Night of the Soulless Heathens – 476



#477. Guardian of the World 3

“Why didn’t you tell me about this until now?”

Kista the only woman among the three questioned.

“Why did you hide the fact that you were defending humanity against Fimbulbert?! If you had told us we would have come to you sooner…!”

“I have never hidden it. I have declared time and again that I am the Lord of the Sacred Throne for the greater good. But have you listened to me? Have you not?”

“But there must have been a way to make people believe right? For example if you took away the protection for a moment and showed people the miracles you performed…”

“I must confess that this has only recently become possible. If we had done something like that before the protection would have disappeared in an instant and the bitter cold would have struck freezing all the northern crops we had planted in the south. Even a single frost would destroy the crops.”

Azadin planted northern crop varieties on his southern farmland in case food supplies ran out in Fimbulbert.

Even in the coldest climates in the subtropics where the oceans would freeze over the crops were able to grow and harvest safely which was the result of Azadin’s protection.

If Azadin had withdrawn his protection there and focused his power on battle the crops would have frozen to death.

Even if we win the fight it’s meaningless if people starve to death.

“Is this something that only recently became possible?”

“Yes. By understanding this Fimbulbert better I was able to use my power more effectively. To do that I also had to deal with the Fimbul Horde.”

“ah.”

Only then did Azadin’s subjects realize.

In the past Azadin gave the Wendigo dagger to Lord Sok and gained knowledge of how to ward off the winter cold.

But at the time it wasn’t easy to understand what we had gained.

Sir Sok who wants everyone to become undead and break through this bitter cold Fimbulbert is a mad wizard who claims that humanity will soon end. I didn’t know why Azadin made a deal with such a person but it was necessary.

“When did you become available?”

Jibek who had been listening to the conversation between the two couldn’t contain his curiosity and joined in.

“I didn’t have time to research so I finished it while riding the elves’ ship.”

“Then you’re saying that you couldn’t do it until you left Chitai Changgokwan? Wasn’t it too dangerous?”

“I’m busy so I’ll stop now.”

‘No it’s dangerous. What would have happened if I hadn’t done it?’

‘But it is like this. Your Majesty is always walking a dangerous tightrope without showing it.’

Azadin’s subjects groaned with a chill to their hearts.

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If you succeed that’s great but what if you didn’t have enough understanding of winter magic from Sir Sok even after spending time with him?

If you fail to achieve your goal you will be dropped into enemy territory defenseless.

Yet Azadin never showed it and always boasted that he could do it.

He has dragged the kingdom to this point doing his utmost to maintain the organization struggling alone without telling anyone about his troubles like acrobatics.

But to those who don’t know his inner self it would seem that Azadin just appeared out of nowhere and achieved the feat of becoming the king of the South.

‘But wouldn’t he have suffered alone? Would he have told the queen?’

Jibek thought of the dashing queen.

Medium Etar.

She has some similarities to Azadin so she knows Azadin’s worries and will be able to act calmly even if their fates are like a light in the wind.

I hope so.

I hope that at least one person will share Azadin’s pain and support him….

“I have shown you this and revealed the truth because I believe that you have trained and cultivated yourself as Aragasa. If you seek miracles serve the god of the Nether. If you seek personal loyalty do not betray the Northern Qi. However if you wish to uphold the cause I will become your chieftain. So what is your choice?”

Azadin asked the northern Aragats.

‘In fact isn’t the escape route already blocked? If you want to serve the Nether’s messengers there’s no way you’ll be spared. Even if you keep your loyalty to the Northern Qi…’

Azadin’s subjects who were watching thought so but the northern Aragasa were excited by Azadin’s words.

“If the cause is yours Your Majesty please lead us.”

These are people who would normally laugh at the word “principle” but now things are different.

The elders of Northern Aragatha all knelt before Azadin.

The three of them also prostrated themselves before Azadin and showed their utmost respect.

“We swear allegiance to Your Majesty.”

“Long live His Majesty Azadin the true God-King!”

The northern Aragats abandoned the Northern Qi and joined Azadin.

*********

When Azadin succeeded in persuading the northern Aragatha half of the elves who had arrived at Inalli Fortress with Azadin fled.

Ismail led his men to search the area around the fortress in pursuit of them but without much success.

“I’m sorry Your Majesty. The elves left no trace.”

“If you ask the other elves they say they don’t know?”

“Yes. So can I torture you?”

“No don’t do that. It’s a waste of time.”

Azaddin discouraged Ismail’s torture suggestion.

When asked about the elves who were left behind it turned out that the elves who disappeared were conservatives who were hardline elf fundamentalists and looked down on other races while those who remained were either reformists or Kajas faction members.

