CH 5

The soldiers were terrified to realize that this bizarre member of the Messenger Clan had no intention of letting them leave unharmed.

“KWAAKK!”

A sharp scream escaped from all the soldiers who remained. In the end, only after the last soldier had been blinded and castrated did Azadine turn his attention to the Margrave’s son.

“Phew. I waited so long for this, you trash that only adds to the people’s suffering.”

He had indeed defeated twenty heavily armed soldiers. He didn’t even kill them but blinded and castrated them.

“Y-You bastard!”

Lord Kozel was frightened by Azadine’s brutal actions.

“I am a noble! Not like the others! Do you think you will be able to handle the repercussions?”

At that moment, a blinding light appeared, and Kozel used magic to increase its intensity.

“ACKKK!”

“L-Lord!”

The light was so intense that even the blinded soldiers were screaming. Even Sir Zebec, who knew of this kind of magic, felt he was becoming dizzy. Even though he had covered his eyes beforehand, the light still felt blinding.

“AH, ACKKK!”

Azadine’s blade had pierced through the young lord’s groin.

“Y-You bastard! M-My… MY…..”

“Oh, my bad.”

Azadine’s blade moved again and went towards Kozel’s eye and nose.

“Kwak!”

As Kozel struggled, Azadine approached him, pulled him up, and raised him to his feet.

“AHHHH. You, you bastard… how dare you put your hands on me?”

“Is something wrong with your body? You don’t know what it is to be weak? Well, maybe you have a disease that doesn’t allow you to feel pain.”

“You bastard!”

Kozel shook off Azadine’s hand and stepped back while shouting.

“W-wait!”

He had one eye remaining, so he should be able to keep it. If he lost this, then his entire life would be plunged into darkness.

“W-what do you want? Money? Women? A sword? Name anything. I am a noble! A descendant of Yaegas, a Heavenly King!”

“Is that so? Coincidentally, I am one of those who slay the Heavenly Kings, a member of the Messenger Clan. It is fine. I won’t be killing you.”

As Azadine smiled and came closer, Lord Kozel turned towards Sir Zebec.

“T-teacher! W-what are you doing!? Help!”

“… I cannot see.”

Sir Zebec had been blinded by Kozel’s light magic. Of course, he could still see blurred shadows, meaning he could still move if he needed to fight. However, there would be no chance of victory. The image of Kozel’s cruel actions against the villagers also still remained in his mind and body.

There was no way he could fight and win against such a monster.

“I-I am noble! A divine lineage! What are you lowly people doing to me!”

“Hmmm… I see that you are still full of energy. It looks like you’ll be able to live well with the amount of physical damage I did to you. Good, that is a good attitude and good positive thinking. You will need a lot more of that.”

“KWAKKK!”

In the end, Kozel lost his other eye.

Azadine, a member of the Messenger Clan, didn’t kill anyone. He just did permanent damage.

The sword was only pulled back after he had castrated them, gouged out their eyes, cut their limbs, or crushed them down enough so that they would no longer be able to harm the people.

“There is no petitioner, but this shows my sincerity. The Emperor’s Law has been fulfilled.”

Declaring the Emperor’s Law that stated that even those who inherited the blood of the Heavenly King must perish if they committed a crime, Azadine then turned around.

The sound of a sword being drawn came from behind him as Sir Zebec readied his blade.

“Even so…”

“Uh?”

“Even if what you did was right, I am a Knight of the King’s Church. I cannot agree with your actions, even if it is the Emperor’s Law.”

“Ah, for real.”

Azadine smiled at Sir Zebec’s stubbornness.

“You are an upright knight. So unlike the normal knights that the Church has these days.”

“You bastard, how dare you to mock me?!”

“It’s a compliment, though? The other knights that belong there are… how shall I put it? Bastards who were forced to leave home to earn their inheritance rights.”

“…”

Zebec was no different. He was a second son, though closer to an illegitimate son, with no estate or title to inherit. He was of the bloodline of the Hanmihan family, a noble line so far removed that it embarrassed him to call himself descended from the bloodline of a Heavenly King.

This was why he felt shame from Azadine’s words. Most of all, his feelings were mixed as the man before him was clearly more chivalrous than anyone else he had met.

“But, can you first wear your armor and then come again?”

“What?!”

“I am leaving. See you at future work, Sir Zebec.”

With those words, Azadine turned around and began to run. His speed was such that he disappeared within moments beyond the darkness and into the night.

“Ugh?!”

Sir Zebec tried to pursue him but was hindered by the bodies of the blinded and castrated men in his way. He would need to stop if he didn’t want to trample them.

“This is comforting.”

Sir Zebec smiled unconsciously.

Count Casel was Lord of the border city of Salasma and its surrounding villages. In recent times, that area had not been touched by rain for an entire month, causing many of its citizens to come to petition their lord.

