Night of the Soulless Heathens – 131



#131. Sunken Ship 1

Brand found a hidden drawer in a bookshelf among a vast number of books and discovered the secret book and safe stored inside.

“Oh really. If there had been no guidance I would have wasted five hundred years here.”

Medium was amazed to see many books.

If only Brand had come to his senses at just the right time I would have spent all my time here rummaging through my study.

“It may be hard to believe that Count Garnahair is old but he was a very intelligent and talented man in his youth. He was a great lord with a promising future.”

“I can’t believe it.”

“That’s what growing old is like. It’s like you change into something different every day without even realizing it.”

Brand looked back on the past in pain then approached the writing table and began to write.

“I will transcribe important parts of the Count’s memoirs for you. The parts about the Emperor’s treasury.”

In his youth Count Garnahair traveled around in search of the Emperor’s treasury leaving his memoirs. It is said that he went almost to the Emperor’s treasury and obtained the related treasures including the Emperor’s key.

“where….”

Azadin read the manuscript Brand had handed him.

“Where the thrones of Aranggi and Banreung intersect. In the land where the snake twists its body twice there is a gate to the old kingdom with traces of an old waterfall and here an ancient craftsman who made a contract with the emperor made the key to the treasure. The two keys were divided into two one for the king of the old hill and one for the king of the old furnace and they pledged their loyalty to the emperor. The emperor arranged for the time to come in the distant future in order to reserve the power to protect humanity when the Age of Jupiter approaches. It is possible to enter with the key but when the treasure vault will truly open it will be the Age of Jupiter that the emperor is preparing for.”

Azadin read it and clicked his tongue.

“What are you talking about? This? Even if you have the key it’s impossible to open the treasure vault but you can still enter and exit?”

“As you can see there were two keys. Arael only took one so don’t worry too much.”

“There is nothing to worry about.”

In any case didn’t Arael already have one of the two keys?

Moreover Arael had many talents and was a very powerful magician herself. There was nothing Azadin could let his guard down about.

“You don’t know how hard the Count tried to get the key and open the Emperor’s treasury. But he couldn’t.”

“Arael is a self-proclaimed goddess so she’d probably be more capable than the Count. Well.”

“Hahaha. In the eyes of this old man you Azadin are also a human being. Here receive the treasures that the Count has been keeping. They are the dwarves’ treasures that the Count has been keeping along with the Secret Book so they are probably more important than the key.”

Brand took out an orange pen a black arm sleeve and chainmail gloves and handed them to Azadin.

“This pen is a pen of fire letters. If you heat it with flame and write you can use the magic of fire letters.”

Brand heated the tip of his pen by the candle and wrote on his halberd with it. Flames danced on the halberd and the letters began to appear and the blade began to burn by itself.

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“Is it good?”

“Actually it’s not very useful. It only works if you light a fire and if the axe blade goes into the skull you’re going to die anyway right?”

In other words why bother putting flames on a weapon when you’ll just die if you get hit by the sword? There’s a way to project heat by holding the sword on the armor for a long time but there’s no reason to hold the weapon on the armor for long enough to transfer the heat to the opponent.

“No. It’s a close combat weapon.”

On the other hand for the herald clan that uses bows as their main weapon it has a different meaning. It is very useful because you can cast fire arrows without consuming much magic power.

“The Toshi is the Toshi of the Shadow Shield. This is considerable. And the gauntlets are the Gauntlets of Power. They are all treasures of the Dwarf King so they are of little value but please take them. They will certainly be of great help in finding the Emperor’s treasury.”

“These are magical treasures. Where are they?”

Azadin tried on the Gauntlets of Power and picked up the large bronze scribe stand next to his study.

I can hear it.

However Azadin was already strong due to physical strengthening through the Kazas spell so this alone could not be considered effective.

“…It doesn’t work on me. It seems like the gauntlet’s magical power is what activates the body.”

Azadin felt the gauntlet’s magical power clashing with the magical power of the twisted grimoire within his body rendering it ineffective.

“Anyway can I decide to give something this precious without Sir Guillaume Wald’s permission?”

“If you wish to open the Emperor’s treasury you will need these to gain the trust of the dwarves. Of course these are valuable treasures in their own right but Sir Guillaumebald is not such a stubborn man. You know that.”

“You broke it in the middle with your axe. There won’t be any hard parts left.”

“Haha. That’s right. It’s too late to say this but Sir Guillaumebald will be a great count. He will be a great ruler incomparable to his father.”

Although he himself had tried to kill Guillaume Wald Brand had high regard for Guillaume Wald.

“I agree with that. But I’ll take it after consulting with Lord Guillaume Bald.”

“That is the right thing to do.”

“What are you going to do from now on Sir Brand?”

“I will remain here to assist Sir William Wald bury my children and look after any blood relatives who may have escaped alive.”

