Night of the Soulless Heathens – 9



#9. Bold Challenger 5

Midiam and Ismail followed Azadin keeping an eye on him. Only then did Midiam and Ismail remember what they had received.

“Oh wait. Azadin.”

“….”

Azadin did not answer.

“That messenger?”

“….”

“Any cool guy walking down the street over there?”

“Pfft.”

Ismail couldn’t hold it back and burst out laughing. Azadin sighed and stopped.

“Why again?”

“There’s something I forgot. I have a letter for you.”

“A letter? Who sent it?”

“I am the local chief of Salasma.”

“Tch.”

Azadin was disappointed to hear that he was the regional leader.

“I guess there was a letter you were expecting?”

“no.”

Azadin shook his head.

“Ha. Okay. Give it to me.”

Azadin received a letter from Ismail and opened it. The contents were a reprimand for his lack of interim reports and a message that copies of the New King’s Letter had recently been appearing all over the world and that collecting them would be reflected in the personnel evaluation.

‘If it’s written in the letter the other messengers must already know.’

Azadin sighed after reading the letter from the district chief.

“Do you guys know about this too?”

“Huh? You didn’t read the letter?”

“I heard that a copy of the Shinwangjinseo has recently appeared in the world.”

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“Ah I know that. If it’s a copy of the Book of the New King then your father betrayed his clan and spread it around the world… Ouch!”

When Medium spoke thoughtlessly Ismail could not stand it anymore and stepped on her foot.

“What are you? Why are you like that?”

But Medium didn’t understand the situation at all.

“Oh okay. So you guys know too?”

If even the candidates for the priesthood that is those who have not yet become official priests know about it then many of the Jeonryeong clan members will know about the copy of the Shinwangjinseo.

“How much is the acquisition? You said it will be reflected in the personnel evaluation but how much weight is it given to reflect it?”

“Would you like to obtain a copy of the New King’s Book? Well I guess so?”

“Don’t you know that? Well I guess I’ll have to go see the regional leader.”

Azadin eventually lamented that he had to go to the local chief as the letter had instructed.

“Okay. Thank you for delivering the letter. I received it.”

“Then can you give me an example of a letter?”

“example?”

“Yes. Please acknowledge me as a monk.”

“No that won’t work.”

“why?”

“First of all your motives for coming to me are impure.”

“Are you talking about motivation?”

“Yes. You came to challenge me to a duel because you thought I looked funny. Then why should I take you as my subordinates?”

“That was definitely my fault. But the messenger had to resign from his duties anyway right?”

“That is the second reason. In principle the relationship between a messenger and a servant is a matter for the parties involved but customarily each family makes arrangements based on consideration. But little lady. Will the Etar clan really recognize me as your teacher? I am none other than Azadin whom the entire clan despises? Did you tell your head of the household that you would serve me as your teacher and receive permission to come here?”

“Oh. That’s not it.”

Medium simply thought of defeating Azadin and becoming the messenger and rushed forward without a second thought. When Azadin pointed that out she was speechless.

“Right? I don’t want to get caught up in something you did without permission.”

“Then is it because I am an Etar that you don’t accept me as a slave?”

“That may be true but I fundamentally do not accept slavery.”

“Oh I see.”

Medium was speechless at Azadin’s words.

“So if you understand would you please step down now?”

“Uh. Hmm.”

Medium asked in confusion.

“Then can’t we be companions on the way there?”

“Comrade? Why me?”

“Well… I can tell you about what happened in the clan.”

“….”

Ismail looked at Midiam’s begging with curiosity. Midiam originally from the Etar bloodline was arrogant and presumptuous. However Azadin completely ignored her and Midiam was trying to somehow get involved with him.

“Since the path is the same anyway can’t we just stop there?”

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“I didn’t rent this road so follow me however you want.”

Azadin said so and started walking ahead.

*********

The Herald Clan consists of 108 heralds as well as servants who accompany the heralds and ordinary people engaged in their professions.

Among these those engaged in commerce spread out across the world in the form of guilds to support messengers and such guild branches are called regional headquarters.

The messenger liaison there is called the local chief.

It was originally started to support messengers but business is not something that can be approached with a half-hearted attitude.

As the guild began to roll on after becoming serious about business the roles of the host and guest were reversed to the point where it felt like the messenger existed to support the guild.

So it was like this.

‘Since it’s our first time doing business the existing guilds are very territorial. We’ll have to kidnap the families of the existing guilds and trade with them.’

‘The immigration officer of Region XX confiscated our goods while demanding a bribe. If you give him a bribe once he will have to keep giving it so I want to kill him as a warning. Kill his entire family brutally and put them on display.’

This is the kind of mission that messengers are sent out on.

