ack!¡± The siblings, Kaka and Chico, were in the back and became quite startled by her and dashed away to dodge her. In an unsightly manner, the female knight was splayed on the ground and collapsed. ¡°Ah, those little ones. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m¡­ not okay!¡± Suddenly she stood straight as if hit by lightning, and before the party could stop her, she ran towards the woods. ¡°It¡¯ll be dangerous if you act alone.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s something I have to do alone. Please don¡¯t come here!¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Azadine realized what she had to do and stopped chasing her. She, who disappeared in the woods, returned to Azadine after a few moments, having regained her calm. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, the thing is, because I was trapped in there for so long¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for an explanation.¡± Azadine said this, and the female knight¡¯s face reddened in embarrassment. It seemed that she had been in a hurry to relieve herself. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m late in introducing myself. I am Maya, the captain of the District of Salasma.¡± If she was a captain, an officer under the direct jurisdiction of the Bishop, she would be a high-ranking elite even within the King¡¯s Church. Unlike other Holy Knights, she worked directly under the Bishop in the district¡¯s metropolis. As she received a salary directly from the district, she must be a subject of envy for many Holy Knights. Holy Knights who couldn¡¯t become captains were forced to wander large distances within a certain jurisdiction. They also had to follow and execute missions from their superiors and, without any fief, had to earn their own income to pay for their own food, clothes, maintenance, and even fodder for their horses. Considering such a large difference in treatment, it was obvious that not just anyone would be chosen. Only those with outstanding abilities, remarkable families, extraordinary appearance, ornaments that dazzled the people, or specialized skills, such as taxation, accounting, legislation, or bookkeeping, could become captains. Azadien asked out of curiosity. ¡°Why is such a high-ranking official in this place?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because of a holy mission.¡± ¡°Then why were you locked in the warehouse?¡± While I was investigating the village, evil creatures raided the place. In all the confusion, the villagers locked me in the warehouse, and since all I had was this¡­¡° She showed her mace to him. With a graceful silver engraving on that extremely small mace, it looked more like an ornament of the elite nobles than a weapon. For those without armor, it might be a great weapon, but for those wearing armor, it would barely even bother them. Seeing that she was carrying around something like that, she seemed more suitable for paperwork or trade-related tasks. ¡°Of-of course, I had my weapons too, but those were with my horse¡­ and since there were other Holy Knights in the village, I didn¡¯t think something like this could happen. I could have used divine punishment magic to smash this door, but it¡¯d put me in danger too. Um?¡± Maya suddenly noticed her surroundings as she spoke. Did she finally notice that there were traces of blood and slaughter everywhere in the village? CH 35 ¡°Huh, was it you people who did this?¡± The Holy Knight Captain, Maya, panicked and grabbed her mace. Azadine shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re just a group of merchants, adventurers, and pilgrims.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Is-is that so? Then what happened here?¡± ¡°It seems the villagers were attacked by black magic. When we arrived here, we found that they had been transformed into undead and attacked us.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you talking about the residents of this sawmill? Oh, my goodness. But all of you managed to keep them away?¡± ¡°Ah, it wasn¡¯t just us. There were other merchants and mercenaries, but they didn¡¯t even enter the village and said they were going back.¡± ¡°I see. Had you not come here, I would have been trapped there for who knows how long.¡± ¡°Are you okay? How long were you locked in there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ Though I could endure it because there was food and water inside the warehouse¡­¡± ¡°Could I take a quick look inside?¡± ¡°N-No.¡± Maya quickly resisted Azadine¡¯s request to look inside the warehouse. ¡°But we could probably find a clue about this incident inside, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing like that in there!¡± ¡°Why are you so sure about that?¡± ¡°Uh, th-the thing is¡­¡± Mediam chose that moment to speak. ¡°The Holy Knight probably had to take care of any nature¡¯s call inside the warehouse in a corner somewhere. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s taken care of the big business, but since one would have to go often for the little business¡­¡± ¡°Waaaah!¡± Maya dropped to the ground with a thud. Apparently, she had wanted to keep the fact that she had to relieve her bladder inside the warehouse a secret. That was why she had blocked Azadine and the others from entering the warehouse. ¡°That¡¯s not a big deal. May we please go ahead and investigate the warehouse?¡± ¡°No. Before that, excuse me, but who are you? Investigations like this were originally the specialization of the Holy Knights. Rather than making useless speculations, it¡¯s better for someone trained for this to control the situation.¡± Maya¡¯s words made complete sense. After all, she didn¡¯t want anyone to see any traces of waste that she had left behind. Of course, Azadine, as an Emperor¡¯s messenger, had received investigative training. The Emperor¡¯s messengers did not only receive martial arts training but also had to study and memorize various types of accidents, murders, criminal cases, and so forth as part of their training. However, since his opponent was a Holy Knight of the King¡¯s Church, he couldn¡¯t exactly reveal that he was a messenger, could he? At that moment, Mediam chose to come forward instead of Azadine. ¡°That trained person would still be locked in the warehouse had we not come, so isn¡¯t it okay to leave this incident to us? Rather, we¡¯ll take responsibility for this investigation, so please follow us inside.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At the reminder of her involuntary imprisonment, the captain quickly fell silent. That disgraceful memory would end up being brought up again, so she had no choice but to stay silent. ¡°L-let¡¯s do that.¡± Maya gave up and permitted the party to look inside the warehouse. Azadine looked inside and found that the warehouse had served as a food storage area and also had a large tub of water. She seemed to have managed to survive due to these things being in storage. Judging by the mess she had left, she had probably been trapped inside for about a day. Looking at the door, there were traces of it having been struck by a sword. Nearby was also a broken short sword that had been tossed away negligently. ¡®So this captain had more than just that decorative mace on her.¡¯ She had been armed with a short sword and a shield when she entered this warehouse and became trapped. She seemed to have tried to use her short sword to open the door but had broken it and thrown it away. ¡°Were you trapped here for around a day?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Before that, the villagers were still alive, yes? The moment you were trapped was when the village was raided. Is that correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Maya, who had given that reply, was examining the undead corpses nearby as if she was looking for something. ¡°Ah, by the way, apart from me, did you see any other Holy Knights?¡± ¡°Holy Knights?¡± ¡°Well, I had been sent here to subdue wyverns under orders from the Bishop. Of course, to hunt these evil beasts, we needed hunters.¡± In the Holy Knights Order, there were many trainee knights who had to perform a variety of deeds to gain enough merit to become formally promoted. ¡°At the same time, my Father was in a position where he had to supervise the trainee knights, so I came here together with them.¡± ¡°Father?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. My Father is a Holy Knight of the Church too. From one generation to the next, we are upholding the Law of the King¡¯s Church as father and daughter!¡± She proudly stood with her chest pushed forward. ¡®It¡¯s not something to be proud of at all, though?¡¯ Azadine inwardly laughed at her words. According to the tenets of the King¡¯s Church, a Holy Knight was not allowed to have children. Otherwise, sending those who lost a battle of inheritance to the King¡¯s Church would be meaningless. It would be better to kill them. Otherwise, they could have children, regain secular power, and reinstate themselves. To prevent such situations in the past, these fallen nobles would have been forced to either join the priesthood or be castrated. However, as the rules of the Holy Knight Order became more lenient, the rule of castration was the first to be removed. So as the more immoral Holy Knights indulged in carnal pleasures, they would occasionally have children. However, children born this way would simply be illegitimate children that would be given to the Church. In other words, this female knight, Maya, was born an illegitimate child. ¡®If she was a child born before he joined the priesthood, her father would have become a priest, not a Holy Knight.¡¯ That was why being a father and daughter pair of Holy Knights was not something to brag about. As he had a hunch, Azadine asked about the appearance of her father and his trainee knights. Once he heard their description, he came to a conclusion. ¡®So they were the ones that I killed.¡¯ This forest and sawmill bordered the farm that Azadine¡¯s party had left the day before. The Holy Knights dispatched to hunt the wyverns probably had accidentally killed farmers with arrows while shooting them in the forest. To cover up the incident, they had tried to kill the witnesses, but one had run away, leading them to decide to massacre the whole village and meet their ultimate end when they met Azadine¡¯s party. But a person involved in that incident was still alive. Salasma¡¯s Knight, Captain Maya, was the daughter of Sir Kazrek, who Azadine had killed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but my Father is an extremely outstanding Holy Knight. He¡¯s skilled in martial arts and has a righteous character. He¡¯s not someone who¡¯d struggle at the hands of just some undead.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Azadine laughed. Sir Kazrek had certainly been a strong opponent. Azadine had killed him with an unexpected attack, but he would have been a difficult opponent in an official duel. But was he really an outstanding Holy Knight? ¡®If he was truly an outstanding Holy Knight, he wouldn¡¯t have a daughter.¡¯ He had broken the rules of the church and fathered an illegitimate daughter. How could he be an outstanding Holy Knight? Aside from that, the knight he saw and his trainees were a gang that had recklessly shot their arrows and killed civilians. They were also caught trying to cover up their mistake by committing mass slaughter. She might be favoring him as they shared the same blood, but he was in no way an outstanding Holy Knight. ¡®He may have been an outstanding father, but I should keep my mouth shut about this. I don¡¯t want to get involved with this woman for no reason. I don¡¯t want to end up fighting with her just because I killed her father. That¡¯d just leave a bad aftertaste in my mouth.¡¯ Therefore, he decided to keep his distance from her. ¡°Are your weapons and tools with the horse? I didn¡¯t see a horse that became an undead. If you think it¡¯s safe, you can scout the nearby area with the merchants and the knights to find your horse. You never know. You might even find your colleagues.¡± ¡°Then what about you?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll investigate the warehouse here and the village a bit more.¡± Azadine said that and sent her to survey the surrounding area. Azadine examined the warehouse a bit more but found nothing special. ¡°So what should we do now?¡± Mediam asked. ¡°Should we make this sawmill our base and explore a little more? Or should we retrace the path we came from like the other merchants are doing?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take this sawmill as our base. If the phenomenon occurred here was the spell caster¡¯s act, we¡¯d need food and water supply.¡± ¡°And if not? Usually, matters related to black magic occur because of a grudge held by someone who was murdered and turned into a vengeful spirit.¡± The living needed a lot of training and talent to use black magic. However, those who became vengeful spirits would immediately be able to use black magic. Disasters like these were usually caused by those kinds of spirits. ¡°Then do we have to keep acting like powerless children? It might be very burdensome for you.¡± Mediam said this with the female Holy Knight in her mind. Azadine had forbidden Mediam and Ismail from using their bows. If the children used their bows with evident skill, they¡¯d be immediately identified as members of the Messenger Clan. They had to hide it from the merchants, but it was even more important to hide it in front of a Holy Knight. More than that, however¡­ ¡°If the person who committed this incident here is a human, then that person probably¡­¡± ¡°Right?¡± Mediam could roughly guess who Azadine had in mind as the culprit. Disasters involving black magic were usually caused by a vengeful spirit. If a person went through mortifying experiences throughout their lives and did not get a proper funeral at their death, perhaps due to being murdered, they would typically return as evil spirits. Such evil spirits also brought with them a curse. However, sometimes there were incidents where the black magic used was of such extreme power that they truly became disasters. If this was such an incident, the most likely culprit was the woman who had been enslaved because she was a member of the Messenger Clan. They would have to see if she was murdered and had become an evil spirit. ¡°I don¡¯t know if she died and became a vengeful spirit or if she is alive and learned to practice black magic. The probability of the latter is¡­¡± ¡°The latter is possible to some extent.¡± Azadine said this as he considered past cases of similar incidents. Black magic spells required more talent than formal study. If she had truly inherited the blood of a messenger as well as the magic book of Flower Bird Wind Moon, it would not be strange for her to have suddenly awakened as a black magic user. ¡°Then, considering your personality, wouldn¡¯t you want to try to persuade her?¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± ¡°Because you value nature and its beauty. But if it was me, I¡¯d kill her. Though having sad memories and an agonizing past makes me sympathize with her, you can¡¯t use a broken container out of sympathy. Isn¡¯t using a new container more effective and less expensive?¡± Regardless of how pitiful one¡¯s past was, there was no need to use a broken container out of sympathy. The human spirit, once broken, was hard to recover. Sometimes, people who have strong minds may go through terrible pain and do not lose themselves in them but rather forge themselves to become stronger and sharper. However, those who cannot do so end up being broken and crushed. While you could sympathize with these broken people due to their circumstances, it was not wise to trust them. Mediam, who had spoken her piece, then smiled. ¡°Regardless, if you succeed at persuading her, I¡¯d respect that.¡± CH 36 Mediam, as a member of the Ethar bloodline, a reputable family among the Aragasa, didn¡¯t harbor many good feelings towards the people of Hubris. However, she did agree with Azadine¡¯s words. Protecting the people was a beautiful thing. Even if they regarded the Aragasa as their enemies, safeguarding helpless civilians was the epitome of nobility for those who sacrificed themselves in war. This did not apply to just those warriors that belonged to the nobility¡­ It was simply the correct thing to do for a human being. ¡®Until now, nobody spoke of this to me.¡¯ People who only thought about things from the perspective of the Aragasa would never talk about ethics or respecting nature and its beauty. In reality, Mediam had already begun to respect Azadine to some extent. What if Azadine was capable of presenting his thoughts in a charismatic or magnetic way? Respect for him would only keep increasing. ¡°Please stop, My Lady.¡± Ismail grumbled as he saw this. ¡°There is no need to save and forgive someone like that. They need to be eliminated. We don¡¯t know what will happen if we let someone who caused such chaos with Black Magic live. And what do you mean by respect¡­¡± Ismail was slowly boiling internally to the point of insanity from his jealousy. Respect and Mediam? Mediam was someone who showed no interest in her peers or even those older than her. He couldn¡¯t understand why someone like her was showing such interest in the accursed Azadine. Not only was he eyeless, but he also had the blood of a traitor! Neither could he understand why Azadine found her annoying. Ismail was ready to even sell his soul to get that kind of attention from her! ¡°I don¡¯t care if you two respect me or not. I just plan to do what I can.¡± ¡°So, will you keep hiding our identity? Should we stay still without shooting any arrows? Does that mean we should just handle the luggage like the young children of Hubris?¡± ¡°No, not exactly.¡± Azadine took something out of the storage in the warehouse. ¡°Use this.¡± Azadine pulled out hunting bows used by residents of the village. Compared to the children¡¯s version of the Moon Horn Bow used by the Messenger Clan, this bow had less tension power and was typically used by normal 13-year-old boys and girls. ¡°Umm, this?¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s start making preparations.¡± ¡°What do you mean? What preparations?