The Traitor Of The Clan (2)

When the wealthy kingdom of Vthuma was seized, the biggest concern was who would take over its key industries. It was like counting the price of fur before the hunt, but these young Messengers brimmed with confidence.

“Sugar plantations and gold mines are the sources of Vthuma’s wealth. Our Aman wants to claim the sugar plantations.”

At Haldun’s words, Mediam shook her head.

“Isn’t it a bit premature to act like we’ve already won? There are the royal guards here known as the Golden King’s Crows. I bet those who used to be our own clan members will try to block us.”

“Ah, those traitors of the clan? They were just servants or fools barely clinging to the lowest ranks of the Messengers. They won’t be real enemies to us, the true Messengers.”

“We’re not true Messengers either. We’re just the privileged children of wealthy families who happened to take the spots of those who left the clan with Arael.”

In the past, Mediam had overestimated her abilities. But now she had swung too far into humility.

“That includes you, of the Ethar bloodline.”

“Yes. That’s true. My body hasn’t fully matured yet. Maybe someday, but for now, I’m lacking.”

As Mediam Ethar easily acknowledged her shortcomings, Haldun clicked his tongue.

“Well, I think I’m on par with the adult Messengers. Watch this.”

Haldun fitted an Azure Steel Arrow to his Moon Horn Bow.

The scene displayed a Vthuma army commander in ornate armor atop a war elephant, wielding a giant crossbow to strike down the Nagas.

The Nagas were powerless before the Vthuma army.

If they approached, they were trampled by the war elephants. If they stayed back, they were pierced by massive bolts from the giant crossbows—so powerful even Nagas were torn apart.

The Nagas tried firing light arrows from a distance, but the bamboo armor covering the elephants and the commander’s own armor rendered them ineffective.

Even curses and spells were absorbed by talismans enchanted by blood mages. These charms neutralized nearby magic attacks by absorbing them.

Haldun loosed his arrow at the Vthuma commander. The Cheonggangjeon flew in a blue arc, pierced the commander’s armor, and embedded itself deeply.

The same armor that deflected Naga arrows was pierced like paper when struck by the arrow of a Messenger—especially one imbued with Cheonggangjeon.

As the commander—once dominating the battlefield—screamed and collapsed, the soldiers panicked.

Everyone looked around for the source of the arrow, but it was impossible to tell. Haldun had curved the shot to bend nearly at a right angle. The soldiers shouted while aiming at the wrong places.

“Hahaha! Look at that mess.”

Haldun laughed heartily and looked back at Mediam.

“What do you think? That guy the Nagas couldn’t even touch—I took him down with ease!”

But Mediam didn’t look pleased.

“Let’s move. Our goal is to lure out the Crows and scatter the royal guards as much as possible. If we stay here too long, we’ll surely run into the Crows.”

“I’m not afraid of the Golden King’s Crows. In fact, this is perfect. We’ll lure them out and take them down.”

“You’d better not be so overconfident.”

Mediam felt embarrassed watching Haldun’s swagger.

‘This must be how Azadine saw me back then.’

It was a truly childish and pathetic sight.

“Let’s change positions. It’s our mission to keep moving and create confusion. Taking out the Crows comes after that.”

From beside Mediam, Ismail—her attendant—stepped forward and spoke. Haldun glared at him.

“What’s your deal? Know your place, servant. We’re having a conversation.”

“Still, the Crows are likely closing in even now.”

“Exactly! And I told you I’m not scared of them!”

As Haldun shouted, a figure suddenly appeared on the rooftop beside them.

“What’s all this noise?”

To their surprise, Azadine had descended onto the rooftop.

“Azadine?!”

Mediam brightened at the sight of him. But Ismail calmly stepped in front of her.

“Mediam and Ismail? I thought you two had gone far, but here you are in Vthuma?”

“Have you received the orders?”

“What orders?”

“All Messengers are to gather in Vthuma, overthrow the false king Manza-Jadek, and seize the throne of Vthuma.”

“…No, I haven’t heard anything. It doesn’t sound like an edict conveyed through the Voice of the Emperor.”

Azadine was an outcast among the Messenger Clan. If not ordered through the Voice of the Emperor, he had to receive directives via servant networks like the Korasar Peddler Guild or the Vthuma Traders’ Guild…

But the entire clan had shunned Azadine because of his ties to Arael. Even Aldis raising Azadine to Second Messenger couldn’t prevent that rejection.

In fact, such a reckless promotion—seen as favoritism from Aldis—only intensified the resentment from others.

“The Voice of the Emperor opposed this operation. So the order was delivered separately through the network. But it’s good that you’ve heard it now, isn’t it?”

Ismail said smoothly, though he clearly understood the situation.

“Oh, so you’re Azadine of Disgrace? Hmph, the rumors say you’re a complete idiot, but at least you don’t stutter.”

Haldun smirked at Azadine.

“I’m Haldun of the Aman bloodline. Azadine, be honored to fight alongside me as we hunt the Golden King’s Crows. I’ll even help secure you a good position later.”

“What kind of good position?”

“Hmm, how about a small sugar plantation in Vthuma? Wouldn’t that be satisfying? Leave it to me.”

Still young and recently appointed to fill a vacancy, Haldun was treating Azadine like a subordinate.

Meanwhile, Mediam sat stiffly, like on a bed of nails, stealing glances at Azadine.