Azadin hated it. Even though the curse of service had bound the entire clan the Emperor wanted the Heralds to maintain order not engage in assassination kidnapping or extortion.

So isn’t this just an assassin hired by the merchant guild?

So when Azadin refused the Salasma chief’s requests several times the chief began to look down on him. Especially since Azadin was considered the son of a traitor he was looked down on by the messenger clan and now that he had a bad relationship with the chief…

He had been avoiding the Salasma Regional Director but after a copy of the New King’s Book was released into the world it seemed that an order had been given to the entire organization to prioritize contact.

He tells me to go to Salasma and meet with the local leader but the place where Azadin is currently is on the border of the territory of the Salasma Marquis. It would take a long time to get to Salasma even if I walked along the road.

In addition the villages nearby were already in ruins perhaps because there had been a drought for a month. The teahouses and inns along the road had all fled leaving them empty. As they continued walking along the road the sun began to set and the weather began to get cold. Azadin decided to camp on the side of the road and prepared to camp.

Since I had come alone and in a hurry and did not have proper luggage I wrapped myself in a cloak and sat down by a rock to avoid the wind. Meanwhile Midiam and Ismail clung to the goats they had brought with them to keep warm and chew on dry food.

“Come here.”

“No that’s not okay.”

Azadin had told Midiam and Ismail to get out but he could not cling to their goats. However Midiam saw this as an opportunity and beckoned to Azadin.

“We are of the same clan. Isn’t it strange that we members of the same clan met in this faraway land and yet are separated?”

“….”

Ismail was taken aback by Medium’s words.

Is this really the arrogant Medium he knew?

It seems that he is very upset that he was defeated by Azadin and was thrown out by him as being useless. Having never been treated like that in his life Medium tried to somehow appeal to Azadin about his need for him.

“Don’t you need water? There’s still water left. In my water bottle…”

“….”

Azadin sighed and slowly approached their Kerim ram. Just getting closer to the Kerim ram made the warmth feel different.

“Well since I met my clan in a foreign land I guess this is okay.”

“Right?”

Medium smiled bashfully and handed his canteen and dry goods to Azadin.

“Ugh. I’m sleepy. Should I set a night watch?”

“The Emperor’s voice warns so the messenger does not need to be on guard.”

Azadin answered. When Medium glanced at Azadin he saw that he had raised his head and was looking at the stars in the night sky.

Medium examined Azadin’s face. The lower face revealed under the messenger’s characteristic bird-shaped mask and had smooth skin with little beard. Looking at his masked appearance he could be guessed to be a very handsome man.

‘I don’t know what’s hidden behind the mask but if I just look at part of his face he’s really handsome. I want to see the part hidden behind the mask too.’

Medium fell asleep with a bold thought.

*********

When I opened my eyes the morning sun was rising perhaps because I was tired from the long journey. I think I slept well without even dreaming.

“Hey little miss and droopy eyes. Get up now.”

Azadin was the first to wake up and stretch. No matter what he also slept warmly thanks to their Kerim goats.

At first he was far away but before he knew it he had fallen asleep clinging to the fur of the Kerim goat. Feeling embarrassed Azadin coughed and looked at the sunrise.

“You’re a little girl. Well I’m medium. But if you call me by an affectionate nickname I’ll gladly accept it.”

“Okay medium.”

If he continued to call her Little Miss it would mean that he was fond of Medium. So Azadin decided to call her by her name.

“Oh my name is Ismail. If you call me by my nickname….”

“Shut up. You droopy eyes.”

Ismail followed the medium in vain and lost his initial investment. Azadin examined the condition of the goats and said:

“I slept warmly last night thanks to your goats. Thank you.”

“What? I happened to meet a fellow countryman in a foreign land and this is all.”

Medium was laughing and joking before he knew it.

“But these mountain goats don’t have any horseshoes.”

“Are you a knitter?”

“If you put that up the goats won’t be able to go up the mountain path right?”

“But you followed the Emperor’s path.”

Azadin pointed the way.

“If you walk on the paved road with bare feet your hooves will wear out too quickly. I have a pair of horseshoes among my belongings. Let’s walk without riding the goats until I put the horseshoes on. The goats are thirsty right now. If we don’t quickly get over that mountain and go back to a place with plenty of water the goats won’t be able to hold out.”

Azadin began to urge them on their way.

“Oh then?!”

As Medium excitedly chased after him Azadin drew a line.

“It’s only until you meet other people nearby. Then you’ll go back. Do you understand?”

“Oh yes.”

Medium looked at Azadin who was still drawing the line as if he was annoyed.

Azadin walked along the road with great speed and each step was very long so there was not much difference in speed between him and those riding the ibex. Since they were at the same speed Medium kept staring at Azadin’s face as he rode the ibex alongside him.