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m talking about a defensive battle. Going into the forest or, more accurately, a trap is moronic. Let¡¯s lure the enemy here..¡± After saying that, Azadine started preparing to light a fire. ¡°We will need a lot of arrows. We might run out if we just use the arrows that the villagers used as well as what we have on us. In the meantime, how about waxing the bows and making some arrows.¡± ¡°Ugh. I don¡¯t wanna make arrows.¡± Mediam found the task troublesome. ¡°Hmm¡­ Isn¡¯t it about time you wax your Moon Horn Bows? If you don¡¯t care for them consistently, you know the bow will break, right?¡± Though shorter than regular bows, the Messenger Clan bows were quite strong. However, maintaining their condition and caring for them was just, if not more difficult. If they weren¡¯t waxed at least once a week, the bow would dry out and break apart as if they exploded. Azadine, after lighting the fire, sat down and took out his supplies, which included materials needed to make arrows. He had threads and feathers and began to trim the wood he had gathered from the trees in the sawmill. Using a hand axe that was sharp enough to shave with, he split the wood to make arrow shafts and baked those over the fire to dry off any moisture or resin. ¡°Get ready.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ismail, who was also working, combed the fur of their Kerim Goats using an oil comb. This was done to collect sebum, wax ester in the goat¡¯s fur. Azadine then shook the wood to ensure that any griddle, fleas, lice, dust, and other similar things would fall off before greasing the wood using an even coating of wax ester. He would then bake the shafts over the fire to dry them further. This was how they made their arrow shafts. ¡°Next.¡± Azadine handed the arrow shafts over to Mediam. After cutting them into fine pieces, she inserted the feather and tightened it to the shaft using a thread before trying to attach an arrowhead made of animal or fish bones. ¡°Don¡¯t use a normal arrowhead. Finish off with the thread. You¡¯ll need to use that wisely.¡± ¡°But then the arrow¡­¡± ¡°Arrows made using fresh wood dry up and become worthless anyway. For the arrowhead, we¡¯ll use the iron tips. We¡¯ll use everything for this defense. We need to use them all before they dry up anyways, so instead of using the Goblin arrows, this quality will be enough.¡± Iron tips meant iron metal that could also be used as currency. Among the metal currencies used in the Eight Kingdoms, the only iron that could be used for arrows were from the Elm Leaf coins that were made using poured iron. It was rumored that they were made into arrows during wars or emergencies. However, from the perspective of those who used arrows, it was an absurd comment by those who didn¡¯t use bows. Iron used for currency was mixed using metal with many impurities. Arrowheads made by using this kind of iron that simply mimicked the shape would have lower penetrative strength. Though its power was enough to hurt an opponent without armor, the arrowhead was useless against an armored target. On top of that, many Elm Leaf coins became worn out and crooked while in circulation. You would need to select strong and good-quality coins to use for arrowheads. ¡°All the mountain goats have been combed.¡± Ismail had collected just enough wax ester and immediately moved towards Mediam. ¡°Then stick in the arrowheads.¡± Azadine instructed Ismail to insert the arrowheads. The three of them, much like the other members of the renowned archers of the Messenger Clan, were extremely familiar with the arrow-making process. They had created more than enough arrows of satisfactory quality in no time. Azadine, after making all the arrows, continued to grease the Moon Horn Bows using the remaining wax. ¡°Great. Now¡­¡± Azadine fitted the head of a halberd on a piece of wood he had trimmed. It was the halberd that had belonged to the chief of the guards. After applying the remaining wax to the halberd head, he baked it over the fire, evenly infusing the wax into it. In the time that Azadine, Ismail, and Mediam spent polishing up their bows and making their arrows, the rest of their party collected wood, furniture, and other things from the village to strengthen their barricade. It was impossible to cover all the fences around the sawmill, so they simply used the houses, warehouses, and other buildings as a line of defense. They planned to stop any enemies from entering easily by using things to block the windows. ¡°I don¡¯t think that he¡¯s just a simple pilgrim.¡± Kaka, who was following the defense plan that Azadine had set up, expressed his surprise while at the same time dragging and arranging the furniture as he was told. Regardless of the enemy¡¯s point of entry into the village, he piled any object in a heap to utilize their existing boundaries to the fullest. ¡°Exactly what is that man¡¯s identity? By chance, is he someone who committed a great crime in the past and became a pilgrim?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much, either.¡± Tarki had no choice but to reply this way because he couldn¡¯t simply say that Azadine was the Emperor¡¯s messenger. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s originally supposed to take command.¡± Maya, the knight captain of Salasma, was ashamed and embarrassed that she couldn¡¯t conduct herself properly despite being a Holy Knight. At that moment, they detected movement from the forest. -OO wong? It was the cry of a wyvern. From the southern entrance of the sawmill, they spotted the merchants who came shambling through the fog. ¡°Grrr.¡± ¡°Kooo.¡± The merchants and their bodyguards had, at some point, become undead. After leaving the sawmill using the southern path, demons attacked and massacred them. They had now reappeared after being transformed into undead. ¡°Well, that was fast.¡± Azadine clicked his tongue as the merchants were eliminated faster than expected. Disregarding the merchants, the mercenaries and adventurers who had accompanied them were not weak pushovers. ¡°Okay then, everyone, get into battle formation!¡± Azadine handed short spears to Tarki, Kaka, Chico, and the Holy Knight Maya before sending them to the front. He stood inside the warehouse while holding his bow. The undead made from the corpses of the merchants and adventurers funneled into the village entrance towards the barrier they had made. Suddenly, a woman¡¯s voice could be heard from the sky. [Hahaha. You people are pretty amusing, huh?] The wyvern surprisingly spoke using a young woman¡¯s voice. The spell caster responsible for this situation probably used the wyvern to transmit her voice. ¡®If she can control the undead or other creatures, of course, it¡¯d be easier to control a flying creature like a wyvern. Guaranteed visibility and easier movement.¡¯ Azadine had known from the start that the woman¡¯s spirit possessed the wyvern. Since the possessed body was so close, he initiated a conversation. ¡°Are you the person of the Messenger Clan who annihilated this village?¡± The voice was startled by Azadine¡¯s question. [Huh? How do you know that?] ¡°The merchants talked about it.¡± [That¡¯s right. Those bastards enslaved me and trampled over everything that I am. Just for the mere reason that I was descended from the Messenger Clan! They treated me like a piece of soulless rock!] ¡°Are you alive?¡± [Of course, I am!] Though she said this, the words of the most vengeful spirits always claimed they were alive. They could not be taken at face value and could not be trusted. ¡°How did you get your power?¡± [Why do I have to tell you that? If you¡¯re that curious about it, become undead like the other ones here. Then you¡¯ll find out, even if you don¡¯t want to!] ¡°Even if we¡¯re not connected to those who abused you in any way, will you still consider us enemies?¡± [Shut up! If you people are the only ones with a soul, and I¡¯m just a soulless rock on the street, I will crush all of you! You so-called great people of Hubris, I¡¯ll dye your souls in pain!] It seemed that the spell caster, who had been treated like a slave and abused for being of the Messenger Clan, seemed to harbor great resentment and planned to take revenge on the people of Hubris as a whole. As someone from the same Messenger Clan, Azadine felt it was unfair. Seeing the situation escalate like this, Mediam whispered to Azadine. ¡°Won¡¯t we be able to persuade her by letting her know we¡¯re from the Messenger Clan too?¡± ¡°Then what about that Holy Knight?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to kill her. What else?¡± ¡°If we kill the Holy Knight, what about Tarki¡¯s half-siblings?¡± ¡°Well, in their case, too. We don¡¯t have a choice, do we?¡± ¡°Ah, Mediam.¡± Azadine sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t give so little importance to someone¡¯s life even if that person is a Holy Knight of the King¡¯s Church.¡± ¡°Oh my goodness. Are you being serious?¡± Ismail, who was listening in, was shocked. ¡°Then do you have something in mind?¡± ¡°Well, since she said she¡¯d take everything away because she thinks of herself as quite powerful¡­¡± Azadine shrugged and looked. ¡°We need to let her know who is the strong one here.¡± The corpses of the adventurers and merchants approached the warehouse from the sawmill¡¯s entrance. Azadine picked up an arrow and placed it on the bowstring. ¡°Aren¡¯t they too far? We need to shoot when they get closer, so¡­¡± Maya recommended that Azadine should shoot after luring the enemy closer, but Azadine replied. ¡°I¡¯d like to do that, but there¡¯s too many. For us, soon, space will be our barrier. If they take away that space, our barrier will shrink too.¡± In other words, he meant that shooting an arrow from far away was necessary to secure the most space. After saying this, Azadine fired his arrow. -Swoosh! With the roar of the air as it pierced through, the arrow flew true. -Hit! When the arrow made contact with an adventurer¡¯s skull, its jaw was crushed and slammed into its helmet from the inside, blowing it away. The only thing left behind was a dreadful noise. CH 37 The distance was quite far away, yet the power was extraordinary. ¡®It doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s trying to hide the fact that he¡¯s a member of the Messenger Clan.¡¯ ¡®But it seems Azadine uses a stronger Moon Horn Bow than other messengers, doesn¡¯t it?¡¯ Mediam and Ismail clicked their tongues while watching Azadine¡¯s performance. ¡®Messengers, without a doubt, study battle tactics and strategy, along with cases about sorcery. However, most of the time, because they tend to skip it as if barely licking their food, that study isn¡¯t enough with practical experience.¡¯ So, after completing their basic training, young messenger candidates would work under a messenger, completing missions while gaining and learning from practical experience. ¡®But it¡¯s only been three months since Azadine became a messenger. He has no experience in the field. Yet what¡¯s with this adroitness and dexterity in his skills? I heard he couldn¡¯t even keep up with basic training, so how did Elder Kazas train him?¡¯ Mediam was curious about exactly what type of training Azadine had gone through. ¡°Oh?¡± Maya was frightened by the power with which Azadine shot the arrows. Azadine set up another arrow and fired another shot. -Thud! This time too, the undead collapsed with a loud sound. Like a pile of trash that rolled on the ground as it was blown by the wind, those undead hit by the arrows rolled on the soil, sweeping it in the process. [Damn it. What is this?] The spell caster, who was observing the whole thing, was shocked. ¡°You said the strongest would take it all, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯ll show you who¡¯s the strongest.¡± [Stop kidding yourself, you archer! Bragging after shooting just a few arrows! How about this, then?] The undead then started going on a rampage. ¡°Grrr.¡± ¡°Gaaah!¡± The undead began approaching them at terrifying speed. No matter who saw this, they would agree that it was frightening. However, Azadine wasn¡¯t scared in the slightest. ¡°Try all you want!¡± Azadine adapted to the Aragasa sorcery and maximized the power of his arrows as he shot out one after another. -Whoosh! The arrows flew true with the sound of the wind cutting through the air. Every time this happened, an undead rushing in would tumble into the ground. Additionally, the fallen undead hindered those coming behind them and further bogged down the enemy¡¯s line of attack. As a result, by the time any undead reached the defensive formation made up of Maya, Tarki, and the rest, their numbers weren¡¯t much. Even when the undead that had collapsed got up and approached them again, they had less strength, making it more straightforward for those in the formation to handle them. ¡°Ugh, oh oh, God, they look so¡­¡± Tarki stood at the forefront with his longsword. In contrast, Kaka and Chico stood diagonally to support him from the rear with their short spears. As Tarki swung his longsword in large, wild attacks, any gaps left by his swings were covered by Kaka and Chico through the windows. Even so, the Holy Knight, Maya, blocked and got rid of any undead still charging at them after getting through the barrier using a short sword and shield that Azadine had given her from his own stash. Maintaining this systematic formation, they were able to considerably overpower the undead while fighting. Not to mention¡­ -Swing! -Thud! Besides the arrows that Azadine was shooting, another significantly powerful arrow landed on an undead. Mediam could no longer bear using the hunting bow and had taken out her Moon Horn Bow. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°I just have to avoid being caught by that Holy Knight, don¡¯t I?¡± The Holy Knight, it seemed, was barely keeping her senses while engaging in close combat. Of course, she didn¡¯t have a single opportunity to look behind, either. Taking advantage of that, Ismail also secretly switched his bow to his Moon Horn Bow and shot his arrows using that. ¡°Alright. But the moment I tell you, change up your bows.¡± Azadine allowed Mediam and Ismail to use their Moon Horn Bows as he continued to shoot. The undead began to lose strength as soon as Azadine, Medium, and Ismail began shooting their arrows. Those undead who managed to avoid the shower of arrows barely reached Tarki¡¯s group and were typically already injured enough that the slightest hint from a melee weapon would stop them. However, because the corpses continued to pile up, Tarki¡¯s group inevitably had to start withdrawing. [Th-These bastards¡­.] The spell caster was in extreme shock. She hadn¡¯t placed much importance on this group because it had young children. Yet, they were performing much better compared to the merchants and mercenaries. Moreover, their defensive formation was quite tricky. Because they made barricades using light wooden benches, zombies that typically have low mobility would attempt to cross these knee-high boundaries and inevitably trip and fall. In the end, as they played the role of infantry, the undead was inevitably exposed to a shower of arrows. Also, as the wyvern was useful due to its ability to fly, losing it here would be a waste for the spell caster. When compared to chess, it would be as if she lost her queen at the beginning of a match. ¡®I tried to use it sparingly but ended up wasting it. It would¡¯ve been better to use the wyvern from the start.¡¯ Finally, now that she had nothing to spare, the spell caster decided to use all her cards. -Grrrng. A bear appeared to join the fray. It wasn¡¯t undead, but instead, it had a form of black spore that was attached to its body. It proved much more tenacious and quicker in movement than the zombies. Its mobility was no different than a living bear. Actually, it was indeed still a live bear. And¡­ -Oo wong?! The wyverns also began to move. A multi-pronged attack had begun with the bear on land and the wyverns in the skies. ¡°Whoa!¡± When the bears began to rush in, the battle formation collapsed instantly. Tarki, who had held his ground against the human-form zombies, could not help but hesitate as the bears charged in on him. Also, Azadine had handled the zombies without hindrances, but his arrows didn¡¯t work as well against the bears. -bang! Like a javelin, the arrows pierced the bear¡¯s body until only its tail feathers were visible. If this had been a normal bear, the pain and shock would have killed it. However, this bear was completely unaffected and dashed toward them with the arrow still stuck in its body. Despite the muscles that were tearing apart and the wound that was caused by the arrow, the bear seemed to not care about it at all. ¡°Gasp!¡± Tarki tried to dodge the bear that was charging at him by going to the side with his sword and shield, but the bear swung its front paw first. The attack caught the shield, and Tarki was sent flying away like a toy. Like Aladdin falling from his flying carpet, Tarki crashed onto the ground. ¡°Gaaah!¡± ¡°Urgh!¡± Kaka and Chico followed soon after. They tried to block the windows with their best efforts but met the same fate as Tarki. The window was smashed open and swept away as the bear rushed in, dropping bits and pieces of itself on the ground. ¡°Oh!?¡± Maya, the Holy Knight captain, was startled and cast as pell. - Strike of Divine Punishment! A shining hammer appeared before her and hit the bear before exploding. Along with a roar, the bear¡¯s front paws were snapped clean. With Azadine¡¯s arrows stuck in it, its shoulders and torso were ripped apart, causing it to collapse. As a Holy Knight of the King¡¯s Church, and even among those, you could say that the power of her spell was worthy of the title of Captain, but¡­ she was too close to the explosion. ¡°Aaaaah!¡± Maya was swept away by the explosion caused by her own spell. ¡®Is she an idiot?!