Night of the Soulless Heathens – 460



#461. The Evil God’s Messenger 2

“Knock knock knock.”

Azadi coughed and frowned.

Blood was oozing from his hands.

Death was approaching with every passing moment.

This body should have died a long time ago.

A miracle his sister’s life and Azadin’s longing and will are forcing his dying body to breathe.

But this expedition was so harsh and arduous that I felt like my life was slipping away like sand between my fingers at every moment.

‘Just a little more we’re almost there.’

Azadin was suffering alone.

At that moment Jibek’s voice was heard from outside the tent.

“Can I come in?”

“Come in.”

Azadin allowed Zibek to enter the room.

“Are you okay?”

Jibek asked as he walked into the tent.

The core of Azadin’s army is maintained solely by Azadin’s individual ability and charisma.

But what if Azadin falls in the middle of a war?

“It’s okay.”

Azadin sat up telling a lie that was impossible.

“There is only a little left.”

Currently the continent of Hybris has lost all contact between the South and the North.

Originally there was a north-south exchange axis connecting Korasar Tarasar and Karasar and an exchange axis connecting Chitai and the Rescue Knights Arangi but with the destruction of Korasar and Bthuma the east coast exchange axis was cut off.

In addition the northern axis of exchange was cut off when Azadin took control of the Banreung and Aranggi areas.

Because Azadin was declared a heretic by the King’s Church.

However if Azadin were to gain control of Chitai he would be able to independently revive the northern trade axis and establish a bridgehead for spreading the New Testament to the north.

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It will definitely be a huge leap forward.

“So what’s the matter Sir Jibek?”

“That is…..”

While Zibek hesitated another figure came to Azadin’s tent.

“Your Majesty. The governors of Chitai have come to see you.”

Niselda walked into Azadin’s tent and was startled by the smell of blood lingering inside.

Her eyes wavered as she saw Azadin bleeding.

As a half-vampire her thirst for blood and more importantly her concern for Azadin’s health were weighing on her.

She also knows very well that if Azadin falls all of this will be over.

“Are you okay?”

“It’s okay. But the princes came to see you?”

“Yes. It is said that the intellectuals and officials of Chitai have come to petition Your Majesty but most likely they are just old-timers who have come to dare to test Your Majesty.”

“There’s no need to say that. We’re advancing quickly and have sent security forces to maintain martial law in the places we’ve captured. It’s true that they have demands. Let’s not have any preconceived notions before we meet.”

“Are you okay?”

Niselda asked again.

Although she didn’t say anything Azadin could tell why she was asking.

Niselda asked if it was okay for Azadin’s illness to be seen in front of the barons who had just surrendered because it was so obvious.

“Is it that obvious?”

“I don’t know if it’s because I’m a dirty vampire but the smell of blood is strong. I think humans can smell it too.”

“It’s okay. What’s the big deal about smelling a little blood in an advancing army? Let them in.”

Azadin ordered the princes to be brought in.

*********

Azadin organized and deployed security forces in the conquered areas and he thoroughly ruled the cities with his own confidants.

The Chitai nomads who had just surrendered were placed in the vanguard and those who had run so far and were in urgent need of rest and regroup were left in the rear to act as security forces.

Isn’t it a complaint about them?

With that thought in mind Azadin let the petitioners in.

The governors of Chitai who came this way were surprised to see Azadin and immediately began to prostrate themselves in a manner that only a king of Chitai would do.

“I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to meet His Majesty the Holy King Azaddin.”

“what?”

Azadin was taken aback by their attitude which exceeded his expectations.

The Holy King? Is that what you call Azadin?

They had long suffered from the recklessness and ignorance of the Yaegas tribe and they praised Azadin’s new medicine so much that it showed the way for the king to advance and made the people the foundation of the country.

“When we first saw the New Testament teaching that virtue and achievement not bloodline are what prove the way of kings we were dazzled and our hearts trembled as if we had seen light at the end of a long dark cave.”

“I can’t tell you how much I have dreamed of serving His Majesty Azadin since that day.”

“….”

Azadin felt disgusted at those who openly praised him.

Are you saying that I looked like such an idiot that I would be flattered by such compliments?

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If he was truly so inspired by Azadin why did he resist until the gates were opened?

“Nonsense. If you had said that before the military opened the gates why are you talking nonsense now? If you move your tongue three inches more I will consider it as insulting me and pull out your tongue while you are still alive. Let’s stop talking nonsense and get to the point. Why did you come?”

“….”

The princes looked at one person seeing Azadin’s fierce rejection of their flattery.

