Entering Lantarique (4)

“That… actually, this weapon was found at the murder scene. It looked nice, so I picked it up…”

“What a ridiculous excuse. You’re saying the bandits left a deadly weapon behind, and you just took it? Weren’t you claiming earlier that the weapon had nothing to do with the corpse?”

“Well, isn’t it a waste to just leave a weapon on the roadside? So, I picked it up, but then… I was afraid of being misunderstood and ended up making an excuse.”

The members of the Korasar Peddler Guild said this, but even to Azadine, their excuse made no sense.

“Sir Guillaumevalt?”

In the end, the highest-ranking person present, Guillaumevalt, would need to conduct at least a summary trial to resolve this without bloodshed.

“Hmm. First, let me see the letter. Hand it over.”

Guillaumevalt requested the letter.

“Ah!”

At that, the armed merchants flinched.

“Well… that letter contains our secrets…”

Guillaumevalt glanced at Brand. Seeing this, Brand, delighted, shouted:

“How dare you! The Acting Count of Lantarique is merely reviewing your letter to grasp the situation and deliver a fair judgment. And yet, you merchants dare question the honor of the Acting Count of Lantarique?”

“……”

It seemed like he had been practicing, as his old-fashioned rebuke flowed effortlessly.

The merchants exchanged nervous glances without speaking…

‘Oh?’

Azadine noticed the murderous intent flickering in their eyes.

Whatever was in that letter, it seemed to contain information so dangerous that they wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone who saw it—even if that person was a knight like Guillaumevalt.

The problem was… Azadine and his group were not exactly a small party. Even if the Talvarine armed merchants outnumbered them, they wouldn’t be confident enough to take on knights and Holy Knights.

Yet, they still radiated killing intent.

‘Who the hell are these guys?’

Azadine sensed that these were no ordinary merchants.

‘Since the elf seems to be their leader, should I try speaking to him?’

Azadine decided to speak to the elf in the clumsy Elvish he had learned from Kazas. Hearing him, the elf was visibly shocked.

“I never expected to meet someone here who speaks Elvish…”

He replied to Azadine in Elvish.

The surrounding people were curious about their conversation, but Azadine deliberately avoided explaining anything and continued speaking with the elf.

“…Very well. Show them the letter.”

Persuaded by Azadine, the elf ordered his subordinates to hand over the letter.

“What? But, boss…”

“It’s fine. Show them.”

Reluctantly, the merchants handed their letter to Guillaumevalt.

Upon inspection, he found the wax seal broken and stained with blood. The recipient’s name was written clearly: Lord Adler.

“Ah.”

Now, it was clear why these merchants had been so resistant to handing over the letter, even to a knight.

The letter was essentially an invoice listing supplies ordered by Lord Adler: bone saws, hook scalpels, preservatives, highly distilled spirits, opium, and various magical and alchemical materials. It also included an expected delivery date and price.

There was even a note requesting cooperation for smuggling the prohibited goods—proof that this was far from their first transaction with Adler.

“So, you were doing business with Adler. And these items…”

Guillaumevalt handed the letter to Azadine. After taking one look at it, Azadine frowned.

‘These are materials used to create undead.’

Lord Adler was stockpiling materials typically used by necromancers. Just like Count Garnahaer of Lantarique, it seemed that Adler was another corrupt noble dabbling in dark magic.

Guillaumevalt, however, ignored the magical and alchemical materials and focused on the drugs.

“Bringing drugs openly into Lantarique? Even if Adler requested them, this cannot be overlooked.”

“Well, in that case…”

The leader of the armed merchants, the elf, spoke up.

“How much would you pay if I handed you Lord Adler?”

“What?”

“The moment you step into Lantarique, you’ll be killed. I guarantee it.”

The elf then pointed at Azadine and Zebec.

“You two are undoubtedly skilled enough to handle most bandits or ruffians with ease. I can tell just from your breathing and the way you walk. But under Lord Adler’s command, there are monsters far beyond your abilities.”

“……”

“If it were up to me, I’d make sure you actually survive capturing Lord Adler.”

Guillaumevalt was stunned by the statement and turned to Azadine.

“What exactly did you say to that elf in Elvish earlier?”

“…I just said that we wouldn’t hold them accountable for anything, no matter what.”

Yet, as soon as Azadine spoke in Elvish, the elf seemed to trust him completely. He had freely handed over evidence of their dealings with Adler, including proof of drug smuggling.

“First, why are you betraying Adler? Is it really just for payment?”

Azadine asked.

“Because I know exactly what he’s buying. Some nobles buy magical ingredients for research, noblewomen buy alchemical cosmetics for their skin, and others commission Atra Shrines for rituals. But this goes far beyond that.”

“…And why do you believe we’ll be killed the moment we enter Lantarique? What proof do you have?”

“Because Lord Adler has Messenger Clan members under his command. Every one of them is a terrifying warrior.”

“…Ah.”

“…Tsk.”

Hearing the elf praise the Messenger Clan, both Azadine and the Korasar Peddler Guild members were visibly uneasy.

“And those Messenger Clan bastards have the audacity to claim that a new goddess has been born.”

“A goddess?”

“The goddess’s name is Arael.”