¡¯ She mentioned that she could have used magic to break the warehouse door down, but she would have been swept alongside it. The reason for that was quite clear now. She could probably use that magic only once. Still, at least it managed to knock out the bear. [Damn it. As expected, it was pretty impressive! But¡­.] After the bear¡¯s charge, what followed was a stampede of undead forest beasts streaming in. [I¡¯ve got plenty of the undead left! Also!] As the bear¡¯s charge had caused a distraction, the wyverns flew down and landed on the warehouse roof. [Hahaha. How about now! You people of Hubris! This is the power of the Messenger Clan that you loathed! How does it feel to face retaliation from the one you ridiculed and despised?] She was smugly bragging about her impending victory. However, just then¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, but you¡¯re completely unaware of the power of our clan.¡± [What?] ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the true power of the clan¡­ it¡¯d be something like this.¡± At that moment, the wyverns erupted into screams and collapsed. The wyverns raised their tails with their poisonous stingers high toward the sky. Then they struck through the warehouse roof, piercing holes and pushing the poisonous stingers inside. Azadine, Mediam, and Ismail were shooting their arrows from both the warehouse¡¯s eaves or from inside the warehouse towards the outside. The wyverns aimed for them by sticking their poisonous stingers in and swinging them wildly. However, Azadine managed to penetrate his shots through the warehouse¡¯s roof and shot his arrows into their stomachs. The bow was, after all, strong enough to launch an arrow through a bear¡¯s body until only its tail feathers were left visible. Considering that it was now fired from such a close range, it was only obvious that the arrow would pierce through the wyvern and tear apart its internal organs. [What is all this¡­] The force and accuracy of the arrows from under the roof ripped through the wyverns without them being even visible. Just like that, Azadine, who had instantly shot the wyverns to death, jumped out of the warehouse. ¡°Look closely.¡± Azadine pulled the arrow in his bow and shot it at the flying wyvern. ¡°Our bows have the power to even drop the stars in the skies¡­¡± The arrow hit its mark, the flying wyvern, and hit the bone, breaking it and piercing through straight to the other side. A young wyvern in its adolescent stage was the size of a giant calf. This wyvern now let out a shriek and fell on its face. ¡°Let¡¯s assemble the arrows!¡± Azadine pulled his two-stringed bow. Two arrows hit the wyvern at the same time and cut off both its wings. ¡°We are the people of Aragasa, who even killed the Heavenly King upon the Emperor¡¯s orders. The Messenger Clan is a name we are called by the people on the outside. If you belong to our clan, it is only right for you to call yourself by the name ¡®Aragasa¡¯.¡± Azadine said this and shrugged his shoulders. [Then that means you are¡­] ¡°My name is Azadine. I¡¯m the 108th of the Emperor¡¯s messengers.¡± [Are you a messenger? The Emperor¡¯s messenger?] ¡°Yes, I am.¡± [Ha¡­hahahaha] The dying wyvern, possessed by the spell caster, burst into laughter. Medium had told Azadine that she would respect him even more if he had been able to persuade this spell caster, who had suffered due to being enslaved for so long just after being a member of the Messenger Clan. However, she had made that bet simply because it would be virtually impossible to persuade the spell caster. Firstly, all those who came into contact with black magic never would return to who they once were. Those who practiced black magic and dabbled in the power over death would always be able to sense the smell of death and become conscious of it at all times. Opposite to other life forms who, in their lifetimes, only had their own lives on their minds, those who have touched the strength of black magic inevitably made their uses fall into melancholy. It kept them on their guard and made them conscious of the line between life and death. Besides that, how would you even control the resentment and deep-seated grudge of someone mistreated as a slave? Regardless of that, Azadine felt there was a little hope. That little ray of hope was none other than ¡®Pride¡¯. A person who had been abused by the people of Hubris for being part of the Messenger Clan had made mention of the power of said clan while exacting her revenge. Even if they hated being discriminated against, they could not help but feel an even stronger connection to their identity because of that. After suffering such discrimination for being of the Messenger Clan, she must have inevitably become more fixated on the clan¡¯s strengths. That was her way of protecting herself. If so, in order to persuade this spell caster, Azadine would need to present the image of a member of the Messenger Clan that was proud of himself. But was it possible? It had been so long since the Messenger Clan lost its pride. Azadine was also someone despised among the members of said clan. This role didn¡¯t suit someone incapable of feeling pride after being scorned by so many. But most importantly, the problem was the spell caster¡¯s heart. How could you persuade a soul that had been twisted after enduring so much pain and suffering? CH 38 ¡®But what will happen if he really persuades her?¡¯ Mediam surprised herself with this thought. After all, she hadn¡¯t even considered the possibility. What if Azadine really managed to persuade the spell caster? What would happen then? [I¡¯ve waited for 10,000 nights.] The spell caster said this. At the same time as her voice, the wyverns under her control were surrounded by dark energy. [Ever since I was a young girl until today, I have waited for so long. For people from my clan to come find me and liberate me from this wretched life¡­] It was the delusion of a girl who had suffered all her life. However, she could endure the constant abuse and humiliation since it had been her one ray of hope. [But you people never came.] When the wish she had prayed for in her heart for 10,000 nights never came true, a sense of betrayal and resentment must have begun to fill her mind. The extremity of those negative feelings was what caused the undead to rise. The wyverns, who had been instantly killed by Azadine¡¯s arrows, rose up again as undead beasts. The bear, which had also collapsed just moments ago, rose up as undead as well. ¡°I am sorry. I am sorry that you had to endure the insults and abuse inflicted on those of our clan all by yourself.¡± Azadine offered her his apologies. It had only been three months since he had become a messenger and taken on those duties. Before that, he had never had such responsibilities on his shoulders. He was, therefore, completely ignorant of what had happened here to this woman. The circumstances were where no one could take responsibility even if they wanted to. Yet, Azadine couldn¡¯t allow himself to make any excuses. Considering the suffering she had gone through, no excuse would have made any sense to her. [¡­] Was it because of Azadine¡¯s apology? The undead that had been raised simply stood in a daze, not attacking anyone around them. [As I thought, I can¡¯t forgive you. I¡¯ve now dabbled in black magic and will rid everything from existence by killing all that is living. Only death will comfort this suffering and pain of mine.] The wyverns and the bear that had transformed into undead began to release unpleasant and tumultuous energy. Were they getting ready to attack? Azadine let out a sigh. ¡°Where were your children sold and sent to?¡± [I didn¡¯t give birth to them because I wanted to! They were children made from the people of Hubris who raped me!] ¡°But those children would have to suffer as well simply because they have the blood of the Aragasa flowing in their veins. Like you, they would live as slaves for ten thousand nights or more. They would have to endure the same humiliation and disgrace. Like you, they will loathe the clan that didn¡¯t come to save them. If you don¡¯t wish your children to suffer the same pain and suffering¡­ surrender to me and tell me about them.¡± [¡­] ¡°I swear I will find and rescue your children in the name of Emperor Yaeslat. If you spent ten thousand nights in pain and suffering, do you not wish something different for your children?¡± Hearing these words from Azadine, the darkness began to shake. [You mean, I-I¡­ my children? I can save my children? Is that possible?] ¡°Yes, it is possible. I told you, didn¡¯t I? We, the Aragasa, can bring down the stars and even kill the Heavenly Kings. The people of Hubris may loathe us, but that¡¯s because even under their contempt, we do not lose sight of our faith.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Mediam and Ismail, who heard Azadine¡¯s words, were rendered speechless. ¡®Look at him. At least don¡¯t lie, won¡¯t you?¡¯ ¡®Faith? Have we ever had such a thing?¡¯ As a member of one of the founding families of the Messenger Clan, even Mediam could say without hesitation that the clan Azadine spoke of simply didn¡¯t exist. A messenger¡¯s duty was only forced upon them because of the curse. The Clan¡¯s founders had merely chased after money and power. Once they recovered the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth, they would lift the curse of duty that had been enforced upon them. Then, with their overwhelming power, they would take over this land. Afterward, they would pay back the agony and suffering that they had gone through under the people of Hubris. In all of that, there was no pride in their actions, only greed. Yet Azadine tried calming down the spell caster by acting like an honorable Emperor¡¯s messenger who had pride in his position. Liar. However, Azadine¡¯s words seemed so sincere that even they wanted to believe him. Honor and pride would transcend even the most painful hurt and loss. If one had that, then perhaps¡­ [I will surrender.] Everyone doubted their ears at that moment. A broken container could never return back to its original state. Someone could make a world¡¯s worth of effort to fill it back up, but it no longer held any value. A broken human was even more so. Moreover, if black magic is involved, that human¡¯s soul gets corrupted and damaged, and it would be impossible to be of any use ever again. But the spell caster, who¡¯d been subjected to hatred and violated her dignity, filling her with resentment, let go of any animosity and surrendered to Azadine. [I put my trust in your pride and honor and request you to rescue the children I gave birth to but couldn¡¯t embrace.] She made this petition to Azadine, the Emperor¡¯s messenger. As she surrendered to Azadine, the undead collapsed, and the fog around the forest cleared away. It was an astounding victory. Of course, the price for it was a grave promise. The promise to rescue her children. This promise made with the name of the Emperor, honor, and pride could never be broken. A woman walked out towards Azadine from the forest and kneeled in front of him politely as she held out both her hands. Looking at her kneeling in full supplication, Azadine approached her. ¡°Rest assured. Your children are a part of our clan, so how could we turn a blind eye to the pain and humiliation of our people?¡± Azadine lowered himself into the same posture in front of her and held her hand with his head bowed. A wound on her hand had something similar to black mycelium growing out of it. It wasn¡¯t just limited to that¡­ they were growing all over her body. It was beyond what a human would be able to tolerate. She should already be dead, though she didn¡¯t seem aware of this. ¡°How many children do you have? Do you remember who or exactly which merchants from what company bought and took them away?¡± [Yes. I don¡¯t remember it all perfectly, but I wrote down some notes and hid them in the warehouse so I wouldn¡¯t forget. It¡¯s just that¡­] ¡°How did you get your power?¡± [I received it from a magic book that kept whispering to me. The book called itself a copy of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth.] ¡°¡­ did you just say the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth?¡± Azadine was puzzled by those words. Was she saying she learned black magic through the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth? That was impossible. Black magic was strictly forbidden, whether it was the Heavenly Kings of Yaegas¡¯ Church or the Rescue Knights. So how could there be a power of black magic from the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth? [I¡¯ll return the Magic Book. Kindly¡­] However, she wasn¡¯t able to finish her words. -¡¯ Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon! Flames of Autumn Fields!¡¯ Suddenly, the forests around the sawmill began to catch fire. ¡ª- [Aaaaah!] Already in a state close to death, the heat of the flames caused the woman to scream and collapse in pain. ¡°This!¡± As soon as Azadine stood up, a clear voice rang through the air. ¡°Ah, hahaha. How idiotic of you, Azadine. That woman is not one of our people. What, is it because you couldn¡¯t use magic that you couldn¡¯t even realize that?¡± A messenger wearing a hawk mask had a bone wand in their hand. It was a bone wand imbued with a searching spell to find the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth. That in itself was surprising, but behind him were members of the Korasar Peddler Guild. Members of one of the founding families, the Savan, stood there armed with weapons in significant numbers. ¡°Ah, it seems that you didn¡¯t recognize me since I didn¡¯t attend the summer festival. I will introduce myself. I am Calypso, the 106th messenger.¡± ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± ¡°As you can already see, I am exorcizing evil and gathering copies of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m pretty sure this is my jurisdiction.¡± ¡°Yes, yet according to rumors I have heard, you are so incompetent that you couldn¡¯t bring about any results. On top of that, you could also not stop your servant from acting recklessly.¡± As he listened to Calypso, he noted a few familiar-looking servants standing behind him. Among them were Azadine¡¯s peers, who Mediam had threatened with a knife. The tea merchant they had before was also in attendance. The common factor around them was that they all belonged to the Korasa Peddler Guild and had been humiliated by Mediam after she threatened them with her knife. Those who despised Azadine and had been embarrassed by Mediam had come to find them alongside Calypso. ¡°Um.¡± Azadine looked at the spell caster at his feet. The culprit behind this Black Magic Chaos was already dead and had returned to her original appearance. ¡°That woman¡¯s body doesn¡¯t contain the magic book of Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon. I have already searched for it, and she is not Aragasa. You can thank me for that. I mean, there is no need to sort out the mess between the people of Hubris for no reason, is there? How dare you use the Emperor¡¯s name for the people of Hubris. Hoo, hoo.¡± Between Azadine and Calypso appeared a pure white piece of paper. It had come out from the dead spell caster, to be exact. A copy of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth had appeared. ¡°Ah¡­ so it came out. As expected.¡± Calypso placed the bone wand into his inner pocket and stretched his hand toward the page, but¡­ As if choosing its own owner, the copy of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth floated towards Azadine. ¡°¡­¡± Calypso¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°I guess it recognizes its true owner after all. It is magical indeed. Well, that¡¯s expected of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth!¡± Mediam teased as she placed an arrow on her bow. -¡¯ Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon! Rain of May!¡¯ The arrow she shot landed in the middle of the fire in the forest, and within a moment, a rain shower descended, extinguishing the fire on one side in one go. However, because it consumed a large amount of magical power, Mediam broke into a cold sweat. ¡°¡­ugh.¡± Regardless, she didn¡¯t want to lose, so she didn¡¯t collapse and pretended to be fine while turning around. ¡°You people too, if you¡¯re really Aragasa, stop burning the Emperor¡¯s land for no reason and extinguish the fire! Aren¡¯t you the least ashamed of setting fire to a forest when there¡¯s a drought?¡± ¡°Shut it, daughter of the Ethar. Who do you think you¡¯re preaching to, you little rascal?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a messenger, and you¡¯re a servant. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re an Ethar or whatever. How dare a lowly servant tell a messenger what to do, huh?¡± The servants who had accompanied him were happy at Calpyso¡¯s words. How angry must they have been at being humiliated by Mediam to bring a messenger, Calypso, with them? Mediam had used her position as a servant of the messenger Azadine to suppress those servants. Now it seemed that the opposing side was planning to do the same using Calypso. However, Azadine came forward. ¡°I¡¯ll train my servant according to my own judgment, Calypso. I¡¯m pretty sure you were¡­ one grade lower than me, right?¡± Calypso was a year younger than Azadine. ¡®So it¡¯s a fight between old men.¡¯ Ismail found this absurd situation hilarious. When Calypso had used his position as messenger to dictate a servant, Azadine had replied by using their respective ages. ¡°While that is true, I rank higher than you.¡± ¡°The problem here isn¡¯t a ranking among messengers. More importantly, if you actually conducted an investigation, you must know where this woman¡¯s children were sold to, right?¡± ¡°¡­What? You¡¯re really going to do that? That woman is a person of Hubris. She¡¯s not Aragasa.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve received a copy of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth. One could say it¡¯s a treasure of equal or even higher value than the Emperor¡¯s Coins. Ignoring and gobbling it up by ignoring the wishes of the person I received it from after they made a request is¡­¡± Azadine clicked his tongue. ¡°My pride wouldn¡¯t allow it.¡± ¡°How amusing. The clan¡¯s biggest incompetent actually has pride, huh?¡± Calypso stared at Azadine. ¡°I can tell you if you hand over the copy of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth.¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°Then how about betting it over a duel?¡± ¡°A duel? Between messengers?