Kazaspa supported Azadin because he believed that if Azadin took the throne of all the kingdoms and became the emperor he would never ignore the grace of his mentor Kazaspa.

If you torture those people and it doesn’t work you lose their loyalty.

“These elf bastards are very talented. I can’t find any trace of them. Any further out would be impossible to track because the cold wave is too severe.”

“Okay. Don’t push yourself too hard. Ismail.”

“By the way can I ask you something?”

“Of course Ismail. Aren’t you my apprentice?”

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“What an honor. To be the apprentice of the living god-king.”

“So what’s the question?”

“Why are they pursuing a cause now? Since when have they been interested in a cause?”

Ismail wondered about that.

Azadin asked back.

“Why don’t people care about causes?”

“that….”

“Because everyone experiences frustration. Doing good is the path to frustration so those who talk about a cause are either swindlers trying to incite others or rookies who have never experienced hardship. That’s why those who speak of a cause are ridiculed. Some people go so far as to not even aspire to a cause and because they learn defeat and frustration they even lose their original intentions.”

“…….”

“They needed reassurance and I gave them that reassurance. Of course it may not be conspicuous to seek a cause only when circumstances are favorable. Ismail. Do not despair because evil is great and do not be dismayed because good is small.”

“So what are you going to do now?”

“I will persuade the Northern Emperor.”

“He is also a monarch. How can he be persuaded? And if you look at his actions up to now… he is a man who has been burning with ambition and has been expanding his influence for nearly a hundred years. Do you think he can be persuaded just because it is a little disadvantageous? I don’t think he would care about the greater good if it is for his own purpose.”

“I can’t confirm this either.”

“…….”

Even before departing from Changgok-gwan Azadin who had been unsure whether or not he would be able to overwhelm the northern Aragasas was unable to confirm anything as he had willingly set out with only a small escort.

Even he who always boasted confidently was so unsure about the Northern Qi that he couldn’t even boast about it.

*********

The Northern Qi Cohen Lione was not a man who liked humans.

He was known as a genius even among the royal family since childhood.

However born to a mother of humble status he was not evaluated for his abilities and instead became the target of restraint.

His misanthropy reached its peak when he was forced to become a monk in the Rescue Knights.

He felt lonely as if he had been cast out by incompetent and vile humans as if he had become the only human among a group of monkeys.

I couldn’t feel any joy in my relationships with other people. All I felt was disgust.

Therefore the only happiness he could obtain from his relationships with humans was the act of confirming his own superiority by observing the incompetence and foolishness of humans.

‘How great I am compared to those foolish and incompetent humans. I was born well. No fate has chosen me to lead these people as king!’

To confirm this fact he was willing to endure the disgust of humans.

But then a being named Azadin appeared in front of him.

He was not a very high-ranking person and according to rumors he was persecuted as a cursed being even among the lowly messenger clan.

Azadin of Muan born from the curse of service.

That guy was destroying Cohen’s minions one by one taking away those whom Cohen had recruited and even took away his long-time vassal Northern Aragasa and held a sword to his neck.

In every way someone who started out in a worse environment than him soon overtook him.

‘I’m inferior to this guy?’

Cohen was someone who despised all humans. He had never doubted his own superiority as the basis for his contempt but for the first time he met a being who surpassed him and felt embarrassed.

‘Why did the spirits of Yaegasu choose him?’

‘Is it because you speak out loud about that sugar-coated cause and truly believe in it? Is that why you chose that guy over me your descendant?’

Cohen resented the spirits of Yaegas and hated Azadin.

So when Azadin tried to convince him he lost himself in sheer rage.

‘Don’t try to convince me. I have no intention of becoming a trophy to prove how well your tongue rolls. If you continue to provoke me I will ruin your plans even if it means killing myself.’

It was extremely low-level thinking for someone who led a country and fought for hegemony over the continent but that was the mentality of the Northern Qi Dynasty.

But Azadin tried to convince him that he was needed hinting at how many human sacrifices would be made if he were not there.

Cohen Lioner also recalled his childhood saying that he was once a being who dreamed of becoming a flower of chivalry.

‘Nonsense! Nonsense! It’s not worth listening to. Just kill me here! I’m a threat to your throne! You want to use me to save more people? Don’t make me laugh. Kill me and watch my people suffer starve and freeze to death and get blood on your hands! If you want to save people so badly I’ll gladly kill them and give you an unforgettable scar!’

Cohen blocked out any words Azadin said never allowing them to reach deep into his heart.

Rather than giving Azadin a complete victory by trying to save his life he would rather sacrifice his life to block Azadin’s path.