Night of the Soulless Heathens – 420



#420. Southern King 1

Azadin struggled to finish the post-war settlement of Vissen. Originally he had tried to minimize the expeditionary force to facilitate supply but as a result the post-war settlement was delayed.

“Your Majesty I think you should come and see for yourself. There are mountains of corpses piled up in the abandoned mine shafts.”

“Oh shit…..”

Now that Count Ivechek of Sandokar has been assassinated Azadin wants to quickly return the expedition force. However the post-war process is not easy. There were many Btuma refugees in Bissen which is adjacent to Btuma but the Bissen people rebelled took the refugees’ food and property and killed them all abandoning them in an abandoned mine.

Azadin was determined to thoroughly investigate this case and punish all those involved so he had to investigate the case himself and not leave it to someone else.

“First of all Indim Seraph.”

“yes?”

“Can you guys at least make a move? Go to Sandokhar investigate the assassination of Count Ivechek and track down the perpetrator Camilla.”

Azadin assigned Indim and Seraph to investigate and pursue the case. This was the original duty of the Emperor’s messengers and no one was more suitable than them.

“It’s the kind of work that a messenger of the Emperor would do. If we leave it to you wouldn’t it give the impression that the Aragas are secretly colluding?”

Indim was complaining.

But for now their help was desperately needed.

“Okay. Don’t say things like that. Just ask for anything you need or for security.”

“Okay there’s no need to play around with unnecessary emotions right? Let’s leave right now.”

“Okay. Please.”

Azadin left the investigation of Camilla to Seraph and Indim and headed to the court.

Even though it was a courtroom it was a makeshift stage set up in the square. There was now a scaffold set up for hanging and the former governor officials and soldiers who had played a leading role in the massacre and pillaging of the Btouma refugees were brought out.

Azadin indifferently confessed their crimes and executed them. The gallows could only hold six people at a time but there were so many that it took quite a while.

Executing the bureaucrats would make post-war management much more difficult but there was no intention of sparing those who had massacred the refugees.

“The province of Vissen will be abolished. It will be rebuilt later but for now until Fimbulbert leaves the losses from operating the mines here will outweigh the benefits. It would be better to move all the residents to Coxhall where the climate is milder.”

Azadin decided to withdraw the governor of Vissen province and leave Vissen alone for a while.

This concludes the post-event processing but this now raises the problem of moving the residents to a safe place.

Fortunately this could be done using waterways so all that was needed was to find a boat.

“Hmm. Your Majesty. It’s a bit hard to use the ship these days.”

Ismail was in a difficult position. Having become the closest associate of Midiam and a leader of the messenger clan especially the Etar clan Ismail also became the liaison for the trading house run by the messenger clan including the Etar clan. From the perspective of such a trading house gathering ships to transport Bisen’s goods and people was no easy task. It was because the nagas were swarming along the coast making it difficult for ships to sail.

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“There are currently no spare ships in the trading company. However there is a trading company that is willing to lend us a ship.”

“Then I should borrow it. Which company is it?”

“This is the Telbarin Guild.”

“Telbarin…..”

Azadin frowned when he heard that.

Although they go by the name of the Telvarin Guild most people call them a group of slave traders.

These black-skinned elves are a quasi-criminal group that operates strictly for the benefit of the elves just like the Herald Clan’s trading houses.

“Is the Telbarin Guild here?”

“Yes. I have come from the direction of Btuma. I would like to request an audience.”

“Let’s meet first.”

Azadin decided to meet the Telvarin Guild that had come to Vissen.

*********

“It is an honor to meet you a person of such great reputation.”

The Telvarin Guild’s messenger was a silver-haired elf with black skin.

She was a tall woman a hand taller than Azadin with smooth skin that seemed to be cast from black bronze. She was a beauty with a bronze-colored metallic tattoo on her black skin giving her the appearance of a statue rather than a human.

“Your Majesty’s great reputation is pleasant to my ears. King of the New Testament.”

“So you?”

“Ah my name is Agilea and I run a small shop called Telvarin Guild.”

Surprisingly it was not the branch manager but the guild master himself who attended.

Although he was surprised by that fact Azadin deliberately did not show it.

“Ms. Aguilera. Nice to meet you. I heard you could lend me a boat.”

“Yes. I think Your Majesty needs it most right now. And we are merchants so if you pay a reasonable price we will gladly provide you with the service you deserve. How about five two-tiered speedboats? If you cram people in each ship can transport about 200 people at once. I heard that this Bisen province is being closed down and considering those who are going by land wouldn’t it be enough to evacuate everyone in one go?”

“…hmm.”