From Azadine’s expression, it was clear he knew the Messenger Clan had attacked Vthuma. And considering his personality, he surely disapproved.

He wouldn’t support an unjustified raid that brought countless casualties just for personal gain.

“If the Golden King is ousted, who will take the throne? Aldis took Korasar—so who claims Vthuma?”

“Probably Chief Hathir. Do you know? He’s actually the true heir born between the Emperor and Lady Harkonia. With him, the rightful heir of the Yaegas royal line, on the throne, the Emperor will return, and we’ll once again serve as his Messengers.”

Haldun puffed up proudly.

“Even a half-wit like you will regain the honor of being a Messenger of the Emperor.”

“So the Chief is already here?”

Haldun, who dismissed Azadine despite his status as the Second Messenger purely because of his lineage, was at least forthright with his answers—which Azadine appreciated.

On the other hand, Mediam, having sensed Azadine’s stance, subtly widened the distance between them.

“Azadine. What will you do?”

“The answer is already clear. The Golden King Manza-Jadek hasn’t committed tyranny to the extent of warranting removal. Slaughtering people to dethrone him is something the Voice of the Emperor could never condone. No…”

Azadine gave a bitter smile.

“I can’t condone it.”

“What?”

Only then did Haldun realize Azadine had no intention of joining the operation—in fact, he had come to stop them. But so what? Wasn’t he still Azadine of Disgrace?

“Hah… Is this guy insane? No, this is perfect. Hand over your Second Messenger rank, Azadine.”

“Does that mean you’re challenging me to a duel?”

When Azadine asked, Haldun scoffed.

“A duel? With a traitor to the clan? Don’t be absurd! Hey!”

At his signal, the servants simultaneously fired arrows at Azadine. But Azadine whipped his cloak, disrupting the arrows’ paths, and imbued it with a strike.

With a bursting sound like a drum exploding, a shockwave scattered the incoming arrows.

Even the ones imbued with magic lost their power. Stripped of enchantments, they became ordinary arrows and were entangled in Azadine’s swirling cloak.

At the same moment, Azadine sprang forward—targeting Haldun first.

Thwack!

Azadine flicked his middle finger against Haldun’s forehead—a child’s prank called a “forehead flick”—but the result was shocking.

The skin on Haldun’s forehead tore, blood gushed out, and his face was drenched in red.

“Gyaaaa!”

“Young master!”

The servants drew their swords and rushed in, but Azadine’s blade was faster.

His sword, forged from Azure Steel, danced through the air, shattering the servants’ weapons like toys.

“Urgh!”

“Damn it!”

Then, Grimslone’s club came flying toward them. The self-flying weapon danced through the air, striking their heads and chests, knocking them down.

But then, a single hand suddenly grabbed Grimslone’s club midair.

It was Ismail.

“Azadine. Are you really going to betray the clan just for the people of Hubris?”

“It was the Council of Elders who betrayed the clan first. The Curse of Servitude wasn’t cast by the Emperor. It was the Council who placed it.”

Azadine turned, grabbing Haldun as a hostage to stop the others from acting rashly.

Kwarururung!

Thunder boomed amid the storm.

“On what grounds do you spout such nonsense? Saying the Curse of Servitude wasn’t from the Emperor!”

“The Voice of the Emperor admitted it himself. The one who killed the Emperor was Harkonia. The Curse of Servitude was a tool the Council used to control us.”

The rain poured harder. Under its curtain, Ismail glared at Azadine, still holding Grimslone’s club in one hand.

“What does that change? Soon, the long-cherished wish of our clan will come true. Once we take the throne, no one will dare look down on us.”

“It’s nothing but an ambition that tramples the innocent.”

“They’re not innocent! They’ve always looked down on us, mocked us! They are not our people!”

“But Harkonia killed the Emperor she loved to save them. And she wasn’t the only one. We, the Emperor’s Messengers, have risked our lives for the people of Hubris. If we now turn our backs on their lives, that would be the true corruption.”

“So what if we desire power? What’s wrong with ambition? Why can’t we have it?”

Ismail was seething. But was that anger really aimed at Azadine?

Seeing Ismail’s trembling emotions, Azadine spoke calmly.

“First, killing the innocent and causing suffering is obviously wrong. Second… even if our clan were to rule everything, the servants and the oppressed among us would gain nothing. Do you think you, Ismail, could claim that power?”

“……”

“Third, the Age of Jupiter is approaching. The King’s Church is weakening. If we stand to protect people amid the coming chaos, they won’t be able to reject us anymore.”

“But…”

“This is the right path. We are strong enough to earn the respect of the people of Hubris! That’s exactly what the Council feared, so they shackled us with the Curse of Servitude. Because if we gained true respect through our own strength, their ambitions would be foiled.”

“……”

“What the Council truly desires is this—invasion! They’ve bound us all this time just so we’d do this. Don’t justify this evil by cloaking it in hatred for the people of Hubris!”

“Damn it.”

Ismail regretted letting Azadine’s words reach him. He should have just fought. Now that he’d listened, he had no rebuttal. Deep down, even he had started to doubt the path the clan was taking.

“You’re still quite the smooth talker, Azadine. I truly despise you.”

“Oh really? I rather like you.”

“……”

Ismail silently released his grip on Grimslone’s club.