¡± ¡°Yeah. You bet that copy of Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth along with that daughter of Ethar. I¡¯ll bet the information you want about the current whereabouts of that woman¡¯s children and my rank. If you win against me, you¡¯ll be the 106th messenger.¡± ¡°And if you win? What¡¯s the point of betting on the daughter of Ethar?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll obtain a copy of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth and take that rude servant of yours as my servant. I will teach her a lesson to respect those above her and to respect the clan¡¯s businesses as well.¡± As those words left Calypso¡¯s mouth, the servants standing behind him smiled wickedly. CH 39 It seemed that Calpyso was looking forward to tormenting Mediam as a servant for a long time. ¡°How to respect those superior to you, you say¡­ but you see, looking at our class, you¡¯re my junior, so shouldn¡¯t we start with you regarding and respecting me as your superior? You burst into the area under my jurisdiction, and as soon as you do, you obstruct my work.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an obstruction. I¡¯m just giving you a hand. I told you that the woman¡¯s not one of our people.¡± ¡°No, she is one of us.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She endured ten thousand nights in the name of the Aragasa. If we abandoned this person after she persevered alone through the harassment directed at our clan, simply because she¡¯s not part of our bloodline, that would be a blemish on the Aragasa¡¯s honor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Mediam felt admiration for Azadine¡¯s words. ¡®It¡¯s hard to put it into words¡­ but it is clear.¡¯ As an Aragasa, Mediam held little fondness for the people of Hubris. Yet, when their knights looted and tormented the civilians and left them behind when danger came, Azadine had said that protecting the people of Hubris was a beautiful thing to do. At the time, she thought it was just a pithy statement. After all, she was of the Ethar family. As an aristocrat within the Messenger Clan, she simply regarded other aristocrats who could not fulfill their duties as pathetic. However, seeing Azadine try so hard to protect an oath he didn¡¯t have to fulfill at this moment¡­ His beautiful philosophy was something that Mediam could feel. ¡®I would not walk away from her after she had persevered through the humiliation befitting an Aragasa, even if our blood doesn¡¯t flow in her veins.¡¯ The honor and pride within him were not just a lie he used to calm down a vengeful spirit. Mediam could feel the nobility of his philosophy at this sincere show of pride and honor. Yet, this was a time when such beautiful philosophies were ridiculed. Calypso and the servants who followed him merely snorted in derision. ¡°So, a punk like you will decide about the Honor of the Aragasa? The biggest incompetent in the clan, huh?¡± Azadine shook his head, ¡°Regardless of what you guys say, I¡¯m not fighting that duel. Get lost. I¡¯m busy.¡± After saying that, Azadine turned towards Mediam and Ismail. ¡°This woman said she left a journal, right? Let¡¯s find that. If we find that, there¡¯s nothing those people can offer us.¡± ¡°Wait! This bastard! Are you underestimating me? The Korasar Peddler Guild¡¯s information network is way better than a slave woman¡¯s writings! You¡¯ll never find them without the information I have. Duel me!¡± ¡°The copy of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth already chose me. I won¡¯t bet it no matter what you say.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Azadine could clearly see what Calpyso¡¯s true desire was. They only wished for this duel to gain the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth. ¡°Okay then, Azadine. You win. Fight a duel with me with just the Heavenly King¡¯s Book on the line! If I win, you give it up, and if I win¡­ I¡¯ll liberate the children of that woman who¡¯s not even a part of our clan and, if possible, take them to the sanctuary. How about that? A pretty attractive deal, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Ho~?¡± Azadine was surprised at this offer. ¡°That¡¯s definitely enticing.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Is that so? Then will you duel me with the Heavenly King¡¯s Book on the line?¡± ¡°Hm, okay. Then just this time¡­ I¡¯ll bet on the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth. However, you would not only rescue this woman¡¯s children that were sold as slaves, but you also need to become their guardian and raise them as impressive Aragasas, okay?¡± ¡°Oh? Okay. That¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Calypso was visibly elated as Azadine accepted the duel offer. He could now legitimately claim the copy of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth away from Azadine. This pleased him as he considered Azadine a joke. ¡®Even if he was trained by the mysterious Elder Kazas, wasn¡¯t he still rumored to be the clan¡¯s biggest incompetent? I thought coming this far was all in vain, but it turned out to be quite profitable. To think that my opponent is an idiot like him.¡¯ Calypso couldn¡¯t even comprehend the thought of losing. Was it not understandable from his point of view? His opponent was Azadine, the clan¡¯s incompetent fool. Losing to such an opponent was unimaginable. ¡°How do you want to do it? Should we officially start after taking 100 steps?¡± ¡°No, how troublesome. Let¡¯s do it right now. After all, only the copy of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book and this matter are at stake, right? Our ranks aren¡¯t even on the line, so let¡¯s keep it simple.¡± ¡°Yeah? Okay.¡± At that instant. -Bang! With a deafening sound, Calypso¡¯s head was smashed into the ground. Azadine snorted and brought his hands together. ¡°Huh?!¡± Maya, the Captain of the Salasma Parish of the King¡¯s Church, opened her eyes in surprise. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Her whole body was filled with pain. This was caused by her usage of the offensive magic spell, the Strike of Divine Punishment. She had been swept away by her own spell, making it also harm herself. The Strike of Divine Punishment couldn¡¯t hurt a Holy Knight of the King¡¯s Church directly. The problem was the shock wave that was released from the spell¡¯s power. She had been swept away and knocked out by that shock wave. ¡°What happened?¡± She looked around at her surroundings. She had fainted while fighting against the undead, so she should already be dead by all rights. Yet she was inside a small carriage. The place itself was too real to be heaven or any kind of afterlife. ¡°Urgh.¡± ¡°Ungh ¡­¡± The siblings, Kaka and Chico, also woke up and looked around. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake too.¡± The driver of the carriage said in relief. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Oh, the thing is¡­¡± The members of the Korasar Peddler Guild were simple servants, but they took pride in being people of the Messenger Clan. One of the five founding families, the Savan, supported them. Unlike other messengers who traveled without money, they earned their own keep. With the power from that money, they could even hire mercenaries and purchase land. They could do as they wished and live without regrets. But Mediam had hurt their pride. ¡®Don¡¯t you servants dare talk back to the messenger?¡¯ It was already an immense humiliation. This was doubled by the fact that Mediam was of the Ethar, a rival of the Savan family. On top of that, the messenger that she had defended was Azadine. Azadine was the son of Acre, the Traitor. Acre was the culprit who had scattered the hard-won copies of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth from atop the World¡¯s Heart Mountains, wasting the sacrifices made by the people of the Messenger Clan. The Great Sinner of Aragasa. Although his children couldn¡¯t be held accountable for his crimes, the powerless Azadine had become the object of everyone¡¯s hatred. He was also loathed for his deformed eyeless body. Treating someone like that as a messenger? Angered by this, these servants joined hands with Calpyso, a messenger who had been in their proximity. The messenger, Calypso, was a wise messenger who maintained amicable relations with the Savan Family as he was aware of the money and influence they possessed. And yet¡­ -Plop! That very same Calypso had passed out after a single swing of Azadine¡¯s first. Well, at least that¡¯s what they assumed. In reality, they couldn¡¯t see what Azadine had done. He wasn¡¯t within attacking reach, yet a light swing of his hand was enough to knock out Calypso. ¡®Oh? But he¡¯s not within his arm¡¯s reach?¡¯ ¡®Did he have a weapon hidden somewhere?¡¯ It took all of them a while to come to their senses. ¡°Okay then, now keep your promise.¡± ¡°Ah, wa-wait!¡± ¡°It-it was a surprise attack!¡± They clearly wanted to deny it as a surprise attack. Yet, an Emperor¡¯s messenger would be disgraced if any injury was caused to them, even if it was due to ambush or poison. ¡°How can you claim it was a surprise attack when we agreed on the exchange and even the process just before this? Are you people trying to tarnish Calypso¡¯s honor as a messenger?¡± Mediam blatantly sneered at their claim and refuted it sarcastically. ¡°No, they¡¯re right. It was a surprise attack.¡± Azadine agreed with them. ¡°He¡¯s lying down there without any other injuries because it was a surprise attack. If I¡¯d hit him any other way, his head would have flown off.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Mediam and Ismail knew very well that Azadine was not joking and was completely serious. Calypso was fortunate to simply be passed out after a surprise blow from Azadine. In a serious fight, permanent damage would have been inevitable. ¡°How can you bluff so¡­¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The servants who thought Azadine was bluffing finally got the hint when they saw Mediam and Ismail¡¯s cautious expressions. ¡°Okay then, the members of the Korasar Peddler Guild! Give me the sources.¡± ¡°Do you mean the information source?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°But we didn¡¯t bring those with us because we didn¡¯t think we could lose.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At that moment, Ismail reappeared with a small wooden box from inside the warehouse. ¡°Looks like this is it, right?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Inside were umbilical cords that were wrapped in bandages. Attached to them was information about the children¡¯s birth dates and the names of the merchant groups they were sold to. ¡°Is this correct?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Seeing this, I can recall some of the information. Basically¡­¡± The members of the Korasar Peddler Guild recalled the information from their memories. They wrote down the approximate locations of the children who had been sold. These children had been sold because they were thought to have the blood of the Messenger Clan. Even with that, however, it was not easy to keep slaves in major cities. Merchant groups with traceable records would only trade slaves in villages that they frequented. ¡°It¡¯s unexpectedly close.¡± ¡°Yes. The Holy Knights of the King¡¯s Church wouldn¡¯t tolerate having the Aragasa even as slaves, so except for the major cities those guys frequent, well¡­ It¡¯s pretty much the same. The slave trade can¡¯t be done out in the open, so obviously.¡± ¡°Great. How about we take care of the wounded now?¡± Azadine examined Kaka, Chico, Tarki, and Captain Maya. They had all been wounded and were suffering in silence for a while. Tarki had collided with the bear head-on but didn¡¯t suffer any serious injuries because he had been wearing full body armor made of malleable metal. However, he still fainted from the shock. ¡°Um.¡± Azadine focused his vision. His eyesight had a particular characteristic. The further he attempted to see, the narrower his vision could focus. As he looked closer, the angle of his vision widened, allowing him to see in a 360-degree range around him. With proper focus, he could even see under the skin. ¡°There¡¯s internal bleeding but no fractures. He¡¯ll be okay.¡± Azadine then looked at Kaka and Chico. They were both gasping for breath even after they lost consciousness. The problem was that their spears had been pushed back, striking their abdomens as they collided with the bear. Their injuries were more serious than Tarki¡¯s, despite him having been tossed into the air. ¡°Still, they won¡¯t die, though it¡¯ll take quite a while for them to heal completely.¡± Following this, Azadine did a full examination of Maya. Maya¡¯s physical condition was fine, but the potential issue was her mental state. She had been, after all, swept away by the explosion of her own Divine Magic. ¡®Don¡¯t the Holy Knights of the King¡¯s Church avoid teaching Divine Magic immediately? They typically focus on combat skills and teach a few things to ensure they are compatible with the trainee. Because of that, she used that spell at close range instead of other magic and suffered from it. She could have easily escaped from the warehouse if she knew other spells.¡¯ Ismail asked Azadine a question while he examined Maya¡¯s wounds. ¡°Do we really have to save a Holy knight too?¡± ¡°I killed this Lady¡¯s father as well¡­ I don¡¯t want to annihilate an entire family for no reason. Not to mention, others will ask questions if you kill a Holy Knight, so will you just murder all of them?¡± If they killed the Holy Knight, they would need to make an excuse to Kaka and Chico or murder them. Azadine, who believed in the three great archangels, wanted to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Ultimately, they let them live and restarted their journey using a carriage from the Korasar Peddler Guild. CH 40 Calypso woke up with a bitter expression on his face. His head was dizzy, and he felt nauseous. ¡°Did I lose?¡± ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t exactly losing¡­¡± The servants from the Korasar Peddlers Guild found themselves in an awkward situation. Should they tell the truth as it was? That he was knocked out in a single blow? At that moment, Azadine spoke, ¡°Keep your promise now, Calypso.¡± ¡°Ye-Yes, I will.¡± Suffering a crushing defeat from a single blow of Azadine¡¯s surprise attack frustrated him to no end, but¡­ there was no way he could fight again in his current condition. The injuries inflicted after just one swing of Azadine¡¯s fist were no joke. He didn¡¯t have the courage or confidence to go against him in this state. ¡°Take the children on this list to Sanctuary and become their guardian. If they say, they won¡¯t go to Sanctuary and are living affluent lives, look into their guardians. I trust there are no hard feelings?¡± ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m a messenger, after all. I won¡¯t just go back on my words that easily.¡± Calypso clicked his tongue while he was grumbling. ¡°What¡¯s with you now? That¡¯s unexpected of you. You¡¯re being respectful. huh?¡± ¡°I gave it some thought and realized that it was only right to treat you as my senior since your generation preceded mine.¡± Calypso was in a position now where if he insulted Azadine, it would be the same as laying down on his back and spitting into the air. Instead of that, it would be better for him to respect Azadine. ¡°Bu-But how¡¯d you become like this? I mean, Senior, you can¡¯t even use the powers of the Beauties of Nature, Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon, can you? Or was it really ¡­Elder Kazas?¡± Azadine¡¯s master, Elder Kazas, was an enigmatic elder in Sanctuary as not a single person there had ever seen his face. Even in the Senate, only his name was written down, as he had never made an appearance. So when someone like him suddenly appeared to force Azadine into the position of messenger and then disappeared again, it was inevitable that people would curse at him. Yet, after being knocked out in a single blow by Azadine, Calypso was sure this was due to Elder Kazas¡¯s teachings. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not at a place to tell anyone about Master. When the time comes, he¡¯ll make his own move. More importantly, thanks for your cooperation. On my end, I will check on the kids in the area on the way to Salasma. I¡¯ll leave the other side to you.¡± ¡°Yes, Senior.¡± Was it because he had been defeated so soundly? Calypso was immediately obeying Azadine¡¯s orders and even calls him Senior. ¡°Ah, right, I almost forgot. Where¡¯d you get that bone wand?¡± ¡°Some followers of the Kurt clan had it. I killed them and confiscated the wand.¡± ¡°Is that so? Um, as expected, it is a mass-produced item.¡± ¡°I guess you must have gotten one too, Senior. Then, this one.¡± ¡°Use this one for yourself. As you move around, you still need to retrieve the copies of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth.¡± ¡°Yes. Okay then. Let¡¯s strive to end this mission as soon as possible.¡± Calypso gave Azadine his greetings and respects before leaving first alongside his subordinates. Azadine, who saw Calypso¡¯s party off, moved to carry the injured into a carriage from the Korasar Peddlers Guild and departed from the sawmill. ¡°But it was all extremely unusual.¡± Mediam grumbled as she looked at the devastated sawmill. ¡°The dead came back to life, causing a chaos of black magic that killed the living. Well, it¡¯s not like those particular people didn¡¯t deserve it. A copy of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth popped up, and the Kurt Clan also caused that mess. This whole region is suffering from drought. Doesn¡¯t all of this seem like bad omens forecasting an impending catastrophe?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not just omens. The catastrophe¡¯s already started.¡± As Azadine touched the copy of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth inside his inner pocket, he had a hunch that the future would not be smooth. Maya was shocked as she heard the chatter of the Korasar Peddlers Guild members inside the carriage. ¡°You mean you rescued us? And also defeated those undead?