Azadin clicked his tongue at Aguilera’s words. It was a good suggestion. But in these times when ships are rare and useful it’s impossible to just lend them out.

“How much does it cost? Can I pay with food?”

“Haha. Of course not. What we want is a promise.”

“….”

“Of course I am not asking you to lend me just five ships. I am saying this in order to maintain good relations with Your Majesty in the future. There are negative rumors about Telvarin but in reality we are simply placing the right people in the right places to bring about better productivity in this world.”

She spoke very euphemistically about the act of capturing people and enslaving them.

The parties who have become slaves may not be able to accept this.

“Really? Then what do you want from me?”

“I hope you will accept my daughter. I do not dare to wish for the position of the first wife but if you will accept me as a concubine we at the Telbarin Guild will continue to do our best for Your Majesty.”

“Look. I already have a wife. I don’t want to add more concubines.”

“Haha. Of course I know that. But if you’re a great hero shouldn’t you sometimes do something like polygamy for the sake of the people’s unity? Especially for a minority like us we can’t trust anyone unless they’re married.”

“….”

Azadin laughed.

No King Arangi was murdered by the elf queen and these elves are so shameless.

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“Can’t we pay in some other way? It seems premature to decide to marry when we’re renting five ships. Besides didn’t the elves side with the Northern Cohen Lionaire? Why did you contact me now?”

“You misunderstand. We are not subordinates of the Northern Qi Cohen Lion. Should we say we are simply patriots who are concerned about the future of our people?”

“He’s a patriot… So why is he a patriot to me?”

“Because you are the true sage king rather than the Northern Emperor. But if I say that you will have a hard time believing it. Yes in fact we want the warm land in the south. Do you understand if I say that?”

Azadin smiled at the words of the Telvarin Guild Master.

So it seems like he wants to look good to Azadin who rules over the warm regions and while it may seem reasonable at first glance it isn’t.

‘You’re hiding your true intentions. You’re saying things that a normal merchant would never say.’

After all the Arangi Kingdom is also a concern as is the notoriety of the Telvarin Guild which is famous for being slave traders.

“First of all I refuse the marriage proposal. I don’t want to deal with it that way. If there is no other way to pay for it I will pretend that the ship charter never happened.”

Azadin showed that he could even give up renting a ship. Indeed Telvarin’s Guild Master Agilea seemed slightly taken aback by Azadin’s bold actions.

“That’s unexpected. I heard that you are a noble person who is willing to make any sacrifice to save the people.”

“If marriage is a sacrifice that must be made then it is right not to do it right? And even if we don’t borrow your ships the Bisen people won’t die right away right?”

“Oh you didn’t know. Even the Kurt Pantheon has designated you as the enemy who must be defeated by King Azadin. The Tooth King’s army is advancing south from the east. They will be here in a week and more.”

“what?”

Azadin clicked his tongue when he heard that.

*********

Arael’s voice confirmed the fact.

[They are right. A large army is currently moving south along the mountain range. The Ogre army has already set up camp in the Btuma region and they are preparing for war.]

After briefly checking the information Azadin smiled bitterly. He had confirmed that Arael’s voice had been carried quite far away and what the elf merchant said was true.

“The Celestials with their crimson wings as well as the Elemental Wailing patients who have seen visions of destruction regard Your Majesty as a thorn in their side. And it is said that the believers of the Kurt Pantheon have heard the revelations of the gods. Whoever defeats King Azadin of Banling will be granted eternal life and glory. He will become the right hand of the gods and on the day of his death he will be lifted into the sky and enjoy the glory of joining the eternal hall of the gods.”

Elf Aguilera spoke of the revelations of the Kurt Pantheon.

“You know too well.”

“Yes because we also have the faith of the Kurt Pantheon.”

“….”

“A good person should serve many people. Is there any reason to stick to just one religion?”

In other words the story was that unlike humans elves also worshipped the gods of the Kurt pantheon. The gods of the Kurt pantheon were the gods of races that were hostile to humans such as the Nagas giants and goblins but the elves even maintained their faith.

If humans believed in such a belief the King’s Church would have burned them alive… But the elves lived freely in their own territory with minimal interference from the King’s Church so they must have kept such a belief.

“The King of Tooth’s army will advance south in a week? How many? What types of troops will they be?”

“Will you fight me? I think that is impossible. Your Majesty don’t you have many problems right now? If you cooperate with us we will become your loyal servants.”

“It would be foolish to believe at face value the merchant’s words that he will become a servant. But all right. I will charter a ship.”

“then….”

“But I can’t get married.”

Azadin nailed it. He had seen many cases where noble blooded queens and princes had lost their minds after marrying elves.

Even Azadin himself could not be confident that he was an exception.