Night of the Soulless Heathens – 363



#363. Call of the Throne 1

“Don’t run away! Fight back!”

Niselda lunged at Griselda hurling insults at her but elite vampires and dwarf guards blocked her path.

“Damn it! Griselda!”

Then Azadin came to her aid and stopped her.

“Niselda. That’s not what I meant.”

“yes?”

“That’s what I’m saying. What the hell you tried to do something and got knocked out right away with one blow? And you still go around showing off your face in front of the other vampires and calling yourself the boss?”

“Whoa! Let’s see!”

Griselda was indignant at Azadin’s tantrum and opened a secret passage.

“You run away every time and just wait and see? Don’t you say things like ‘Fear the night’? Well you can’t say something like that when you might be alive until tomorrow night right?”

-Kururung!

The secret passage is closed.

Once closed the secret passage was made of thick stone and could not be opened by force.

“Damn it! Running away again!”

Niselda’s rage clawed at the stone wall.

*********

Zibek and Bernard began to deal with the remaining vampire remnants.

The vampires Griselda brought were powerful beings but they lost their will to actively resist after Griselda ran away.

The vampires who were hit by Aurelia Dawn and suffered from burning pain further drained their fighting spirit.

“Eww!”

“Please have mercy!”

“Kill me!”

Seeing their comrades struggling and begging to be killed after being hit by Aurelia Dawn the other vampires start to run away one after another.

In the end only one remained.

It was Bishop Acenar.

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She stood there dumbfounded looking at Azadin.

Azadin was only able to face her after he had finished severing the airways of the suffering vampires.

“Count Azadin…..”

“Bishop Akenar. I’m sorry I’m late. I came to rescue you.”

“But I’m already a vampire. I’m already dead. Now I’m just a blood-sucking corpse with memories of my past life.”

She took off her mask.

Black hair and brown eyes. Exotic but beautiful.

A deep look hung over the face of the beautiful woman of Cheetah blood.

“Please take my head and end this miserable life Count Azadin. But I don’t like Aurelia Dunn. I am ashamed to say that I have committed such atrocities and yet I fear pain. Couldn’t that Azuresteel axe kill me without pain?”

“Bishop Akenar. You are just a victim. You have no reason to die.”

“No Count Azadin. To my shame I willingly surrendered to violence and pleasure when I was intoxicated by vampire blood. That is the truth without a single lie. Because I who had not been able to choose anything in my life whether to marry or break off an engagement chose violence and pleasure.”

Acenar was a victim of a political marriage.

The king of Arangi had a political marriage with her but later as Chitai declined and Assander grew up he willingly chose to remarry the daughter of Assander’s king Northern Emperor Cohen Lionaire.

“Becoming a vampire was something I Griselda did to dishonor my bloodline but it was my own will that unleashed my anger and lust. It is only right that I bear the responsibility for that.”

“So you think you deserve to be punished?”

“Yes. Now I don’t want to live any longer. My life up until now has been nothing but suffering. And my future life will be the same. Your letter gave me a little joy but how could I enjoy that joy when I have become such a dirty monster?”

“Then please hand me the mask. I think I can complete my Erantry quest with that.”

“….”

Bishop Akenar handed over the widow’s mask that had been hiding his face. Azadin took the silver mask and declared

“Then I will punish you Bishop Akenar. Naisandhokar needs an administrator. An administrator who is well-educated and knowledgeable and who does not offend others.”

“yes?”

“My punishment for you is to work you as an administrative bureaucrat with little pay.”

“No but I… am a vampire!”

Then Niselda comforted her.

“It is possible to control vampirism. Mother Chadra has that power. I also receive help from her to control my desires.”

“Even if I could return to being human rather than being a being that controls my thirst for blood I don’t want to return. I want to die and be at peace! That would be appropriate for my sins…”

“If you truly consider yourself a sinner I thought you would agree that you cannot choose your punishment. How presumptuous of you to dare to choose your punishment.”

“Ha but… even now if Griselda orders me to I will attack you!”

“Griselda won’t be alive until tomorrow. I promise.”

“that….”

Akenar was taken aback by Azadin’s reckless words.

“I’m not joking. We really need someone to take care of the administration. Right now I have Orc take care of the administrative paperwork but the Seris are making a fuss saying they’d rather commit suicide.”

As Scott worked on the paperwork he harassed the existing seri janitors and bureaucrats. Every word he said seemed to be a living shell without any ill intent so many bureaucrats submitted their resignations.

Regardless of Scott’s competence he is not helpful to the organization.