¡± ¡°Yeah. Fortunately, we had some hired mercenaries with us. Not to mention that you guys had already handled a lot of the undead.¡± The members of the Korasar Peddlers Guild were sharing a story they had planned with Azadine. They had arrived right after Tarki, Kaka, Chico, and Maya collapsed, and the undead had immediately fled the scene. They had also found a woman¡¯s corpse buried under an old, dried-up tree. Digging the body up cleared the dark energy engulfing the forest. That was the story they agreed upon. ¡°So the cause of the black magic chaos was that woman¡¯s corpse, huh? Hm¡­ Ah! Do you happen to know what happened to my horse?¡± ¡°The wyverns ate your horse, but we did retrieve the saddle bag.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Maya sighed as she looked at the saddle bag, the only remnant of the ordeal. The saddle bag the merchants had retrieved had also belonged to her father, Sir Kazrek. ¡°¡­¡± It was probably too difficult to find Sir Kazrek at this point. ¡°So, for now, I¡¯ll have to return to Salasma. Are you people going to Salasma?¡± ¡°We¡¯re peddlers and work close to this place, but at the junction of the roads, we¡¯ll introduce you to merchants headed to Salasma.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be great. Thank you for your kindness.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. With the other merchants out of the way, our profits are going great.¡± That part wasn¡¯t just lip service. The black magic chaos over the sawmill had caused the other farms inside the forest to be quarantined. When the Korasar Peddler Guild arrived and sold goods at low prices, they would earn plenty of profit. ¡°We¡¯re about to get to the Continental Road, so it¡¯d be better for you to rest in an inn or someplace like that if you¡¯re feeling better now. After all, the carriage is just¡­¡± For merchants, any empty space in the carriage was equivalent to losing money. Instead of keeping their goods, they allowed the injured on board. With just this one act, they had already incurred a huge loss simply to aid them. Even though Kaka and Chico¡¯s conditions hadn¡¯t exactly improved, the party could no longer depend on them after hearing that fact. ¡°By the way¡­¡± Kaka turned to look at Azadine. ¡°No matter how we look at it, you definitely don¡¯t seem like a normal pilgrim. See, my younger sister¡­ this is a bit embarrassing, but she¡¯s a bit of a fortune teller and can foresee the future.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Azadine expressed his confusion through his face. People who claimed they could see the future or tell someone¡¯s fortune were typically fraudsters. But Chico said this to Azadine. ¡°You¡¯ll probably become a Great Knight in the future. Or maybe you already are one.¡± ¡°A Great Knight?¡± Azadine was a messenger of the Emperor, someone who could never become a knight in his lifetime. Not to mention, a Great Knight simply does not exist in this era. This was an age where chivalry was ridiculed. For her to tell a person who could never even dream of becoming a knight that he would become a Great Knight¡­ The Korasar Peddlers Guild members found this claim so preposterous that they could only laugh. Yet Mediam¡¯s chill gaze made them quiet down quickly as they recalled the memory of her knife at their throats. ¡®Damn it. All this because Calypso¡¯s too injured.¡¯ ¡®That Azadine can¡¯t use magic, so he must¡¯ve at least mastered martial arts. How could he foolishly agree to duel him in a close-range fight? That moronic punk.¡¯ The members of the Korasar Peddlers¡¯ Guild now had a grudge against Calypso for upsetting the apple cart with such an absurd mistake. However, one among them had a different thought. ¡®But even if Calypso was caught off guard, could someone like me still have knocked him out with a single blow?¡¯ Calypso still hadn¡¯t recovered from the attack. ¡®Azadine couldn¡¯t even perform basic tasks when he was young, yet how¡­¡¯ Azadine might have had the most horrendous reputation. Still, at least the people present there were well aware of his truly extraordinary skills. ¡°Okay then. We¡¯ll be departing to report this to the Cell Sword Guild, so we¡¯ll see you next time. Brother, aren¡¯t you going to head for Salasma?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then you can leave together with the Captain.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Tarki was hesitant to answer. Azadine and his party, being people of the Messenger Clan, wouldn¡¯t want to travel with a Holy Knight Captain. If Tarki traveled along with Maya from there, it was highly likely that he would have to part ways with Azadine. He could return to Salasma with either his party of merchants or the Holy Knights. However, he was scared of dying at the hands of his ambitious siblings if he happened to meet them on the way. Traveling with the merchants would keep him safe from thieves and bandits, but there would be no way to avoid any attacks from his half-siblings, who would spare no effort. Under no circumstances would the Holy Knight or the merchants fight the Count¡¯s other children just to protect him. However, thankfully, his would-be companion Maya rejected that proposal. ¡°No. After all, I¡­ will have to go look for my Father, who might or might not be close by. Please, all of you, leave for Salasma first without me.¡± Having said this, Maya started her journey on foot along the path that the party had come from. She was headed toward the direction of the gateway that was blocked by the Rescue Knights. ¡°¡­will a woman be okay all on her own?¡± ¡°Well, she is a Holy Knight, after all, so she should be okay, right?¡± At that moment, Azadine¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Huh, what is it? Azadine? No way, are you worried about that Holy Knight?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­¡± Azadine was in utter astonishment. ¡®I can¡¯t hear the Emperor¡¯s Voice,¡¯ The artificially created spirit, The Emperor¡¯s Voice, was at the base of the Emperor¡¯s system for messengers. It was an extremely useful spirit that would give advice within the limitations of the Emperor¡¯s rules, find and convey the location of the petitioners to the messengers and inform them of the date and time as well. Yet, for some reason, he hadn¡¯t been able to hear the Emperor¡¯s Voice since that morning. ¡®I can¡¯t even talk about this with anyone. What¡¯s happening?¡¯ Azadine was in complete confusion as to why something like this was happening. Calypso was traveling along a side road after leaving the Emperor¡¯s road with his subordinates. Merchants from the Korasar Peddlers Guild, but not the servants, followed him. ¡°By the way, are you really going to give in to Azadine¡¯s demands?¡± ¡°You even secured the bone wand that can search for the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth¡­ Wasting time on finding these children who¡¯re not even our people could leave you behind in the race against other messengers searching for the Book right now.¡± In the case of Calypso, his father was a servant affiliated with the Korasar Peddlers Guild. At the same time, his mother was someone of Hubris. His promotion to messenger at a young age was unprecedented, as neither of his parents were messengers. Calypso was someone seen as overflowing with talent. Due to that, however, he had even more of a desire to rise in status. He had managed to become a messenger with his own talent, but he was still among the bottom of the hierarchy rankings. That was when he learned it. It was a blessing to train in an affluent environment with great parents. Therefore, Calypso put in a lot of effort. His effort was already partially acknowledged within the clan after becoming a messenger. However, if he could retrieve more of the Emperor¡¯s Gold Coins or copies of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth, he could distinguish himself and even marry someone of high rank within the Savan family. That would mean acceptance as a member of the Savan, a founding family of the Aragasa. To accomplish this, the messengers sincerely devoted themselves to following high-ranking superiors to gain merit instead of completing their missions. Yet, at a perfect time to collect merit, why would he take on a task that would do nothing to help him distinguish himself? ¡°Nothing to be done about it. I lost the duel.¡± ¡°But it wasn¡¯t an official duel where the messengers bet their ranks, was it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s even more of a relief. Or else I¡¯d have to go through even more humiliation. Ah, Korasar Peddlers Guild people, keep your mouths shut.¡± ¡°Why so?¡± ¡°What do you mean, why? I don¡¯t want to be the only one to suffer. Senior has the worst reputation in the clan, so countless punks will pester him sooner or later. So, as more people will be beaten up by him, the news of me losing a duel and suffering a crushing defeat will turn into a trivial matter.¡± As he said that, Calypso couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. CH 41 Calypso was quite sure that if the other messengers challenged Azadine, they¡¯d end up crushed to their bones. ¡°Oh my, now I have a headache from the headache. It¡¯s almost as if I just returned from the dead. Huh?¡± At that moment, Calypso¡¯s feet stopped at a standstill. He could sense a strange sensation in the air before him from a forest that had dried up from the drought. [Are you well, the 106th messenger, Calypso?] The artificial spirit had started talking to him. ¡°Who are you?¡± [I am the voice of Arael.] ¡°Yo-You¡¯re the voice of Arael?!¡± [Yes. As you can see.] ¡°¡­¡± Calypso was astonished. The Emperor¡¯s Voice was an extremely powerful magic. The 108 artificial spirits spread across the continent had an integrated consciousness that allowed them to manage petitions and convey relevant information. Only the Emperor and his divine powers could use such powerful magic. That was, at least, until now. Yet Arael managed to make a copy of it to this level of similarity? Was this really possible regardless of how much of a genius she was rumored to be? ¡°What business do you have with me?¡± [I thought of making you a proposal you couldn¡¯t refuse.] A crow appeared from the shadows of the withered forest. Was she talking through the crow by possessing it? This aspect was also identical to the Emperor¡¯s Voice as it would often appear to convey messages to people not of the Aragasa in the form of a bird. However, there was something strange about this crow. Calypso immediately noted the discrepancy. A large gaping wound was visible on the crow¡¯s chest, inside of which was an eyeball pumping like a heart. Azadine tried to call the Emperor¡¯s Voice through his mind later on as well but received no response. As a sense of frustration and anxiety engulfed him, the party came across a dried-up stream on the road to Salasma. ¡°It is a drought after all, huh. Usually, around this time, rainfall is expected.¡± All of the farms Azadine had visited struggled to draw water from their wells. Originally, the eastern lands were divided into two parts: a western region that enjoyed abundant water and an eastern region with scarce water sources. Yet recently, with the eastern region having received no rainfall for a month, even the western region was beginning to dry up. ¡°It wasn¡¯t this bad when I traveled towards the eastern region.¡± Tarki checked on his horse¡¯s condition after saying this. Even his breathing was becoming hoarse due to how parched his throat was. ¡°Um¡­ the water¡¯s all murky.¡± Azadine stopped and waited for the mountain goats to drink water. He clicked his tongue after noticing that most of the streambed was visible. The fish was even flapping about because the stream had almost fully become a bed of muddy water. In streams where the flow of water was completely cut off, and the rapids had stagnated, a tremendous number of fish were dying. The farmers from the surrounding areas had flocked there to scoop up the unexpected boon of crawfish. ¡°Scooping up the fish like that will probably mess with their life cycle.¡± ¡°Well, letting them be won¡¯t be much help either because they¡¯ll just rot, so it¡¯s probably better to gather and eat them. But after this, a huge problem will arrive.¡± Mediam sensed that the drought was no laughing matter and could spiral further. The mountain goats were panting. The Messenger Clan preferred using Kerim mountain goats over horses. The goats had better endurance than horses and a remarkable ability to jump and maneuver through rough terrain. They could climb steep mountain cliffs, and the wax ester released along its long fur was widely used as an oil to prevent rust on swords. It was also used for the upkeep of bows, arrows, short spears, and so on. However, the longer fur of the Kerim goats also made them vulnerable to heat. In hotter regions, they would need to constantly drink water, making it more difficult to bring them any further into this drought-stricken region. ¡°Drinking that water will make them sick.¡± ¡°Then what about a well? If the riverbed isn¡¯t completely exposed yet, then the wells still might not have dried.¡± Azadine clicked his tongue at Ismail¡¯s words. ¡°We need to get the villagers¡¯ permission to use the well water.¡± They were people of the Messenger Clan, loathed by the people of Hubris. They had originally been discriminated against because of their dark brown skin tone. Still, as more of their blood began to mix, they typically looked similar to the native races but with a slightly mixed undertone. Even Mediam, who came from one of the Aragasa¡¯s founding families, looked closer to a person from the northern regions of Hubris. ¡°Ah, haha. Don¡¯t worry about that. Remember, I¡¯m a knight, aren¡¯t I?¡± Tarki moved forward. ¡°Oi! You lowly farmers!¡± ¡°¡­¡± As soon as Tarki began his offensive actions against the villagers, Azadine removed his headpiece and took a cane from his saddle. ¡°Ah, what¡¯s with this again?¡± Ismail grimaced. Azadine¡¯s costume of a blind pilgrim. ¡°Tarki¡¯s going off like that. If I look completely fine while I¡¯m with him, won¡¯t they think I¡¯m on his side? Let¡¯s just pretend to be pilgrims accompanying him.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± A while later, Tarki returned with a huge smile on his face. ¡°What do you think? A word from a knight is enough to kill these farmers. They¡¯d even give up their wives if I said so.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too cruel of you, Sir?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m thankful to you for protecting us pilgrims, but treating people harshly like that will only get you bad karma. Kindly practice the virtue of compassion.¡± ¡°Huh, what are you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try talking to them once more. Excuse me.¡± Azadine put on an appearance as a blind person who was resting his body on a cane and approached the farmers who were crowding the stream to fish. ¡°Oh, what? Huh?¡± ¡°Ar-are you blind?¡± ¡°We¡¯re pilgrims on a journey. We¡¯d be extremely grateful if you could allow us to use the water from the well. You already gave permission to the knight protecting us, but he can sometimes be very disrespectful with his words. I was concerned you may have been troubled because of us.¡± ¡°Ah, well, it is how it is.¡± ¡°That Sir Knight¡¯s is him, isn¡¯t it? The Count¡¯s son?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s kind of unavoidable when they¡¯re young like that. I didn¡¯t exactly like it but¡­ what can I do?¡± ¡°Anyhow, you came at just the right time. We¡¯re boiling some crawfish.¡± The farmers welcomed Azadine with kindness. ¡®From now on, I¡¯ll send Tarki forward whenever a disrespectful provocation is needed. Or otherwise, if we meet the Holy Knights of the King¡¯s Church.¡¯ Azadine resolved to do this and followed the farmers going in the direction of the village. The village by the stream was quite large, with over 700 households. In the northern region, where the population was sparse, this could be considered a fortress city or a city of moderate size. Yet, this was merely a village in the highly populated central inlands or the south. Still, with so many people living here, the central village square had a permanent store and even a trade post that made loading and unloading goods from a horse or carriage easier. There were also facilities that used to draw water from the dried-up stream back when it still flowed. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re blind, so why are you on the move?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a pilgrim in search of a miracle. I¡¯m walking around hoping for protection from the three Great Archangels.¡± ¡°You seem so young though, oh my Lord.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a handsome man. Did you hurt your eyes in the war?¡± While Azadine spoke face-to-face with the people of the village, his servants, Mediam and Ismail, fed their goats with water and hay. At the same time, the villagers were cooking crawfish. Fresh fish could be smoked to make smoked meat that could be stored, but smoking crawfish was too cumbersome, meaning they were being eaten right there. Since they would all need to be eaten anyway, the villagers were quite generous. ¡°Okay, okay, please have this.¡± The farmers served Azadine¡¯s party boiled crawfish sprinkled with wild garlic and eastern pepper. ¡°Oh my, thank you. Are these crawfish?¡± ¡°Yeah. Recently the water in the stream nearby has all dried up.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll die and rot anyways, so we smoked some fresh fish and boiled the crawfish to eat here.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s a crawfish festival, you see, festival. Everyone, go ahead and enjoy it.¡± ¡°Thank you, You¡¯ll be blessed with great fortune for warm-heartedly welcoming travelers.¡± Azadine politely accepted their goodwill. ¡°Umm.¡± Mediam and Ismail very awkwardly sat beside Azadine. ¡°It feels like I¡¯m a swindler.