“Haha. Arael, you say?”

Azadine couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing that name.

As if it weren’t enough that his own blood relative had become the leader of the Messenger Clan’s traitors, she now dared to claim divinity?

Of course, just like the emperor, she was projecting her voice across the land and extending her power. This was an era where even the Light of the Crown was waning, and even angels were losing their strength. Yet, she alone was rising with a brilliant and newfound power.

If there were those who feared the Age of Jupiter, they might very well be willing to worship Arael as a goddess.

‘The wound… it burns.’

Azadine felt the old wound inflicted by Arael aching, and his rage boiled over.

Back when he was at his lowest and most vulnerable, Arael had trampled on what he held dear. Now she was to become a goddess?

He could never accept it.

“Hmm. Looks like there’s a story here.”

Sensing Azadine’s anger, the elf took a step back.

“Well, I don’t know whether she’s a real god or not, but I do know those bastards are terrifyingly strong. I wasn’t bold enough to face them and claim I’d never even heard of their so-called goddess.”

“If they’re that frightening, then why are you betraying Lord Adler?”

“The Messenger Clan only cares about something Adler possesses. If he dies, they’ll be more interested in seizing it than avenging him.”

“Alright. I get it. So, are you saying you can sneak us past them into Lantarique Castle?”

“Yes. We can disguise you, hide you among our porters, and get you inside the city without issue. But after that, I can’t guarantee anything.”

Guillaumevalt turned to Azadine for his opinion.

“What do you think?”

“…It seems plausible.”

Listening to the elf, Azadine realized that Adler had lured in Arael’s faction with the promise of access to the Emperor’s Treasury.

“In that case—”

“Wait a moment.”

Azadine gestured for the Korasar Peddler Guild members to step aside and asked them directly:

“You really killed him, didn’t you?”

“Whoa now, be careful with your words! Even if you’re a Messenger, that’s going too far.”

The guild members bristled at his accusation.

“Alright, then. What’s the truth? Because it doesn’t seem like the elf was lying.”

“Well… if you must put it that way, it is true that the handle of my blackjack happened to end up lightly lodged in the courier’s skull.”

“……”

“Not the tip of the blackjack, mind you—the handle. Which should make it clear that we had no intent to kill.”

“So, you were just trying to knock him out, but the handle had a hook on it, and that accidentally pierced his skull?”

“Exactly.”

“…Haah. Well, since we’ve settled the compensation with money and supplies, let’s move on…”

The elf merchant, his subordinates, and the armed merchants—none of them were ordinary people.

The Talvarine Guild had always been notorious slave traders, smugglers, and traffickers dealing in drugs and contraband, using force to eliminate competition.

That much was expected.

But now…

“Arael becoming a goddess—what does that even mean?”

“It means exactly what it sounds like.”

“Exactly what?”

“She grants power and protection to her followers. With that, she intends to become a living god of wisdom.”

“…‘She’?”

Azadine could sense that even the merchants feared Arael.

The power struggle within the Messenger Clan hadn’t even been decided yet, but if Arael’s authority and reputation were already this influential, then she was truly growing stronger by the day.

‘And… a living god strategy? That’s feasible…’

Azadine recalled Arael’s voice.

Much like the Emperor’s Voice, it was an artificial spirit, but tinged with Nether magic rather than the Emperor’s divine power.

Even that alone was enough to be considered divine.

If she watched over the people, vanquished beasts and monsters, and distributed resources fairly so that none starved…

Wouldn’t that be exactly what the people of this age sought in a god?

“Why did Arael align with Adler?”

“……”

The merchants refused to answer that.

The Messenger Clan merchants in the Korasar Peddler Guild were hedging their bets—keeping a foot in both Arael’s faction and the Elders’ Council, waiting to side with the victor.

Since they were playing both sides, they weren’t about to give away information for free.

“…Tell me. Haven’t I already covered your damages?”

Azadine tossed them some gold coins, and only then did they finally speak.

“Lord Adler is said to hold the key to the Emperor’s Treasury.”

“And… he’s studying powerful Nether magic.”

“The people working with him? Smugglers, assassins, and slave traders—the very Talvarine Guild we’re dealing with right now.”

“……”

Azadine couldn’t help but scoff.

The Korasar Peddler Guild, a merchant faction of the Messenger Clan, were no strangers to assassination and smuggling themselves.

They just weren’t in the slave trade.

But because of that one distinction, they looked down on the Talvarine Guild?

Ridiculous.

‘People are always blind to their own sins but quick to condemn others.’

More importantly, though—

The Emperor’s Treasury was now being talked about even among these merchants.

“So rumors about the Emperor’s Treasury have spread that far, huh? Fine. Then what do you think? Should we go along with the elf’s plan?”

“…That’s a bit…”

The Korasar Peddler Guild members hesitated, looking conflicted.

Since they had ties to both Arael’s faction and the Elders’ Council, they couldn’t afford to openly favor one side.

But even their indecision told Azadine one thing—

That this elf was, at the very least, trustworthy.

‘If he were a complete fraud, they wouldn’t hesitate to warn me against him.’

Their cautious silence meant he was capable of actually harming Arael’s faction.