“You need me? Really?”

“Yes I need it. It may be a minor position compared to Bishop Akenar but I need your help.”

“….”

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“Please wait here. I will return after I kill Griselda.”

“…..”

Akenar although perplexed decided to wait as Azadin told him.

*********

“With all due respect Count Azadin. Do you really intend to employ that vampire as an official?”

Edir asked out of curiosity.

“Of course. I’m not kidding about needing her. If we keep having Scott do all the administrative work we’ll all die of frustration.”

“But isn’t that disloyalty to the Order? You will report her death to the Order won’t you?”

“It is not worthy of virtue. Where is the justice in punishing a soul that has suffered all its life for something that was not its fault without any consideration?”

“But is it really possible for a mere low-level paladin to make such a judgment? If he were to unilaterally decide what is good and what is evil without consulting the higher-ranking clergy I fear that the organization’s discipline would collapse.”

When Edir said that everyone was startled.

“Then do you realize that it is reckless for a mere servant to dare to spit on the Count?”

There was a subtle murderous tone in Niselda’s voice.

But Azadin stopped Niselda.

“If you truly want to be a knight you must be loyal not to the organization but to the virtues and ideals themselves. The same goes for the King’s Church. The King’s Church holds the king in high esteem not because he has the blood of a god but because he protects the people with all his heart.”

“…That’s right.”

Zibek sympathized with Azadin.

After being excommunicated Zibek who is inwardly lost is startled by every word Azadin says.

Of course Zibek also believes that Azadin’s words are correct in their beliefs.

But believing in something and putting it into practice are two separate issues.

I didn’t have the confidence to stand up and face the whole world telling me to get on my knees and admit to my mistakes.

But how is it that Azadin has such an unbreakable spirit?

Why is it that this person who is the most despised and hated of the lowly and hated race is so hated and despised?

The question crossed Edir’s mind as well. What on earth did this monk believe in that made him keep asking Azadin questions?

“Are you really saying that you can cure me of being a vampire? Turn me back into a human?”

This time Edir asked Azadin a question.

Niselda answered instead.

“Rather than turning you back into a human… I can save you from becoming a blood-sucking monster. If only I had the help of the Mother Superior.”

“The Mother Superior of Chadra can do that? What on earth is she…?”

“She is Shade Hag. She is the daughter of Wild Magic but she left the witches’ group and joined the Knights of Salvation.”

“…ah.”

Edir clicked his tongue when he heard that.

“Are the Knights of the Salvation Order in their right mind? They’re using Shade Hag as their abbess? They’re a strange sect with no foundation.”

“What’s wrong?”

Niselda’s breathing became ragged.

I cannot stand to see the venerable Mother Superior and the Knights Templar insulted.

And I cannot stand the impudence of this man who kicks away Azadin’s kindness who speaks sincerely to him as a mere servant right in front of my eyes.

But Azadin calmed Niselda’s anger and said:

“Shade Hag Half Vampire Minotaur Herald Clan… Regardless of birth anyone who believes in the Knights’ creed is a brother of the Knights. I am not in a position to be picky about the help of talented people.”

“….”

“Edir you too. I need your help.”

“yes?”

“Nisandokhar didn’t start out as such a big force. It was only because each and every person believed in it and followed it that it was able to grow into such a big force. In the future we will need the help of more people.”

“Is that so? But you are heroes and I am merely a servant. I have pride in myself as a swordsman but…”

Compared to the swordsmanship of the half-vampire Niselda the blood mage Bernard and the Xebec Edir’s power was so insignificant that he had no choice but to take on the role of porter.

“How can I be of any help?”

“The people who came with you praised you for arriving safely in Sandokar thanks to you.”

“yes?”

“I heard that you came to lead and protect the people of Sandokkar. Tell me now. Thank you Edir.”

“Count?”

Edir wondered if Azadin was sincere. Was he really saying that he had helped?

Was leading the people to Naisandhokar worth receiving a thank you from Azadin?

Is it really true that this herald clan cherishes and appreciates not only their helpless servants but also each and every one of the refugees who are just there to eat food for coming to their land?

“…The Count is truly a knight of salvation.”

Niselda did not like Adir but she had no choice but to let go of her anger when Azadin showed him gratitude.

Perhaps that is why Azadin openly praised Edir.

So she preached to Edir that Azadin was truly a knight of salvation.

‘That’s ridiculous. A soulless blasphemer has the most sincere faith of anyone?’

At that moment Azadin who was walking in the lead stopped moving.