Night of the Soulless Heathens – 145



#145. Reader Route 4

Azadin felt sorry for them as he looked at their awkward situation.

‘The population density is high… and there aren’t many places to light a fire. Even if food and supplies are stored in the castle it won’t be able to last long. Our opponents are Arael and Aragasa after all.’

In the castle of Coral Sahar the knights of the King’s Church the knights of the Order of the Salvation and the soldiers were waiting in line. As Azadin moved with the castle’s messenger a cold gaze was fixed on him.

As soon as you enter the audience room the atmosphere changes clearly.

The throne of the Yaegas gods. It was a huge quartz throne buried deep in the earth. On top of that quartz throne sat Ancetus IV the current king of the Kingdom of Korasaru.

Knights stand on either side and the king sits on the throne to greet him.

‘This is a very formal audience. I think it would be better to talk comfortably in private.’

There are some things that Azadin can provide in terms of information and stories that cannot be shared in public. Given that this kind of formal meeting is only uncomfortable for both parties.

Of course Azadin did request an audience but it was merely a formality for meeting the king.

‘Should I have asked you to meet in secret? Was he worried that I might be an assassin? But why does the King have such a dark expression? He seems exhausted. Well in this situation it’s not like he’s in a position to stretch out his legs and be comfortable.’

King Ancestor IV of Corazon spoke first.

“Ah. How bold. The Herald Clan. How dare you come here alone. First of all let me commend your recklessness.”

“Take off your mask. This is the presence of the King.”

The maids demanded that Azadin take off her mask.

“yes.”

When Azadin took off his mask everyone was shocked. There was a large horizontal wound where his eyes should be.

“Blind?”

“There was no sign of that at all?”

“….”

Everyone knew that Azadin had walked in looking around calmly. Who would have thought he had no eyes?

“It’s okay to wear a mask.”

“Yes thank you.”

Azadin put his mask back on grateful for the king’s consideration.

“So. Who are you?”

“My name is Azadin the 108th messenger of the Emperor.”

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“108th rank? Isn’t that the lowest rank? Even Corasar seems to find it funny. Sending a lowest rank messenger to meet the king of the eight kingdoms.”

Ancestus IV showed his open discontent.

It seemed as if he was thinking that Azadin the lowest of the 108 messengers was underestimating him.

“We are short on manpower so I a messenger of the lowest rank dared to come before Your Majesty and upset Your Majesty’s feelings. I am ashamed to say this but my clan is currently divided into two and fighting a civil war and I have been insufficiently considerate of this. Please do not blame the foolish actions of these short-sighted people.”

“Civil war?”

“Yes. Led by the traitor Arael they stirred up the Nagas and used nether magic to summon this storm in order to seize the throne of Korathar.”

When Azadin said that the crowd began to stir.

“The traitor’s actions… called for a storm and tempted the Nagas?”

“…It’s scary.”

Doesn’t this mean that it wasn’t the entire herald clan that moved with one mind and one heart but rather that the actions of a few of them brought the Kingdom of Korasa into this crisis?

It is no wonder that his subjects are terrified.

Then a man who appeared to be a knight of the King’s Church stepped forward. He was a middle-aged man with a hunched appearance and wore a monocle.

“Your Majesty! May I speak to you?”

“Sir Aldorf… tell me.”

“We must catch that heretic and torture him immediately.”

“Are you saying that I should swear at those who come to me?”

“The messenger clan is a lowly and blasphemous people who lie as often as they open their mouths. You can’t believe what they say. It must be a trick to confuse our minds with disinformation.”

A knight named Sir Aldof was shouting that Azadin must be killed.

“And look at that eyeless figure! And yet he doesn’t look blind at all so he must be using evil magic to replace his eyesight. He is spreading pollution with his evil magic even at this very moment so we must catch him and kill him immediately!”

Azadin laughed at Aldoff’s words.

‘No if you attack me in this situation you’ll just be smearing the king’s face. Are you in your right mind?’

If you think about it rationally no matter how angry you are killing someone who came peacefully as an envoy will only result in loss.

But it is a pretty good way to shake up rationalists. Threats have always been useful as a negotiation tactic to shake up rationalists who act rationally and get more out of them than they normally would.

‘Oh I see. You’re not trying to shake me you’re trying to shake the King.’

Azadin confirmed that the magic power was not flowing properly from the throne.

The king was seated but the light of the crown was not emanating from the throne. In other words from the perspective of the royal church King Ancestus IV was not the rightful king.

And I could sense that Sir Aldov cared about who was behind him.

‘Cardinal Corazar?’

Azadin smiled bitterly as he noticed the priest behind Lord Aldoff smiling with conversion in his eyes.

“There is no time to engage in political strife like this. You are talking nonsense.”

“What?!”