¡± ¡°I know, right. This is how it was last time too¡­¡± Ismail didn¡¯t like this situation. When Azadine masqueraded as a blind pilgrim, the people became very nice to him. Additionally, Azadine would owe them a mental debt. Azadine¡¯s ways were different from that of the Messenger Clan. He didn¡¯t hesitate to meet the people of Hubris face to face and even become involved with them. Since the people of the Messenger Clan were persecuted by the people of Hubris, a great sense of contempt was fostered for them. However, Azadine was already persecuted by his own people, so, to him, there was little difference between the Aragasa and those of Hubris. The problem was, Mediam was also charmed by this aspect of Azadine. Ismail was well aware that Azadine was increasing his estimation in Mediam¡¯s eyes by just looking at her from the side. Was she trying to maintain her worth by raising the value of the man she lost a duel to? No, that wasn¡¯t it. This man¡¯s ways and unique mentality were something the Aragasa simply could not have, and it captivated her. ¡®This man is an ¡®exotic being¡¯. But the issue here is Mediam¡¯s nature to get fascinated with new things.¡¯ Ismail steeled his heart while he watched Azadine partake in the crawfish with the people of Hubris. Azadine¡¯s party, with the help of the villagers, fed their goats with water and ate crawfish. ¡°Have this for when you get hungry on the journey later.¡± ¡°Be careful so it doesn¡¯t get spoiled!¡± The people even packed some boiled crawfish to give to Azadine. ¡°Okay, then¡­¡± After receiving the crawfish and a warm welcome, Azadine¡¯s party descended the hill road that passed from the village near the stream. However, Azadine suddenly stopped after seeing what was unfolding in front of his eyes. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°No, stop. Wait.¡± Azadine removed a wooden box he had put in his inner pocket. It was the box that contained the umbilical cords of the children of the woman who had surrendered to him after the black magic chaos, the children he had promised to rescue. Aside from the records written inside, the Korasar Peddlers Guild had also given them other information. Reading this, a frown appeared on his face. ¡°So this is ¡®that¡¯ village, huh?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it because the village¡¯s size got bigger. See this.¡± This village was actually two villages that had merged as they expanded. Between the older buildings, they had built newer buildings and connected both villages. ¡°This is ¡­quite close, huh?¡± ¡°Exactly. After all, they wouldn¡¯t need to take slaves that far. Let¡¯s start finding them.¡± Azadine sped up his walking pace. They wouldn¡¯t necessarily be slaves, as trading children under the guise of adoption was widespread around Hubris. It was common for these adoptive children to be thrown into farm work or factory work at a young age to raise profits for the family. Nevertheless, the adoptive children were in a clearly different position than slaves as they received a right to inherit. They were, at least, not abused by the people who acted as their parents. Though it couldn¡¯t be said that such abuse was completely absent, anyone getting caught abusing an ¡®adoptive child¡¯ was punished as a felon by all authorities, whether it was the King¡¯s Church or the Rescue Knights. Regardless, these adoptive children were easily exploited in environments for child labor. Still, at least more elements in the law and institutions protected them than slaves. On the other end of the scale, those who became slaves were completely defenseless and exposed. ¡°We can¡¯t let children suffer in such a way just because of the name of Aragasa.¡± CH 42 Azadine stopped and asked the villagers. ¡°By any chance, have you seen a girl about 8 years old? She has black hair and a darker skin tone. The child was brought here by the Talvarine Guild. She¡¯s rumored to be a descendant of the Messenger Clan¡­¡± The villagers were surprised and frightened at the freakish accuracy of Azadine¡¯s question. ¡°We-We don¡¯t really know about¡­¡± ¡°Shut up with that bullshit and come out with it!¡± Tarki, who was usually completely useless, turned out to be a great help in this situation. Nobody could even squeak an excuse when Tarki, a knight, told them off and forced an answer from them. ¡°Well, the Talvarine Guild mainly does business with our village¡¯s baker.¡± ¡°You see that chimney over there, right? That¡¯s his house,¡± Their explanation was precise, and perhaps because of Tarki¡¯s intimidation, the exact location they needed didn¡¯t take that long to find. ¡°So, what will you do now?¡± Ismail asked. ¡°We¡¯ll go to the bakery and peacefully negotiate with him. Fortunately, the child¡¯s only 8 years old.¡± The child would likely have been made to do basic household chores at that age. The situation shouldn¡¯t be one where she would have suffered mental trauma or abuse. That¡¯s what he thought. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± A person was exiting a large warehouse with a whip in his hand. ¡°Oh? Sir Tarki?¡± The owner hid his whip behind his back the moment Tarki stormed inside. There were many young children inside the building. Still, their eyes were sunken due to malnutrition, and their gazes made it clear that they were being exploited and overworked. ¡°For what business are you here?¡± ¡°Hey, we¡¯re looking for this person.¡± As Tarki turned around, Azadine gave the man the description of the child, including their physical appearance, age, and so forth. ¡°For what reason are you looking for that child?¡± ¡°Oh, ho! What does that matter to you?¡± ¡°Ah, actually, that child is dead.¡± ¡°What? Then what about those children?¡± Tarki pointed at the other children. ¡°They¡¯re all orphans. They don¡¯t have anywhere to go, so as a public figure here, I gather, raise, and even give them work.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Tarki was left speechless and stared at Azadine, who was behind him. Azadine then looked at the children¡¯s appearance and frowned. ¡°How did you arrange the child¡¯s funeral?¡± Azadine¡¯s voice was filled with rage. ¡°Um, the funeral? Um, why exactly are you asking me all this?¡± ¡°Tarki.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tarki immediately sunk his knee into the owner¡¯s stomach. ¡°Urghk-!¡± ¡°A high-ranking person made a promise with that child¡¯s parents, so we¡¯re here to search for her. At the very least, she needs to know where she was buried. If you¡¯d organized a funeral for her, you can easily tell us about it, so enough of your lies and confess.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I, to be honest, just threw her in the river.¡± ¡°The river? Are you out of your mind?¡± In a world where the dead could revive themselves if they forgot their death, throwing a child¡¯s body into a river without even a funeral was the perfect way to mass-produce cursed spirits. But it didn¡¯t seem like he was lying. Seeing that this man took the children away, abused them, and made them work, he probably threw any kids who died into the river when the flow was strong, or the rainfall was frequent. ¡°Hm¡­ What do you plan to do now?¡± Ismail looked like he was enjoying the flow of events and found it amusing. What would happen when Azadine¡¯s generosity, compassion, sympathy, or sense of justice clashed against the bitter reality? Ismail wanted to see Azadine defeated. ¡°Has he always been like this?¡± Azadine asked Mediam. ¡°Umm, not really? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s acted like this before.¡± Mediam spoke while she was glued to Azadine¡¯s side. That favoritism and affection frustrated Ismail even more, almost pushing him to sneer openly at Azadine. ¡°If you kill this man, what¡¯ll happen to all the kids here? They¡¯re not even our people, so there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll rescue them, will you? Not to mention, regardless of what happened, he¡¯s a regular customer of the Talvarine Guild. Suppose you entrust these children to the care of the Korasar Peddlers Guild. In that case, I don¡¯t think the Guild will agree to it in fear of an inevitable conflict with the Talvarine Guild.¡± Ismail may have been young, but he was quite smart in matters like these. If he hadn¡¯t, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to leave the Sanctuary with Mediam to become a servant to a messenger. A trainee could only become a messenger if they passed through the selection process with sufficient grades. He was only allowed to leave due to his high evaluation scores in martial arts, academics, general knowledge, and wits compared to his peers. That same Ismail was judging this situation with a cool head right now. Killing the owner without rescuing the children could, in fact, end up catastrophic for these children. Yet if he¡¯d let the man leave without any consequences for his actions, he would only continue to bring in and mistreat children. ¡°This problem can¡¯t be solved with simple-minded sympathy or a sense of justice. Azadine, kindly share your excellent opinion and enlighten a child like me with your wisdom.¡± Tarki came forward when Ismail tried to pass this sarcastic remark. Once again, he began beating the owner. ¡°This bastard. My brother swore to protect that child, and you dare take this all so lightly, huh? You just beat the shit out of her because she was a child, didn¡¯t you? Today, you¡¯ll have your senses knocked out of you.¡± Tarki went wild and began beating up the owner. ¡°Uh, Ack! Ack! Sa-Save me, please!¡± ¡°Tell me, when did I become your brother, huh?¡± At some point, Azadine felt the desire to reject Tarki, who was suddenly acting all close to him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother. You can send these children to my Mother¡¯s house. We always need more servants. At least, the environment will be much better than this place.¡± ¡°Huh, no, by what authority are you, people¡­¡± The owner was saying this, but Tarki kicked his jaw. ¡°Eck!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Surprisingly, Tarki was proving his worth. ¡°How could this be? So this is what they mean when they say even horse shit can be useful.¡± Mediam was deeply shaken by Tarki¡¯s refreshing show of his worth. Azadine¡¯s party hounded and beat up the bakery owner to get his signature on a statement regarding his trade of children with the Talvarine Guild. After that, they took the children with them to the closest group under the Korasar Peddlers Guild. They aimed to send the children to Tarki¡¯s mother¡¯s residence, the Baroness Nort, via the Guild¡¯s distribution network. ¡°But what about your promise with Calypso? You even made him take an oath.¡± ¡°Um, well, we ended up finding children who weren¡¯t on the list, so it¡¯s enough as long as they take the Aragasa children to Sanctuary.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad. We could¡¯ve spread the news of the duel and snatched the 106th rank.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about stuff like rank. It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll earn me more money.¡± ¡°Regardless, it¡¯ll give you an advantage when you get married later.¡± Among the Aragasa, a messenger from a humble background with a higher position in the hierarchy was sure to receive advantageous marriage proposals from renowned families. It was a ladder that allowed people of the Messenger Clan to climb the social hierarchy quickly, so everyone would typically put in their best effort. However, Azadine¡¯s attitude reflected his indifference. ¡°Hm, marriage? I don¡¯t have plans for that yet.¡± ¡°Huh? Really?¡± Azadine and Mediam walked together as they had this conversation. For Ismail, their warm and harmonious relations left a bitter, poison-like aftertaste. But then they ran into some people in the village square fixing the wheels of a carriage in the caravan belonging to the Guild. They immediately stood up upon seeing Azadine. ¡°Azadine?!¡± ¡°Um?¡± Azadine was suspicious of the merchants who seemed to recognize him. ¡°Ah, you see¡­¡± ¡°Calibri.¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Adan. Huh, now you don¡¯t even recognize your Seniors? When we used to adore you so much?¡± Mediam, who watched the whole scene, smirked at that. ¡°You call yourself my seniors when you¡¯re not a messenger or even a servant.¡± ¡°Ha. It seems you haven¡¯t found out yet.¡± Adan snorted and glared at Azadine. ¡°What¡¯s this about, Calibri? Adan?¡± ¡°What is this about, huh?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an order for your arrest and to escort you back.¡± ¡°Huh? From the higher authorities?¡± Azadine shrugged and looked at them. ¡°Are you drunk in broad daylight? Or perhaps, are you on drugs?¡± ¡°No, Azadine. This isn¡¯t a prank. Your position as a messenger has been suspended.¡± ¡°Ugh. Just let it be. No need to explain it. Let¡¯s just take him away.¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll take you and become messengers.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Azadine was perplexed at his so-called seniors pulling out weapons in the middle of the road. It was true that he¡¯d stopped hearing the Emperor¡¯s Voice. But they say that was because of a suspension? And they were escorting him back? ¡®Exactly what is happening? Well, I¡¯ll know once I hear it from them.¡¯ They seemed to be in quite a bit of a hurry considering they took out weapons not just in the street but inside a village. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, you¡¯re pulling out your weapons in the center of the village like this because you¡¯ll become messengers if you take me away, is that it?¡± ¡°Exactly, you bastard!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know what trick someone incompetent like you used to become a messenger, but¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re no longer a messenger now. We¡¯ll remove you from the position of messenger.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll catch you, take you away, and once again, we¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Azadine was standing there blankly when he unintentionally turned his gaze. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to get the details from you guys, huh?¡± ¡°Hahaha. Azadine, did you forget?¡± ¡°It looks like you don¡¯t remember being beaten up by us almost every day?¡± ¡°What, can¡¯t recall how you used to bawl your eyes out after we knocked you out?¡± ¡°Of course, yeah. I remember all of it. You guys would cover the upper part of my face, saying the rest looked like Arael, and would forcibly kiss me. I recall all of it. What a disgusting memory!¡± Azadine, being Arael¡¯s twin brother, seemed to look like Arael with his jaw exposed when he wore a hawk mask. Now, they had both gone through puberty, so obviously, the differences in their appearance were quite visible. However, during his childhood, except for the fact that he didn¡¯t have eyes, Azadine resembled Arael a lot. He suffered a lot of torment because of that as well¡­ ¡°Ah, damn it. Saying it myself is making me feel nauseated. I feel sick to the stomach, as if I¡¯ll die. You really do need to pay for that.¡± Azadine was infuriated by his ¡®seniors¡¯ bragging about bullying him. But it seemed like they saw him as the same pushover he was when young. ¡°It looks like the coward¡¯s forgotten his place!¡± ¡°Someone like you who only got the position of messenger because of Elder Kazas!¡± ¡°Come on!¡± Calibri and Adan both rushed in to attack Azadine with their swords simultaneously. Calibri and Adan¡¯s attack wasn¡¯t quite that simple to handle. Everyone in the Messenger Clan received basic training from the day they turned eight until they became or failed to become a messenger. This basic training instilled in them the strength and wisdom befitting the messenger Clan. From those, ones with remarkable and distinguished performance would then compete for the 108 positions of messengers. There were plenty who, despite being skilled, was unluckily unable to even become servants because of a lack of vacant positions. Calibri and Adan were definitely skilled. But¡­ Unfortunately for them, their attacks were absolutely useless against Azadine. He simply grabbed the sharp blades with his gloved hand. -shuffle! The swords were now interlocked in Azadine¡¯s hand as if they always belonged. ¡°Ugh?!¡± The blade wouldn¡¯t move. ¡°This punk!¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Calibri and Adan gave each other a signal and then focused their minds. At that moment, Azadine¡¯s hand began to shake. CH 43 Published on Jun 16, 2023 ?11 min read?137 views ¡®The Beauties of Nature- Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon, Thunderbolt, Kazas style!¡¯ At that moment, their blades began to shake. -Whoosh! ¡°Aack!¡± ¡°Gurghk!¡± Both Calibri and Adan screamed as they were flung away. ¡°Urkk.¡± ¡°Wh-What? No way. Is this¡­Thunderbolt?!¡± Calibri and Adan stood up with trembling hands. As their body began to feel the shock of electricity coursing through it, they suspected that Azadine¡¯s Thunderbolt had inflicted it upon them. ¡°I-I thought you couldn¡¯t use magic. Then how?¡± Azadine sighed as the two of them looked at him in shock. ¡°Phew. Oi, don¡¯t die on me. Well, at least one of you will stay alive?¡± At that moment, Azadine¡¯s body became a blur. ¡°Twilight?¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Calibri and Adan¡¯s hands were paralyzed, so they immediately responded using martial arts and kicked at Azadine¡¯s afterimage with their feet. However, as if he was one with the ground, Azadine was already behind them. ¡®Ground Spider?¡¯ ¡®From Twilight to Ground Spider? Isn¡¯t his speed freakishly fast?¡¯ Calibri and Adan finally came to a realization. The Azadine they were facing now was no longer the same child they thrashed around to tears from their early childhood days. In fact, even within the Messenger Clan, Azadine was someone powerful. ¡®We¡¯re screwed.¡¯ ¡®We got involved for no damn reason¡­¡¯ But it was too late to regret it now. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Azadine, moving like lightning, rushed between them and kicked them both at the same time. Calibri and Adan, who could no longer keep their balance, were blown away and crashed into a nearby tree and boulder. ¡°Urgh?!¡± ¡°Dam-Damn it! This doesn¡¯t make sense!