Sectarian Dispute (1)

Darkness had settled over the inn district where lanterns swayed, the inn district of Saint Mallory, the holy land of the Rescue Knights Order.

However, this street refused to sleep in the darkness of night, driving away the darkness with the desire-glossed light created by expensive candles and cheap torches as it did business.

Red lights welcomed guests in a way unsuited to a solemn holy land, bustling and flourishing noisily. Azadine was packing his luggage in an inn in that inn district in order to leave Saint Mallory.

Even if it was called luggage, there was nothing particularly impressive about it, but there were certainly items that had increased little by little compared to when he first came here. They were tourist souvenirs from Saint Mallory.

At each tourist spot in Saint Mallory, they sold crudely made monument models, embroidered flags, paperweights made to keep documents from being blown over by the wind, and the like, and Azadine had bought and collected them.

Even though he knew very well about the actual state of the Rescue Knights Order and said he no longer had any particular expectations for it, the reason he had bought these tourist souvenirs was because a blind, wounded boy still remained inside Azadine.

Aside from that, he had bought some gifts for his subordinates.

Rare sweets, spices that were hard to obtain in Chadra, perfumes, high-quality cloth, tape measures with luxurious rods attached to sturdy fabric, and other items one might find in a large city were chosen and gift-wrapped, so his luggage had become considerable.

It was when he was packing the luggage as firmly as possible and distributing it well so there would be less fatigue during long-distance travel.

“E-excuse me!”

The inn servant came up from below, and the wooden stairs played a song of bones. The creaking sound, like an old man’s knees, hammered through the entire inn like thunder.

“Is Sir Azadine here? A guest has come to see you.”

“A guest.”

In this wooden building, where even a short walk made loud noises, it was difficult to flee without making one’s presence known.

Even aside from that, Azadine was curious what kind of person this guest would be. So when he went down the stairs, he met an unexpected person.

‘Karna, no, is he someone else?’

A young man with an appearance far too similar to Karna, but with an overall more toned-down look than him, was waiting for Azadine while showing his white teeth.

He recognized Azadine as soon as Azadine came down the stairs.

“Wow. Your appearance has a noble air to it. Since you were from the Messenger Clan, I thought you would have horns and fangs and the like, but to think you would be such a handsome person. Ah, I am Hospitaller Triodana of the Wisdom Order.”

“I am Azadine. Sir Triodana. It is good to meet you. But what brings you here at this hour?”

“How strange. I know you met Karna on your way here, but you have not said even a word about my appearance resembling Karna’s. Are you perhaps wary of me?”

The knight who introduced himself as Triodana knew very well that Azadine had already made contact with Karna.

However, he found it suspicious that Azadine feigned ignorance and treated him as though seeing him for the first time. But Azadine’s answer went beyond his imagination.

“I thought it would be rude to bring up someone’s appearance upon first meeting them.”

When Azadine spoke sarcastically, the other knights who had come with Triodana flinched in surprise. That was because Azadine’s words ultimately contained criticism of Triodana, who had commented this and that about his appearance upon their first meeting.

“Hmm, so you are saying it displeased you that I spoke this and that about your appearance upon our first meeting?”

“No. If I were going to be displeased by something like talk about my appearance, it would be hard to live as a member of the Messenger Clan. There are so many rude bastards that I had no choice but to get used to it.”

Azadine skillfully parried Triodana’s words.

“Mm. Understood. Since the hour is what it is, I will get straight to the point. You must go somewhere with us.”

“Where?”

“There are people who wish to meet Sir Azadine while avoiding the eyes of the other Orders. We are trying to arrange a place for you to meet them.”

“Who exactly are these people?”

“It is Sir Durio, Chapter Master of Saint Mallory for the Wisdom Order.”

Sir Durio, commander of the fortress knights guarding Saint Mallory’s Wisdom Order, wanted to see Azadine. It was no different from a threat telling him to obediently enter their investigation room.

Azadine showed a troubled expression. He had not known the other side would probe him so blatantly.

Judging from Triodana’s attitude and reaction, it did not seem as though they were doing this because they knew Azadine was the true culprit. However, whether Azadine was the culprit or not, they believed there would be no repercussions if they treated him recklessly, and so they were doing this without restraint.

Since there would be no problem even if they treated him harshly, the Wisdom Order was trying to secure Azadine and hold him for now.

If he complied with their words and was taken away, they would keep confining and harassing him until the result satisfied them.

“I am busy. Could we not do this later? Is it important?”

“I think that will be a bit difficult. Everyone has taken time out of their busy schedules. Do you perhaps have other business?”

“I was packing because I intend to return to the Chadra Plateau after leaving it unattended for a long time. How long will this take?”

“Please be at ease. Even if it takes a long time, surely we would not detain you for an unjust reason or anything of the sort, would we?”

