Night of the Soulless Heathens – 39



#39. Curse of Service 1

Calypso woke up with a shaky expression. Her head was spinning and her stomach was rumbling.

“I lost?”

“Rather than saying I lost…”

The servants of the Corasar guild of merchants were embarrassed. Should I tell them the truth? That they were lying in the same room?

Then Azadin said.

“Then keep your promise Calypso.”

“That’s right.”

He felt it was unfair that he was surprised by Azadin and defeated in one blow… but his body was in no condition to fight again. The damage caused by Azadin’s one punch was no joke. He didn’t have the courage to rush in and fight again in this condition.

“Among the children on the list those who are living as slaves take them to the sanctuary and become their guardians. If there are any who refuse to go to the sanctuary and come from wealthy backgrounds investigate their guardians. You won’t regret it will you?”

“No matter what I am also a messenger. I don’t take back words that I have already said so easily.”

Calypso grumbled and clicked her tongue.

“Why again? Why are you using formal language all of a sudden?”

“Well come to think of it since you’re older than me I think I should treat you like a senior.”

From Calypso’s perspective since she was knocked out by Azadin in one blow insulting Azadin is like spitting on someone. It would be better for her to respect Azadin.

“But how did it turn out like that? You can’t even use the Flower Bird and Moon right? As expected from Elder Kazas?”

Elder Kazas who is Azadin’s mentor is a mysterious elder whose face has never been seen in the Sanctuary. He is only listed by name in the Senate and does not show up during meetings.

When he suddenly appeared forcibly pushed Azadin as a messenger and disappeared everyone cursed him… but after Calypso fell fast asleep after being hit by Azadin’s one punch thinking about it it was definitely Kazas’ talent.

“Well the Master will act himself when the time comes. It’s not my place to inform him about him. Please take care of him better. Ah I’ll check on the children on the way to Salasma. You take care of this side.”

“Yes senior.”

After losing Calypso followed Azadin neatly calling him her senior.

“Oh by the way. Where did you get that bone wand?”

“I killed and stole it from the Kurt cultists in my area.”

“Really? Hmm so this is mass-produced.”

“I see you got a senior too. Then this.”

“You write it. If you come across a copy of the New King’s Book while you’re out and about you should retrieve it.”

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“Okay then let’s get this done quickly.”

Calypso bowed to Azadin and left first with her men.

After parting ways with Calypso and her party Azadin loaded the wounded onto the wagon of the Korasaar Peddler Guild and left the sawmill village.

“But it’s really unexpected.”

Medium muttered as he looked back at the devastated sawmill.

“The dead are coming back from the dead causing black magic disasters and killing the living. They deserved to die though. A copy of the Book of the New Kings has also appeared and the Kurts are also on the move. This area continues to suffer from drought and this seems like a sign of a great disaster coming.”

“It’s not a sign it’s already the beginning.”

Azadin felt the copy of the New King’s Book in his arms and guessed that things would not be smooth going forward.

*********

When Maya woke up in the carriage she was surprised to hear the story of the members of the Corasar guild.

“You saved us? You defeated those undead?”

“Yes. Fortunately we hired some mercenaries. And you guys have already defeated quite a few undead.”

The staff of the Korasarr Bobusang Guild clarified the situation as they had previously discussed with Azadin.

After Tarki Kaka Chiko and Maya were all defeated the undead fled when they arrived. A woman’s corpse was buried under a tree and when she was dug up the forest’s poison disappeared.

That was the way the words were matched.

“So that corpse was the cause of the black magic disaster. Hmm. Oh by any chance what did I say?”

“The horse was eaten by the wyverns. The saddle bag was recovered though.”

“ah.”

Maya sighed as she saw that only the saddlebag was left behind. The saddlebags that the merchants had recovered were not only hers but also those of her father Lord Gazrek.

“….”

It will probably be difficult to find Lord Gazrek.

“Then I guess we should return to Salasma. Are you guys going to Salasma?”

“We are peddlers and we walk around here. At the intersection of the roads we introduce you to other merchants going to Salasma.”

“Okay. Thank you for your consideration.”

“Don’t worry. Our income is good thanks to the other merchants going out.”

It wasn’t an empty promise. The farms inside the forest were suddenly isolated due to a black magic disaster at the sawmill but when the Korasaar Peddler Guild arrived they sold their goods at a very cheap price making a lot of profit.

“Then now that we’ve arrived at the Continental Road if you’re feeling well I think it would be a good idea to rest at an inn or something. The carriage is probably….”

To the merchants empty space in their carriages means money. By allowing the wounded to be carried in the space where more cargo could be loaded they are in fact helping out at the cost of enormous losses.

Knowing that Kaka and Chico could no longer rely on them even though they were not feeling well.

“however….”