“My Lord, please exempt us from taxes this year.”

“Please, my lord. The villagers will run and turn to thievery. The withered dead is also wandering the streets as undead.”

“We are incapable of paying taxes with the number of monsters and thieves around.”

The village chiefs of each nearby village took the lead without hesitation and requested tax exemption.

However, Count Casel simply looked at them with indifferent eyes.

“You are asking me for tax exemption? How shameless. What’s next? Food support?”

Count Casel had said this sarcastically, but the village chiefs responded to that too.

“…we would appreciate it if that was also possible.”

“We apologize, but our condition right now is so precarious.”

“Ha, fine. You fools, there is nothing else that can be done. What can I even do if the roots come and act so shamelessly in front of me? This lowly blood running through you must be the reason.”

Count Casel simply laughed at them. Despite knowing his personality, these peasants dared to stand before him and ask for aid and food. That was how troubled the people were.

“If you people want help, I can do it.”

“R-really?”

“But if you don’t do as I ask, I will hang all of you for failure to pay taxes.”

“…”

“Think about it. All I want from you is a piece of paper.”

“J-Just a paper?”

“Correct, just like this magic one.”

Count Casel reached out his hand. It was empty until sheets appeared on it and began to spin, creating a small wind on its own.

Seeing the paper move by itself, like plants in the water, the petitioners were shocked.

“A m-magic book…”

“We are people unfamiliar with things like magic.”

“No, this is something that all of you can find. If you really wanted to, then you could find it. If you find a magic book like this, your village will be exempted from taxes for 3 years and will be given 50 bushels of wheat, barley, and oats.”

“….”

The three-year exemption was already shocking, but what shocked them even more, was the promise of material support. This kindness was unheard of by the usually cruel Count Casel.

Which only showed how important this magic book was. But how would they find it?

“E-excuse me, but what is the name of the magic book?”

“Huh? Do you think ignorant fools like you will get a chance to look at it?”

“It’s not like that, my lord. However, shouldn’t we know of it if we are to figure out a difference in the text?”

“It is a copy of the Heavenly King’s Book of Truth.”

“UH?!”

Everyone there was filled with surprise.

There were eight thrones on the Continent of Hubris.

These thrones were brought by the Heavenly Gods, Yaegas, when they came from their lands. When a righteous King sits upon one, it is said that it will drive away demons through the light of the Royal Flower. The world would be purified with white magic, which would also bestow white magic power to those loyal to the King.

For the King who took the throne, a powerful magic book would also be imprinted directly into their minds. That book was the Heavenly King’s Book of Truth, a magic book for kings.

But now Count Casel desired it?

“If you peasants search for it, it is said that a copy would respond to your calls when you are in trouble.”

“…”

The village chiefs felt a chill run down their spines upon hearing Count Casel’s words.

Count Casel wasn’t interested in the suffering of the people. He simply wanted to take advantage of this situation where the people suffered from a disaster to get his hands on the magic book.

“Ah, yes, we understand. Then we will immediately return to the village and search for the copy together.”

“Yes. We too…”

“R-right.”

The village chiefs, all of whom were suffering from the drought, were shocked to realize that the Count wanted the book to the extent of offering a tax exemption. With this in mind, they all left.

As the village chiefs left, a snake appeared behind a curtain near the Count. The snake straightened its body, transforming into a beautiful young woman with tanned skin.

“You were careless in mentioning that book, Count.”

“Nonsense. Aren’t you people already searching for those magic books? The rumor will soon spread across the continent. I simply want to find another chapter of this book as soon as possible. What of it?”

“I am sorry to be the one to deliver this news… but it appears that one of your sons has been hurt. It is Lord Kozel in the Hinterlands…”

“Kozel?”

“Yes.”

“That’s impossible with the forces that Kozel has with him. Sir Zebec was also with him. Who was the opponent? Thieves? Monsters?”

“A member of the Messenger Clan.”

“Messenger Clan?”

Count Casel frowned.

“Well, they must desire the Heavenly King’s Book of Truth book as well. They need to find it to break their curse of servitude.”

“It was their actions that led to a copy of the book being released into this world in the first place. From their point of view, they must simply be looking to retrieve the copy.”

“Is Kozel dead?”

“That… the reports stated that his eyes were quite damaged as well as his reproductive organs…”

“He was castrated?”

Count Casel clicked his tongue at this news.

“What do you want to do?”

“We will need to station soldiers near Kozel’s lands. Perhaps even try to capture that clan member. Perhaps they have copies of the book already.”

“I understand. Do I contact the chief?”

“No, no. Let the other one give the order and…”

Count Casel laughed and gave her a sly look.

“If one child is castrated, I just need to make a new one.”