Night of the Soulless Heathens – 348



#348. Erantry Quest 4

“Calm down Cedrin. Your family will be freed. I do use necromancy but I cannot accept binding souls with wights. However Lord Sok is not easy. Let’s see if we can get a chance. It is good to want to do right but if your heart gets ahead of you and you do something wrong that is also bad karma. But back to the main topic what the Count said….”

Azadin sighed and said.

“I don’t like falling for the tricks of the Arangi Kingdom but I have to accept it. It’s true that Naisandokhar used to belong to the Arangi Kingdom.”

“Yes. That’s right Captain. But… Are you going to accept refugees as soldiers in the future?”

The region asked.

“Yeah. We have to give them jobs they really need them. Why?”

“No it’s good to accept refugees. Grain prices have gone up recently so it’s hard to buy grain with the soldiers’ wages. We give the soldiers lunch and 10 pennies a day but grain prices have gone up recently so lunch already costs about 4 pennies.”

The barracks provide lunch to the soldiers. It is a meat porridge made with beans and oats. It is hard to say that it is delicious but in the current situation it is enough.

But even so it was only for lunch and those with families had to buy food separately for them.

However the soldiers’ lives are not good because their salaries remain the same but food prices continue to soar.

I gradually became unable to feed my family even if I spent all my salary.

In Azadin’s territory women and children who could not serve as soldiers were given jobs and paid but even under such circumstances grain prices were rising so steeply that they could not make a living.

“Allow soldiers to receive part of their pay in grain in kind.”

“But wouldn’t that mean the losses would be even greater? The merchants would keep a tight grip on the keys to their own granaries until Chadra’s granaries are opened. This would all come straight out of the captain’s warehouse.”

The Azadin clique has mountains of gold and silver confiscated from the Chashans so paying their salaries in hard currency is not a problem.

However grain is a different story. It is something that disappears when eaten and now that Fimbulbert is expected the value of grain is rising without limit.

If you think about the profit you can pay in hard currency as per the original contract. Most people don’t have any other choice anyway… and you should be very grateful that Azadin is paying only in hard currency.

But Azadin’s will was firm.

“I don’t want to provide free relief to refugees. But I also don’t want to cause people to suffer so much that they can’t support their families even if they receive a fair wage.”

“But if I receive the title of Count more refugees will come. If I maintain this system I won’t be able to stop the food outflow… Is there a way?”

Jibek asked Azadin.

“The food of the Chadra Plateau is strength. And Sir Azadin if you truly wish to practice the teachings of the Trinity shouldn’t you teach them to the people? You should use that strength to carry out your will.”

Zibek knows that most of the refugees are simply those who have come to seek food. If Azadin had been a true rescuer and a follower of the Trinity he should have taught them his ideology instead of simply providing them with relief.

however….

Azadin rejected such teachings.

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“I just don’t want people to suffer from hunger. Hunger is such a cruel suffering. Even if you wave bread in front of starving people and talk about the virtues of the Trinity it is an insult to virtue and people.”

Even if you skip a meal or go hungry for just one day unbearable pain will wreak havoc on your body.

The body lashes out at the soul ordering it to do whatever it takes to get food into its mouth.

You can kill a person and sell your body for a piece of bread.

They even commit cannibalism.

That’s what food is like and that’s what hunger is like.

“Azadin.”

Zibek called Azadin’s name.

“Your words are correct. But Azadin. You are a messenger. Do you know what that means?”

“I know.”

“No I don’t know. Even Darhan Zadek the rightful royal family of Btuma had traitors among his people when his army was low on food and the situation was dire. How much more so you the Herald Clan many of these refugees are half-hearted about you. They are only supporting you because they can put food in their mouths right now.”

“….”

“When you feed them muzzle them as well. Pay them in hard currency and give grain only to the meritorious subjects to compete for loyalty. If they don’t like the competition for loyalty make them memorize the scriptures of the Knights of the Rescue or whatever.”

From the tired face of Zibek’s suggestion Azadin knew that he had been deeply hurt by the death of Darhan Zadek.

No the chivalry of the Jebek has been in tatters for a long time. It is a rotten old tree that could collapse at any moment unable to find another way out just holding on even though its wounds are festering and rotting away.

Nevertheless his words were filled with genuine concern for Azadin.

“You already know my answer.”

“….”

Jibek smiled bitterly.

It was a tired and weary laugh.

“I know.”

“As an excuse if you don’t provide food and decent jobs prostitution and crime will run rampant. The teachings of cults will spread. When you think about it it’s cheaper to open a granary.”

“What if you don’t make excuses?”

“If I’m not making excuses I like watching people eat.”

“….”

“I want this.”

Azadin’s subordinates who were listening burst into laughter.

