Night of the Soulless Heathens – 93



#93. The Tribe of Arael 3

“Medium!”

Ismail grabbed the flagpole and threw himself over the wall catching Midiam as he tried to fall.

“Ouch!?”

“Huh!”

The moment Ismail and Midiam held each other’s hands they both felt pain in their hands. It felt like their arms were going to fall off because Qahsan had thrown them so hard.

“Ugh! Oh no!”

His arms were so sore that he couldn’t support Midiam’s body. Ismail had no choice but to return to the wall even though he knew that Qahsan was waiting for him. Qahsan who had been waiting for them lightly wrapped his arms around Midiam and Ismail’s necks.

“Ugh!”

“Whoa!”

Ismail and Midiam fell to the floor.

“Wow that’s amazing. Aren’t you too skilled for one of Azadin’s servants? As expected from Etar. If you were adults you would have defeated me. But you’re too young now.”

Qahsan subdued Ismail and Midiam and shrugged his shoulders.

“It would be a shame to leave it to a half-baked guy like Azadin. How about becoming my servant?”

At that moment a snickering sound was heard from behind Kahsan.

“What are you talking about when a messenger launches a surprise attack on a servant?”

“hmm?”

Kahsan was surprised to find another messenger Azadin who had come up to the fortress.

“Azadin!”

“I’m sorry. I was watching.”

“…!”

If what Azadin says is true then he was calmly watching as Qahsan and Midiam Ismail fought.

But Qahsan did not notice Azadin’s approach… What would have happened if there had been an ambush?

‘Well that’s just empty boasting.’

It is true that Azadin was watching but it was something he saw while climbing up to the fortress and he did not stay silent to see Qahsan’s skills. He could not just stand by and watch Midiam and Ismail being thrown out of the fortress.

“ha.”

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There was a knight beside Azadin. He was still a paladin so he used his status to pass through the Lantaric army and enter the fortress posing as a negotiator.

“Azadin it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. You’ve grown so much since I saw you when you were a little kid.”

“Excuse me who are you?”

“It’s Kahsan. A rider two years his senior! You wouldn’t say you don’t know would you? Kahsan the bow-breaker!”

“You were crying because you got hit by Arael?”

“This son of a bitch dares to mock me!”

Qahsan was indignant at Azadin but soon regained his composure.

“By the way who is the author next to you? He looks like a knight of the King’s Church.”

“You have a lot of bows. Would you mind lending me one?”

Azadin noticed the four bows that Kahsan had. His own bow was broken so he needed a replacement and he happened to have a bow right in front of him.

“My question comes first. What are you doing Azadin? I am two riders senior to you. Is it funny to say senior?”

“Actually it’s a bit funny. They even surprise attack the children and attack them without mercy.”

“This kid.”

“Why did you join hands with Lantarik? I never heard anything like that. What were the conditions for joining hands?”

“You answer first. I won’t talk to you again until you do!”

Kahsando was no fool. If he had become a messenger he would have had to be proficient not only in martial arts but also in tactics and strategy.

Even as Azadin he could no longer play with words.

“This person is my collaborator who is working with me to expose the corruption of Lord Jecht.”

“What’s the price? Is it gold?”

“No it’s justice.”

“definition?”

“The true mission of the Emperor’s messenger. To hear the petitions of the wronged and to bring justice to this land.”

“Ah…hahaha. You’re crazy Azadin. To say such embarrassing things so casually.”

“It’s you who should be ashamed not me. I do it because it’s an honor to be the Emperor’s messenger but you do it because you have no choice but to do it as a means to make a living. Isn’t it a bit strange to live like a hunting dog on a leash because you’re told to?”

“Don’t make me laugh! I do it on my own terms. Otherwise do you think you’d be able to pass that rigorous selection process?”

“Even so isn’t it just for personal gain without any aesthetics? Even hunting dogs work hard if you throw them a bone.”

“Ugh. You really are a talkative guy.”

Kahsan cleared his throat shook his hands and laughed.

“As expected Lady Arael asked me to bring you alive but I don’t want to do that. I can’t stand seeing a loser like you join us just because you’re Lady Arael’s younger sibling. I’ll kill you right here right now.”

“Ah so it’s Arael’s side after all.”

When Azadin heard those words he put his hand on the hilt of his sword. Then Zibek stepped forward and stopped Azadin.

“You are not able to fight in your current physical condition.”

He who treated Azadin knew that Azadin was in no condition to fight at the moment. He patched up the wound with needles and thread but if he fought again in that condition it would be fortunate that the wound would only get worse. It was a time when many people would die if the infection spread even with a wound the size of a fingernail.

“What? Are you sending a paladin instead? Are you talented? How did you manage to cook a paladin?”

Kahsan was dumbfounded to see Jibek trying to fight in Azadin’s stead.

“When your spirit is high you will find comrades who share the same purpose. I wonder if livestock that only wags their tails when given feed can understand spirit.”

“This kid! I too am under Arael-nim’s will….”

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At that moment Azadin moved.

Kahsan was surprised by Azadin’s sudden attack but he laughed at how clumsy slow and weak Azadin’s movements were.

‘They say he’s the disgrace of the messenger clan but he really is! With that kind of skill….’