¡± ¡°I only intended to blow you away, not fracture anything. But with this terrain, I guess, going easy on you just doesn¡¯t work, huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Azadine was not lying about going easy on them. From that angle and power, his kick at that moment could have taken their heads off if he wanted to, resulting in their instant death. ¡®No way that was a human¡¯s kick.¡¯ ¡®They say he doesn¡¯t use magic, and yet that¡¯s how powerful his kick is?¡¯ That one strike was enough for them to realize the gulf between them and Azadine. ¡°Oh, you still managed to survive, huh. I guess you didn¡¯t slack off with the training even after not being selected as a messenger. Your bodies are all robust, eh?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Calibri and Adan, who were on the receiving end of these words, were left speechless. ¡®What is this situation? Even if we couldn¡¯t become messengers¡­. there¡¯s no way we would have lost to someone like Azadine, who didn¡¯t even complete his basic training.¡¯ Calibri and Adan had completed their basic training but could not even become messengers due to lacking qualifications. They were ready to take up even the role of a servant, so they would apply every two years during the summer solstice festival. However, as peace and order persisted, very few messengers died in the line of duty. Additionally, ever since Arael entered her prime, the Messenger Clan thrived without making unnecessary sacrifices. One could only imagine the rage and despair they felt from their position when they learned that the failure, Azadine, who they had beaten up every day, became a messenger because of Elder Kazas¡¯ reputation. ¡®No, this can¡¯t be happening.¡¯ ¡®How are th-this bastard¡¯s skills at the level of a messenger? No, I won¡¯t acknowledge him. If I acknowledge all this, then¡­¡¯ If they acknowledged this, their existence would lose all meaning. It would be hard proof of their pathetic existence, inferiority, and incompetence. These two had lived until now by simply blaming and cursing the suffocating traditions of Aragasa. They thought they deserved to be messengers and perhaps even more due to their talents. They were skilled but lacked connections or relations to a renowned family. They couldn¡¯t get a chance to prove themselves because they lacked the necessary bloodline from any of the founding families. This was how they consoled and reassured themselves. They believed that they did not lack talent but simply needed a chance. If they had gotten a chance, they could have used their skills freely and, with their unrestricted and brilliant performance, they could use their talent to free their people from the curse that bound them to the role of messengers. Yet they were no match for Azadine, who was barely a messenger at the rank of 108? ¡®Huh, if this is how it turns out, then we¡¯re completely useless.¡¯ ¡®Damn it. No, this isn¡¯t true. I don¡¯t acknowledge this!¡¯ The two desperately attempted to gather their strength to get up, but their legs would not cooperate. Their arms, and even the rest of their body, had stopped responding to their pleas. Even just opening up their mouths slightly made acid rise into their throats. Their bodies were slowly becoming cold and chilly. ¡°Okay, then. How about we listen to the story? So, how did it happen? All of this?¡± Azadine looked at them with a chilly gaze. At that moment, however¡­ A large crow flew out from a nearby forest and perched on a tree. [The 108th Messenger, Azadine, something terrible has happened.] ¡°Ah, the Emperor¡¯s Voice. I was afraid you had disappeared. But why are you talking to me through a medium?¡± [The Leader dismissed you.] ¡°I already know that.¡± [That¡¯s not all. The Curse of Service has been awakened.] ¡°!!?¡± ¡°Awakened?!¡± Hearing those words, the breath of everyone there stopped as fear spread through their bodies. The Curse of Service between the Emperor and the people of the Messenger Clan. This service was called a curse for two reasons. First, it forced them to remain loyal to the Emperor for eternity. The second was the cruel method that was used to enforce said loyalty. If the collective decision-making body of the Messenger Clan, which included the Leader and the Elders, decided to awaken the curse for someone, then that person would die. The death would not be a normal death. It would only happen after they filled the vacant position they would leave in the clan. ¡°What do you mean, the Curse of Service was awakened? What now?¡± [The Curse of Service will activate in a year. You will probably die after giving birth to the person who will take your place in the clan, just like Acre.] Giving birth, those were the exact terms. The person whose curse was awakened, whether man or woman, would give birth to another member of the Messenger Clan before death. That was another severe penalty of the Curse of Service. ¡°These fucki¡­¡± Azadine usually didn¡¯t use foul language, but he went off like never before. The Curse of Service was awakened for Acre in the past after he stole copies of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth and became the clan¡¯s mortal enemy. Almost the entire clan was mobilized to capture him. However, Acre, who wasn¡¯t even a messenger, shockingly evaded his chasers for almost a year. The people believed it was impossible for a mere scholar who interpreted the magic books under the Elders, who was not even a messenger, to be this strong. They theorized that the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth to have been the source of his power. Yet, not even Acre could escape the Curse of Service. ¡°Blech¡­ I don¡¯t want to be pregnant as a man. Are these people lunatics? I mean, why did the Emperor make a contract for service with these absurd conditions in the first place?¡± [I didn¡¯t create this penalty. Harkonia did.] The first Leader of the Messenger Clan, Harkonia. She was highly revered as a remarkably powerful mage and warrior. Still, a close look at the historical records revealed that she had a nasty, eccentric personality. [And¡­ Ah, I can¡¯t be telling you this right now.] ¡°What is it? Don¡¯t get shy with me now. Get it out.¡± [No, you don¡¯t understand. The magical spell of the Emperor¡¯s Voice allows it to exist in this world forever on the condition that certain pieces of information mustn¡¯t be shared directly. I can talk to you about anything directly related to your body but for other things¡­ Actually, I shouldn¡¯t even be talking to you now that you¡¯ve been dismissed as a messenger because it¡¯s nibbling away at my existence. You¡¯re not even a petitioner of the gold coins, so the act of talking to you is extremely dangerous.] ¡°¡­¡± The other members of the Messenger Clan were astonished as they listened to this conversation. The Emperor¡¯s Voice was going so far as to break the rules just to talk to Azadine. That was a great honor for anyone from the Messenger Clan, one that they couldn¡¯t even dare to imagine. There was only one explanation for this - the Emperor¡¯s Voice thought of Azadine as someone irreplaceable for the future of the Messenger Clan. Azadine was indifferent to this and was instead clicking his tongue. ¡°Yeah, but even so, because of the curse you created, I have to give birth to a child in a man¡¯s body, don¡¯t I? I¡¯m trapped in a curse that¡¯ll kill me, and what are you saying now? That I should acknowledge the risk you¡¯re taking? Are you seriously kidding me right now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s di-disrespectful, Azadine!¡± ¡°The Emperor¡¯s Voice is the Emperor¡¯s will. How can you¡­¡± Calibri and Adan rebuked Azadine. However, from Azadine¡¯s point of view, this was just a situation that was driving him crazy. ¡°What, huh? I¡¯m not even a messenger anymore! All because you people awakened the Curse of Service on me! You think I give a shit about your strict rules or noble language, eh!?¡± ¡°Yeah, but still.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a proper way to do things.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s a proper way to do this stuff, do you think it makes sense to go around dismissing people as you want? Okay, then. Both of you speak up. Why are you trying to catch me? Why, for what reason, was I suddenly dismissed?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡­¡± The two, anxious about who would say it first, then spoke up. ¡°Arael revolted!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Arael murdered Elder Cannahan and stole all the copies of Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth that had been collected.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Azadine tilted his head sideways at those words. ¡°Okay, but then why was I dismissed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Because they thought you were on the same side as Arael?¡± At that moment, Azadine exploded. ¡°What, are you people kidding me! Who left this huge cut on my face, huh? It was that Arael you people loved and died for! And what? Me on the same side as Arael!? Even if we were the last two people on this earth, we¡¯d fight each other to death!¡± ¡°Well, how would others know that about your relationship?¡± ¡°From what we saw, Arael stood up for you so many times. She cherished you so much.¡± ¡°What bullshit! Arael protected me and adored me? Then what about the wound on my eyes?¡± ¡°But you never had eyes before either! ¡­Did you?¡± ¡°How can I trust your judgment! You said it yourself! The role model of the Messenger Clan! The tradition of Harkonia! The great ¡®Arael¡¯ you were all crazy for, didn¡¯t you know she¡¯d revolt? Why are you dumping responsibility on me with shitty judgment like that? Did I ever gain even a single iron coin when Arael was doing so well? No, I didn¡¯t! You guys would try to calm down a crying child by saying she¡¯d be married off to the Moron Azadine! What did I do to have the Curse of Service awakened on me!¡± ¡°Th-that¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know about that.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve all gone mad! Are you that thirsty for the messenger¡¯s position? Go screw yourself!¡± A murderous look fell over Azadine¡¯s face. ¡°Now that it¡¯s come to this, should I just kill off all the people of the clan? Should I let myself go and show you a proper revolt?¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°No-No, try to calm down.¡± Adan and Calibri tried to stop him. If Azadine let loose now, they would be the first ones on the chopping block. ¡°You can just ask the Leader and the Elders to withdraw the dismissal!¡± ¡°Ex-Exactly. There was only one person who actually died from the Curse of Service after our people became Emperor¡¯s messengers.¡± ¡°That person was my father, you bastards? Are you making fun of me now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Bu-But, you see.¡± Adan spoke up, painfully cautious of Azadine. ¡°You¡¯d have to go to the Leader to request the withdrawal of your dismissal, after all. Then can¡¯t you just be caught by us and¡­¡± ¡°Do you wanna die right now?¡± Azadine pulled out his sword at that moment, the look on his face sent a threatening prick over the flesh of everyone there. This wasn¡¯t a joke. At this exact moment, just killing someone wouldn¡¯t be enough for Azadine. Everyone there could sense it. CH 44 Azadine was infuriated, but no amount of anger could change the fact that the Curse of Service would kill him in a year. ¡°In the end, the only option I have to survive is to request the Leader to cancel my dismissal. ¡°Ye-Yeah, exactly. That¡¯s a wise judgment.¡± ¡°Um, yeah. You¡¯ll just have to prove your innocence, right?¡± ¡°Hmm. This is infuriating. Does it make sense for them to kill me if I can¡¯t prove my innocence? In fact, that¡¯s an ingenious method of making people ambitious. Hm?¡± ¡°We-We didn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t vent your anger on us. Our conditions are bad enough as it is.¡± ¡°Hey, for all the shitty things you did to me when we were young, castrating you wouldn¡¯t be enough. Huh?¡± ¡°Gasp¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®castration¡¯? Isn¡¯t that too cruel?¡± ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m in the mood to be kind when the organization I am loyal to plans to kill me as a side bonus without asking for evidence simply because of my sister? I was already sensitive from the beginning! A sensitive boy who worshiped the Three Great Archangels! But if you all continue acting like this, you¡¯ll make me into a brutal, cold-hearted murderer!¡± Azadine was so incensed that he even entertained thoughts of murdering his seniors, Calibri and Adan. He didn¡¯t have any pleasant memories of them despite their long relationship. Honestly, instead of a relationship, the only thing between them was enough resentment. It would be understandable if he packed up everything and chased them to murder them. However, after thinking with a clear head, he would need to refrain from killing his own people to get his dismissal canceled and his request for reinstatement confirmed. Besides, they were also in a village. Plenty of people were moving through the area because this was in a commercial zone where the caravans made camp. ¡°Ugh. I need to bear with it.¡± ¡°So, about being captured by us¡­¡± ¡°I decline. I don¡¯t want to become your ¡®merit¡¯. I¡¯ll handle this my own way.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s an outstanding order for everyone in the clan to either arrest or kill you. There¡¯s no way you¡¯re planning on fighting everyone from the clan you meet from now on, right?¡± ¡°We¡¯d be lying to say that we don¡¯t want to gain merit, but if we capture you, then you can get there safely! Everyone else might just kill you!¡± Calibri and Adan tried their hardest to persuade Azadine, but he kept rejecting this offer. ¡°No. Would the Leader and the Elders even acknowledge me if I got caught that easily? Those people aren¡¯t open-minded enough to admit their own wrong judgments. I bet they¡¯d rather have me dead and buried. It¡¯s just one person, after all, right? So, what I¡¯m gonna do is appear in front of the Salasma District Chief and kick everyone who gets in my way in the ass. Come to think of it, the only people I¡¯d regret kicking the butts of would be Aldis and Master. I don¡¯t even care about anyone else! I¡¯ll just send them to the moon!¡± Mediam and Ismail exchanged glances with each other. ¡®So he¡¯s the type of guy to be blinded by his rage. We¡¯re in big trouble.¡¯ Ismail thought this, but Mediam simply shrugged it off. ¡°Of course, you need to do at least that much.¡± At some point, Mediam had started siding with Azadine. Calibri and Adan were walking metaphorical eggshells around Azadine. ¡°Th-then.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to let us go now, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯d let you go, but it¡¯ll only be a headache if you two gather up other punks to try to do this again, no? They¡¯re still conveying the orders about my dismissal and arrest through the communication network, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°We¡¯re already seriously injured, so there¡¯s no way we can fight you again.¡± ¡°Besides, you guys bullied me when I was young, didn¡¯t you? If we consider that¡­¡± He had plenty of reasons to harass them in return. The moment Azadine said this, Calibri and Adan bowed their heads repeatedly. ¡°Ab-About that, we¡¯re sorry, we were wrong.¡± ¡°Please just think of it as a mistake we made in our childhood and forgive us.¡± ¡°Hm. A childhood mistake?¡± Azadine looked at them as he shrugged. ¡°Okay. I have a favor to ask too.¡± They needed someone else to send the children they had rescued from the bakery¡¯s owner to the wife of Baron Nort. Calibri and Adan nodded their agreement immediately when Azadine asked this of them. They were unsure what would happen if they refused. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ll report that the Emperor¡¯s Voice also defended you.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure. After all, there¡¯s no way the Emperor¡¯s Voice would go out of its way to come to me if I wasn¡¯t the ideal messenger.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll testify to that.¡± Calibri and Adan begged for leniency as if their life depended on it and quickly boarded the children on the Peddler Union carriage. It was uncertain whether they were sincere or simply trying to curry favor with Azadine to avoid getting killed. However, Azadine let them go because he was sure they were no longer a threat. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s hurry and meet the district chief of Salasma.¡± Azadine felt anxious as he was trapped by the Curse of Service. ¡°Rest assured. I¡¯ll guide us there as quickly as possible, Brother.¡± Tarki took the lead and began guiding them. Though Azadine called him a bastard, Tarki was, after all, a noble. He might have been the illegitimate son of Salasma¡¯s Count Casel. However, his mother was still the daughter of a wealthy Baron family. Otherwise, there would be no way he could have hired a group of twenty mercenaries. Therefore, Tarki¡¯s status was different among the Count¡¯s illegitimate children. While he was born to a mistress who wasn¡¯t the legal wife, he could become the Family Head if all of the legal children were killed. Therefore, he had some justification for feeling that it was unfair that he was called a bastard. They had easily passed through the gates under Salasma¡¯s influence because of him. ¡°I am Tarki, the son of Count Casel! I have urgent business, so clear the way!¡± The guards and the vigilantes at the gates did not voice any complaints. Since he had passed through here with his mercenaries, the people at the gates recognized him immediately. ¡®Ah, that fucking dog is here again?¡¯ ¡®What about the mercenaries?¡¯ ¡®How should I know? I hope they died to some monsters somewhere.¡¯ ¡®If not that, did they take all his money and run away?¡¯ ¡®This damned noble bastard. He won¡¯t even die.¡¯ The villagers were silently cursing at him, but they quickly opened a path. ¡°Whew. Did you see that?¡± At first, Tarki had been unnerved, but his behavior became puffed up after passing a few gates with nothing but his face. ¡°It¡¯s certainly comfortable.