“Arael’s goal is the throne of Korathar. Once the Nagas break into the castle she will appear and aim for the throne of Korathar.”

“Oh you blasphemous!”

“That’s ridiculous!”

The Yaegas Throne is a powerful magical artifact that chooses its own master.

The idea that a herald clan despised as soulless blasphemies could seize the throne was an unacceptable and blasphemous story for the King’s Church.

“The author is a madman! He must be executed immediately!”

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The King’s Church tried to call for Azadin’s death but Azadin coughed in vain as he looked at King Ancestus IV.

“There seem to be a lot of people who are trying to interfere so I would like to either leave the room or talk to them separately.”

“What?! Do you dare to make fun of our church now?!”

The priests of the king’s church chanted the rosary. But raising one’s voice in the audience chamber before the king is an act that is degrading to the king’s dignity.

‘It looks like King Korasaur has also been completely cornered.’

The new king of Yaegasu must prove his worth.

The capital city Coral Sahar was flooded because the Light of the King did not activate and the Nagas were invading putting them in danger but they were isolated and unable to even call for reinforcements.

It is no different from saying that the king is not worthy of the throne. That is why the priests of the king’s church act so arrogantly even in the presence of King Korasa.

“i get it.”

Ancestus IV accepted Azadin’s proposal.

It would be an enormous risk for the King to arrange a private meeting with the Emperor’s messenger who was notorious for being an assassin.

However he would rather have a private conversation with the assassin than talk to the priests of the King’s Church who are always looking for an opportunity to bite him.

Then the vassals also began to oppose.

“your majesty!”

“The messenger clan are all vile and cunning assassins!”

“Please reconsider!”

Everyone was in an uproar because they wanted a private meeting. This is exactly why Azadin requested a private meeting.

‘It must be quite difficult for the king. How can we have a conversation when he interferes in every little thing?’

Azadin sympathized with the king’s plight in allowing him to have a private meeting.

*********

He changed his position in the audience room and moved to the king’s private room.

There were armed knights but they were the king’s bodyguard.

“So you had a private meeting. Are you trying to assassinate me?”

“No Your Majesty. I think it might be a sensitive topic.”

“What if it’s a sensitive topic?”

“The light of the King’s Flower isn’t working properly?”

“Indeed…. This isn’t something you should be talking about in front of your vassals or knights.”

“The priests already know so they are acting so brazenly towards His Majesty. Is that Lord Aldov? What is his status?”

“He’s my nephew.”

“Niece? Usually….”

“If you are of royal blood in Korasa send you somewhere else.”

The King’s Church is where those who are not of royal or noble blood are ordained. That is why priests of royal descent are not originally ordained in his kingdom.

If you don’t deliberately keep the royal family far away they will gather supporters within their own country and cause trouble by vowing to return.

“But he’s an illegitimate child. And even if that weren’t the case I have many weaknesses.”

“The reason the King’s Light doesn’t work is because the Nether ritual was performed inside. It’s not your fault Your Majesty.”

“….”

Perhaps this is what Ancestor IV most wanted to hear right now.

“So what do you want to do messenger?”

“…My guess is that Arael has already infiltrated the palace.”

“What? Why do you think so?”

“Otherwise the story wouldn’t make sense. She is a being who strongly displays the Emperor’s characteristics. Do you know that there is an illegitimate child of the Emperor among the Heralds?”

“Is it the bloodline of Emperor Yaeslat?”

The King’s Church tried to reject the Emperor at all costs but Emperor Yaeslat was the most powerful Yaegas deity since the founding of the Eight Kingdoms.

A living sage god who single-handedly took the thrones of all eight kingdoms and ruled the world with the light of the most powerful king.

It was an open secret that that bloodline ran through the Herald Clan.

“Is that woman named Arael a descendant of the Emperor?”

To be exact no one knows how the Emperor’s bloodline is passed down to whom. First of all it is certain that the Emperor’s bloodline flows through the five great families of the Jeonryong Clan but it is unknown whether there are other people who share the Emperor’s blood through some kind of marriage or extramarital relationship.

However if it is later expressed as a trait it will end up as ‘Ah this guy is of the Emperor’s bloodline.’

“Yes. So he is trying to sit on the throne himself. He is pushing those guys aside. In order to do that we should assume he is already waiting near the throne.”

“That would apply to you as well. How can we be sure that you’re not a spy who infiltrated Arael or something to seize the throne?”

“Such doubts are reasonable. Well that’s why I have no choice but to work hard to resolve this situation and prove my sincerity. First let me investigate the throne and its vicinity. I want to know how the light of the king’s flower was paralyzed.”

“…couldn’t it be that the light of the king’s flower went out simply because there wasn’t enough fruit?”

“There have been many tyrants and evil rulers up to now but the light of the king has never completely gone out.”

You are not such a tyrant or a villain.

That’s what Azadin was saying.