Brand who had said so bowed deeply to Azadin as a gesture of respect.

“Azadin of the Herald Clan. I cannot thank you enough. When I was in my madness I saw you become a knight among knights a great hero whom all men would look up to whether it was the madman’s delusion or a vision given to me by the spirit of madness.”

“….”

The prophecy of madness. It was a worldly superstition that the prophecies uttered by madmen would eventually come true. Even prophecies such as the Age of Jupiter which were passed around by madmen were considered prophecies of madness and were feared.

According to the laws of the King’s Church any madman who spoke of the Age of Jupiter was liable to execution but in reality no executions were carried out because there was a belief that harm would befall anyone who carelessly harmed a madman who spoke of the foresight of madness.

But didn’t Brand who had fallen into madness prophesy that Azadin would become a great hero?

“Are you a hero?”

Azadin smiled bitterly.

“I also just saw it in my confusion so I don’t know if it was a delusion or a premonition. However I hope that all the angels will protect your future. I hope you will be prosperous…”

Brand bowed his head sincerely and thanked Azadin.

*********

“Somehow I feel like I’m being used for no reason.”

Chatie was casting a regenerative spell on Guillaume Wald’s arm and wrapping a splint around it to keep it in place.

“Ugh…. Oh it tickles so much.”

“Don’t scratch. It’s bleeding. It’s just the bone that itches so scratching the skin won’t help. I guess I’ll have to apply a thick bandage. Anyway warm-blooded animals don’t have the regenerative power so they’ll groan just because their bones are a little broken.”

“Hmm. Do you have any intention of staying in Lantarik?”

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“Do these people think of me as some kind of cure? Why don’t you take care of yourself a little? I have to go. This is the magic of the Kurts. No matter how great the Kurts’ power is shouldn’t those who serve the Yaegass be at least somewhat considerate?”

“Not only that… Anyway I have no more information to extract from you and you have already been branded a traitor by the Nagas so going back will only lead to suffering right?”

“If I explain you’ll understand.”

“Are you saying that they are such a generous organization?”

“….”

Certainly Shati knew that her fate was now so twisted that it would be difficult to forgive her unless she brought along a copy of the Book of the New King.

‘No in the first place I lost the Shinwangjinseo to that guy. There should be at least three no more…’

As I was thinking that Azadin came out of the study.

“Shati. Are you done with the treatment?”

“Yeah. Well it’ll probably be broken for about two weeks but it’s a relief compared to the slow natural healing ability of warm-blooded animals right?”

“I see. Well then take care. Count Lantaric.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have to report that Arael and her party stole the key. I have to go back to my clan and talk to someone higher up. If possible I have to lift the curse of service.”

“Is that okay?”

“I swear I will let you go.”

“yes?”

“Arael tempted me with the promise of lifting the curse. I don’t know if the Senate is stupid enough to continue using the curse as a weapon but I don’t think they’re that stupid.”

Guillaume Wald was taken aback by Azadin’s words.

‘Well it’s highly likely but it’s his business his life is at stake and he can be so sure based on a guess. Should I say he’s an amazing person? His martial arts skills are amazing but aren’t his courage and brains what’s truly amazing? The messenger clan is truly scary.’

“Oh and I forgot to mention that there was a dwarven treasure in your father’s study and Mr. Brand said it would be safe for us to take it. But I thought I should hear from you.”

“Take it.”

“You haven’t even told me what it is yet?”

“What you have done for me has more than saved my life. What could be more? Besides if Lord Brand says you will need it then you will.”

“Thank you… No I’ll just borrow it. I’ll definitely return it someday.”

“Haha. Then I will wait. In the meantime I will take in the people of Salasma who are suffering from famine and the refugees from the war. With your help I have obtained the position of Count Lantarik so I must become a ruler who is not ashamed. I will become someone who is not disgusting to the Emperor’s messenger Azadin.”

“To that extent…..”

Guillaume Wald’s determination was so firm that Azadin felt ashamed of himself.

*********

As the sun set lanterns were hung in Lantarik.

The city which was as prosperous as if not more so than Salasma was abuzz with anticipation for the new count.

“Sir Guillaume Wald. Isn’t he so ugly?”

“I heard you’re ugly.”

“Adler Prince is handsome you know.”

To the common people nobility was nothing more than flashy clothes and appearances that provided gossip. In that sense people supported Adler more than Guillaume Wald.

Azadin smiled bitterly as he listened to the conversations coming from the bar.

“How dare you judge someone by their appearance when they are the one who will determine your fate.”

“There is no expectation from the nobles until now.”

Rather it was Zibek a knight of the King’s Church who said so.

A member of the King’s Church who teaches that it is natural for the bloodlines of the Yaegas to rule the world emphasizes rather than denies the corruption of the nobles. This is not something a devout knight should say.

Has there been a change in Lord Jibek’s mind?