¡± Azadine acknowledged at least that. He understood why Tarki had been so discontent over being called a bastard. ¡°A man who steals from the people is treated as a noble knight. How corrupt the times are.¡± Thanks to Tarki, their passage through the gates became faster, so their speed naturally increased. Soon they entered a region within close proximity of Salasma. ¨C- Salasma was a city with around 3,000 units as well as subsidiary farms. However, the true source of the city¡¯s prosperity was its copper mines, which had been mined since ancient times. As they neared the city, the number of travelers increased sharply as soon as they reached the subsidiary farms and villages. As there were more travelers, the number of merchants also increased. ¡°¡­¡± Azadine sensed gazes pointed at him through that stream of people and clicked his tongue. ¡®Korasar Peddlers Guild. They definitely know about the killing order against me.¡¯ People from the Messenger Clan recognized Azadine as they passed by him. ¡°Oh my, see who it is.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that Azadine?¡± They were approaching Azadine as if they had been close. However, he had never met them since they were his seniors, and he couldn¡¯t recognize them much. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but who are you?¡± Azadine had no intention of mocking them and was asking this sincerely. As Azadine was well known in the Messenger Clan, they would be able to recognize him immediately. However, since these people weren¡¯t famous, there was no way he would know their names. Yet this seemed like it struck quite a blow to their inferiority complexes. ¡°Oi, you punk¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you acting too much after becoming a messenger all because of luck?¡± From the looks of it, they harbored ill feelings towards him for becoming a messenger despite being supposedly unskilled. At that moment, Tarki stepped forward. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How dare you lowly merchants act up in front of me? Why are you fucking with my party?¡± ¡°No-No. We didn¡¯t mean to, Sir.¡± ¡°We¡¯re sorry.¡± Regardless of their inner feelings, they were posing as merchants for the outside world. They couldn¡¯t afford to be violent with Tarki, a knight, in front of other people. ¡°If a sorry could end it, why do you think there¡¯s the King¡¯s Law!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Um.¡± They looked at people passing by them. Quite a few people were traveling the roads. They could see farmers loading vegetables on their oxcarts, herders dragging their goats along, and farmers with farming equipment loaded on donkeys making their way. There was also a hawker who was selling tea and bread with an advertising flag attached to his back. There was no way they could attack Tarki in front of all these people in this situation. Acting like normal merchants, they repeatedly bowed their heads low enough to almost touch the ground. ¡°Kindly forgive us.¡± ¡°Our ignorance failed to help us recognize your dignity.¡± ¡°Hm. Is that so? Just in time, this Sir is a bit thirsty, so do a kind deed and get me something to relieve my thirst. If you do enough kind deeds, you might be able to be born as a noble in your next life.¡± Tarki cheekily made idle conversation with them. ¡°¡­¡± Azadine, Mediam, and Ismail looked at Tarki in shock. ¡®He¡¯s quite useful, this punk.¡¯ Azadine, who considered Tarki to be nothing until now, approved of this side of him. Those were remarkable acting skills. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We-We have this here.¡± Seeing Tarki pressing them for money so blatantly, the peddlers had to unwillingly hand over money from their inner pockets. ¡°Not enough at all, I see. That¡¯s not enough for my thirst, but hmmm. I can¡¯t really expect much from you. Go away. I¡¯ll be generous and forgive you.¡± ¡°Th-Thank you.¡± The peddlers stepped back, and Tarki gave the nearby people a look. ¡°What? Is there anything interesting to see here? Or do you perhaps wish to do a good deed for this Sir too?¡± ¡°Oh my, no, Sir.¡± Everyone stepped away from the misbehaving Tarki, leaving the path open for him as if they were running away from him. ¡°Good job, you bastard! I saw that again. Amazing acting skills you got there.¡± Azadine¡¯s admiration made Tarki shrug and look at him. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I don¡¯t think this money will even cover minor costs. Should I extort some more from other punks?¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to do that.¡± ¡°How about that guy?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Azadine was surprised to see merchants whom Tarki was pointing at. The merchant Tarki was pointing to wasn¡¯t someone from the Messenger Clan but a normal person. It appears that Tarki¡¯s harassment of merchants was just him following his normal habits. His true form was someone who extorted coins from merchants. To be precise, he didn¡¯t act to help Azadine but simply acted normally. ¡®Ah, this bastard. I complimented him for no reason.¡¯ Azadine had been enraged when he was dismissed and had the Curse of Service awakened on him. However, he was still a sincere believer in the Three Great Archangels. By nature, he was a kind and virtuous person. Once his anger had dissipated, he had no intention of harassing innocent people. ¡°Ah, hey Azadine?¡± ¡°Um?¡± Mediam tried to draw Azadine¡¯s attention. ¡°There¡­¡± ¡°Ah.¡± In front of him, Azadine saw a group of armed soldiers approaching them. A young girl wearing armor and a helmet rode a horse while three armed men and women followed behind. As they saw them aggressively harass the other travelers, they were clearly approaching that side. CH 45 ¡°Tarki!¡± ¡°Um? What? Isn¡¯t that Vinet?¡± ¡°Vinet?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my half-sister.¡± The woman, Vinet, had armor and weapons that matched Tarki¡¯s equipment in quality. However, those that accompanied her, unlike those in Kozel¡¯s or Tarki¡¯s retinue, lacked armaments, with all of them carrying only one longsword and stiff leather armor. They didn¡¯t even have horses. While Vinet was riding a horse, the others walked with a cart behind them that looked obviously stolen from a farm. ¡®How could half-siblings be that similar?¡¯ Azadine was baffled as he looked at the two¡¯s reunion. ¡°What happened, Tarki! What about the mercenaries who were with you?¡± Another of the Count¡¯s illegitimate children, Vinet, approached Tarki while riding her horse. Tarki was also on a horse, and they got close enough that their horses¡¯ heads were within touching distance. ¡°Well, the thing is¡­¡± ¡°By any chance, Tarki, were you the one who crushed Kozel?¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean ¡®crushed Kozel¡¯?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? Kozel lost all of his subordinates, and apparently, his ¡®thing¡¯ got chopped off. Everyone¡¯s going wild over it.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s real! Oh, yeah~!¡± Tarki was happy to hear this. If the son from the legal wife, Kozel, was castrated, the right of inheritance would naturally be transferred to the next in line, who was physically capable. This meant that Tarki would become the heir. ¡°Ah, as they say, if you live righteously, luck knocks on your door by itself. I lived righteously for so long, so the ancestors must¡¯ve helped me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Azadine, who was listening to this conversation, could not control a snort of laughter. ¡®Live righteously? These fuckers will spit out all sorts of nonsense just because they can open their mouths, huh?¡¯ Vinet also laughed at that moment. ¡°By the way, where did all the mercenaries accompanying you go? They left you all alone?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡­¡± Vinet pulled out her sword at that moment. She didn¡¯t wait for Tarki¡¯s reply and went for a quick draw of her sword to launch a surprise attack. Tarki, caught completely off guard, was helpless at the sudden attack. But he then heard the sound of wind piercing through the air from behind him. -Clang! A small stone collided with the sword and sent its blade away. Azadine, wary of Vinet from the beginning, had thrown the rock to save Tarki. ¡®No wonder she was getting needlessly close.¡¯ People from the Messenger Clan were used to using their arrows sparingly. Azadine decided that these punks weren¡¯t worth even a single arrow. ¡°Ugh!¡± Tarki stepped back in shock. ¡°Vinet! You tried to kill me?¡± ¡°Well, I thought about it, and this is better than finding the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth, whose location is unknown.¡± Vinet sneered at him. ¡°Damn it!¡± Tarki drew out his sword as well. ¡°Guys, get them!¡± Hearing her orders, Vinet¡¯s subordinates rushed in. Tarki was astonished because Vinet, who he was close to, had attacked him out of greed. ¡°Vinet! You¡¯re making a mistake. Do you know who¡¯s with me right now?¡± Tarki said this and proudly turned to look at Azadine and his party. However, Azadine, Mediam, and Ismail simply watched him with their arms crossed. ¡°What are you doing, Brother! You gotta help me!¡± Tarki, petrified in fear, stepped back as he faced the enemies¡¯ swords coming at him. ¡°I want to see your skills.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too mean?¡± Having said that, Tarki was frazzled as he tried to block the aggressive attacks of Vinet and her men. Dodging the attacks of four men and women on his own may seem like he was skilled at fighting. However, a logical, unbiased analysis made it clear their skills were below standard. Since they didn¡¯t meet the standard, it was enough for Tarki to simply defend himself while riding his horse. ¡®The soldiers that accompanied Kozel and Tarki were quite skilled. Well, even these guys were probably good enough to mess with normal people. Compared to the Aragasa, though, they were too weak.¡¯ Azadine was doing an objective analysis. At that moment, however, a man rushed at Azadine. It seemed he thought to break Tarki¡¯s focus by attacking Azadine, who was observing in the back. Azadine simply took a light step back, and suddenly, a wide distance opened between them. He couldn¡¯t even chase Azadine because of the large difference in speed. ¡°Mediam, Ismail. You guys give it a try. Don¡¯t kill. Let¡¯s check out your skills too.¡± ¡°Huh? Don¡¯t kill? But the opponent¡¯s coming at me with a real sword?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you manage that much?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ismail moved forward and firmly drew his short sword. ¡°Th-these bastards¡­¡± The man who had dashed in to attack Azadine shook in humiliation as he saw a young boy wielding a short sword at him. Ismail then proceeded to deal with the swings of the longsword using his short sword. ¡°Are you taking me as a joke, you punk?¡± Enraged at Ismail¡¯s blocks using his short sword, the man swung his longsword in a full-blown attack. However, this was all part of Ismail¡¯s plan. Ismail easily dodged the attack with a switch in his step. From positioning his right foot in the front, he freely and nimbly switched to his left foot, easily escaping the attack¡¯s trajectory and counter-attacking on the side. The boy had a weak physique and couldn¡¯t knock out his opponent with a simple hit. He couldn¡¯t use magic either since that would be risky. Instead, Ismail boldly chose to cut the man using his short blade in the inner part of his thigh, where the armor was the thinnest. It wasn¡¯t a fatal wound, but it was an awkward injury that could lead to significant blood loss without treatment. ¡®I¡¯ve seen him before, but he¡¯s quite skillful. This kid can become a messenger and perhaps more.¡¯ Ismail had a large and agile build for a boy but did not possess Azadine¡¯s extraordinary strength. This meant he could not knock his opponent out using a barehanded attack. That was why he decided to inflict an unusual injury instead. The man wouldn¡¯t die if he kept putting pressure on the wound using his hand, but continuing to fight would be impossible that way. Alternatively, he could ignore it and continue fighting, but the wound was deep enough that it could lead to massive blood loss. Ismail saw that he could take advantage of this. The boy was quick and knowledgeable about human anatomy. He was also cold-hearted and had a cool-headed personality. ¡°Impressive.¡± Azadine honestly complimented Ismail and then looked at Mediam. ¡°Do I have to do it too?¡± ¡°Yeah. I want to see your non-magical skills too.¡± Mediam had already showcased her strong magic, but what about other aspects of her skills? ¡°I understand. After all, Azadine, you¡¯re not alone in that body anymore, so I¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I mean, you¡¯re ¡®that¡¯, right? If you¡¯re subjected to the Curse of Service, then by now, in your belly¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re making us fight?¡± ¡°No! Exactly what disgusting thoughts are you¡­¡± At that moment, Tarki¡¯s scream filled the air. Tarki had been trapped by his opponents¡¯ attacks and fell off his horse. It was an inevitable ending as his horse had been constantly pushed back while he defended. His opponents were rushing in aggressively with their attacks, so the horse was probably smart for stepping back by itself. ¡®Is he an idiot?¡¯ Tarki had the best horse and armor there. If he had simply pushed his way through, those poorly-equipped attackers wouldn¡¯t be able to compete with him. But now that he has been thrown off his horse¡­ Azadine sighed and moved to intervene. ¡°That¡¯s it for you now!¡± ¡°Who are you!¡± The incensed men and women swung their longswords, but Azadine grabbed their blades with his bare hands. Thus began a power struggle between the one who held the blades and those who held the handles. Just going by common sense, the ones who held the sword handles would have the advantage. Still, Azadine simply twisted the swords and smashed the holders into the ground. ¡°Ughk!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± Those who had felt Azadine¡¯s power quickly realized that their opponent had extraordinary strength. He possessed a level of precision and focus they were not a match for. However, those who didn¡¯t go directly against him saw Azadine, who didn¡¯t even have a sword, as a joke. ¡°Oh, my?¡± ¡°Looks like this fucker learned a few tricks?¡± ¡°How cute, trying to prove you can handle a sword too, huh!¡± ¡°Do you know how much we spent on a master to teach us sword skills?¡± They all charged at Azadine, but he systematically flung them to the ground and took away their weapons. By the end, they had all been planted upside down into the ground. ¡°Ugh. Th-thank you. As expected of Brother.¡± Tarki got up and thanked Azadine. ¡°Don¡¯t say stuff like that. I¡¯m worried people will think we¡¯re close to each other.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t we gotten pretty close, though?¡± ¡°No, just¡­ keep your act straight, for god¡¯s sake.¡± Azadine was sick of these bastard noble children who habitually looted the populace. ¡®What sort of lives do these punks live for them to be like this!?¡¯ Azadine may be one of the Messenger Clan who was persecuted as soulless blasphemers by the whole world. Yet, even he did not want to become entangled with these people who lived such a terrible way of life. ¡°Damn it. Who is this guy!?¡± In a fit of rage, Vinet rushed her horse forward without hesitation to trample over Tarki and Azadine. ¡®She¡¯s better than Tarki, at least in terms of tactics, I guess? But¡­¡¯ Azadine dodged the horse¡¯s forward dash with ease and firmly grabbed Vinet¡¯s legs. Vinet swung her sword at Azadine, but he simply removed her foot from the spur strap and pulled it straight, dodging the sword aimed at him. As expected, Vinet was thrown off her horse. ¡°Ack!¡± As she fell, she had perhaps fallen awkwardly on her crotch as she screamed in pain. ¡°Ah¡­. pe-pelvis! My pelvis¡­¡± Azadine overpowered Vinet¡¯s party and traced them back from where they had come. He soon saw a crying farmer who they had stolen the cart from. Seeing the heap of hay lying haphazardly on the path, it seemed that those people had confiscated a cart used to transport hay, thrown the hay out, and then loaded it with their loot. ¡°I¡¯ll return the cart, so try to return as many of the looted items as possible.¡± When Azadine said that, the farmer kept bowing his head to him. ¡°Thank you! Really thank you. Excuse me, your name¡­¡± ¡°The legal heir of Count Casel, Tarki!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Azadine glared at Tarki, who had cut in front of him. ¡°Enough of that. Oi, you. Load the hay back onto the cart.¡± ¡°Huh? Us?¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll do it. Or do you think I should? Oh my, what¡¯s with these punks? What do you bastards think you are?¡± Azadine asked Vinet, the illegitimate child, and she replied with a groan. ¡°Urgh. They¡¯re my friends.¡± ¡°Friends?¡± ¡°Excellent adventurers.¡± ¡°Excellent?¡± Apparently, Vinet was a self-proclaimed adventurer who loafed around with a gang of similar-minded bastards. They spent their days simply chatting and lying about. She had taken to wandering after being lured by the Count¡¯s declaration that he would allow the finder of the Heavenly King¡¯s Book of Truth to become Head of the Family. However, she had quit the search and instead feverishly fell into looting. During this, she had heard the news that Kozel was now disqualified and had gone to look for Tarki. ¡®They¡¯re thoughtless, immature kids. I¡¯ve nothing to say. To make it worse, while people are struggling with the drought, punks like these are going around looking for the Heavenly Book. Does that even make sense?¡¯ Azadine questioned a few of the self-proclaimed adventurers and found that they weren¡¯t even at the level of nobility. They were children of wealthy families who worked as clerks, engineers, lawyers, and so forth. They liked playing around and had gone with Vinet for easy loot and coins. ¡°Great! If you don¡¯t load that heap of hay, I¡¯ll remove all of your armaments and tie you up to that tree over there. Without your pants, that is.¡± Vinet and her party turned pale at Azadine¡¯s threat.