Kaka looked back at Azadin.

“You seem to be no ordinary pilgrim. My sister… is to my shame a bit of a fortune teller and can foretell the future.”

“uh?”

Azadin had a complicated expression on his face at those words. Most people who could predict the future or tell fortunes were frauds.

But Chico said to Azadin.

“Perhaps you will become a great knight. Or perhaps you already are.”

“Great Knight?”

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Azadin is the Emperor’s messenger a man who can never become a knight. And great knights do not exist in this world.

In an age when chivalry is a laughing stock a man who could never become a knight is called a great knight…

The absurdity of it made the members of the Corassar peddler’s guild burst into laughter but when Medium glared at them fiercely they all fell silent. This was because they remembered Medium threatening them with a knife to their throats.

‘Damn. Calypso is broken so badly.’

‘Azadin that guy can’t use magic so it looks like he only learned martial arts. What if he foolishly tries to fight you at close range? You idiot.’

The members of the Corasar guild of peddlers resented Calypso for making such a ridiculous mistake and overturning the already prepared table. However some of them thought otherwise.

‘But even if I let my guard down could I knock out Calypso with one punch?’

‘Calypso is still sick.’

‘When he was young Azadin was a guy who couldn’t even do his job so how could he be like this…’

Azadin’s reputation was the worst but at least those who were present now knew that Azadin’s skills were no ordinary ones.

“Then we will go to the Cell Sword Guild to report so I will see you later. Aren’t you going to Salasma?”

“Oh that’s right.”

“Then I guess I can go with you sir.”

“Ugh.”

Tarki hesitated. Azadin and his party were messengers so they would not want to go with the chief. If Tarki went with Meiya Azadin would likely part ways with him.

He could have returned to Salasma with a party of merchants or paladins but Tarki was afraid of meeting his other ambitious brothers and sisters and being killed along the way.

If you go with the merchants you won’t be attacked by thieves or highwaymen but you won’t be able to stand a chance against the count’s half-brothers who come determinedly.

It was because the knights and merchants would not fight against the count’s half-children to protect Tarki. Fortunately however Meiya refused to accompany him.

“No. I will go and look for my father who may be nearby. You guys should go to Salasma first.”

As Maya said that she began walking towards the gate that the Rescue Knights were blocking the way the group had come.

“…I wonder if it’ll be okay for a woman to be alone.”

“Well it’s okay since you’re a knight right?”

But then Azadin’s expression darkened.

“Oh what is it? Azadin? Are you worried about that paladin?”

“No that’s not it…”

Azadin was perplexed.

‘Can’t you hear the Emperor’s voice?’

The basis of the Emperor’s messenger system is the artificial spirit the ‘Voice of the Emperor’.

It is a useful spirit that gives advice within the framework of the laws set by the Emperor finds petitioners to the Emperor and delivers them to the messengers and also informs the messengers of the date and time.

But for some reason I haven’t heard the Emperor’s voice since this morning.

‘I can’t even say anything about this. What is it?’

Azadin didn’t understand why this was happening.

*********

Calypso and her men were leaving the Emperor’s Way and moving along a side road. They were not followed by the servants but by merchants from the Corasar merchant guild.

“But are you really going to surrender to Azadin?”

“I have obtained the Bone Wand that seeks the Book of the New King… If I waste my time gathering children of those who are not even my clan other messengers will take the Book of the New King and rise higher.”

Looking at Calypso’s parents her father was a servant of the Corasar merchants’ guild and her mother was a Hybrisian.

It is quite unusual for a child to become a messenger when neither of her parents were messengers. It seems that Calypso is very talented.

But that’s why his desire for social advancement is even stronger. Although he became a messenger thanks to his talent he is actually at the bottom of the hierarchy. That’s why he came to know.

What a blessing it is to have good parents and to be able to train in an affluent environment from a young age.

So Calypso tried hard. Just becoming a messenger would gain her recognition within the clan but if she could earn more merits by collecting the emperor’s gold coins or copies of the Divine King’s Book she could marry someone of considerably higher rank in the Saban family.

It is to be accepted as a member of the Saban family the founding family.

For that reason many messengers wanted to perform their duties more faithfully and achieve great feats. But at this good time to achieve great feats they were given a job that had nothing to do with their major?

“There’s nothing I can do. I lost the duel.”

“Isn’t this a formal duel between the ranks of heralds?”

“That’s fortunate. Otherwise I would have suffered even greater humiliation. Ah let’s have him join the Corasar Peddler Guild.”

“why?”

“Why? Because I don’t want to be the only one who gets hurt. Since you have a bad reputation in the clan you’ll probably get attacked by a lot of guys. If there are a lot of guys who get beaten up then my duel failure will be a minor issue.”

Calypso giggled as she said that.