“Please tell me first what this is about.”

“Yes. In truth, the Wisdom Order is currently experiencing a strange incident. This very afternoon, there was an improper intrusion into our Order’s headquarters, and the intruders stole an important item from our Order.”

“So you are suspecting me, is that it?”

“Rather than that, we need cooperation. Sir Azadine. Of course, it is not as though you have a reason to help us, but….”

If you refuse, it will not be amusing. Was that what he was trying to say? Azadine gave a bitter smile.

“What exactly was stolen? A treasure?”

“A magic scroll. It was a scroll sealing a powerful spell, and the intruder stole it.”

“What was the scroll used for? Do you have any suspected destination?”

“If there is a suspected destination, first it would be the King’s Church. Sir Azadine. You know Sir Ject the Inquisitor, do you not? I understand you met him recently as well. In any case, this is not something to discuss here. We cannot speak about a matter involving the King’s Church in a crowded inn. So will you follow us?”

Triodana skillfully guided the situation so Azadine had no choice but to go. They could not speak in a public place about something that seemed to frame the King’s Church. So, enter the Wisdom Order headquarters, inside the interrogation room. That was how he was laying the groundwork.

Of course, Azadine knew well that if he was dragged away like this, it was over, so he refused.

“That is a bit difficult.”

“Why is that?”

“It seems like something that will take too long. I have to return to the Chadra Plateau first thing tomorrow.”

“We will send you back before the city gates open. It is only light cooperation, so we ask this of you.”

“…….”

Of course, Triodana had no intention whatsoever of sending Azadine back at that time.

As long as they called him in and put him inside their interrogation room, it was over.

Even if they changed the promise afterward and held him there, no one would criticize them, and even if Azadine had incredible skill, escaping from the Wisdom Knights’ headquarters was close to impossible.

‘Ugh. These bastards. They’re persistent, aren’t they? Even after committing something like that, they’re shameless. Should I just dispose of them?’

Azadine was also angry that the Wisdom Order had committed acts like grinding angel statues and reincarnating influential people as Celestials. And yet they were trying to forcefully drag him to their investigation room like this….

Should he deal with the people in front of him without thinking about the aftermath? He felt that intense temptation.

[An Emperor’s gold coin has been used. Azadine. Right now, the petitioner’s life is in imminent danger.]

That was when it happened. Suddenly, Arael’s voice informed him that an Emperor’s gold coin had been used, meaning that someone had petitioned the Emperor’s Messenger.

“What are you doing?”

Triodana was flustered when he saw Azadine’s consciousness focusing on something other than himself.

Like the Emperor’s voice, Arael’s voice was an existence that only Azadine, the contractor, could see and hear unless there was a physical medium, but Triodana also faintly sensed that some magical existence had appeared.

“What is this right now?”

“I’m busy, so excuse me!”

Azadine left Triodana behind and swiftly threw himself through the window.

There was a wooden latch on the inn window, but Azadine broke it with his body and leapt out.

“Kh! Stop right there!”

Triodana also began chasing Azadine, but in human form, without revealing his wings, Triodana did not dare pursue Azadine.

However, he could not reveal his wings recklessly inside Saint Mallory either. While Triodana hesitated, Azadine shook him off, climbed onto a nearby building, and activated Arael’s voice.

A spirit in the shape of a transparent bird flew through the sky and showed Azadine the way.

He turned his head in the direction Arael’s voice guided him. A strange sight unfolded before Azadine’s eyes. The sea was freezing over, and ice was pushing toward the coast.

“What is this now?!”

The place where Saint Mallory was located had a low latitude and abundant sunlight, so it was actually a place where knights had difficulty moving around in armor.

Because the seawater was cold, it did not have the image of a tropical climate like Vthuma, but it was a place where seeing snow was difficult even in winter.

And yet the sea had frozen and ice was pushing in? It was an absurd anomaly. For now, Azadine ran like an arrow toward the place where the petitioner who used the gold coin was.

“S-stop! Sir Azadine! Do not run away!”

Triodana’s shout came from behind Azadine, but Azadine pretended not to hear and ignored his words as he ran.

“What kind of person is the petitioner? What is the petition?”

[The petitioner is Ahalji. An old acquaintance you know.]

“Ahalji? Never heard of him.”

[The Cell Sword who charged at you with the gold coin the day before yesterday. And yet you say you have never heard of him? You have become lax since becoming a Holy Knight. As a Messenger, you should remember everything, yes?]

“No, lately I’ve been making many long-term plans and have many subordinates under me, so there are many things to manage, and I don’t have the leeway to spend that much mental energy. More importantly, that guy… That’s too much. Wasn’t that gold coin actually something I should have received as the duel fee? And he’s using that to make a petition?”

[If you intended to claim that his gold coin belonged to you, it would have been better to at least remember his name.]