Azadin loved the moment when the crumpled expressions on the faces of refugees changed to relief and joy when he gave them food.

Regardless of the heavy responsibility of teaching the Trinity or being a guide to the destiny chosen by angels he was a person who simply rejoiced in the moment when people were freed from suffering and found peace.

“But… Fimbulbert will become even harsher than it is now. Sir Azadin. How long will you be able to maintain chivalry and humanity?”

It was also a question that Zebeck posed to himself.

After losing his light and withdrawing from the King’s Church he has been wandering. Azadin has the right intentions and wants to help him but… he feels lost as if he is looking at a mountain path that he does not dare to climb.

“I have something in mind.”

Azadin said so and showed a calm attitude. With his mysterious eyes and the many feats he had shown so far Azadin’s subordinates had faith in him.

So this time I wanted to believe it too.

But then blood started flowing from Azadin’s nose.

“uh?”

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“Azzadin Kofi…”

“hmm?”

Azadin noticed blood flowing from his nose only after wiping it with his hand.

“I think I bumped into something. Haha.”

Azadin made excuses and laughed it off.

*********

Refugees flocked to the outskirts of St. Mallory the headquarters of the Knights Templar.

The refugees had requested rescue from the Rescue Team because monsters were appearing along the coast.

However the rescue team currently has its doors firmly closed and is making excuses for not letting in refugees.

Instead he would occasionally boil some porridge and share it with people to make a living.

“They say Fimbulbert can last at least three years but it hasn’t even started its first year and it’s already like this?”

Sir Gareth Captain of the Tercios who had returned to St. Mallory shivered as he looked at the refugees’ tents from the high walls of St. Mallory.

“Sir Gareth. Have you heard the rumor?”

“What kind of rumor is that? That the King’s Church is offering the Northern Qi the strange title of King of Kings?”

“That’s also true… I heard that the Kingdom of Arangi is offering the title of Count to Sir Azadin of the Herald Clan.”

“Hmm?”

“A change of Count to the Jeonryang clan? It seems that the Arangi Kingdom is having a hard time.”

“What would happen if that were to happen? The lands of Sandokkar Naisandokkar and the Chadra Plateau would all fall into the hands of that herald clan? Oh my… they would become great lords?”

“It’s a bit small but you could call it a kingdom. To a ridiculous herald clan like that!”

The Tercio soldiers who had come to Gareth’s side grumbled. They were offended by the fact that a soulless blasphemous lowly and repulsive being had passed over them and become a high lord.

But Gareth who had seen Azadin in person and knew his character smiled bitterly.

“Sir Azadin is more than capable of handling that.”

“Huh? What is that….”

“I can say this because I saw it for myself. Sir Azadin is… a great knight.”

“….”

Sir Gareth’s words left everyone speechless. They had never heard Sir Gareth praise someone so highly before.

“Then shall we cooperate with Sir Azadin from now on?”

“No that’s not true.”

Sir Gareth acknowledges that Azadin is a great knight but he does not think that he should cooperate with him.

There will be more trials ahead for Azadin and if he fails to overcome them it is certain that he will suffer together with the wicked one as if he were struck by lightning by a wicked man.

“We have to do our best in our position. Ah.”

Then Sir Gareth found a messenger calling him from beneath the walls.

“Sir Gareth! There’s going to be a meeting in the main hall!”

“also.”

Sir Gareth smiled bitterly and ran down the stairs that were too high for a dwarf.

*********

The Rescue Knights held an emergency meeting of the United Church of Christ to discuss recent issues.

There are two main agendas for this meeting which is attended by high-ranking officials from each religious denomination.

How will the Knights react to Azadin being appointed High Lord of Arangi while also being a Knight of Salvation and to Cohen of the North being given the title of King of Kings in the King’s Church?

This is the agenda for the meeting to be held.

‘It’s sad. Even at this moment refugees are flocking in and monsters are emerging from the sea and invading coastal cities and towns. Am I supposed to be doing politics here?’

The Rescue Knights had locked the gates and left all rescue and subjugation work to Celestial Fire.

The Celestial Fire Knights which had been the private property of the Wisdom Order were reorganized to accept the advice of both the Courage and Mercy Orders.

Even if the Order of Courage and the Order of Mercy use torture they know that the actual owners of the Celestial Fire Knights are the Order of Wisdom.

So I wanted to use and consume Celestial Fire in various dangerous missions such as battles and subjugation.

They wanted to preserve their power entirely by consuming Celestial Fire instead of their own knights.

Sir Gareth detested such political meddling but he could not refuse the choice of the Order of Courage and lead his men.

I may hate him with my mouth but I have no intention of wasting my courage on him. Sir Gareth was a realistic man in both good and bad ways.