Kahsan tried to strike the side of Azadin’s sword with the edge of his hand as if he had no intention of drawing his sword. But the next moment Azadin let go of his sword and grabbed Kahsan’s wrist.

“…uh?”

Kahsan was taken aback by Azadin’s suddenly precise movements and tremendous power. Above all the moment they made contact a wild magical power flowed from Azadin and penetrated Kahsan’s body.

Azadin walked up to Qahsan picked up the large man and threw him out of the fortress.

“Hey!”

Qahsan tried to grab the flag as Ismail had done but Azadin pulled a dagger from his belt and hurled it at him. The force of the dagger flying towards him was so strong that it seemed like it could pierce a cow’s skull.

“Huh!”

Kahsan had no choice but to fall below the fortress without holding the flag.

“Let’s just wait and see!”

Kahsan used the magic of the wind and moon in the air to reduce his falling speed and roll on the ground at the moment of landing to absorb the impact as much as possible. However judging from the fact that he rolled like that and was unable to get up properly it seems that he could not have escaped without any injuries.

“Shoot Ismail.”

“yes!”

As Ismail fired his arrow Qahsan began to run away cursing at him.

“Wow that’s great Azadin!”

As Midiam runs towards him in joy isn’t Azadin sweating profusely?

“…uh?”

“Didn’t I tell you not to overdo it? You’ve broken your ribs and you’re using force?”

Sir Jibek clicked his tongue at the sight of the reckless Azadin. In Hybris a person could easily fall and die from pain. It was even more so when there was a fracture and trauma the inflammation would often spread and lead to death.

“Since all the messenger clan members look down on me I can easily defeat them once.”

“Your entire clan looks down on you? I don’t understand. Didn’t you fight evenly against Judge Jecht? Even among the Heralds it’s not common to find someone capable of such a thing.”

“I was a bit of a loser when I was young. Many of my friends only remember me from back then so they look down on me. Thanks to that I was able to quickly learn how to use a bow so it was a good thing.”

Azadin was holding two moonbows in his hands. As he picked up Qahsan he grabbed the moonbow from his thigh and pulled it out.

“But that won’t work anymore. That’s why I’m saying.”

Azadin said so and looked at the fortress commander.

“Oh you mean that?”

The fortress commander felt the gaze and was embarrassed.

“I have something to tell you.”

Azadin called the fort commander with his finger and went into the barracks seemingly wanting to speak privately so that others would not hear.

*********

“To put it bluntly let us hand over the fortress and make peace.”

“Huh? If we do something like that Count Salasma will flay us alive.”

“Count Salasma is already dead. There is no one to punish you.”

“But won’t the person who will later become Count Salasma punish us?”

“Hmm. It seems that the original Whibris knows less than I do. Think about it. Why did Count Lantaric suddenly invade here?”

“Well then?”

“Because Count Salasma’s legitimate heir lost his fertility and thus lost his inheritance rights. From Count Lantaric’s perspective he had worked so hard to arrange a political marriage but he didn’t know he would lose Salasma’s inheritance rights so easily. That’s why he’s waging a show of force. On a larger scale he wants his daughter to inherit and on a smaller scale he wants to take over the area around the Kora River. Even if someone else becomes the count taking over the area will be advantageous in the future.”

The knight Jibek who was listening was amazed.

‘Wow he’s great. He has great political insight too. These days even the knights don’t learn the laws of the Eight Princes. Is it because he’s the Emperor’s messenger?’

“So what will become of us if we hand over this fortress to Count Lantaric? After all will the person who will later become Count Salasma want to keep us alive?”

“Let the people go free and you soldiers turn to Count Lantaric’s side. You’ll see less bloodshed. Count Lantaric is massacring this area because he wants to wipe out the nearby villages and relocate his people to make sure that this is his land and even the King’s Church will recognize it. However if the knights and non-commissioned officers who originally received lands here surrender to Count Lantaric there will be no reason to massacre the people. It will give him a legitimate reason to occupy this land.”

“Are you saying we should change the main owner?”

The fort commander was uncomfortable with Azadin’s words wondering if he was really a knight of honor. If you change your master without permission your dishonor will last for generations.

“Count Lantarik will treat you well. And you will suffer a little dishonor to save your people. Isn’t that what a true hero would do? The nobles may complain but the people here will understand that your choice is noble. What should I do? A song about a knight who dishonors himself to save his people? That would be a popular topic wouldn’t it?”

“It’s the only way you can survive. Do you think that Count Salasma who died while you were guarding the fortress will come back to life and save you?”

Ismail added a word.

“Well that’s true… If we fight like this we’ll just die so surrendering under those conditions would be more honorable.”

The fortress commander also seemed to agree with Azadin’s words.

“Yes. It’s the natural duty of a warrior to spare our lives if we open ourselves before the castle is destroyed! We survived!”

The soldiers all seemed relieved.

‘Will that really happen?’

Medium was half in doubt as he recalled Count Lantaric’s terrifying actions.

‘Leave it alone. It seems like you’re enjoying it.’

Then suddenly a horn sounded outside. Then came the voices of several soldiers singing simultaneously.

“I am Garnahair Count of Lantaric! Herald Clan! Come to the negotiations!”

Garnahair Count of Lantaric was the first to attempt negotiations.