A scholar-looking man stood up. He was wearing glasses but the frame broke so often that he had to tie it to his hat with a string. He smiled jokingly and answered

“I apologize for seeming to insult Your Majesty. However please understand that this was reasonable from our point of view. With all the rumors about Your Majesty running wild we could not help but prepare for the possibility of someone who likes to flatter you.”

“So you insulted me?”

“No. If you flatter someone who likes flattery they will like it and if they are a prudent person who hates flattery they won’t immediately pull out our tongues or anything just because we acted like that for a little while. I just thought they were that prudent.”

“But if I had only wanted to shock and shake you and gain the upper hand I might have pulled out half of your tongues. To sound the alarm for those who were late in opening the gates. Haven’t you ever considered that?”

“Haha. I know that’s not true. Although it was flattery it’s true that I was impressed after seeing the new medicine. I’ve once again confirmed that Your Majesty has a warmer soul than anyone else….”

“How rude!”

Niselda who was listening became angry. Discussing whether or not Azadin had a soul was a remark that was overly conscious of the fact that Azadin was a messenger clan called the soulless blasphemer.

Wouldn’t it be extremely rude to dare say in front of the king ‘I doubted whether you had a soul and you do?’

But Azadin stopped Niselda.

“So what did you come to ask for?”

“Of course we came to confirm the rights and limitations of the governors who usually gave notices to each region. We intend to be loyal to His Majesty Azadin but if so wouldn’t you give us back our autonomy? If so we will actively work for Your Majesty.”

“So you came rushing in and betrayed King Chitai and you want me not to doubt your loyalty? Are you asking me to trust you with the back door even though you might lock it?”

“Half of the people who have gathered here are people who only care about their own power regardless of who the king is. The other half are cowards who are loyal to the three-legged king but do not want to shed their own blood so they bow their heads to Your Majesty. And the rest are the educated class who are anxious to ride Your Majesty’s new wind. Yes. Of course you should not believe us without thinking. We are like the Bu-pyeong-cho who will immediately swear allegiance to anyone who holds a knife to the neck of those who value their own safety above all else. But isn’t that the life of the common people?”

“So. Those people could have just stayed still but why did they risk their lives and come to me?”

“The current garrison capacity is low and the city’s resources are not being properly allocated. We will never be able to last long if we continue like this.”

“Why do you think the garrison can’t hold out but you guys can?”

“To my shame I have singled out the city and its surrounding residents. The vagabonds outside the city have not been provided with food and those who try to enter through the walls have been punished while only looking after their own safety. On the other hand Your Majesty has declared a new covenant and regards the people as the foundation of the nation so even the vagabonds have been accepted and this difference has caused many problems. Your Majesty’s will is clearly the way of the king but in reality there is no good or evil.”

The scholar appealed to the fact that he could not trust the loyalty of the governors who had now gathered but that the current governors were still necessary to Azadin.

Azadin fed all the residents without discrimination.

Beneath it was Azadin’s meticulous human resource management and his struggle to use anyone he fed somewhere.

As Azadin’s men clumsily followed suit the city’s food reserves were rapidly depleting.

“If this continues it won’t last long Your Majesty. However if Your Majesty were to rule the city directly Your Majesty’s dreams and ideals would be damaged in order to keep the people from starving. So please leave it to us.”

When Azadin saw these scholars and governors he tried to maintain a critical attitude toward them.

But the scholar with his amazing eloquence saw through Azadin’s current situation and what he was thinking and clearly grasped the problem.

It is clear that he is a very talented person.

“Hmm what’s your name?”

“My name is Bachelor Garasan.”

“Do you have any interest in becoming a staff officer in our military?”

“Am I Your Majesty’s staff member?”

“okay.”

“It’s something I’ve been hoping for. But I’m worried. If we bring in a renowned scholar like me won’t the existing staff members lose face?”

“You don’t have to worry about that. My staff is all competent.”

“Haha being competent is all relative. Even though I look like this I am a renowned scholar in Chitai. I have won first place nine times.”

The past system of Chitai was to select officials from all over the country through examinations and the top position was awarded to the best among them.

“Why are you looking at the past nine times? Why didn’t you just look at it once and get the top score and then get appointed?”

“My family makes a living by teaching scholars who are taking the civil service examination so if I were to receive the top award and become a government official I would be flooded with requests. If I were to just receive the top award and return students would flood the academy. The pay is very good and it’s not a bribe or a request so it’s good. I kept taking the civil service examination to promote the academy so that’s how it ended up. So those who Your Majesty thought were gems and gave them important posts are just stones to me.”

“I don’t know if this will offend you but do you have any orc blood in your veins?”

Azadin doubted Garasan’s lineage due to his arrogant remarks.